Managing Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Resources - Essay Example However, due to the rising competition in the service industry and the demand for quality services, service industries have also embarked on and implemented resources management practices in their organisations. The fire and rescue industry has also not been left out in implementing resources management techniques in their operations. Devon and Somerset is one of the largest fire and rescue service in the UK which was established in the year 2007 through a merger of Somerset and Devon fire brigades. This company operates different fire and rescue subsidiaries in the region thus making resources management vital to ensure growth and survival of the company and also to ensure that the services given to their customers are of higher standards (Cameron, 2009). Devon and Somerset Company have different appliances which enable it to perform its core competencies of rescuing and fighting fire during fire emergencies. The company has different and diverse special appliances as well as front line gargets for putting out fire. One of its major appliances which are vital for putting out fire is the water tender ladder. The company’s water tender ladder has the capability of pumping about 3,000 litres of water per minute for two locations and it has a storage capacity of more than 1,800 litres. This pump also has various types of ladders which are up to 13.5 metres. The cab also contains four sets of air breathing apparatus which are compressed. Each of the pumps also contain outside lockers located at the outside part. Inside the pumps, there are a number of powdered rescue equipment usually hydraulic and also a thermal imaging camera, pressure fans, equipment for safety heights and water rescue equipment. Water tender ladder has call sig ns one and three (Trotman Publishing, 2001). Another appliance is the water tender which is almost similar to the above mentioned water tender ladders. The difference is that these two appliances carry different set of equipment with

Virtual Reality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Virtual Reality - Research Paper Example At some point in 1990s other terms related to VR appears such as, virtual environment or synthetic environment (Mario Gutierrez, F Vexo, & Thalmann,). Virtual reality is considered as the most powerful human-computer interface. However a number of TV shows, magazines, newspapers and discussions have described virtual reality in many different as, well as in confusing ways (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). In terms of functionality, virtual reality is defined as the simulation of computer graphics in order to create the real looking world. The three I’s of virtual reality is immersion, interaction and imagination (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). Some people link virtual reality on the basis of devices such as the head mounted displays also known as goggles are considered as the simulators however, in recent year’s virtual reality is not conducted via head mounted displays but it is done through huge projection screens or desktop PCs (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). In the same fashion, sensin g gloves i.e. another example of virtual reality device is now being replaced by the trackballs and joysticks. Hence, virtual reality cannot be defined on the basis of devices as, new devices are being manufactured and improvement in technology is being escalated every year therefore, replacing the previous technology and devices (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). ... Display of organ reactions such as bleeding from an artery. Interactivity between objects such as surgical instruments and organs. Sensory feedback – tactile and force feedback. Definition Virtual reality is defined as the transfer of information effortlessly, efficiently and fluently from the device to the operator by means of a well-organized man made computer interface. The specific components such as head-coupled virtual images, stereoscopic displays, hap tic interfaces and position-tracking systems characterize virtual reality as a technological system. Virtual reality as illustrated by Kalawsky as: â€Å"Virtual environments are synthetic sensory experiences that communicate physical and abstract components to a human operator and participant. The synthetic sensory experience is generated by a computer system that one day may present an interface to the human sensory systems that is indistinguishable from the real physical world† (Beutel,). Another book named The Silicon Mirage defines virtual reality as â€Å"Virtual reality is a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with the computers and extremely complex data† (Beutel,). The above definitions state that the virtual reality is a group of technologies as, well as the new example of human interaction and manipulation of information. In other words, virtual reality offers its users to navigate, act together in a three dimensional computer generated environment in actual era. History The history of virtual reality starts in the late 1960s. Virtual reality (VR) was narrated as the multisensory simulation of the real world. Morton Heilig a cinematographer constructed a multisensory vehicle simulator in 1962 which was named as ‘Sensorama’ (Mario Gutierrez,

Economic Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Economic Geography - Essay Example The second map depicts the results of the analysis of the number of immigrants in every state in America, by 2009. An analysis of survey by the census bureau shows that Newark, NY, is among the most populous urban areas in the United States. The state has over twenty million residents and one of the states that have the highest number of foreign people. The high population and immigration in New York result from the diverse economic activities in the state. Newark, NY, has a vast diversity including Canadians, West Europeans, Latin Americans, Russians, Africans and other foreign members. Different counties in New York have high number of foreign-borns. Fulton County has one thousand foreign-borns, for instance (U. S census Bureau 1). The two maps have close relationships since high immigration is a cause of high population in New York. High immigration also emanates from the influence of other pull factors as employment, New York being among the most industrialized states in the

Current event synopsis 2 page Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current event synopsis 2 page - Term Paper Example Ron Lieber highlights the extent to which customers suffer after their card information falls on rogue hands. The primary effect of debit card fraud is the realization of a sour relationship between providers of financial services and their customers. In light of the article, First American Bank, Bank of America, Taxi operators, and debit card service providers such as MasterCard and Visa face strive to retain their customers after cases of fraud emerge. This is because fraud affects customer trust, loyalty, and general satisfaction with the companies caught up in fraudulent transactions. To ascertain their commitment to customer welfare, banks and businesses are quick to implement strategies that assure customers of their financial safety and security. One of most employed strategy is the practice of zero liability policy. This policy ensures that customers are not liable for transactions that they do not approve. Moreover, banks and other financial providers replace affected debit cards shortly after cases of fraud are reported. Amid diverse and dynamic efforts to minimize the impact of fraud on customer satisfaction, the article maintains that frustration and dissatisfaction are still evident among customers. Debit and credit card users become financially insecure once they fall victim to fraudulent card transactions. Over and above that, reimbursement of funds takes time to go through. Affected customers have to wait for an uncertain period before they can regain access to lost funds. The conclusion drawn by the article’s author holds that debit card fraud results in customer frustration. In particular, Ron Lieber notes First American Bank and the Bank of America as the recent institutions to suffer customer frustration following debit card fraud. This comes shortly after Target, a leading retailer, lost customers’ debit and credit card information to hackers on one of the busiest shopping days in America. Ron Lieber’s

Industry Analysis on Coach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Industry Analysis on Coach - Assignment Example It is now recognized as a leading luxury goods producer in America with the brand image affordable luxury. The company’s current product line consists of Coach Handbags, Accessories, Wearables, Footwear, Jewelry, Sunwear, Travel Bags, Watches and Fragrance (Coach). Market Size Currently Coach Inc. is recognized as a large, profitable and growing American manufacturer of accessories and gifts for men and women. It owns approximately a 30% market share of the accessories and gifts manufacturing industry in the world. Coach Inc. has a significant influence on the accessories and gifts manufacturing industry in America. Net income and gross profit of the company amounted 353 million and 1.09 billion dollars respectively as at the end quarter of 2012 (Wikiinvest). Moreover, Coach Inc. employed approximately 18,000 people on a full and part time basis as of June 30, 2012 (Coach). Market Growth Rate Coach sales marked a sharp drop during January 2013. The company’s sales dropp ed by 2% in markets located in North America. North America is considered the largest market location of Coach Inc. It is listed as one of the largest companies in the S&P 500 stock market index. In January 2013, Coach Inc. was the largest declining company in the S&P 500 list. The company also failed to achieve the sales targets set for the same month (Cheng). Nevertheless, the company management is optimistic about the future sales because the yearly performance in 2012 recorded positive growth. During 2012, the price of the company shares rose by 20.9%; net sales increased by 14.5% to $4.76 billion, direct-to-consumer sales rose by 16.1% to $4.23 billion, comparable sales in Coach’s North American stores increased by 6.6%. Moreover, Coach opened 9 new retail stores and 26 new factory stores and brought the total number of retail and factory stores to 354 and 169, respectively, in North America. Another 10 factory stores were also expanded. Coach China opened 30 stores in n ew locations, bringing the total number of locations to 96. Coach Japan opened 11 new locations, bringing the total number of locations to 180 towards the end of 2012. Thus at this stage, it is impossible to determine whether the Coach Inc. market is declining or growing (Cheng). Score of Competitive Rivalry The company’s products are sold in over 20 countries in the world including North America, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Coach products are directly sold to the customers via company-operated stores in these countries. Direct-to-consumer is the prominent marketing strategy of Coach Inc. The company is also engaged in indirect marketing, i.e., sales to wholesale customers, distributors, licensed firms and web based marketing. For Coach Inc., the world is the market. Thus, the opportunity for obtaining the benefits of economies of scale is a major advantage for Coach Inc. However, it also faces issues relating to trading across borders such as loss in fair value, earnings or cash flows arising from adverse changes in interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates. The company’s policy focuses on reinvesting the profits earned abroad in the same country. Furthermore, Coach Inc.’ Annual Report 2012 reveals that the company uses the following distinguished marketing strategies to remain its annual sales revenues: (1) Distinctive Brand: Coach offers distinctive, easily

Transformational Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Transformational Leadership - Assignment Example Therefore, as a form of a referent power, the personal charisma of transformational leaders makes it easier for them to attract and win the support of their subordinates (Posakoff & Schriesheim, 1985). Yes. In the company where I used to work, my supervisor is a good example of a leader that uses transformational leadership style. Rather than imposing strict rules and guidelines, my supervisor is more focused on motivating us to become self-efficient workers. By trusting our work capabilities and putting up high expectations on our work performances, my previous supervisor indirectly trains us to become leaders in our own little way. His leadership technique also inspires us to work together as a team in order to achieve the organizational goal. Among the other types of leaders, authentic leaders resemble close to an effective transformational leaders. In general, authentic leaders are individuals who show strong confidence, hope, optimism, and resiliency which are needed to allow them to develop greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behavior among their subordinates (Luthans & Avolio, 2003, pp. 241-258). Similar to transformational leaders, authentic leaders are able to recognize the value of each individual based on their personality type and special talents (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). Since authentic leaders allow each employee to go through the process of self-reflection and self-awareness, the team members are free to express themselves and inspire other people within the workplace (Avolio & Gardner, 2005; Covey,

Current event synopsis 2 page Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current event synopsis 2 page - Term Paper Example Ron Lieber highlights the extent to which customers suffer after their card information falls on rogue hands. The primary effect of debit card fraud is the realization of a sour relationship between providers of financial services and their customers. In light of the article, First American Bank, Bank of America, Taxi operators, and debit card service providers such as MasterCard and Visa face strive to retain their customers after cases of fraud emerge. This is because fraud affects customer trust, loyalty, and general satisfaction with the companies caught up in fraudulent transactions. To ascertain their commitment to customer welfare, banks and businesses are quick to implement strategies that assure customers of their financial safety and security. One of most employed strategy is the practice of zero liability policy. This policy ensures that customers are not liable for transactions that they do not approve. Moreover, banks and other financial providers replace affected debit cards shortly after cases of fraud are reported. Amid diverse and dynamic efforts to minimize the impact of fraud on customer satisfaction, the article maintains that frustration and dissatisfaction are still evident among customers. Debit and credit card users become financially insecure once they fall victim to fraudulent card transactions. Over and above that, reimbursement of funds takes time to go through. Affected customers have to wait for an uncertain period before they can regain access to lost funds. The conclusion drawn by the article’s author holds that debit card fraud results in customer frustration. In particular, Ron Lieber notes First American Bank and the Bank of America as the recent institutions to suffer customer frustration following debit card fraud. This comes shortly after Target, a leading retailer, lost customers’ debit and credit card information to hackers on one of the busiest shopping days in America. Ron Lieber’s