Free Essays on Catepillar Case

Caterpillar Case Between the 1980’s and 1990’s, Caterpillar was experiencing problems that could shake the foundation of their company’s stability and future. Several strategic analyses were done on the company along with solutions to get the company back on its feet. Some of the problems Caterpillar was experiencing included, core operations were too costly, some of their equipment was old, their production process was slow, their production design activities were too costly and they were having union disagreements. In the 1980’s, Caterpillar’s name was recognized globally and they were considered a leader in the heavy-duty construction equipment industry. They were facing an industry collapse and union difficulties. Global demand was dropping and the yen was weak which allowed their biggest rival, Japan’s Komatsu Ltd., to undercut prices by 40% and Komatsu began gaining market share. This coupled with a lengthy, debilitating strike with the Union Auto Workers (UAW) in 1990-91 made the situation worse. Donald Fites, who was named CEO of Caterpillar took an aggressive stance toward the UAW and put a strategy in place to rebuild Caterpillar as the industry leader. Mr. Fites strategic plan began with, seeking low-cost and speed enhancing leadership advantages. He would do this by integrating production activities across multiple models to gain economies of scale, speed up production processes with newer technology, and reduce inventory costs with increased JIT accommodated with speedier production activities: Mr. Fites began overhauling in Caterpillar’s manufacturing in the core truck and tractor operations. Almost $2 billion was invested to modernize his U.S. plants with new state of the art machinery, which helped to slash time, and vastly simplified production. Cat can now build 20 different models from the same basic design and coupled with the increased use of temporary workers in the nonunion plants h... Free Essays on Catepillar Case Free Essays on Catepillar Case Caterpillar Case Between the 1980’s and 1990’s, Caterpillar was experiencing problems that could shake the foundation of their company’s stability and future. Several strategic analyses were done on the company along with solutions to get the company back on its feet. Some of the problems Caterpillar was experiencing included, core operations were too costly, some of their equipment was old, their production process was slow, their production design activities were too costly and they were having union disagreements. In the 1980’s, Caterpillar’s name was recognized globally and they were considered a leader in the heavy-duty construction equipment industry. They were facing an industry collapse and union difficulties. Global demand was dropping and the yen was weak which allowed their biggest rival, Japan’s Komatsu Ltd., to undercut prices by 40% and Komatsu began gaining market share. This coupled with a lengthy, debilitating strike with the Union Auto Workers (UAW) in 1990-91 made the situation worse. Donald Fites, who was named CEO of Caterpillar took an aggressive stance toward the UAW and put a strategy in place to rebuild Caterpillar as the industry leader. Mr. Fites strategic plan began with, seeking low-cost and speed enhancing leadership advantages. He would do this by integrating production activities across multiple models to gain economies of scale, speed up production processes with newer technology, and reduce inventory costs with increased JIT accommodated with speedier production activities: Mr. Fites began overhauling in Caterpillar’s manufacturing in the core truck and tractor operations. Almost $2 billion was invested to modernize his U.S. plants with new state of the art machinery, which helped to slash time, and vastly simplified production. Cat can now build 20 different models from the same basic design and coupled with the increased use of temporary workers in the nonunion plants h...

A History of The Rolling Stones

A History of The Rolling Stones The longest-performing rock band of all time, the Rolling Stones have greatly influenced rock and roll throughout the decades. Beginning as part of the British Rock Invasion of the 1960s, the Rolling Stones quickly became the â€Å"bad-boy† band with an image of sex, drugs, and wild behavior. After five decades together, the Rolling Stones have amassed eight #1 singles and ten consecutive gold albums. Dates: 1962-Present Also Known As: The Stones Original Members: Mick Jagger - lead vocals, harmonicaKeith Richards - guitar, backing vocalsCharlie Watts - drumsBrian Jones - guitar, harmonica, sitar, backing vocalsIan Stewart - pianoBill Wyman - bass guitar, backing vocals Current Members: Mick Jagger - lead vocals, harmonicaKeith Richards – guitarCharlie Watts – drumsRon Wood - bass guitar Overview   The Rolling Stones were a British band, begun in the early 1960s, influenced by American rhythm and blues artists such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino, as well as jazz musician Miles Davis. However, the Rolling Stones eventually created their own sound by experimenting with instruments and writing rhythm and blues mixed with rock and roll. When the Beatles hit international stardom in 1963, the Rolling Stones were right on their heels. While the Beatles became known as the good-boy band (influencing pop rock), the Rolling Stones became known as the bad-boy band (influencing blues-rock, hard rock, and grunge bands). Important Friendships In the early 1950s, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were elementary-school classmates in Kent, England, until Jagger went to a different school. Nearly a decade later, their friendship was rekindled after a chance encounter at a train station in 1960. While Jagger was on his way to the London School of Economics where he was studying accounting, Richards was commuting to Sidcup Art College where he was studying graphic art. Since Jagger had a couple of Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records under his arm when they met, talk quickly turned to music. They discovered that Jagger had been singing adolescent â€Å"love frustration† songs in underground clubs in London while Richards had been playing the guitar since the age of 14. The two young men once again became friends, creating a partnership that has kept the Rolling Stones together for decades. Looking for an outlet to try out their musical talent, Jagger and Richards, plus another young musician named Brian Jones, began to occasionally play in a band named Blues Incorporated (the first electric RB band in Britain). The band embraced aspiring young musicians with an interest in this type of music, allowing them to perform in cameo appearances. This is where Jagger and Richards met Charlie Watts, who was the drummer for Blues Incorporated. Forming the Band Soon, Brian Jones decided to start his own band. To get started, Jones placed an advertisement in Jazz News on May 2, 1962, inviting musicians to audition for a new RB group. Pianist Ian â€Å"Stu† Stewart was the first to respond. Then Jagger, Richards, Dick Taylor (bass guitar), and Tony Chapman (drums) joined as well. According to Richards, Jones named the band while on the phone trying to book a gig. When asked for a band name, Jones glanced down at a Muddy Waters LP, saw one of the tracks named â€Å"Rollin’ Stone Blues† and said, â€Å"Rollin’ Stones.† The new band, named Rollin’ Stones and led by Jones, played their first performance at the Marquee Club in London on July 12, 1962. The Rollin’ Stones soon secured a residency at the Crawdaddy Club, bringing in younger audiences who were looking for something new and exciting. This new sound, a renaissance of blues performed by young British musicians, had kids standing on the tables, rocking, dancing, and shouting to the sound of electric guitars with a provocative singer. Bill Wyman (bass guitar, backing vocals) joined in December 1962, replacing Dick Taylor who went back to college. Wyman wasn’t their first choice, but he had an amplifier the band desired. Charlie Watts (drums) joined the following January, replacing Tony Chapman who left for another band. The Rolling Stones Cut a Record Deal In 1963, the Rollin’ Stones signed with a manager named Andrew Oldham, who had been helping to promote the Beatles. Oldham saw the Rollin’ Stones as the â€Å"anti-Beatles† and decided to promote their bad-boy image to the press. Oldham also changed the spelling of the band’s name by adding a â€Å"g,† making it â€Å"Rolling Stones† and changed Richards’ last name to Richard (which Richard later changed back to Richards). Also in 1963, the Rolling Stones cut their first single, Chuck Berry’s â€Å"Come On.† The song hit #21 on the UK singles chart. The Stones appeared on the TV show, Thank Your Lucky Stars, to perform the song while wearing matching houndstooth jackets to appease television producers. Their second hit single, â€Å"I Wanna Be Your Man,† written by the Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo of the Beatles, reached #12 on the UK chart. Their third single, Buddy Holly’s â€Å"Not Fade Away,† hit #3 on the same chart. This was their first American hit that went to #48 on the American chart. Parents Hate the Stones The press turned an eye toward the Rolling Stones, a group of brash punks upsetting the status quo by playing black music to young white audiences. A March 1964 article in the British weekly Melody Maker titled, â€Å"Would You Let Your Sister Go With a Stone,† created such a stir that 8,000 kids showed up at the Rolling Stones’ next gig. The band decided the press was good for their popularity and thus purposely started shenanigans such as growing their hair and wearing casual, mod-style (modified) suits to receive more media attention. The Rolling Stones Roll into America Becoming too big to perform in clubs by early 1964, the Rolling Stones went on a British tour. In June 1964, the band rolled into America to perform concerts and to record at Chess Studios in Chicago as well as the Hollywood RCA Studios, where they captured the vibrant, earthy sound they desired due to better acoustics. Their American concert in San Bernardino, California, was well received by excited schoolboys and screaming schoolgirls, even without a major hit record in the States. But the Midwest concerts proved spotty because no one had heard of them. Crowds picked up again at the New York concert. Once back in Europe, the Rolling Stones released their fourth single, Bobby Womack’s â€Å"It’s All Over Now,† which they had recorded in America at Chess Studios. A fanatical Stones cult began to form after the song hit #1 on the UK charts. It was their very first #1 hit. Jagger and Richards Start Writing Songs Oldham urged Jagger and Richards to start writing their own songs, but the duo found that writing blues was harder than they expected. Instead, they ended up writing a type of morphed blues-rock, a hybrid of blues with a heavier melody than improvisation. On their second trip to America in October 1964, the Rolling Stones performed on the Ed Sullivan TV show, changing the words to â€Å"Let’s Spend the Night Together† (written by Richards and Jagger) to â€Å"Let’s Spend Some Time Together† due to censorship. That same month they appeared in the concert film the T.A.M.I. Show in Santa Monica, California, with James Brown, the Supremes, Chuck Berry, and the Beach Boys. Both venues greatly improved their American exposure and Jagger began to mimic the moves of James Brown. Their Mega Hit The Rolling Stones’ 1965 mega-hit, â€Å"(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,† with Richards’ fuzz-guitar riff designed to imitate the sound of a horn section, hit #1 worldwide. Their musical attitude, a mixture of rebellion and irreverence using urgent guitars, tribal drums, forceful harmonicas, and sexually tensed vocals, seduced the young and alarmed the old. When the Rolling Stones had another #1 hit, â€Å"Paint It Black,† the following year, they had begun to secure their rock-star status. Although Brian Jones had started the band, the leadership of the Rolling Stones shifted to Jagger and Richards once they had proved themselves to be a strong songwriting team. Drugs, Death, and Citations By 1967, the members of the Rolling Stones were living like rock-stars, which meant they were abusing a lot of drugs. It was in that year that Richards, Jagger, and Jones were all charged with possession of drugs (and given suspended sentences). Unfortunately, Jones was not only addicted to drugs; his mental health spiraled out of control. By 1969, the rest of the band members could no longer tolerate Jones, so he left the band on June 8. Just a few weeks later, Jones drowned in his swimming pool on July 2, 1969. By the late 1960s, the Rolling Stones had become the bad boys they had once promoted themselves to be. Their concerts from this period, filled with teenagers from the growing counterculture movement (young people experimenting with communal living, music, and drugs), were raucous enough to lead to a number of citations against the Rolling Stones for causing concert violence. Jagger’s Nazi goose-stepping onstage didn’t help. Rolling Stones Gather No Moss in the 70s, 80s, and 90s By the early 1970s, the Rolling Stones were a controversial group, banned from many countries and exiled from Britain in 1971 for not paying their taxes. The Stones fired their manager Allen Klein (who had taken over from Oldham in 1966) and started their own record label, Rolling Stones Records. The Rolling Stones continued to write and record music, mixing in punk and disco genres inspired by new band member Ron Woods. Richards was arrested in Toronto for heroin trafficking, resulting in legal limbo for 18 months; he was subsequently sentenced to perform a benefit concert for the blind. Richards then quit heroin. During the early 1980s, the band experimented with the new-wave genre, but members began to pursue solo careers due to creative differences. Jagger wanted to continue experimenting with contemporary sounds, and Richards wanted to stay rooted in blues. Ian Stewart suffered a fatal heart attack in 1985. In the late 80s, The Rolling Stones realized they were stronger together. They chose to reunite and announced a new album. By the end of the decade, the Rolling Stones were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1993, Bill Wyman announced his retirement. The Stones’ Voodoo Lounge album won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1995 and prompted a world tour. Jagger and Richards agreed that their drifting in the 80s attributed to their success in the 90s. They believe that had they stayed together, they would have broken up. The Stones Keep On Rollin into the New Millennium The Rolling Stones have endured waxing and waning popularity over the decades. While band members are now in their sixties and seventies in the new millennium, they still perform, tour, and record. In 2003, Jagger was knighted to Sir Michael Jagger, causing another riff between himself and Richards, especially, according to Richards, because the band’s message had always been anti-establishment. There was also a public outcry that questioned the appropriateness of knighting a former British tax exile. Documentaries regarding the band’s exceptionally long and controversial career capture the counterculture movement, perfecting the technology of recording records, and flamboyantly performing to live audiences. The band’s lips and tongue logo, designed by John Pasche in the 70s (a symbol of their anti-establishment message), is one of the most identifiable band icons in the world.

Should Athletes be role models Annotated Bibliography

Should Athletes be role models - Annotated Bibliography Example Dr. Connor asks that are the millions spent on the quest for Olympic gold really value for money. The investment is meant to buy success, create role models and encourage engagement, but it does not. The Olympics was founded on participation and the "spirit" of sport. We have now moved so far into ugly nationalism and crass commercialism. The role-model argument is an obvious furphy. Nary has a week gone by without yet another scandal involving an elite athlete - be it drugs, alcohol or violence. As role models, they certainly are poor choices. Athletes, by definition, are obsessive often to the point of being clinically compulsive in their behavior. The author of this article has presented two contradicting views of people about athletes and their conduct as role model. He elucidates that there are two groups of people having varied opinion about it. One group believes that athletes are just similar to other professionals who are being hired and paid by their employers to exhibit best possible performance in their respective sports and, by no means, they are liable to act as role models. While the other group believes that, sportsmen have assumed the status of public figures and they are sometimes blindly being followed by people specially the youth, so it is their social and moral obligation to present themselves as role models. The author of this book is a female athlete and presents women athletes as cultural icons.

Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations - Essay Example Include your personal definition of inclusion and diversity.  Describe what diversity encompasses, and explain the intersections of multiple forms of diversity in organizations. Diversity and inclusion is many things. In its most superficial definition, D&I is a legal mandate, a requirement for organizations to comply with, and which may open a firm to sanctions and penalties if found in violation of its provisions. However, diversity and inclusion should be more than mere compliance with a requirement. It should entail a change of heart and perspective. The core to D&I’s goals and aspirations is social reform, the eradication of barriers between perceived majority and minority groups which creates unjustified advantages for some and disadvantages for others on the basis of their affiliations. Diversity encompasses the treatment of people as people. Inclusion does not mean the elimination of difference so that all people are the same; it means treating people in the same man ner despite their differences, and even with the acknowledgement and celebration of these differences. Several of the readings in this course described diversity as a source of competitive advantage for organizations, where multifaceted skills and perspectives can be brought to the workplace in support of the company goals. While that is perfectly true, and companies should look to this advantage, it is not the essence of diversity and inclusion. Had it been, then D&I would have just been a means of taking advantage of people’s differences. In an organization, the application of diversity and inclusion may be so diffuse and ambiguous that it is difficult to notice at times whether an issue has D&I implications or not. For instance, assigning people to subsidiaries in certain geographical areas (specially for a multinational organization) on the basis of their ethnicity may be a sensible thing to do from the viewpoint of the organization, but it may be judgmental from the view point of the individual who may not want to be designated there. The very fact that makes people subjects of D&I also in a way reinforces differences among groups and works against their full inclusion. Discuss the impact of diversity on individual and organizational effectiveness.   Discuss some of the tools necessary to lead, direct, and build inclusive organizations. Diversity and inclusion is a source of strategic advantage for an organization; this has been mentioned in all the readings and finds no strong opposition in any of the opinions and reactions discussed in this forum. As to whether or not the advantage is properly optimized or explored is another matter. The inclusion of diverse people in an organization does not automatically ensure individual and organizational effectiveness. As has been voiced in this forum, some organizations merely pay lip service to D&I without imbibing the essence of it. As is true for all individuals, if the organization capably harmonizes p ersonal goals with organizational goals, then the creativity and industry possessed by the individuals in the workforce shall be engaged, and the benefits of diversity realized. Diversity in this case, however, need not be along racial, gender, cultural, or any category identified as being D&I. It may be the skills and knowledge possessed by individuals because of their education, personal interests,

History And Development Of The Internet Essay -- essays research paper

History and Development of the Internet The internet is a global computer network connecting millions and millions of users throughout the world. (Leiner, 2). It has become one of the fastest growing forms of communication today. (Marshall, 1). The Internet started as a Defense Department Cold War experiment in the 1950’s. (Academic American, 225). The government needed a way to relay information between tanks and headquarters so the APRA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) sought a way to let signals from the battlefield reach a headquarters computer using satellites and radio signals. At the same time the command posts of the nation were located deep underground in mountains in fear of nuclear war. (Diamond, 3). Paul Baran, working for the U.S. Air Force, developed a network that could reroute itself around damage caused by the impact of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by using "redundancy of connectivity". This meant that in the event of a break in the network the server would re-route the information in an alternate path through a new technique called "packet switching". Packet Switching is a means of breaking up the message being sent into small packets which carry enough inform ation to seek out its destination and sending them out separately towards the destination server. The message after being broken up would take separate routes to the destination and then be re-assembled by the computer at the server where the message was being sent. This was good because with more than one route for information to travel on, the enemy did not have one central point to target their attack to break the lines of communication and in the event of some break in the line information could still travel through. (Diamond, 4). This all interested the APRA enough to fund the research and development of an experimental computer network with hopes of demonstrating the feasibility of remote computer operation from the battlefield. Vinton Cerf also called "The Father of the Internet", a graduate student working at UCLA began to take interest in the 4 node APRAnet, and in 1973 developed the first TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) software. (Leiner, 4). TCP/IP software converts messages into streams, transmits them acro... ...e the controversial newsgroups (until this point net. had held everything). Some systems had refused to carry the controversial newsgroups like net.rec.drugs so the ".alt" (alternative) hierarchy was created. (Diamond, 12) After the development and merger of APRAnet and usenet the internet began to grow exponentially. (Diamond, 11). The internet evolved from a small government project to the fastest growing form of communication it is today. (Blom, 2) Bibliography "Internet." Academic American Encyclopedia. 1996. Diamond, Edwin and Stephen Bates. "The Ancient History of the Internet." American Heritage. Oct. 1995: pp. 34+. In Social Issues Resource Series, Inc. History- Article #17. Blom, Eric. "Ruts in Rural Info Highway." Maine Sunday Telegram (Portland, ME). CD Newsbank. 12 April 1998. Mashall, Joshua Micah. "Will Free Speech Get Tangled in the Net?" American Prospect. Jan./Feb. 1998: pp. 46-50. In Social Issues Resource Series, Inc. Internet, Censorship- Article #1. Leiner, Barry. "A Brief History of the Internet." 17 December 1998. http://www.isoc.org/internet-history/brief.html

Cognitive science Essay

Sir William Haley once said, â€Å"Education would be so much more effective if its purpose were to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they don’t know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it†. If students were guaranteed to leave school with knowing of what they don’t know and the desire to continue learning, the method of learning will be correct. Today’s education system does not give students the opportunity to enjoy what they are learning. The banking method, where students are empty vessels which educators must deposit knowledge into, deprives them of creativity and the desire to learn. No child is given the chance to shine and be unique. Students today are simply being placed on a conveyer belt, sorted, and then labeled according to their so called intelligence. We need an education system that provides a slower learning method, a method where you focus on what is being learned instead of zipping through it, and the freedom to make mistakes as this will electrify and stimulate students to fulfill their potential. We must recognize students as individuals and keep in mind their diverse backgrounds. In â€Å"Lives on the Boundary,† Rose states, â€Å"The canon has intended to push to the margins much of the literature of our nation: from American Indian songs and chants to immigrant fiction to working-class narratives† (100). The messages that are received from the text are crucial. The students need to be able to relate to what they have before them. One of the problems with today’s education system is we are given material to read, memorize, and expected to repeat it back at the snap of a finger. But without the ability to relate and connect with the material, the learning doesn’t take place. Everything that is read or being said is just going through one ear and out the other. By adding relatable texts, you add life to learning. In â€Å"Learning in the Key of Life,† Jon Spayde states, â€Å"people cannot learn what they do not love† (69). When students are reading or learning about a subject they love, they are inspired and motivated to learn more. This alone can benefit the learning process for students. It becomes much easier to grasp concepts learned in class. Today’s education system does not allow all students to thrive in their own way. It is fast paced with limited space for creativeness. We are given large amounts of information at a time and attempt to move as quickly as possible through all that we can. There is never â€Å"time† to stay longer on a topic. The instructors try their hardest to keep the pace, but this way of teaching does not benefit any student. In â€Å"Learning in the Key of Life†, Jon Spayde states, â€Å"†¦we are focusing far too much of our energy and resources on fast knowledge, ignoring all the richness and meaning slow knowledge adds to our lives† (68). When the focus is on just getting through the material, we are skipping over the value and richness of slow knowledge. Instead of zipping through a lesson because it needs to be done by a certain day to move onto the next, the focus needs to be on what is being learned than making a time requirement. Spayde also states, â€Å"You can figure out what you can do pretty quickly, but the ethical understanding of what you ought to do comes slowly†. We need to adopt the slow learning method, without it we are missing out on more than we think. There is so much more to learning than getting through the material, the purpose of it is to benefit and gain from it. With slow knowledge we will achieve this. One of the most important changes that needs to be done is the view on mistakes. In the article, â€Å"How to Make Mistakes,† Dennett states, â€Å"Mistakes are not just golden opportunities for learning; they are, in an important sense, the only opportunity for learning something truly new†. When fear is being put into a student to never make a mistake, their education is stunted. They lose the ability to explore and take the chance of being wrong because they are repeatedly punished for being incorrect. When a mistake is made, students will learn where they went wrong and will then grow from it. The key to progress is making mistakes. The reason we are in school is to learn, but with this opportunity taken away from students their ability to learn is ripped from their grasp. Daniel C. Dennett also states, â€Å"You should seek out opportunities to make grand mistakes, just so you can then recover from them†. Instead of using all of their energy to attempt to be perfect and run from being inaccurate, every student should look for every opportunity to be wrong. Without errors, the students can not accomplish much. If you look at Todays’ education system is in desperate need of change. No student is given the opportunity to show what they are fully capable of. Instead they are told what they can do. They are simply labeled and placed where they â€Å"should be†. But when students begin to pursue their mistakes and soak in the richness of slow knowledge, they will begin to truly learn. Maria Montessori once said, â€Å"If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man’s future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual’s total development lags behind? †. If many students are having difficulty learning in the method we have created ages ago, why not change it? The time is now and there is no time to waste. We must refocus this outdated system to insure that the students will have a secure future and keep the standard of living that we have today.

Persuasive Essay on Whether We Really Know How to Listen

Persuasive Essay on Whether We Really Know How to Listen Do We Really Know How to Listen? It is generally known that to hear and to listen is two different concepts. While the first one is easy for everyone who doesn’t have problems with the sense of hearing, listening requires much more from a person. For instance, to listen carefully you need to be concentrated, attentive and responsive. Some people underestimate the value of listening, which is one of their major faults. So, is it really important to know how to listen? I am absolutely sure that yes, it is very important. Without this skill it is really hard to find a good job, as any manager expects from his workers attention and following of his instructions. But when a person doesn’t listen to him, it is not only irritating, but also makes orders execution simply impossible. Moreover, it is extremely hard to learn something if you are not able to concentrate on the things your tutor tells you. Inability to listen carefully also affects social relations of people, especially among women, as they are known to be more emotional than males. You won’t make good friends with people if you won’t be ready to listen and support them. It is one of the fundamentals on which friendship is built, and thus without the ability to listen it is extremely hard to find friends, as well as create happy family. On the whole, I think that learning how to listen carefully is one of the main skills people should gain in order to live happy life and be satisfied with it. The best situation is when parents bring up their children in a way that this skill is developed from the early childhood. But in any way, all the people should strive to develop this skill as soon as possible.