Sunday, December 29, 2019

What Is Cognitive Bias Definition and Examples

A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking that impacts ones choices and judgments. The concept of cognitive bias was first proposed by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in a 1974 article in Science. Since then, researchers have identified and studied numerous types of cognitive biases. These biases influence our perception of the world and can lead us to poor decision-making. Key Takeaways: Cognitive Bias Cognitive biases increase our mental efficiency by enabling us to make quick decisions without any conscious deliberation.However, cognitive biases can also distort our thinking, leading to poor decision-making and false judgments.Three common cognitive biases are fundamental attribution error, hindsight bias, and confirmation bias. Causes of Cognitive Bias As humans, we generally believe ourselves to be rational and aware. However, our minds often respond to the world automatically and without our awareness. When the situation demands it, we are able to put mental effort into making decisions, but much of our thinking takes place outside of conscious control. In his book Thinking Fast and Slow, Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman refers to these two types of thinking as System 1 and System 2. System 1 is fast and intuitive, relying on mental shortcuts in thinking—called heuristics—to navigate the world more efficiently. By contrast, System 2 is slow, introducing deliberation and logic into our thinking. Both systems impact how we make judgments, but System 1 is in charge a majority of the time. We unconsciously prefer System 1 because it is applied effortlessly. System 1 includes preferences we are born with, like our desire to avoid losses and run from snakes, and associations we learn, like the answers to simple math equations (quick: what’s 22?) and the ability to read. Meanwhile, System 2 requires attention in order to work, and attention is a limited resource. Thus, the deliberate, slow thinking of System 2 is only deployed when were paying attention to a specific problem. If our attention is drawn to something else, System 2 is disrupted.   Are Cognitive Biases Rational or Irrational? It may seem irrational that we rely so heavily on System 1 in our thinking, but as it turns out, the preference has a logical explanation. If we had to carefully examine our options every time we made a decision, we would quickly become overwhelmed. Need an example? Imagine the mental overload of deliberately weighing the pros and cons of each potential route to work every single day. Using mental shortcuts to make these decisions enables us to act quickly. Sacrificing logic for speed helps us cut through the complexities and the wealth of information inundating us on a daily basis, making life more efficient. For example, lets say youre walking home alone at night and suddenly hear a strange sound behind you. A cognitive bias may cause you to believe the noise is a sign of danger. As a result, you’ll quicken your pace so that you can get home as soon as possible. Of course, the noise may not have come from someone who means to harm you. It may have been a stray cat rummaging in a nearby trash can. However, by using a mental shortcut to quickly come to a conclusion, you may have stayed out of danger. In this way, our reliance on cognitive biases to navigate through life can be adaptive. On the other hand, our cognitive biases can get us into trouble. They sometimes result in distorted  thinking that negatively impacts the choices and judgments we make. Cognitive biases also lead to stereotyping, which can become ingrained from our exposure to our culture’s biases and prejudices towards different races, religions, socioeconomic statuses, and other groups. Personal motivations, social influence, emotions, and differences in our information processing capacities can all cause cognitive biases and influence how they manifest themselves. Examples of Cognitive Biases Cognitive biases impact us in many areas of life, including social situations, memory recall, what we believe, and our behavior. They have been used in disciplines like economics and marketing to explain why people do what they do as well as to predict and influence people’s behavior. Take the following three cognitive biases as examples. Fundamental Attribution Error The fundamental attribution error, also known as the correspondence bias, is the general tendency to attribute another individual’s behavior to their personality and internal traits rather than the situation or external factors. It is considered a bias of social judgment. For example, a series of studies showed that people attribute the actions of a TV character to the personality traits of the actor playing the character. This happened despite the fact that the participants were aware that the behavior of the actors was dictated by a script. Numerous studies have demonstrated this tendency to believe that whatever behavior an individual exhibits arises from their individual characteristics, even when knowledge of the situation should indicate otherwise. Hindsight Bias Hindsight bias, or the â€Å"I-knew-it-all-along† effect, leads us to believe that we could have correctly predicted the outcome of past events after weve learned what the outcome was. It is a bias of memory in which people incorrectly believe they knew the outcome of an event all along even though they didnt. They believe they remember correctly predicting the outcome, so they also believe that their memories are consistent over time. This bias makes it difficult to properly evaluate a decision, as people will focus on the outcome and not the logic of the decision-making process itself. For example, if an individual’s favorite team wins a big game, they may claim they knew the team would win, even if they were uncertain before the game. Confirmation Bias Confirmation bias is a bias of belief in which people tend to seek out, interpret, and recall information in a way that confirms their preconceived notions and ideas. In other words, people attempt to preserve their existing beliefs by paying attention to information that confirms those beliefs and discounting information that could challenge them. Confirmation bias can be seen in action in many facets of life, including what political policies one champions and whether one believes in a specific scientific explanation for phenomena like climate change or vaccines. Confirmation bias is one reason it’s so challenging to have a logical discussion about polarizing hot-button issues. Sources Aronson, Elliot. The Social Animal. 10th ed., Worth Publishers, 2008.Cherry, Kendra. â€Å"Confirmation Bias.† VeryWell Mind, 15 October 2018. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-confirmation-bias-2795024Cherry, Kendra. â€Å"How Cognitive Biases Influence How You Think and Act.† VeryWell Mind, 8 October 2018.https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cognitive-bias-2794963Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.Tal-Or, Nurit, and Yael Papirman. â€Å"The Fundamental Attribution Error in Attributing Fictional Figures’ Characteristics to the Actors.† Media Psychology, vol. 9, no. 2, 2007, p. 331-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213260701286049Tversky, Almos, and Daniel Kahneman, â€Å"Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases.† Science, vol. 185, no. 4157, 1974, pp. 1124-1131. doi: 10.1126/science.185.4157.1124

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Phi 103 Informal Logic Final Essay - 1647 Words

Should abortions be legal? Abortion should be legal, because there are too many things that go wrong. A women could be raped and need to get one because she doesn’t want to look at the child and doesn’t want to feel it grow, freedom of choosing what to do and how government involvement in personal decisions such as this could lead to potentially having the government deem how many children you can have or even how many pregnancies you are allowed, medical reasons for abortion, and the ability of a woman to have control of her body is critical to civil rights. There is a freedom of choosing what to do, and how government involvement in personal decisions such as this could lead to potentially having the government deem how many†¦show more content†¦They then tell the mother that there is no fetal heartbeat on the monitor or the level of HCG decreases in the blood because the baby is not alive. When some of the women find out they decide to have an abortion because it is less stress and it has less health risk. If the woman has to carry until the miscarriage happens the health risk are very high. The women could hemorrhage, or even greater problems like infertility. When a rape or family pregnancy happens it is a true crime. Making a woman carry the child full term would cause more harm to the woman. There are women out there that are too afraid to go to the police or to a hospital about a rape. Some choose to wait a few weeks after finding out and go in saying they just don’t the child. Some women don’t find out about the pregnancy until it is too late and have to choose abort after 13 weeks or carry to full term.†Only one percent of abortions happen from rape victims. (2) â€Å" â€Å"Control over her body and the freedom to decide the course of her life is critical to a womans civil rights. 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Friday, December 13, 2019

Reflective Paper Free Essays

Generational poverty is an unfortunate issue which affects individuals, families, and cultures all over the world. Generational poverty is considered a very complex problem due to the length of time and ways it affects certain families as an entirety. The severity of this issue makes it extremely difficult to find any resolutions in improving this epidemic. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now If a family is experiencing generational poverty, they have had to live in poverty for a minimum of two generations. According to Cleveland, â€Å"It is important to recognize this time factor to be able to separate it from â€Å"situational poverty,† characteristically understood as a lack of resources due to particular sets of events, i. e. a death, chronic illness, divorce, etc. ,† (n. d. ). Almost every family and individual decision is made for the present. Individuals are not taught to think ahead and plan for their future. This is a trending factor in the difficulty in overcoming generational poverty. Members whom belong to generational poverty have a sense of entitlement from society. Individuals have a constant defense mechanism to society as a whole. The most significant aspect to families suffering from generational poverty is that the â€Å"momma† is the central figure and focus to the family. The mom is what feels safe to the family. She is the ultimate caregiver to individuals in her family and to her house. Even after her children have grown into adults, both the mother and children have a difficult time with the child becoming independent. Love is the center of â€Å"momma’s† home. The male figure in generational poverty is responsible for the manual labor and will fight for their family. Although they display a rough outer layer, they still show a great love for the members in their family. Even though there is a constant, huge amount of love, most communication within the family maintains in a nonverbal form. Overcoming generational poverty can be a challenging task. There are several key factors when considering on improving the poverty status. Some of these factors include: Education is key in getting out and staying out of generational poverty, being in poverty is rarely about a lack of intelligence or ability, individuals stay in poverty because they do not see â€Å"choice†, or if they do, they do not know how to access proper resources or people to get them to the point of actually â€Å"choosing† to organize themselves, complete assignments, behave respectfully, plan for the future, and communicate in conventional register (Cleveland, n.d. ). Once a child is born into generational poverty, schools are one of the few places where they are exposed to certain choices and rules of how a higher class lives. This also allows the child access to resources and people who want to assist in the child rising from poverty. There are specific characteristics displayed in those suffering from generational poverty, which contribute to the difficulty in overcoming it. One of these characteristics is the â€Å"working memory†. â€Å"Neuroscientists discovered that the working memories of children raised in poverty are much smaller compared to those in middle-class,† (Pinoy, 2009). An individual’s brain capacity is a crucial part of their development. If a child is raised in a stressful household, the stress causes a limited supply of new nerve cells in the brain and memory. This can make it very difficult for the child to solve problems, read and properly communicate. The most effective way to begin overcoming generational poverty is for society to have a clear understanding of the complexity of this issue. Women face many unique challenges in the different stages of poverty life. Although, many issues that trap women and girls in generational poverty can be alleviated by a good education. Job prospects multiply with every level of school completed; better jobs bring more income and, consequently, more options for housing, transportation, child-care and healthcare. But, it is challenging for a woman to secure a good education due to the several setbacks. A woman in poverty does to have the ability or access to pay for necessary education for either her or her child(ren). A woman in poverty is consumed with the hours she spends working to care for the home and kids and feels this is the number one priority. It is also normal for the women to not have access to reliable transportation. According to Knight, â€Å"For a girl who seems to be making her way up the ladder out of generational poverty, pregnancy can be an enormous setback,† (2012). Mental health is even more likely to be neglected. The research shows that starting early by teaching girls life skills, such as financial  planning and goal setting, can reduce stress and increase self-esteem. Girls who live with hope and support are more likely to feel that they have inherent value and don’t have to depend on others – including boys – for validation. In order to improve the challenges that women in poverty face, it is imperative for society to offer programs and convenience to teach these women on how to improve their life quality. Mentors should be available to provide services on sharing examples and how positive goals can be accomplished by taking the necessary steps. I have learned a great deal of information after viewing the informational videos and reading all the material on generational poverty. It has definitely changed my perspective on how I approach this special population. As most of the general population, stereotyping is a part of my daily life. I never truly understood the depth of the generational poverty issues that are present. I have learned that not only is there a lack of school environment education, but individuals suffering from generational poverty need educated on how to â€Å"properly† live life each day in order to obtain goals. I have also learned these families can love more than your average family. They have a very strong bond between the members within their family. While love is important and necessary, they also have a misperception of life goals. The implications of this destructive cycle are the reasons generational poverty continues to be an issue. It not only affects individuals, it affects the family structure for many generations. Society as a whole needs to determine more effective ways to break it. How to cite Reflective Paper, Essays Reflective Paper Free Essays string(175) " It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues\." Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Theresa Tapley BUS 303 Dr. Kevin Righter March 13, 2010 Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Effective Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a major role in ensuring that an organization will survive and prosper. The HRM facilitates the most effective use of people or employees to achieve organizational and individual goals. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now The HRM consists of numerous activities which include, equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Effective human resources management plays a vital role in the success of an organization and is an active participant in charting the strategic course of competitiveness, productiveness, and efficiency. An effective HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules. Although the use of rules, records, and policies are incorporated, â€Å"action† is the focus. The HRM emphasizes the solution of employment problems to help achieve organizational objectives and facilitate employees’ development and satisfaction. An effective HRM is, also, people-oriented. Whenever possible, the HRM treats each employee as an individual and offers services and program to meet the individual’s needs. An effective HRM program is concerned with helping an organization achieve its objectives in the future by providing for competent, well-motivated employees. Human resources are incorporated into an organization’s long-term strategic plans to assist with ensuring that future growth needs will be adequately staffed with qualified, trained employees (Ivancewich, 2010, pg 5). EEO and Affirmative Action One external factor that has a powerful influence on my company’s HRM unction is the equal employment opportunity and human rights legislation, which has a profound effect on our policies and procedures concerning recruiting, selection, evaluation, and promotion. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and retaliation for reporting and /or opposing a discriminatory practice. This commission is empowered to file discrimination suits against employers on behalf of alleged victims and to adjudicate claims of discrimination brought against federal agencies. No other regulatory area has as thoroughly affected HRM as the EEO programs have. It has implications for almost every activity in HRM and sets standards for hiring, recruiting, training, terminating, compensating, evaluating, planning, disciplining, and collective bargaining. Employers, to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset employment discrimination implement EEO programs, (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 65). According to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws also apply to all type of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. During the employment selection process, each candidate should be evaluated on their qualification of the job requirements, based on their experience, education, and skill set. Many corporations use testing as an important tool. Rae T. Vann, general counsel of the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a national association of large federal contractors, observed, â€Å"When done properly, testing can be a very important tool in the employment selection process, and we commend the Commission on its efforts to improve the quality and fairness of tests and other job screening methods† (Title VII: Affirmative Action, 2006). I encourage my Clinical Managers to become familiar with the provisions of the EEO standards and guidelines. It is essential that they make every effort to seek counsel from our HR dept when initiating the interview and hiring process, dealing with poor performance, disabilities, demotions, appearance of harassment, and training and re-training. Throughout my five years of administrative management, I have unfortunately had to learn HRM and EEOC laws the hard way, through trial and error. With each mistake that I have made, such as not consulting the HR department before decreasing a dual role employee’s hours so that she could focus on one role due to extremely poor performance, I have learned the proper steps to come to the same conclusion. The decrease in hours caused her to lose her benefits and subsequently she filed an EEOC claim of discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, due to proper documentation of the corrective actions, developmental action plan and the documented counseling, our HRM has adequate information to refute the claim. Now, I consult my HRM representative with any concerns, questions, or updates related to employee situations. Planning, Recruitment, and Selection Human resources planning are the processes by which management ensures that it has the right personnel, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization, reach its objectives. It involves forecasting of human resources needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies (International Labour Organization, 2010). An effective HR plan, also, provides mechanisms to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. HR planning determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it (Ivancevich, 2010). The Human Resource Planning Process incorporates strategic planning which will have a direct effect on the organization’s profitability. The strategic plan must adapt to environmental circumstances. It must forecast how many and what employees are required for the organizations staffing requirements. Next, it must determine how many and what kind of employees are currently employed with the skills and training necessary for the future needs. Finally, after the HR system has analyzed the supply of and the demand or future workers, these two forecasts are compared to determine what action should be taken. Effective workforce planning is a critical element of effective strategic and operational planning. Workforce planning provides managers with a strategic basis for making human resource decisions. It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues. You read "Reflective Paper" in category "Papers" The US Department of Health and Human Services states, â€Å"Organizational success depends on having the right employees with the right competencies at the right time. Workforce planning provides managers the means of identifying the competencies needed in the workfo rce not only in the present but in the future and then selecting and developing that workforce† (US Dept. Health and Human Services, 2010). The HR department for my company has implemented a staffing model tool that projects future, potential, or expected growth versus the actual census, the current staffing and skill set of that staff, and calculates the hiring needs of specific positions within the direct and indirect patient care. Once the future needs are determined, then the hiring process begins. Human Resources Development Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and an understanding of the organization and its goals. Training and development are designed to help a person continue to make positive contributions in the form of good performance and advancement within the organization. A solid orientation program is the first step in developing an employee. It reduces anxiety and fears, reduces start-up costs of a new employee, reduces turnover, saves time for supervisors and co-workers, and develops realistic expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer and job satisfaction. Once will established in a specific position, then the manager and employee must set goals for development and advancement. Management and professional development is designed to reduce obsolescence and to increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity. An important part of development is the evaluation process. Performance management is the process by which executives, managers, and supervisors work to align employee performance with the firm’s goals. An effective performance management process determines and evaluates performance, provides feedback to the employees about their performance, and measures and monitors skill-set (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 251). The company that I work for has an excellent formal performance evaluation process that is very effective in the development the employee and the motivation to succeed. Appraising and managing performance at my workplace starts form the day of hire. Each newly hired direct or indirect patient care must attend a through and intensive training program. After 90 days, from date of hire, the new staff member is evaluated for suitability for the position. The manager will present a written 90-day evaluation to the staff member. This evaluation will result in a successful completion of the introductory period, determine a need for an extension of 30 days to improve and meet expectations, or termination due to being unsuitable for the position (this usually occurs when the staff member continually fails to follow policies and procedures and/or causing patient endangerment). Every manager must complete an annual evaluation for staff members under their direct supervision. The score on the evaluation determine the merit increase and caps set forth by the company. When a staff member is failing to follow policy and procedure, putting patient’s safety in jeopardy, tardiness or excessive absenteeism, insubordination, breaking confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, and etc. the manager will conduct corrective action in the form of documented counseling, written corrective action, final corrective action, 3 day suspension, and/or termination. To make this process more effective and ensure compliance with EEOC and federal and state regulations, both next level supervisor and the HR dept representative must approve all final corrective actions, 3-day suspensions, and terminations. Compensation and Benefits There are several reasons that an employer or corporation will offer benefits and services to their employees. One reason is to keep the organization competitive in recruit and retaining employees. Another reason is to keep a union out or because the union has won this during negotiations. Finally, is the fact that providing benefits and service contributed to increased employee performance and job satisfaction (Ivancevich, 2010, pg358). Federal and state governments mandate three benefits programs offered by private and not-for-profit employers. The three mandated programs are unemployment insurance, social security, and workers’ compensation. In addition to the benefits required by law, many employers provide other kinds of benefits voluntarily, such as, compensation for time not worked, insurance protection, retirement plans, FMLA or medical FMLA, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and various retirement programs and stock ownership plans. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement and flexible benefits plans. Whenever I am interviewing a candidate for a position, I always spend a portion of the interview discussing and explaining our benefit package. Sometimes our hourly rate is not quite as high as our competitor, but our benefits and employee services usually out ways the difference in compensation. Safety and Health The Human Resource Management team of the dialysis company of which I am employed, works very closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to ensure that the most acceptable and innovative concepts in employee safety and health are used. The NIOSH is the primary federal agency that conducts research on the safety and health of the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, to provide research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health established it in 1971 (Bradley, 2002). The NIOSH develops and promotes the use of national and state-based surveillance systems to identify, quantify, and track injuries and illnesses. Epidemiological analysis of these databases helps identify unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions. NIOSH also supports laboratory and field research to further identify, assess, and control occupational hazards and exposures and the diseases and injuries they cause. In addition to identifying risks, the NIOSH develops and evaluates prevention measures such as control technology, personal protective equipment, and work practices. Through research internally within our company and the NIOSH, many improvements and standards have been put into place for water treatment safety and personal protective equipment. We have strong policies and procedures that protect both the employee and the patient from exposure to health or safety hazards. There are several reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards. First, on a moral note, an employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. The second is economical in nature. Many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the employability of the worker. The employing organizations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work, such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, and lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, customers, and community. Lastly, from a legal standpoint, the occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law. It is a known fact, that without the extra â€Å"encouragement† of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. During a Frontline interview with assistant secretary of labor for occupational health and safety, John Henshaw, the question was asked, â€Å"How successful do you think OSHA has been at protecting workers in the United States? † Mr. Henshaw replied, â€Å"In the last 30 years, OSHA has made some tremendous strides in reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In the last six to eight years, injuries have gone steadily down and fatalities have gone down to the point where they are the lowest ever (Frontline, 2002). The dialysis industry is carefully scrutinized to uphold acceptable OSHA safety and health standards. We, also, have internal auditors that simulate inspections to ensure compliance and safe practices. Employee and Labor Relations Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces. In the United States, labor relations were profoundly affected by the National Labor Relations Act passed during the 1930’s, which gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Labor relations have been drastically affected by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which prohibited the â€Å"closed shop†, as well as, the introduction of right-to-work laws in more than 20 states (Ivancevich, 2010, pgs 477). By the early 21st century, labor relations were less affected by labor unions, to which only 8 percent of private sector workers belonged in 2004, about half of the rate in 1983. The decline reflects the increase in labor relations consultants, who have helped managements avoid unionization (Anonymous, 2010). The presence of a union directly affects most aspects of Human Resources Management, including recruiting, selection, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, and benefits, among others (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 34). Unions were once thought of a being for blue-collar factory workers, but now even engineers, nurses, teachers, secretaries, salespersons, college professors, professional football players and even physicians belong to unions. Within my workplace, we have an ongoing informational and educational campaign against the unethical practices of recruitment and enticement for our employees. We offer seminars and counseling in regards to the unionization tactics. While facing declining membership, union officials have turned to highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called â€Å"card check†. With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion comes in the form of deception, coercion, and harassing visits to worker’s homes. John Ivancevich describes this practice as the â€Å"authorization card† (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 480). Under current laws, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers sign a union authorization card, all employees within that organization will be required to participate in the union and pay union dues, even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote. Often times, individual will sign the cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union (Anonymous, 2010). Conclusion Human Resources Management is the heart of every organization. It serves as an advocate for each employee, while also protecting the organization from legal repercussions. Whether it is ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, providing job analysis, planning for the future staffing needs and subsequent recruitment and selection of qualified candidates, each of these areas are vital to a well-organized corporation. The HRM is paramount in the motivation, training, and development of employees. Ensuring a positive orientation experience, and concise performance evaluation and compensation will aid in retention and job satisfaction. Finally, the HRM has an extremely important role in labor relations and ensuring the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. References Anonymous. (2010). When voting isn’t Private. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 from website: http://www. unionfacts. com/articles/cardCheck. cfm Bradley, J. (2002). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved on 3/1/2010 from website: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh EEOC Office of Legal Counsel staff members (2006). Title VII: Affirmative Action. Retrieved on February 12, 2010 from website: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2006/vii_affimative_action. html Frontline. (2002). A Dangerous Business. Frontline Interview with John Henshaw. September 30, 2002. Retrieved on 3/2/2010 from website: http://osha. gov International Labour Organization. Retrieved on February 11, 2010 from website: http://wwwilo. org Ivancevich. J. (2010). Human resource management (11th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073381466. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 10, 2010 from website: http://www. hhs. gov/ohr/workforce/wfpguide. html How to cite Reflective Paper, Essays

Thursday, December 5, 2019

The Strategic Leader

Question: How to developthe Strategic Leader? Explain. Answer: Different kinds of strategies, which are developed by the different organization, will guide the managers to evaluate all the goals and objectives of the organization in a proper manner, which will help to develop strategic initiatives. There are five CEOs Ray Kroc, Fred Turner, Michael Quinlan, Jack Greenberg and Jim Skinner is the five CEOs of Mc Donalds, and the assignment will focus what are the key areas as well as what are the key strategies developed by leaders by which Mc Donalds got benefited in particular ways ("Home :: McDonalds.com", 2016). Mc Donalds is one of the global organizations, which operate its burger business across the major cities of the globe. There are different kinds of strategic initiatives which majority of the firm companies towards achieving the common organizational goals and objectives. However, there is one common purpose, which the various organizations were operating any business try to make towards increasing overall sales and profit in an effici ent manner. The strategic initiative includes towards developing a proper business plan, which bridges the gap between where we are standing where we want to go. Ray Kroc, the founder as well as a builder of Mc Donald is provided as an industrial pioneer no less capable than Henry Ford is. The most significant aspect of his leadership style is the revolution made in the American restaurant industry towards imposing discipline on the production of hamburgers, fresh fries, and milkshakes by developing a sophisticated operating as well as delivery system, which made all the customers very much satisfied with the business operations (Collins, 2012). Fred Turner guided the organization in a different manner, which imposed an overall change in the organization and explained why change is required in the organizational operations for the accomplishment of the organizational goals and objectives. Change is necessary for both inside operations as well as external operations of the business, and the most significant point is the organization got benefited in particular ways by applying the change management in the organization. As a director of the Industrial Relations Research Center, Michael Quinlan develops individual organizational as well as managerial activities in the proceedings of the business. The most important part which Jack Greenberg follows in the overall business operations is towards identifying different challenges of Mc Donald and to develop different kinds of strategies which will be executed in a proper manner ("Home :: McDonalds.com", 2016). The contribution of Jack M. Greenberg in the Mc Donalds business contributed one of the significant aspects as the Worlds biggest restaurant chain implements the Made for you a heating system which was designed to keep the burgers fresh from getting stale; the new regime requires restaurants to make food fresh. This particular initiative developed by Jack M. Greenberg contributes to a noticeable increase in sales and profit in an overall manner. Jim Skinner, the CEO of Mc Donalds has made an overall revolution in the menu. The objective of Jim Skinner has restructured Mc Donalds and redesigned the redesigned the restaurants with the addition of premium coffee offerings, fruits and walnut salad and chicken wraps ("Home :: McDonalds.com", 2016). Skimmers also earn high marks towards offerings better value and improve operations in the overall marketing process of the organization. However, to be more accurate, there are certain ways, which need to be fulfilled to evaluate different kinds of strategies. Communication strategy, strategic planning task force, vision statement, mission statement, values, goals, objectives, tasks, implementation strategies and monitoring strategic plan are the key objectives towards the implementation of the strategic planning and objectives (Jobber Ellis- Chadwick, 2013). The overall objectives of all the CEOs of Mc Donalds are to develop common as well as overall strategies, which will conclude the following factors in the next part of the assignment. The development of the communication strategy is much essential for the efficient development and implementation of strategic plans and operations (Gupta, Massisimo, Koontz, 2013). The development of core team objectives of the organizational leaders is to create different kinds of strategic planning is as well as implementation. The notion of the vision statement includes the development as well as implementing the roadmap for the future. The application of mission statement will conclude the goals, values, and objectives of the organization (Hood, 2013). These are the particular element, which needs to be analyzed by the team to evaluate all the operational activities. The present assignment is classified into three questions, which will conclude how different CEO of the various organizations developed their strategic leadership for the betterment of the business operations. There are certain organizational goals and managerial objectives, which different groups based on the nature as well as objectives of the company need to develop in the overall business operations (Cateora, Gilly, Graham, 2013). The role of the various leaders towards the accomplishment of the organizational as well as managerial activities is very much significant in the overall business transactions. The second question in the assignment will find on what are the specific elements of the various types of strategic initiative relates to the course of concept (Dibb, 2012). However, the final point of the assignment will find what are the positive affect as well as what are adverse effects of which are included towards the development of a proper initiative. The, the most impor tant thing that the leadership style and strategies which are concluded in the assignment is the strategic as well as the leadership style adopted by the CEO of Mc Donalds. All the factors are very much crucial as well as significant in the overall activities, which have been followed in the right manner. The objective towards developing different kinds of strategies in the organization will guide the company to develop various types of plans and proceedings to guide the common goals and objectives of the organization. There are certain advantages as well as certain disadvantages, which will conclude how different organizations will apply different kinds of plans and policies. However based on various findings and research work there are certain points, which will find how the organization was benefited after using these in the organization. On the other hand, there are some issues as well as different challenges, which this team needs to focus in the process of developing a proper initiative for the betterment of the society. In the era of globalization, the purchasing options of the buyers are more diversified which will ensure the application of a proper marketing plan and options (Jobber Ellis- Chadwick, 2013). The role of CEO is diversified as it develops all the programs and proceedings towards the development process of the strong operational activities (Kotler, 2013). This part of the study will ensure what are different kinds of findings that will provide the selected organization to focus on what are the different types of key factors, which helped the decision, making process of Mc Donalds in the overall business manner. The leadership strategies of five CEO are highlighted in the overall assignment, which will execute the application of the different kinds of leadership skills towards the achievement of the common managerial goals and objectives. It is one of the most important as well common objectives of the various leaders of the different organization in the process of development of the organizational goals and activities and on the other hand, how the company will be benefited after applying these leadership skills of the five different CEOs of the organization. Reference List Cateora, P., Gilly, M., Graham, J. (2013).International marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Collins, D. (2012).Business ethics. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Dibb, S. (2012).Marketing concepts and strategies. Andover: Cengage Learning. Gupta, D., Massisimo, A., Koontz, C. (2013).Marketing Library and Information Services II. Berlin: De Gruyter. Home :: McDonalds.com. (2016).Mcdonalds.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016, from https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.html Hood, D. (2013).The marketing manifesto. London: Kogan Page. Jobber, D. Ellis- Chadwick, F. (2013).Principles and practice of marketing. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kotler, P. (2013).Principles of marketing. Toronto: Pearson Canada. Kotler, P. Keller, K. (2012).Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Harris, L., Piercy, N. (2013).Principles of marketing. Harlow, England: Pearson.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essay Example

A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essay A critical review of the role of coordinated sports science support and its importance to elite level performance Sport today has changed greatly from 40 years ago where love for the sport and intrinsic rewards were the main motivations (Green Holmium, 2010). In the present day with mass exposure and popularity of elite level sport along with big financial rewards and losses at the highest levels (Yardman Jones, 2011), and increased level of performance in sport (Collins, Moore, Mitchell Lappers, 1999) coaches are under pressure to deliver successful performance results (Richardson, Anderson Morris, 2008). With this level of investment and interest from the masses, fulfillment professional careers for athletes have been created who dedicate their lives to their sports, putting their bodies and minds on the line and increasing risk of negative health effects (Handstand Wadding, 2009). According to Pipe (2001), it is sport coaches and sport science support (ASS) responsibility to act as an athletes advocate and reduce these negative health effects, protecting their health and well-being. We will write a custom essay sample on A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Southeast (2012) highlighted that margins between podium places are getting narrower and the increased need to look at all options to find improvements, squiring specialist sport science skills to be able to measure, interpret and improve particular areas. This pressure from dedication levels of athletes, financial rewards/ loses, smaller winning margins and exposure by the media and the public that stresses the importance of the athlete receiving the most thorough and professional service possible. To provide this service, coaches and sporting organizations are increasingly seeking ASS (Lees, 2003; Collins et al. 1999), and ultimately enhancing athletic performance (Williams Kendal, 2007; Hooper, 2006). Due to the above- mentioned issues it is essential to consider the most efficient and effective way for coordinated ASS to work, however with coordinated ASS certain issues may arise having negative effects of athletic performance and athlete well-being (Collins et al. , 1999). In the following text the author will, define and critique the different coordinated ASS approaches, review the issues and areas that may impede efficiency and finally conclude and provide recommendations for the application of coordinated sports science support. An interdisciplinary approach is where a number of sport science personnel (SSP) room different areas of sport science integrate and work together in a coordinated manner to problem solve (Burrito, Moore Wilkinson, 1994). Elite level sport is based upon a number of multi-factorial variables (Meyers, Laurent, 2010) that can be measured, analyses, interpreted and ultimately manipulated to promote increased performance. Interdisciplinary ASS can produce a vast range of in depth information and data (Knudsen, 2011), which in turn means that appropriate and specific training regimes and strategies can be implemented in order to increase performance coaching team must have knowledge of how different variables inter-link and be able to consider how manipulation of one variable may affect another. For example the use of a head guard in boxing from a biomedical perspective would have a positive effect because it would decrease punch force however from a psychologists perspective this could grant a false sense of security, having a negative effect (Burrito et al. , 1994). As well as being able to interpret these risk and benefits the coaching team must be able to assess their significance, priorities and contextual in order to Justify implementation of manipulations (BASES, [n. ]). An interdisciplinary ASS approach requires a number of team-wide skills in order for it to be successful, they are; Bridge building the linking of knowledge from different spinelessness, Restructuring methodologies, theories and practices transferred into different spinelessness and Integration the application of a number of spinelessness (BASES, [n. D. ]), without these skills a support team would move towards a multidisciplinary approach. Multidisciplinary is defined by Burrito et al (1994) as a number of SSP working in parallel rather than in symbiosis, Corner (2010) supports this and adds that each SSP as a clear role definition, specific task and hierarchical lines of authority. Within Interdisciplinary approach there is little or no communication among each susceptible, as a result there is little overlap (Corner, 2010), which means SSP from a particular discipline may be unaware of detrimental effects caused in another discipline when interventions/ strategies are implemented in his field of expertise. Whilst both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are products of an input from more than one discipline, the principle difference is the integrative approach of the interdisciplinary sports scientist as opposed to scientists working in parallel often associated with multidisciplinary (Dandles, 2011). Interdisciplinary approach is having a single sub discipline that works in isolation to the other sub disciplines; interdisciplinary approaches are often undertaken during research, but are not always appropriate when holistic athlete centered approach is desired (Burrito et al. , 1994; BASES , [n. D. ]). Interdisciplinary approach is similar to multidisciplinary in that it has no or little overlap between disciplines, reducing role conflict to an extent. Another benefit as noted by Jones (2006) is that each specific aspect of sport science can be taken into account and can be assessed in a thorough manner. The main difference between interdisciplinary and other approaches is that because the SSP work in relative isolation to the others alliances and allegiances tend not to be as prevalent. These alliances and allegiances can produce subgroups and isolates, decreasing productivity (Slinkier et al. , 2012). Therefore, Reid et al. 2004) suggested an optimum group number should be five or less to maintain the best mix of commitment and collaboration. Within all of these approaches there exist a number of possible issues that may increase athlete stress and in turn decrease athletic performance, this section will look at some of these issues. Fletcher, Wanton Mealier (2006) identified fi ve performers: factors intrinsic to the sport (e. G. Training schedules); roles in the sport organization (e. G. Lack of role acceptance); sport relationships and interpersonal demands (e. G. Conflicts with coaching staff; athletic career and performance development issues (e. . Selection); and organizational structure and climate of the sport (e. G. Result vs. Placement focus), all of which can be influenced by ASS. Within all teams, particularly at an elite level there are substantial organizational and team dynamics (Collins et al. , 1999), an understanding of these dynamics are crucial for most effective work (Arnold, Moore Burrito, 1998). Figure 1 shows the organization of most elite level support teams, the dashed line is knows as the us and them divide with anyone above the line having or perceived to be having power to influence selection (Collins et al. 1999). Anyone above this line with perceived power and influence will experience high levels of impression management fro m athletes, particularly at elite level where benefits of selection are so high (Leary, 1994). Impression management is altering ones interactions in order to protect or improve ones position and the most common occurrence of impression management is limiting information on the status of and injury/fitness in order to improve chances of selection (Collins et al. , 1999). Some athletes may even take impression management to the next step and exploit certain members of the support team as a naive conduit in order to use their link to and influence on selection in order to improve chance of selection (Collins et al. 1999). Once being identified as on the them side of the us and them divide, SSP will in one way or another receive limited and well managed information, however Leary (1994) notes that this is neither dishonest nor devious but rather is an inevitable feature of group dynamics. Being on the or being perceived to be on the us side of the divide SSP will gain trust and improve SSP athlete relations. However in order to be perceived as on the us side of the line the SSP must work in total confidentiality or they will seem to have influence on selection by passing information onto management and therefore being placed in the them category and experiencing more impression management. Therefore in order to be considered us SSP must regard the athlete as the client and exhibit total confidentiality (Klein et al. 2012). However by maintaining this patient confidentiality the SSP may mean withholding information from management that the athlete does not wish to be disclosed, which could put the SSP reputation and Job at risk, highlighting an issue with patient confidentiality (Collins et al. , 1999). Confidentiality is crucial to the SSP athlete allegations, however if an athlete is unfit to play the SSP may struggle to deal with this issue without breaking confid entiality. SSP also recognize the pressure to divulge information applied by management as they have a responsibility to management as ultimately they pay their wages (Collins et al. , 1999). SSP have varying codes of conduct when it comes to confidentiality; for example traditionally banishments and physiologists share information with coaches, whereas psychologists must protect all psychometric data (Collins et al. , 1999). Depends on their philosophy and will be influenced by whom they see as the client, he athlete or the management. Collins et al. 1994) identified two separate approaches to confidentiality depending on who is regarded as the client; firstly the athlete client approach where the SSP will work in total confidence and only divulge permitted information; and secondly the management client approach where the SSP will field athletes who are fit to partake. Both approaches do however have implications, being management client based and removing an athlete from events technically s tands the SSP liable for causing loss of earnings or restricted trade (Collins et al. , 1994). Being athlete client based causes issues with confidentiality as discussed in the previous paragraph. Contrasting philosophies can cause conflict within a ASS team, for example a SSP who has an athlete centered philosophy may want extended rest period after big competitions whereas a SSP with a result based philosophy may disagree with this and want them back training as soon as possible. This highlights the need to consider philosophy when recruiting SSP into a ASS team in order to reduce conflict, however some may argue that the more qualified the better, regardless of their philosophy. Conflict is a regular and expected consequence of ASS (Collins et al. , 1999; Reid, Stewart Throne, 2004), and is often born from different conclusions of the same problem from different sub disciplines. To avoid this conflict some may support a indiscipline approach, however conflict is often key to making informed, correct Judgments being made to improve athletic performance, furthermore it facilitates SSP self critiquing and questioning of practice (Ride et al. , 2004). The author will now consider ways to combat these afore mentioned issues. Due to each discipline having varying codes of conduct when it comes to confidentiality Collins, et al. , 1999), athletes are often left unsure on information handling procedures and roles (Moore Abbott, 2012) and SSP are left in a difficult position. To combat this all disciplines should have a standardized level of confidentiality through their professional associations, currently only the Charted society of physiotherapy has a cross discipline code of conduct (CUPS, [n. . ]). Athletes should have to sign an athlete charter which presents the scope of data confidentiality and whose interests are being met by each role so that the athlete clearly knows how the information he gives will be used and to what extent it will be confidential (Collins et al. , 1999). In order to reduce conflict within ASS group member philosophies must be considered, however at an elite level it is usually results based, therefore t he most qualified/successful SSP may be employed. ASS group size can also be considered to reduce conflict, but at elite level it is unlikely to reduce the size of the support team, reducing performance, purely to reduce chances of conflict. Although these things can be done to reduce conflict, as pointed out by Ride et al. (2004) some conflict can e a positive. Bigger the group the more conflict (Ride, 2004) an interdisciplinary approach allows for integrated and coordinated problem-solving resulting in a higher quality of collaboration and team performance (Mackinac Rodgers, 2000; Norwalk, 2003). Therefore an interdisciplinary approach must be adopted in order to produce the highest performance levels. Athlete charters and universal codes of conduct should be used to clarify confidentiality levels and reduce issues in this area. Conflict is expected in ASS and some conflict is good however ASS team philosophies should be noninsured in order to reduce it and make sure the entire team has the similar aims. Due to the nature of sport, impression management will always be present, therefore SSP must be aware of this.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Classroom Testing Best Practices and Applications

Classroom Testing Best Practices and Applications In its simplest form, classroom assessment is about collecting data, looking for mastery of content, and guiding instruction. These things are more complex than they sound. Teachers will tell you that they are time- consuming, often monotonous, and seemingly neverending. All teachers are required to assess their students, but the good teachers understand that it is more than just assigning grades for a report card. True classroom assessment shapes the ebb and flows within a classroom. It drives daily instruction becoming the engine for not only what is taught, but how it should be taught. All teachers should be data-driven decision makers. Every individual assessment provides critical data that can potentially provide us with another piece of the puzzle to maximize a single student’s learning potential. Any time spent unwrapping this data will be a worthy investment to see a dramatic increase in student learning. Classroom assessment is not one of the glamorous aspects of being a teacher, but it may be the most important. To put it simply, it is hard to know how to get somewhere you have never been if you do not have a map or directions. Authentic classroom assessment can provide that roadmap, allowing every student to be successful. Utilize Standard Based Benchmark Assessments Every teacher is required to teach specific standards or content based on subjects taught and grade level. In the past, these standards have been developed by each state individually. However, with the development of the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, many states will have shared standards for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Standards serve as a checklist for what is supposed to be taught throughout the school year. They do not dictate the order in which they are taught or how they are taught. Those are left up to the individual teacher. Utilizing a benchmark assessment based on standards provides teachers with a baseline for where students are individually as well as where the class is as a whole at selected checkpoints throughout the year. These checkpoints are typically at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. The assessments themselves should include at least two questions per standard. Teachers can build a solid benchmark assessment by looking at previously released test items, searching online, or creating aligned items themselves. After the initial assessment is given, teachers can break down the data in a variety of ways. They will get a quick idea of what each individual student knows coming into the year. They can also evaluate whole group data. For example, if 95% of the students get all the questions correct for a particular standard, the teacher should probably teach the concept early on in the year without spending an inordinate amount of time. However, if students perform poorly on a standard, the teacher should plan to devote a greater amount of time later on in the year. The middle of the year and end of the year assessments allow teachers to measure overall student growth and whole class understanding. It would be wise to spend more time re-teaching a standard in which a large portion of the class struggled with on an assessment. Teachers can also reevaluate their approach with individual students who are lagging behind possibly offering tutoring services or increased remediation time. Focus on Diagnostic Data There are lots of diagnostic programs available to assess individual student strengths and weaknesses quickly and accurately. Too often, teachers get caught up in the big picture that these assessments provide. Programs such as S.T.A.R Reading and S.T.A.R. Math provide grade-level equivalency for students. Many times teachers see that a student is at/above grade level or below grade level and stop there. Diagnostic assessments provide so much more data than grade level equivalency. They provide valuable data that allows teachers to quickly decipher individual student strengths and weaknesses. Teachers who only look at grade level miss the fact that two seventh grade students who test at the seventh-grade level may have holes in differing critical areas. The teacher may miss the opportunity to fill these gaps before they become a hindrance down the road. Provide Regular In-depth Feedback to Students Individualized learning starts by providing continuous feedback. This communication should occur daily in both written and verbal form. Students should be helped to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Teachers should utilize small group or individual meetings to work with students who are struggling with specific concepts. Small group instruction should occur every day and individual meetings should occur at least one time per week. Some type of feedback other than just a grade should be provided for every daily assignment, homework, quiz, and test. Simply grading a paper without reinforcing or re-teaching the incorrect concepts is a missed opportunity. Goal setting is another essential part of the teacher-student collaboration. Students should understand how the goals are tied to academic performance. Goals should be high, but attainable. The goals and progress towards them should be discussed regularly, and reevaluated and adjusted if necessary. Understand that Every Assessment is Valuable Every assessment provides a story. Teachers have to interpret that story and decide what they are going to do with the information that it provides. An assessment must drive instruction. Individual problems and/or whole assignments in which a majority of the class scores poorly should be re-taught. It is okay to throw out an assignment, re-teach the concepts, and give the assignment again. Every assignment should be scored because of every assignment matters. If it does not matter, do not waste the time to have your students do it.   Standardized testing is another notable assessment that can provide valuable feedback year over year. This is more beneficial to you as a teacher than it will be to your students because there is a chance you will not have the same group of students two years in a row. Standardized test results are tied to the standards. Evaluating how your students did on each standard allows you to make adjustments in your classroom.   Build On-Going Portfolios Portfolios are tremendous assessment tools. They provide teachers, students, and parents with an in-depth look into student progression over the course of an entire year. Portfolios naturally take time to build but can be relatively easy if a teacher makes it a regular part of the classroom and uses students to help keep up with them. A portfolio should be kept in a three-ring binder. Teachers can create a checklist and place them in front of each portfolio. The first part of each portfolio should include all diagnostic and benchmark assessments taken over the course of the year. The remainder of the portfolio should be made up of standard related assignments, quizzes, and exams. The portfolio should include at least two daily assignments and one exam/quiz for each standard. The portfolio would become an even more valuable assessment tool if students were required to write a quick reflection/summary for each associated standard. Portfolios are the purest form of assessment because they encompass pieces that add up to a whole.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

LOG503 MOD 3 Case Assn - Logistic Planning Essay

LOG503 MOD 3 Case Assn - Logistic Planning - Essay Example On the basis of the aforementioned concern, the paper intends to briefly discuss about the logistic strategies of Ford in the global automobile industry. Moreover, the location design of Ford concerning distributors or retail, influence of the customers towards location decision of Ford and its effect on logistics will also be taken into concern in this paper. Impact of Location and its affect on Logistic Planning The location of production as well as distribution units can impose significant impact and affect logistic planning of any organization. This is owing to the reason that an effective location plan can facilitate an organization to increase the satisfaction level of the customers by providing them their desired products at the right time. It has been apparently observed that an extensive network of suppliers and distribution channels is regarded as one of the major strengths of Ford that enabled the organization to gain momentum in the global automobile market. ... the cultural perspectives concerning the locations of its different production as well as distribution units with the intention of increasing the satisfaction level of the customers at large (Leontiades, 1987). In general, the location concerning plant and logistic network can be effectively organized or managed depending upon the tradeoff scenario of any particular organization. The significant concern of plant location generally encompasses different factors such as material cost, labor cost, infrastructure facilities, business services, customer or market, available suppliers as well as resources, government regulations and existing competition (Lu, Kuo, Tseng & Liaw, 2007). With this concern, the logistic network and overall supply chain management activities of Ford are conducted by Penske Logistic. In this similar context, Penske has been identified to be a leading service provider of logistics for Ford since the year 1999. It executes streamline operations for Ford through ado pting as well as implementing six-sigma initiatives in terms of maintaining and creating more effective as well as centralized logistic network. As the leading logistic provider of Ford, Penske performs effective and quality based logistic management functions that further ensure to mitigate different challenges resulting from inbound inconsistencies, unnecessary costs and shipment overages (Penske, 2013). Comparison of Location Decision of Ford To a Distributor According to the global business scenario, it can be recognized that the exact location choice is quite important for an organization to accomplish its predetermined business targets. In order to determine effective location decisions, the organizations in this present day context must need to focus upon enhancing their various