Thursday, January 30, 2020

Since “The Big Twist” Essay Example for Free

Since â€Å"The Big Twist† Essay Since â€Å"The Big Twist† failure that killed multiple people, an investigation of the wheel and rail deviations from the derailed car has been carried out in order to determine what course of action should be taken to prevent similar catastrophes from occurring. In order to achieve safety, the rails of the newly designed car were supposed to be composed of 4130 steel. A heat treatment process involving a water quench and tempering was also required to modify the rail to a desired balance between ductility and hardness. The final Rockwell C-scale hardness was supposed to be 35-40. The failed rail was found to have a Rockwell C hardness of only 4. 8. In our own reference experiment, we were able to produce specimens similar to the failed specimen, with a Rockwell C hardness of 3. 7. Our similar sample was austenized and air cooled, which leads to the conclusion that the failed rail was not quenched or tempered at all, but merely annealed and left to cool. The resulting pearlite crystal structure of the material was soft and ductile, bending easily under stress and causing the car to derail and plummet to the ground. Introduction A new roller coaster in Florida called â€Å"The Big Twist† killed four people when one of the cars separated from the track and fell to the ground 120 feet below. It was discovered that the outer left wheel assembly was bent more than 30 degrees from its normal vertical orientation due to twisting of the support beam that connected the wheels to the car. Our research was performed to discover why the rail was weak enough to bend. The characteristics of steel can be greatly modified by changing the phase (or crystal structure). The first step in heat treating steel is the process of annealing and austenizing. When the steel is heated to a high enough temperature (annealing), carbon is dissolved into the metal solution (austenizing) by fitting into the interstitial vacancies in the high temperature-induced face-centered cubic structure of iron (austenite). The next step in heat treating is to quench the steel in water or oil, quickly cooling the steel to room temperature in order to trap the carbon in the crystal structure (even at the reduced temperature). This new phase is called martensite, intermediate to the face-centered and body-centered cubic structures. The internal stress caused by the distorted crystal structure causes the metal to be extremely hard and brittle. Finally, the heat treating is completed by heating the material once again (tempering) to gain a balance between strength and ductility. During tempering, nucleation of cementite occurs along with a growth in grain size, both reducing internal stress and restoring ductility. The resulting metal can be both harder and stronger than it can be without treatment. Essentially, if the metal contains too much pearlite (it is only annealed or tempered too long or hot), it will be too ductile and soft to withstand the forces on the rail of the roller-coaster car, for example. Conversely, if the metal contains too much untempered martensite (it is only annealed and quenched without a tempering), it will be extremely hard but utterly brittle. Experimental Procedures and Results Using seven samples of 4130 steel as references, it was possible to determine what was wrong with the received sample of roller coaster rail with comparative analysis. Seven reference specimens were placed in an austenitizing furnace at 844 °C for one hour. After austenitizing, six of the samples were immediately quenched in water at room temperature and four of them were placed in tempering furnaces at 205 °C, 370 °C, 482 °C, and 677 °C for one hour. The other two were left at room temperature. The samples were next sanded with abrasive paper to remove surface discoloration and tested for Rockwell C-scale hardness, with three tests each to be averaged. After the hardness tests were completed, Charpy Impact Tests were performed on each specimen. A table of results can be seen below. Obviously the crashed car rail was not tempered correctly, if at all, since its properties are almost identical to the austenized, air-cooled sample of 4130 steel. Also, a crashed car rail specimen was prepared and examined under the microscope to study the microstructure. The preparation included cutting, hot mounting, rough and fine grinding, and polishing of the specimen. After the specimen was cut into two pieces of appropriate sizes, hot mounting was carried out using a press which molded a thermoplastic around the samples on three sides. Rough and fine grinding involved using a silicon carbide abrasive on a belt sander with 120, 240, 400, and 600 grit papers. Polishing was performed with rotating wheels covered by polishing cloths soaked in alumina slurrys (1mm, . 3? m, and . 05? m alumina respectively). Finally, the samples were chemically etched with nitric acid, one for 8 and one for 15 seconds. The samples were examined under a microscope at 400x, the images of which are shown below.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Gender Differences of Communication :: Communicating Talking Speaking Relationships

Gender Differences of Communication How do men and women communicate clearly when most of their ways of communicating are so different? In today's society language plays a key role in defining gender by phraseology, vocabulary, and also their nonverbal vocabulary. Each one of these different types of ways of communicating is prominently different between men and women.Webster's defines phraseology as "a choice and pattern of words." Many studies have been done on the differences between men and women's phraseology. It has been noted in many different studies that men tend to talk much more than women do. This was proven true in a study that Lynette Hirshman did in 1974 (Glass 33). It has also been proven that women tend to speak faster than men; this is due to the fact that women tend to be interrupted more often than men are, and also have the ability to speak more clearly, precisely, and more quickly than men can. In one study it was found that women spoke for an average of three minutes describing a painting, as opposed to the thirteen-minute average it took men to describe it. (Glass 33) Women tend to be more detailed when describing events, persons, places or things. Linguist Robin Lakoff states in her book, Language and Woman's Place, women use greater description when describing colors. (Glass 31) Women notice more detail than men causing women to be more perceptive; they notice things such as tone of voice, facial expression, and body language. Being able to pick up on those three types of communicating helps women better understand what is actually being said in a conversation. Men and women's styles of communicating are close to being directly opposites of one another. Men tend to be louder more aggressive speakers; they mumble many of their words and tend to be sloppy in their pronunciation of words. Men tend to use loudness when emphasizing words instead of inflection and pitch to emphasize points. According to Webster's, inflection is "a change in the tone of the voice," or "the change of form in a word to indicate number, case, tense, etc." (Glass 51) Women tend to use pitch and inflection more so than men do. Men have a tendency to speak in a lower tone and rarely change from that tone to any others. Women on the other hand speak in five different tones, which makes them sound more emotional.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Stage of LIfe

Erik Erikson was a psychoanalytic theorist, who believed that all humans go through eight stages of development throughout their lifetime. The first stage is called Trust vs. Mistrust. The second stage is called Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. Third stage is Initiative vs. Guilt. The fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority. Fifth stage is Identity vs. Confusion. Sixth stage is Intimacy vs. Isolation. Seventh stage is Generativity vs. Stagnation. The eighth and final stage is Integrity vs. Despair (Berger, 17).Each stage occurs at a specific time frame and requires achievement to obtain successful completion. The first stage occurs between birth and one year of age. During this stage, if one’s parents provide familiarity, consistency, and continuity, a feeling that the world is a safe place and people are reliable and loving will develop (Berger, 129). Also, the child learns to trust their body and biological urges that go with it. If the parents are inadequate and unreliable, o r the child is harmed or rejected, then mistrust is developed.This mistrust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable. If this stage is achieved successfully, children acquire hope, the belief that even when things aren’t going well they will work out well in the end. The second stage occurs in early childhood. The goal of this stage is to achieve autonomy while minimizing shame and doubt. If a toddler is allowed to explore and manipulate their environment they will develop a sense of independence. The child develops self-esteem and self-control (Berger, 129).If parents or caregivers come down hard on toddlers’ attempts to explore and be independent the toddler will give up and assume that they cannot and should not act on their own. Also, giving children no sense of limits, unrestricted freedom, and doing for children what they should do for themselves will lead them to conclude that they are not good for much and shouldnâ€℠¢t do for themselves. A little shame and doubt is beneficial because without it, one will develop a shameless willfulness that leads one to jump into things without proper consideration of one’s abilities.Too much shame and doubt leads to compulsiveness. If the proper balance at this stage is achieved the virtue of willpower is developed. The third stage occurs during preschool years. Goal is to learn initiative without too much guilt. Initiative means a positive response to the world’s challenges, taking on responsibilities, learning new skills, and feeling purposeful (Berger, 198). If parents encourage children to try out their ideas and accept and encourage fantasy, curiosity, and imagination. Capacity of moral judgment has begun.Parents have the responsibility to encourage the child to â€Å"grow up. † If this process is done too harshly or too abruptly, the child learns to feel guilty about their feelings. Too much initiative and too little guilt leads to r uthlessness, taking initiative and doing whatever it takes to achieve the goals. Extreme form of ruthlessness is sociopathy. On the other hand, too much guilt leads to inhibition. This person will not try things because not trying means nothing to feel guilty about. If a good balance is achieved during this stage a sense of purpose is developed.The fourth stage occurs approximately 5-11 years of age. During this stage parents must encourage, teachers must care, peers must accept. Children must learn that there is pleasure in conceiving a plan and carrying it out (Berger, 272). They must learn the feeling of success. If a child is allowed too little success they will develop a sense of inferiority or incompetence. They may never develop social skills. If this stage is achieved children will develop the virtue of competence and the belief in our own abilities to handle the tasks set before them. Stage five occurs in adolescence.The task is to achieve ego identity and to avoid role con fusion. They learn who they are and how they fit into the rest of society (Berger, 348). Through receiving proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration adolescents emerge with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control. Those who are unsure of their beliefs and desires will feel insecure and confused about themselves and their future. Completing this stage successfully leads to fidelity, the ability to live by society’s standards and expectations. Stage six occurs during early adulthood.Erikson believed that a strong sense of personal identity was important for developing intimate relationships (Berger, 456). Those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression. Successful resolution of this stage results in the virtue known as love, marked by the ability to form lasting, meaningful relationships with other people. Stage seven occurs in adulthood. The focus is on career and family. Success in this stage leads to a feeling of contributing to the world by being active in the home and community (Berger, 473).Failure to attain this skill leads to feelings of unproductivity and non-involvement in the world. Successful handling of this stage leads to the virtue of care, being proud of one’s accomplishments, watching children grow into adults, develop a sense of unity with your life partner are important accomplishments. Stage eight occurs in old age. Those unsuccessful in this stage feel that their life has been wasted and will experience many regrets. They are left with feelings of bitterness and despair (Berger, 530). Those who are successful feel proud of their accomplishments and a sense of integrity.Successful completion means looking back with few regrets, a general feeling of satisfaction, and attaining wisdom even when confronting death. My most favorite stage I have experienced so far is stage seven, G eneratively vs. stagnation. This is true because I feel that I have found a job that allows me to contribute to my society and the world in a positive, helpful way. I am able to watch my children grow into wonderful adults. I am proud of all my accomplishments in school, work, and raising my children. I feel a strong sense of productivity that I have not had before. My least favorite stage was adolescence.It was tough having to discover who I was and what I wanted to be. Peers were very important and it was tough trying to fit in and be a part of a group. I would change my stage six, Intimacy vs. Isolation. My father passed away during this time and I was very close to him. So much of me and my sense of self was related to my father and when he died it was like I lost a big part of me as well. It was a very difficult time for me and I felt a great sense of loss. I believe that it has had an impact on my ability to form close, secure, committed relationships with other people.I am mo st looking forward to continuing in stage seven, Generatively vs, Stagnation. I am enjoying all of my accomplishments and watching my children grow so much that I am looking forward to continuing in this stage. I am dreading stage eight, Integrity vs. Despair because I know there are things and decisions that I will regret as I reflect back on my life. I have learned much and am happy with the majority of my life. Also, during this stage is usually when death occurs and I am not ready to give up my life just yet, I still have some things I would like to accomplish and I want to be around for my children and grandchildren.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Biography of Jeffrey Dahmer, Serial Killer

Jeffrey Dahmer (May 21, 1960–November 28, 1994) was responsible for a series of gruesome murders of 17 young men from 1988 until he was caught on July 22, 1991, in Milwaukee. Fast Facts: Jeffrey Dahmer Known For: Convicted serial killer of 17 peopleAlso Known As: Milwaukee Cannibal, Milwaukee MonsterBorn: May 21, 1960 in  Milwaukee, WisconsinParents: Lionel Dahmer,  Joyce DahmerDied: November 28, 1994 at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, WisconsinNotable Quote:  The only motive that there ever was was to completely control a person; a person I found physically attractive. And keep them with me as long as possible, even if it meant just keeping a part of them. Early Life Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. From all accounts, Dahmer was a happy child who enjoyed typical toddler activities. It was not until the age of 6, after he underwent hernia surgery, that his personality began to change from a jubilant social child to a loner who was uncommunicative and withdrawn. His facial expressions transformed from sweet, childish smiles to a blank, emotionless stare—a look that remained with him throughout his life. Pre-Teen Years In 1966, the Dahmers moved to Bath, Ohio. Dahmers insecurities grew after the move and his shyness kept him from making many friends. While his peers were busy listening to the latest songs, Dahmer was busy collecting road kill and stripping the animal carcasses and saving the bones. Other idle time was spent alone, buried deep inside his fantasies. His nonconfrontational attitude with his parents was considered an attribute, but in reality, it was his apathy toward the real world that made him appear obedient. High School and the Army Dahmer continued being a loner during his years at Revere High School. He had average grades, worked on the school newspaper, and developed a dangerous drinking problem. His parents, struggling with issues of their own, divorced when Jeffrey was almost 18. He remained living with his father who traveled often and was busy nurturing a relationship with his new wife. After high school, Dahmer enrolled at Ohio State University and spent most of his time skipping classes and getting drunk. He dropped out and returned home after two semesters. His father then issued him an ultimatum—get a job or join the Army. In 1979, Dahmer enlisted for six years in the Army, but his drinking continued and in 1981, after just two years, he was discharged because of his drunken behavior. First Kill Unknown to anyone, Jeffery Dahmer was mentally disintegrating. In June 1978, he was struggling with his own homosexual desires, mixed with his need to act out his sadistic fantasies. Perhaps this struggle is what pushed him to pick up a hitchhiker, 18-year-old Steven Hicks. He invited Hicks to his fathers home and the two drank alcohol. When Hicks was ready to leave, Dahmer bashed him in the head with a barbell and killed him. He then cut up the body, placing the parts in garbage bags, which he buried in the woods surrounding his fathers property. Years later, he returned and dug up the bags and crushed the bones and disbursed the remains around the woods. As insane as he had become, he had not lost sight of the need to cover his murderous tracks. Later, his explanation for killing Hicks was simply that he didnt want him to leave. Prison Time Dahmer spent the next six years living with his grandmother in West Allis, Wisconsin. He continued drinking heavily and often got into trouble with the police. In August 1982, he was arrested after exposing himself at a state fair. In September 1986, he was arrested and charged with public exposure after being accused of masturbating in public. He served 10 months in jail  but was arrested soon after his release after sexually fondling a 13-year-old boy in Milwaukee. He was given five years probation after convincing the judge that he needed therapy. His father, unable to understand what was happening to his son, continued to stand by him, making certain he had good legal counsel. He also began to accept that there was little he could do to help the demons that seemed to rule Dahmers behavior. He realized that his son was missing a basic human element: a conscience. Over the years, there was speculation that Jeffrey Dahmer may have been involved in the kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh, son of later TV personality John Walsh. Murder Spree In September 1987, while on probation on the molestation charges, Dahmer met 26-year-old Steven Toumi and the two spent the night drinking heavily and cruising gay bars before going to a hotel room. When Dahmer awoke from his drunken stupor, he found Toumi dead. Dahmer put Toumis body into a suitcase, which he took to his grandmothers basement. There, he discarded the body in the garbage after dismembering it, but not before gratifying his sexual necrophilia desires. Unlike most serial killers, who kill then move on to find another victim, Dahmers fantasies included a series of crimes against the corpse of his victims, or what he referred to as passive sex. This became part of his regular pattern and possibly the one obsession that pushed him to kill. Killing his victims in his grandmothers basement was becoming increasingly difficult to hide. He was working as a mixer at Ambrosia Chocolate Factory and could afford a small apartment, so in September 1988, he got a one-bedroom apartment on North 24th St. in Milwaukee. Dahmers killing spree continued and for most of his victims, the scene was the same. He would meet them at a gay bar or a mall and entice them with free alcohol and money if they agreed to pose for photographs. Once alone, he would drug them, sometimes torture them, and then kill them usually by strangulation. He would then masturbate over the corpse or have sex with the corpse, cut the body up and get rid of the remains. He also kept parts of the bodies, including the skulls, which he would clean—much like he did with his childhood road kill collection—and often refrigerated organs, which he would occasionally eat. Known Victims Stephen Hicks, 18: June 1978Steven Tuomi, 26: September 1987Jamie Doxtator, 14: October 1987Richard Guerrero, 25: March 1988Anthony Sears, 24: February 1989Eddie Smith, 36: June 1990Ricky Beeks, 27: July 1990Ernest Miller, 22: September 1990David Thomas, 23: September 1990Curtis Straughter, 16: February 1991Errol Lindsey, 19: April 1991Tony Hughes, 31: May 24, 1991Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14: May 27, 1991Matt Turner, 20: June 30, 1991Jeremiah Weinberger, 23: July 5, 1991Oliver Lacy, 23: July 12, 1991Joseph Bradeholt, 25: July 19, 1991 The Dahmer Victim That Nearly Escaped Dahmers murdering activity continued uninterrupted until an incident on May 27, 1991. His 13th victim was 14-year-old Konerak  Sinthasomphone, who was also the younger brother of the boy Dahmer was convicted of molesting in 1989. Early in the morning, the young Sinthasomphone was seen wandering the streets nude and disoriented. When police arrived on the scene there were paramedics, two women who were standing close to the confused Sinthasomphone, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer told police that Sinthasomphone was his 19-year-old lover who was drunk and the two had quarreled. The police escorted Dahmer and the boy back to Dahmers apartment, much against the protest of the women, who had witnessed Sinthasomphone fighting off Dahmer before the police had arrived. The police found Dahmers apartment neat and other than noticing an unpleasant smell, nothing seemed amiss. They left Sinthasomphone under Dahmers care. Later, the police officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish joked with their dispatcher about reuniting the lovers. Within hours, Dahmer killed Sinthasomphone and performed his usual ritual on the body. The Killing Escalates In June and July 1991, Dahmers killing had escalated to one a week until July 22, when Dahmer was unable to hold captive his 18th victim, Tracy Edwards. According to Edwards, Dahmer tried to handcuff him and the two struggled. Edwards escaped and was spotted at around midnight by police, with the handcuff dangling from his wrist. Assuming he had somehow escaped from the authorities, the police stopped him. Edwards immediately told them about his encounter with Dahmer and led them to his apartment. Dahmer opened his door to the officers and answered their questions calmly. He agreed to turn over the key to unlock Edwardss handcuffs and moved to the bedroom to get it. One of the officers went with him and as he glanced around the room, he noticed photographs of what appeared to be parts of bodies and a refrigerator full of human skulls. They decided to place Dahmer under arrest and attempted to handcuff him, but his calm demeanor changed and he began to fight and struggle unsuccessfully to get away. With Dahmer under control, the police then began their initial search of the apartment and quickly discovered skulls and other various body parts, along with an extensive photo collection Dahmer had taken documenting his crimes. The Crime Scene The details of what was found in Dahmers apartment were horrific, matching only to his confessions as to what he did to his victims. Items found in Dahmers apartment included: A human head and three bags of organs, which included two hearts, were found in the refrigerator.Three heads, a torso, and various internal organs were inside a free-standing freezer.Chemicals, formaldehyde, ether, and chloroform plus two skulls, two hands and male genitalia were found in the closet.A filing cabinet that contained three painted skulls, a skeleton, a dried scalp, male genitalia, and various photographs of his victims.A box with two skulls inside.A 57-gallon vat filled with acid and three torsos.Victims identification.Bleach used to bleach the skulls and bones.Incense sticks. Neighbors often complained to Dahmer about the smell coming from his apartment.Tools:  Clawhammer, handsaw, 3/8 drill, 1/16 drill, drill bits.A hypodermic needle.Various videos, some pornographic.Blood soaked mattress and blood splatters.King James Bible. The Trial Jeffrey Dahmer  was indicted on 17 murder charges, which was later reduced to 15. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Much of the testimony was based on Dahmers 160-page confession and from various witnesses, who testified that Dahmers necrophilia urges were so strong that he was not in control of his actions. The defense sought to prove that he was in control and capable of planning, manipulating, and covering up his crimes. The jury deliberated for five hours and returned a verdict of guilty on 15 counts of murder. Dahmer was sentenced to 15 life terms, a total of 937 years in prison. At his sentencing, Dahmer calmly read his four-page statement to the court. He apologized for his crimes and ended with: I hated no one. I knew I was sick or evil or both. Now I believe I was sick. The doctors have told me about my sickness, and now I have some peace. I know how much harm I have caused...Thank God there will be no more harm that I can do. I believe that only the Lord Jesus Christ can save me from my sins...I ask for no consideration. Life Sentence Dahmer was sent to the Columbia Correctional Institute in Portage, Wisconsin. At first, he was separated from the general prison population for his own safety. But by all reports, he was considered a model prisoner who had adjusted well to prison life and was a self-proclaimed, born-again Christian. Gradually, he was permitted to have some contact with other inmates. Death On November 28, 1994, Dahmer and inmate Jesse Anderson were beaten to death by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver while on a work detail in the prison gym. Anderson was in prison for killing his wife and Scarver was a schizophrenic convicted of first-degree murder. For reasons unknown, the guards left the three alone for 20 minutes. They returned to find Anderson dead and Dahmer dying from severe head trauma. Dahmer died in the ambulance before reaching the hospital. Legacy In Dahmers will, he had requested upon his death that his body be cremated as soon as possible, but some medical researchers wanted his brain preserved so it could be studied. Lionel Dahmer wanted to respect his sons wishes and cremate all remains of his son. His mother felt his brain should go to research. The two parents went to court and a judge sided with Lionel. After more than a year, Dahmers body was released from being held as evidence and the remains were cremated. Sources â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer.†Ã‚  Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 18 Jan. 2019.â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer | Crime Library | Serial Killers.†Ã‚  Crime Museum.Jenkins, John Philip. â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 11 Feb. 2019.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Organizational Management Is One Of The Greatest Tools

Organizational Management is one of the greatest tools to succeed for any business. It is about planning and leading in getting people together to work towards a common goal. It helps to draw out the best of each employee, in a business, so they can accomplish certain tasks within a specific time frame. The essential features of organizational management are planning, organizing, staffing, leading, control, time management, and motivation. Businesses benefit from organizational management because it assists in helping businesses grow. Planning is a very important role of organizational management, it is one of the most important project management and time management techniques. When following a plan, one can tell how much they have†¦show more content†¦Planning like this can help reach goals and establish a means of success. Organizing is the next important step of organizational management. It is the management function that usually follows after planning. Organizing is a well-ordered process of arranging, incorporating, managing task goals, and activities to resources. It involves the assigning of tasks, the grouping of tasks into departments and assigning a responsible authority who can distribute resources across the organization to reach a common goal. This refers to the careful use of resources to reach the best out of employees. The purpose of organizing is to achieve an organizational goal. To do so, utilizing the use of resources in a business has to take place. Work should be divided and right people should be given the right jobs to reduce the waste of resources in an organization. Good organization structure is important for growing business activity. Organization structure determines the resources needed for the growth of a business. Also, organization is essential for product growth for example starting a new product. Outsourcing has recently become a strategy companies have been using for organizing. â€Å"One definition of outsourcin g is that it is a contractual relationship between an external vendor and an enterprise in which the vendor assumes responsibility for one or more business functions of the enterprise† (Edwin, 2015). This means that companies are using 3rdShow MoreRelatedFunctions And Functions Of An Organization1001 Words   |  5 Pageswhich uses resources and transforms input to outputs. For an organization to work effectively they need to manage those activities and also numerous linked activities. One of the challenges faced by the organization, which prohibit them from estimating the accurate Effort estimation is the understanding and managing of the organizational process. It has been observed that many organizations do not have thorough knowledge of their processes. 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Friday, December 20, 2019

Cross Cultural Management, And Ethics And Global Business...

Reflecting upon the lectures of Cross-Cultural management was very useful in linking the theory I learned with the experience I had, especially, it provided the opportunity to ‘step back’ from the decisions I made and helped to identify the reasons of my behaviour in different cross-cultural situations. Moreover, commenting upon past experience brought the chance to further develop social and communication skills, strengthen cultural sensitivity and open-mindedness which are of a paramount significance in today’s globalizing world. This paper will reflect and critically analyse my understanding and views about three topics that were learnt during the semester and which mostly interested me (caught my attraction?), namely, they are: Cross-Cultural Communication, Multicultural Teams and Conflict Management, and Ethics and Global Business. Being of Kazakh origin definitely influenced the way I perceive other cultures and impacted my behaviour and values I possessed. 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Thursday, December 12, 2019

Market System of Volkswagen Automobile †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Market System of Volkswagen Automobile. Answer: Volkswagen is a German automobile company founded in May 28, 1937. Its headquarters are located in Wolfsburg, Germany. It is the flagship brand of the Volkswagen group which was the leading automobile seller in the year 2016. In German, the term Volkswagen means peoples car. It was founded by German Labor Front to serve the needs of the global market. Herbert Diess is the chairman of the Volkswagen passenger Cars brand. They had an annual output 6.073 million in the previous year which earned them revenue of 105.651 billion euro. In the year 2016 the group had made a profit of 1.869 billion euro. The company has 626, 715 employees working to satisfy the aims and objectives. The largest automaker in the world has 61 factories in the 15 European countries of Europe (Akaka, Vargo and Lusch 2013). It is a luxurious car company where most of the products are affordable from the higher middle class population. Recently, the company sold its 150 millionth car in the market. The categories o f cars manufactured by this company vary from sedan and SUV to hatchback and crossover. The products of this company are provided with high quality material and accompanied with premium features. The innovative technology provided with the beast offers a great driving experience and extremely passenger- friendly. The market system of a company involves its group of buyers, seller and other stakeholders who come across for the selling of products. The participants in a market system include the direct market players such as the producers, consumers and purchasers who are responsible for regulating the economic activities in the market. If marketing is considered as a type of market then there are two categories such as consumer market and industrial market. In consumer market the business is conducted between the individual and the company (Bellin et al. 2014). In industrial markets the trade takes place between two or more businesses and do not involve the customers directly. Considering the above mentioned marketing system, it can be said that the Volkswagen Company do not sell their products directly to the customers, but the customers visit the individual showrooms to make a purchase. Therefore the automobile company Volkswagen operates in the industrial market. Apart from these two, there are five other market systems such as perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition and monopsony. In the case of Volkswagen, it follows perfect competition in the market system where there exist many different buyers and sellers. With several market players, there is no scope of changing the pricing policy in the market by any individual. Even if someone wants to change the pricing policy, the others will be left with a number of options (Berkey 2014). Volkswagen, one of the largest and the most profitable car companies in the word has successfully opened up competition in the global market. Although they had to struggle in the US market but they have found ways to come out of that crisis. They had to come across economic crisis but smoothly got through by depending on the Chinese and European pillars. But the company is facing a loss in its sales because of the scandal that was spread against it. The accusation of cheating resulted in the loss of market share in Europe for a consecutive six months. The crisis of VW has enabled its competitors to increase the sales. The competitors of Volkswagen include Fiat Chrysler, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Ford Motors, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Jeep Renagade and others. With a SWOT analysis of the company, the power of VW can be established in the competitive market (Beukes and van Wyk 2016). Strength Largest brand portfolio New and diversified strategies Joint ventures with Chinese automakers Weakness Negative publicity Highest recall rate in US market Low market share in the US market No compete in battery vehicles Opportunities Increase in fuel price (Zhang et al. 2016) Acquire skills and competence Demand for autonomous vehicles Weak euro exchange rate Focus on improving sustainability Threat Tough competition Payment of fine and compensation for damages Growing government policies (Blackwelder et al. 2016) VW is present in a number of countries including Hungary Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, India, Malaysia, Brazil and many more. With the internationalization and outsourcing on a global range, Germany has faced loss in job and employment. This has affected the German economy and the surplus foreign currency has led to inflation in the country. Internalization has led to lower long term costs for the company and creating product differentiation. Examples include appealing to the US market. The instance of Brazil with the modular consortium model is significant of the lower costs of materials. Trans-nationalization has also resulted in making the company consumer oriented which was beneficial to spread outside the national boundaries. Industrial competition from the Japanese automobile companies had resulted VW to make more innovations in its products for withstanding the competition (Brooks 2016). The constant increase in sales and expansion of networks in other countries influence d VW to walk in the path of internationalization. One important factor which can be raised here is the weak automobile market in Germany which let the company to spread its business outside. Internationalization has been effective in building the companys profile overseas by enabling diversification in products and providing consortium model for cost advantages. The company has followed a simple global strategy to be a successful and dominating brand in the market. They had remained firm on their objective of becoming the market leader and thus invested a billion dollar in their US market for expanding globally. With internationalization, it has become the biggest brand in China and the second biggest brand in Brazil after Fiat. But the point that should be taken into consideration when it comes to competition is that the company should start operating both in industrial market and consumer market. This will open the door for more competition thus increasing sales. With the increase in sales and gaining revenue, VW will able to keep itself in the position of a global market leader (Couch et al. 2017). Brand development provides the company with a set of strategic and creative guidelines so that the company can attain a competitive advantage and become a successful marketing driven company. Competitive advantage is the prime factor because of which a product will be preferred over another. Volkswagen has been able to cope up with the changes because of its constant vision to be a strong market leader by providing sustainability. The business of Volkswagen has been using various strategies to develop its brand on a global scale. In this discussion the first and foremost factor is the excitement of customers. This particular target dimension looks into the diversified needs of the customers and keeps a check on the solutions. The company always puts effort to keep up to the expectations of the customers by providing with most of the benefits. Such benefits do not only include best products, service or the most effective solutions but also premium quality and a remarkable image for th e company. The main aim of the company is to impress their existing customers and attract the new ones for long term retention (Epstein and Buhovac 2014). This is because only the trustworthy and the devoted customers of the company will recommend the products to others. The strategic key performance indicators or KPIs include the rate of loyalty along with the rate of take-over and breakdowns. Volkswagen also takes into consideration the employment and retention of skilled and dedicated employees which contributes to success of the company. They intend to promote the satisfaction and motivation of the employees by providing equal opportunities, a well- equipped and modern working environment and forward work organization. This helps in developing the brand because employees are considered as the most important asset for the company (Whittall et al. 2015). This has become possible due to the outstanding leadership and well- maintained corporate culture which has helped in retaining the prime workforce to draw new talent. The employees at the VW company keep up to their responsibility with regard to the safety of society and the environment. This particular sense of responsibility guides their thoughts and actions in their decision making process. With regard to their brand development and competitive profitability the investors take care of the payments of debts and interes ts. The investments are made with the intention to attain profitable growth so that competitiveness can be strengthened (Gillespie and Hennessey 2010). The set goals and the strategic KPIs help in serving the purpose of internal management. The VW group supports projects which help in the promotion of art, culture, science, education, health and sport. They believe that as a multi- national company it becomes their duty and responsibility to work for the betterment of the society which goes beyond applying charity. The projects that are chosen by the company showcase philosophy and basic confidence on the two prime elements. These elements include application of continuity instead of following the latest trend and working hard to build up sustainable structural developments as opportunities for the stakeholders. Most of the CSR projects of Volkswagen begin at an international level to satisfy a number of important guidelines. The projects are taken in such a way that they are in accordance with the principle of the company to address the regional and local issues (Gong 2015). The diversity in the company and the social environment is expressed with the projects that are undertaken. The projects of the CSR actually origi nate from the conversation of the stakeholders with the local community because the projects take place locally so it becomes the responsibility of those units which are active at the location. According to the previous years sustainability report of the company, it can be observed that the Volkswagen group is dedicated to apparent and dependable corporate governance. It is a challenge for them to implement such responsibility at every level and step of the value chain (Grant 2016). The company considers sustainability as a method for striving and struggling to achieve the economic, social and environmental goals in such a way that equal priority can be attained. The aim of the VW group is to establish an enduring value which will arrange for a good working condition and also take care of the resources and environment. The company has created a transparent management structure for the coordination of sustainability and CSR. The group allotted for this responsibility regularly informs the company about sustainability issues and corporate responsibility. When the company had identified the prime issues in sustainability three criteria had come forward. These are the expectati ons of the stakeholders, its significance for the company and the extent to which the issues can have an impact on the company. The outcome has given the group the main action areas which will help in the achievement of the sustainability goals. The CSR projects undertaken by the company centers on the groups principle and also take care of the local issues. The projects look into the diversity in the company and in the social environment where it takes place (Holmqvist 2017). Volkswagen considers CSR as a business management culture and theory which makes it a business case instead of a social case. The company has tools and techniques with which it can make the social investments unique to make it stand out in the competition. It is responsible for making the ways which will satisfy the needs for communicating with the stakeholders and at the same time moving their projects based on society into the main activities of the company involving the elements that generate value (Schilke, Reimann and Thomas 2013). The realization that CSR enhances the strategy that is required for increasing the competition is the basis on which sustainability oriented management is built up. The content of CSR is an active process which is operated by market forces as well as social stakeholder groups. This, in turn, is affected by the tradition, culture and history and the significance of the locales are spread world- wide. The manufacture of the eco- friendly, high quality a nd safe products have led to the satisfaction of the stakeholders which will enable a good bond between the company and those (Kompalla et al. 2017). The company always undertakes such programs which increases the quality of life and offer special opportunities which can connect the diverse groups and help in the long term sustainability partnership for creating a better community where the employees can live and work happily. The company can also implement the particular CSR projects which will be beneficial for getting the scope directly through the CSR department. The CSR committee is also responsible for assessing the planned progress in comparison with the actual progress. Even the actual expenditure is compared in contrast with the proposed budget to keep a track. The reporting of the activities done by CSR is done in accordance with the prescribed format of the government and ministry. The surplus evolving out of the CSR projects are not part of the business profit of the com pany. These activities carried out by the VW group has proved to be effective in establishing and maintaining good relationship with the stakeholders, as per an opinion survey conducted among 350000 employees in 2012. The company is also advancing in their Brazil outlets which have made the stakeholders happy (Mokhtar et al. 2016). Most of the brands owned by the shareholders have seen an increase in sales. Such improvements have not only made the customers happy but also the shareholders, management and employees. To meet the demands of the American customers, the company had reshaped their diesel cars with a better fuel mileage which helped in making record sales in diesel cars (Ruan 2016). Therefore it can be concluded from this assignment that all other companies such as VW should look into the needs, values and expectations of the group to increase the interests of the stakeholders. Those interests must be identified, resolved and discussed for securing the stakeholders. The VW group has been able to provide high quality product and competent services to the customers along with fair price and an easy- to- use information system. The investors of the company have also been benefitted as they can easily access the accurate financial information. They are also able to get honest answers to questions from those accessible resources. The suppliers got prompt payment with fair contract terms. With a safe working environment and opportunities for personal development the employees are also satisfied. They are impressed with the culture formed which appreciates their contribution. If authentic information about the organization is available then it can affect the community with the payment of fair taxes. There is rational access to media also along with sufficient notice of unfavorable events. The quality and durability that is provided with the VW products makes it the leading automaker with more than 100,000 miles. References Akaka, M.A., Vargo, S.L. and Lusch, R.F., 2013. The complexity of context: A service ecosystems approach for international marketing.Journal of Marketing Research,21(4), pp.1-20. Bellin, J., Weiss, N., Breuel, M., Kurrat, M. and Stamprath, C., 2014. Predictive Optimization of the Operating Strategy in Future Volkswagen Vehicles. InAdvanced Microsystems for Automotive Applications 2014(pp. 133-142). Springer, Cham. Berkey, D.J., 2014.Antecedents benefits of a preferred customer status in a buyer-supplier relationship and the role of the purchasing strategy: A dyadic case study of volkswagen commercial vehicles(Bachelor's thesis, University of Twente). Beukes, C. and van Wyk, G., 2016. An investigation of the marketing performance measurement practices in Hatfield Volkswagen group.African Journal of Business Management,10(6), p.131. Blackwelder, B., Coleman, K., Colunga-Santoyo, S., Harrison, J.S. and Wozniak, D., 2016. The Volkswagen Scandal. Brooks, C., 2016. Organizing Volkswagen: A Critical Assessment.WorkingUSA,19(3), pp.395-417. Couch, K., Dilts, K., Ferguson, R., Fisher, L., OMalley, S. and Uhlending, S., 2017. Volkswagen Brand Audit. Epstein, M.J. and Buhovac, A.R., 2014.Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental, and economic impacts. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Gillespie, K. and Hennessey, H.D., 2010.Global marketing. Cengage Learning. Gong, Y., 2015.Global operations strategy. Springer. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary Strategy Analysis Text Only. John Wiley Sons. Holmqvist, J., 2017. Shift?: A qualitative text analysis of the crisis communication in The Volkswagen Sustainability Magazine 2016. Kompalla, A., Geldmacher, W., Just, V. and Lange, S., 2017. Tailored Automotive Business Strategies in the Context of Digitalization and Service-Oriented Models.Calitatea,18(156), p.77. Mokhtar, M.F., Omar, B., Nor, N.H.M., Pauzi, N.F.M., Hassan, S. and Mohamed, W.W., 2016, November. Social and Economic Concern of Supply Chain Sustainability (SCS). InIOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering(Vol. 160, No. 1, p. 012073). IOP Publishing. Ruan, X., 2016. A Study on the Factors Influencing Chinese Consumers Purchase Intention on Volkswagen Automobiles-Focusing on Country-Of-Origin Image and Corporate Image. Schilke, O., Reimann, M. and Thomas, J.S., 2013, May. When does international marketing standardization matter to firm performance?. American Marketing Association. Whittall, M., Martinez, M., Snchez, F.R., Telljohann, V. and Mustchin, S., 2015. Volkswagen Transnational Company Agreements. The meaning of international corporate regulation at work.The Transnational company agreements, p.71. Zhang, B., Marita, V., Veijalainen, J., Wang, S. and Kotkov, D., 2016. The Issue Arena of a Corporate Social Responsibility CrisisThe Volkswagen Case in Twitter.Studies in Media and Communication,4(2), pp.32-43.