MDCM IT Strategy. Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MDCM IT Strategy. Case study - Essay Example Consolidation in the medical device industry had also slowed market growth. As a result MDCM had shifted its growth strategy from geographical reach to diversification through acquisitions. The type of business that MDCM operated in was contract manufacturing. In this business, the manufacturer had pioneered the process of creating close partnership arrangement with customers to maximize their success with MDCM’s products. MDCM had decades of experience in the business. However consolidation in the industry had given greater bargaining power to the customers so that the company could not price competitively. MDCM’s competitive position was further weakened by a lack of cost control. There was lack of coordination among departments, suppliers, logistics so that expected synergy gains from the acquisitions could not be realized. By focusing upon acquisitions, MDCM was in effect implementing the strategy of diversification into related products. This made the company more globally diversified, enabling it to better serve large customers who were also becoming globally diversified. However MDCM’s operating and profit margins continued to fall in a compe titive market. Because MDCM operated in an industry which was consolidating and which had more efficient competitors, the company continued to decline in market share and profits. As mentioned in the case, even though MDCM was the largest company in the industry, it had the worst operating and profit margins. ... The overall strategic goals of this firm at this time are to implement operational and cost improvements and to focus on IT integration. The two goals are related since operational and cost improvements can be realized from IT integration. As indicated in the case, the management was facing problems with the cost structure, sales and marketing and production scheduling. These problems could be addressed by the right IT implementation plan. The implementation plan should be aligned to the overall strategic goals of the firm which are to implement operational and cost improvements in medical device contract manufacturing. The company had recently lost its competitive advantage because of its high internal costs which hampered the company’s ability to price competitively against smaller, more efficient rivals. As a result sales and profits continued to decline. Therefore the top priorities at this time were to undertake a project related to IT strategy synchronization that would lead to improved information flow which would facilitate operational and cost improvements. The industry had gone through a consolidation process which reduced the number of customers. Because there were fewer larger customers, they had more pricing power. Therefore, in order to remain competitive, MDCM would have to access more information about its business processes, thus enabling the managers to take corrective action which would turn around sales and profits. The critical success factor at this time was tight coordination between the different business functions. Traditionally the strategic focus of the company had been to locate close to the customer. However this strategic focus had been changed as a result of the Horizon 2000

Differences between men and women Essay Example for Free

Differences between men and women Essay It is beyond reasonable doubt that the lives of men and women are different . To be identified as either male or female is one of the fundamental point in anybody’s identity. Debate has been raging on as to whether the differences between men and women are either biological or they are purely as a result of our socialization process, that is, they are socially constructed. Social constructionists and feminists believe that gender roles and hence the differences between the sexes are completely arbitrary. To them biological preferences are not relevant. On the other hand essentialists are of the idea that gender roles are purely brought about by biological differences, and are not modified by the social adaptations in the different societies. Further arguments points out that the differences between men and women are brought about by socialization process in the societies which are dominated by men. This argument has been presented by the feminists who are of the idea that the patriarchal system has dictated the types of roles that women should play and these roles tend to be feminine in nature. To them biology has nothing to or little role to play as far as abilities and sex roles are concerned. The idea of male and female sexes is a myth according to the feminists’ writers. (Moi 1999:89) In his book titled Why men rule, Steven Goldberg (1993) maintains that despite the fact that biological differences between men and women exist there is no inferior or superior sex. He believes that each of the genders has strong and weak points. He attributes the biological differences that exist between the two sexes to be hormonal and genetically driven. The hormones that are found in either a man or a woman determine their behavior hence the differences between the two sexes. (Goldberg 1993:67) Psychologists and biologist believe that the differences between men and women are largely attributed to the chromosomes and hormones in our bodies. They hold the notion that females and males are different right from the time conception takes place. The differences are evident in the materials that carry the characteristics traits of each individual which are passed on to the offspring from the parent. As the fetuses continue to grow in the womb further sex differences occur as the female and male features start to be more prominent. The male has more testosterone while the females on the other hand acquire estrogen. (Goldberg 1993:78). The two hormones have great effect on the behavior of the two sexes. To some extent this explains why the boys play with the toys while the girls are inclined more towards playing with the dolls. Psychologists argue that this is largely due to the hormones which control their minds making them behave in a certain way which the society has come to regard as either feminine or masculine. (Goldberg 1993:87) Sociologist concentration is more inclined to the evidences which suggest that the differences are as a result of socialization process as opposed to the psychologists and biologist who believe that the situation arises due to the physiological process. Sociologist argue that if the differences were largely due to physiological configurations of female and male then across all cultures all women or men should be expected to play the same roles in their societies. Since this is not the case, their argument is that different cultures dictate the roles that men and women will play in the society. This explains the differences that exist in various cultures as far as gender roles are concerned in different communities in the world. When a child is born in a given culture the reception given is determined whether he is a boy or a girl. The type of clothes bought will be dictated by the sex of the child. (Moi 1999:123)Though biology is used to determined the upbringing of the child, it has been argued that the way boys and girls are brought up may be the same but the enculturation in the society will impart some roles which will determine the roles each expects to perform in the society. As the child grows he or she learns fundamental things. They incorporate that fatherhood and motherhood are institutions which are different are designations and have very different implications. They learn that mothers are the women while their fathers are the men and they perform different roles at family levels and also in the outside world. Simultaneously they learn that boys are expected to play rough while the girls should be nice. (Moi 1999:134) The notion that they are expected to do different things is incorporated in their minds as they grow . Therefore the children copy what goes on in their culture and this is what shapes them up in the rest of their lives. The process of socialization shapes them as they behave as their mothers and fathers or such kind of figures in their lives. It is believed that both nature and nurture have a great role towards the development of male and female attributes. Nature represents the environment in to which one is brought and this is largely the culture. Culture dictates all aspects of human life the dressing mode, our eating habits, roles we perform among other things. Nurture is represents the ways were are brought up which again is determined by the culture of a given society. If as a child one is brought up in an environment where the different gender roles are not emphasized, he or she will not appreciate the differences that the society puts on both men and women. Though one must appreciate that anatomically men and women are different, this should not be used as basis of placing women at a disadvantaged position due to the stereotypes that have existed. Labeling women as weak, emotional and many other terms that places women at a lower position in comparison with men are all derived from the anatomical differences that exist between the two sexes. Biological differences between men and women are complimentary in nature so that the each can work together for the sake of making the lives of each other better. (Moi 1999:189) Argument that hormones and chromosomes dictate the way we behave only serves the interest of those who want to maintain the status quo, where women remain subordinate to the men. These biological chemical exist only to play some vital roles in our bodies rather than dictating the roles that men and women are supposed to play in the society. The chemical help the bodies to function properly taking into the consideration that man and women have different anatomical features. Testesterone plays a vital role in enhancing male features but does not influence the way he is expected to behave by the society. Male behavior is largely from the observation rather than the chemicals in his body. The same cases apply to the women. The fact that men and women have are different biologically is purely acceptable in all quarters but this only represents the sex differences. The roles played by men and women is largely determined by the socialization process which part and parcel of the culture in question. work cited Moi, T. What is a woman Oxford, Oxford university press (1999)

History of C Essay -- Essays Papers

History of: Origins and Examples Essay written by DaMonMayers Origins of C What are C and OOP? C is an advanced, high-level programming language (â€Å"Computer languages†) that is used to develop powerful applications for Microsoft ® Windows ®, many Linux environments, and other well-known and widely used operating systems. C is quickly becoming the standard language for commercial software development (Oualline). OOP, an abbreviation for object-oriented programming is simply code that â€Å"attempts to place a new layer of abstraction between the programmer and the data he is working with †¦ this layer will help the programmer develop better code more quickly than he could do before.† (McHale). OOP languages must include four fundamental concepts before it may reasonably be defined as object-oriented (O-O): encapsulation, polymorphism, inheritance and the ability to be dynamic (McHale). Where did C come from? C was designed and implemented by Bjarne Stroustrup who works for AT&T Bell Labs as head of the Large-Scale Program Research department where he is heavily involved with the evolution of his product (Duffy, 98). His development, originally called â€Å"C with classes† was a marriage between a language called Simula67 with object-orientated features and C, which was powerful and efficient in its design. Fortran John Backus at IBM developed Fortran in 1956. Fortran, an abbreviation and acronym for FORmula TRANslation system, is generally considered to be the first high-level programming language. Fortran is, even today, a language of choice among programmers, its latest release, Fortran 90, in 1990. Early versions of this language would be largely criticized today [there were a few problems like the program layout, which had to obey certain criteria like an 80 character maximum line (the length â€Å"of a punch card on which the programs were often written†) (Parsons) and the first six columns were reserved for labels and comments, denoted by the keyword C]; however, this language influenced every language used today in the programming community in some way. A sample Fortran program would look like this (the digits 1, 2, and 3 in this program are labels and .GT. signifies a comparison checking to see if the variable, H, is Greater Than 5): C EXAMPLE FORTRAN CODE DIMENSION A(5), B(5,2) INTEGER H DO 1 I = 1,5 1 A(I) = 6 - I H = 1 3 IF (H.GT.5... ...n Technology at Brighton University. Internet. December 16, 1994. Available http://www.it.bton.ac.uk/burks/burks/foldoc/58/19.htm McHale, William. â€Å"Object-Oriented C? A Case Study of C and Objective-C as Object-Oriented Extensions of C.† Online. University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Internet. 28 Apr. 1996. Available http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~schmitt/331S96/wmchal1/testdraft.html Oualline, Steve. Practical C Programming. O’Reilly & Associates, September 1995. Overland, Brian. C in Plain English. MIS:Press, 1996 Parsns, Peter. â€Å"A Brief History of Programming.† Online. University of Hull Department of Computer Sciences. Internet. 1997. Available http://web.dcs.hull.ac.uk/people/pjp/Teaching/08208-9697/Notes/Languages/node2.html Stroustrup, Bjarne. The C Programming Language. Addison-Wesley Publication Company, February 4th, 2000. Stroustrup, Bjarne. â€Å"Stroustrup: Bjarne’s Homepage.† Online. AT&T Bell Labs. Internet. 2000. Available http://www.research.att.com/~bs/C.html â€Å"The Standard ML Programming Language.† Online. Hughes College of Engineering at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Internet. 1999. Available http://www.egr.unlv.edu/stock_answers/languages/sml/

Language barriers Essay

I agree with what you said that society expects much more from women as compared to men. People grew up with the idea that men should have this rough exterior, which means talking loudly, cursing, and not allowed to cry. It is okay for them to behave in unacceptable manners just because they are men. Women, on the other hand, are expected to act delicately. Those who would act otherwise would be looked down upon. It is very unfortunate that you were taught such things regarding behaving in public because it meant being held back of your feelings, thoughts, and actions. People who think lowly of those who do not act or speak according to their preference are very shallow and only attract conflict with others because of their attitude. I think that not being â€Å"direct† with a stranger is acceptable. Although we want to be transparent to other people, we should still be reserved in the things that we say to protect ourselves. You are right in saying that this could cause misunderstanding because people may not be able to get your point. At times, it is hard to communicate with people that you do not know because of language barriers. This is especially hard when dealing with the opposite sex who might not see things your way and may have the tendency to misinterpret what you are saying. You are also correct in saying that people should be more flexible in terms of following the rules of gender because not all scenarios are the same for everybody else. Also, people are not perfect and would be able to act according to the rules at all times. Men cry. Women curse and shout. It does not matter where they are or when they choose to do so because they should not be judged for their actions and decisions. People do not know what caused their actions and have no right in thinking lowly of them. Your experiences are similar to mine in that I am also a female and that I am expected the best behavior at all times just because of my gender. I also tend to become reserved when dealing with people I do not closely work with because I do not feel comfortable enough to share important information with them. I find having friends, specifically female friends, very comforting because they are able to empathize with me when I need them to. They are also able to give their opinions without appearing biased or judgmental. We all grew up thinking the same things regarding how men and women should act and speak, especially in front of everyone else. This is why it is hard for some to see behaviors that contradict what they have known growing up, which is why they too cannot be blamed. This is the reason why people need to be more open-minded when it comes to understanding others and even the opposite sex. Men and women communicate in different ways and people need to accept this fact. After accepting and adjusting to this reality, people should find ways on how to understand each other more effectively. If it means talking more often or asking questions, then this should be done. On the other hand, people should also learn how to listen and explain what they feel and think better. Your self-reflection says that we should be more understanding and I believe that this is one key to a better communication. We should also make it a point to practice what we preach. If we think that people should be more understanding of others, we should start with ourselves and practice this thought. We should never base our opinions from one encounter with a person because we would not be able to see the real them with just one experience.

Colonial Life in the 1700s Essay

When the English first settled in America, they had no intention of creating a new nation. They â€Å"continued to view themselves as Europeans, and as subjects of the kings. Some believed that if a nation were to arise from the English dominance in the New World, it would be identical to the English empire. However, between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, a different society from England emerged in the colonies. Changes in religion, economics, politics, and social structure illustrate this to the Europeans. By 1763, although some colonies still maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation of church and state. Popular dissenter, Roger Williams, having been banished from Massachusetts, bought land from Indians and founded a colony where other dissenters or â€Å"trouble-makers† found refuge. Rhode Island, then, became the most religiously tolerant colony followed by William Penn’s Pennsylvania, which offered generous agreements on land, and full religious liberty. These two colonies directly opposed the official, tax-supported Anglican Church of England from which Puritans had escaped in the inception of America. Later in the colonial timeline, a series of religious revivals–known as The Great Awakening–developed into the separation between church and state. The disagreements between the beliefs in the Awakening – increased the competition of American churches, which resulted in the refrainment of such topics in political debates for more serious arrangements without the interruption of religious opinions. English customs of an official religion and the king’s position as the head of the Anglican Church clearly differed from American views of religious tolerance and separation between interconnected political and religious ideas. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies outgrew their mercantile relationship with the mother country and developed an expanding capitalist system of their own. During their early development, the colonies maintained an economic relationship with the English through the Navigation Acts, in which exchanges were to and from the empire only as enforced by King Charles II. This would ensure English triumph in mercantilism and maritime competition. Unfortunately for England, as the colonies’ population rose, the amount of imported products from Britain did not suffice and the American merchants began to trade with non-English countries. Eventually, they developed the influential capitalist system, in which the means of production are operated solely for profit. The English monarchy tried to prevent an economic depreciation in their dominion by reinforcing the Navigation Acts in the colonies; but their efforts resulted in Bacon’s Rebellion. Angry at Royal Governor Sir William Berkeley for his selfish high-taxing ways, Nathaniel Bacon and his followers burned Jamestown and the governor was removed. Thenceforth, England instructed Virginian governors to assure Virginia’s profit for the mother country. This new threat united Virginia’s gentry to combat governors’ efforts to raise royal economic dominance. Thus, America outgrew England’s mercantilism and established capitalism as its own economic system.