Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Transportation And Logistics Industry - 1409 Words

The transportation and logistics industry is one of the key components of modern life. It provides the framework through which every raw material and finished consumer good is moved through the supply chain into the hands of consumers. This industry is generally taken for granted by consumers. When consumers do think about the industry it is thought of in terms of unchanging and stagnate transportation modes. This vision of the industry is not an accurate reflection of the reality of modern transportation industry. During the last several decades the technological innovations that have changed the face of modern life, have also had far reaching effects on the transportation industry. The pressures driving innovation in the industry†¦show more content†¦Innovations that improve the functioning of transportation modes are occurring across all modes of the transportation industry. Truck transportation has been the backbone of freight movements in the United States and ac ross the globe for decades. While utilizing trucks is an economical way to move freight for short hauls of less than a 1,000 miles, there are high environmental and infrastructure costs for utilizing this mode of transportation. According to Lowe, road transportation’s use of energy resources rose 103 per cent in the period since 1970 (2005). Additionally, Lowe points out that road transportation’s emission of green house gasses, â€Å"increased by 76% between 1971 and 1989† (Lowe, 2005, p. 112). Furthermore, road transportation is the largest polluter in the industry. It utilizes â€Å"over 80% of the total energy used in the transport sector and contributes over 75% of its total CO2 output (Lowe, 2005, p. 113). Finally, freight transportation by heavy vehicles causes pavement damage at significantly higher rates than passenger traffic (SSTI, 2011). Road transportation providers have adopted several innovations that have lowered the environmental impact of this transportation mode. The adoption of clean diesel technology by the industry has resulted in significant reductions in fuel use and emissions by trucks. This innovation in diesel engineShow MoreRelatedLogistics Industry : Information, Transportation, Inventory, Warehousing, Storage, And Storage Goods1952 Words   |  8 PagesLOGISTICS INDUSTRY Logistics is the process where the movement of goods from point of origin to point of consumption is planned, monitored, controlled and delivered in a proper condition. It is the process of ensuring the proper and safe delivery of quality goods at the right place, right time, right quantity and to the right person. Logistics is concerned with getting the products and services where they are needed and when they are desired. It is difficult to accomplish any marketing or manufacturingRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Ryder Systems Inc. Essay950 Words   |  4 Pagesmarket of commercial transportation, logistics, and supply chain management. Ryder currently operates in two segments: fleet management solutions (FMS) and supply chain solutions (SCS). FMS generates the majority of Ryder’s revenue. This product includes leases, rentals, contract and contract-related maintenance, and fuel services. SCS provides consulting services globally (Nieman, 2013). Over the past 80 years, Ryder has transformed from a model A Ford truck into and industry leading Fortune 500Read MoreThe United States: The Impact of Its Economy on Transportation and Logistics Management811 Words   |  3 PagesIts Economy on Transportation and Logistics Management Transportation and logistics coordinate the movement of goods and people. The transportation and logistics industry is the catalyst that propels the American economy. However, it works both ways. 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In the current times, radio frequency identification technology has upgraded from anonymity into applications that are rather used normally and as a consequence has helped in the acceleration of manufactured materials handling (Want, 2006). There are several uses of RFID in various sectors. However, this paper will only deal with its uses in the transportation sector and how effectively this modern technologyRead MoreEssay about C.H Robinson Worldwide Logistics Research 1427 Words   |  6 Pages1. INDUSTRY C.H. Robinson Worldwide is a third party logistics â€Å"provider of multimodal transportation services and logistics solutions.† (Chrobinson.com) C.H. Robinson Worldwide belongs to the industrial sector, airfreight and logistics sub-industry. Jim Corridore in the Standards and Poors Sub-Industry review states that there is â€Å"a positive fundamental outlook for the air freight and logistics industry for the next 12 months.† (Standardabpoors.com) Katie Lally suggests that 2014 â€Å"should still beRead MoreAchieving Transportation Excellence1371 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Achieving Transportation Excellence How is process improvement important to achieving transportation excellence? How might process improvement be extended to other areas of logistics planning? The transportation sector is continually evolving. Whether moving people or products by land, sea, or air, all transportation strategies need to balance proficient network design and operations with rising intricacy, government supervision, environmental accountability, security risks and demands for flexibilityRead MoreThe Third Party Logistics Industry904 Words   |  4 Pages Third Party Logistics Industry Third party logistics industry (3PL) also referred to as logistic outsourcing has become a thriving sector within the supply chain and logistics sector. As the world of logistics and supply chain management has grown so has the need for third party logistics providers to deliver comprehensive services to companies that are constantly looking for ways to stay competitive and innovative in order to improve processes, increase profits, and lower costRead MoreA Brief Note On Maritime Logistics Of Petroleum Products1460 Words   |  6 Pagesprocess of maritime logistics of petroleum products, as they derive from world trade flows. Currently the main factors that affect the supply chain industry and sea transportation of these products are the major external effects of the economic factors of each country involved in the process, climate technology and geopolitics. However, businesses, government and society are also big influencers of the petroleum product chain. First we briefly introduce the crude oil industry from which petroleumRead MoreA Brief Note On Systems And Logistics Support Management1070 Words   |  5 Pages Third-Party Logistics Gregory Long Florida Institute of Technology MG 5061: Systems and Logistics Support Management Dr. Janice Spangenberg February 28, 2016 Abstract Today’s world business environment has become so competitive that companies in order to be successful in the market must deal with different resources for satisfying their customer need. In the past decade or so the competitive global market has made a big influence in

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Socrates vs Thrasymachus Free Essays

Any argument relies upon some fundamental agreement about the issue being discussed. However great the divide in opinion may be, there must exist at least some similarity in the participants’ manner of viewing the issue if a solution is ever to be reached. Book One of Plato’s Republic features a disagreement between Socrates and Thrasymachus about the nature of justice. We will write a custom essay sample on Socrates vs Thrasymachus or any similar topic only for you Order Now The disaccord between their views of the subject is extremely pronounced, but there are certain underlying agreements which guide the course of the debate. One way to evaluate the validity of the arguments involved is to examine whether the assumptions at the root of the argument are in accord with this common ground. By my reading of the dialogue, Socrates’ reply to the first part of Thrasymachus’ definition of justice rests safely upon this common ground, whereas his answer to Thrasymachus’ second definition moves away from this mutually acceptable base, and is injured as a result. In exploring this topic, I intend to examine briefly Thrasymachus’ two-part definition of justice. For each of these parts I will evaluate one Socratic response and discuss it from the perspective of the â€Å"craftsman analogy† – an analogy which is initially used by common consent, but which Socrates adapts until its original usage almost disappears. Thrasymachus’ first definition of justice is easy to state, but it is not so immediately clear how it is to be interpreted. Justice, he claims, is the advantage of the stronger. On its own, such a sentence could imply that what is beneficial to the stronger is just for and therefore, beneficial to the weaker, and Socrates accordingly asks whether this understanding is accurate. Thrasymachus promptly responds in the negative. The interpretation he proceeds to expound upon can be summed up by adapting slightly his original definition: justice is that which obtains the advantage of the stronger. To support this definition, he points to the example of ruling a city. Any ruling class will fashion the laws of the commonwealth with a view to its own benefit, he asserts. Since it is just to obey the law, those who behave justly will be acting for the advantage of the rulers (whom Thrasymachus interchangeably terms â€Å"the stronger†). Socrates makes his first objection at this moment, but I will treat this here only incidentally: merely insofar as it allows us to see why Thrasymachus introduces the craftsman analogy. Socrates objects that rulers are, as humans, bound to make mistakes – to confuse their disadvantage with their advantage on occasion. In this case just obedience to laws would work to the ruler’s disadvantage. Thrasymachus responds promptly, saying that a man who makes a mistake in ruling is not at that moment a ruler in the strict sense, and introduces the craftsman analogy to support this idea. Insofar as a man is a craftsman, he will not make any mistakes; mistakes are rooted in ignorance, and so can only occur when a man’s knowledge of his craft is incomplete. The quandary which Socrates introduces is thus avoided by Thrasymachus’ qualification that errors are never made by rulers as rulers. Though the analogy works at first to Thrasymachus’ advantage, Socrates promptly turns it against him in a new objection. All arts, he asserts, are exercised with a view to the benefit of the subject rather than to the benefit of the artisan. The doctor employs his medical art for the betterment of the patient, the pilot navigates for the safety of the ship and the sailors, and so forth. Like Thrasymachus, he identifies ruling as an art, and claims that ruling also is exercised with a view to the subjects’ benefit. Throughout the argument, Thrasymachus passively assents to Socrates’ individual points. But as we shall see later, he rejects the conclusion drawn from these. From an objective viewpoint, one immediately questionable aspect of this argument is Socrates’ idea that ruling is an art in the same sense that medicine and navigation are arts. Despite its potential weakness however, Socrates’ use of the analogy is the one part of the argument which Thrasymachus cannot question without bringing Socrates’ first objection once again into dispute. Thus this definition of ruling forms some part of the common ground I have previously mentioned. Although an objection such as this may affect the objective validity of the argument, it is important to keep in mind the fact that Socrates is not attempting to create an incontestable definition of justice at this point. He is merely answering an invalid argument by demonstrating its weaknesses in terms which correspond to Thrasymachus’ perspective. Agitated by Socrates’ line of reasoning, Thrasymachus proceeds to blurt out a revised version of his original statement. Thrasymachus claims that injustice is freer and stronger than justice and that it results in a happier life. As in the former definition, he does not consider so much what justice is as what it does; he rates the subject in regards to its advantageousness or lack thereof. Essentially, this definition is an extreme extension of the previous one. Also, the example he uses for support – that of a tyrant made powerful and thus happy through injustice – hearkens back to his initial definition as ruling being the advantage of the stronger. It is clear that Thrasymachus has not been convinced by Socrates’ last argument, despite his apparent agreement with Socrates’ points. He is arguing in different terms, but in actual substance this new development is little more than a bare contradiction of Socrates’ previous argument. He still supposes that the unjust will have the advantage, and does no more than give new evidence to support this view. He essentially declares: â€Å"You say that the proper ruler will consider the benefit of his subjects and thus act justly. I say that injustice leads to a happy life and that craftsmen do aim at their own advantage. † Whereas the weaknesses in Socrates’ previously discussed arguments are more or less excusable, there are several factors in his next argument which make it very controversial. In opening this argument, Socrates asks whether a just man will want to overreach and surpass other just men. The two debaters agree that a just man will deem it proper to surpass the unjust man, but that he will not want to surpass his fellow just man. The unjust man, on the other hand, will want to surpass and get the better of everyone. Now Socrates proceeds to use the craftsman analogy to illustrate his case. With this case Socrates attempts to prove that those who try to overreach their â€Å"like† are bad craftsmen. Returning to the specific example of the doctor, he observes that a medical man will not endeavor to outdo another physician, but will want to outdo the non-physician. One flaw seems to appear at this point in the argument. Socrates, it would seem, has left no place in this for simple ambition here. If the first half of this analogy is true, there is no room for an artist to advance and improve his craft in a just manner, because unless he is unjust, he will not have any ambition to surpass his fellow artists. However this can be answered by a glance back at Thrasymachus’ concept of the artisan â€Å"in the strict sense. † No one is an artisan insofar as he is in error, so the true artist will be unable to surpass another true artist: ideally, the artist, insofar as he is an artist, will already exercise his art faultlessly. Socrates completes this argument by saying that the one who tries to overreach the artist can not have true knowledge of the craft. In other words, true artists will be able to identify one another and to recognize the impossibility of surpassing each other. Since the one who wants to surpass everyone in a specific art must not be an artisan, he is ignorant of this art. Thus, Socrates claims, the unjust man is really ignorant and therefore weak and bad. There is a marked distinction between this use of the craftsman analogy and former uses. Previously the analogy was used in reference to the â€Å"craft† of ruling. This was legitimate in the context primarily because Thrasymachus agreed to this use. Now however, the subject of the analogy is not ruling, but justice. Thrasymachus never explicitly agrees to this switch, and thus when it is made, the analogy no longer rests safely upon the common ground. It is no longer an example accepted by both parties and so its sole justification would have to rest on an objective view of the argument. So we have another important question to examine. That is, can justice be rightly considered a craft? Even if it can in a vague sense, would it be properly analogous to other crafts like medicine or navigation? There are reasons to support a negative answer to this query. For one thing, it could be argued that justice is more a manner of acting, rather than a craft in its own right. Whereas it is nonsensical to say that one can, for example, read a book medicinally, or in a navigating manner (except perhaps as a figure of speech), one can exercise a craft or perform any action either justly or unjustly. Justice is more easily considered a measure of how well an action is performed than the action itself. The most important thing to note here is that Socrates has moved away from the common ground which has previously supported the argument. Before, the question of whether Socrates’ examples are objectively valid was not so crucial from one viewpoint. As long as Socrates was trying to demonstrate the illogicalities within Thrasymachus’ position, there was much to gain from arguments based on Thrasymachus’ premises, whether the premises were true or not. For this last argument, however, Socrates does not base his argument on these guides, but preserves the form of the craftsman analogy while changing it substantially. Thus this particular argument suffers and is at least of questionable efficacy. How to cite Socrates vs Thrasymachus, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Organization Behavior Employee Engagement

Question: Discuss about the Organization Behaviorfor Employee Engagement. Answer: Introduction For a successful organization, employee performance and employee engagement play a crucial role in the success of business. The aim of this essay is to provide an understanding of organization commitment, employee engagement, and employee performance. Along with this, the essay describes the positive effect of the employee engagement, organization commitment and employee performance on the success of the organization. The essay focuses on measuring the employee engagement relation with the organization performance and organization commitment. Additionally, the essay uses various employee engagement tools to improve the employee performance towards the organization success. Compare Organizational Commitment, Employee Engagement, and Employee Performance According to the Alfes et al (2013), organization commitment is the bond related to the experience of the employee with their organization. Employees who are committed to their organization generally feel a connection with the organization and feel to understand the aims and objectives of the organization. Organization commitment is also related to the employee commitment that means the dedication of the employee towards to achieve the particular task efficiently and effectively. The organization commitment refers to the individual emotional attachment towards the organization. It will predict the variable works like- organizational citizenship behavior, turnover, and job performance. Along with this, it will play a very important role that determining whether a member will stay in the organization in long run and leave the organization. On the other hand, Rich et al (2010) states that employee engagement is the approach of the workplace that is resulted to the right condition for all members in the organization and commits to their values and goals. The employee engagement process motivates the employees to contribute towards the success of the organization. At the same time, employee engagement is the level of involvement of the employees to carry out the operations of the business. Employee engagement shows the relationship between the employee as well as its organization. An engaged employee is aware of the business context and works with the help of colleagues that will improve the performance of the employee to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. At the same time, Markos and Sridevi (2012) describes that the employee performance is the process that establishes share workforce to understand the level of organization that an organization wants to achieve. In addition to this, employee performance refers to the job-related activities that are expected to execute by the employee. It is simply evaluated once in a year and the effective performance management is a positive collaboration, and the continuous improvement between the employees and their supervisors. Moreover, the employee performance refers to the situation in which a person executes the duties of their jobs and responsibilities in an effective way. Manage the performance of employee deals with the strategy practices and policy that will establish the expectation level of its employee performance. The performance management system plays a strategic role that helps to attract and retain the key employees in the organization. In the present context, all business entity, and operation pay attention to fulfill the need and wants of the employee. Moreover, Alfes et al (2013) states that organization commitment cannot increases with the help of training and development opportunities because there is a mismatch between the employee perception for their job and the development provided by the organization. At the same time, the performance of the employee can be improved due to the development of the supportive culture that will help to reduce the turnover intention. Christian et al (2011) support the views of Alfes et al (2013) that organization commitment refers to the degree by which employee identifies themselves within the organization. There are various types of organization commitment (a) Continuance commitment: the employee of the organization will have to bear a particular amount if the employee leaves the organization. (b)Affective commitment: the employee will stay in the organization in long run du e to the emotional attachment with the organization. (c) Normative commitment: the employee should take the normative commitment as a responsibility that will remain within the organization. In contrast to this, organization commitment is negatively correlated with the turnover intention of the employee within the organization. In support to this, Gruman and Saks (2011) states that organization commitment has positive effects on the job performance of the employee. Moreover, the organization uses various employee engagement tools to improve the level of performance and stay competitive. The employee engagement is not only for the positive behavior and feelings of the worker at the workplace during the work but also it also denotes the high involvement towards work, organization citizenship behavior and organization commitment of the employees. In addition to this, a personal and contextual factor of the employee affects the career satisfaction level and turnover intention within the organization. The personal factor of the employee includes goal-oriented performance and contextual factor involves the development feedback and learning culture for the organization. The performance of the organization will increase when the level of organizational commitment and employee engagement is increased and both the fa ctor has a positive effect on the organization. As per the view of Bakker and Bal (2010) that the employee performance and organization commitment are interconnected with each other. Along with this, the opportunities of organization commitment are higher when the continuous learning opportunities were provided to the employee. The level of organization commitment is increased with the help of better work life at the workplace for the employee. As the employee engagement is necessary for achieve the success in the work outcomes. The employee engagement improves the job satisfaction, higher performance and lower turnover rates, proactive behavior, motivation, learning, higher attendance and many more. In addition to this, there are various drivers for the employee engagement in the organization such as- trust, respect among the employee, client, partners and suppliers, communication level, the flow of information, the structure of the organization, leadership, balanced work life, reward system in the organization and many more. In favor to this, Brunetto et al (2011) states that employee engagement, employee performance, and organizational commitment can boost the level of motivation within the employees. Moreover, the successful organization depends on the high-performance level of the employee that will help to meet the aims and objectives of the organization. On the other hand, Welch (2011) states that engagement is for both the manager as well as employee, who is responsible for achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. There is two main factor that will play main role in the employee engagement i.e. employee satisfaction and employee commitment. The openness behavior of the employee is an important element which is helpful to motivate the employee to improve their knowledge and skills. Along with this, the attitude of the employee is a positive factor for their engagement towards the organization. Along with this, the higher satisfied employee performs better and contributes more to the s uccess of the organization. A committed employee also wants a good level of communication among the employee and supervisor. On the other hand, measure employee satisfaction and changes will not lead to increase the level of performance. Conclusion From the above discussion, the essay can be concluded that organizational commitment was significantly correlated with employee engagement and employee performance. In addition to this, the essay described the employee worked with the high level of motivation that increased the success of the organization. Along with this, employee engagement is a positive tool that has been held by the employee at the workplace towards the working culture. In the present context, the employee should look forward to fulfill the expectation and desire of the organization that will help to increase the overall performance of the business. Reference Alfes, K., Shantz, A. D., Truss, C., and Soane, E. C. (2013). The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement and employee behaviour: a moderated mediation model. The international journal of human resource management, 24(2), 330-351. Alfes, K., Truss, C., Soane, E. C., Rees, C., and Gatenby, M. (2013). The relationship between line manager behavior, perceived HRM practices, and individual performance: Examining the mediating role of engagement. Human resource management, 52(6), 839-859. Bakker, A. B., and Bal, M. P. (2010). Weekly work engagement and performance: A study among starting teachers. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(1), 189-206. Brunetto, Y., Teo, S. T., Shacklock, K., and Farr?Wharton, R. (2012). Emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, well?being and engagement: explaining organisational commitment and turnover intentions in policing. Human Resource Management Journal, 22(4), 428-441. Business and Management, 5(12), 89-96. Christian, M. S., Garza, A. S., and Slaughter, J. E. (2011). Work engagement: A quantitative review and test of its relations with task and contextual performance. Personnel Psychology, 64(1), 89-136. Gruman, J. A., and Saks, A. M. (2011). Performance management and employee engagement. Human Resource Management Review, 21(2), 123-136. Markos, S., and Sridevi, M. S. (2010). Employee engagement: The key to improving performance. International. Journal of Rich, B. L., Lepine, J. A., and Crawford, E. R. (2010). Job engagement: Antecedents and effects on job performance. Academy of management journal, 53(3), 617-635. Welch, M. (2011). The evolution of the employee engagement concept: communication implications. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 16(4), 328-346.