Introduction to Operation Management Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Operation Management Essay If you would like to choose an organization that is NOT from the above list, please consult your professor. For SLP 1, identify the following by writing a paper (with paragraphs, including an introductory, body, and concluding section): 1) The organizations name and main line of business, 2) A specific type of operations process that takes place there (either service or product), 3) Describe the nature of the operations given your newfound understanding of operations management and productivity. 4) You may identify the strategy or global strategy of that organization. Feel free to consult background readings, browse our library to find more articles, and check the relevant websites to support your argument. Introduction An organization efficiency and effectiveness are necessary to surface in this new era of business where maintaining a competitive edge is the difference between succeeding and faltering. In this paper I will describe and analyze the operation management by describing and analyzing the different operations management perspectives and its productivity. Body The organization I have chosen to study and analyze is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., their line of business is retail. Since Wal-Mart is one of the top supermarket chains in the country exporting to 27 countries and sells a large number of products, the company runs on multiple levels and since some products have different regulations than other obviously the operation management has tuned to the specific needs of the product. Not only has the operation management pertained not only for goods but also for services. Since 2009, The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) and Wal-Mart have worked together to create a system that measure and report the sustainability of products by developing tools to enhance the capacity to comprehend and state the environmental, social, and economic effects of products. This process of researching product sustainability is used to expand knowledge of top grossing products and find out how to improve the quality of the products. By improving the quality they can manufacture better products at a lower cost and sell it the same of higher price increasing profits. On the other hand, by testing product sustainability new eco-friendly products can be produce and lower the environmental impact while still satisfying consumer demand. The second step is researching the consumer, what they think about the product and how the product is used. This enables manufacturing companies to meet the consumer needs. After all the researcher is done, new found data is combined with new tools to produce better product quality and transparency creating a stronger trust between Wal-Mart and its customer. The nature of this operation is based on the idea of lowering costs while maintaining profits. By researching the products they learn the ins and outs of how it is made, the costs of production, and the sustainability of the product. This allows them to look into cheaper methods and materials while still maintain same safety, health and environmental standards. Furthermore when they research the consumer, they find out what the consumer really needs and provide more to fill that need. Whatever profits are saved they can invest into better tools, production equipment, or anything used to further advance the company. The global strategy (as well as general strategy) is to invest in lower prices. By expanding the types of products sold and bringing back assortments the customer base is expanded, since now the convenience of finding everything you need in one place is available. When this convenience is combined with lower prices, it makes Wal-Mart a retail juggernaut that will be nearly impossible to top. Conclusion In conclusion, operations management is a key tool in controlling all aspects of a business. By managing operations you can cut costs, accidents, or even increase profits. An example would be Wal-Mart’s product sustainability management. By investing in this process they have advanced their company in many aspects, giving them an advantage in their business. References Plenert, Gerhard J. (2002). International Operations Management. Retrieved January 17, 2013 at: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/tourou/search.action?p00=International +Operations+ManagementfromSearch=fromSearchsearch=Search Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (2012) 2012 Annual Report. Retrieved on January 17, 2013 at: http://www.walmartstores.com/sites/annual-report/2012/CEOletter.aspx Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (2012) Global Responsibility. Sustainability Index. Retrieved on January 17, 2013 at: http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/environment-sustainability/sustainability-index

Of Mice & Men :: essays research papers

Warren French writes, â€Å"The world just hasn’t been made right, so that dreams are the only things that can keep men going.† Agree or disagree with this statement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I remember a time in my life when I would always play with little children. At that point, at the age of six or seven, I decided to become a pediatrician or a kindergarten teacher. When I started high school, I started feeling stressed out because of the pressure that I was doing to myself to reach my goal of becoming a pediatrician. I could hardly focus on the topic we would have during class because I would be thinking about my future as a pediatrician. With the help of my friends, they helped me overcome the obstacles that I had. The more I thought about what profession I wanted to be, I thought about how much I loved working and dealing with computers. My friends and cousins told me that I should and can be what ever I wanted, and that helped me decide to major in computer engineering at San Jose State University. So you see when it comes down to life, dreams are not the only thing that can keep men going, friendships, pets and companionships can do the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel Of Mice and Men Lennie, George, and Candy demonstrate and prove that dreams are only one of the things that can keep men going. â€Å"Lennie, for God sakes don’t drink so much†¦.You gonna be sick like you was last night†¦.I ain’t sure its good water. Looks kinda scummy.† (page 3). George is so concerned with Lennie that he tells him to be careful of what he drinks because he does not know if it is good or contaminated. He tells him that so Lennie will not get sick and so that they can save up for their dream house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself. No, you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn’t like you running off by yourself, even if she was dead.† (page 13). After Lennie and George fight over the dead mouse, Lennie tells him that George would be better off if Lennie went to the mountains to live in a cave. George doesn’t let him. He tells him that he wants him to stay because not only did George somewhat promise Lennie’s dead Aunt Clara that he would take care of him, but he also learned how to live and adjust with the fact that Lennie has kind of a childish mind.

Psychology of Health in the Workplace Essay

This document will discuss the relationship between health and psychology in the workplace and how certain lifestyle choices affect these areas. This paper will also include examples of lifestyle choices that enhance personal health and reduce illnesses. Understanding how health and psychology relate to each other will allow an individual the ability to be successful in relationships in or out of the workplace. Health is commonly misunderstood as meaning not sick. Health is when a person sustains a good state of mental, social, and physical well-being. Psychology involves understanding the mind and how it relates to behaviors. When studying Psychology the goal is to understand individual and group behaviors by general principles and research. Health and Psychology work together to promote an individual with a sound state of mind and optimal physical health and then the social should fall into place. How an individual decides to live his or her daily life can determine health factors in the future. An example of this would be a person’s daily eating habits. If choosing healthy balanced meals daily including exercise are less likely to acquire diseases such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, or emphysema. These diseases are common with people who choose to consume unhealthy diets, refrain from any physical activity, and make choices like excessive alcoholic beverages or smoking. Maintaining healthy food choices along with some type of physical activity will balance the mind and promotes the ability to make good choices. Having high levels of anxiety can also increase an individual’s chance of developing other illnesses. A person with high anxiety cannot focus and maintain a normal behavior in the workplace. Stressful jobs can cause an individual to worry and become anxious about his or her work performance resulting in an anxiety disorder. This is the most common mental disorder and affects million of adults, young and old, in the United States. An individual can practice daily  activities such as yoga, exercise, or meditating to reduce the chance of experiencing anxiety. By making choices to reduce stress will enable a person to perform at a higher capacity in the workplace. Conclusion When an individual makes choices that affect his or her health this can affect how he or she performs in the workplace. An example would be an individual who choices to drink alcohol daily will start to show signs of having an unhealthy mind and poor physical health. By consuming alcohol daily reduces one’s ability to think straight and make clear choices. It also can become a health issue if continued over a period of time. This will make others in the workplace uncomfortable and not trust the choices the individual is making if he or she cannot work without drinking alcohol. Making good decisions about our daily choices made concerning our eating habits will determine our future health. By consuming a healthy diet will decrease a person’s chances of obtaining a chronic disease. Therefore, making good choices about our health will promote a healthy state of mind and help individuals to be successful in or out of the workplace. Finding ways to reduce stress and enhance our daily lifestyle can help an individual to live a balanced and happy life. References Taylor, S. E. (2011). Health Pschology (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. WebMd. (2012, March). Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Center. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-at-work

The Palmer Raids Definition, History, Significance

The Palmer Raids were a series of police raids targeting suspected radical leftist immigrants—particularly Italians and Eastern Europeans—during the Red Scare of late 1919 and early 1920. The arrests, which were directed by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, resulted in thousands of people being detained and hundreds being deported from the United States. The drastic actions taken by Palmer were inspired in part by terrorist bombs set off by suspected anarchists in the spring and summer of 1919. In one instance, a large bomb was detonated on Palmers own doorstep in Washington. Did You Know? During the Palmer Raids, more than three thousand people were detained and 556 were deported, including prominent figures like Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. Origins of the Palmer Raids During World War I, anti-immigrant sentiment rose in America, but the animosity was largely directed at immigrants from Germany. Following the war, fears prompted by the Russian Revolution resulted in a new target: immigrants from Eastern Europe, especially political radicals, some of whom openly called for revolution in America. Violent actions attributed to anarchists helped create public hysteria. In April 1919, former Pennsylvania congressman A. Mitchell Palmer became attorney general. He had worked in the Wilson administration during the war, overseeing the seizure of alien property. In his new post, he promised a crackdown on radical aliens in America. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Getty Images   Less than two months later, on the night of June 2, 1919, bombs were set off at locations in eight American cities. In Washington, a powerful bomb exploded on the doorstep of Attorney General Palmers house. Palmer, who was at home on the second floor, was unharmed, as were members of his family. Two men, thought to be the bombers, were, as the New York Times described it, blown to bits. The nationwide bombings became a sensation in the press. Dozens were arrested. Newspaper editorials called for action by the federal government, and the public seemed to support a crackdown on radical activity. Attorney General Palmer released a statement warning anarchists and promising action. In part, he said: These attacks by bomb throwers will only increase and extend the activities of our crime-detecting forces. The Palmer Raids Begin On the night of November 7, 1919, federal agents and local police forces conducted raids across America. The date was chosen to send a message, as it was the second anniversary of the Russian Revolution. The warrants for the raids, which targeted dozens of individuals in New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, and other cities, had been signed by the federal governments commissioner of immigration. The plan was to seize and deport radicals. An ambitious young lawyer in the Investigations Bureau of the Justice Department, J. Edgar Hoover, worked closely with Palmer in planning and executing the raids. When the Federal Bureau of Investigations later became a more independent agency, Hoover was chosen to run it, and he transformed it into a major law enforcement agency. Boston Police pose with seized radical literature. Getty Images   Additional raids took place in November and December 1919, and the plans to deport radicals moved forward. Two prominent radicals, Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, were targeted for deportation and given prominence in newspaper reports. In late December 1919, a U.S. Army transport ship, the Buford, sailed from New York with 249 deportees, including Goldman and Berkman. The ship, which was dubbed The Red Ark by the press, was assumed to be heading to Russia. It actually discharged the deportees in Finland. Backlash to the Raids A second wave of raids began in early January 1920 and continued throughout the month. Hundreds more suspected radicals were rounded up and held in custody. Public sentiment seemed to change in the following months, when the gross violations of civil liberties became known. In the spring of 1920 the Labor Department, which oversaw immigration at the time, began canceling many of the warrants used in the raids, leading to the release of those being held. Palmer began to come under attack for the excesses of the winter raids. He sought to increase public hysteria by claiming that the United States would be coming under attack on May Day 1920. On the morning of May 1, 1920, the New York Times reported on the front page that the police and military were prepared to protect the country. Attorney General Palmer, the newspaper reported, warned of an attack on America in support of Soviet Russia. The great May Day attack never happened. The day proceeded peacefully, with the usual parades and rallies in support of labor unions. The episode served to further discredit Palmer. Legacy of the Palmer Raids Following the May Day debacle, Palmer lost his public support. Later in May the American Civil Liberties Union released a report blasting the governments excesses during the raids, and public opinion turned completely against Palmer. He tried to secure the 1920 presidential nomination and failed. With his political career finished, he returned to private law practice. The Palmer Raids live on in American history as a lesson against public hysteria and government excess. Sources The Palmer Raids Begin. Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History, edited by Jennifer Stock, vol. 6: North America, Gale, 2014, pp. 257-261. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Palmer, Alexander Mitchell. Gale Encyclopedia of American Law, edited by Donna Batten, 3rd ed., vol. 7, Gale, 2010, pp. 393-395. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Avakov, Aleksandr Vladimirovich. Platos Dreams Realized: Surveillance and Citizen Rights from KGB to FBI. Algora Publishing, 2007.