Descriptive Essay - Original Writing - 1471 Words

When I was a young child, my family and I would travel to Vermont to stay with my grandparents. They lived on a mountain a little way out from the small town of Troy, Vermont. The land overflowed with the most beautiful trees and wildlife that I have ever seen. My grandfather protected his lands, he ensured that no one would hunt on them so that the animals would be safe from poachers. I would sit outside in the grass of our backyard clearing and just stare out into the wilderness that surrounded me. Some of my cousins felt scared of the woods, but I loved them like they were a part of me. For hours, I would gaze into the trees and watch the wild creatures, it was peace for me. Deer’s would come so close to the clearing that I could see†¦show more content†¦Envision a world filled with nothing but cities, roads, and interstates. That there were no trees to stare at while you drove to see your family, that wonders like the Amazon Rain Forest no longer existed. Imagine what that world would be like. An environment devoid of nature, made up of only concrete and steel. This may be the human race’s fate if urbanization continues. If we stop urban encroachment on nature, such as deforestation, we can start to rebuild nature for greater chances of physical and mental wellbeing. So our children have the chance to feel the peace and happiness that I once did. A multitude of studies have been initiated to research the relationship between human health and nature. Many of these studies have found that there exists a positive association between natural environments and mental health. The more nature that people expose themselves to, the more it impacts their wellbeing. I believe that the preservation of the natural environment will have a positive effect on human health by reducing stress levels and increasing mental wellbeing and vivacity. To better understand the urgency behind the preservation of nature, one must first understand it’s long history. No one knows what the world looked like thousands of years ago, but I imagine it being wild, free, and full of life. All forms of life wandering about the Earth, living their natural lifecycles. We, the Species Homo sapiens, first appeared in Africa, soon after we

Disney Park Free Essays

Disney Theme Parks Case 1. What do you think motivated Disney to set up parks abroad, and what might be the pros and cons from the standpoint of the Walt Disney Company? The reason behind Disney’s motivation to set up theme parks abroad were mostly because of business opportunities. Based on how successful the Disney Theme Park is in the United States and the attraction they are gaining from foreigners, the management probably realized that it is time to consider entering the global market. We will write a custom essay sample on Disney Park or any similar topic only for you Order Now By doing this, it would mean an increase of sales for the company. This is somehow a form of advertisement for people to buy their products and even to attract more and more consumers. Opening another theme park in a different country would also contribute to the survival of the company should their theme park in the United States lower in sales. On the other hand, for the cons, one is concerning the cultural factors that may hinder the company from doing business in other countries. A good example would be the concerns in Paris. They feared that putting up a Disney Theme Park in their country might destroy their own culture. Another con would probably be the area where the park would be best put up. In other words, which area the theme park should be placed that would be profitable. Transportation is another factor as well as competition from other theme parks abroad. 2. Why do you suppose Disney made no financial investment in Japan, one of $140 million in France, and then one of over $300 million in Hong Kong? Disney made no financial investment in Japan because they were considering the risks of building one. They probably think that it might not be as profitable or that putting up a Disney Theme Park in Japan would outweigh the cons than the benefits. Paris, like what was mentioned in the case, is the most visited European City and the French are the largest European consumers of Disney Products. This is the reason why Disney invested in Paris. Also they were getting a lot of support from the country’s government. And with their help, they would be able to get investors. According to the case, the reason why Disney invested only $140 million to take 49% of the ownership in a $5 billion worth of operation was due to the problems they have encountered before, which is the fear of France’s culture to be destroyed. So what Disney did was to add attractions that would cater to French tastes and agreeing to make French the first language in the park. Aside from France, Disney also invested in Hong Kong. The case states that Disney is interested in Asia since it accounts for about half the world’s population and is becoming affluent enough that more people can afford to take trips and pay for leisure activities. They chose Hong Kong not only for their infrastructure, but also because it is Asia’s largest tourist destination. In addition, the families that live in Hong Kong are those with higher family incomes than mainland Chinese cities. Soon after, the two agreed to a joint venture that included 57% ownership by the Hong Kong government and the remaining by Disney. 3. What factors in the external environment have contributed to Disney’s success, failure, and adjustments in foreign them park operations? There are many factors in the external environment that contributed both to Disney’s success and failure. For the factors that contributed to the success, one would probably be Disney’s already popular reputation, which helped them in entering the global market easily. Another is their strategy of focusing on countries that would ensure and give them better business opportunities. Another factor to be considered is the government support they are getting. As for the factors that contributed to their failure, one that is mentioned in the case is that they encounter problems concerning the culture of other countries. Another example would be the almost downfall of Euro Disney when their shares went down to 39% and the general public to 36%. This is probably due to the high prices and their no-alcohol policy. Another factor that contributed to their failure is the climate. Some countries were just too cold to attract visitors. 4. Should Disney set up a park in Shanghai? If so, what types of operating adjustments might it make there? It is not advisable for Disney to put up a theme park in Shanghai. One of the major reasons is competition. The case states that China has built more than 2000 amusement parks, ranging from lavish to shoddy. Although most of them have not done well, putting up a Disney Theme Park would not necessarily mean that it would eliminate its competitors. In addition, China’s one child per family policy may hinder the success of Disney. The visitors of Disney Theme Parks are mostly children, and if the number is lacking, it would also probably mean lack of visitors. Another reason is that if Disney puts up a theme park in Shanghai, there would be few customers since there is also a Disney theme park in Hong Kong. How to cite Disney Park, Essay examples

Toyota production system free essay sample

Toyota incorporated concepts just as supply chain management and inventory management to create high quality automobiles and gain a competitive edge in the highly competitive global automobile market. Toyota’s success and its lean manufacturing philosophy have been widely studied. The Toyota manufacturing system is centred on achieving a high level of productivity. The company has a unique approach to problem solving and it continuously trains its employees. The Toyota Production Systems is based on the lean manufacturing philosophy that seeks to minimize wastages and centres on cost reduction. The Toyota manufacturing philosophy emphasises on quality management through a process of continuous improvement. This report looks at how Toyota created its manufacturing system and the role of operation management techniques to enhance efficiency. This report examines the production processes and philosophy and Toyota to assess how the company has achieved a competitive advantage globally. The lean manufacturing philosophy pioneered by Toyota has become a benchmark for all manufacturing companies around the world. The lean manufacturing philosophy includes concepts such as customer relations, product design, supplier networks and operations. The lean manufacturing practices have made Toyota achieve low cost production and allowed them to manufacture high quality cars at lowered costs. This report looks at how operations management techniques such as supply chain management and inventory management have led to efficiency and profitability at the Toyota Motor Company. 2. 0 Operations Management The study of operations management looks at the production of quality goods and service. The aim of this discipline is to create efficient and effective business operations. Operation management seeks to ensure the efficient management of resources along with the distribution of goods and services. Operation management seeks to enhance manufacturing performance and this study has proposed various techniques and a heoretical framework to achieve this goals. These techniques include quality management (TQM), just in time (JIT) or Leaning manufacturing. Other concepts in the field of operations management include six sigma and supply chain management. The competitive pressure for improved product quality has led to numerous operations paradigms emerging/ the most significant ones include Just in Time, Total Quality Management (TQM) AND Supply chain management (SCM). JIT seeks to eliminate waste and recue setup times, it also controls the material flows and focuses on effective resource utilisation. The TQM philosophy looks at developing a corporate culture that is customer focused empowers employees and seeks continuous improvement. The supply chain management integrates buyers and suppliers decision-making to improve the flow of materials in the supply chain. The JIT, TQM and SCM approaches improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the operations function (Kannan Tan, 2005). 3. 0 Toyota Production System (TPS) The TPS lead to the lean production movement that emphasises on eliminating waste from value streams. This production system is highly standardised. The production systems have buffers that are controlled through various pull signals. The lean production is very efficient and greatly improves quality that has given Toyota an edge in the global automobile markets. Toyota’s success as an automaker in the world is based on its expertise in creating a unique production system. This TPS is based on the principles of continuous improvement also known as Kaizen. The Toyota company has a highly decentralised workforce which is highly trained and takes part in the decision making process. The TPS consists of most successful Japanese production and work practices. This approach was developed by SakichiToyoda the founder of Toyota who pioneered the TPS. It was Taciichi Ohno that created the Just in Time (JIT) production systems. The JIT approach made Toyota more efficient and these techniques also incorporated total quality control, statistical process control and quality circles. The Toyota manufacturing system is characterised by a continuous flow of production that allows the company to be flexible enough to adapt to the demand conditions. The JIT ensures that only the required materials for the production are acquired at the right time. The JIT systems also include human resources in the cost and production systems . Toyota has also streamlined its production processes through implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) process to lower costs and enhance quality (Amasaka, 2002). The TPS is linked externally and to the entire production system, the main TPS practices are focused on detecting, assessing and eliminating sources of the entire production system. The sequential relationship amongst the external and internal links includes three types of interaction; the first is upstream integration which is between the external suppliers and internal suppliers within the firm. The internal integration is between the firm actors that own successive process stages as either internal suppliers and internal customers. The downward integration is between the internal suppliers that own the last process stage and firm’s external customers (Jayaram et al, 2012). Figure 1 Structural links internal and external to the organization Source Jayaram et al (2012) The problem solving framework at Toyota constantly evaluates the performance of the TPS by detecting any variance on the production process. The variance assessment includes part of product, people or personnel, procedure or method and equipment or machine. The system variation can result from product variation, poor quality or inputs, flawed design or misaligned processes (Jayaram et al, 2010). Figure 2 Toyota’s problem solving framework. Source Jayaram et al (2012) The employees can also lead to variations in the systems and performance owing to lack of proper training or motivation. Toyota has implemented a decentralised problem solving approach that empowers the works to make decisions. The principle of Kaizen is made possible with standardisation in the company. Toyota has standardised technical skills to ensure a flexible  staff in the company (Jayaram et al, 2010). 4. 0 Just in Time Inventory Management The Japanese automakers have been very successful in improving their productivity and efficiency by focusing on continuous improvement. JIT has evolved from continuous improvement paradigm. The JIT creates a flexible environment in which the whole organisation is responsible for eliminating waste. Toyota Motor Company pioneered the just in time (JIT) production system during the mid-1970s the JIT production system is also known as the zero inventory production system. JIT manufacturing is a production philosophy that is based on three fundamental principles that include elimination of waste, continuous quality improvement, and a participative work culture. The JIT systems become more efficient and used the Kanban as an information exchange tool for different production lines. Through using the JIT the wastages in the production process are minimised and the defect prevention system enhance the quality of the products. To improve quality and automobile exports Toyota implemented Total quality controls in the company. The lean production techniques have also be termed as the post Fordism system of work that is more efficient, humane and democratic. A central tenet of lean production is the concept of kaizen that is continuous improvement in the production process. The concept of lean manufacturing originates in the Toyota Motor Corporations; resulted from scarcity of resources and intense domestic competition in automobile market in Japan. The lean philosophy incorporated the JIT production system and the Kanban method of pull production. Toyota also introduced the concept of respect for employees and team working (Hines et al, 2004). Lean manufacturing involves inventory and quality control, industrial relations, labour management and supply chain management. Studies show that lean manufacturing reduces human effort by 50% along with the manufacturing space, tool inventory and improved financial performance. This manufacturing system also includes lean logistics that is the ability to administer systems to control the movement of materials, work in process and finished inventories at the lowest cost. To ensure long term competitiveness a manufacturing firm has to develop capabilities of JIT production and delivery. The suppliers have to be able to respond to the increasing needs of the customers. The lean production system requires rapid flows of information along the value chain. Toyota uses the Kanban system to achieve this along with computerised information that can be exchanged with the suppliers to reduce lead times (Wu, 2003)6. 0 Supply Chain Management The supply chain management (SCM) is a key strategic factor for enhancing organisational effectiveness and achieving organisational goals. With the globalisation of the markets and increase in outsourcing companies use supply chain and logistics techniques to manage their operations. Toyota’s supply chain management approach focuses mainly on resources that were of critical importance. Toyota created a Keiretsu structure comprising of the dependent suppliers that worked in close proximity to the Toyota factories. The company outsourced aspects that were not critical to the ability of maximising the shareholder value. Toyota was able to create such a supply chain because the supplier was relatively dependent on them in highly contested markets. Toyota created an assembly based systems that was demand pull and JIT based, it had dominant power relationships with the suppliers. This allowed the company to be innovative and create a customised supply chain. Toyota also implements effective controls over quality, cost and innovation. The supply chain at Toyota can be described as entrepreneurial.