Love electra donates thousands of products

San Antonio, TX, April 9, 2008 Love Electra will be donating thousands of its inspiring t-shirt products to the national media advocacy and anti-defamation organization the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for the commemoration of its 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, an extended event that will be celebrated in four cities across the country. The GLAAD Media Awards recognizes and honors media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives. The gala affair, which kicked off in New York City with a reception and dinner featuring some of America’s most talented and renowned entertainers and media personalities, continues through May 10th with events in South Florida, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The GLAAD Media Awards message of inclusion and acceptance is precisely the one that Love Electra propagates daily with its commitment to love and positivity. Love Electra, a company that specializes in the conception, design and manufacture of t-shirts that spread positive messages of love, has recognized the constructive influence that GLAAD has had on the media’s treatment of the once marginalized LGBT community. Electra performs this gesture as a means of emphasizing its whole-hearted endorsement of the GLAAD Media Awards. Through the dissemination of products containing memorable pro-love slogans at this event, it recognizes the common goal that exists between the two organizations in their harmonious desire to spread the anti-hate message. â€Å"We appreciate Love Electra’s generous and heartfelt support of the 19th Annual GLAAD Media and our critical ongoing work in media advocacy, fighting defamation and changing hearts and minds,† said Diana Rodriquez, director of special events & sponsorship for GLAAD. The dilemma faced by members of the LGBT, as well as other communities, has always inspired many of the creative products that bear Love Electra’s designs. The messages spread by its founder and designers via their t-shirts are of particular interest to the members of the LGBT community, as one of Electra’s aims is to discourage the unfair treatment of individuals on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Rather, love, inspiration, and acceptance are the mission of the company, and with every t-shirt worn by the public the message is spread further. Through its efforts, Love Electra seeks to empower the LGBT community to become what they in fact already are—this and future generations of creative, inspiring, and talented role models. The company uses love-inspired quotes to stir the radiation of love from the center of persons who wear the products toward all those with whom they come in contact. The artistry that mixes beautiful colors with powerful designs is therefore also infused with positivity and inspiration. Love Electra uses the psychology of color to imbue its products with energy and appeals to such groups as New Age religious organizations who take pride in their work toward furthering the cause of harmony. The company also appeals to all social, political and environmental groups concerned with the furtherance of justice, equality, and fairness for all who share the planet. Love Electra caters to men, women, and children with t-shirts of all designs and styles. They come decorated with rhinestones and rhinestuds or just plain silkscreen graphics for those who want to keep it simple. To obtain your love, New Age, ecology, environmental or other types of inspiring t-shirts from Love Electra, visit the online store at http://www.loveelectra.com. With the discount code GLAAD2008, you will receive a 30% discount on all products, plus free shipping for domestic orders, until July 31, 2008. You may also obtain additional information about Love Electra products, promotions and events on the website. www.loveelectra.com or www.myspace.com/ignitehearts For more information about GLAAD’s work and the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, please visit www.glaad.org. ###   

21th Bled eConference eCollaboration Essay

1 Introduction This is not a research paper. Rather, it is a teaching report in which I describe the use of the so called beer distribution game (or beergame) – a logistics and supply chain simulation game – in teaching business-to-business eCommerce. The aim of the paper is twofold: First, I want to demonstrate how the beergame can be used to provide students with a more profound understanding of the reasons why eCommerce technologies are used in contemporary supply chains to exchange information and to facilitate collaboration. Second, I want to share both my experiences and my materials for using the beergame in eCommerce courses with the IS community, i.e. those scholars that teach (business-to-business) eCommerce or supply chain management courses. The beergame is a role-play simulation game in which students enact a four stage supply chain. The task of this supply chain is to produce and deliver units of beer: the factory produces and the other three stages deliver the beer unit s until it reaches the customer at the downstream end of the chain. In doing so, the aim of the players is rather simple: each of the four groups has to fulfil the incoming orders of beer by placing orders with the next upstream party. Since communication and collaboration is not allowed between supply chain stages, the players invaria588 bly create the so called bullwhip effect. With ‘bullwhip’ we refer to the effect that the amount of periodical orders amplifies upstream in the supply chain towards the production end, thus causing a range of operational problems. The bullwhip effect is a well-known phenomenon and a prominent symptom of coordination problems in supply chains. In using the beergame to create the bullwhip effect students experience first hand, not only the problems of lack of information sharing and collaboration in supply chains, but also the main causes for the creation of the bullwhip effect. Henceforth, in introducing eCommerce measures in the later sessions of the course, students can relate to these topics through their own experiences. The paper ties in with a recent discussion on the ISWorld eMail list on â€Å"how to make relevant IS teaching for students with little or no practical experience†. In teaching information systems (IS) and specifically B2B eCommerce we frequent ly experience problems of making relevant those topics for students. The challenge is to get them to appreciate the relevance of IS and also to provide them, not only with a superficial knowledge of the topics, but with a more profound understanding of the reasons why eCommerce technologies are used in practice. Against this backdrop I want to show how the beergame can help demonstrating the role and need of eCommerce technologies in a topic area in which the students not only lack practical knowledge (i.e. with regards to supply chains), but typically also do not have their own frame of reference to be able to relate to the topics we teach. To this end, I will introduce the beergame, demonstrate its use in a classroom setting, present typical results created by playing the game and show how I embed the game in a typical B2B eCommerce syllabus. I begin with introducing the game and the bullwhip effect (in section 2). In section 3, I then describe the application of the beergame in a classroom setting; I give an overview of a beergame session and present typical results. Section 4 demonstrates how typical supply chain problems (and the causes of the bullwhip effect) can be deduced from the beergame experience in order to motivate the introduction of eCommerce measures for improving supply chain coordination. The section is concluded by a synopsis of typical eCommerce topics that can follow the beergame in a typical B2B syllabus (section 4.3). 2 The Beergame In the following I will first give a brief introduction to the bullwhip effect before I introduce the beergame itself, i.e. its history, structural setup and the rules of the game. 2.1 Bullwhip effect as symptom of typical supply chain problems The bullwhip effect is a well-known symptom of typical coordination problems in (traditional) supply chains. It refers to the effect that the amount of periodical orders amplifies as one moves upstream in the supply chain towards the production end (Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a). Even in the face of stable customer demand small variations in demand at the retail end tend to dramatically amplify upstream the supply chain with the effect that order amounts are very erratic, and can be very high in one week and almost zero in the next week. This phenomenon was discovered and first described by Forrester (1961) who did research into the relationship between ordering and stock keeping patterns using simulation models (Warburton 2004). The term itself was first coined around 1990 when Procter&Gamble perceived erratic and amplified order patters in its supply chain for 589 baby diapers. The effect is also known by the names whiplash or whipsaw effect (Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a), which refers metaphorically to the visualisation of order patterns moving upstream the supply chain (see figure 3). As a consequence of the bullwhip effect a range of inefficiencies occur throughout the supply chain, e.g. high (safety) stock levels, poor customer service levels, poor capacity utilisation, aggravated problems with demand forecasting, and ultimately high cost and low levels of inter-firm trust (Chopra & Meindl 2001; Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a). While the effect is not new and a lot of research has been conducted and supply chain projects have been initiated since its discovery, it is still a timely and pressing problem in contemporary supply chains. Various research studies have quantified the effect and estimate that profitability in most supply chains might improve by up to 30% by eliminating the bullwhip effect (Metters 1997; McCullen & Towill 2002). 2.2 Beergame setup and rules Having introduced the bullwhip effect and its implications for the supply chain and its players I will now introduce the beergame, its setup and rules. I begin by providing a brief history of the game before I present the general structure and the rules of the game. 2.2.1 History of the beergame The beergame (or beer distribution game) was originally invented in the 1960s by Jay Forrester at MIT as a result of his work on system dynamics (see Forrester 1957). While the original goal of the simulation game was to research the effect of systems structures on the behaviour of people (â€Å"structure creates behaviour†), the game can also be used to demonstrate the benefits of information sharing, supply chain management, and eCollaboration in the supply chain (Li & Simchi-Levi 2002). A range of different versions of the beergame have emerged over the years. The original beergame was realised as a board game (Sterman 1989). Meanwhile a table version (Ossimitz, Kreisler & Zoltan 20 02) and also computerised simulations (Hieber & Hartel 2003) have been developed. In this paper I predominantly draw on a table version, which I adapted from the so called Klagenfurt design (cp. Ossimitz, Kreisler & Zoltan 2002); the structural setup of the table version is shown in figures 1 and 2. I will briefly discuss advantages and disadvantages of the different game versions in chapter 3.1 where I discuss the administration of the beergame in a classroom setting. 2.2.2 General structure of the game The beergame simulates a supply chain that consists of four stages (retailer, wholesaler, distributer and factory), each of which is played by one or better two or three players (Goodwin & Franklin Sr. 1994). Hence, a supply chain is typically played by 8 to 12 people, while more than one supply chain can be administered in one class at the same time. The task of each supply chain is to produce and deliver units of beer: the factory produces and the other three stages deliver the be er units until it reaches the external customer at the downstream end of the supply chain. In doing so, the aim of the players is rather simple: each sub group has to fulfil the incoming orders of beer. The retailer receives an externally predetermined customer demand and places orders with the wholesaler; the wholesaler sends orders to the distributor, who orders from the factory; the factory finally 590 produces the beer. Hence, orders flow in the upstream direction, while deliveries flow in the downstream direction of the supply chain. An important structural aspect of the game is delay (i.e. time lag) in order to account for logistics and production time. Each delivery (and production order) requires two rounds until they are finally delivered to the next stage. In the structural setup of the game this is represented by two shipping delay fields located in between the supply chain stages as well as at the production end (figure 1). Order flow Delay Delay Delay Delay Factory Factory Distributor Distributor Wholesaler Wholesaler Retailer Retailer Product flow Figure 1: Supply chain setup in the beergame table version Student Outgoing order Play sheet Incoming order Wholesaler Delay Distributor Distributor Outgoing delivery Delay Factory Incoming delivery Student Student Figure 2: Detailed table layout 2.2.3 Rules of the game The game is played in rounds, which simulates weeks. In each round the following steps have to be carried out by the players: 1) receive incoming orders, 2) receive incoming deliveries, 3) update play sheets (outstanding deliveries and inventory), 4) send out deliveries, and finally 5) decide on the amount to be ordered. In doing so, deciding on each round’s order amount is effectively the only decision that players are able to make throughout the game; everything else follows a set of fixed rules. The first rule is that every order has to be fulfilled, either directly (should the players’ inventory be large enough) or later in subsequent rounds. In the latter case, players have to keep track of their backlog (backorder) (Coakley et al. 1998). Secondly, inventory and backlog incur cost – each item in stock costs EUR 0.50 per week, while each item on backlog costs EUR 1.00. Consequently, the primary aim of ea ch subgroup is to keep their costs low. Hence, the optimal strategy for the players is to run their business with as little stock as possible without being forced to â€Å"move into backorder†. Thirdly, players are not allowed to communicate. The only information they are allowed to exchange is the order amount; there is no transparency as to what stock levels or actual customer demand is; only the retailer knows the external demand (Rafaeli et al. 2003). Moreover, the game is based on the simplification of unlimited capacity (in stock keep591 ing, production and transportation) and unlimited access to raw materials at the production end (Hieber & Hartel 2003). 2.2.4 The external demand In playing the game the external demand is predetermined and usually does not vary greatly. In the beginning, the supply chain is pre-initialised with inventory levels (e.g. 15 units), orders (e.g. 5 units) and beer units in the shipping delay fields (e.g. 5 units). In order to induce the bullwhip effect to the supply chain the external demand remains stable for a few rounds (e.g. 5 units for 5 rounds) before it suddenly shows one steep increase (jumps to 9 units) before it remains stable again at this higher level for the remainder of the game (usually 40 to 50 rounds in total). However, the one increase in external demand is enough to induce variance into the supply chain, which will inevitably lead to the creation of the bullwhip effect and to a destabilisation of ordering patterns throughout the supply chain. 3 Using the beergame in class Having described the idea, the structural setup, and the rules of the beergame, I will now discuss the administration of the game in a classroom setting. This is followed by the presentation of typical results generated by beergame applications in eCommerces courses. These results are very useful for deriving the causes of the bullwhip effect in discussions with students in a so-called debriefing session (see section 4). For a session outline of a B2B course that uses the beergame please refer to appendix 2; the experiences shared in the following sections are more or less based on this session outline. 3.1 Administering the beergame 3.1.1 Choosing a beergame version As mentioned above, different versions of the beergame exist for use in classroom settings. The traditional version is a board game in which tokens are physically moved on the board to represent orders and stock. The upside of the board version is that people relate well to moving actual objects. However, there are two downsides: firstly, the board game is too slow, cumbersome and complex to administer; secondly and more importantly, because physical objects are used to represent inventory on the board, people enjoy an unwanted transparency of inventory levels of other supply chain stages and can thus strategically act upon their knowledge of incoming stock. The table version of the beergame was originally developed by a team at the University of Klagenfurt (Ossimitz, Kreisler & Zoltan 2002). It shows several improvements to the original design such as a leaner and more pragmatic approach to moving orders and stock in the supply chain. Essentially this is done by using paper slips on which numbers are written by the players. However, it still shows some administrative overhead such as a bookkeeping p erson that takes stock of all things happening within the supply chain using a computer. While this functions as a built-in safety net in case something goes wrong, it is still a hurdle to the application in a classroom setting and it also slows down the game, which results in long sessions and the students being bored throughout the game. Henceforth, I have adapted the table version and essentially eliminated the bookkeeper in order to achieve a more straightforward progression of the game. The 592 risk however is that students make mistakes in calculating order amounts or stock levels using the paper play sheet. While it helps to start slowly and to doublecheck the play sheet calculations during the first few rounds, in a few of my first beergame applications some people indeed miscalculated stock levels, which led to problems with interpreting the data later on. For this reason, today I use MS Excel and a laptop computer on each table for people to fill in their play sheets; this effectively eliminates the risk and ensures a quick progression of the game (see appendix 1 for a play sheet example). 3.1.2 Schedule of a beergame session The first step in administering the beergame is the preparations of the tables. As is illustrated in figure 2, four fields have to be marked on each table, which is done by fixing to the table 4 sheets of paper using sticky tape. The same is done with the delay fields. Furthermore, cardboard boxes (or plastic cups) and envelopes have to be filled with small paper slips to pre-initialise the supply chain with orders and deliveries. Then, every table has to be prepared with a stack of order and delivery slips that will be used by the players during the game. Finally, paper slips with the external demand progression (see above) have to be prepared that are handed to the retailer groups during the game. Also, for administering more than one supply chain, (student) assistants are needed to help with moving boxes and envelopes during the game. The second step is briefing the students; in doing so I provide a short introduction to the idea of the game, its history, structure, and rules (see above). When playing in more than one supply chain I stress the fact that groups of each stage are competing with one another (e.g. retailer vs. retailer), in order to get the students to take playing seriously. The third step is to start playing some initial trial rounds with the pre-initialised supply chain and to make sure that everyone gets used to filling in play sheets and order/delivery slips. Then, in the fourth step, the speed of playing the game is increased and the game is played for a number of 40 to 50 rounds. The game is then stopped abruptly so that the students do not have time to react strategically to the coming end of the game. The fifth and final part of the session is a short discussion directly after the game, where I ask students how they felt throughout the game and what they think the average customer demand was. The next session after the beergame session is the debriefing session, for which the data that the groups produced throughout the game has to be consolidated, plotted and analysed. Typical beergame results and their creation are presented in the next section; the debriefing session is described in section 4. 3.2 Typical progression and results of a beergame session Every beergame session follows roughly the same scheme, so that the progression of the game shows a recurring pattern. I usually start playing the game at a slow pace for people to get used to moving objects, taking stock and filling in the play sheets. What typically happens during these first few rounds is that people try to get rid of some of the inventory (e.g. 15 units) in order to manage their costs; hence they often only place small orders in the beginning (for an example see weeks 1-7 in figure 3). Consequently, when the customer demand jumps to the higher level in round 6 the supply chain has adjusted to a low demand scenario. After the steep increase many retailer groups tend to wait one or two rounds in order to see if the increase is permanent (as in figure 3). When they then place the first large order they invariably initiate a bullwhip effect that perpetuates through593 out the chain. Typically, the order amount increases with every stage in the supply chain (as in figure 3). What happens then is that the groups move deeply into backorder (see figure 4), because due to the delivery delays it takes quite some time for the beer to move through the supply chain to the retail end. Getting increasingly desperate players often try to send signals and place more large orders; in the end they typically lose track of what they have ordered and order way too much. The consequence is that the supply chain is flooded with beer and the inventories overflow (see weeks 2035 in figure 4). The effect is that people cease ordering entirely; e.g. a lot of very small orders are placed. This is especially true for the higher stages of the supply chain (see table 1). In the end, while the retailer groups often manage to stabilise their business, the higher stages have no idea of the actual customer demand and are left frustrated. Bullwhip Effect 70 60 50 Customer Orders 40 30 20 10 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 Week Retailer Wholesaler Distributor Factory Figure 3: Plot of order distribution, visualising the bullwhip effect Figure 3 shows the order distribution over 40 weeks and a typical bullwhip effect. Figure 4 shows the inventory fluctuation, with negative inventory representing back order. Table 1 finally shows the decrease in customer demand information upstream visualised by the average order amount by the four stages of the supply chain in this example. More importantly, the increase in order fluctuation upstream the supply chain is illustrated by the largest amount having been ordered in each stage and the number of small orders that were placed. This translates into an increase in inventory fluctuation as well. All this information is being used in the following debriefing session to discuss the bullwhip effect, its implications and the reasons for its existence. 594 Out of stock = Serious lack of service level! 200 150 100 Inventory 50 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 -50 -100 -150 Week Retailer Wholesaler Distributor Factory Figure 4: Example of inventory fluctuation (negative inventory = backorder) Key figures Retailer Wholesaler Distributor Factory ∅ order amount (units of beer) 8.33 8.68 8.75 9.95 Largest order amount 25 40 50 60 No of small orders (0-2 units) 4 11 14 18 Inventory fluctuation range 84 81 170 165 Table 1: Example of key figures derived from the beergame 4 Learning from the beergame results Having presented the way in which the beergame is administered and a typical progression of the game and its results, I will now first show how a debriefing session can be used to illustrate supply chain coordination problems and to derive typical causes for the creation of the bullwhip effect. Based on these causes one can then quite easily motivate eCommerce measures and ICT-based supply chain reform initiatives that aim at reducing the bullwhip effect and improving supply chain coordination. 4.1 The debriefing session The debriefing session follows the beergame session (see appendix 2). I usually begin the session with a brief discussion of students’ experiences throughout the game. Typically, the following questions are being discussed: Did you feel yourself controlled by forces in the system from time to time? Or did you feel in control? Did you find yourself â€Å"blaming† the groups next to you for your problems? Did you feel desperation at any time? This discussion typically shows that people indeed were blaming their neighbouring supply chain partners for not doing their jobs right (either not ordering in a 595 sensible way or not being able to deliver); desperation and frustration are common feelings during the last rounds of the game. A first learning from this discussion is that it is the structure of the game (i.e. the supply chain) that causes the behaviour. This is precisely what its inventor (Forrester) intended to achieve and what is referred to as the effects of systems dynamics. A second set of questions can then be discussed in order to reflect upon the beergame itself and its degree of simulating real world conditions: What, if anything, is unrealistic about this game? Why are there order delays? Why are there production delays? Shipping delays? Why have both distributor and wholesalers; why not ship beer directly from the factory to the retailer? Must the brewer be concerned with the management of the raw materials suppliers? Using these questions and by stressing the fact that real-life supply chains are much more complex (a huge variety of products and supply chain partners e xist, as well as complex criss-crossing networks of relationships) the students can quickly be convinced that real-life conditions favour the emergence of the bullwhip to a much greater extent and that the beergame is indeed a good vehicle to simulate the creation of the effect. Having established this necessary bit of legitimisation, the session can then proceed with presenting the beergame results and with identifying the underlying causes. Hence, the next step essentially is to present, for all supply chain groups, the data (table 1) and figures (3 and 4) presented above. In doing so, I typically have a very interactive and lively discussion. I ask what people thought while playing the game and what led them to, for example, place a huge order at a particular point in the game. In discussing the extreme examples, the class usually shares a laugh, which, as a nice by-product, leads to a more casual atmosphere and contributes to setting an open tone for the remainder of the course. I also honour the winning supply chain teams at this point in time. This is also the time where I introduce the concept of ‘cumulated supply chain cost’, e.g. by pointing ou t that the product at the customer end has to earn all (cumulated) costs of all supply chain parties; this insight serves as a first step in establishing the idea of global thinking and chainwide optimization, which essentially requires eCollaboration technologies. At this point in the session one can then either go straight to identifying the causes and effects of the bullwhip effect (see below), or take a little (useful) detour in discussing a teaching case to corroborate the results and to give the results of the beergame some more credibility. In doing so, I use the case of Italian pasta manufacturer Barilla, one of the first documented cases in which a company launched a project to identify the causes of the bullwhip effect and to introduce some countermeasures (see Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & Simchi-Levi 2003, p. 91). 4.2 Identifying the causes of the bullwhip effect The bullwhip effect, as simulated in the beergame, is mainly caused by three underlying problems: 1) a lack of information, 2) the structure of the supply chain and 3) a lack of collaboration and global optimisation. These three causes can be identified in an interactive session with the students by discussing the beergame experiences and then be corroborated with insights from practice and the literature. 596 4.2.1 Lack of information In the beergame no information except for the order amount is perpetuated up the supply chain. Henceforth, most information about customer demand is quickly lost upstream in the supply chain. Moreover, no other information is being shared. With these characteristics the beergame simulates supply chains with low levels of trust, where only little information is being shared between the parties. Without actual customer demand data, all forecasting has to rely solely on the incoming orders at each supply chain stage. In reality, in such a situation traditional forecasting methods and stock keeping strategies contribute to creating the bullwhip effect (Lee, Padmanabhan & Whang 1997a; Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & SimchiLevi 2003). Unexpected increases in orders from downstream partners translate into even higher order increases upstream, because when players regard the increase to be permanent and want to avoid running out of stock, they need to update their safety stock levels; hence they place an even larger order. Later, when it turns out that an increase was only temporary, safety stock levels are lowered and players might order nothing for a while, hence contributing to the bullwhip effect. 4.2.2 Supply chain structure The supply chain structure, with its design as separate stages and the long lead times, contributes to the bullwhip effect. The longer the lead time, i.e. the longer it takes for an order to travel upstream and the subsequent delivery to travel downstream, the more aggravated the bullwhip effect is likely to be. With traditional ordering, the point in time where an order is typically placed (the order point) is usually calculated by multiplying the forecasted demand with the lead time plus the safety stock amount, so that an order is placed so far in advance as to ensure service level during the time until the delivery is expected to arrive (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & Simchi-Levi 2003). Hence, the longer the lead time is, the more pronounced an order will be as an reaction to an increase in forecast ed demand (especially in conjunction with updating the safety stock levels, see above), which again contributes to the bullwhip effect. 4.2.3 Local optimisation Local optimisation, in terms of local forecasting and individual cost optimisation, and a lack of cooperation are at the heart of the bullwhip problem. A good example for local optimisation is the batch order phenomenon. In practice, ordering entails fix cost, e.g. ordering in full truck loads is cheaper then ordering smaller amounts. Furthermore, many suppliers offer volume discounts when ordering larger amounts. Hence, there is a certain incentive for individual players to hold back orders and only place aggregate orders. This behaviour however aggravates the problem of demand forecasting, because very little information about actual demand is transported in such batch orders. And batch ordering, of course, contributes directly to the bullwhip effect by unnecessarily inflating the orders. This might lead to lower local cost in the short term, but translates into higher overall cost at the chain level. 4.3 eCommerce measures to tackle the bullwhip effect Having identified and discussed the three problem areas with regard to both the beergame and their real-world counterparts, I then present three areas of improvement that directly correspond to the three problem areas: 1) information sharing in terms of electronic data interchange, 2) ICT-enabled supply chain re597 design, and 3) supply chain collaboration for global optimisation (see figure 5). In terms of teaching, these three bundles of eCommerce measures and initiatives can then be briefly introduced in one session (see appendix 3) or in more (technical and organisational) detail in three separate sessions (see appendix 2). In the following sections I give a brief overview of what can be part of those sessions. 1 Information loss upstream the supply chain Without direct communication, forecasting is based on aggregated, inaccurate information. This causes large stock, high cost, poor service levels. Improvement Efficient communication and information sharing 2 Supply chain structure Long lead times lead to increasing variability upstream making planning nearly impossible: large safety stock is required, variability increased. Slow downstream product flow causes poor service levels. Improvement Supply chain redesign: processes, tasks & roles 3 Local optimization Independent planning and local optimization lead to inefficiencies, such as local forecasting, batch ordering, inflated orders, etc. Improvement Cooperation to achieve global optimization Figure 5: Summary of bullwhip causes and areas of improvement 4.3.1 Efficient communication One of the most basic learnings from the beergame is to improve information sharing along the supply chain (e.g. of point-of-sale customer demand data); information sharing is the first step towards more advanced supply chain coordination (Muckstadt et al. 2001). Henceforth, the first step in teaching eCommerce measures is to present the principles and technologies of electronic data interchange. In doing so, I first of all discuss with the students the â€Å"principles of digitally mediated replenishment of goods† by Johnston (1999), essentially a collection of principles for effective inter-organisational electronic data interchange, such as the â€Å"once-only data entry principle† or the â€Å"synchronicity principle†. Based on these fundamental principles I discuss the ways in which traditional document-based ordering can be reformed using electronic data interchange. While these topics might seem to be outdated from a modern information systems perspective, it lays the foundation for a step-by-step increase of complexity that aims at providing the students with a more substantial knowledge of the problems and ideas behind ICT-enabled supply chain reform than can be achieved by a simple presentation of the latest communication technologies. The next step in this endeavour is to introduce technologies that are needed to enable effective inter-firm data interchange and electronic ordering, such as product numbering schemes and automatic product identification technologies. In most supply chains physical products have to be handled; hence ways are needed to attach information to these objects. Consequently, I introduce the following technologies: †¢ Standardised product numbering schemes: Here, the history, proliferation, functioning and impact of numbering schemes such as the Universal Product Code (UPC), the European Article Numbering (EAN) code and more special598 ised codes like for example container codes (SSCC) are introduced. Most of these codes today are administered by the standardisation organisation GS1 (2005). †¢ Automated product identification technologies: The technology with the greatest diffusion in the market is the barcode; while specialised barcodes exist in some industries, the most common one is the UCC/EAN-128 (Coyle, Bardi & Langley 1996). The second, much newer technology to be discussed here is Radio Frequency based Identification (RFID). †¢ Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): EDI is the basis for electronic ordering. Here, traditional EDI standards, such as the UN/EDIFACT, which was jointly developed by ISO and the UN (Coyle, Bardi & Langley 1996), can be discussed, as well as newer techniques such as Internet-based WebEDI and XML-enabled order exchange. In discussions with the students these enabling communication and data exchange technologies can then be related back to the beergame experience in that they 1 ) speed up the order process, thus reducing lead time and 2) enable more sophisticated information sharing of POS data. Moreover, they are the basis for the next step, the ICT-enabled redesign of supply chain structures. 4.3.2 ICT-enabled supply chain reform initiatives The second building block in dealing with the bullwhip effect comprises a range of different supply chain reform initiatives that can be subsumed under the concept of efficient replenishment. As such, two distinct types of measures can be distinguished: 1) inventory management concepts that aim at changing the ways in which actors in the supply chain carry out their roles of stock keeping and ordering and 2) logistics concepts that aim at improving actual material and information flow. Efficient inventory management is based on the idea that suppliers have timely access to POS data and can thus eliminate traditional forecasting and change the way ordering and inventory management is carried out (Lee, Padmanabhan & Wh ang 1997b). Three concepts with increasing degrees of complexity can be distinguished: †¢ Quick Response: The idea behind this concept is for the supplier to become more responsive to changes in customer demand through the sharing of POS data. Retailers still prepare individual orders, but suppliers are better prepared. †¢ Continuous Replenishment: Suppliers continually receive POS data from retailers to prepare shipments at agreed-upon levels. †¢ Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): Under this initiative the suppliers manage all inventory aspects for their own products at the retailer end. Suppliers decide on shipment levels without any orders from the retail end to be placed. In fact, the retailer has very little to do with the operational aspects in VMI (Waller, Johnson & Davis 1999). The second type of efficient replenishment measures is efficient logistics (see Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & Simchi-Levi 2003). Here, two main building blocks can be discussed: †¢ Warehousing and delivery concepts: Depending on the kinds of goods that are moved along the supply chain, different kinds of warehousing and delivery can be applied in order to achieve an optimal flow of goods. Cross docking is a concept in which warehouses function as inventory coordination points rather than actual inventory storage points; hence, goods are only re-shuffled 599 between trucks coming in from suppliers and trucks leaving for stores. This instrument can be used for fast selling products. For bulk products central warehousing can be used; while fresh products benefit from direct delivery. †¢ Full-blown just-in-time delivery (JIT): Most commonly found in the automotive industry, ‘just-in-time’ describes a concept, whereby supplier and manufacturer align their logistics and production processes to a degree that no (or very little) inventory is needed. Goods can be directly delivered from the production at the supplier to arrive just in time to be used in production at the manufacturer end (e.g. Johnson & Wood 1996). Changing the way in which inventory is managed means to effectively change the supply chain structure. For example, by implementing VMI the supply chain partners eliminate one stage of ordering, thus eradicating one step in the typical bullwhip chain of events. Moreover, by speeding up product flows using the logisti cs concepts lead time is being reduced, which in turn softens the bullwhip effect. Consequently, all measures discussed in this section can be directly motivated by the beergame. In presenting this block to the students I also point out, for every singly concept, the role of information systems and eBusiness technologies. 4.3.3 eCollaboration: joint planning and global optimisation The third block of eBusiness measures for tackling the bullwhip effect is the most sophisticated one and builds on the first two blocks. Global optimisation of supply chain processes can only be achieved through the collaboration of supply chain partners under a joint initiative. I present the Collaborative Planning Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) initiative as an example from the Grocery industry (VICS 2001) and also discuss (sometimes only briefly) joint product development initiatives in the automotive industry. CPFR as a concept builds on and extends concepts such as VMI by aiming at establishing a long-term planning of joint promotion activities. CPFR is based on the observation that a combination of inventory management and logistics concepts (see section 4.3.2 above) can reduce the bullwhip effect for day-to-day deliveries, but that these concepts still can not cope with demand variations induced by promotion activities. Hence, CPFR aims a t jointly planning promotions and to create transparency as to the expected demand increases induced by these promotions. The concept is based on the use of shared eMarketplace infrastructures, which I also discuss in some detail in this section. Again, the application of eCommerce technologies can be nicely illustrated using the beergame. 4.3.4 Summary The discussion of the three building blocks of eCommerce measures culminates in the development and presentation of an integrated model of eCommerce-based supply chain management informed by the key learnings from the beergame. The model is presented in figure 6. Following the line of argument in the last sections, it becomes obvious that the beergame can be used to motivate and substantiate large parts of a typical eCommerce masters course (as in appendix 2). In the next section I draw some final conclusions and briefly reflect upon the use of the beergame in a classroom setting. 600 Supply Chain Reform Initiatives Supply Chain Reform Initiatives Tactics Operations Infrastructure Improvements Improvements Suppy Chain Suppy Chain problems & problems & trade-offs trade-offs Information loss Joint Planning CPFR (promotions, product introduction), Category Mgmt, Production scheduling Collaboration Strategic alliances for global optimization Efficient Replenishment Inventory Management: Quick Response, CRP, VMI, SBT Redesign ICT-enabled supply Chain re-structuring S.C. structure Materials & information flow: Direct delivery, Warehousing, X-docking Local optimization Communication Information sharing, Electronic ordering Efficient Communications Infrastructure, EDI, AutoID, Product numbering, Process simplifications Figure 6: A comprehensive eCommerce and supply chain model 5 Conclusion and outlook I have introduced the beergame and demonstrated its usefulness in teaching B2B eCommerce and supply chain management. To the present day, I have used the beergame mainly in eCommerce masters courses at different Universities in different national contexts. The experiences and also the teaching evaluations have always been positive and very encouraging. While I believe that the beergame, and the way it is embedded in my B2B eCommerce syllabus, works well in providing students with both a profound understanding of the underlying wisdoms of eCommerce, as well as with a good overview of eCommerce measures, there is more to it than that. Playing the beergame is great fun, for the teacher and for the students, and it is always a good experience in itself. As such, the beergame is also very helpful for the general course atmosphere and the creation of positive team dynamics in the group. For the future, we are working on a software version of the beergame, which can be used in a classroom setting in the same interactive role-play style, but avoid some of the still remaining problems of the table version. While software versions today only provide a simulation (instead of role-play) mode and are not built for classroom use, a client-server software version of the game might replace the cumbersome logistics aspects (the moving of boxes) and help in gathering data that can be used for debriefing straight away. Moreover, it would be great to be able to play the beergame with different setups, e.g. with implementing effective sharing of (customer demand and inventory) data in order to demonstrate, in a second round of play, the usefulness of information sharing in reducing the bullwhip effect. To this end, our software will be flexible enough to incorporate such exploration of different supply chain modalities.1 1 For further information please see: http://www.beergame.org. 601 Appendix 1: Beergame play sheet The following table shows the play sheet of a retailer group that was filled in during a beergame session. The ‘incoming order’ column shows the external customer demand with its increase in round 6. During the game the students only have to fill in the white columns – the ‘incoming delivery’ and the ‘incoming order’ are taken from the incoming paper slips, while in the ‘your order’ column the students have to fill in their order decision for the respective weeks. Having done that, the play sheet shows exactly what has to be written on the outgoing order and delivery slips (in the dark columns). All orange columns are calculated automatically, so that students can easily keep track of their inventory and cost progression. After the beergame this data is then put together and consolidated with the data that was collected in the play sheets of the other groups of the same supply chain. It is then plotted to create figures 3 and 4 and table 1 (see above). Week Incoming Delivery Available Incoming Order Your Delivery Backorder Inventory Cost 7,5 15 22,5 30 35 37 40 45 49 52 64 78 86 100 118 137 159 180 201 223 244 265 283 295 303 316 317,5 321 324,5 328 331,5 335 338,5 342 345,5 348,5 351 353 355 357 Your Order Please fill out play slips: Delivery Order 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 5 5 5 5 0 3 2 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 25 13 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 9 9 20 20 20 20 15 13 6 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 25 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 15 14 13 13 13 5 5 5 5 5 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 5 5 5 5 9 6 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 22 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 4 3 12 14 8 14 18 19 22 21 21 22 21 21 18 12 8 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 15 15 15 15 10 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 5 4 4 4 0 3 2 7 7 12 5 10 10 6 5 7 15 25 15 5 5 6 11 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 5 5 5 5 9 6 7 10 10 0 7 15 3 5 8 6 10 9 8 10 9 12 15 13 4 22 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 3 2 7 7 12 5 10 10 6 5 7 15 25 15 5 5 6 11 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 602 Appendix 2: Syllabus for a beergame-based B2B course The following table gives an overview of how the beergame can be incorporated in a typical (B2B) eCommerce (masters) course (e.g. 12 weeks with 3 hour sessions). The beergame and the subsequent modules can cover up to 6 sessions. After presenting the three blocks with eCommerce improvements, an additional session can be used to discuss management challenges of inter-firm collaboration, covering issues such as trust, managing interfaces, ICT standards etc. Throughout the course, cases from the grocery and the automotive industries might be used for illustration purposes and to facilitate discussions. Depending on the setting, background readings might also be handed out to the students. Sessions (3 hours) Topics / session contents 1. Beergame session a. Introduction to supply chains (why have supply chains?) b. Beergame introduction (setup, structure, rules of the game) c. Playing the game (40-50 rounds) d. Brief discussion afterwards 2. Debriefing a. Discussion of experiences and game setup b. Presentation and discussion of beergame data (results) c. Teaching case Barilla: bullwhip causes [optional] d. Identification of the three main causes of the bullwhip effect e. Short presentation of three areas of improvement and the schedule for the next three sessions 3. Information sharing a. Short discussion: why is information sharing important? b. Principles of electronic data sharing c. Attaching information to physical goods: standardised product numbering, Automated product identification technologies: barcodes, RFID d. Electronic Data Interchange: EDI, WebEDI, XML-based ordering 4. Supply chain reform a. Overview: efficient replenishment initiatives b. Efficient inventory management: Quick Response, Continuous Replenishment, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) c. Efficient Logistics: Warehousing, Direct Delivery, CrossDocking d. Just-in-Time Delivery in the automotive industry [Kanban] 5. eCollaboration a. eCollaboration in the supply chain: idea and philosophy b. Collaborative Planning Forecasting & Replenishment (CPFR) c. Joint product development in the automotive industry 6. Management of inter-firm collaboration a. Complexities of supply chain reform initiatives b. The role of trust and social capital in inter-firm relationships c. Interoperability of ICT d. Managing inter-firm interfaces 603 Appendix 3: Session outline for a beergame-based workshop The following table shows a short workshop format based on the beergame. Such a workshop can be incorporated in other (general IS) courses or be a stand-alone event, for example as an executive teaching offering. The workshop is essentially made up of two sessions – the actual beergame session and a combined debriefing and learnings session. As an example industry the Grocery industry can be used to illustrate the application of the eCommerce initiatives and technologies. Sessions (~3 hours) Topics / session contents 1. Beergame session a. Introduction to supply chains (why have supply chains?) b. Beergame introduction (setup, structure, rules of the game) c. Playing the game (40 rounds) d. Discussion of experiences and game setup 2. Debriefing & eCommerce initiatives a. Presentation and discussion of beergame data (results) b. Identification of the three main causes of the bullwhip effect c. Discussion of three areas of improvement: a. Information sharing: Product numbering, AutoID, EDI b. Supply chain reform: Inventory management & logistics concepts c. eCollaboration: CPFR d. Complexities of supply chain reform initiatives 604 References Chopra, S., Meindl, P. (2001): â€Å"Supply-Chain Management†, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Coakley, J. R., Drexler Jr., J. A., Larson, E. W., Kircher, A. E. (1998): Using a computer-based version of the beer game: Lessons learned, Journal of Management Education, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 416-424. Coyle, J. J., Bardi, E. J., Langley, C. J. (1996): â€Å"The Management of Business Logistics (6th Ed.)†, St. Paul. Forrester, J. W. (1957): Industrial Dynamics. A major breakthrough for decision makers, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 37-66. Forrester, J. W. (1961): â€Å"Industrial Dynamics†, Cambride, MA. Goodwin, J. S., Franklin Sr., S. E. (1994): The Beer Distribution Game: Using Simulation to Teach Systems Thinking, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 13, No. 8, pp. 7-15. GS1 (2005): â€Å"About the EAN/UCC System†, Available: [http://www.ean-ucc.org] (2007-12-13). Hieber, R., Hartel, I. (2003): Impacts of SCM order strategies evaluated by simulation-based ‘Beer-Game’ approach: the model, concept and initial experiences, Production, Planning & Control, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 122-134. Johnson, J. C., Wood, D. F. (1996): â€Å"Contemporary Logistics (6th Ed)†, Upper Saddle River. Johnston, R. B. (1999): Principles of Digitally Mediated Replenishment of Goods. Electronic Commerce and Supply-Chain Reform, in â€Å"Electronic Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges†, S. M. Rahman & M. Raisinghani, (eds.), Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, pp. 41-64. Lee, H., Padmanabhan, V., Whang, S. (1997a): The Bullwhip Effect in SupplyChains, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 93-102. Lee, H., Padmanabhan, V., Whang, S. (1997b): Information Distortion in a Supply-Chain: The Bullwhip Effect, Management Science, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 546-558. Li, M., Simchi-Levi, D. (2002): â€Å"The Web Based Beer Game – Demonstrating the Value of Integrated Supply-Chain Management†, Available: [http://beergam e.mit.edu/guide.htm] (2007-08-25). McCullen, P., Towill, D. (2002): Diagnosing and reduction of bullwhip in supply chains, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 164-179. Metters, R. (1997): Quantifying the bullwhip effect in supply chains, Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 89-100. Muckstadt, J., Murray, D., Rappold, J., Collins, D. (2001): Guidelines for Collaborative Supply-Chain System Design and Operation, in â€Å"Technical Report of the Cornell University School of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering†, Nr. 1286, Ithaca, NY. Ossimitz, G., Kreisler, B., Zoltan, M. (2002): â€Å"Simulation von Supply-ChainManagement Systemen†, Available: [http://www.uniklu.ac.at/~gossimit/pap/bg_endbericht.pdf] (2007-02-11). Rafaeli, S., Raban, D. R., Ravid, G., Noy, A. (2003): Online Simulations in Management Education about Information and Its Uses, in â€Å"Educating Manag- 605 ers with Tomorrow’s Technologies†, C. Wankel & R. DeFillippi, (eds.), Greenwich, pp. 53-80. Simchi-Levi, D., Kaminsky, P., Simchi-Levi, E. (2003): â€Å"Designing & Managing the Supply-Chain (2nd ed)†, Boston, MA. Sterman, J. D. (1989): Modeling Managerial Behaviour: Misperceptions of Feedback in a Dynamic Decision Making Experiment, Management Science, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 321-339. VICS (2001): â€Å"Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR), Version 2†, Available: [http://www.vics.org/committees/cpfr/voluntary_v2/CPFR_Tabs_061802. pdf] (2008-01-07). Waller, M., Johnson, M. E., Davis, T. (1999): Vendor Managed Inventory in the Retail Supply-Chain, Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 183-203. Warburton, R. (2004): An Analytical Investigation of the Bullwhip Effect, Production and Operations Management, Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 150–160.

Business Entrepreneurship for Di Bella Coffee †Visit for plete Sol

The entrepreneur chosen for the essay is Phillip Di Bella, founder and managing director of Di Bella Coffee. In a few short years, Di Bella Coffee has b e a very successful business. Many topics are discussed in the essay regarding the growth and development of the firm started by the entrepreneur along with future r mendations. The piece will provide a deeper understanding of the ideas and background of opening the new venture. The pany has been witnessed some developments along with recognition with an array of various prestigious awards. However, the success story of Phillip Di Bella is fuelled by innovation, mitment, and passion. In the year of 2006, Di Bella Coffee is recognized for its growth of business. Gradually after 2010, the pany had started to expand its business operations outside Australia i.e. in China, India, New Zealand, etc. in 2015. Di Bella Coffee is known for the leadership and business strategy of Phillips Di Bella. He is a revolutionary icon in the industry of beverage market, especially in the cafà © market. There were many petitors at that time when Phillips started his new small venture with a coffee roasting machine. He is passionate about coffee and is focused on providing an exceptional customer service to the people of Australia. Philips has understood that focusing on customers will help in growing his business at world-class level (Maher 2014). A dynamic business environment with the increase of petition in the market has lead Di Bella to introduce new and unique exceptional services to the customers. Before opening the business, Phillips had done an extensive market research about the experience of the clients with the existing cafà © present in the Australian market. Customers are not satisfied with the taste and flavor of the coffee available in the market. It is the point of opening his new ve nture in the Australian market (Paterson et al. 2014). On extensive research, Philips had found that most of the Australians drink coffee with milk without proper blend and flavor. Phillip’s vast knowledge about different types of coffee blends and perfect mixes is the key area of success of his pany in the market. He believes that focusing on business needs will not only result in success in business in the long run. However, his business focuses towards the needs of the customers. The core aspect of achieving trust from the customers is by targeting the needs. There is an another perspective that has put Philips in setting apart in the field of opening business the coffee retail chain in Australia (Featherstone et al. 2014). Thinking ability of Phillips in changing the traditional standard product into a new product with new texture and flavor helped in gaining customer preference along with loyalty. It is seen that the clients of Di Bella Coffee are very loyal to the brand. They like the products of the pany. He has also started to teach people about the coffee industry and the single cup of coffee from the enterprise. Customers can analyze the perfec t cup of coffee provided by the corporation (Glavas 2013). It is a unique approach to increasing the brand awareness among the public. Phillips Di Bella’s entrepreneurship is celebrated for many years in many parts of the world. The passion for coffee and entrepreneurial spirit had led him to open a small coffee roasting business operations in Brisbane in the year of 2002. Ernst & Young have recognized Di Bella as a finalist in the field of entrepreneur of the year in the year 2005. Finally, he received the award on 2008. Entrepreneurship of Di Bella is popular in Australia. The socio-cultural background of Di Bella is influenced by munity involvement (Dibellacoffee , 2016). Apart from his business, Phillip has many munity building roles. The significant level of participation of Philips in many munity developmental programs has helped in earning prestigious awards and recognitions. The awards include Corporate Citizenship Award, the order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, etc. for his great contribution to the Italian munity (Fritz et al. 2015). Apart from focusing on business, Philip is dedicated to encouraging environment and building relationships. Phillip is a very passionate person. However, he is also interested in developing passion among others also. It is the reason of involvement of him in the munity engagement programs (DiBella 2013). He inspires passion among others. Phillip involved in various charitable organizations and contributed a lot. The most notable organization he is involved is Pyjama Foundation.   He used to organize a recreational camp for careers and children of the disadvantaged and underprivileged children in the local munity (Kosalge and Ritz 2015). He is a keen observer of people. With the dissatisfaction in customer service in the industry, he opened his pany by convincing clients of providing better service. This had encouraged him to improve his business in the market. The exceptional signature blends of the coffee of Di Bella are now famous for the creation of the global brand. In his init ial days, Philips had visited clients to attract customers for his new business venture (Neilson et al. 2013). The petitive advantage of Philip is there in the Australian market. The main petitor of Di Bella Coffee is Victoria Coffee in Australia. Apart from that, there are other coffee retail chains such as Barista, Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc. These coffee chains are global chains and are present in many countries of the world. Di Bella Coffee not only faces petition in Australia from these retailers but also in its foreign operations. However, Philips has a different point of view (Carter et al. 2015). It is discussed earlier that, Di Bella Coffee is focused on customers more than its products. It is the reason of maintaining a strong brand image in the market. Phillip also admitted the fact that in the modern petitive business world, with the change in a business environment the taste and preference of consumers also changes. New taste has evolved in the market. This has encouraged Phillip to develop the taste of its products in the Australian market. Consumers’ preferences h ave also changed in other countries such as New Zealand, India, etc. The above petitors are present in these markets also. The innovative mind of Phillips has resulted in many methods of brewing coffee that will provide a good taste but different from the previous ones. The cafà © specializes in bringing coffee from various parts of the world (Perrone et al. 2015). Apart from these, the pany for making product differentiation also uses different brewing methods. Though Di Bella Coffee is progressing its operations towards many countries of the world, there are many restrictions that the pany has to face while entering into new countries. Phillips mainly faced cultural issues in different countries of the world. The consumers of target market may not prefer the taste of coffee that is preferable in Australia. Apart from that, Philips has to change the business strategy of its pany to capture the trust and preference of the customers in the host country (Glavas 2013). The HRM procedures are to be formulated in a way to gaining an understanding of the nature of the people. The policies that are feasible in Australia may not provide actual result in the foreign countries due to cultural differences. Out of the box, thinking is required both in the field of product variation and recruitment of a right candidate for the maintenance of branch operations. There is a need for product changes that can hit the taste buds of the customers of the target market. Apart from different blends of coffee, Phillips can innovate new ranges of food products with coffee for the customers. The pany can expand its business operations in other countries by adopting various entry modes such as mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, franchise, etc. Among these entry methods, Di Bella can adopt mergers and acquisitions for entering into a foreign market (Neilson and Shonk 2014). Apart from that, Phillips can also expand the stores of the pany by increasing the number of products. A different section of the store can sell other plementary fast foods other than coffee. It will also increase the brand image of the pany by tapping new customers. Entrepreneurship is setting a business of own. Philips had started his business initially on a small scale. It is discussed earlier that Di Bella Coffee has gradually shown the progress. Now the pany has adopted processes of globalization for expanding business operations in many countries of the world. The essay discusses entrepreneurial skills of an Australian entrepreneur. Phillips Di Bella is recognized as one of the most famous entrepreneurs in Australia. His zeal for development and passion for coffee has influenced him to achieve a great platform within such a short span of life. Apart from Phillips, many other entrepreneurs have flourished their business in Australia. Focus on people is the main area of success of the pany in the petitive market. Many technologies are used in roasting and brewing coffee. Phillips had identified the potential demands in the market to grow the business of coffee in Australia. Carter, J.F., Yates, H.S. and Tinggi, U., 2015. Isotopic and Elemental position of Roasted Coffee as a Guide to Authenticity and Origin.Journal of agricultural and food chemistry,  63(24), pp.5771-5779. DiBella, A.J., 2013. Sustainable change (or the end of change) at the US Mint: A case exercise.  The International Journal of Management Education,11(2), pp.55-65. Dibellacoffee . (2016).  About Phillip Di Bella | Di Bella Coffee. [online] Available at: https://dibellacoffee /Our-Story/About-Phillip-Di-Bella [Accessed 9 Sep. 2016]. Featherstone, T., 2014. Q and A with Phillip Di Bella. pany Director,30(9), p.12. Fritz, S., See, L., McCallum, I., You, L., Bun, A., Moltchanova, E., Duerauer, M., Albrecht, F., Schill, C., Perger, C. and Havlik, P., 2015. Mapping global cropland and field size.  Global change biology,  21(5), pp.1980-1992. Glavas, C., 2013. International marketing implementation:‘The sweet aroma of success. Modification of products for new markets: The case of TORQ by Di Bella Coffee’, case study.  International Marketing: An Asia-Pacific perspective (6e), pp.680-680. Glavas, C., 2013. The sweet aroma of success: Modification of products for new markets in the case of TORQ by Di Bella Coffee.  International Marketing: An Asia-Pacific Perspective [6th ed.], pp.680-683. Kosalge, P.U. and Ritz, E., 2015. Finding the tipping point for a CEO to say yes to an ERP: a case study.  Journal of Enterprise Information Management,  28(5), pp.718-738. Maher, B., 2014. Sardinia es to Australia: Finding spaces for Mediterranean writing in translation.  Journal of Australian Studies,  38(3), pp.304-313. Neilson, J. and Shonk, F., 2014. Chained to Development? Livelihoods and global value chains in the coffee-producing Toraja region of Indonesia.Australian Geographer,  45(3), pp.269-288. Neilson, J., Hartatri, D.S.F. and Lagerqvist, Y.F., 2013. Coffee-based livelihoods in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Paterson, R.R.M., Lima, N. and Taniwaki, M.H., 2014. Coffee, mycotoxins and climate change.  Food research international,  61, pp.1-15. Perrone, A. and Wodonga, T.A.F.E., 2015. Centralian College: Creating a strategic marketing plan for long-term growth.  Marketing, p.85. With a decade's experience in providing essay help,

Impacts of Volunteer Tourism on Host Communities Essay

Impacts of Volunteer Tourism on Host Communities - Essay Example The impact of volunteer tourism on host communities is noticeable. Such activities are associated with many positive sides on the respected society. Volunteer tourism enriches the host community with the blessing and their dream of education. Secondly, economical stability is ensured as they undertake many programs to eradicate poverty. Thirdly, social understanding and mutual relationship with diverse nations are strengthened. Fourthly, many activities are organized to safeguard the environment and the nature. Finally, it raises the health standard of the host communities. On the flip side, numerous adverse effects follow this trend. First of all, problems arise due to the lack of sufficient information about a particular community. Moreover, profit driven organizations or at least a minority of such groups tend to have hidden agenda of their own economical wellbeing. Many volunteer tourists visit the host community merely for entertainment rather than serving the natives. Ultimatel y, social and cultural abomination is likely as the unique culture is forced to follow the other. Volunteer tourism primarily focuses on the different areas of development and upliftment of a particular community. Moreover, profit driven organizations or at least a minority of such groups tend to have hidden agenda of their own economical wellbeing. Many volunteer tourists visit the host community merely for entertainment rather than serving the natives. Ultimately, social and cultural abomination is likely as the unique culture is forced to follow the other. Volunteer tourism primarily focuses on the different areas of development and upliftment of a particular community. These volunteer tourists are skilled in different levels of profession, contributing to the comprehensive development of the host community. Pursuing quality education is one of the most fundamental rights of every community. Volunteer tourism activities are often carried out by educational institutions. Focusing on the communities and their growth, many educational institutions and libraries are established. Understanding the significance of this initiatives Wearing (2001, p. 146) states that â€Å"local community and indi genous people† would have better access to education as many volunteer programs are introduced. The economical benefits enjoyed by the host community are not negligible. The volunteer tourism will result in a comprehensive development. Various training activities given will enhance the efficiency in employment. Moreover, many construction works such as houses, schools and industries are successfully carried out all which contribute to the economic benefits of the host communities. Evidently, maintaining a global social and mutual understanding is made possible as a result of volunteer tourism. This interaction results in keeping a good rapport with many societies and communities thereby easing tensions between them. Having such kind of mutual understanding and socialization alters the whole world into a global village. According to Niche Tourism, it is the groups which understand the diversity of its own culture and common roots enhance better understanding and appreciation (N ovelli 2013, p. 225). Host community also gets adequate respect and recognition from the outside world. As result, good social understanding and harmony can be ensured. Furthermore, many awareness programs are conducted in the host community to protect the environment from all kinds of threats. In order to ensure healthy wellbeing many action are introduced and implemented by the groups in their volunteer vacations. They often keep real and advanced guidelines and instruction regarding the maintenance of the land and healthy atmosphere. Activities organized vary from one location to the other.

The Benefits of Universal Healthcare Plan for the United States Research Paper

The Benefits of Universal Healthcare Plan for the United States - Research Paper Example American Medical Women’s Association has come up with one of the better definitions of the term: â€Å"Access to health care should not be linked to a person's employment, place of residence, sex, age, marital status, or health status. Health care should be available to all persons on the basis of medical need rather than financial ability or employer contracts.† (Brown et al, 918-919) A universal system of health care is considered the most optimistic way out for the healthcare crisis in America. Under this system the government becomes responsible for repayment of almost all the services offered by the health practitioners in clinics and hospitals. It is believed that this system would give everyone a chance at health insurance and provide significant cost savings if related administrative expenses could be reduced. This end could be achieved by promoting preventive medicine. Also required would be universally available electronic medical records (Diamond, 921). On th e other hand, many people are opposed to the idea of Universal Healthcare and consider it an impractical ideal that can’t be achieved. The biggest reason perhaps is that historically government bureaus have been known to become difficult and over-bearing rather consistently. It can also be argued that just because a person has access to preventive healthcare education, it doesn’t mean that they will adhere to its guiding principles; so there is a huge potential for costs going rampant. And lastly, the single-payer health system can put a huge toll on the quality of healthcare, something American will not be willing to put up with (Diamond, 921). Many people believe that despite all of its good intentions of â€Å"healthcare for all†, the current health reform movement is not the best method of achieving the desirable objective of universal health coverage as it is government controlled. History is witness that governments just aren’t prepared to do this j ob. It is argued that once the government gets the power to rule over the practice of medicine, it would signify the end of medical profession as known to mankind. Simply put, those against universal healthcare are afraid that it will bring a humiliating end to the best medical care in the world (Diamond, 922). It is commonly believed that health insurance cannot make healthcare more accessible in the United States. It cannot make people adhere to their recommended therapies, nor can it convince people to get to their doctor’s appointments on time. It can also be argued that medical problems are almost always a part of the bigger picture. A person’s health issues can be related to the conditions prevalent in the society. And universal healthcare may not be the solution at all if pregnant women remain ignorant of the advantages of prenatal care, and if asthma patients neglect to take their inhalers on time. It would indeed be better to educate and change people’s perception of health care and medical professionals. It would also be beneficial if the risk factors are weeded out of society so people can be healthier and more receptive to healthcare in case they do need it. We must stop people from smoking and educate them on the disadvantages of eating an unhealthy diet. The fact of the matter is that universal health coverage and medical advice will not have any effect no matter how strictly implemented. These measures would only work if the patients

Unit 7 Seminar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Unit 7 Seminar - Research Paper Example This is very necessary for the recovery period of the client since most of this time, the client will be, mostly with the mother or the family. When the client is a minor below 12 year old, it is necessary that their problems are shared with their parents even without their consent. This is very necessary as to ensure proper care by the family is accorded to the minor as they undergo their recovery period. However, when the minor is 16 hears and above, the decision to inform the mother can be weighed (Guttmacher, 2014). If the minor seem to be a responsible one, the steps to care for them can be aligned to the mother or the family members, but most confidential information can be kept by the service provider. This is because the minor seem mature enough and responsible to care for themselves. However, in any case the service provider feels it deem to let the mother of the client know, caution should be taken for the mother not to overreact or do anything that will let the client know that they were told a thing by the service provider (Susan, 2001). To the client, they must know that, in case of any problem, family always come first. Therefore, it would be so helpful to find a family that is so understanding to deal with any situation. However, the family members can only be that understanding and cooperative once they know the reason why they have to behave in such a way towards the client. If the family members decide to help the client, they can do this best by giving all the unconditional love, respect, care, and support in any way possible. The family members can give hope and encouragement to the clients by giving them inspirational talks and living examples with similar situations like

Pope John Paul II, A man for others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pope John Paul II, A man for others - Essay Example In the later part of his pontificate, he spoke against war, communism, dictatorship, materialism, abortion, contraception, relativism and unrestrained capitalism. John Paul II was Pope during a period in which the Catholic Church's influence declined in developed countries but expanded in the Third World countries. During his reign, the pope traveled extensively, visiting over 100 countries, more than any of his predecessors. He remains one of the most-traveled world leaders in history. He was fluent in numerous languages. He canonized a great number of people. In 1992, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. On April 2, 2005 at 9:37 p.m. local time, Pope John Paul II died in the Papal Apartments. Millions of people came to Rome to pay their respects for his funeral. This paper researches how he was a man for others and how he developed himself through his childhood and adulthood days. Childhood days: St.John Paul II was born as Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, a town of 8,000 Catholics and 2,000 Jews 35 miles southwest of Krakow in 1920, the second son of Karol Wojtyla Sr., a retired army officer and tailor, and Emilia Kaczorowska Wojtyla, a schoolteacher of Lithuanian descent. The Wojtylas were strict Catholics, but did not share the anti-Semitic views of many Poles..His playmate Kluger had once remarked about the pope as "The people in the Vatican do not know Jews, and previous popes did not know Jews but this pope is a friend of the Jewish people because he knows Jewish people." In fact, Wojtyla became the first pope to visit a synagogue and the first to visit the memorial at Auschwitz to victims of the Holocaust. In ending the Catholic-Jewish estrangement, he called Jews "our elder brothers." John Paul II was very athletic in his youth days: he played soccer as a goal keeper, took daring swims in the flooded Skawa River and enjoyed skiing, hiking, mountain climbing and kayaking. He was also an excellent student. Adversities: His infant sister died before he was born. In 1929 his mother died of heart and kidney problems. When he was 12, his 26 year old brother died of scarlet fever. He himself had two near-misses with mortality in his youth. He was hit once by a streetcar and again by a truck in 1944 while he was a college student. He had been beset by physical difficulties including a dislocated shoulder, a broken thigh that led to femur-replacement surgery, the removal of a precancerous tumor from his colon Passions and occupations: Wojtyla's passions in those early years were poetry, religion and the theater. After graduating from secondary school in 1938, he and his father moved to Krakow where he enrolled at Jagiellonian University to study literature and philosophy. He also joined an experimental theater group and participated in poetry readings and literary discussion groups. He was an intense and gifted actor, and a fine singer. After the Germans invaded Poland, he escaped deportation and imprisonment in late 1940 by taking a job as a stone cutter in a quarry. His father was very much interested in making him a priest before he died but died with his interest unfulfilled. After his father's death he began studying at an underground seminary in Krakow and registered for theology courses at the university. He continued his studies,

Corporate Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Culture - Essay Example Corporate culture also assesses on how to study the employee relations within the organization. This involves studying their attitudes, their interpersonal relationships, job satisfaction, and their overall commitment (Anthony, 1994, 23). Therefore, corporate culture mainly asserts the behaviour of employees and their commitment to the success of the organization. According to Willmott, the major concern of corporate culture should be winning the hearts and minds of the employees. This involves defining what they feel, what they think and how they end up acting in the organization. Willmott also asserts that the management should not only concentrate on the behaviour of the employees. Instead, it should also focus on changing their thoughts and feelings towards the organization (Willmott, 1993, 517). This can be argued form the point of view that; people are able to fake their behaviour, but they cannot fake their thoughts or their feelings. An organization should be concerned about the feelings of the employees because; employees are a major valuable asset to the organization. It is the employees who define the direction of the employees and thus, their actions are extremely crucial to the organization as a whole. Changing the thinking of the employees implies that they will have the organization at the back of their minds whenever they do anything. On the other hand, conforming of employees’ feelings implies that; the employees will always have the organization at their best interests (Clegg, Kornberger, Pitsis, 2008, 13). This is a case whereby; the employees cannot do or behave in a way that can cause harm to the organization. This also involves protecting the image of the organization as if it were their own. This implies that; once the organization has changed the minds and hearts of the employees, the employees will have all their eyes and ears open on behalf of the whole organization. Therefore, at no one point will the employees act without havi ng positive interests on the organization. However, the management is advised to implement change in the minds and hearts of the employees in such a way that the employees will also benefit from the change (Keller, 2008, 1). Willmott asserts that corporate culture requires employees to devote themselves to the organization and to its values and beliefs. Therefore, by encouraging employees to be devoted to the organization, the employees are consequently required to recognize and be concerned about the security of their employment in relation to their contribution to the organization. Corporate culture seeks to immerse the employees to the organization and thus, requires their full commitment to the operation of the organization (Willmott, 1993, 522). Willmott also provides that organizations will benefit more when they focus on changing the minds and the hearts of their employees. This implies that the management should focus on influencing the way employees think and feel about the organization. Different organizations apply different strategies of changing the thoughts and acts of the employees. However, still they all manage to achieve the goal of changing the minds and hearts of their employees. One key strategy that can help the management of an organization to change the thinking of employees is setting of the right example (Aiken, Galper, Keller, 2011, 51). This is usually the first step of achieving a different behaviour with employees. This is because; the employees will not change unless they first observe it from the leaders themselves. Therefore, the management should first lead by example. This way, it will be able to encourage employees to change too.

Bussiness ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bussiness ethics - Research Paper Example a type of moral relativism. Likewise, a further level of distance will be sought from the point of view that morality is ultimately immutable and constant; i.e. a type of moral absolutism. In this way, a type of combination approach in which some aspects of ethics and morality are unchanging and others are informed as a result of the situation and the times; i.e. a type of moral objectivism. For purposes of this response, normative morality will be considered as the ethical action and descriptive morality will be defined as the way in which morality and ethics are understood within the constraints of individual beliefs. a. Businesses can have ethical standards, but Businesses are not moral agents. Do you agree or disagree? With regards to businesses not being moral agents, this is a statement that this author patently disagrees with. A moral agent is merely an entity that through proper application of moral behavior and ethical decisions is able to project these forces onto the envir onment within which they ultimately interact or operate within. As such, a business has the strong possibility, even perhaps the requirement, of being a moral agent within the community and/or environment within which they operate. b. Is it true that the â€Å"bottom line† of business is profit and profit alone? Likewise, with respect to the statement above, it is the belief of this author, supported by the proof of many unethical businesses that have risen and fallen within the past, that the ultimate bottom line cannot entirely rest upon profitability. The fact of the matter is that the entropy of the business world means that firms must continually fight not only for profits but for market share and customers within the system. As such, seeking to focus upon a bottom line that only cares about profit will necessarily yield to a failed business due to the fact that ethics, morality, and other key human and social concerns will not be considered; thereby ultimately affecting the performance of the firm and/or the way it is viewed within the marketplace. c. In business, are there other less tangible goals that are intrinsic to and just as important as making money? The intangible goals such as providing humane and ethical conditions of employment as well as the end product or service to the customer is more important if not more than the intrinsic goal of making money. In the short term, such a plan may work to provide a level of business continuation; however, the other aspects of a business model or plan will ultimately make or break the longevity of the firm/enterprise/organization. d. Why should we be moral as individuals? Ultimately, morality as an individual comes down to seeking to maximize the good that exists in the world. Although making moral decisions can oftentimes be difficult, a moral choice is the one that best upholds the needs of the individual as well as the needs of greater society. In this way, seeking to behave in an ethically resp onsible manner as well as morally will ensure that the greater good within each and every situation is attempted to be maximized. Rather than merely seeking to further our own ends (i.e. a type of utilitarianism), the ultimate goal should be to further our ow

Ghetto Formation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ghetto Formation - Essay Example Its sheer size has induced a constant exchange and migration of people who move to facilitate employment, education, achievement of social status or family improvement. Thesis Formation of ghettoes is a cause of the problems of racial discrimination and segregation persisted despite the upheavals of war and the changes brought by social progress. Formation of ghettoes is caused by racial differences and racism, racial discrimination and oppression. Historically, the formation of the ghettoes was a response of newly arrived immigrants to the confusion and strangeness of the nineteenth-century city. Originally these "ghettos" were merely ethnic enclaves on a par with a series of other ethnic concentrations. This ethnic enclave based upon language difference or foreign origin became a fixture of urban areas. It was a form of social protection and expression and a testimony to the pluralist character of national life (Edwardson 339). During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, dozens of such immigrant clusters dotted the cities. These neighborhoods provided the setting for the drama of ethnic group life (Purdy 457). Today, critics underline the emergence of a new type of ghetto, 'outcast ghetto' "as a result of industrial decentralization and globalization. [It is] composed only of the poorest segments of subjugated racialized groups (mostly blacks and Hispanics) who are marginal to current production needs" (Walks and Bourne 29). It is important to note that seclusion can be voluntary or involuntary. In modern cities, the seclusion is voluntary used as a protective measures against racial segregation and racial oppression. In ghettoes people condition the common attitude and expectations with regard to the family and residential life of ethnic groups within the larger urban society. The ethnic neighborhoods almost always establish a picture in the public mind of poor living conditions and social disorganization (Fay 217). For over a century this picture was transmitted to a nation dominated by rural, native-born citizens, who prided themselves on their isolation from "foreign" influences and w hose virtues of self-reliance and stability contrasted with the disorders of the struggling urban immigrant groups. Today, the fluidity of urban society creates a great hunger for social status. Distinctions based on ethnic and racial characteristics become important instruments in the status seeking. Following Thabit (2003, 56) rising educational levels have reduced the crudity of the prejudices and stereotypes inherited from the immigration experience, that experience is too sustained and significant not to leave lasting impressions. The Negro areas have become something unique in their size and persistence (Winant 34). They are striking testimonies to the extension of racism right into the most advanced and active portions of society. The concentration of people of color in the "black belts" or urban centers has made a full-scale national phenomenon of a system of racial attitudes and restrictions which is formerly a regional condition.The greatest motivating force behind the mov ement of minority families in the urban centers, however, is the desire to overcome the housing problems. The desire for family improvement has been the positive element of this drive and has led to strenuous efforts to escape the old areas for newer ones (Chekki 585; Glazier 78). The movement

Transitional Curriculum in Aesthetic Teaching Essay Example for Free

Transitional Curriculum in Aesthetic Teaching Essay According to the author, teacher self-efficacy is a belief in one’s self to organize and execute actions for the students to learn. He presented the abstract which he himself doing it for the past two decades of teaching. The objectives of the study is to validate the writer’s voice of teaching experience based on Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy which include the objectives of finding important aspects in successful curriculum revision, determining the reasons in revising the curriculum in Aesthetic Teaching, identifying factors and analysing units in book revision including approaches and methods, and generate success stories of the revised books had to clients as well as proposing plans to upgrade the teacher’s attitudinal change. Short literature review focuses on the past learning concepts and theories that supported his studies with emphasis on progression, curriculum realignment. Qualitative research was primarily used in his studies with grounded theory, content analysis, descriptions, and narratives from verbal testimonies as primary methodologies with the use of simple percentages and ranks. The reasons in writing his books were categorized into three themes of personal regard, professional stewardship, and social responsibility. CHED Competencies, PRC/LET Competencies and NCBTS domains were the factors in a series of revisions. The author believed in his studies and came up with the good and sound results and concluded that any action initiated is mandated by the school, writer’s personality and experiences with others, client’s needs and feedbacks, trends and curricular standards, and philosophical frameworks determine self-efficacy in whatever curriculum decision undertaken. He also concluded that revised books had contributed to a non-stressful learning environment as a threshold for student’s academic freedom that enhanced career performance.

The Possible and the Potential Essay Example for Free

The Possible and the Potential Essay A Paper on Problems that a Teacher May Encounter in the Classroom Before a teacher steps into a classroom and valiantly imparts to the students whatever it is he/she needs to impart, there would inevitably problems that would be encountered. In fact, before, during and even after a lesson has been conducted and the chalk has been put away, there are bound to be problems encountered in each step. The art of teaching actually does not seem to run out of problems and yet, it is a glorious profession that only the best people on planet earth have the capability to practice. Out of all these inevitable problems, there are those problems which are more prominent than the others—and believe it or not, can easily be solved. In the three articles that are featured in this paper, there are numerous problems which they have pointed out and which can be solved by instructional means. In Holly Hansen-Thomas’ article, â€Å"Sheltered Instruction: Best Practices for Ells in the Mainstream†, she points out that sheltered instruction—a form of instruction used to teach ELL students—can also be used in teaching mainstream students. Sheltered instruction is defined as â€Å"a research-based instructional framework that provides clear and accessible content and academic language to ELLs in pre-K–12 grade-level classes† (Hansen-Thomas, 2008). This can help the potential problems that may arise in ELL classrooms wherein students of a different language are trying to learn English. Though Hansen-Thomas has specifically identified what are the things to keep in mind in ELL classes, the things that she also explained can also be applied in mainstream teaching and even other forms of pedagogy. Potential problems (or things that should be kept in mind to avoid the cropping up of problems) would centre on the instructional materials and if the teacher is competent enough to handle such materials or to even implement certain programs or curriculum. This may be seen as one of the things that would hinder optimum learning from the students if the teacher himself/herself is incapable of optimum pedagogy. The fact that there is already something wrong when the teacher fails to deliver his/her lessons well or even the strategy he/she is trying to employ would greatly reflect on the learners. Hansen-Thomas unfailingly reiterates that people who can deliver sheltered instruction for students are those teachers who specialize in such instruction. Thus, it is imperative to train and assist teachers in their professional development to solve and to even avoid potential problems in the classroom. This circumstance of incompetent teachers can be seen as a problem since time, money and effort would be wasted on all parties concerned—the teachers, learners, parents and the educational institution. Worst of all, the learners would not learn anything at all or if they do, it would be a misleading form of knowledge or skill. On the other hand, a different problem is discussed in the article of Amanda O. Latz, Kristie L. Speirs Neumeister, Cheryll M. Adams, and Rebecca L. Pierce entitled â€Å"Peer Coaching to Improve Classroom Differentiation: Perspectives from Project CLUE†. Latz et al. (2009) discusses in their article about the decrease in teacher differentiation. This may pose a problem because such method is needed in meeting all the needs, styles and levels of the students. It is commonly known that not all people are alike and this same goes on how students learn, retain learning and desire learning. Because of this diversity in students’ needs, desire to learn, level of learning, style of learning and other factors such as historical/cultural background, gender and age, there is a need to address everything (no matter how daunting and impossible it may seem) while implementing a strategy that would be fair to everyone. This is a problem for both the educational institution and most especially for the teachers since it would entail much assessment, research and preparation—and such factors are exactly the reasons why according to Latz et al. , fewer people are using differentiation on their teaching. This decrease in differentiation would greatly pose a problem for the students since their individuality as learners are not met and addressed. When this happens, naturally, only students who are targeted in the objectives of the teachers would fully take advantage of whatever strategy implemented by the teacher. This would mean that those students who are having problems in school due to behavioral problems, psychological/ mental/ emotional instability and even those who are gifted and talented to the point that they are not learning properly due to the inappropriate learning level they are in would never be solved and addressed. The lack of proper attention to their differences would prove insensitivity and maybe even laziness on the teacher’s part. Latz et al. (2009) sees peer coaching as the answer to support and catalyze teaching differentiation since it would allow help from the all the teachers to come together and cooperate to assess the individuality of the learners and come up with a game plan that would allow them to address that individuality. In the third and final article wherein Nancy Padak and Cheryl Potenza-Radis (2010) showed an example on how teachers successfully motivated readers who are struggling in their efforts to read on the same level as everyone else. In the article entitled â€Å"Motivating Struggling Readers: Three Keys to Success†, Padak et al. (2010) explained that there are students who are having difficulties in reading since they are either not motivated to read or they are ashamed of their incapability to read on the same level as everyone else. This situation is not new and can be seen as a threat to the learning of a child. Since the child would have such insecure notions about himself/herself, he/she will do anything to worm out of a situation that would entitle him/her to read in public, even to the point of being withdrawn or aloof to everyone else. Moreover, this would develop a psychological effect on the learner which would render him/her with the thinking that he/she is stupid or incapable of learning when in fact, such problem can be addressed. In the same article, Padak et al. (2010) pointed out that the answer to such problem lies in a conducive environment prepared by the teacher, the zealousness and efforts of the teacher to motivate and to teach the students to read and lastly, a routine implementation of a strategy that the students would enjoy and greatly benefit from. Reading is one of four macro-skills that is considered as a life-long skill needed for personal growth and everyday communications—if an individual cannot read or is hindered from enthusiastic reading the tendency is that the individual’s over all character would be greatly affected. To end, there are still many other examples of potential problems that may happen in the classroom and it is not up to the teacher alone to address or prevent the onslaught of such problems. It is up to the teachers, learners, parents, educational institution and even the government and the society to go on solving and preventing such problems. After all, a most educated learner who has received optimal capacity for learning would most likely mean a most efficient and valuable member of society in the future—and would not that be a pretty picture to envision? References Hansen-Thomas, H. (2008). Sheltered instruction: best practices for ELLs in the mainstream. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 44 (4), pp. 165-169. Name of Database. Retrieved: Date of Retrieval, from Website URL. Latz, A. O. et al. (2009). Roeper Review 31, pp. 27-39. Name of Database. Retrieved: Date of Retrieval, from Website URL. Padak, N. et al. (2010). Motivating struggling readers: three keys to success. New England Reading Association Journal 45 (2), pp. 1-7. ProQuest Education Journals database. Retrieved: Date of Retrieval, from Website URL.