Project Management Tools Essay

There are a wide variety of project management and planning tools available to help manage tasks and track deliverables. Two of the most popular tools are Microsoft Project from Microsoft and SmartDraw from SmartDraw. com. Each of these software packages allows the user to create a project and graph it in various formats, such as calendars, Gantt charts, flow charts, etc. In order to evaluate each of these applications, a test project was created to allow a comparison of the features. MS Project is considered to be one of standards for project management; and as a part of the Microsoft Office package, it provides a level of integration that is beneficial in Project Management (Microsoft Project 2003). The MS Project 2003 application offers an approach that is primarily oriented toward Gantt chart tracking, with other viewing options in a calendar format, network diagram, and task usage format (Microsoft Office, 2008). The product has a lot of features and options which allow a user to track tasks and resources, along with reporting capabilities to provide details and help manage the project. This application was a little difficult to figure out without a training manual. Some basic knowledge of other Microsoft products helps when attempting to create a project for the first time. A sample of the demonstration test in MS Project is provided in Appendix A. SmartDraw touts itself as ‘the world’s most popular business graphics software’â„ ¢ (SmartDraw. com Corporate Profile, 2008). Providing pre-designed templates in more than 100 formats, this application offers a wide variety of options for project managers to track their projects (SmartDraw v. 2009-08). Over and above Gantt charts and calendars, there are also a variety of formats for flowcharts, timelines, floor plans, and organization charts. When the application is initiated, it gives the user a chance to select from a list of possible formats before beginning the project setup. A sample of the demonstration test in SmartDraw is provided in Appendix B. Based on the tests performed for this project, the SmartDraw application is more user-friendly, especially for a new user who is interested in a variety of tracking options without intensive training. The MS Project application has a big advantage in the area of integration with other applications in the Microsoft suite of products, but it seems to require quite a bit of training to be proficient in the use of the features. Both products are popular in the world of project management, but this demonstration shows that SmartDraw is easier to navigate for a novice user and offers a wider variety of presentation formats. Although knowledge of MS Project is almost required in the world of project management, the recommendation from this test would have to go to SmartDraw for students interested in an effective, easy-to-use solution.

Dmg Shanghai

1. Why do you think that it is so important to cultivate guanxi and guanxiwang in China? Guanxi and guanxiwang are essential to business in China. It is an important mechanism for building long-term business relationships and getting business done in China successfully. Because China is a big country for mechanism.By establishing connections in relationships would help do a better job and mechanism; and the society of China lacks a strong rule-based legal tradition, thus guanxi and guangxiwang is becoming a necessary and regulations Guanxi is based on reciprocity, which is the undertaking of higher authority to accept an obligation to return a favor in the unspecified future whenever they benefit from the guanxi network. The development and expansion of the guanxi is a form of social investment that enriches the executive's resources and future potential.The importance of cultivating guanxi and guanxiwang in China is to realize the imperativeness of personal connection between two in dividuals who are bounded by an implicit psychological contract to follow the social norms of guanxi. The norms include self-disclosure, dynamic reciprocity, and the long-term equity principle. Establishing connections in relationships would help do a better job in completing an assignment and may be able to bend the rules for a temporary time period.The society of China lacks a strong rule-based legal tradition, thus guanxi and guanxiwang is becoming a necessary and important mechanism for building long-term business relationships and getting business done in China successfully.2. What does the experience of DMG tell us about the way things work in China? What would likely happen to a business that obeyed all the rules and regulations, rather than trying to find a way around them as Dan Mintz apparently does? As we look through the case of DMG in Shanghai, we recognize the influence of guanxi more apparently.Dan Mintz, the founder of DMG, had no prior experience in the fields of ad vertisement. He had no contact in China, even no Mandarin language. However, he had guanxi with two young Chinese who have connections with people of various levels. Making their connections as bedrock of the company’s guanxiwang, they were able to emerge as one of the China’s fastest growing advertising agencies. DMG shows us that culture is an important thing in China. Guanxi refers to the business connections that are so important to companies doing business in China.Guanxiwang refers to the relationship network that companies cultivate. Both of these are important to the Confucian ethics – loyalty, reciprocal obligations, and honesty in dealing with others – that drives business in China. Dan Mintz believes that guanxi and guanxiwang are important because they help companies get around restrictions that limit the ability of companies to function. It also is very useful when you have a business that delivers a good job; they bring the message over what gives you the opportunity to get good assignments from major companies.So a business in China without the relationships network is doomed to fail, because if you can’t work around the law and have doors opened for you it is almost impossible to get a successful business. China cares very much about its culture, especially because its rich history goes back centuries around 500 B. C. The DMG experience in China shows that culture as an imperative factor when conducting business there: foreign or domestic. The guanxi and guanxiwang factors are very important pieces of China’s culture. Both are essential to someone who is trying to start a successful business in China.Even though DMG may have obligations with higher authority, it has helped them to get a good reputation and support for the future, especially when meeting connections, such as with Bing Wu and Peter Xiao. When relationships are created in China, it helps businesses work around the laws and policies and it can open doors for any business that normally cannot be conducted anywhere else. Overall this is an advantage that DMG was able to acquire due to the fact that Wu was a recognized national champion and Xiao has political connections. . What are the ethical issues that might arise when drawing upon guanxiwang to get things done in China? What does this suggest about the limits of using guanxiwang for a Western business committed to high ethical standards? Guanxiwang plays a crucial role in business ethics, specifically referring to Western businesses moving to China. According to the case, it is impossible to get anything done without an intermediary, a third party introducing how to do business in China.In this case, for example: Bing Wu and Peter Xiao. Chinese will simply not do business with strangers unless someone is able to draw guanxiwang, which is the intermediary in the networking circle. As indicated in the case, the reciprocation obligations almost like a bribe, for exampl e, I’ll hit you and you hit me back! Business ethics in China rests upon a rich and diverse cultural moral heritage that emphasizes personal virtue and a right ordering of personal relationships in social organization and institutions.There are several ethical issues that can be provoked by drawing upon guanxiwang (Hill, 2009, p. 105). First of all, there will not be many business opportunities. For those who are starting up a business, guanxi companies that exist can be barriers for entering a market. For example, the existing businesses can use guanxi to initiate confrontations among them or to acquire restricted rights for using essential facilities to operate business activities from the government. Overall, it might hurt the system of free market competition.

Loss Of Innocence Essay (Grade Ten Advanced Placement, Non-Revised Version) Essay

Often, we as humans tend to separate ourselves from stories and myths. If a story is fictitious, we immediately dismiss any possibility of relating and learning from it. However, some archetypal events and themes observed in literature may be far more real than we wish to admit. The loss of innocence is one such archetype. Despite having broad definition, the effects of the loss of innocence are narrow. Commonly, an innocent or ignorant individual experiences an event or realization causing a shift towards experience and knowledge. Archetypes are present in Roman and Greek myths, and are still used today, sometimes unknowingly, in stories, songs, and poems. This is likely because it is a reflection of events in our own lives, to a certain extent. The innocence of youth, prevalence of a life-changing event, and experience of adults are all observed in life and literature alike. Before a shift towards the knowledge and understanding associated with experience, the loss of innocence archetype explains that a person is first unknowing, or ignorant. Innocence is often identified through a belief in, among other things, the reliability of appearances, stability & permanence, and immortality. Many literary figures concerning in the loss of innocence are youthful, although don’t unreservedly have to be so. Pandora, the first woman in Greek mythology, embodies many of these traits. In the myth Pandora’s Box, she is portrayed as being assuming and curious. Given a gift from each god, Pandora is created with the intent of her opening the vase also gifted to Epimitheus. Her decision to open the vase, as Zeus had anticipated, is reflective of her personality. She is asked not to do so, but goes against her husband’s request. Pandora believes that she will not be harmed opening the vase, life shall continue as before, and the vase is simply a container, nothing more. Primarily, this is because of her belief in immortality, stability & permanence, and the reliability of appearances. Consequently, both her and Epimitheus are punished and suffer from her decision. Other stories, like Adam and Eve, also deal with the idea of a prohibited object or action. Traits observed in these stories are generally associated with children in real life. Before young individuals gain experience and maturity, their curiosity, supported by a belief in the reliability of appearances, and inability to identify danger, or belief of immortality and stability, may cause them to endanger themselves such as Pandora did when opening the vase. In youth, this may be attempting to descend stairs or performing a dangerous action when told not to. Instances seen among older children may include disobeying parents to go out, or committing a crime because of friends. Within the loss of innocence archetypal event, a person experiences a life-changing event or realization, often in their late youth, before they can move towards experience or knowledge. As one initially moves from innocence to experience they may feel resentment, insecurity, or sorrow. Before they accept their new understandings and responsibilities, they may first see hypocrisy. The fairytale, Hansel and Gretel, is one of many examples illustrating this. Before they are held captive by the witch, Hansel And Gretel are seemingly carefree despite being removed from their home. Their misled views on the gingerbread house’s safety and appearance lead to their imprisonment, and potential death. As the story progresses, Hansel and Gretel devise and act upon a plan to free themselves. The story ends as the children reunite with their father after overcoming seemingly certain death. However, not all is the same after the children’s return. They have realized the deceptiveness of appearances, the ability of things and people to change, and that them themselves could have died. Their experience had caused a shift towards experience and knowledge, allowing them to escape. Other notable stories using a comparable format include How To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord Of The Flies. Outside literature, there are several reasons why a person might experience the loss of innocence. The death of a parent, friend, or loved one, is a broad example. However, the loss of innocence may be caused by simpler events, such as moving away from a friend’s neighborhood or losing a childhood keepsake. The loss of one’s innocence is not limited to an event; some may lose their innocence through philosophizing or reflecting upon their past, accepting new and different ideas about the world. As an individual shifts towards experience or knowledge, their beliefs are also said to change. The reliability of appearances, stability & permanence, and immortality are replaced with beliefs that appearances are deceptive, things and people change, and people do not live infinitely. Popular characters in cinema, such as Yoda, in Star Wars, or Gandalf, from Lord Of The Rings, both embody these traits. An experienced or knowledgeable character, however, does not absolutely have to be old. Athena, a goddess featured in Greek Mythology, also displays many of these characteristics. In the myth Athena And Arachne, Athena is challenged to try her weaving and embroidery skills against those of Arachne under the condition that if she wins, Arachne is to pay with her life. Athena attempts to convince Arachne to bow down from the challenge, however, cannot make her see the error in her decision. Arachne stands by her words, assuming she will not be harmed, Athena will be an equal competitor, and that life will continue as before. In this situation, Arachne is portrayed as being innocent, or ignorant. Subsequently, Arachne loses to Athena who decides to spare her life instead turning her in to a spider. Athena recognizes that she could have let Arachne to die, although, also recognizes that people have the capacity to change and so lets Arachne experience her guilt and shame. Her experience, or knowledge, allows her to make this decision. Teachers, parents, or other people who play a role in mentorship or leadership are commonly said to be experienced or knowledgeable. An experienced person in real life accepts themselves, their understanding of the world, and their responsibilities. As a society, we are consistently changing and refining ourselves. If one incident has been consistent throughout human history, it has been the capability to influence and create change. Although the loss of innocence may not be a large change, it defines the difference between youth and adult, a concept that has been prominent in our society since it’s very creation. Children, the innocent, are educated in schools and raised by parents so they can one day become experienced. Upon a closer look at the loss of innocence archetype in literature, we may begin to draw parallels from the innocence, life-changing events, and experience of those within stories with our own. Although literature will never fully describe humans, we may look to stories, songs, and movies, to help make sense of our own lives.

The Legacy of Ruth Ginsburg or Significant Women's Rights Research Paper

The Legacy of Ruth Ginsburg or Significant Women's Rights Contributions of Ruth Ginsburg to the Twenth Century - Research Paper Example It is not possible to fully cover Ginsburgs contributions to womens rights in a paper of this limited scope. However, it will highlight her most importatnt work, and show how the progression of her legal reasoning has become the cornerstone of todays womens movement. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of womens rights foremost advocates, and she has earned a place in history as a woman that has led by example as well as action. Ginsburg immersed herself in womens issues at an early point in her professional life, and they became a hallmark of her career. Ginsburg was a groundbreaker, and at Harvard Law School she was one of only eight women out of a class of 500. She transferred to Columbia, where she graduated at the top of her class, though gender discrimination overshadowed her academic achievements.1 Ginsburg joined the faculty at Rutgers, and became "only the second female on the schools faculty and among the first 20 women law professors in the country".2 She became the first law professor at Harvard, directed the Womens Rights Project at the ACLU, and by 1973 Ginsburg was arguing a Supreme Court case regarding equal benefits for men and women in the armed forces.3 Ginsburg gained the attention of President Jimmy Carter by winning 5 out of 6 Supreme Court cases, and consistently arguing that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment applied to gender as well as race.4 Carter appointed Ginsbur g to the United States Court of appeals for the District of Columbia, and in 1993 she was "confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 96 to 3, becoming the 107th Supreme Court Justice, its second female jurist", and an outspoken advocate for womens rights on the bench.5 Since that date she has been instrumental in furthering the cause of gender equality in America. Her early work with the ACLU on the Womens Rights Project prepared her legal skills for writing the Supreme Court decision on United States v.

Argyle Diamonds Strategic Business Plan Case Study

Argyle Diamonds Strategic Business Plan - Case Study Example Companies should have successful competitive strategies to be able to attract, retain and grow customers. However, before the company can plan and execute these strategies, it should be able to pinpoint its sources of competitive advantage which can be differentiated through products, services, channels, people and to age (Kotler & Armstrong, 2001). Since the market is in the international orientation, the advertisers should keep in mind the differences that are distinct between and among the target market from different cultural backgrounds which may significantly affect the effectivity of the campaign. The fact is, there may be ideas that will not be applicable across the diverse target market population. Studies on the relationship of consumer behavior and their personal values and cultural orientation as well as their beliefs on certain principles, the dispositions they hold and the side they take on political, gender and social problems and issues should be duly accorded. Moreover, other elements, such as understanding the right target audience for a product or service, an indeed, researching such an audience in considerable depth, are equally important. Similarly, even if the appropriate channels are known and understood, the content of the messaging and communications developed for those channels, and that audience, or nature of critical importance. Such channels, for example, will include TV advertising, or an outdoor campaign. Advocates of such channels will argue with justification, that media can now be bought to give a highly articulate degree of one to one targeting, but more importantly the inclusion within messaging across these channels of a telephone number, email address, or website, fulfill our requirement to develop one to one dialogue (Elgar, 2003).

Art of early medieval europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Art of early medieval europe - Essay Example These tables are so informative and they have lots of knowledge embedded within them. The Book of Kells contains all the four Gospels. It is of critical significance to note that majority of the texts found within the Book of Kells draw their origin from the original Bible. However, a number of the texts found in the Book of Kells are from Vulgate. It is important to acknowledge the fact that the Book of Kells was written in a Columbian monastery. One of the propositions is that the creation of the Book of Kells took place in Britain. However, there are several speculations that the creation of the Book of Kells took place in Ireland. In relation to this, majority of the people around the world majorly believe that the creation of the Book of Kells took place in Ireland. The reality surrounding the exact place of origin has made many scholars of the book spend more time in research. However, on this basis, a number of propositions have been put forward relevant to this. However, it is important to note that such propositions as well as suggestions have been contradictory. This has also created a sense of controversy following the discrepancies in similarity amongst the scholars’ findings. In addition, the exact date and time when the Book of Kells was created has also been a matter of discussion for many years. However, the most important thing to note irrespective of the different speculations, predictions as well as suggestions from the scholars is that the book has drawn lots of interest from several people around the world. It is believed that the Book of Kells was written by three key personalities2. These personalities have had various influences in certain key artistic aspects of the Ireland during such periods. They were very famous artists during the time when the Book of Kells was being written. As such, they took the roles of ensuring that the book had

Orginzation change in puplic sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Orginzation change in puplic sector - Essay Example According to the research, it is evident that, the organizations in public sector required more sustained and deeper change process (Bell, 2008, p.22). It is identical from the case that, due to several reasons, such as inadequate attention to several organization systems, absence of change management competence and flawed guiding theory of change; the organizations within the public sector is failing to implement successful change process. Inadequate independent variable understanding within the management is affecting the change process in the public sector organizations. Kurt Lewin’s organizational change theory can be applied in this study to propose an effective change process to the public sector organizations. The objective of the study is to evaluate the opinions of the authors regarding the change process and theories in the public sector organizations. Critical Evaluation Several authors have presented different views about the implementation of the organizational ch ange process. This part will critically evaluate the opinions of hose authors and will find out strengths, weakness and negative and positive points on the opinions. Lau, Osborne and Gaebler have argued that, due to lack of focus of government leaders, the organizations of public sector are not able to implement the change process effectively. ... Change management is a key competitive strategy that needs to be implemented for a specific period of time. Moreover, it is true that lack of understanding of independent variable within the management can affect the change process. Implementation of Change process Before applying organizational change process, it is important to understand the reason behind change and effectiveness of the change process (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010, p.86). Depending upon the present situation of the organization in the public sectors, application of the Kurt Lewin’s organizational change process can be effective. Kurt Lewin’s organizational change process This process includes three stages, such as unfreezing, refreezing and change. Unfreeze process refers as the preparation of organization change process. Refreeze stands for shaping up the change process. Move or change includes the effectiveness of the organizational communication process (Appendix). Unfreezing In this stage the pub lic sector organizations need to determine and understand the change process. An in-depth research work is necessary by the consultants in order to implement the change process (Buelens, Sinding, Waldstrom, Krietner and Kinicki, 2010, p.98). The organization should implement this change process in the domain of manufacturing procedure, domain of training programmes and development. Effective unfreezing process will help the public sector organizations to develop overall communication system and organizational structure. The top level management of the organizations should involve in this change process along with the appointed consultants. Refreezing In this stage, the appointed consultant should anchor the change process into the culture of public