Socrates - 697 Words

We live in a modern world conquered by wrong doings. Why, we tend to ask. What encourages individuals to move towards evil doing? Isn’t self-restraint a sufficient obstacle in the pursuit of evil? One of the many questions which strike us when we are surrounded by injustices is whether it is the wrong individuals or the collective society which drives those particular evil doings. In a sociocultural context, this may be a very subjective question due to the lack of universality in the definition of ‘bad’ in itself. Philosophers, and more recently psychologists, have studied intellectual and neurological causes of wrong actions in search for an answer to the concerned question. One of the very first philosophers who manifested concern for†¦show more content†¦Socrates’ description of the soul as â€Å"that within us in virtue of which we are pronounced wise or foolish, good or bad seems to imply that ethics are internal and the sole responsibility of the same individual. But many, contrarily, argue that ethics are external, standardised and shaped by society, and thus, are not fully our responsibility. The problem with the first view of ethics as being internal is that no one can deny that in today’s modern world, social cohesion is brought about by our actions and their degree of conformity to social ‘standards’, so there exists a strong social influence in our actions. We have conditional interests and biases, many a time, depending on how ‘normal’ an action is considered. For example, having hair with a shocking pink colour would be considered as something out of the ordinary, and is in fact not so common . The problem with the second view of ethics as being something tempered with social influence is that society is, after all, an amalgamation of individuals which perform individual actions and so blaming society for a wrong doing would be, essentially, blaming ourselves. ------------------------------------------------- In my opinion, it is in fact a mixture of the two; a process. Societies mark us with their influence, but that is not final. The final decision in a wrong doing is always that of the doer.Show MoreRelatedSocrates : The Suicide Of Socrates1405 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates was born in 470 BCE in Athens, Greece. His father was Sophroniscus, a sculptor and stone mason from Athens and his mother was a midwife by the name of Phaenarete (30 Interesting Socrates Facts 2014). Socrates original profession was masonry and sculpting, before becoming a philosopher. On a day in 399 BC, Socrates ( roughly 71 years at the time) went to trial.Now why would anyone want to send an old man to court? Three answer is that Socrates was accused of refusing to recognize theRead MoreSocrates And The Apology Of Socrates1322 Words   |  6 Pages Socrates is quite the unique individual compared to most, if not all, other Greeks at that time. In the Apology, Socrates gives an analogy of himself being a gadfly and that his gadfly like actions are favorable for Athens and that the actions are goods he is providing. From his service he claims to live a more private life than a public life when discussing virtue. This paper is going to discuss Socrates and his analogy of a gadfly, approach to others about virtue, his conduct effect on democracyRead MoreSocrates As A Martyr And Socrates927 Words   |  4 PagesIn philosophy class this semester we spoke a lot about Socrates and his trial. We were required to read the dialogue ‘Apology’ by Plato. The à ¢â‚¬ËœApology’ Dialogue is what Plato recorded during the speech Socrates gave to the court defending himself against the charges of corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes† these two were the main charges, but underneath that there were also other significant charges such as being considered an antidemocratic or pro-SpartanRead MoreSocrates : The Problem With Socrates908 Words   |  4 PagesThe Problem With Socrates: The problem with Socrates concerns the problem with the role of value and reason. Nietzsche believes that the bulk of philosophers claim that life is a corrupt grievance for mankind. Nietzsche reasoned that these life deniers were decadents of Hellenism, as a symptom of some underlying melancholy. For someone to paint life in such a negative light they must have suffered a great deal through the course of their own life. Furthermore, these no-sayers agreed in various physiologicalRead MoreSocrates Worldview Of Socrates1855 Words   |  8 PagesPart 1: Socrates’ Worldview Socrates is a widely renowned teacher, who has taught and demonstrated a variety of lessons that regard how he views the world. Socrates has described his view on morality, purpose, death, and the ultimate. He has spoken about these views through multiple texts including The Last Days of Socrates and they have been interpreted through the text Socrates by George Rudebusch. Through these worldviews, Socrates has given people the opportunity to expand their wisdom andRead MoreSocrates1461 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates was one of the greatest Greek philosophers. His work was not to propose any specific knowledge or policy: it was to show how argument, debate, and discussion could help men to understand difficult issues. Most of the issues he dealt with were only political on the surface. Underneath, they were moral questions about how life should be lived. Such is the influence of Socrates that philosophers before him are called the Presocratic philosophers. Socrates made enemies, three of whom broughtRead MoreSocrates1099 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates the Greek Philosopher December 14, 2014 PHI/105 In the beautiful city of Athens, Greece, there was a philosopher Socrates, and his Socratic method, was laid on the groundwork for the Western systems of logic and philosophy. Socrates did believe that he didnt know anything, and It was because of this that the Oracle told Socrates that he was wise and that he should seek out the wise men to hear what they had to say. So Socrates began to travel to different parts of Greece to questionRead MoreSocrates659 Words   |  3 PagesSocrates Socrates was accused of many things in the Athens market. Socrates was accused of being a man who makes the worse argument into the stronger argument. A man who knows about the heavens and earth and therefore any one who believe this must not believe in the gods. Socrates was accused of being an atheist. Most of the people that followed him around his quest were inquisitive. Where as most adults would walk by Socrates with his â€Å"annoying question† the youth stopped to see what heRead MoreSocrates : A Man By The Name Of Socrates963 Words   |  4 PagesIn 469 B.C. a man by the name of Socrates was born. Socrates was a very wise man that cared about doing the right thing. He believed that the best ways to develop ideas was in the give and take of conversation, and that the best way to educate people was to ask them a series of questions leading in a particular direction (now named â€Å"Socrates method). Socrates had been quick to identify the drawbacks of democracy, and he had also been the teacher of two men who in different ways harmed Athens: AlcibiadesRead MoreSocrates s Views On Socrates1314 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates could undeniably be described as one of the most influential philosophers and greatest thinker of his time. His views can be interpreted many different ways, but most would agree that he sought out wisdom and truth for the betterment of himself and his community. Though Socrates was one of the most intelligent men of his time, he was very foolish to never write his own book. For this reason, after his passing, one of his students, Plato, began to write a book about his teachings and ideas

Who Can We Blame - 1392 Words

Who s to Blame? Have you been a victim of the so called â€Å" fast food obesity outbreak†? You re not the only one. In today s society this so called â€Å"fast food induced obesity† is a huge controversy concerning many countries today in time. The common culprits of the obesity issue is fast food, school lunch, and unhealthy food people consume at home. Who can we trust? Well many people believe that the consumer should not be responsible for their actions when it comes to consuming fast food, which is seen in this piece â€Å" Don t blame the eater,† by David Zinczenko. Throughout his essay he explains his reasoning with many hard facts and personal stories about fast food insufficient food labels and how they’re causing multiple health implications. Is that really the issue, though? Clearly the fast food industry has to take some of the blame for this problem,but they are not the direct cause. Therefore fast food is not a direct cause of â€Å" Fast food related il lness,† and obesity in America. Look around and see all the news and articles concerning the health risk of eating fast food in America and even other countries. In fact, the fast food is truly killing us. They leave out important warnings and try to hide important nutritional facts that counteract the ways of trying to eat healthy. The fast food companies should be taking responsibility for what they are doing to their customers. Zinczenko says â€Å"If you pour what you ve been served, you re suddenly up around 1,040Show MoreRelatedWhy Do We Blame The Victim?921 Words   |  4 PagesThere is an idea that we have become a nation of victims. Some psychologist and most people have a don’t blame the victim mentality. While other psychologist look at the victims as being held accountable in some cases. Looking at the data and validity of these arguments, I believe that neither one should be used but instead we should shy away from the blame approach and develop a bette r understanding of the role victims play in violent situations Why do we blame the victim? Some psychologist argueRead MoreEssay about Analysis of Jack Johnsons Cookie Jar920 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Cookie Jar† because of the old saying â€Å"Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar, Who me, Yes you, No not me† this means that we are always trying to find someone else to blame, rather than ourselves, we try to find a scapegoat to get us out of the mess that we have created. â€Å"Cookie Jar† challenges the beliefs and values of western society because, in the song a young boy kills another young child with a gun and he said that you cant blame him. His dad , the media man, theRead MoreFast Food1145 Words   |  5 Pagesthe United States and more and more children are being affected. But do uneducated families have the right to put the blame on fast food restaurants for the health issues they could easily prevent? I believe that we are taking it too far by blaming fast food restaurants for obesity and that it is an individual’s responsibility to take the blame. While R.A. Ames The Food Isn’t to Blame and Richard Daynard â€Å"You Want Fries with That?† use different themes of blaming fast companies and individual decisionsRead MoreA Critique of â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† by David Zinczenko1661 Words   |  7 Pagesgoing on in America. Any way one can want to talk about the problem, it will always be a huge dilemma throughout the United States. For a long time now, people have been discussing who is to blame for the obesity crisis going on. Some people prefer to blame the government, several blame the restaurants, others the parents and even the schools receive criticism for obesity. People should develop their own ideas on the obesity crisis and to figure out who is to blame and how to fix the problem. TheRead MoreObesity On The United States981 Words   |  4 Pages We are all guilty, we rather spend five dollars on a McDonalds or Burger King meal, instead of taking a little time the day before and making our self our own meal, but let’s keep on mind that just because is made home doesn’t mean is healthy. According to article â€Å"The state of obesity† by better policies of America more than one third of adults (34.9) are obese in the United States. But why is there so much obesity on the United States and who is there to blame? We can go ahead and blame the fastRead MoreWhos to Blame in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet? Essay examples1127 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;Why is it that we as human beings feel the need to blame someone for every negative situation, which occurs? If we really look at the situation with any great depth, we may discover that an almost endless amount of things may be blamed for the tragedy blaming an individual is pointless - onl y fate can really be blamed. nbsp; nbsp;Some characters who are more commonly blamed are Romeo and Juliet themselves. With their headstrong personalities, and love, which seemed so sure, theyRead MoreMy Social Issue : Unfair Trials1180 Words   |  5 Pagesinterests me and the second reason is because my best friend was wrongfully convicted and put in prison. I am always looking at cases like these kinds of things and looking at different perspectives on these cases. The problem about unfair trials is that we are putting good people away for a small mistake for a long time and rapists and murderers for a shorter period of time. â€Å"Ex-Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner is set to walk free from a California jail Friday morning. He would be three monthsRead MoreObesity And The United States973 Words   |  4 PagesWe are all guilty of spending five dollars a meal from McDonalds or Burger King instead of taking a little time the day before and making our self our own meal, but let’s keep in mind that ju st because is made home doesn’t mean is healthy. According to the article â€Å"The state of obesity† by better policies of America more than one third of adults (34.9) are obese in the United States. But why is there so much obesity in the United States and who is there to blame? We can go ahead and blame the fastRead MoreStrategies for Dealing with Difficult Conversations in â€Å"Difficult Conversations† by Stone, Patton, and Heen 546 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Difficult Conversations† by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen is about the steps to take when dealing with difficult conversations. Difficult conversations can arise from any type of relationship whether is be in the workplace or with family. The fear of consequence is what leads to avoidance of difficult conversations and the goal is to reduce that fear. There are three stages in a difficult conversation, these stages include â€Å"The Problem†, â€Å"Shift to a Learning Sta nce† and â€Å"Create aRead MoreA Sociological Perspective On Homelessness1587 Words   |  7 Pagesrevealed that there were approximately 633,782 people who are homeless in America or 20 out of every 10,000. Approximately 394,379 are single individuals and 239,403 are people in families with 77,157 homeless families in a single night, and approximately 162, 246 are children. Veterans are more likely to be homeless than those who are non-veterans, approximately 29 out of every 10,000 veterans are homeless. Unfortunately, 38 percent of those who are homeless are unsheltered, either living on the streets

Strategic Governance and Management Accounting

Question: 1. Present (using the Performance Measure Record Sheet), a KPI that is important for the future of the business? 2. Critically assess the role of this KPI in the management of the business ? Performance Measure Record Sheet 3. Discuss how you would go about setting the target for this KPI? 4. Present other complementary measures/approaches you could take to improve the effectiveness of this KPI in controlling and managing the business? Answer: 1. Present (using the Performance Measure Record Sheet), a KPI that is important for the future of the business According to (Daeki Kim and Noto, 2011), a key performance indicator is the business metric that is used to assess the factors, which are crucial to the organisational success. The key performance indicator differs as per the organisation; the KPIs in the business can be customer loyalty metric or net revenue whilst the government considers the rates of unemployment. In the case study given it seen that Bob Greenwood having a talent in designing the gaming machines was replaced by an accountant becoming the head of the company because the owners were dissatisfied with the performance of the company. The profitability of the company was not matching to their expectations that led to the replacement. The owners of the company failed to evaluate the indicators of the organisational success before making the accountant as the company head. In a manufacturing industry, there are multiple processes to increase the output of the production. In a gaming and video amusement industry, innovation is required to manufacture a gaming machine in alignment with the design and the costs of the same (Marfels, 2011). It is seen in the case study that several issues have cropped up after the replacement of Bob; materials in the plant were disorganised and no one knew what exactly they have to do, issues on the units costs of the machines parts, quality assurance, latest innovation. Reshaping the organisation can be done by reducing the cycle time of the innovation process or the production, elimination of the unproductive time causes, elimination of the time wasted in the production of the poor quality machinery. As commented by (Riexinger et al., 2015), the performance measure record sheet identifies what a good performance measure comprises of. The framework makes sure that measures are defined clearly. Below given is the Performan ce Measure Record Sheet Title Adherence To The Schedule Of The Customer Purpose Enabling the company to monitor the performance of factory completion Relates to Business Goals Meeting the standards of quality and no complaints from the customers Target 100% completion of schedule on time Frequency Weekly Who measures? Manager in Despatch Data Source Delivery Receipt Who acts on data? Manager in Production Objectives Investigating the reasons for delayed delivery Title Identification Of Latest Technologies And Innovation Purpose Enabling everyone to be involved in the identification process of technology Relates to Business Goals Improving the service quality for the customers Target 1000 assessment forms of the technology Frequency Monthly Who measures? Finance Manager Data Source Assessment forms of technology to accompany claims of the expense Who acts on data? Director of procurement Objectives Monitoring the forms returned and the contributions Title Quality Assurance Purpose Enabling the workers to maintain the product quality Relates to Business Goals - Enhancing the product quality Target 100% TQM (Total Quality Management) Frequency Daily Output Who measures? Quality Engineer Data Source Assessment of the output quality Who acts on data? Project Manager Objectives Monitoring the output produce and evaluating the same. Title Warehouse Management Purpose To ensure the organised plant premises and storage of the materials properly Relates to Business Goals - Enhancing proper management of the materials of the production Target 100% storage of the materials unused Frequency Daily Output Who measures? Warehouse Manager Data Source Assessment of materials used and unused Who acts on data? Project Manager Objectives Monitoring the management of effective warehouse 2. Critically assess the role of this KPI in the management of the business The Performance Measure Record Sheet is a tool that defines the features required for ant measurement strategy that a business may use. According to the opinion of (Roth, 2014), having a clear, relevant and unambiguous measures will form the basis of any enhancement in work. If the company concentrates on measures on a proper work area, any enhancement action might be wasted or even make the matters worse. If these measures are unreliable, than the customers can defy the actions they oppose and hold-up the implementation till the authenticated data is obtained (Samsonowa, 2012). This tool is specifically used to make sure that the business makes consistent decisions when they work in groups or as teams to recognise the metrics in use also agreeing the work of the measures and the process in which they are calculated. According to the case study, it is found that the owners of the company were dissatisfied with the performance of the company even though it was doing well in the market. The profitability of the company did not match with the expectations of the owners. They wanted more. After they replaced Bob with an accountant as the head, they forgot to evaluate the KPI of the organisation that would have improved the success of the organisation. After the new chief executive started to take a tour of the whole plant, he found some things going wrong in the factory that made him think about reshaping the company. The key performance indicator of the company is to sustain the success of the company. The business metric of this company is to earn profitability by ensuring quality products to the customers (Stumpp, 2012). If we critically assess the indicators we see that the adherence to the schedule of the customer and the quality assurance covers the part where there is a necessity to maintain t he balance between demand and the supply. Here the whole plant could be made more efficient by the alignment of both these indicators. The production department and the quality assurance tem must work together to settle the plant management system where the change in the products will be monitored and the delivery of the same will be accordingly done. This will increase the efficiency of the departments with no non-quality products and effective time management for the delivery. It was seen in the case study that the production manager pointed that the marketing department wants instant delivery of the products just after he receives the designs of the products; this creates a mismanagement as there is no time left for the production manager to settle the production system (Um, Gontarz and Stroud, 2015). As commented by (Vokorokos and dm, 2011), warehouse management is an essential part of the management and it controls primarily the movement and the storage of the materials in the warehouse and the procedure of the related transactions like receiving, shipping, picking and put away. In this case study it seen that when the new executive visited the plant, he saw the parts of the finished goods lying everywhere making the plant disorganised. None of the employees knew what to do with these parts. This key performance indicator of warehouse management is essential to keep the plant organised. It is the part of the organizational success when these parts of the finished goods are stored safely in the warehouse so that they are used when they are required to. As opined by (Watkins, West-Meiers and Song, 2013), in a warehouse of a company, the warehouse manager should integrate with the accounting department seamlessly to keep a track on the parts of the finished goods so that they are u tilised when they are in need. This will reduce the production costs of the company and will increase the profitability of the same. This falls under the business objective. As commented by (Wen, Li and Luo, 2012), when a company works in innovative industry, it is required to identify and evaluate the latest technologies for the success of the business. The case study shows that the company deals in the video amusement market and this innovation is a necessity in this market to stay ahead of the competitors. Bob, being an engineer had talent and interest in the gaming machines mechanism. After he was fired the company is at loss because innovation of the machines was at stake than. A young engineer took the responsibility of putting together the specifications of the machine with state of the art software to stay ahead of the competition. He was unable to proceed because of the abrupt departure of Bob. The company should focus on this attribute of key performance indicator because it includes the sound evaluation of likelihood of the success of the technology and the application of the scope (Zhang, 2013). 3. Setting the target for the KPI According to the outlook and viewpoint of Daniel (2011) it is essential for Birmingham Amusement Machines to set the target for the successful accomplishment of the target that is set up for the KPI. Initially the account need to be make a proper budget of the overall cost of the production of the gaming machines along with the requirements of the resources both software and hardware. The accountant need to be assisted by a lead engineer for helping in making the list of the requirements that is essential. As per commented by Phillips and Lawrence (2012) the other officials those assist in making the effective target accomplishment for the KPI are the market researcher, market research analyst along with production manager and line manager. The market researcher helps in understanding the whole market scenario that will focus in understanding the needs and wants as well as requirements of the organization. Based on the research made by the market researcher, the researched items are well analyzed for concrete and best results. So, it is the responsibility of the market researcher to collect accurate results from the market. In addition to this Santini (2013) also commented on the essential fact that the market researcher also focuses towards the accurate market research that will help the organization in producing the gaming machines as per the needs and requirements. The production manger along with the warehouse manager is focused in understanding the needs and requirements of the market and produces the goods as per the customer requirements. From the outlook and opinion of Kownatzki et al. (2012) the warehouse manager ascertains to maintain a good warehouse stock so that as per the demand of the supply of the products can be done. The organization need to be much more organized and also need to set up the goals of the organization and steps are made that helps in measuring the progress that organization is making towards accomplishment of the goals. On the other hand as per commented by Angelis (2014) the production manager also need to keep in mind and analyze the market regarding the modern technology. The more and better quality along with modern technology is used within the organization; the better will be the upgraded machines. This will therefore increase the market share of the organization along with increase in profitability of the organization as per the expectations. From the outlook and opinion of Ravasi and Phillips (2011) the production manager also need to be responsible for providing trainings to the employees for upgrading them with the modern technology. This is because it will help in better production of the goods and products. The better will be the usage of the modern technology and software, the better will be the outcome and hence the more the organization will be led towards the success in this competitive market. 4. Measures or approaches that are taken for improvement of the effectiveness of the KPI for management and control of business Ratnatunga (2012) commented on the essential fact that KPI or Key Performance Indicator helps in understanding the maintenance that is done for achievement of operational performance. Effective and efficient maintenance of the overall performance of the organization helps in reduction of the risks with the less resources and time. The Birmingham Amusement Machines has taken major approaches that can be taken that help in improvement of the effectiveness of the KPI for better control and management of business are thereby discussed below. As per commented by Cosenz and Onto (2015) it is essential for the organization to take into account the effectiveness of KPI that helps in improvement and innovation within the organization. The measures or approaches are therefore discussed below- Usage of upgraded software and hardware- Juul Andersen (2011) commented on the essential fact that the organization can focus towards the usage of innovative software and hardware. This will improve the key performance of the organization and hence it will also focus towards the better and performance of the organization that will lead to the increase in market share. With the changing technology, the gaming industry needs to upgrade itself constantly for capturing as well as maintaining their already gained prestigious position in this ever competitive market scenario. According to the outlook and point of view of Harris (2011) for improving the key performance, innovation is essential. So, the higher officials unlike Bob need to focus much on innovation rather than the market price of the machines. This is because superior will be the quality the product the better will be the market share and competition with its rivals and competitors. Setting the allotted time- From the point of view of Balasubramanian et al. (2015) time is an essential instrument that focuses towards completion of the effective work at allocated time. The allocation of time is set for the organizational production and delivery of the products to the casinos, clubs, bars and pubs helps in keeping a tough competition with the other competitors. The reputation of the organization lies in the completion of the work in specified period of time and hence the target is set for the organization to deliver its products in time. According to the opinion of Phillips and Lawrence (2012) the organization should be working on the specifications mentioned by the engineers working with the organization. The specifications should be accomplished within the specified period of time and hence this can help in up-gradation of the whole system. Maintenance of quality of the Resources- As mentioned by Ravasi and Phillips (2011) resources are the essential part of the organization and it is the responsibility of the organization to maintain the quality of the resources. This improves the effectiveness of the working throughout the organization and hence focuses towards the reliability towards the production of superior quality products. The better the quality of the resources and raw materials will be the better will be the quality of the finished products that can compete with the competitors. The qualities of the resources or raw materials need to be the best of times that will definitely help in improvement of the overall production performance of the organization (Kownatzki et al. 2012). Improvement of the skills and knowledge of employees- Daniel (2011) commented that up gradation and improvement of skills and knowledge of the employees is essential for the overall operative success of the organization. The skills and knowledge need to be improved and the employees also need to be equipped with the modern and upgraded technology for staying in the competition as well as for producing the best quality products. Keeping a balance between demand and supply- From the opinion and outlook of Juul Andersen (2011) it is essential for the organization to maintain a balance between the demand and supply of the organization. This is because, it is previously seen that several parts of the machines and games are found lying within the organization that shows the cause of increased expenses or operating cost. So as commented by Ratnatunga (2012) this can be reduced extensively by maintaining a close balance between the demand and supply of the products. Instead the organization needs to focus on the adoption of modern and innovative technologies along with timely delivery of the products to the clients. In addition to this, for improvement of the KPI, it is to be remembered that the quality of the gaming machines need to be innovate, attractive and most recent on the market. Store and warehouse management- From the point of view of Harris (2011) the management and maintenance of store and warehouse is essential for Birmingham Amusement Machines. This is because it is seen that the organization need to focus on the expectations and profitability since it is failing to meet the profit expectations of the organization. Moreover, it was previously seen that the whole organization is disorganized in nature and hence the unit production costs have increased considerably. As commented strategically by Ravasi and Phillips (2011) this is caused due to the scattering of the finished and semi finished products within the organization without anybodys notice. The marketing manager also needs to be the more effective in maintaining the warehouse of the organization. This will lead in decrease in unit production cost as well as reach the expected profit margin of the organization. References Angelis, J. (2014). Strategic management of global manufacturing networks. Production Planning Control, pp.1-2. Balasubramanian, S., Jones, E., Gray, B., Armstrong, H. and Samdurkar, R. (2015). Evaluating Six Sigma Implementation Effectiveness through Statistical Process Control. SMQ, 3(1). Cosenz, F. and Noto, L. (2015). Combining system dynamics modelling and management control systems to support strategic learning processes in SMEs: a Dynamic Performance Management approach. Journal of Management Control. Daniel, S. (2011). Implementation of Japanese manufacturing strategies through management control systems. Strategic Direction, 27(7). Harris, E. (2011). Strategic Project Risk Appraisal and Management. Strategic Direction, 27(4). Juul Andersen, T. (2011). Strategic Risk Management Practice: How to Deal Effectively with Major Corporate Exposures. Strategic Direction, 27(7). Kownatzki, M., Walter, J., Floyd, S. and Lechner, C. (2012). Corporate Control and the Speed of Strategic Business Unit Decision Making. Academy of Management Journal, 56(5), pp.1295-1324. Phillips, N. and Lawrence, T. (2012). The turn to work in organization and management theory: Some implications for strategic organization. Strategic Organization, 10(3), pp.223-230. Ratnatunga, J. (2012). Strategic governance and management accounting: evidence from a case study. Strategic Direction, 28(3). Ravasi, D. and Phillips, N. (2011). Strategies of alignment: Organizational identity management and strategic change at Bang Olufsen. Strategic Organization, 9(2), pp.103-135. Santini, F. (2013). Strategic Management Accounting and financial performance in the small and medium sized Italian manufacturing enterprises. MANAGEMENT CONTROL, (1), pp.77-107. Daeki Kim, and Noto, (2011). A Study on the Supply Chain KPI Management System Through Rule-based Real-time Event Management. koreanjournaloflogistics, 19(1), pp.23-41. Marfels, C. (2011). The Monopoly Issue in the Gaming Industry Revisited: The Case of German Casino Gaming. Gaming Law Review and Economics, 15(4), pp.175-177. Riexinger, G., Holtewert, P., Bruns, A., Wahren, S., Tran, K. and Bauernhansl, T. (2015). KPI-focused Simulation and Management System for Eco-Efficient Design of Energy-Intensive Production Systems. Procedia CIRP, 29, pp.68-73. Roth, W. (2014). Evaluation and Reward Systems: The Key Shapers of Organization Culture. Perf. Improv., 53(8), pp.24-29. Samsonowa, T. (2012). Industrial research performance management. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag. Stumpp, P. (2012). Strategisches KPI-Reporting und Nutzenmodell fr die unternehmensweite Informationsbereitstellung. Information - Wissenschaft Praxis, 63(3). Um, J., Gontarz, A. and Stroud, I. (2015). Developing Energy Estimation Model Based on Sustainability KPI of Machine Tools. Procedia CIRP, 26, pp.217-222. Vokorokos, L. and  dm, N. (2011). Double Input Operators of the DF KPI System. Acta Electrotechnica et Informatica, 11(4). Watkins, R., West-Meiers, M. and Song, K. (2013). Performance Improvement: A Key to Success in International Development Projects. Perf. Improv., 52(1), pp.29-37. Wen, X., Li, M. and Luo, R. (2012). Design and Application of KPI Query and Analysis System Based on Warehouse. AMR, 479-481, pp.2616-2619. Zhang, K. (2013). Design for Enterprise Asset Management Evaluation System of Power Generation Enterprises Based on KPI. AMR, 694-697, pp.3401-3405.

Prince Essays - Machiavellianism, The Prince, Italian Politicians

Prince Niccolo Machiavelli tells of the methods that have been the most successful in gaining and maintaining power in non-democratic governments in his classic novel, The Prince. Through a meticulous analysis of political history up to his point in time, he tells of the political strategies that had worked for rulers time and time again and also of those that had failed. Machiavelli maintains that any opposition to a ruler's power should be disposed of. He gives the example of Agathocles who had his army quickly and ruthlessly killed the senate of Syracuse and all of the other powerful people in the city so that he could easily take control with no one to oppose him. Machiavelli does not glorify these actions. He merely states that they work. Machiavelli also put a great value on having a military made up of citizens of the state rather than mercenaries. He concluded that a citizens' army has more to lose if defeated and more to gain if victorious. A citizen's army is also more likely to be loyal to its ruler while mercenaries fight purely for profit. At the moment it becomes more profitable to take some other course of action than to follow the orders of their employer, mercenaries will do so. Machiavelli cites several examples where having an army of mercenaries limited the capabilities of the state's military. King Louis XI employed Swiss mercenaries who fought along side his own troops. In time the French troops were so accustomed to fighting with the Swiss that they felt they couldn't be victorious without them. Machiavelli also gave some examples of times when mercenaries actually turned on their employers such as the Carthaginians' mercenaries that turned on them after they fought the Romans. Machiavelli said that it was critical for a ruler to be constantly thinking of the art of war. He should come to know the landscape of his own country in order to know the best strategies for battle should his nation every be attacked, and through this he should also be able to deduce how to react in similar terrain in another place. Francesco Sforza raised himself from a private person to the station of Duke of Milan through battle. Machiavelli believed that a ruler should know how to do wrong. He who tries to do what is morally right instead of what needs to be done will soon lose his power. Machiavelli states that it is better to be feared than loved if one cannot be both. A ruler should not be too merciful. Ruthlessness that sets a few examples is ultimately more merciful when it prevents disorder because many may die in disorder. Hannibal was ruthless and cruel, and he was both revered and feared in the eyes of his enormous army, allowing him to keep them under his command. Machiavelli explains that a ruler should have the cunning of a fox and the strength of a lion. Without cunning a ruler is susceptible to tricks and traps, but without a strong military he is likely to be overwhelmed by the opposition. Alexander VI was an especially cunning ruler. He was always deceiving someone. Deceit can often be used to manipulate others. Niccolo Machiavelli is one of the most widely read authors of all time. His book, The Prince, has been studied by many people including Hitler and several U.S. presidents. By the age of 29 Machiavelli was active in the Florentine government, participating in several diplomatic missions to other nations that afforded him the opportunity to observe their practices.