Google's case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Google's case study - Essay Example The company gives permission to employees to spend 20% of their time to work on personal projects, which can lead to new ideas (Edelman & Eisenmann, 2011). The importance of given to innovation is partly due to the role it played in the birth and growth of Google. Second, teamwork and communication are also very important. According to the case study, employees are divided into small teams. Team members sit close to each other, which makes information sharing very easy. Finally, the philosophy of perfection is grounded in the company. A product has to be tested for a long time before being introduced to the market. Google’s culture has helped in fostering teamwork, inspiring creativity and facilitating quality products and services. The culture of teamwork has made it possible for employees to share information and discuss various issues. Effective communication and teamwork have contributed to the innovative nature of the Google workforce (Ogbor, 2009). The culture has created a workforce that believes in innovation. Google engineers are always working on something new. The culture explains the high number of products and services that are still being tested in the company before being released. Great compensation and benefits motivate programmers and other employees to work hard to achieve company goals and objectives. The potential drawbacks of Google’s culture is an increased competition among employees to the point it interferes with the quality of work. The other limitation of Google’s culture is the heavy costs incurred to maintain it. The hiring process can be too long, which can make talented individuals leave. The long hiring process can put the company at a disadvantage with its competitors (Yanadori & Marler, 2006). The founders of Google and CEO have played a significant role in the formulation of the company culture. The culture is based on the dreams of the two Google

Lean Manufacturing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Lean Manufacturing - Research Paper Example In manufacturing, the issue of cost has become one of the most significant aspects for majority of organizations. The contemporary period of conducting business has certainly become harder which demands high level of cost efficiency and productivity. Lean manufacturing not only decreases the operational expenses but also enhance organizations’ attractiveness (Bourque & Fox, n.d.). Lean manufacturing is often recognized in refining functional efficiency. Lean manufacturing is the progression, method, approach and initiative being applied by organizations globally in order to reduce redundant and unproductive activities which can result in extra expenses. Therefore, it enhances the workplace productivity and develops better working environment. The paper will describe the use of lean manufacturing in organizations to save cost and increase efficiency. In order to analyze the issue the paper will discuss three case studies of Toyota, Motorola, and Park Nicollet that operate in different industries, and have successfully improved productivity and reduced costs by implementation of lean manufacturing system in their workplace. Nowadays, economic affordability concerning customer price sensitivity, product quality, and price are gradually motivating organizations to apply lean manufacturing system. International competition is growing in almost every commercial segment. The incorporation of capital market, decline in trade obstructions and increased business expansion where production costs are lesser can be proved as significant obstacles for competition. For any organization, the first mover advantage and rapid response to customers’ requirements, enhancement of product quality, and decrease in production costs in order to keep the price of products low are vital for success in the competitive market. Lean manufacturing with its major concentration on the organized abolition of waste has rapidly

Police Organizations And Administration Criminology Essay

Police Organizations And Administration Criminology Essay There is an old adage that states, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Sadly, many people in the law enforcement community seem to think that the history of police work began the day they first put on their badge and gun belt. Because of this reason, each form of progress in law enforcement tends to be viewed as something completely innovative, without any historical background. This is truly the case in todays society in regards to community policing. In order to grasp a better understanding of the debate over community policing in our present time, officials within law enforcement should be knowledgeable of its history. History proves wrong to all of the outlandish claims made by some of the supporters of community policing and also warns against forgetting the important lessons of the past. It shows us that the idea to change policing strategies have been a continuous theme since the beginning of municipal policing. Most importantly, it reminds us that are problems in todays society, while very serious, are nothing new to the world of policing. Modern law enforcement history began about 181 years ago with the creation of the London Metropolitan Police District in 1829. By forming a new police force, the British Parliament tried to deal with the rise in crime rates in and around the nations capitol, attributed at the time to the fast urban growth, unconstrained immigration, alcoholism, high poverty, radical political groups, unsupervised juveniles very poor infrastructures, and merciful judges. The philosophy taken on by Sir Robert Peel, the first chief of the London Metropolitan Police, has become the traditional model for all British and American police organizations. These principles include the use of crime rates to determine the effectiveness of the police, the importance of a centrally located publicly accessible police headquarters, and the value of proper recruitment, selection, and training (Patterson, 1995). Possibly the most lasting and significant advancement was the establishment of regular patrol areas, known as beats. Before the creation of the London Metropolitan Police in 1829, the police, whether it was either civilian or military, only responded to a crime after it had been reported. Areas were not patrolled frequently; any crime prevention or arresting of criminals in the act of committing a crime took place coincidently. As part of Sir Robert Peels strategy, he would place his officers in specific geographic zones and held them responsible for preventing and stopping crime within these zones. He based this strategy on his belief that the officer would: 1) become known to the public, and citizens with information about criminal activity would be more likely to tell a familiar figure than a stranger, 2) become familiar with people and places and thus better able to recognize suspicious persons or criminal activity, and 3) be highly visible on their posts, tending to deter criminals from committing crimes in the immediate vicinity (Patterson, 1995). In order for Peel to put into action his beat model, he instituted a paramilitary command structure. Though Peel truly believed in civilian control, he also understood that only military discipline would ensure that his constables, to us known as officers, would actually walk their beats and enforce the law on Londons streets. Early American policing came about roughly similar to that of the London police. By the time of the Civil War, most of the populous U.S. cities had established municipal police departments. These police departments, just like the London police, had adopted a paramilitary structure. Police officers were required to wear distinguishing blue uniforms and foot patrol their assigned beats. However, there was a difference between American and London police officers. The American officers were allowed to carry a gun on their belt. They were also under the control of a politically appointed local precinct captain, unlike the London officers. By the turn of the century, the progressive movement began to promote professionalism in law enforcement as one of the basic components of rehabilitating municipal politics (Patterson, 1995). There was a true concern about corruption and violence in local police agencies that ultimately resulted in States taking over of some of the city departments. Eventually, that led to the formation of new State police agencies that would be free from corrupting influences of local area politics. Reformers fervently tried to protect the police from political obstruction and simultaneously preserve local government control. Founded in 1893, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) implemented a civil service personnel system and the centralization of power in powerful executive positions which would be able to control the politically united precinct captains. Reformers also wanted to change the responsibilities of police officers in American society. During the 19th century, police officers were doing more social work than law enforcement. American police officers were busy enforcing health and building codes, securing housing for the homeless, building and supervising playgrounds for children, and even finding jobs for ex-convicts (Patterson, 1995). Reformers felt that the social work being done by American police officers provided too many chances for political preferential treatment and was a waste of resources. They felt the American police officers time should be allotted to fighting and preventing crime. Technological and scientific advancement played a pivotal role in American policing. The forensic sciences introduced ballistics, chemistry (e.g. DNA), and fingerprinting. The technological advancement came in the form of the automobile, telephone, and the radio. These advancements took policing to an unprecedented level. Radios were installed in patrol cars which allowed for police officers to respond to emergency calls received by the police switchboard. The use of automobiles during the beat also had a great impact. It allowed for police officers to observe the area that they were patrolling from a distance while also allowing them to respond to any incident that might have occurred in another area in a timely manner. As time went on, professionalism within local police agencies encountered several problems. Many police agencies became divided between the older generation of officers and the newer college-educated officers. Advanced education contributed to greater levels of disappointment with the more everyday aspects of policing. With higher demands put on policing, such as being more efficient and objective, it caused officers to become detached from the community and go against any route that any elected political leader might have. Many people also questioned whether professionalism within local police departments was really taking place. Many departments implemented a civil service merit system to deal with hiring and promotion. A code of ethics was also implemented. Many of these departments supported their practices through knowledge based on experience (Patterson, 1995). None of the departments conducted any true scientific research, nor did they require any form of higher learning (coll ege degree) to be able to work in the field. It became evident in the past 40 years that professionalism was failing. With all the assassinations, urban riots, and gang violence that was taking place, the citizenry lost their trust in the polices ability to protect and serve them. The first organized resistance using the basic concept of community policing can be found in Skolnicks case study of the San Francisco, California, Police Departments Community Relations Unit. In 1962, the San Francisco Police Department formed a specialized unit based on the notion that police would give help to reduce crime by reducing despair; by acting as a social service agency to ameliorate some of the difficulties encountered by minority group persons (Patterson. 1995). The members of the unit were uneasy of the mission put forth on them due to the fact that they were not sure on what methods they would be applying in order to serve any of the minority population. Another problem that this specialized unit faced was how to maintain its identity as a police organization and at the same time to win the confidence of the minority group populationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ordinarily considered a police problem (Patterson, 1995). Subsequently, the relationship of trust between the community a nd the unit resulted in complaints of misconduct against other police officers. The program was inefficient and quickly disbanded. A new strategy came about in the 1970s called team policing. Advocates of team policing recognized that: In recent years, due in part to changes in the social climate and in part to changes in police patrol techniques (more patrol cars, less foot patrol), many police agencies have become increasingly isolated from the community. This isolation makes crime control more difficult. (Patterson, 1995). Much like Sir Robert Peels strategy of placing an officer responsible for patrolling a specific beat, team policing assigned a team of police officers to a specific geographic area in order for them to learn about the neighborhood, its people, and its problems. Since team policing involves a team of people and not an individual, the chances of corruption are reduced. The concept of team policing appealed to many major American cities; cities tried employing different forms of it within the community. The different forms of team policing attempted in American cities failed. One of the main r easons why team policing failed was because it placed more effort on long-term problem solving than on quick response to incidents. Other reasons were that it violated the chain of command and also interfered with detectives and other specialized units in the police departments. The term community policing is basically made up of police philosophies, strategies, and tactics known as problem-oriented policing, neighborhood-oriented policing, or community-oriented policing. Just like team policing, the goal of community policing is that the officer(s) that is assigned to a specific beat will create a bond between himself and the community. Community policing encourages police officers to pursue higher education and conduct research on proposed methods of policing. Community policing officers dedicate a substantial amount of time performing social work. However, they also work independently and creatively to find solutions to the problems they encounter on their beats instead of merely responding to emergency calls and arresting criminals. (Patterson, 1995). By doing this, community police officers are able to make many personal contacts in the community. All of the standards of community policing coincide with the values of police culture: crime fighting, stan dard operating procedures, and a paramilitary chain of command. Community policing consists of three key components. The first is community partnerships which are defined as collaborative partnerships between the law enforcement agency and the individuals and organizations they serve to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in police (Wikipedia, 2010). The second component is organizational transformation which is the alignment of a law enforcement agencies organizational management practices, structure, personnel, and information systems to support community partnerships and proactive problem solving (Wikipedia, 2010). The final component is problem solving which is the process of engaging in the proactive and systematic examination of identified problems to develop and rigorously evaluate effective responses (Wikipedia, 2010). Community policing has received favorable reviews from politicians, academic scholars, public administrators, the media, and, most importantly, the general public. Despite the positive support that community policing has received, it has gone through some upheavals at the operational level in almost every place that it has been implemented. When comparing modern community policing against the first forms of community policing in America, there are a number of significant errors that are noticeable. Even though community policing was accepted by many people that were in and out of the public eye, the reality was that the program was only put into place when there was grant funds available. If there were funds, then the next issue would be which neighborhood groups would the specialized unit need to operate in. The priority was placed on funding and which neighborhood to appease than actually coming up with a strategic management plan. Another problem was that many of the officers that were involved in community policing appeared unsure of who to serve and how to serve them. They used different techniques that ranged from enthusiastic social work to forceful street crime policing. Many of the cities that tried to implement community policing did so by using small, specialized units in well-defined neighborhoods. This caused a negative reaction within other communities because other residents felt ignored by the police. It also caused a rift between police officers because there was a perception that community police officers play by different rules and do not have to respond to the same possible violent calls that other officers have to take. Personnel evaluations and lack of efficiency are two other issues within community policing (Friedmann, 1996). In regards to personnel evaluations, many cities have been slow to change their forms of evaluating officers. They are still using traditional indicators, such as calls handled and arrests made, to evaluate performance instead of evaluating officers on their efforts to solve problems. Lack of efficiency is a major issue because community policing is truly labor intensive. Foot patrols, a key component in community policing, was discarded by prior generations because it was not a cost effective way to deliver police services (Patterson, 1995). Due to the shrinking tax base in cities and public demands for leaner government, there are few opportunities to make community policing effective. Decentralization and permanent assignments are considered to be two focal elements of community policing. Unfortunately, these two elements conflict with the professional model (Friedmann, 1996). One of the first changes made by the IACP was the implementation of a more centralized authority and also a mandatory rotation of assignments for officers. An unplanned consequence of community policing was that in order for officers to get to know their beat, they would have to be able to spend a significant amount of time in the community building relationships with the residents. The relationships formed between officers and citizens lead to an increased in corruption and biased behavior by officers. Crime is a natural condition of society. Police administrators, police officers, political leaders, and the public need to accept the inevitability of crime in order to avoid being deluded into unrealistic expectations by new programs (Patterson, 1995). It is important to realize that top to bottom organizational changes in policing are inevitable. These changes, however, do not represent a novelty in policing. The changes that are occurring in policing today are a consequence of a long history of problems encountered since the beginning of policing. It is pivotal that police administrators learn the history of policing and the lessons that have been learned from the past. If they do, they will be better prepared for the uncertain and challenging future.

Case-Based Environmental Ethics :: Philosophy Essays

Case-Based Environmental Ethics Cases have been widely used in medical ethics and law. In both fields, numerous books and articles about cases have appeared, including book-length catalogs of cases. I argue that pluralistic casuistry provides an adequate approach to environmental ethics. It retains the strengths while avoiding the weaknesses of the other approaches. Importantly, it resolves some broader theoretical issues and provides a clear, explicit methodology for education and praxis. Cases have been widely used in medical ethics and law. In both fields, numerous books and articles about cases have appeared, including book-length catalogs of cases. What I propose to do in this paper is to discuss whether environmental ethics should be case-based as in law and medicine. The relationship of cases to theory has received intense scholarly debate. At issue is which takes priority. A similar situation exists in the sciences, as well as in most other disciplines. There are the so-called "pure" or "research" scientists, and also the "applied" or "practical" scientist. Field biologists, conservation biologists, restoration ecologists, landscape engineers, sylvantologists, and so on, are applied scientists. Which takes priority: theory or application? What I want to discuss is whether environmental ethics, like medicine and law, would benefit from case-based methodology. The long-term aim is to develop an approach to ethics that will help resolve contemporary issues regarding animals and the environment. In their classical formulations and as recently revised by animal and environmental ethicists, mainstream Kantian, utilitarian, and virtue theories have failed adequately to include either animals or the environment, or both. The result has been theoretical fragmentation and intractability, which in turn have contributed, at the practical level, to both public and private indecision, disagreement, and conflict. Immensely important are the practical issues; for instance, at the public level: the biologically unacceptable and perhaps cataclysmic current rate of species extinctions, the development or preservation of the few remaining wilderness areas, the global limitations on the sustainable distribution of the current standard of living in the developed nations, and the nonsustainability and abusiveness of today's technologically intense crop and ani mal farming. For individuals in their private lives, the choices include, for example: what foods to eat, what clothing to wear, modes of transportation, labor-intensive work and housing, controlling reproduction, and the distribution of basic and luxury goods. What is needed is an ethical approach that will peacefully resolve these and other quandaries, either by producing consensus or by explaining the rational and moral basis for the continuing disagreement.

The Symbolic Use of Nature in the Romantic Period

LITR 211 English Literature 18th Century to the Present Week 6 January 15, 2012 Essay #1 â€Å"The symbolic use of nature in the Romantic Period† Olejniczak, Brian #4029035 The Romantic period has very little to do with its actual name. Rather, the authors of this period used descriptive imagery and extensively referenced nature because the use of nature is symbolic. There are many authors of the Romantic period that illustrate this point. Instead of embracing the political lifestyle of the period like other era authors did, the Romantics turned to nature for inspiration. Romantics turned to nature for self fulfillment. They were turning away from the values and ideas of the previous era, embracing new ways of expressing their imagination and feelings. Instead of a concentration on ‘head,’ the intellectual focus of reason, they preferred to rely on the self, in the radical idea of individual freedom. Instead of striving for perfection, the Romantics preferred â₠¬Ëœthe glory of the imperfect. ’† (Lombardi 2012. ) The Romantic author’s stressed the importance of the individual and boldness over the ideals of the coming Victorian age’s ideals of loyalty and fraternity. The onset of the Romantic period is said to have begun with the writings of William Wordsworth with such works as â€Å"Lines written in early spring† and â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud. † In Wordsworth’s ‘Lines Written In Early Spring’ he states â€Å"To her fair works did Nature link The human soul that through me ran; And much it grieved my heart to think What man has made of man. † (Wordsworth Line 5-8. ) Here you can clearly see Wordsworth’s use of nature and how it affects the human soul. In this poem the speaker is sitting in a very lush meadow that is graphically described with such words like â€Å"sweet† and â€Å"budding twigs. † Wordsworth is very elaborate in his description of the meadow in which he is sitting in. Wordsworth looks at Nature and through his views sad thoughts come to his mind. Here he expresses his conviction in that knowledge of reality is reached through emotions and intuitions that Nature generates at being observed by man. Being Nature the real representation of reality and godliness as well. Through primrose tufts, in that green bower The periwinkle trailed its wreaths And ‘tis my faith that every flower Enjoys the air it breaths. † (Wordsworth Line 9-12) In lines nine through twelve, he observes nature at its peak, in all its splendor and beauty. He tells about its dynamic development when he describes how the periwinkle trains its branches through the grass. He also displays his implication in this development o f natural events expressing his desire for the flowers to rejoice at their existence. Wordsworth’s poems initiated the Romantic era by emphasizing feeling, instinct, and pleasure above formality and mannerism. Lombardi, Esther (2012). Ask. com: Romantic Period: Where did it all begin? Retrieved on January 12, 2012 from http://classiclit. about. com/od/britishromantics/a/aa_britromantic. htm Wordsworth, William. Editor Bartleby Bookstore. â€Å"Lines Written In Early Spring† Retrieved on January 13, 2012 from http://www. bartleby. com/145/ww130. html

The Four Goals of Psychology

I would like to talk about the four goals of psychology and if I believe they help or hare humanity. The four goals of psychology are description, explanation, prediction, and changing. I will talk about each of them in order and try to put them in as much detail as I can. The First goal I would like to talk about is description. When psychologist are describing behavior they are attempting to understand what is normal, acceptable, and if it is unhealthy or not.The behavior that they mostly try to observe is thoughts, feelings, goals, attitudes, motivations, actions and reactions to their surroundings. They use test, studies, and exc. , to try to explain human behavior. I personally think this is important for goal for psychology. If they wouldn’t try to describe human behavior they wouldn’t be able to start trying to figure out why they are the way they are. The second goal is explanation of behavior. Explanations are usually limited because most of the time it is cult urally restricted.Explanation is often determined through qualitative and quantitative observation, including explanation. I think this very important to psychology. If weren’t able to give an explanation to why someone has the behavior that they do, and there probably wouldn’t psychology. The third goal of psychology is prediction. Psychology tries to predict human behavior. They try to predict it so that they can determine how or when a person will make a good or bad choice or how they will perform in their surroundings. I think this is good and bad to have in psychology.I believe that sometimes you can predict how someone’s behavior might be based on their past history, but it doesn’t always work. For example if a student had a hard time in high school with writing papers and paying attention and then they go to college, doesn’t mean that they are going to have the same problem. Who knows they might actually be more focused in class. The last go al to psychology is changing. Modifying can be good or bad, but within ethical constraints. Psychology attempts to voluntary encourage individuals and groups to modify behaviors for a long term health gain.Personality and development theories differ in how to promote behavior change. Some behaviorists believe repetitive enforcement, while positives believe in honest cognitive discourse. Psychology can be used in education, social corrections, and organizations structures to elect preferred behaviors and attitudes for the environment. I think this last goal about changing is one of the most important goals psychology has. I believe we all have some stuff in are behavior we need to change. You might ask yourself what behavior problems do I need to change? The answer is in yourself.You are the only one that really knows your problems, even if it’s only a small problem it’s still there. When I was younger I thought there was nothing wrong with me even though I kept getting in trouble, but as I got older a had a family I had to change my hole troubled behavior around, so my kids don’t grow up like me. I think it was the best thing I have ever done and now look where I’m at. I think all the goals in their own way is important is kind of important to psychology. I told you why I thought each individual on is important, now I’ll tell you why I think they all are important together.I think if you took even just one of goals out or even replaced it with some other goal it would mess up the whole structure of psychology. Without them having these goals psychology probably would not exist or even if it still did exist would probably not make since. In my essay I am talking about psychology and its 4 goals. I am also adding rather I think they are important or not. All of these are reflecting my opinion and not anyone else’s. Opinions my Change depending on the person. I hope you learned something from this essay or it helps in you study of psychology’s 4 goals.