Case Study on Operational Management Essay Example for Free

Case Study on Operational Management Essay Confession: during my dating youth, no matter how much I liked a girl, no matter how much I wanted her and just her exclusively, I’d never tell her that purely for fear of looking weak and pathetic. If we were ever to move beyond the vague, undeclared status that characterizes every relationship in its early phase, well, that would be up to her. Most guys think this way. The problem with this strategy is that sometimes, a guy likes a woman so much that he’d rather not wait for her to initiate The Talk. Or, if you’re like me, you’re over 30 and generally cranky and impatient, so you’d like to know where things stand before too many months of amorphous pseudo-commitment go by. The challenge is to share your feelings in a way that will help you get what you want and won’t make you seem like you’re groveling and/or desperate. Here are some tips to keep in mind. Never just assume you’re exclusive This should seem obvious, but guys can still be presumptuous and make all kinds of embarrassing mistakes. â€Å"I was seeing this girl and I changed my Facebook profile to say ‘In a Relationship,’† admits PJ. â€Å"And she was like, ‘Who are you in a relationship with?’ I was like, ‘You!’ I could tell she wasn’t exactly happy about it.† The lesson: You have to get her to say â€Å"yes† to the idea of dating exclusively before you are in fact dating exclusively. This brings us to our next piece of advice†¦ Browse Local Singles at Match.com on Yahoo! I am a: Seeking a: Near: Make sure there’s a good chance she’ll say yes The conventional wisdom is that women are always ready to have a boyfriend. And maybe that was true during the Eisenhower administration. But in the present day of Facebook and the near limitless possibilities of online dating, it is just as likely a woman wants to have what is euphemistically known as â€Å"having fun.† â€Å"Be really careful if she’s just finished a long-term relationship,† says James, a chef. â€Å"Or if she doesn’t return your phone calls right away. If your calls are going right to voicemail, and she doesn’t call you back for like eight hours, she doesn’t want you to be her boyfriend.† Don’t go overboard The guiding principle in asking a girl to be your girlfriend is to not appear desperate: No matter how good your intentions, you may never recover from it. â€Å"My boyfriend bought me a necklace and literally got on his knees and asked me to be his girlfriend,† says Shelia, a web designer. â€Å"I said ‘yes,’ but it was a little much.† Even less dramatic overtures can still feel over the top. â€Å"I was at dinner with this girl, and I took her hand and said ‘You know I’m not seeing anyone else,’† says Zach, a lawyer. â€Å"I thought we’d have this romantic moment, but she just looked at me like I was crazy.† Bring it up casually Given that overboard gestures might make a woman uncomfortable, consider doing what most men do best anyway: asking in a more laid-back manner. Make sure the venue in which you’re asking is mellow as well — no fancy dinners, no propositions in front of family, and so on. Remember: You want to be in the kind of circumstances where her saying â€Å"no† won’t leave you feeling like a dolt for an extended period of time. â€Å"I think while you’re walking her home or driving her home is good,† says Eric. â€Å"That way you’re not stuck at some restaurant with this giant rejection hanging over you if she says no.† So how should you cough it up? A simple â€Å"Hey, I’ve been wondering whether we should date each other exclusively. What do you think?† should work just fine. It reveals your intentions, and yet leaves the door way open for her to say no thanks, she’s not ready for that yet. Another natural segue is if introductions will soon be in order — say, she’s meeting your friends and you’re wondering if you can say she’s your girlfriend. Or consider my friend Rebecca’s story: for around six weeks, she’d been dating this guy who was on break from grad school. â€Å"Then one weekend he was about to leave to go back to school,† she recalls. â€Å"And right before he left he said, ‘By the way, when I tell my friends about you, can I call you my girlfriend?’ I loved that!† Consider ending the relationship if she says no This is a good idea for two reasons. First, there’s nothing sadder than hanging around a girl who wants you a whole lot less than you want her. Remember high school, when you were in love with the girl who only wanted you as a friend? Well, it’s worse, since you’re getting enough relationship crumbs from the table to keep you involved, but not so few that you’re moving on with your life and trying to meet someone new. Second, by moving to end the relationship, you force her to consider life without you†¦ and she has to decide if that’s doable for her. Women are stereotypically the ones who use this tactic: â€Å"Marry me or I’m out of here;† â€Å"We need to settle down or I need to move on,† etc. And the only time we realize how much we love and need them is when they’re out the door. So learn from women. If you’ve done everything else right — you’ve asked her casually, you’ve made sure all the signs that she likes are there, and she still says no — tell her â€Å"I think you’re great, but I’m interested in something more serious.† You might leave with a heart that heals fairly quickly. Or you might get a call from her within a week or two, asking if when she tells her friends about you, she can call you her boyfriend. Steve Hamilton is a New York City-based freelance writer.

I Versus We Theory is Hidden Everywhere :: Sociology Sociological Essays

I Versus We Theory is Hidden Everywhere Although each author gives him- or herself the goal to write a very unique piece of work, we the readers can see similarities amongst writings stretched over decades. Created characters, settings, and circumstances tend to change from one piece of work to the next, but themes, more often than not, all deal with the same everyday problems. These repeated themes are not by accident. Writers analyze what the public likes to read about. In fact, probably one of the most common themes is the I vs. We theory, which is simply the idea that people can change from being selfish into looking out for the whole group, such as a certain race, family, friends, or age group. Because the theme is so intense, it is usually found in novels, where there is plenty of room to express numerous examples to totally convince the readers that the main character has truly changed. By looking at J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, we can show how they, too, write about this transition, as does Sam Greenlee in The Spook Who Sat By the Door. Although these three novels were published over the span of three decades with varying cultural groups, they all illustrate the exact same issue. The Spook Who Sat by the Door by Sam Greenlee shows the I vs. We theory by establishing the problem of one man, Dan Freeman, who is only concerned with his well-being, but unfair treatment of others turns him into a military hero. At first, in chapter two, Freeman concentrates primarily on his acceptance into the CIA. This selfish attitude is still portrayed in chapter five when the Dahomey Queen, a nearby hooker, is used for pleasure purposes only. In this same chapter, Joy, Freeman’s girlfriend, shows up and asks him to quit the CIA. Although he loves her, he refuses to give up his dream to be the only black employee in the CIA. The transition to the "We" phenomenon occurs in chapter eight when Freeman chooses to leave the CIA and decides to work as a social worker. The pay, as well as his social climbing, takes a fall, but his hunger to help others does an about-face. A local gang keeps Freeman eager and energetic to fight for all blacks, not just for a few kids.

Googles Method’s of Motivating Employees Essay

What is life like at Google? After extensive research I found a wide variety of opinions about life at Google. Google’s website portrays Google as the best of all places to work. They offer many luxuries including on site massages and health clubs in addition to free dining and vending options. The management style of Google is very lackadaisical and far from serious. Their motto is search, search, and search. Googleplex located out of San Jose, California has a unique method of motivating employees vastly different from other corporate America companies. New hires are flabbergasted by Google’s reputation. If they pass the unorganized and exhausting interview process, they will be able to utilize the extravagant perks that attract many to Google initially. Google’s goal is to keep employees focused on work by eliminating anything that might interfere with production. Current employees make use of this concept depending on their length of employment with the company. Ex-employees have a different view of Google’s culture and the driving forces that power it. Many of Google’s old employees feel this atmosphere leads to 24/7 working days with no personal time. They feel overworked and underpaid with little advancement opportunities available. With that being said, my assessment of the working environment at Google is similar to that of former employees. I feel Google is mirroring the college environment by meeting the basic needs of their employees. By making the basic needs readily available within the working environment, they eliminate outside distractions thus hoping to increase production. However, I feel this philosophy is comparable to that of many cults. They entice employees with so-called spectacular benefits and average pay all the while neglecting to tell them how demanding the working environment is at Google. I am surprised that Google does not offer on-site living arrangements too. Robbins and Coulter (2009) state, â€Å"Google has been named the ‘best company to work for’ by Fortune magazine two years running. † I have no doubts they are not a fantastic company to call home, but they are not retaining life time employees. At some point these associates are losing motivation and decide to look for better opportunities. These situations tell me that Google is failing their employees at some point. I believe the break-down begins at the top of the organizational structure within Google. They emphasize their benefits but neglect to explain employee expectations or job demands to their staff. After the orientation phase, employees get the real taste of Google: little time for the perks, exhausting hours, unorganized working environments, lacking management guidance, little advancement opportunities, minimal pay and a child-like atmosphere. This is the perfect recipe for burnout. Sequentially burnout creates Google’s biggest challenge. It has been said that middle management at Google might oversee over 100 people at one time. How can this be effective? Management needs to be involved and become more hands on with their employees. They could start with career plans, training and promotable reviews. Also, I feel Google should balance their perks by offering less on-site and more down time or empathy to their associates on a personal level. The perks offered are great but they are missing the most important factor-a sincere personal touch. If I were managing a team of Google employees I would try to implement a â€Å"hands on† type of approach. I would set up monthly meetings and give my staff appropriate feedback to help them grow and excel. A rewards and recognition program would be beneficial to them as well as a career plan. It would also be helpful to have training sessions when needed. Lastly, I would empathize with my employees by stressing balance between family and working time. Google has a nice platform; however, I feel these few changes could be vital assets to enhancing their working place while keep long term associates.

Aspen A Global Supplier And Manufacturer Of Branded And...

Aspen dates back to more than 160 years and they are committed to sustaining life and promoting healthcare through effective and affordable medicine. Aspen is a global supplier and manufacturer of branded and generic pharmaceutical products as well as infant nutritionals and consumer healthcare products in selected territories. Aspen has an extensive global presence and is found in 47 counties all around the world. Aspen has proven themselves over the long run as they continue to increase the number of lives benefitting from their products, reaching more than 150 countries around the world. Aspen’s wide range of products provide treatment to a wide variety of illnesses. Vision: â€Å"To deliver value to all our stakeholders as a responsible corporate citizen that provides quality, affordable medicines and products globally†. Values: Integrity Innovation Excellence Commitment Teamwork Values The commencement of the business in Port Elizabeth 1997- Aspen started trading with Steven Saad and Gus Attridge as two of the four founding members 1998- Aspen was listed on the JSE 1999- Aspen acquired the pharmaceutical business of South African for R2.4 billion rand in a hostile take over 2000- Commenced the building of an oral contraceptive facility at its East London site 2001- Aspen started trading with Australia. Established a clinic in South Africa for disadvantaged people under Aspen’s socio-economic programme. 2002- Aspen concluded a broad-based black economic empowermentShow MoreRelatedGlaxosmithkline18561 Words   |  75 Pagescompany profile Francis Weyzig Amsterdam, October 2004 Summary Business description GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical corporations that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets branded human health products. Headquarters: UK, with additional operational headquarters in the USA Global presence: about 160 countries Primary markets: USA, France, Germany, UK, Italy and Japan Employees: approximately 103,000 GSK key figures for 2003 (in  £ million)Read MoreGsk Annual Report 2010135604 Words   |  543 PagesAnnual Report 2010 Contents Business review P08–P57 Governance and remuneration P58–P101 Financial statements P102–P191 Shareholder information P192–P212 Business review 2010 Performance overview Research and development Pipeline summary Products, competition and intellectual property Regulation Manufacturing and supply World market GSK sales performance Segment reviews Responsible business Financial review 2010 Financial position and resources Financial review 2009 Risk factors Governance