Use and Implementing Total Quality Management

Question: Describe about A report on the best method smart pack limited intends to use in implementing total quality management.. Answer: Introduction With increased competition, companies have to adopt new ways of remaining profitable. Reducing operational costs, increasing customer satisfaction and improving the performance of products in the market are some of the sure ways of remaining competitive in the long term. Recent studies have suggested that all these can be achieved by adopting Total Quality Management (TQM). Different academia has provided different definitions to TQM. According to Dale, TQM is an organisational management approach that encourages the participation of all its members in attaining quality for the long term success of the organisation through customer satisfaction and benefits to all members of the organization and to society. Quality can be defined as the ability of the product to effectively meet the requirements and expectations of the consumer. With all benefits that different studies have related with adoption of TQM, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have not embraced it as compared to other large organizations. This can be attributed to different factors such as financial constraints, negative attitude towards quality culture and uncommitted management. This report thus aims to present a cost effective framework for the implementation of TQM at Smart Pack Limited. Benefits of TQM to SMEs Just like with large companies, in order to remain competitive, SMEs need to urgently adopt TQM (Alaheldin 2009). Some of the benefits Smart Pack Limited should expect from adoption of TQM are, Product quality and customer satisfaction. TQM will enable Smart Pack to improve the quality of its products due to its insistence on adoption of quality procedures and practices (Hung, et al 2011). This will further enhance product performance and acceptance and lead to customer satisfaction. Increase in profits due to cost reduction and increased sales. TQM will enable Smart Pack to continually examine processes to remove non- productive and repeated activities thus cutting operational costs (Goh 2000). Quality of the products will also increase leading to an increase in sales. Compliance with set regulations. Adoption of TQM will enable Smart Pack to easily comply with the set regulations regarding issues such as environmental requirements and health and safety issues since they are all incorporated. Competitive advantage. With the new technology, foreign and new companies have entered the Australian market increasing competition to levels never seen before. One way to ensure Smart Pack will outdo its competitors is through ensuring customer satisfaction is at the centre of all activities. Nothing does this well than TQM (Ilkay Aslan 2012). Leads to beneficial partnerships with other established companies. Many large and established companies are successful as a result of TQM (Valmohammady 2011). They therefore wish to only partner with other organisations that have done the same to ensure their product quality is maintained at all times. Just like with LEGO, TQM will provide more opportunities for Smart Pack to partner with other established companies. Ensure future survival. Many SMEs in Australia dont remain in operation for long due to lack of planning for the future. TQM advocates for monitoring and continual improvement (International Organisation for Standardisation 2014). Its implementation will ensure Smart Packs survival into the future. Employee participation. TQM advocates for teamwork and participation. Smart Pack will thus benefit from the employees ideas. Principles of TQM Due to the expansive nature of the TQM concept, there are numerous principles and practices advocated for by different professionals. Demings approach to TQM stresses the need to continuously work towards the improvement of processes and practices which will lead to improvement in products and services quality which are essential in customer satisfaction and company survival. He bases his argument on PDCA strategy. The management takes centre stage in this approach by providing leadership and creating and communicating strategies, policies and objectives necessary for the achievement of the ultimate goal (Deming 1986). Ishikawas approach to TQM advocates for total employee commitment in implementation of TQM. He believed that quality management was not only about the products but also other important factors like after sale services and the quality of the workforce, leadership and the firm involved (Ishikawa 1985). He too stressed the need for education in achieving quality. Another TQM approach is Feiganbaums, who stressed on the adoption of a systems approach to quality by integrating people, machines and information. He stated that the process starts with the identification of consumer needs and goes through different activities like manufacturing, assembling, marketing and transportation until the point where it reaches the consumer and the consumer is satisfied (Feigenbaum 1991). He identified technological and human issues as the two major determinants of quality. Crosbys approach identifies knowledge and attention deficiencies as the major causes of mistakes that lead to low quality. He further identifies education and training as the best methods of eliminating education deficiency and personal commitment as the answer to lack of commitment (Crosby 1979). This approach advocates for the use of the zero defects concept in quality management. Another popular TQM approach is the Jurans approach popularly known as Jurans trilogy. In (Juran Gryna 1993), customer and employee satisfaction, reduced costs and increased revenues are identified as the ultimate goals of TQM. He believed that a lot of quality deficiencies are as a result of failures on the part of management and therefore stressed on the need of commitment by mangers. He also advocated for teamwork as a way of attaining quality because it required all activities of the organisation. After studying albeit briefly various approaches presented by these scholars together with others not discussed like Shewhart and Taguchi, some of the important principles that Smart Pack ltd will put into consideration when adopting TQM are, Focus on customer. All the five approaches agree that at the end of the whole process, there is the customer. Quality can only be achieved when there is some level of satisfaction by the customer. Focus should therefore be on the customer and not the company. Needs of the customers will be studied and used as the frame work for deciding product quality. Continuous improvement. With TQM there is no stopping because need change every day. For Smart Pack to remain in business and be competitive going into the future research and monitoring will need to continuously be done to identify areas that need improvement and activities that need to be stopped as they no longer bring value to the organisation. Participation and team work. Quality involves all activities of the firm and therefore all employees views will be taken. Proper communication channels established to allow for two-way communication between the employees and the management. Zero defect. Prevention should be used to reduce low quality rather than detecting it at the end. Activities aimed at encouraging and motivating employees to prevent defects will be carried out. Management commitment. TQM can only succeed if the management is committed to it. The management will need to provide leadership and resources necessary (Zacharia 2011). Further, they will formulate and communicate to employees the organisational policies regarding quality. Reasons for TQM failure in some SMEs Proper implementation of TQM has many benefits as already discussed, yet some SMEs are unable to enjoy such benefits like their larger counterparts (Done et al 2011). Although some challenges are difficult to avoid like SMEs inadequate finances, most are purely controllable (Abdullah 2010). Smart Pack Ltd will try to avoid the mistakes that most of these firms commit leading to failure. Some of the reasons for failure include, Lack of management commitment. For TQM to succeed at Smart Pack, the senior management will need to be committed by providing leadership and other necessary resources like finances. They will further be required to develop organisational quality policies and goals and communicate them to employees. Improper implementation planning. Proper and earlier planning for smooth running of activities will be necessary to ensure activities important activities like training do not collide with other equally important organisational activities. Resistance to change. Sometimes TQM fail due to the employees tendency to reject new ways of doing things. Proper education and training will be provided to ensure the employees understand the benefits of the changes being made. Lack of genuine organisational quality culture and leadership styles (Idris 2011). Once Smart Pack start implementing TQM, there will be need for a genuine quality culture to be encouraged within the organisation. Actions which prove commitment to quality should be visible. It should not be used only as a PR strategy. Inadequate training and motivation of the workforce. Unmotivated and uneducated workforce will not embrace the new methods and processes brought by TQM. Employees will need to be trained more on these new ways. TQM implementation process PDCA cycle developed by Shewhart can be used to give a general overview of activities undertaken in the implementation and maintenance of TQM. At planning level objectives are set, measurement system and a general plan of attaining the set goals are established. Implementation is planned and undertaken on pilot basis The results of the implementation are compared with the set objectives and any gaps recorded. Identify the source of the gaps. Corrective actions are taken to eliminate the gaps and PDCA cycle is repeated. Due to the limited resources available in terms of money and man-power, a cost effective framework will be adopted in the implementation process. The CEO will announce the plan to implement TQM in the organisation and try to explain its benefits to employees. The CEO will also give an overview of what is expected from employees during the implementation process. Selection of a consultant The consultant is going to guide the company throughout the implementation process and they directly affect the success of the TQM. Issues like qualification and independence should be considered. Strategic planning The company will plan how the implementation is going to happen. At this stage, vision statement, mission statement and a quality policy will be set. GAP analysis It is important in TQM implementation as it shows the management where they are and where they want to be (Nair Ramachandran 2013). GAP analysis will involve activities like customer and employee surveys. This will be important in knowing their views on the company and its products. Survey questionnaires will be provided with a variety of questions covering different areas like employee motivation. This will take a period of between 2 weeks to 1 month to allow customers time to respond. Conduct trainings TQM trainings will be done by a professional and all employees will participate. This is important in educating them on its importance and their role in the implementation process. Due to the size of Smart Pack limited; the trainings will not take long. Most of the employees will be trained at the same time. Senior management will be trained first followed by middle level managers and then other employees will be trained. This will take approximately 10days. Documentation stage. Documentation and validation of processes and activities is carried out. According to Besterfield et al (2011) documentation covers four major areas, Policy document which is also called policy manual is a short description of the organisations quality intentions (Idris 2011). Policy procedures document which shows how the organisational policies will be implemented, by who and at what time. Work instructions document which details how each particular work will be done. It also gives the time frame and assigns responsibilities. Records documentation. Records are data from previous processes and activities like meetings that are kept for traceability purposes. It allows a product defect to be traced back to the specific point where the defect occurred. Documentation process will take approximately 3 days and will be assisted by the expert. Guided internal audits An internal audit on the system will be carried out by the quality committee, guided by the expert and an audit report prepared. The report should contain genuine findings. Management review. The senior management will then meet and go through the audit findings. The recommendations of the report will then be acted upon. If need be the TQM professional will again be sought to assist in implementation of the recommendations. External audit. After TQM has been implemented to completion, an independent external TQM auditor will again be invited to audit the system. Note that the auditor will not be the one who was sought in the implementation process to avoid bias. Corrective action Any issues still existing will be solved at this stage. Note that there are other stages that are normally done but due to the size of the firm, this process will be used. It will help reduce cost and time. Implementation does not stop at this point. Regular audits will always be carried out to identify any gaps and corrective measures taken. Measuring TQM success Once TQM has been successfully implemented at Smart Pack limited, some positive changes will be observed. Some of these changes are observable while others are measurable and they include, Conduct survey on customer satisfaction. A survey will be initiated to measure the level of customer satisfaction with the products after the implementation of TQM. The survey should not be conducted immediately after the implementation. Customers should be allowed to feel the difference themselves. Successful implementation should show an increase in the level of satisfaction. Accreditation to other quality standards. Other standards that deal with quality like the ISO 9001/2008 Quality Management System (QMS) have almost similar implementation method to TQM. Successful implementation of TQM will therefore lead to accreditation to these standards too. Better communication between the management and the junior employees. Successful implementation of TQM will change the direction of information flow. Communication will not only be about giving instructions from the top to bottom but it will also involve receiving ideas from the bottom to the top. Documentation of all processes. The ability to trace products back to different stages of production is an indicator of TQM success. So is the existence of observable written processes and procedures of doing different activities and clearly spelt out responsibilities. Visible quality policies. A quality policy will be formulated and displayed in strategic points within the organisation for the employees to familiarise themselves with it. Some of the places may include company brochures, at the back of staff badges, on a big sign board at the gate, etc. Employee motivation and participation. An employee survey will be conducted to measure their level of participation and motivation after the implementation of TQM. A questionnaire will be provided to ensure that the survey remains confidential and the identity of the employee is not revealed to allow them give genuine answers. An improvement in level of motivation and participation after implementation will be an indicator of TQMs success. Conclusion Smart pack Ltd needs to adopt this cost effective frame work to fully benefit from TQM without having to spend huge sums of money. Most SMEs have stated inadequate funding as the major reason for not implementing it. Many reports also list only large companies when giving success stories regarding TQM. This has brought out the idea that it is suited for the big firms only. This is far from the truth as quality should be the core of any organisations existence regardless of the size. Quality attracts more customers and therefore this is one sure way of remaining competitive even with the increase in competition from foreign firms. References. Abdullah, A, 2010, 'Measuring TQM implementation: a case study of Malaysian SMEs', Measuring Business Excellence, vol.14, no.3, pp. 3-15. Alaheldin, I, 2009, 'Critical success factors for TQM implementation and their impact on performance of SMEs', International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol.58, no.3, pp. 215237. Besterfield, H et al 2011, Total Quality Management, Pearson Education, India. Crosby, B 1979, Quality is free, New American Library, New York. Douglas, T J. Judge, W Q, 2001, 'Total Quality Management implementation and competitive advantage: The role structural control and exploration', Academy of Management Journal, vol.44, no.1, pp. 158-169. Feigenbaum, V 1991, Total Quality control engineering and management,McGraw-Hill, New York. Goetsch, L Stanley, D 1995, Implementing Total Quality, Prentice-Hall,Upper Saddle River, New York. Goh, L 2000, The implementation of Total Quality Management in small and medium enterprises, Ibberson Centre, Sheffield. Hung, R Y et al, 2011, 'Impact of TQM and organizational learning on innovation performance in the high-tech industry', International Business Review, vol.20, no.2, pp. 213-225. Idris, F, 2011, 'Total Quality Management (TQM) and sustainable company performance: Examining the relationship in Malaysia', International Journal of Business and Society, vol.12, no.1, pp. 3152. Ilkay, M S Aslan, E, 2012, 'The effect of the ISO 9001 quality management system on the performance of SMEs', International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, vol.29, no.7, pp. 753778. International Organisartion for Standardisation 2014, 10 good things for SMEs, ISO Central Secretariat, Geneva. Ishikawa, K 1985, What is total quality control? The Japanese way, Prentice-Hall, N.J. Juran, J M 1986, The quality trilogy, Quality Progress no.10. s.l.:s.n. Nair, S Ramachandran, A, 2013, 'Gap analysis for implementing TQM in seafood exporting firms', International Journal of Management, vol.4, no.4. Tahir, P R, Mohamad, M R Hasan, D B, 2011, 'A short review of factors leading to success of small medium enterprises', Journal of Contemporary Research on Business, pp. 519-529. Valmohammady, C, 2011, 'The impact of TQM implementation on the organizational performance of Iranian manufacturing SMEs', The TQM Journal, vol.23, no.5, pp. 496509. Zacharia, N, 2011, 'Investigating the role of human resources management practices on performance of SMEs: A conceptual framework', Journal of Global Management, vol.3, no.1, pp. 74-92.

The River Between Summary Chapters free essay sample

Again told about Waiyaki’s eyes: â€Å"strong and resolute look†, â€Å"evil glitter† -Waiyaki and Chege go to the hills together. -Waiyaki excited – passing of experience from one generation to the other -Learn about the importance of nature: can both heal and poison -Nature brings son and father closer. -Waiyaki feels important, loved, in awe of his father. -The mysterious tree: â€Å"ancient, holy, sacred, huge† -Waiyaki impressed by the immensity of the land, intimidated by nature’s greatness and beauty. Chapter 5: Son and father contemplate nature’s beauty. -Chege warns his son about the white men. -Waiyaki is scared but doesn’t have the courage to tell his father to stop teling him those ancient stories. -Waiyaki is told about Mugo’s prophecy: â€Å" a savior will come from the hills† -Waiyaki along with kinuthia and kamau go to Siriana to learn the wisdom of the white men. -Due to his quick progress, the whi te men saw waiyaki as a possible future Christian leader. We will write a custom essay sample on The River Between Summary Chapters or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Chapter 6: -Nyambura and her smaller sister Muthoni are Christians whose father Joshua had been converted. Muthoni tells her sister that she wants to get circumsized, causing the latter’s shock (Nyambura considers this practice as non Christian and barbaric) -They both know that Joshua will never allow it. -Muthoni’s reason: to become a real woman, to be initiated into womanhood, the white man’s God does not satisfy her. -Nyambura does not understand her sister but does not discourage her, instead, helps her to find a place to go. -As the 2 girls go back home, Muthoni drops her water barrel which rolls down back to the Honia river: symbolizes something bad is going to happen. Chapter 7: -Joshua was one of the first to be converted to the new faith and he feared the anger of his friends who felt betrayed. -Joshua did not approve of female circumcision which he considered a sin. -The Kameno people blamed Joshua for the more frequent visits of the white men. Chapter 8: -After the prayers at the church, Muthoni is found missing. -Miriamu, her mother searches for her everywhere following Joshua’s orders but in vain. -Nyambura tells her parents about Muthoni’s plan of getting circumsized at Kameno. Joshua asks Nyambura to go to their aunt;s place at Kameno to bring back Muthoni. He also adds that if she does not come back, he won’t consider her as her daughter anymore. -The next day, Nyambura, back from her aunt’s place announces that her sister would not come back. Joshua feels ashamed as his own daughter has brought an everlasting disgrace to him and his house. -From that day, Muthoni â€Å"ceased to exist for him† Chapter 9 : -It is the harvest period. -We learn of the great famine that attacked the whole Gikuyu land. This was the time Chege warned the people of the arrival of the white men and that Joshua and Kabonyi were converted. -Sense of conflict between christain religion and the Gikuyu rites and way of life (circumscision) -Chege feared that his son would fail the prophecy and be contaminated by the new cult. -Chege followed attentively the progresss, growth and behavior of his son. The latter was doing well in Siriana and was to be circumcised this season. -The news had spread all over the hills about Mutnoni’s circumscision and Waiyakim did not understand her decision. He was shocked by the fact she had run away from her father (he would never be able to disobey his father) -Waiyaki could not concentrate on the circumcision rituals anda dances as his mind was still preoccupied with Muthoni’s forbidden act. -Waiyaki talks to Muthoni but cannot understand the reason behind her act. Chapter 10: -Waiyaki feels the effects of the circumcision. -All the initiates sat along the banks of Honia river waiting for the surgeon. -Chege was very proud of his son as he was receiving compliments from everywhere on how Waiyaki had emerged from the whole experience despite having stayed with the white men for so long. Muthoni’s wounds had not recovered like all the other girls. -Muthoni was still suffering one week later while all the others resumed their normal lives. -Waiyaki wanted to meet Nyambura to talk about Muthni’s bad condition. Nyambura wept when hearing the news and went to see her sister immediately. -Nyambura’s visits became more and more frequent as were those of Waiyaki. -Muthoni’s condition kept on worsening and she was brought to the Siriana hospital by Waiyaki. -On that same day, Nyambura tells her mother the whole story.

Essay For Grad School Application Samples

Essay For Grad School Application SamplesAre you getting some inspiration from your friends and wondering what type of essay for grad school application samples are on the market to help you write? Here is a brief rundown of what they are, and if you want to learn more about them you can follow along with this article.To begin with, what is an informal essay? An informal essay is one where the writer does not try to include a lot of facts in the essay. It would include information that may not necessarily be important to the reader, but still makes sense and addresses what are at the bottom of the page.Essay for grad school application samples tend to have a few points or paragraphs and then they often times focus on a theme. There are many types of themes to choose from that allow you to address both for the essay itself and the admissions committee as well. Some examples of themes would be sports, religious beliefs, or famous people. Essays in these categories are ideal because the y are different from the regular essays that are submitted for the same institution.In addition to the main thesis and the main idea of the essay, there are different formats that students can choose from to get their work published or submitted to more serious publications. Many students find that it is helpful to use a hand-written essay style as opposed to something like the MLA format. The MLA, or Modern Language Association, is a popular magazine that is published by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and allows any student who has a history degree to submit an essay.Another format that could be used is the Author's Name by Author Source, which is the modern way of referring to authors by their first name, even if their work appears elsewhere as a footnote. There are many other options in which to use, and they all come in several different styles to choose from.An example of the format used in essays for grad school application samples would be a bit about the student's favorite subject and how it relates to a particular topic of the essay. A more generic form is where the student gives personal background to a famous person, or if the student is writing about the teacher of their children, the student would describe how they were treated by the teacher.Many of the essays that are submitted for college admissions are one hundred percent original. They are written and submitted just as they would be if the student were preparing for an actual exam, but the student chooses to make the format to resemble that of a more formal essay.

The Questions Concerning Technology

Introduction Technology is an issue which Heidegger resolves to question in his article, The Question Concerning Technology. In doing this, Heidegger reminds humans to reflect on movement of thought that happens in any perplexed questioning more than the mere words that form part of the questioning. This will ensure that the context of questioning is heard and determined.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Questions Concerning Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Heidegger explores an array of claims that prima facie, produces weird outcomes that hold humans, entirely making them unaware. Consequently, he explores the essence of technology in itself is not technological. Thus, this drives him to examine technology, and more fundamentally, the essence of technology. Discussion Heidegger does not restrict certain qualms as a result of rapid expansion of technology, and with the connected speed with which th e global network of technical tools are breaking up distance and condensing the once immense, mystifying and obstinate earth to a more controllable global village. However, Heidegger is dismayed to see parishes and communities being substituted by a global culture and global Gemeinschaff; for example, he cites the parish pumps politics as a remnant of the past (Kaplan 9). Philosophical Thinking of Technology Heidegger claims that it is not a surprise to humans that anything which is often taken for granted will become a significant basis of alarm; that is, what seems to be self-evident or unproblematic is a sache. Heidegger poises after insistent zeal. In this context, Heidegger claims a series of conventional methods where technology is less or more harnessed to be exhaustively understood. Though, these seem ways of understanding technology, Heidegger cites some flaws on them and suggests other shortcomings such as; they fail to capture or touch on what he views as the essence of t echnology. Heidegger demonstrates his mature philosophical jargon claiming his thinking is by finding a way he wishes. This is by using the unterwegs language (Kaplan 38). Heidegger explores the question concerning technology by embracing the term extraordinary. This is the thinking line in which he augments his thinking. However, why is Heidegger using ‘extra-ordinary’ when describing technology? Heidegger wants to relay traditional approach and most endemic of human impulses, that is, the desire to question after things and to satisfy human curiosity. In a nutshell, Heidegger uses this term as a philosophical impulse to erase doubts, or interrogates the actions of what human ordinarily assume as the explanation.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Perhaps, Heidegger sees that humans merely amass knowledge in relation to something in which they have no prior information. By using adjectives, Heidegger provides humans with a hint to reflect. Since humans tend to accomplish something which at one level is ordinary but another level subverts much of what they view as ordinary, thus this leads them to the â€Å"extra-ordinary† or extra-mundane. Heidegger likens the extra -ordinary actions to the old records as those encompassed in the occident of human deliberation confronting the world in which they found themselves. Essence of Technology In questioning technology, Heidegger develops a free relationship with it. He alleges that this relationship is free when it establishes an essence of human existence. Besides, he alleges that technology should not be mistaken as the one already meaning the essence; the essence of something is not the same thing in itself (Kaplan 56). Heidegger offers an example of a tree to illustrate the essence of technology. He shows that in thinking of the essence of trees, what pervades every tree cannot counter all other t rees among them. Hence, this is similar to technology: the essence of technology is by no means anything technological (Kaplan 10). Heidegger claims that any disposition in regard to technology is either deceptive or inadequate. However, the inadequacy of all delusions is to embrace technology as neutral because this conception, in the present society, humans embrace homage and forget the essence of technology (Kaplan 11). Heidegger demonstrates that humans generally believe and apprehend the essence of something by being self conscious and adhering to or retaining initial encounter from the onset. Heidegger poses the question: ‘what is it?’ This perhaps proves to be the question of all questions. Heidegger attempts to explore the question by explaining technology a means to an end, and it is a human tool. The answers he gives seems intrinsic to each other as they illustrate the notion that technology is a tool under human disposal and it prefigures the conviction of fa cilitating various ends on which humans envisage or have designs. He explains that technological tools possess an equipmental directionality which is intrinsic in the manner humans envisage them. Further, these tools deliver a hand character of human quotidian world, helping them to do perfunctory tasks and routine movements.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Questions Concerning Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Anthropological and instrumental view of technology In response to the question ‘What is technology?’ Heidegger seems to exhaust blend anthropological and instrumental definitions of the concept. In his explanation Heidegger illustrates that technology is instrumental. This is because humans use different tools to advance objectives and remove all challenges (Kaplan 27). He further illustrates that it is not less than an anthropological term, because the technology denotes a net work of equipments and tools at humans’ disposal and as such, it signifies a human activity in a broader sense (Kaplan 23). These descriptions are fitting. However, Heidegger insists that they are fairly correct. The correctness of the instrumental definition of technology is more correct as to agitate humans to carefully asses it. The instrumental definition serves to obscure more than it reveals. It erases the differences that are fundamental under leveling perception of what is basically constitutive. Heidegger claims that the difference created is the inequality between the old apparatus, conveniences of primitive handiwork and the products of modern technological age. He cites airplanes radar stations and hydroelectric plants provides â€Å"means† to â€Å"multiple† ends in this context. Heidegger obliges that they hardly guarantee pervasive assurance as they are different in the degree rather than kind from ‘the older handiwork technology† (Kap lan 15). Heidegger alleges that in embracing modern technology as a means to an end, humans are cheated into false assumptions that it is something they can bring under their control and master as it supports their efforts to accomplish certain ends (Kaplan 16). However, this is not the case; there is possibility that technology is not something that is not of human being design and control. Although this seems contradictory, Heidegger explains that the notion might appear to be consistent as the technology entails securing various ends through means and that it does not necessarily entail that human control or master it. The definition is fitting; however, it is not the ‘round, unvarnished,’ truth of technology (Kaplan 18). Technology and associated devices involve human activities and is tailored to accomplish or facilitate various human desires and needs by providing means to securing both. Hence, to achieve this goal, it involves all human activities. Heidegger impl ies that the implication of anthropological definition must encompass instrumental definition of technology because all human actions seem to be of the sake of something, that is, they are teleogically tilted (Kaplan 20). Hence, the prospect of tangible and controllable field of inquest lies with the concealment within the instrumental definition of technology.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Modern Technology Heidegger suggests that modern technology is not a creation of human action established out of the autonomous. Thus, humans are accountable when it comes to the issues that manifests in technological activities leading to the â€Å"call of un-concealment† (Kaplan 58). Hence, any human action at any time in human history does not exist in a vacuum of a sham sense of sovereignty but involves human beings being directed into the unconcealed. The un-concealment of the un-concealed has come to pass whenever it calls man forth into methods of revealing what allotted to him (Kaplan 59). Thus, if human accept this, they are obliged to view any modern activity which they would associate with present technological doings such as observing, investigating, among others that perhaps, ensnare nature as an area of its own conceiving (Kaplan 60). Conclusion In His article, Heidegger demonstrates that technology is not the criticism of another intellectual Luddite. Heidegger , rather, shuns the lure of demonizing technology and propagates a more ominous myth. He opts to reflect on the issue and trail a contour of questioning until he understands what holds to be the source of this notion. Heidegger views that the notion, which is omnipresent and common in everything a human being do and say, merits Sein itself; thus, it enjoys the illustrious and unmerited standing of self-evidence. Works Cited Kaplan, David M. Readings in the Philosophy of Technology. Maryland: Rowman Littlefield, 2009. Print This essay on The Questions Concerning Technology was written and submitted by user Cecilia Peterson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Proportions Problems Worksheet - Practical Questions

Proportions Problems Worksheet - Practical Questions A proportion is a set of 2 fractions that equal each other. This article focuses on how to use proportions to solve real life problems. Real World Uses of Proportions Modifying a budget for a restaurant chain that is expanding from 3 locations to 20 locationsCreating a skyscraper from blueprintsCalculating tips, commissions, and sales tax Modifying a Recipe On Monday, you are cooking enough white rice to serve exactly 3 people. The recipe calls for 2 cups of water and 1 cup of dry rice. On Sunday, you are going to serve rice to 12 people. How would the recipe change? If you’ve ever made rice, you know that this ratio - 1 part dry rice and 2 parts water  - is important. Mess it up, and you’ll be scooping a gummy, hot mess on top of your guests crawfish à ©touffà ©e. Because you are quadrupling your guest list (3 people * 4 12 people), you must quadruple your recipe. Cook 8 cups of water and 4 cups of dry rice. These shifts in a recipe demonstrate the heart of proportions: use a ratio to accommodate lifes greater and smaller changes. Algebra and Proportions 1 Sure, with the right numbers, you can forgo setting up an algebraic equation to determine the amounts of dry rice and water. What happens when the numbers are not so friendly? On Thanksgiving, youll be serving rice to 25 people. How much water   do you need?Because the ratio of 2 parts water and 1 part dry rice applies to cooking 25 servings of rice, use a proportion to determine the quantity of ingredients. Note: Translating a word problem into an equation is super important. Yes, you can solve an incorrectly set up equation and find an answer. You can also mix rice and water together to create food to serve at Thanksgiving. Whether the answer or food is palatable depends on the equation. Think about what you know: 3 servings of cooked rice 2 cups of water; 1 cup of dry rice25 servings of cooked rice ? cups of water; ? cup of dry rice3 servings of cooked rice/25 servings of cooked rice 2 cups of water/x cups of water3/25 2/x Cross multiply. Hint: Write these fractions vertically to get the full understanding of cross multiplying. To cross multiply, take the first fractions numerator and multiply it by the second fractions denominator. Then take the second fractions numerator and multiply it by the first fractions denominator.3 * x 2 * 253x 50Divide both sides of the equation by 3 to solve for x.3x/3 50/3x 16.6667 cups of waterFreeze- verify that the answer is correct.Is 3/25 2/16.6667?3/25 .122/16.6667 .12Whoo hoo! The first proportion is right.   Algebra and Proportions 2 Remember that x will not always be in the numerator. Sometimes the variable is in the denominator, but the process is the same. Solve the following for x. 36/x 108/12 Cross multiply:36 * 12 108 * x432 108xDivide both sides by 108 to solve for x.432/108 108x/1084 xCheck and make sure the answer is right. Remember, a proportion is defined as 2 equivalent fractions:Does 36/4 108/12?36/4 9108/12 9It’s right! Practice Exercises Instructions: For each exercise, set up a proportion and solve. Check each answer.1. Damian is making brownies to serve at the family picnic. If the recipe calls for 2  ½ cups of cocoa to serve 4 people, how many cups will he need if there will be 60 people at the picnic? 2. A piglet can gain 3 pounds in 36 hours. If this rate continues, the pig will reach 18 pounds in _________ hours. 3. Denise’s rabbit can eat 70 pounds of food in 80 days. How long will it take the rabbit to eat 87.5 pounds? 4. Jessica drives 130 miles every two hours. If this rate continues, how long will it take her to drive 1,000 miles?

The Challenges for Inclusive Education in China Essay

The Challenges for Inclusive Education in China - Essay Example Poor human resource management in the form of teachers lacking necessary qualifications and motivation and absence of required teamwork all contribute to halfhearted attempts at inclusive education. Administrative Challenges Malinen (2013) shows some interesting trends with regard to inclusive education in China. For instance, Malinen (2013, p. 6) reveals that almost 60% of Chinese children with disabilities already study in mainstream schools. However, this optimistic figure is based on a disability assessment system that is based on functional disability such as visual, hearing, language, intellectual, physical and mental disability. On the other hand, the WHO categorizes disabilities along cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along, life activities, and participation domains. Thus, the performance of inclusive education in China appears deceptively positive. Some legal and social challenges include the difficulty of children of economic migrants to large cities getting admitted to schools in the cities. The large classroom sizes, rote learning and an assessment system based on competition rather than teamwork also make it difficult to implement inclusive education. Malinen (2013) also notes that teachers spend little time in planning lessons for inclusive classrooms. The UNESCO (2003) report also reflects similar views such as the inadequacy of the curriculum to meet the diverse learning needs of inclusive classrooms. Inclusive schools are often inaccessible to scattered populations which also pose a strong challenge. Chen (n.a.) also notes the problem of large classrooms for inclusive teaching to take place. The dearth of effective teaching aids further complicates the situation for teachers, who are inadequately trained at times. Poor school management... This paper approves that a conceptual paper on inclusive education by UNESCO validates the findings of Zhu and Wang by identifying some of the same barriers to inclusive education. The report highlights the challenge posed by socio-economic factors such as inadequate educational facilities and inequalities bred into the educational system. Poor human resource management in the form of teachers lacking necessary qualifications and motivation and absence of required teamwork all contribute to halfhearted attempts at inclusive education. This paper makes a conclusion that the main challenges to inclusive education in China are administrative and cultural. School administrations are struggling to equip inclusive schools with well-trained teachers while parents of children with special learning needs need to appreciate the importance of inclusive education. Resources need to be invested in teacher training, curriculum development and making inclusive schools accessible to the target populations. The current curriculum and teaching methodologies are inadequate for meeting the learning needs of students. The Chinese government seems to be making inclusive education a major priority; however, cooperation from local governments is also essential for these efforts to be effective. Moreover, once general consciousness that inclusive education is beneficial for the whole society is raised, the prospects for inclusive education in China are likely to become much brighter.

Modern Project managing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Project managing - Essay Example As such, this student has reviewed an article within the Wall Street Journal which is specifically directed towards project management and the means by which project managers ultimately succeed or fail. The article itself, entitled, â€Å"Dangers of Clinging to Solutions of the Past† approaches the topic of expertise and it applications within project management from a different perspective than almost all other research articles or readings in the press have. Rather than assuming that a great degree of experience is necessarily represents a net asset to the organization, the approach of the author of the article, as well as the information that was reviewed is that the prior knowledge of a manager is not a pre-requisite to success and worse still may represent a very broad range of negative carryovers from incorrect ways that problems had been tackled in the past. As a function of understanding these nuances, the following brief paper will seek to highlight the ways in which traditional understandings of the importance of experience significantly deviate from the perspective that the author of this particular piece of journalism has concluded. Although it is of course incorrect to take a piece of journalism such as the Wall Street Journal and draw a wide range of inference from it with regards to the way in which project management should necessarily proceed, this alongside the other forms of inference that the student can glean from reading management textbooks and a range of peer reviewed articles help to paint the picture of how aspects of so-called â€Å"common sense† deviates significantly from what practicality and actuality demand. Whereas our current model of understanding change and leadership center around finding an individual with the sage knowledge to guide a firm, organization, or group of employees towards the new paradigm, the fact of the matter is, as discussed by the article’s author, that oftentimes the change leader wit h little to no prior experience within such a context can oftentimes evoke a more positive transition than one who has a storied past illustrated during a broad career. As the author notes, this is the result of the fact that few if any change managers that have a broad level of experience have been proven to integrate positive change in an organization. Conversely, those managers that have little if any real world experience have to do what the author refers to as â€Å"learn on their feet†. In this way, rather than forcing an approach that has somewhat worked in the past into a situation, department, or business in which it is more than certain to fail. Conversely, the ability of the young and/or otherwise inexperienced leader to invoke a level of positive change is aided by his lack of baggage from previous employers. Although experience in and of itself is not a detriment to the leader’s progress, the reliance and understanding upon this experience as a means of ef fecting the new change is. As the author of the article states, the fact of the matter is that the inexperienced leader has a definite advantage upon the competition due to the fact that he/she is not polluted by pre-conceived notions of what would ultimately provide a net benefit to the firm or