Duration estimation a new approach in Critical chain scheduling Essay

Duration estimation a new approach in Critical chain scheduling - Essay Example estimation of activities through estimating the level of uncertainty buried in each activity duration and after that taking out of safety periods related to this uncertainty. The validity or soundness of this proposed method, according to the authors, is measured by carrying out a computer simulation on a number of the test problems. Simulation analysis proves that the suggested technique yields schedules that are more dependable than the schedules established by first CCPM technique of duration estimation. Some of the crucial key terms discussed in this article include critical chain, theory of constraint, duration estimation and project scheduling. Critical chain, according to Rezaie, Manouchehrabadi & Shirkouhi (481) is the longest series of events through the project network following the resource contentions. Critical chain, in other words, is a group of tasks through which the project general duration is decided. The authors also discuss how time/duration estimation is a crucia l matter of the critical chain. The authors discuss how Goldratt dedicated a substantial part of this research trying to explain the cause why safety periods cannot safeguard the projects intended dates against the doubt embedded in projects. Rezaie, Manouchehrabadi & Shirkouhi (482) give numerical facts, which were not broadly discussed in Goldratt’s original work. They argue that Goldratt did not exactly specify any numerical distribution function, but assumed a right distorted distribution for every activity duration whereby there was a significant distance between 50% quantile and 90% quantile. They further talked about the propensity among individuals involved in time estimation to overrate the required time so that adequate safety period is put into the measures. The third section of the article, Investigating of Time Estimation Methods, analyzes the method proposed by the authors. The authors go deep into the explanation giving both quantitative and qualitative facts.

How global prices of tobacco have fallen during the land reform in Essay

How global prices of tobacco have fallen during the land reform in Zimbabwe from the year 2000 - Essay Example Tobacco production from Zimbabwe has considerably reduced after the land the implementation of land reform policies in 2000 by the Robert Mugabe government. Zimbabwe government blames natural calamities such as unexpected droughts, floods, and problems global economic orders as the reasons for the heavy downfall of tobacco production in Zimbabwe. In realities, such claims are absolutely nonsenses. The major reason for the current problems in tobacco production is the land reform policies implemented at the beginning of 2000 and the subsequent price drops of tobacco in global market. It should be noted that Zimbabwe is the number one tobacco producer in African region and the third largest in the world behind America and Brazil. â€Å"Malawi and Zimbabwe accounted for just under 70% of tobacco produced in Sub–Saharan Africa (SSA) during1965-2004 and 75% during the 1990s. The share of SSA tobacco leaf exports accounted for by Zimbabwe and Malawi is even higher – 87% duri ng 1965-2004† (Poulton et al, p.6). Moreover, Zimbabwe is the world's biggest tobacco exporter, and tobacco is the country's biggest foreign-currency earner, bringing in some $430 million in 1994† (Zimbabwe Tobacco Exports). ... The remaining 6 million hectares have been reserved for national parks and wildlife, and for urban settlements†(Zimbabwe). Tobacco and maize are the major agricultural crops in Zimbabwe. Majority of the tobacco produced in Zimbabwe is exporting to overseas countries. In fact the major source of foreign money for Zimbabwe is tobacco export. Under such circumstances, any price dips of tobacco in global markets may adversely affect the growth prospects of this country. The share of major crops in the agricultural export of Zimbabwe is illustrated in the following figure. Share of agricultural exports. (Zimbabwe). From the above figure, it is evident that tobacco production has increased consistently from the period from 1985 to 2000, even though some of the other crops suffered setbacks during this period. Moreover the value of exports also increased considerably during this period. However, from 2000 onwards, agricultural sector in general and the tobacco sector in particular sta rted to exhaust in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe governments implemented many changes in the agricultural sector which brought more harm than the good. For example, the programme of â€Å"fast-track land resettlement and redistribution† started in 2000, has brought many problems in Zimbabwe. The above programme is still continuing in Zimbabwe even amidst criticisms from both internal and external sources. In fact these land reformation policies created more panic among the farmers their interests in farming has completely lost at present. Land ownership is a controversial subject in Zimbabwe over the last few decades. Governments implemented periodical changes in land ownership which brought many political and economic changes in the country.

If every physical event has a sufficient physical cause, how can a Essay

If every physical event has a sufficient physical cause, how can a functionalist account for mental causation - Essay Example The most important point to note about the functionalism is that it indicates that mental states which constitute beliefs, being in pain and desires are composed entirely by their functional roles. Being a theoretical; level existing between implementation and physical output, functionalism is different from Cartesian dualism which supports the physical substance and mental independency. The aim of this paper is to discuss how functionalist account for mental causation given that every physical event has a sufficient physical cause. One of the major worries that are experienced in functionalism is the problem of mental causation. This refers to facing a problem of accounting for the idea that intentional mental state and intentional thoughts are triggers of intentional actions1. Mental causation covers the mind’s interaction with the rest of the world and how it influences the behavior of individuals. One of the major sub-division of the problem of mental causation is problem of mental causal exclusion. Others are anomalism and externalism problems. A good example of the causal exclusion problem is indicated when pain is experienced and it is generally linked to a certain state, and the higher properties of that state occurs, then argument that it is pain can casually irrelevant. In dealing with the problem of mental causation, various responses have emerged. According to Antony and Levine 1997, the problem occurred due to highly restrictive causation whereby a cause has to produce its effect. Other phil osophers indicate that causation covers the relationships that exist between various events that must be invoked in order to produce a certain behavior. Recently, causal exclusion problem has been noted to relate with theories of mental states. Theorists such as Anthony and Levine indicated that even though mental states can be defined based on their

Marketing2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing2 - Essay Example Consider, then, a business which creates childrens toys which has suddenly experienced a staggering drop in sales, which is impacting the business future longevity in relation to job creation and profitability. In this situation, identifying potential opportunities to increase these lowered sales, while creating a more stable production environment, would be two sizeable goals for this marketing company. Thus, the first step in creating a competent marketing plan would involve identifying the mission and goals of the organization (Boone & Kurtz, 2007). For example, this hypothetical company might determine that its three year goal is to boost sales by 25%, while also expanding globally. Once these options are identified, the marketing plan highlights the specific steps that will be taken in order to secure these goals, while also identifying various competitor-related risks to the plan of action. A marketing plan does not only identify specific goals, it also performs a situational analysis, identifying various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the business. For instance, this same hypothetical toymaker may realize that its strengths are in its supportive labour force and various legislation which provides tax-related breaks for businesses wishing to go global. At the same time, it may recognize that huge levels of competition exist in a particular market environment, thus the marketing plan creates a plan of action to combat competitor activities or enhance the labour pool. The marketing plan becomes more complicated as it identifies the strategy of distribution, the appropriate target market for its toy products, and further creates a pricing plan which will work for the business needs. For instance, the leadership team at the toymaker might realize that sales have dropped because consumer attitudes toward the current pricing policy are leading to less

Gender, income and wealth Essay Example for Free

Gender, income and wealth Essay Gender is a term that has been used many times to describe the different social roles that men and women play in the society. It is also used to explain the biological difference between a man and a woman. However, gender violence, whether on men or on women varies with different communities. Even up to date, there are some societies that still emphasize on the roles and tasks that only men or women can do. Scientific studies on the social life of humans have shown that we are the ones who create inequality amongst ourselves by defining the roles that we should take and leaving those that we dont want to others. Gender difference is however important because it gives the rights and privileges to both women and men. But if viewed from a negative perspective, gender inequality can be defied as a world wide problem. Gender is one of the many determinants of what income a person should be given. In some countries, it is easy for men to get well paying jobs over women. This is especially the case in the developing countries; where the level of education does not really matter when it comes to job hunting. The situation gets even worse where the big jobs can only be given to the men because it is believed that they are better at decision making than women. Statistics have proved that 46 percent of all labor consists of women. However, women represent 75 percent of all the laborers with the lowest income or wages, and only 13 percent represent women of the best paid laborers. The gender factor is also seen to take effect at many homes, where many people believe that a husband should be earning more than the wife. Many husbands feel inferior, especially when they are unable to provide for their families and the wives take on the role of the provider. They believe that they should be the heads of the family and should be in charge of the major activities, including making important decisions. The fact that wives should be submissive to their husbands should not be mistaken as a reason to be discriminated. In general we can say that the world is facing major challenges because of gender inequality. (Karuna Jaggar, 2007) It is not so easy to measure the relation of gender to wealth. This is because most of the wealth is common within members of the same house hold, which consists of both a man and a woman. However, it is a fact that men are likely to own more assets than women. Women dont normally own such investments as bonds, stocks or other financial assets as much as men do. Furthermore, most men have retirement accounts, while most women do not have such accounts, and in addition to that, the pensions of women in most cases are less than those of the men. The gender factor also shows that non married households are not as wealthy as the married households. Also, divorced women contribute more to the labor market as compared to the married women. Married women will feel financially secure because of their husbands, but after they are divorced, their economic condition is affected a lot. The same case applies to widowed women. However, divorce does not have a big effect on the men as it has on the women, because they are always working so their wealth is not affected so much. Women who have never been married own the least wealth of all the house holds. They are said to own only a quarter of the wealth that the non married men own. From the late 1980s, the women initiatives have been helping the women to improve their financial security by advising them to start up small micro enterprises. The reason behind the start of the businesses is because they have very low start up costs, and are hence affordable to the women. Micro enterprises are competent, marketable, and require simple management by the owners. These businesses help women with low wealth and poor incomes to improve their financial status. (Karuna Jaggar, 2007) In general, we can say that gender inequality is a factor that is pulling the efforts to civilization behind and needs to be addressed. References 1) Chang, Mariko, 2007, His and Hers: Explaining the Gender Wealth Gap, retrieved on 1/30/2009 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p109260_index.html 2) Edlund Lena, Kopczuk Wojciech, 2007, Women, wealth and mobility: National bureau of economic research, New York, Cambridge press 3) Karuna Jaggar, 2007, The Race and Gender Wealth Gap, retrieved on 1/30/2009 from http://urbanhabitat.org/node/2815

Organizational Development Change Management of UCS

Organizational Development Change Management of UCS The purpose of this paper is to choose an organization and prepare the first section of a detailed Organizational Development Proposal. Sectin 1., consist of describing the chosen organization in terms of primary purpose, location(s) and size, mission and vision, history as well as the internal and external conditions in which the organization operates. Additionally, this paper will conduct an internal and external analysis of the organization in terms of competencies and competitiveness through the use of relevant analysis tools. Section 1: Organizational Setting Name of the Company Universal Consulting Services, Inc. (UCS) Primary Purpose According to Bloomberg (2017) business profiles, UCS, Inc. provides business and information technology (IT) consulting services for government and industry. It offers consulting services, in areas such as federal acquisition that includes contract close-out, wide area workflow program support, and standard procurement system program support services. It also provides enterprise IT solutions, such as customizable solutions, requirements design and development, testing and evaluation, implementation and training, and help desk and production assistance, as well as system integration, development, and architecture. Additional services include program management, project management advisory services, financial analysis and services, and administrative support for government agencies. Its clients include Department of Defense, such as Department of the Navy, Department of the Army, and other defense agencies; as well as federal civilian agencies, including Department of Treasury, Departm ent of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Peace Corps. Location(s) and Size UCS is headquartered out of Fairfax, Virginia with a satellite office in Frederick, Maryland. The company currently has 265 employees with the majority of the employee working in the Washington, D.C. metro area, and multiple other States across the country, Hawaii and overseas in Japan and Spain (Ascentis UCS, 2017). UCS has experienced a three year growth of 43% with a reported 2015 revenue of $48.3 million (INC. 5000, 2017) Mission and Vision Mission. According to Universal Consulting Services, Inc.swebsite (2017) their mission is as follows: Launched in 2000 by a couple with a vision, UCS has evolved into a robust health and IT service provider armed with a solid reputation for quality and core capabilities aligned with the Governments requirements. Since our founding, we have prided ourselves on employing smart people who give their best to the customers we serve by creating smart solutions that save the Government time, money, and stress. The industry has recognized our services by awarding us with CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, and ISO 27001 certifications all of which underscore the quality, ingenuity, and reliability of both our services and our people. In that vein, our goal is to deliver innovative solutions that enable our Government clients to transform their missions into reality. Vision. According to Universal Consulting Services, Inc.s website (2017) their vision is as follows: Our vision is to be a top brand name for federal consulting services thats known for our people-driven culture, innovative perspective, and results-oriented mindset. We will: Be an agent of change for our customers by combining forward-thinking technology with practical problem solving, ultimately creating a distinct, lasting improvement in our customers performance. Empower our employees to develop their unique strengths, build strong teams, and make a tangible impact on the direction of both the company and our customers. Develop a brand that continues to catapult our company to the top of our industry, achieved through winning large, complex opportunities. History UCS is a woman owned business that was founded in 2000 by Mrs. Charu Dhumne and her husband Abhijit Dhumne with the mission of becoming a highly professional and trusted provider of business and technology solutions to the government and industry. Until 2015 UCS was a registered 8(a), minority owned, small disadvantaged business. In 2015 they graduated the Small Business Administrations (SBA) advantage program and now compete outside of the SBA programs. The 8(a) program offers a broad scope of assistance to firms that are owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and allows participants to receive sole-source contracts up to a ceiling of $4 million for goods and services and $6.5 million for manufacturing (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2017). The majority of UCS growth was realized under this program. UCS has consistently developed their quality programs and currently hold certifications for ISO 9001-2008, ISO 20000, ISO 27001 and CMMI Level 3 DEV. Conditions in Which the Organization Operates External. UCS currently operates as a mid-sized government consulting firm with limited to no protection or advantages afforded them as an 8(a) small, disadvantaged business which allowed them to receive direct contract wards without having to compete for them. The completion of the 8(a) has placed new economic challenges on the company in that they must now openly compete for work, or partner/subcontract with other small businesses under small business development programs, to gain new work or to retain current work as a re-award. Being located in the Washington D.C. metro area places even greater challenges as it is a highly competitive market for government contractors not just for work, but recruiting talent as well. This is in part due to higher wages and competitive benefits for highly sought after skill sets. Internal. UCS is structured as a typical functional organization which is one of the most common of the organizational structures (Galbraith, 2014) and are set up so that sections of the organization are grouped according to their purpose. Galbraith (2014) discusses how under this type of organizational structure companies divide out into sections and may for example, have a marketing department, a sales department and a production department. UCS is organized by functional and support areas. Under the support areas there is Operations (Administration, Human Resources, IT Management, Security, Facilities Management, and Contracts Management); Finance (Accounting and Payroll); and Business Development (Proposal Management, Graphics, and Marketing). The functional areas consists of client services grouped into Enterprise IT Services (Systems Engineering and Application Development, System Implementation, System Integration, Infrastructure and Operations, and Information Assurance and S ecurity Compliance); and Health Services and Solutions (Strategic Development and Performance Improvement, Advisory and Assistance Services, Portfolio and Program Management, Biomedical Services, Clinical Research and Development, and Health IT and Informatics. The structure is fairly straight forward and is a structure that works very well for many small to medium sized businesses (Galbraith, 2014). The senior leadership is comprised of the President, CEO, Executive Vice President, one support Vice President and three functional Vice Presidents. The culture is one of small business (family) but has recently been feeling the strain of growth and unclear guidance with the appointment of a new Executive Vice President. The workforce is one of diversity in characteristics and talents. The average age of the workforce is 32 (Ascentis UCS, 2017), of which the majority are located on client sites. Internal and External Analysis According to Burk (2014), in order for leadership to identify problems or issues impacting the organization they must understand the environment in which they operate and be able to analyze areas of strengths and weaknesses. Senior leadership and management teams must then determine how to respond to what the environment is telling them and how to establish a more effective alignment for their organization which can allow them to maintain or gain competitive advantages (Burk, 2014). External. One of the tools often used to provide such an analysis is one developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School, called Porters Five Forces of Competitive Position Analysis. It was developed in 1979 as a simple framework for assessing and evaluating the external environment by focusing on the competitive strength and position of a business organization (Grundy, 2006). Grundy (2006) states that Porters theory proposes that there are five forces which determine the competitiveness of an organization by helping to determine the strengths of an organization and their current competitive position. Identifying strengths of an organization may then be used to align the organization to its current direction or move in new directions. Analysts often use Porters five forces to predict whether a new product or service will be profitable and to identify areas to improve weaknesses and to avoid mistakes (Porter, 1980). The justification for the use of this tool is that it provi des an easy to understand method of analyzing some of the biggest areas of external impact on virtually any organization. According to Porter (1980) the five forces to analyze are: Threat of new entry: This is an analysis of new entrants to the market that may dilute the customer base and erode profitability. It also looks at the organizations durable barriers to entry like patents, cost of entry, and external factors like government regulations and policies, all of which can impact profitability. Supplier power: an assessment of how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. This can be driven by the number of suppliers for each product, the number of suppliers in an area, the size of the supplier, the uniqueness of their product or service, or even the cost associated with changing from one supplier to another. Buyer power: an assessment of how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down. Key factors here are; the number of buyers in the market or area that can dictate terms, the relevant importance of the buyer to the organization, the cost to the buyer associated with changing from one supplier to another. Competitive rivalry: This is an analysis of the number and capability of competitors in the market to determine how many competitors are offering the same products and services and their strength which could reduce market attractiveness to the product or service being offered. Threat of substitution: This is an analysis of products or services that exist in a market that may be close to what the organization is offering, thereby increasing the ability of customers switching to alternative sources in response to a price increase. This reduces both the power of suppliers and the attractiveness of the market. Applying Porters five forces technique to UCS would yield the following analysis: Threat of new entry: Given the market and location in which UCS operates (government contracting in the Washington D.C. area) there is constant threat of new entries to the market. These new entries have relatively low barriers in the form of cost due the service nature of the business. Most new start-ups begin by offering their personal knowledge and skills. Additionally, new entries to the market can most often take advantage of SBA assistant opportunities in helping to succeed in the market. The strongest barrier benefiting established companies is the bureaucracy (time it takes) associated with establishing/registering for certain credentials such as 8(a), Veteran Owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, obtaining and meeting security clearance requirements etc. Additionally, it takes time for new entries to build a reputation and past performances in order to expand their services. Supplier power: Suppliers abilities to drive up prices are relatively negligible in that the buyer drives the market more so than the supplier. However, that being said there are certain niche areas in the market such as the newest and hottest programing and development skills that the buyer is looking for and only specific competitors or individuals have, coupled with security clearance requirements, that can in fact drive up prices for talent and drive competitive recruiting/bidding wars for the individual talent to offer to the client. Buyer power: the primary client for UCS is the U.S. Government and as such is subject to extreme scrutiny in pricing as well as performance. Pricing is based on what the client/buyer determines to be fair and reasonable for the services requested. This accomplished through what is known as Independent Government Estimates and level of effort of services being requested. All of which are dependent upon the governments budget and funding levels that are being made available for the requirement. Additionally, the procurement strategy can also have an impact on the pricing (i.e. is the government looking for lowest price for technically acceptable bids or for best value of services based on what they receive for the amount bid). Competitive rivalry: For UCS this one of the primary concerns. The number and capability of competitors in the market are vast. Given that UCS is no longer under a SBA small business advantage program they must now compete with globally recognized companies such as Deloitte, Booz Allen, Northrop Grumman, CACI and more, all of which are offering the same services and have significant resources and brand recognition not just to the clients but to potential talent as well. Threat of substitution: Threat of substitution for UCS is significant due to the buyers ability to determine the procurement strategy and the requirements to assist small businesses in receiving government contracts. As such, the buyer could choose to accept a company that is technically acceptable but not as capable or proven as UCS in order to comply with the procurement strategy and check off their requirement to provide work to small disadvantaged businesses. Basically substitute a lesser qualified competitor in order to demonstrate adherence to procurement guidelines. Internal. My preferredmethod of analysis would be targeted surveys to collect data on areas where we are strong, weak or perceived threats. Burk (2014) discusses how psychologists have long relied on questionnaires for data collection, diagnosis and assessment of various studies. He goes on to discuss how leadership and Organizational Development are also leveraging this tool for data collection and has spawned what is known as the Organizational Survey Feedback Method. He also noted that when discussed the survey results with subordinates, particularly through group discussion, positive change typically occurred. The justification for use of this method is that it is a low cost, simple to use, customizable method of collecting a great deal of information. Additionally, once a survey is sent out, it sets an expectation and a responsibility within the organization for follow-up actions. However, for the purposes of this paper, it would be virtually impossible to conduct an organizational survey in time, so instead I would recommend getting much of the same data through the use of a SWOT analysis. Bradt and Davis (2014) discuss a SWOT analysis as a tool used to analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project, product or service venture, or the organization as a whole. It analysis the internal and external factors that can impact the objective being analyzed. A SWOT analysis can be used to help understand the factors that drive or hinder success in an organization and helps to think through potential scenarios to complete the question of so what? and set up the actions of now what? (Bradt Davis, 2014). This in turn can help get members aligned with the organizations vision and strategy and has been often used in executive brainstorming sessions. For UCS the SWOT Analysis must first define a desired end state or objective and in this case it would be to position itself to compete in a larger pool of competitors. The following will provide the basic analysis criteria as interpreted from Bradt and Davis (2014) and then followed by the specific UCS application. Strengths: These are characteristics of the business, team or individual members that give it an advantage over others in the industry. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Young energetic and dedicated workforce demographic. Ability to attract hard to find skill-sets. More organizationally flexible and able to adapt to change quickly. Focus on low overhead expenses allowing for better rates. Weaknesses: These are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage as compared to others and can include those found in business, team or individual. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Weakened communications from senior leaders. Inexperienced member in top leadership position. Lack of strategic focus on NEW clients outside of current client base. The start of disharmony among other senior leaders. Too much focus on biggest client which detracts from the many other clients. Fear of dedicating resources to potential new opportunities. Hyper-focus on reducing already good overhead costs, to the possible detriment of losing talent. Opportunities: These are external chances that can make greater sales or profits, improve market position or stakeholder perception. This can be applied to external from the team, business objective or members. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Use of senior business development leaders talents to open new doors outside of current client base. Rely more on experienced leaderships input to accomplish strategies and change. Be less risk aversive in going after new market segments. Threats: These are external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business. This can be applied to external from the team, business objective or members. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Hyper-focus of overhead cost reduction policy of making overhead personnel billable. Up and coming companies participating in the SBA small and disadvantaged business programs that can redirect contracts UCS is going after to direct (non-competitive awards to the smaller companies. Employee dis-satisfaction that can result in a damaged reputation thereby impacting recruiting and retention. Summary of Analysis. Review of the external and internal factors impacting UCS show that the company faces its greatest challenges from external forces and should be concerned with the new arena of competition it finds itself in. The loss of the SBA advantage programs significantly impacts the ability to gain new work or retain re-awards without a strong strategy to overcome the barriers it now faces. From the internal perspective UCS has some considerable strengths to leverage in its talented workforce, predominantly experienced leadership and ability to adapt to change. In its new highly competitive environment its ability to be lean and control overhead cost is an advantage and will allow them to be more competitive in pricing. However, while controlling cost is a strength, it can also be a weakness if cost reductions are at the risk of reputation, comfort and confidence of employees, and the ability to attract and retain the needed skills. Additionally, companies must grow and ac hieve new heights through controlled risk. By being overly risk adverse in order to conserve resources, a company may end up moving backwards instead of forwards. References Ascentis UCS (2017). Human Resources Automated Information System. Retrieved from https://selfservice2.ascentis.com/UCS/STS/signin.aspx?c=UCS Bloomberg.com. (2017). Universal Consulting Services, Inc.: Private Company Information Bloomberg. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=108719433 Bradt, G. B., Davis, G. (2014). First-Time Leader: Foundational Tools for Inspiring and Enabling Your New Team (1). Somerset, US: John Wiley Sons, Incorporated. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Burke, W. W. (2014). Organization Change: Theory and Practice, 4th Edition. [Argosy University]. Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/#/books/9781452257242/ Galbraith, J. R. (2014). Designing Organizations: An Executive Guide to Strategy, Structure, and Process (3). Somerset, US: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Grundy, T. (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model. Strategic Change, 15(5), 213-229. doi:10.1002/jsc.764 INC. 5000. (2017). Universal Consulting Services Fairfax, VA. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/profile/universal-consulting-services?cid=full500016-list-1455 Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: Free Press. U.S. Small Business Administration. (2017). About the 8(a) Business Development Program | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://www.sba.gov/contracting/government-contracting-programs/8a-business-development-program/about-8a-business-development-program Universal Consulting Service, Inc. (2017). Homepage. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://ucs-inc.com/

Argumentative Essay: Gun Control Laws Only Impact Law-abiding Citizens :: essays research papers fc

Tom is running full speed, maybe even for his life. It is a perfect summer night in San Jose, and Tom and his work partner just left work minutes before. They were walking through a â€Å"bad neighborhood† when some thugs started hassling them, and yelling obscenities at them. Tom and his friend walked by them quickly soon to be chased by the thugs. The thugs were threatening Tom and his friend’s life. Tom and his friend continue to run till the reach a busy intersection where Tom pulls out a semi-automatic handgun from his backpack and points it towards the thugs. As soon as the gun is leveled the thugs retreat leaving the two men alone. If there had been no gun Tom and his friend would have been seriously beaten or even killed. Tom did not have a permit for the gun, and might have not been able to get one without a special reason (Rauch 731). People like Tom need to be able to get gun permits, but it is so difficult because of all the criminal activity in America. Gun control laws are pointless and are only binding on the law-abiding citizens. The â€Å"waiting period† method of gun control is basically a two-step process. The first step in the procedure is that the person wanting a gun goes to the gun shop to buy a gun. Then, he/she must wait one to two weeks while the government performs a small background check for past criminal activities, disorderly conduct, or lack of mental/emotional stability. During this time, if the purchaser of the gun wanted the gun for a â€Å"quick crime† it is hoped that they will not still want to cause bodily harm after a few weeks of waiting around. Another dumb law is that is in effect in California is that if you want to carry a concealed handgun, â€Å"you have to prove that you have some special reason to carry†(Rauch 731). The problem with this method of gun control is that it stops the ordinary citizen from purchasing a gun quickly. It still does not stop criminals from buying guns. They purchase them through "dummy buyers" that have clean backgrounds. So when the criminal enters the law abiding citizens house with deadly intentions, the innocent victim can’t defend his family cause he can’t get a gun cause he was arrested for drinking and driving 10 years ago before he was even married, so therefore him and his family become victims.