Biography of Kurt Vonnegut - 2381 Words

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born to third-generation German American parents in the city of Indianapolis, year 1922, November 11th. While at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, Vonnegut was heavily involved with the school’s daily newspaper, the first and only daily high school newspaper in our nation. During his time at Cornell University, Vonnegut became the school paper’s senior editor. World War II then began, and so Vonnegut joined our nation’s armed forces. Mother’s Day came in 1944, and during this time while Vonnegut was home on leave, his mother committed suicide. Later on while in the army, Vonnegut was sent to Europe where he was captured and made into a POW by Germans. He witnessed the 1945 bombing of Dresden, which was later†¦show more content†¦After hearing of the quick selling of Mr. Delahanty’s home, old Mrs. Hellbrunner, who’s mansion has been on the market for three years, begins to lose faith in her real estate agen t, the narrator. She delivers to the narrator an angry telephone call, adding evidence to the narrator’s earlier statement. In a very timely entry immediately following Mrs. Hellbrunner’s call, right when the narrator is feeling that nothing can go his way, an army colonel and his wife who share an aura of superiority enter the narrator’s office, requesting to view the Hurty estate. The man and his wife visit the estate and ask Mr. Hurty if they could wander around a bit, as though the place was already their own. Mr. Hurty complies and his guests unexpectedly stay at his house for the next three days, making much use of his swimming pool, stable, liquor and cigars. When finally pressured to buy the mansion, the couple suddenly becomes disinterested and decide that they want something else. Mr. Hurty decides to find a new real estate agent. And so the next day Colonel Peckham returns to the narrator’s office, his attention now attracted to old Mrs. Hellbrunner’s estate. They visit, seem to love the place, and ask Mrs. Hellbrunner if they could wander around a bit, as though the place was already their own. Mrs. Hellbrunner complies, and four days later is sick of her guests. The couple is once again pressured to buy, and thisShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Kurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1634 Words   |  7 PagesKurt Vonnegut once said, â€Å"So it goes† to describe the unavoidableness of fate. This aspect of seeing terrible things and being able to continue on would become a main theme in his novels. Vonnegut, as an author, received his essential voice by writing about his own experiences, using what would become his sig nature pessimistic yet humanist view. Vonnegut is described by Lindsay Clark as, â€Å"Worse than a pessimist†¦ he is an eternal optimist doomed to disappointment† (Clark, â€Å"Viewing Four Vonnegut NovelsRead MoreKurt Vonnegut And Roald Dahl882 Words   |  4 PagesKurt Vonnegut and Roald Dahl are two very unique people. 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Kurt Vonnegut is an American novelist from Indianapolis, Indiana, born in 1922Read MoreGreat American Authors: Kurt Vonnegut890 Words   |  4 Pages Kurt Vonnegut When people are asked to name great American authors names come up like Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Louisa Alcott, but Kurt Vonnegut would not make their lists. This is because no one really knows who he is because he is taught in school. His book Slaughterhouse five show the destructiveness of war and cannot really be taught like Uncle toms Cabin where that book showed the real side of slavery. There are many well-known American authors but very few that defined American LiteratureRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Essay821 Words   |  4 PagesIn an interview on Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut states, â€Å"I worked as a miner of corpses, breaking into cellars where over a hundred thousand Hansel and Gretels were baked like gingerbread men† (â€Å"Vonnegut†). Vonnegut Jr. (1922-2007), born during the Modern Age, wrote his first story in 1947, known as the Contemporary Period. The Modern Age was different from the Contemporary Period because of it s focus on art while trying to connect with traditions in the world due to their desire to have aRead MoreKurt Vonnegut : First Generation German American Parents1213 Words   |  5 Pages1, 2017 Rough Draft Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 11, 1922. His parents, Edith and Kurt Sr. were third-generation German-American parents. Vonnegut was raised without any knowledge of the German Language. Edith the daughter of Albert Lieber, a millionaire and Indianapolis brewer while Kurt Sr. an architect. The only profound name on Kurt Sr, side was his great-grandfather Clemens Vonnegut, founder of Vonnegut s Hardware Store. Kurt Vonnegut graduated from ShortridgeRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut Essay1560 Words   |  7 Pagesissue (NBC). One of these soldiers is Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut grew up in Illinois where his family would eventually lose all their money along with his mother (notable biographies). After attending Cornell University Vonnegut enlisted into World War II. His experiences in World War II shaped his anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five was published â€Å"during the peak of protest against American involvement in the Vietnam war† (Notable Biographies). Slaughterhouse-Five appears to beRead More Kurt Vonnegut Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesKurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is a contemporary American author whose works have been described by Richard Giannone as comic masks covering the tragic farce that is our contemporary life (Draper, 3784). Vonneguts life has had a number of significant influences on his works. Influences from his personal philosophy, his life and experiences, and his family are evident elements in his works. Among his comic masks are three novels: Cats Cradle, The Sirens of Titan, and God Bless You, MrRead MoreKurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1901 Words   |  8 PagesKurt Vonnegut developed his view of America through a history of personal loss and trauma that was largely endured at the same time by his characters. As a child, Kurt Vonnegut lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, which he would use in many of his later novels. His father was a prominent architect, while his mother came from the family of a wealthy brewer. After the depression hit, his father lost his business and gave up, his mother became addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. In his teen yearsRead MoreAnalysis of Chapter 3 of Kurth Vonneguts Slaughter House Five1553 Words   |  7 Pages In this essay I will be stylistically analysing an extract from Chapter 3 of Kurt Vonnegut’s novel; Slaughterhouse Five. I am particularly interested in the effects different perspectives have throughout my extract, as well as the effects of the narrative structure and if it conforms or diverges from the typical models of narrative structure. I am also going to be analysing the characterisation of different figures in my extract and the impressions these give on the characters. I will also be looking

My Field Experience At S Bryan Jennings Elementary

My field experience took place at S Bryan Jennings Elementary in Mrs.Reid s second grade classroom for a little over a month. During my time within the classroom I observed the subjects: reading, mathematics, and phonics, science, and writing. I also observed a teacher planning period. When I was within the classroom I observed the techniques the teacher used in the subjects, the programs used, the children’s abilities with the subject and/or topic, the students struggles within the subject and/or topic, the teachers struggles with students who did not understand, and the stereotypes that applied and/or did not apply to the classroom, teacher, and students. Within this dissertation, I will describe and focus on these observations in a more specific way following with observed examples. Mrs. Reid has 16 students consisting of five females and eleven males. One of the five females was a minority; she was Asian. Five of the eleven males were also minority decent, such as oriental, African American, ect. On a side note, within the second grade class there was also Hattian decent students. Five of the eleven males left at some point during the week for more specific teachings to their ability, such ESE, ELOS, or gifted; the same five minority males were NOT the same five that left during the week. Only one of the five males that left during the week was for gifted; he was Caucasian. The other four that left were of the minority. None of the four were Asian. My first subjectShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul SingaporeRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesCongress Subject Headings: Principles and Application, Fourth Edition Lois Mai Chan Developing Library and Information Center Collections, Fifth Edition G. Edward Evans and Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro Metadata and Its Impact on Libraries Sheila S. Intner, Susan S. Lazinger, and Jean Weihs Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access: A Cataloging Guide, Second Edition Ingrid Hsieh-Yee Introduction to Cataloging and Classification, Tenth Edition Arlene G. Taylor LIbRaRy and InfoRMaTIon

The Stages in Learning Free Essays

Explain own role and responsibilities in lifelong learning The four stages of the learning cycle are as follows 1) The Initial assessment Identifying needs can be accomplished by reviewing previous courses attended Depth of knowledge, experience, perceptions and level of ability, disability awareness, Considering learning needs/styles which can help produce an Individual learning plan. ) The planning and design Deciding aims/learning outcomes which in turn will enable to help the tutor in auging the level and ability of the learners by using the IA/ILP of their learners, and will then also assist the tutor to come up with a schedule of work and then a focused lesson plan that is relevant to their learners, it will also help the tutor to select the appropriate resources and learning environment for the learners and will also assist the tutor to produce/purchase the required resource material needed. ) The delivery of the course When we deliver the course or session we must always consider the pace of delivery ,the pitch ,and we must always adjust them to meet the learners needs, as utors we must always take into consideration the group dynamics ,we should always try to establish and maintain a positive rapport with our learners , we can accomplish this by using icebreakers and teach the sessions with enthusiasm and with positive energy thus energising the learners so they have and gain a positive attitude towards the subject they are learning. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stages in Learning or any similar topic only for you Order Now ) Recorded evaluation for both learner and tutors As tutors we must continually evaluate all areas and levels that have been completed by the learners and the tutors and all evaluations should be acted upon in a easonable timescale this will in turn help us as tutors to adopt a Continuous professional development, When ever we carry out assessments we must always make sure that it is constructive and not destructive and also we must make sure that it is accurately recorded, we must always make sure that this is carried out all the way through the teaching cycle. In summary the teaching cycle is a systematic approach to training that comprises four interlinked stages, it is vital that continuous assessment with constructive feedback and accurate recording must occur throughout each and every stage. How to cite The Stages in Learning, Papers

Mental Health for Nursing Blogs Response- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theMental Health for Nursing Blogs Response. Answer: Junyi DousBlog Response Traumatic care in healthcare settings is a requirement that nurses perform to most young patients who are faced with challenging situations. However, Reeves (2015) suggests that the major challenge that the nursing profession suffers from is the level of limited knowledge that they have in the field. From Muskett (2014) Junyi Dou suggests that nurses need to address traumatic issues faced by the young patients in both hospital and criminal setting. Since therapy is a process that requires gathering background information about the patient, then there is need to train practitioners and empower them with the right skills that can allow them carry out trauma informed care. Katie Poons Blog Response According to Katie Poon experience in a clinical setting, trauma informed care relies on the application of key skills by practitioners to mitigate the situation and restore the patient to normalcy. I concur with this blog since practitioners in trauma care are charged with the responsibility of restoring patients to their normal state and addressing the social, mental and psychological situations that they have faced as statedin the workd of Cleary, Hunt, Horsfall, Deacon (2012). Stokes, Jacob, Gifford, Squires, Vandyk (2017) suggests that the role of mentalhealth practitioner in this situation is to understand the situation that the patient faced and avoid judging the circumstances that led to the situation. The practitioner is not supposed to judge the situation but rather asses the state of the patient and apply clinically requirement strategies to restore the patient to normalcy. Lauren Nicklin Blog Response As the rate of trauma affected patients keeps on increasing, there is need for hospitals to develop programs that allow assessing the chances of trauma in a patient. Most nurses ignore this process since it is not a requirement for initial clinical screening ( Lommen Restifo, 2009). Lauren Nicklins blog suggests that failing to diagnose trauma in a patient leads to a series of other traumas that affect the patient emotionally and psychologically. Abelsson, Rystedt, Suserud, Lindwall (2018) suggests that healthcare practitioners need to be conversant with trauma assessment processes and have the right skills that can be used to assess the state of patients and offer initial trauma care during the screening process. Most patients with hold the information and suffer silently because practitioners fail to create conducive environments through proper communication to allow patients to open up. References Abelsson, A., Rystedt, I., Suserud, B.-O., Lindwall, L. (2018). Learning High-Energy Trauma Care Through Simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 17, 1-6. Cleary, M., Hunt, G. E., Horsfall, J., Deacon, M. (2012).Nurse-Patient Interaction in Acute Adult Inpatient Mental Health Units: a Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 33(2), 66-79. Lommen, M., Restifo, K. (2009). Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Patients with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder. Community Mental Health Journal, 45(6), 485-496. Muskett, C., (2014). Trauma-informed care in inpatient mental health settings: A review of the literature. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23, 51-59 Reeves, E. (2015). A synthesis of the literature on trauma-informed. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 36, 698709. Stokes, Y., Jacob, J.-D., Gifford, W., Squires, J., Vandyk, A. (2017). Exploring Nurses Knowledge and Experiences Related to Trauma-Informed Care. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 4, 1-10.

Oscar Wilde Influence Essays - Operas, Anglo-Irish People

Oscar Wilde Influence One of the most difficult obstacles a playwright has to overcome is finding a way to engage and interest their audience to their piece. Often having to deal with such problems such as boredom, inattentiveness, or just a general lack of interest, playwrights often invent dramatic devices that entice and entertain their audiences. An example of this is the character Lane in Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." Not only does he portray what the public sentiment is like, he also offers a channel for Wilde to portray the handling of the "lower orders" by the English upper class. Lane, as any good servant should be, is loyal and trustworthy towards his master Algernon. Lane dutifully obliges to his master's requests, and even defends Algernon when he gets in trouble. For example, when discussing with Lady Bracknell the subject of the missing cucumber sandwiches, Lane quickly replies, "There were no cucumbers in the markets this morning,...I went down twice." The reader and the audience are both wise to this ploy. Lane's character also serves a very interesting dramatic function in this piece, in that he serves as a facilitator for Wilde to comment on social perceptions of not only marriage, but of the lower classes as a whole. Before the audience is introduced to Jack, Algernon comments, "Lane's views on marriage seem somewhat lax. Really, if the lower orders don't set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility." This is a rather bold statement, and it relates to the piece in that it portrays"aristocratic" sentiment towards marriage and society. It also serves a function in portraying that aristocratic sentiment is not always the correct one. The comment shows more that this elitist sentiment is skewed, and out of touch with reality. If it were correct that Lane had no sense of moral responsibility, he probably would not have saved his master from inevitable shame later in the act. While doing this produces some humor in the audience, it is interesting to note that Algernon's perceptions of his servant are so different from how Lane is portrayed in the piece. Lane allows the audience to see how warped high-class perceptions are of society. In the end, Lane is less of a servant to Algernon, and more of a servant to the audience, for he allows them to see things the way they really are in society.

Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood and Roman Polanskis Macbet Essays

Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood and Roman Polanskis Macbet Essays Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood and Roman Polanskis Macbet Paper Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood and Roman Polanskis Macbet Paper Essay Topic: Literature This essay provides a detailed and critical analysis of act 1 scene 7 from Macbeth and then proceeds to examine Aikira Kurosawa and Roman Polanski interpretation of the scene through their respective filmic adaptations. This scene from Shakespeares play depicts how Macbeth muses on Duncans many good qualities, reflects that Duncan has been kind to him, and thinks that perhaps he ought not to kill his king. Lady Macbeth then enters and blows his hesitant thoughts away. She spurs Macbeth to treason by disregarding his rational, moral arguments and challenging his manhood. Under her persuasion, all of Macbeths objections seem to evaporate. (SparkNotes Editors). This scene had several functions; firstly, it shows that Macbeth possesses moral order since in the first part of the scene, he actually acknowledges that Duncan has been good to him and he should dismiss the plan of killing Duncan; secondly, it touches upon the idea of women as a source of evil since it was lady Macbeth who persuades Macbeth to kill Duncan even though he has made up his mind not to kill Duncan; thirdly, it also touches upon the relationship between masculinity and cruelty as Lady Macbeth constantly challenges Macbeths manhood while persuading him to kill Duncan. All these ideas are addressed and/or hinted in both Aikira Kurosawa and Roman Polanskis films. However, how they represent these ideas is subject to much scrutiny and interpretation and will be examined with specific focus on their choice of mise-en-sci ne, editing and acting craft. The idea of moral order can be found in Macbeths soliloquy, which is in Act 1, scene 7, lines 1-28, where he debates whether he should kill Duncan. When he lists Duncans good qualities (he [h]ath borne his faculties so meek) and the loyalty that he feels towards his king (I am his kinsman and his subject), we are reminded of just how evil it is for them to slaughter their king while he is a guest in their house. Macbeths fear that [w]e still have judgement here, that we but teach / Bloody instructions which, being taught, return / To plague thinventor, foreshadows the way that his deeds will eventually come back to haunt him. Here, he reveals his awareness that he may be initiating a cycle of violence that will eventually destroy him. The imagery in this speech is dark-we hear of bloody instructions, deep damnation, and a poisoned chalice-and this suggests that Macbeth is aware of how the murder would open the door to a sinful world. He knows what he does is wrong, and he recognizes that there will surely be consequences. At the same time, he admits that his only reason for committing murder, ambition, suddenly seems an insufficient justification for the act. We see that Macbeth is not a good man at this point in the play, but he is not yet an evil one-he is tempted, and he tries to resist temptation. Macbeths resistance, however, is not vigorous enough to stand up to his wifes ability to manipulate him. Women as a source of evil is an idea commonly explored in Elizabethans plays. Macbeth traces the root of chaos and evil to women, which has led some critics to argue that this is Shakespeares most misogynistic play. While the male characters are just as violent and prone to evil as the women, the aggression of the female characters is more striking because it goes against prevailing expectations of how women ought to behave. (Sparknotes Editors). In the second part of this scene, we see how Lady Macbeth manipulates and provokes Macbeth to commit murder even when he had already decided not to. She uses various ways to make Macbeth agree with her. She uses emotional blackmail, coupled with her femininity by saying she will not love him anymore: From this time such I account thy love. She knows that he loves her deeply and uses this against him. She then insults his masculinity by saying, Letting I dare not wait upon I would like the poor cat i the adage? Here, she is calling him a wimp and a scaredy cat. She totally insulted him by comparing him to the cat that wants the fish but doesnt want to get his paws wet. She uses foul phrases with appalling imagery such as telling Macbeth that while she was breast feeding her baby she would: while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn you had done to this. She tries to come over as very menacing and heartless at this point in the play, making a point of the fact that if she had promised to kill her own child she would do so. The role of women at the time when Shakespeare wrote this play was that women were mothers and supported their husbands, their main role would be to look after the home. A Shakespearian audience would be appalled that Lady Macbeth is neither and that she even threatens a life of a child. She describes the plan to murder him in graphic detail. She convinces Macbeth that her plan will work. If Lady Macbeth hadnt been in the picture, then undoubtedly Macbeth wouldnt have murdered the King. Therefore, this play, particular this scene, exemplifies how women are a source of evil and how manipulative women can get. Act 1 scene 7 of Polanskis version of Macbeth begins at 0:28:52, where the feasting and merriment with the king happens in Macbeths castle. Macbeth, unwisely, has left the table and is contemplating the deed that lies ahead of him, he is so engrossed by the conflict in his head that he misses the Kings toast this action is not in the original play but does highlight his self-doubt. The scene then shifts to a hallway outside the castle where Macbeth is thinking about whether he should murder the king. Polanski chooses to shoot this scene where in the backgroud, a storm is happening. The thunder, lightning and heavy rain reflects the internal unrest of Macbeth, where his evil thoughts are struggling with his moral order. As Macbeth is in deep thought in 0:29:45, half of his face is litted up while the other half of his face is not. The light is shot from the left of macbeth. The litted half of his face reflects the moral order present in him while the darker side of his face represents the evil thoughts. Lady Macbeth then comes into the scene to see why Macbeth has left the banquet table. He then tells her he is fully determined not to continue with the plan. In the background we hear Fleance singing a sweet ballad which contrasts greatly with the evil manipulative words of Lady Macbeth. This emphasizes the idea of women as a source of evil doings even more. Lady Macbeth then attacks Macbeth manhood and describes him as coward. Macbeth is very offended by this. Lady Macbeth also uses her soft femininity to win him over and begins to cry. Now we no longer here the sweet voice of Fleance instead we here the fast paced music of the sword dance by Duncans two male chamberlains. The two male chamberlains dance around the swords. This emphasizes the relationship between masculinity and murder/ killing. Kurosawas adaptation of Macbeths Act 1 Scene 7 is very different from Polanskis version. It is very much different from the orginal shakespeares play script too. I will be taking the scenes 0:34:58 to 0:36:36 and 0:39:24 to 0:41:55 to analyze. From 0:34:54 to 0:36:36, the scene is shot in a small room with Washizu (Macbeth) telling Asaji (Lady Macbeth) to put her heart as ease as the King (already present in his place) has absolute trust in him and has given him a high position. Previously, Asaji has planted alot of doubts in Washizus thoughts about the king and Miki. In this scene, however, Asaji is still able to continue planting bad thoughts into Washizus head. This film adaptation is in the noh theater, a form of japanese musical drama. Asajis face is painted and she acted like she had the noh mask on with her expressionless face. Th noh mask portrays the female character and in this case, also portrays a nonhuman (witch) character, since she is so evil. This scene emphasizes the idea that women are a source of evil and trouble even more than the Polanskis version. In Polanskis version, we still see Lady Macbeth, crying, using her femininity to persuade Macbeth to commit the crime. In Kurosawas adaptation, we see that Asaji seldom look into the eyes of Washizu and she never shed a tear. She talks with much calm, showing that her words alone are enough to manipulate Washizu. She doesnt even have to resort to using her feminine features to help her. In conclusion, the ideas of moral order, women as a source of evil and the relationship between masculinity and murder are found in the play script and the two film adaptations.

Strategy Formulation United Way Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategy Formulation United Way - Essay Example Two possible strategies for United Ways would include an integrated marketing communication strategy and a control and monitoring mechanism in the area of corporate governance that would involve appointment of independent auditors as well as implementation of strict code of conduct. The following sections would largely show how these two strategies could be used to counter the issues faced by the organization. The issues and advantages for the two strategies would be specifically analyzed in the following sections. The recent financial crisis had a major impact on the accessibility of funds as disposable income dried up following job cuts. It was becoming difficult for United Ways to sustain itself in the market. Certain alternative strategies for the organization would include going international and seeking funds from across the world. The company could use Americans living in other nations to generate funds for the organization in nations where the effect of financial crisis is le ss severe (Norris, 2007, p.218-220). In addition to this the organization should also use an integrated marketing communication strategy based on social networking and internet to raise funds from international sources.

Critical Review Accountability and Data Collection, including Reward Article

Critical Review Accountability and Data Collection, including Reward and Challenge Schools - Article Example The reform rightly undertakes the method of identifying the schools and districts with the maximum progress and recognizing them as Reward schools; this would encourage the functioning of the schools and thereby enhance their performance. Though I agree that the identification of the Challenge School and then helping them in specific ways is an innovative way to solve the problem, as all the schools may not lack in the same sphere, yet I also think that a problem might arise here with respect to correct identification of the challenged schools and the reward schools as no school will have everything bad or good in it, hence the process involved in the collection of data for recognizing and categorizing the schools needs to be clearly mentioned. According to me the reform should specify what benchmarks and parameters would be used for the identification of the categories. School Turn Around Models In my opinion, the method proposed for school remodeling might be criticized on the foll owing grounds. The idea of Challenge schools undergoing a turnaround and transformation model where the governing body of the school gets replaced and strengthened might not ensure better performance always according to me. This is because replacing an experienced authority with a new one might pose new problems as the newcomer might take time to adjust to the ambience before bringing on changes. Rehiring of the 50 percent of the old staff and filling up the rest with new staffs may initiate non-cooperation among the staffs and hence their productivity can go down and this is therefore not a very sound idea. I also think that closing the school and transferring the students into higher performing school may end up being a problem as the students would suddenly find themselves under greater pressure than what they have been exposed to (12). Effective Teachers and Leaders - state and district level data systems and evaluations With respect to the area of ‘Effective Teachers and Leaders-state and district level data systems and evaluations’ I observe that the development and implementation of meaningful educators and principal evaluation system by the State and the District is a positive step in providing quality education (15-16). I agree that the published data at the state and the district level about the performance of the principals and the teachers will put them under a constant pressure of doing well. The grants for the school on their better performance in building up better and effective teachers are also a good idea to work towards encouragement. Yet I find one negative aspect with respect to the transfer of the effective teachers to the high needs schools. Thought this is likely to act as a blessing for the schools in need, yet at the same time it can act adversely against the interest of the students who sometimes become accustomed to a specific way of teaching and might find it a problem to adapt to the change. I would recommend here the inclusion of how these changes would be implemented and what psychological changes the students would need to undergo. English Language Learners The provision of significant formula grants to aid the schools at the district and the state level for implementing elevated quality language instructions in educational programs is definitely a constructive move undertaken by the reforms (20). I also find he language proficiency assessment to determine the eligibility of the learner quite recommendable because it is likely to enhance the quality of the education. However, in that way many learners who wish to study the language will be exempted from doing so. Hence I suggest that by initiating innovative programs in the schools to impart language education the State itself can take a step in coming up with

E-commerce Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

E-commerce Marketing Plan - Essay Example Market Summary â€Å"FISH FIELD LLC is a fishing tackle manufacturer, importer and wholesaler in Oregon.† (Fish Field, 2011) The company is a specialist in fishing equipments. Fish Field focuses more on ocean fishing though the company has significant presence in fresh water fishing too. What started as just a small company is now an established fishing equipment brand in the region. Being located in Oregon, the major market of the company is Oregon itself. But the company also has reasonable sales from other major states through its online sales of the equipments. The current customer groups of the company include both professional fishermen as well as hobbyists. But the larger portion consists of professional fishermen. The company has a huge portfolio of products that cater to the various needs of the customers. The products of the company are currently classified under categories such as fly fishing, general fishing, sea fishing, centerpin fishing and outdoor sport. The co mpany sells around sixty three products through these categories. Fish Field is planning to expand its market by targeting more customer groups. In order to increase the sales of the products, the company will have to expand to other markets outside Oregon through its online presence. ... This marketing plan is also intended to target more of students of the age group 10 – 20. This is a very lucrative market segment for the company. Competition Some of the major fishing equipment suppliers in Oregon are Anglers Manufacturing Inc, Bandon Bait & Tackle Sea Food, Caddis Fly Angling Shop, Cascade Anglers, Cascade Crest Tools, Charlton Deep Sea Charters, Dan Craft Enterprises, Englund Marine Supply Company, Fish Rite Inc Boats, and Glenn Struble MFG. Most of these players have fishing boats in their product portfolio compared to that of Fish Filed. Though Fish Field does not have boat among its product categories, the fishing equipment portfolio of Fish Field is very large than most of these players. This is where the company differentiates itself from other major players in the market. Fish Filed also differentiates from its competitors through its sophisticated online sales presence. Most of the products of Fish Field are sold through its online portal. Most of th e competitors maintain their own websites. Some of the competitors’ websites are just informative in nature. Such companies don’t sell products online. Caddis Fly, Bandon Bait, Cascade Anglers, Englund Marine and Fish Rite are the companies that just maintain informative websites. All other players listed above sells their merchandise online. If Fish Field is able to leverage more on its existing online presence, it can generate more sales than that of its competitors. Most of the competitors are not established brands in fishing equipments though there are few companies that have years of experience. Therefore, to generate better sales, Fish Field should first establish its brand name or make its brand name visible to the prospective customers. Since Fish Field

Analysis of Supplier Development Strategies

Analysis of Supplier Development Strategies ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Any activity undertaken by a buying firm to improve supplier performance, supplier capabilities, or both and to meet the buying firms short and/or long term supply needs can be termed as supplier development activity. A study by the Harvard Business School concluded that a primary reason for declining US competitiveness is that US companies invest less than foreign rivals in intangible investments such as supplier development. Half of the companies fail in this supplier development effort if executed. As supplier development help in increasing competitiveness and is not successful every time if implemented, it is essential to examine supplier development and factors which result towards the success of supplier development. This paper will examine aspects associated with the success of supplier development strategies within different set of industry. This research will put forward a specific set of aspects are significant contributors to supplier development; also this paper will show that some factors of supplier development have significant influence on other factors of supplier development. Data from the population of buyers and suppliers will be collected to test the extent of relationship between significant factors and success of supplier development process. Agreement was noted between dependencies of success of supplier development process on several factors. Recommendations to supply managers and purchasing manager will be provided regarding upper management involvement, enhanced communication with their suppliers, recognition of their suppliers and development of strategic processing instead of reactive processing will be offered. chapter 1 introduction This thesis is a report of ethnographic study of critical factors for supplier development strategies. The study was based primarily upon the survey with supplier development managers and professionals involved in this field. This first chapter of the thesis will discuss the context of the study, intention of the study, describe the importance and will present the overview of the methodology used. Background of Study A global economy is emerging and resources are concentrated on core business rather than the diversification which show the way towards outsourcing. Outsourcing is increased from $91 billion to $416 billion in 20 years (Tunstall, 2002), and it is expected to increase further. In 2009 the value of outsourcing deals in logistics area were projected to $ 80 billion (Hyatt, 2009) which shows the intensity of use of suppliers. Due to this voluminous use of suppliers buying companies have to rely on their suppliers to deliver defect free product in a timely and cost effective manner. To compete in their respective markets, buying firm must ensure that their supplier capability equals the expectations (Krause Ellram, Success factors in supplier development, 1997). When a supplier is incapable of meeting the buying firms need the buying firm has three alternatives: (1) Bring the outsourced item in house and produce it internally, (2) Resource with a more capable supplier, (3) Help improve t he existing suppliers capabilities. All the three strategies can work. (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Supplier development is defined as Any effort of a buying firm with its supplier to increase the performance and capabilities of the supplier and meet the buying firms supply needs. (Krause Ellram, Critical elements of supplier development, 1997) When the suppliers are innovative and exclusively supplying a product then the supplier development option comes into the picture. When a company is using a supplier, it is necessary to have a good relationship with them. The Harvard research suggested that supplier development started very late in USA but it was started very long ago in the Japan. Toyota, Honda and Nissan implemented these supplier development activities in their plants a long back. Although similar research has been done previously, the theme of research was same but this new research is capable to generate new knowledge , First the populations is different and for the variety of reasons they will be having different opinions and attitudes than the previous cohort . There might be a different type of interaction in between me and those to which will generate the new idea, the sample data is from different set of industry and places so the research context will be totally different from the previous researches. Even the subject might be same but the contextual issues are very different. The Problem Statement Supplier development requires both supplier and buyer to commit their maximum to get the maximum out of the program. Even though both the sides agree that the commitment is required it is not necessary that supplier development program in which they are involved will be successful. In early 90s companies start reducing the number of direct suppliers and began evolving from adversarial relationships to more cooperative ones with the remaining suppliers. (Hartley Choi, 1996), Approximate one-third projects are failed due to suppliers underperformance. So the success in the supplier development is not a foregone conclusion. Supplier development is considered as a long term business strategy and there are various factors which affects this long term strategy. These factors not only affect the end result of supplier development process but also influence each other. This research tried to establish the critical success factors for supplier development and their inter-relationship with ea ch other. Regression models approach helped to develop the interrelationship among critical success factors. Anyone especially supplier development manager and procurement professional can refer the model over the wide range of circumstances and structure. The main objective of the research paper is to create the model for critical success factors for supplier development strategies. Professional Significance Large number of companies does the supplier development and they fail as well at surprising rate. Not all supplier development initiatives are successful in fact, as many as 50% are not successful, due to poor implementation and follow-up. (Handfield R. , 2002) The failed efforts consume tremendous amount of resources over months or even years. As multiple studies have shown over half of the supplier initiatives fails. This failure takes a toll that is not only financial but also psychological. Failure demoralizes employees who have been labored diligently to complete their share of the work. As the supplier development success factors depends on both the parties so a dedicated study is required to find out what factors make the supplier development process a success. In 2000, according to the study 53% of the companies claimed that they are involved in the supplier development program but it was found that only 20% of the companies are contributing for the financial support for the suppliers and only 14% of the companies are putting their employees in the suppliers place for the development purpose. Eleven percentages of the companies are giving the chance to the suppliers to come at the buyers place and learn. Only 11% of the companies are having the formal program for supplier development, others are doing it without any of the formal program. (Anonymous, 2000). It shows that even though companies are involved in supplier development program but not fully implementing in an appropriate way. In General Motors, after implementation of supplier development program supplier productivity was improved 50%, lead time was reduced by 75%, and inventory reduction happened around 70% during their one week workshops. On one project alone, Honda of Americas Best Practices (BP) team reduced a suppliers costs by more than $200,000 per year by changing the layout of a welding process. Furthermore layout change might increase the efficiency of supplier and ultimately give advantage to buying company. (Hartley Choi, 1996). Also one of the purchasing pro for a power tool producer said that in three years of developing suppliers, his company has seen quality rejects fall from 38.4% down to 0.5% while supplier on-time delivery has risen from 76% to 97.5%. Likewise, another proponent of supplier development cites an average supplier quality metric of 98.5% and on-time supplier delivery at 97%. They claimed to have improved quality, response time, prices and cycle time improvements, The VP f or a major California-based computer maker talks about how assistance from his firm allowed one subassembly supplier to ramp up to 50,000 pieces per month in only six weeks. (Anonymous, 2000).Although it took only 6 weeks to ramp up the production but usually supplier development is very time consuming and long process which consumes plenty of resources, so it is very much required to do it correct first time. To get the results mentioned above -$200,000 saving /year it is essential to learn what are the success contributors and failure contributors of supplier development. Overview of Methodology A structured survey questionnaire with five-point Likert scale was developed. Web and email were used to circulate and gather information regarding what group of supplier development professionals thinks about supplier development activities. Survey was divided in 6 small sections and every section was having 3 questions. Total of 20 questions were mailed to random sample of 300 supplier development professionals. The survey solicited about a single instance of supplier development performed by them. Survey was face validated and content validated with the help of thesis chair and committee. Of 300 surveys circulated 50 usable responses were obtained, which provides the perception of large group of supplier development manger regarding the nature of their supplier development project. The responding population represents a wide range of industry types. Also before e-mail survey set of interviews with supplier development managers was conducted. The interview was designed to validate the success factors collected after reviewing literature review and to help focus on reliable, important success factors which have extremely high control on supplier development success. Delimitation The research study was conducted at San Diego State University during the end of the fall semester-2009. This research was limited to supplier development manager who updated their resume on resume bank. This research was limited to professionals in North America continent to reduce cultural differences within the population used in the study. Multiple Regression model was used to prove the interdependency in between critical factors instead structural equation modeling. Survey instrument was developed with the help of existing instruments. This will allow us to compare new results with the old results. This research was limited to 3 questions per factor to keep instrument short. chapter 2 literature review This chapter will review the past researches that serves as the foundation for the thesis report presented. The research papers are basically associated with critical factors associated with success of supplier development. The research paper will present purpose and rationale for writing research paper on supplier development strategies. Following will be the review of literature on Strategic process, Upper management involvement, Supplier recognition, Effective and enhanced communication and commitment of suppliers. The chapter will conclude with a summary of literature. Examples of the key word used while finding the scholar research papers were supplier development, supplier relationship, supplier evaluation, supplier management, supply chain management and buyer-supplier relationship. Combinations of keywords were used to get different research papers. Search engine used during literature search were SDSU library search engine and Google scholar. (Ekholm Pashei, 2009). Past Literature First document application of supplier development comes from Toyota in 1939. Toyota discussed the need of working together with suppliers to improve collective performance. Thereafter in 1963 Nissan implemented first supplier development project, Honda joined the club in 1973 (Monczka, Handfield, Glunipero, Patterson, 2009). It is essential to understand the significance of each factor and the role it plays in supplier development process. Past researches can be categorized in (a) Theoretical, (b) Conceptual, (c) Empirical, (d) Conceptual and Empirical. Table 1 gives the brief of past literature which were identified. Previous to mid 1990s, the supplier development literature consisted mainly of theoretical studies covering cases of several companies and surveys and the purpose was to learn the barriers which comes in the way of supplier development. In 1990s the research moved towards establishing relationship in between various supplier development constructs where in 2000 the re search moved towards influence of supplier development towards innovation and purchasing strategy (Easton, 2000). In todays business increased trend of reliance on supplier is observed. Most of the buying firms need to pursue aggressive strategies in order to increase the future rate of capabilities improvement. (Monnczka, Trent, Callahan, 1993) Having mentioned that supplier is becoming increasingly critical to the competitive success of US firms, there are several reasons behind that. First manufacturers are beginning to focus on their core competencies and areas of technical expertise. Second, developing effective supply base management strategies can help counter the competitive pressures brought about by intense worldwide competition. Third, Suppliers can support directly a firms ability to innovate in the critical areas of product and process technology. Study showed 95% of business unit sample indicated supplier contributions were increasing throughout in terms of importance. There was a 232% increase in people from 1989-1990 who agreed with the statement that suppliers are extremely imp ortant to the achievement of competitive market strategies. More and more people started to outsource and started rely on suppliers. There was a growth of 15% of people from 1991-1992. Furthermore for each sample period, respondent projected and increasing dependency on suppliers for future product technology. More and more companies started to use supplier development process. Some of them are HP, Epson, Apple Computer, 3M, and BMW etc. Strong belief is supplier warrants improvement. If improvement does not occur firms across many industries may lose market share to competitors who are able to maximize supplier performance input. Sample was non random so the result can be generalized. Thus the trend is towards increasing reliance on supplier to help achieve competitive market strategies. This reliance on suppliers and improving their performance was initially documented from Toyota in 1939. Toyota discussed the need of working together with suppliers to improve collective performan ce. Thereafter in 1963 Nissan implemented first supplier development project, Honda joined the club in 1973 (Monczka, Handfield, Glunipero, Patterson, 2009). Supplier development was ubiquitous in Japan and Korea for number of years but less evident in US firms due to perceived lack of instant return on investment allied with setting up resources required to make it successful. Interestingly this practice was recognized early in the 1900 in the US automotive industry when Ford required improving supplier capacity (Krause, Handfield, Tyler, The relationships between supplier development, commitment, social and capital accumulation and performance improvement, 2006). In 1970s other Japanese automakers implemented the system and made their own modification like Honda developed a program called BP (Best practices). Review of case studies by (Sako, 2004) allowed examining differences in between supplier development activity in Toyota, Nissan and Honda. In 1939, Toyota purchasing rules stated that- Toyota suppliers must be treated as a Toyota branches and Toyota must continue to do business with these suppliers without switching to others and also develop the suppliers if required. Toyota bifurcated supplier development activities into TPS (Toyota Production System) and TQC (Total Quality Control). TPS was having different existence from TQC which allowed suppliers to take advantage of continuous improvement. Hyundai also realized that their small suppliers cannot again and again recruit engineers thus they sent engineers from their own shops to improve suppliers productivity. Hyundai do not financially support their suppliers but offer personnel support (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Nissan also implemented supplier development program which were significantly different from Toyota in the terms of number of point of contacts for suppliers, approach towards sharing the ideas and one to one training strategy during program. Honda and Nissan unified the TPS and TQC offering a single point of contact (Sako, 2004). The common features of the supplier development programs at Honda, Nissan and Toyota are multipl e channels for supplier development to transfer both tacit and explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is more difficult to accumulate as it needs closer interactions especially face to face with suppliers and more time thus it is difficult to replicate tacit knowledge (Clarke, 2007). In contrast to these companies in Japan, the suppliers in US and Europe distrust the buyers intention and also buyers dont have identical level of authenticity as in Japan to act as trusted well wisher who can suggest their suppliers how they should invest their resources (Sako, 2004). A recent study from Harvard school concluded that primary reason for declining USA competitiveness is that US companies invest less in supplier relations and development thus considering these points from Japan the supplier development was adopted in Eastern countries like UK and USA (Monnczka, Trent, Callahan, 1993). Supplier development activities were transferred to USA as buying firms commissioned their own plants in USA due to government regulations. By 1996 General Motors had completed supplier development projects with over 2000 suppliers and claimed productivity improvements over 50%, lead time reduction of up to 75% and inventory reduction of 70% (Hartley Choi, Supplier development: Customers as a catalyst of process change, 1996), (Clarke, 2007). By 2001 John Deere was involved in 426 different projects with 92 different supplier development engineer and delivering annual saving of $700,000 along with improvements in quality, cost and delivery. By 1994, Allied-Signal expe cted to save up to $300,000 from supplier development activities and also expected for increase in shares price (Monnczka, Trent, Callahan, 1993). At Deere and Delphi, a $100,000 investment in supplier development yields at least three to ten times the original investment (Nelson, Moody, Stegner, 2005). This illustrates that large firms adopted supplier development and it became strategic tool for them to improve quality, reduce cost and improve the delivery. The basic development process started with reduction in supplier base and then developing the remaining suppliers. Also it was adopted in service based companies from product based companies. But more focus was on the product based companies. Service based relies on the competitive pressure of market forces instigate supplier performance to a greater extent than product based firms and that then to use. In UK most companies rationalized or optimized their supple base to include fewer total suppliers. Western countries were no t getting involved in direct supplier development; Japanese companies were successful because they were involved in direct supplier development. Toyota is purchasing product from the same supplier since 1937. GM adopted this strategic supplier development in Europe. Motorola and Ford also adopted similar kind of supplier development Countries and large firms started to realize the benefits of supplier development, they recognized that supplier development must be worth if its emerging everywhere in Japan. From the national perspective, benefits of supplier development were improvement in domestic suppliers, reduction in off shoring and increase in GDP (Krause Ellram, 1997). From the corporate and large firm perspective, supplier development helped in improving quality, reliability and manufacturability of new design. Besides that supplier development also helped in knowledge sharing and improved collaboration. Furthermore responsiveness to customer needs and market dynamics also increased with supplier development (Krause Ellram, 1997). The data gathered with 527 purchasing executives by (Krause D. R., Supplier development: Current practices and outcomes, 1997) revealed that supplier development attributed to timely delivery, completed orders, reduction in defects scrap and reduced order cycle time. Research by (Blonska, Rozemeijer, Wetzels) established that supplier development guide towards getting a preferential buyer status and supplier adaptability. Supplier adaptation is perceived as an attainment of a goal of supplier development aimed at supplier performance improvement (Blonska, Rozemeijer, Wetzels). With help of two in depth case studies (Reed Walsh, 2002) established that supplier development activities enhance technological capabilities in their suppliers. Also some of the firms expected technological improvement should follow from improved business processes. Supplier development also helped in developing mutual trust in between buyers and suppliers (Reed Walsh, 2002). As mentioned earlier this increase in reliance was due to improvement in performance after implementing supplier development program. BMW strives to be 20% above industry average in quality performance. Management believed supplier development made it possible to attain that quality standard and increase in revenue (Rhodes, Warren, Carter, 2006). Also in Honda dramatic improvement was seen in product quality since Honda began to develop suppliers in North America, In 1985 quality level was 7000 parts defective per million and In 1995 quality level was increased to 100 defective parts per million (Berlow, 1995). A team of purchasing professionals from Honda of America worked with 12 stamping suppliers to reduce cost by $4million in six months in 1995 with its supplier development efforts (Berlow, 1995). In the context of supplier development, suppliers and buyers state that they want to practice more supplier development methods to enjoy its benefits but there are myriads of barriers that hinder the effective supplier development strategies. Research by (Lascelles Dale, 1989) utilizing survey responses from UK based suppliers to 3 major customers in automotive industry illustrated that poor communication and feedback, unstructured quality improvement programs, credibility of buyers, misconception regarding purchasing power and supplier satisfaction are the foremost barriers in the supplier development programs. Also in an empirical study with 89 minority goods and service providers (Krause, Ragatz, Hughley, Supplier development from the minority suppliers perspective, 1999) demonstrated that the main barriers towards minority owned supplier development are poor communication, non-profit situation and racial biases. Results also indicated that small minority owned suppliers were le ss positive about supplier development activities as compared to large minority owned suppliers (Novak, 2008). Survey by (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000) on supplier development strategies with 84 companies established several other barriers apart from already mentioned that deter supplier development strategies. It includes Lack of supplier commitment, insufficient supplier resources, lack of trust, and poor alignment of organizational cultures, unsupportive upper management and insufficient inducement to suppliers. Research by (McDuffie Helper, 1997) established that supplier development might fail if suppliers are not having a strong identification or if suppliers are not dependent on buyers. It will show the way to break down in learning relationship. Another major barrier towards supplier development program found from research by (Forker, Ruch, Hershauer, 1999) is difference between perceptions of buyer and suppliers about supplier development practices. These di fferences in perception are due to disparity in understanding in preference, intention, and process of supplier development program (Forker, Ruch, Hershauer, 1999). Supplier might agree initially for the proposal but later fail to implement due to difference in understanding. This problem can be cured with the help of clarification of issues. Researchers came up with number of conceptual models for building solutions to overcome these barriers. A ten step generic process model was developed based on the examination of in-depth response to open ended survey questions. Such a model was a step towards strategic supplier development. It was ranging from identification of critical commodities for development to systematically instituting ongoing continuous improvement. The model also suggested proposition that firms competing in markets characterized by high rates of technological changes and high level of competition are more likely to be involved with this model (Krause, Handfield, Scannell, An empirical investigation of supplier development: reactive and strategic processes, 1998). This model was slightly changed by proposition of seven steps generic model (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Also it was found most organization deployed first three steps but was less successful in deploying later stages. Similar t o previous model a process oriented four step generic supplier development model was proposed. This model was designed to help suppliers sustain and continue the change process and effectively build the capability for improvement within the organization (Hartley Jones, Process oriented supplier development: Building the capability for change, 1997). This model also increases the suppliers capability to act on its own and the improvement effort will continue once the buying firm finishes its activities (Wagner S. M., 2006). Also supplier structure was developed on the basis of specific vendor development strategy. Conceptual link was generated in between generic business unit strategies based on framework proposed by Porter and generic supplier development strategies, in other words linkage between supplier development strategies and company strategies (Chakraborty Philip, 1996). Execution of case study of five firms by (Dunn Young, 2004) results in a process model that enables th e buyers to pinpoint specific areas where improvement is required. Highlighting these small areas can impact on long term strategic supplier development initiatives. A review of the conceptual model and context of supplier development resulted in the identification of several elements that appear to be critical to the success of the supplier development program. These comprise of effective and enhanced communication, supplier commitment, top management involvement, strategic processing and long term commitment and supplier recognition/rewards (Krause Ellram, 1997). Background What is supplier development, why is the supplier development critical, what made this required to study and how the factors might affect the supplier development? Big things happen when you do little things right (Don, 2000). In this case if small generic steps for supplier development are deployed correctly then it can contribute towards success in supplier development. (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000) Developed seven step generic process map for set up supplier development activities. These are recognized as (a) Identify critical commodities (b) Identify critical supplies (c) Form a cross functional team (d) Meet with supplier top management (e) Identify key project (f) Define details of agreement and (g) Monitor status and monitor strategies. A discussion of each as follows. Identify critical commodities and suppliers Upper management involvement is vital to assess the relative importance of commodities and services procured by business unit. A corporate level executive committee analyzes the purchasing portfolio developed during strategic process. This analysis is extension of company strategic planning (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). As a result critical commodities are identified and warranted for supplier development activities. Steps adopted here are mainly observed in strategic approach supplier development where in reactive approach respondents skip this step in supplier development process (Krause, Handfield, Scannell, An empirical investigation of supplier development: reactive and strategic processes, 1998). Choosing which supplier to develop is a critical task again because supplier development involves resources such as money and time, thus the decision should be strategic not reactive (Gordon, 2008). (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Many situations exist which are not mutually exclusive but warrant supplier development. To decide which situation needs supplier development is calculated judgment. Companies have formal supplier measurement system with help of which they assess suppliers performance. If any gap is found in measured and expected results, these suppliers are identified for development process where in reactive approach respondent skip this step in supplier development activities (Krause, Handfield, Scannell, An empirical investigation of supplier development: reactive and strategic processes, 1998). Also buying firm carefully evaluates suppliers quality, volume, delivery cost performance, launch readiness and potential kaizen opportunities to identify a prosp ective supplier development program (Novak, 2008). Hence, Strategic processing and upper management involvement have significant influence on the outcome of this first step of supplier development-identifying critical commodities and suppliers. These two will be among the variable of interest in the research thesis. Form a cross functional team Each firm must develop their suppliers according to their requirement. For example, some firms need managerial assistance and some need technical assistance. Thus it is essential to evaluate each supplier individually to create a plan that benefits both supplier and buyer (Daghfous, Campa, Hamde, 2008). As a result to face this complex challenge of developing dissimilar suppliers, innovative ideas are required to break down knowledge barrier between buyers and suppliers and to facilitate a transition of knowledge transfer from buyers to suppliers, a cross functional team is necessary to form (Blindenbacj-Driessen, 2009). Before approaching suppliers and ask for enhanced performance, it is also important to build up cross functional consensus and build up their own house before expecting commitment from suppliers (Monczka, Handfield, Glunipero, Patterson, 2009). In particular commitment of buyers and strategic approach is essential for buildup of cross functional consensus. Also a b uyer must establish its supply chain strategies and roles of procurement so that the business objectives are clear. Hence, Commitment and strategic process have significant influence on the outcome on creation of cross functional team. Therefore, these two will be among the variable of interest in the research thesis. Meet with supplier top management Upper management involvement again prevails but this time it is of suppliers side. Cross functional team must meet upper management of supplier side and establishes stra Analysis of Supplier Development Strategies Analysis of Supplier Development Strategies ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Any activity undertaken by a buying firm to improve supplier performance, supplier capabilities, or both and to meet the buying firms short and/or long term supply needs can be termed as supplier development activity. A study by the Harvard Business School concluded that a primary reason for declining US competitiveness is that US companies invest less than foreign rivals in intangible investments such as supplier development. Half of the companies fail in this supplier development effort if executed. As supplier development help in increasing competitiveness and is not successful every time if implemented, it is essential to examine supplier development and factors which result towards the success of supplier development. This paper will examine aspects associated with the success of supplier development strategies within different set of industry. This research will put forward a specific set of aspects are significant contributors to supplier development; also this paper will show that some factors of supplier development have significant influence on other factors of supplier development. Data from the population of buyers and suppliers will be collected to test the extent of relationship between significant factors and success of supplier development process. Agreement was noted between dependencies of success of supplier development process on several factors. Recommendations to supply managers and purchasing manager will be provided regarding upper management involvement, enhanced communication with their suppliers, recognition of their suppliers and development of strategic processing instead of reactive processing will be offered. chapter 1 introduction This thesis is a report of ethnographic study of critical factors for supplier development strategies. The study was based primarily upon the survey with supplier development managers and professionals involved in this field. This first chapter of the thesis will discuss the context of the study, intention of the study, describe the importance and will present the overview of the methodology used. Background of Study A global economy is emerging and resources are concentrated on core business rather than the diversification which show the way towards outsourcing. Outsourcing is increased from $91 billion to $416 billion in 20 years (Tunstall, 2002), and it is expected to increase further. In 2009 the value of outsourcing deals in logistics area were projected to $ 80 billion (Hyatt, 2009) which shows the intensity of use of suppliers. Due to this voluminous use of suppliers buying companies have to rely on their suppliers to deliver defect free product in a timely and cost effective manner. To compete in their respective markets, buying firm must ensure that their supplier capability equals the expectations (Krause Ellram, Success factors in supplier development, 1997). When a supplier is incapable of meeting the buying firms need the buying firm has three alternatives: (1) Bring the outsourced item in house and produce it internally, (2) Resource with a more capable supplier, (3) Help improve t he existing suppliers capabilities. All the three strategies can work. (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Supplier development is defined as Any effort of a buying firm with its supplier to increase the performance and capabilities of the supplier and meet the buying firms supply needs. (Krause Ellram, Critical elements of supplier development, 1997) When the suppliers are innovative and exclusively supplying a product then the supplier development option comes into the picture. When a company is using a supplier, it is necessary to have a good relationship with them. The Harvard research suggested that supplier development started very late in USA but it was started very long ago in the Japan. Toyota, Honda and Nissan implemented these supplier development activities in their plants a long back. Although similar research has been done previously, the theme of research was same but this new research is capable to generate new knowledge , First the populations is different and for the variety of reasons they will be having different opinions and attitudes than the previous cohort . There might be a different type of interaction in between me and those to which will generate the new idea, the sample data is from different set of industry and places so the research context will be totally different from the previous researches. Even the subject might be same but the contextual issues are very different. The Problem Statement Supplier development requires both supplier and buyer to commit their maximum to get the maximum out of the program. Even though both the sides agree that the commitment is required it is not necessary that supplier development program in which they are involved will be successful. In early 90s companies start reducing the number of direct suppliers and began evolving from adversarial relationships to more cooperative ones with the remaining suppliers. (Hartley Choi, 1996), Approximate one-third projects are failed due to suppliers underperformance. So the success in the supplier development is not a foregone conclusion. Supplier development is considered as a long term business strategy and there are various factors which affects this long term strategy. These factors not only affect the end result of supplier development process but also influence each other. This research tried to establish the critical success factors for supplier development and their inter-relationship with ea ch other. Regression models approach helped to develop the interrelationship among critical success factors. Anyone especially supplier development manager and procurement professional can refer the model over the wide range of circumstances and structure. The main objective of the research paper is to create the model for critical success factors for supplier development strategies. Professional Significance Large number of companies does the supplier development and they fail as well at surprising rate. Not all supplier development initiatives are successful in fact, as many as 50% are not successful, due to poor implementation and follow-up. (Handfield R. , 2002) The failed efforts consume tremendous amount of resources over months or even years. As multiple studies have shown over half of the supplier initiatives fails. This failure takes a toll that is not only financial but also psychological. Failure demoralizes employees who have been labored diligently to complete their share of the work. As the supplier development success factors depends on both the parties so a dedicated study is required to find out what factors make the supplier development process a success. In 2000, according to the study 53% of the companies claimed that they are involved in the supplier development program but it was found that only 20% of the companies are contributing for the financial support for the suppliers and only 14% of the companies are putting their employees in the suppliers place for the development purpose. Eleven percentages of the companies are giving the chance to the suppliers to come at the buyers place and learn. Only 11% of the companies are having the formal program for supplier development, others are doing it without any of the formal program. (Anonymous, 2000). It shows that even though companies are involved in supplier development program but not fully implementing in an appropriate way. In General Motors, after implementation of supplier development program supplier productivity was improved 50%, lead time was reduced by 75%, and inventory reduction happened around 70% during their one week workshops. On one project alone, Honda of Americas Best Practices (BP) team reduced a suppliers costs by more than $200,000 per year by changing the layout of a welding process. Furthermore layout change might increase the efficiency of supplier and ultimately give advantage to buying company. (Hartley Choi, 1996). Also one of the purchasing pro for a power tool producer said that in three years of developing suppliers, his company has seen quality rejects fall from 38.4% down to 0.5% while supplier on-time delivery has risen from 76% to 97.5%. Likewise, another proponent of supplier development cites an average supplier quality metric of 98.5% and on-time supplier delivery at 97%. They claimed to have improved quality, response time, prices and cycle time improvements, The VP f or a major California-based computer maker talks about how assistance from his firm allowed one subassembly supplier to ramp up to 50,000 pieces per month in only six weeks. (Anonymous, 2000).Although it took only 6 weeks to ramp up the production but usually supplier development is very time consuming and long process which consumes plenty of resources, so it is very much required to do it correct first time. To get the results mentioned above -$200,000 saving /year it is essential to learn what are the success contributors and failure contributors of supplier development. Overview of Methodology A structured survey questionnaire with five-point Likert scale was developed. Web and email were used to circulate and gather information regarding what group of supplier development professionals thinks about supplier development activities. Survey was divided in 6 small sections and every section was having 3 questions. Total of 20 questions were mailed to random sample of 300 supplier development professionals. The survey solicited about a single instance of supplier development performed by them. Survey was face validated and content validated with the help of thesis chair and committee. Of 300 surveys circulated 50 usable responses were obtained, which provides the perception of large group of supplier development manger regarding the nature of their supplier development project. The responding population represents a wide range of industry types. Also before e-mail survey set of interviews with supplier development managers was conducted. The interview was designed to validate the success factors collected after reviewing literature review and to help focus on reliable, important success factors which have extremely high control on supplier development success. Delimitation The research study was conducted at San Diego State University during the end of the fall semester-2009. This research was limited to supplier development manager who updated their resume on resume bank. This research was limited to professionals in North America continent to reduce cultural differences within the population used in the study. Multiple Regression model was used to prove the interdependency in between critical factors instead structural equation modeling. Survey instrument was developed with the help of existing instruments. This will allow us to compare new results with the old results. This research was limited to 3 questions per factor to keep instrument short. chapter 2 literature review This chapter will review the past researches that serves as the foundation for the thesis report presented. The research papers are basically associated with critical factors associated with success of supplier development. The research paper will present purpose and rationale for writing research paper on supplier development strategies. Following will be the review of literature on Strategic process, Upper management involvement, Supplier recognition, Effective and enhanced communication and commitment of suppliers. The chapter will conclude with a summary of literature. Examples of the key word used while finding the scholar research papers were supplier development, supplier relationship, supplier evaluation, supplier management, supply chain management and buyer-supplier relationship. Combinations of keywords were used to get different research papers. Search engine used during literature search were SDSU library search engine and Google scholar. (Ekholm Pashei, 2009). Past Literature First document application of supplier development comes from Toyota in 1939. Toyota discussed the need of working together with suppliers to improve collective performance. Thereafter in 1963 Nissan implemented first supplier development project, Honda joined the club in 1973 (Monczka, Handfield, Glunipero, Patterson, 2009). It is essential to understand the significance of each factor and the role it plays in supplier development process. Past researches can be categorized in (a) Theoretical, (b) Conceptual, (c) Empirical, (d) Conceptual and Empirical. Table 1 gives the brief of past literature which were identified. Previous to mid 1990s, the supplier development literature consisted mainly of theoretical studies covering cases of several companies and surveys and the purpose was to learn the barriers which comes in the way of supplier development. In 1990s the research moved towards establishing relationship in between various supplier development constructs where in 2000 the re search moved towards influence of supplier development towards innovation and purchasing strategy (Easton, 2000). In todays business increased trend of reliance on supplier is observed. Most of the buying firms need to pursue aggressive strategies in order to increase the future rate of capabilities improvement. (Monnczka, Trent, Callahan, 1993) Having mentioned that supplier is becoming increasingly critical to the competitive success of US firms, there are several reasons behind that. First manufacturers are beginning to focus on their core competencies and areas of technical expertise. Second, developing effective supply base management strategies can help counter the competitive pressures brought about by intense worldwide competition. Third, Suppliers can support directly a firms ability to innovate in the critical areas of product and process technology. Study showed 95% of business unit sample indicated supplier contributions were increasing throughout in terms of importance. There was a 232% increase in people from 1989-1990 who agreed with the statement that suppliers are extremely imp ortant to the achievement of competitive market strategies. More and more people started to outsource and started rely on suppliers. There was a growth of 15% of people from 1991-1992. Furthermore for each sample period, respondent projected and increasing dependency on suppliers for future product technology. More and more companies started to use supplier development process. Some of them are HP, Epson, Apple Computer, 3M, and BMW etc. Strong belief is supplier warrants improvement. If improvement does not occur firms across many industries may lose market share to competitors who are able to maximize supplier performance input. Sample was non random so the result can be generalized. Thus the trend is towards increasing reliance on supplier to help achieve competitive market strategies. This reliance on suppliers and improving their performance was initially documented from Toyota in 1939. Toyota discussed the need of working together with suppliers to improve collective performan ce. Thereafter in 1963 Nissan implemented first supplier development project, Honda joined the club in 1973 (Monczka, Handfield, Glunipero, Patterson, 2009). Supplier development was ubiquitous in Japan and Korea for number of years but less evident in US firms due to perceived lack of instant return on investment allied with setting up resources required to make it successful. Interestingly this practice was recognized early in the 1900 in the US automotive industry when Ford required improving supplier capacity (Krause, Handfield, Tyler, The relationships between supplier development, commitment, social and capital accumulation and performance improvement, 2006). In 1970s other Japanese automakers implemented the system and made their own modification like Honda developed a program called BP (Best practices). Review of case studies by (Sako, 2004) allowed examining differences in between supplier development activity in Toyota, Nissan and Honda. In 1939, Toyota purchasing rules stated that- Toyota suppliers must be treated as a Toyota branches and Toyota must continue to do business with these suppliers without switching to others and also develop the suppliers if required. Toyota bifurcated supplier development activities into TPS (Toyota Production System) and TQC (Total Quality Control). TPS was having different existence from TQC which allowed suppliers to take advantage of continuous improvement. Hyundai also realized that their small suppliers cannot again and again recruit engineers thus they sent engineers from their own shops to improve suppliers productivity. Hyundai do not financially support their suppliers but offer personnel support (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Nissan also implemented supplier development program which were significantly different from Toyota in the terms of number of point of contacts for suppliers, approach towards sharing the ideas and one to one training strategy during program. Honda and Nissan unified the TPS and TQC offering a single point of contact (Sako, 2004). The common features of the supplier development programs at Honda, Nissan and Toyota are multipl e channels for supplier development to transfer both tacit and explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is more difficult to accumulate as it needs closer interactions especially face to face with suppliers and more time thus it is difficult to replicate tacit knowledge (Clarke, 2007). In contrast to these companies in Japan, the suppliers in US and Europe distrust the buyers intention and also buyers dont have identical level of authenticity as in Japan to act as trusted well wisher who can suggest their suppliers how they should invest their resources (Sako, 2004). A recent study from Harvard school concluded that primary reason for declining USA competitiveness is that US companies invest less in supplier relations and development thus considering these points from Japan the supplier development was adopted in Eastern countries like UK and USA (Monnczka, Trent, Callahan, 1993). Supplier development activities were transferred to USA as buying firms commissioned their own plants in USA due to government regulations. By 1996 General Motors had completed supplier development projects with over 2000 suppliers and claimed productivity improvements over 50%, lead time reduction of up to 75% and inventory reduction of 70% (Hartley Choi, Supplier development: Customers as a catalyst of process change, 1996), (Clarke, 2007). By 2001 John Deere was involved in 426 different projects with 92 different supplier development engineer and delivering annual saving of $700,000 along with improvements in quality, cost and delivery. By 1994, Allied-Signal expe cted to save up to $300,000 from supplier development activities and also expected for increase in shares price (Monnczka, Trent, Callahan, 1993). At Deere and Delphi, a $100,000 investment in supplier development yields at least three to ten times the original investment (Nelson, Moody, Stegner, 2005). This illustrates that large firms adopted supplier development and it became strategic tool for them to improve quality, reduce cost and improve the delivery. The basic development process started with reduction in supplier base and then developing the remaining suppliers. Also it was adopted in service based companies from product based companies. But more focus was on the product based companies. Service based relies on the competitive pressure of market forces instigate supplier performance to a greater extent than product based firms and that then to use. In UK most companies rationalized or optimized their supple base to include fewer total suppliers. Western countries were no t getting involved in direct supplier development; Japanese companies were successful because they were involved in direct supplier development. Toyota is purchasing product from the same supplier since 1937. GM adopted this strategic supplier development in Europe. Motorola and Ford also adopted similar kind of supplier development Countries and large firms started to realize the benefits of supplier development, they recognized that supplier development must be worth if its emerging everywhere in Japan. From the national perspective, benefits of supplier development were improvement in domestic suppliers, reduction in off shoring and increase in GDP (Krause Ellram, 1997). From the corporate and large firm perspective, supplier development helped in improving quality, reliability and manufacturability of new design. Besides that supplier development also helped in knowledge sharing and improved collaboration. Furthermore responsiveness to customer needs and market dynamics also increased with supplier development (Krause Ellram, 1997). The data gathered with 527 purchasing executives by (Krause D. R., Supplier development: Current practices and outcomes, 1997) revealed that supplier development attributed to timely delivery, completed orders, reduction in defects scrap and reduced order cycle time. Research by (Blonska, Rozemeijer, Wetzels) established that supplier development guide towards getting a preferential buyer status and supplier adaptability. Supplier adaptation is perceived as an attainment of a goal of supplier development aimed at supplier performance improvement (Blonska, Rozemeijer, Wetzels). With help of two in depth case studies (Reed Walsh, 2002) established that supplier development activities enhance technological capabilities in their suppliers. Also some of the firms expected technological improvement should follow from improved business processes. Supplier development also helped in developing mutual trust in between buyers and suppliers (Reed Walsh, 2002). As mentioned earlier this increase in reliance was due to improvement in performance after implementing supplier development program. BMW strives to be 20% above industry average in quality performance. Management believed supplier development made it possible to attain that quality standard and increase in revenue (Rhodes, Warren, Carter, 2006). Also in Honda dramatic improvement was seen in product quality since Honda began to develop suppliers in North America, In 1985 quality level was 7000 parts defective per million and In 1995 quality level was increased to 100 defective parts per million (Berlow, 1995). A team of purchasing professionals from Honda of America worked with 12 stamping suppliers to reduce cost by $4million in six months in 1995 with its supplier development efforts (Berlow, 1995). In the context of supplier development, suppliers and buyers state that they want to practice more supplier development methods to enjoy its benefits but there are myriads of barriers that hinder the effective supplier development strategies. Research by (Lascelles Dale, 1989) utilizing survey responses from UK based suppliers to 3 major customers in automotive industry illustrated that poor communication and feedback, unstructured quality improvement programs, credibility of buyers, misconception regarding purchasing power and supplier satisfaction are the foremost barriers in the supplier development programs. Also in an empirical study with 89 minority goods and service providers (Krause, Ragatz, Hughley, Supplier development from the minority suppliers perspective, 1999) demonstrated that the main barriers towards minority owned supplier development are poor communication, non-profit situation and racial biases. Results also indicated that small minority owned suppliers were le ss positive about supplier development activities as compared to large minority owned suppliers (Novak, 2008). Survey by (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000) on supplier development strategies with 84 companies established several other barriers apart from already mentioned that deter supplier development strategies. It includes Lack of supplier commitment, insufficient supplier resources, lack of trust, and poor alignment of organizational cultures, unsupportive upper management and insufficient inducement to suppliers. Research by (McDuffie Helper, 1997) established that supplier development might fail if suppliers are not having a strong identification or if suppliers are not dependent on buyers. It will show the way to break down in learning relationship. Another major barrier towards supplier development program found from research by (Forker, Ruch, Hershauer, 1999) is difference between perceptions of buyer and suppliers about supplier development practices. These di fferences in perception are due to disparity in understanding in preference, intention, and process of supplier development program (Forker, Ruch, Hershauer, 1999). Supplier might agree initially for the proposal but later fail to implement due to difference in understanding. This problem can be cured with the help of clarification of issues. Researchers came up with number of conceptual models for building solutions to overcome these barriers. A ten step generic process model was developed based on the examination of in-depth response to open ended survey questions. Such a model was a step towards strategic supplier development. It was ranging from identification of critical commodities for development to systematically instituting ongoing continuous improvement. The model also suggested proposition that firms competing in markets characterized by high rates of technological changes and high level of competition are more likely to be involved with this model (Krause, Handfield, Scannell, An empirical investigation of supplier development: reactive and strategic processes, 1998). This model was slightly changed by proposition of seven steps generic model (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Also it was found most organization deployed first three steps but was less successful in deploying later stages. Similar t o previous model a process oriented four step generic supplier development model was proposed. This model was designed to help suppliers sustain and continue the change process and effectively build the capability for improvement within the organization (Hartley Jones, Process oriented supplier development: Building the capability for change, 1997). This model also increases the suppliers capability to act on its own and the improvement effort will continue once the buying firm finishes its activities (Wagner S. M., 2006). Also supplier structure was developed on the basis of specific vendor development strategy. Conceptual link was generated in between generic business unit strategies based on framework proposed by Porter and generic supplier development strategies, in other words linkage between supplier development strategies and company strategies (Chakraborty Philip, 1996). Execution of case study of five firms by (Dunn Young, 2004) results in a process model that enables th e buyers to pinpoint specific areas where improvement is required. Highlighting these small areas can impact on long term strategic supplier development initiatives. A review of the conceptual model and context of supplier development resulted in the identification of several elements that appear to be critical to the success of the supplier development program. These comprise of effective and enhanced communication, supplier commitment, top management involvement, strategic processing and long term commitment and supplier recognition/rewards (Krause Ellram, 1997). Background What is supplier development, why is the supplier development critical, what made this required to study and how the factors might affect the supplier development? Big things happen when you do little things right (Don, 2000). In this case if small generic steps for supplier development are deployed correctly then it can contribute towards success in supplier development. (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000) Developed seven step generic process map for set up supplier development activities. These are recognized as (a) Identify critical commodities (b) Identify critical supplies (c) Form a cross functional team (d) Meet with supplier top management (e) Identify key project (f) Define details of agreement and (g) Monitor status and monitor strategies. A discussion of each as follows. Identify critical commodities and suppliers Upper management involvement is vital to assess the relative importance of commodities and services procured by business unit. A corporate level executive committee analyzes the purchasing portfolio developed during strategic process. This analysis is extension of company strategic planning (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). As a result critical commodities are identified and warranted for supplier development activities. Steps adopted here are mainly observed in strategic approach supplier development where in reactive approach respondents skip this step in supplier development process (Krause, Handfield, Scannell, An empirical investigation of supplier development: reactive and strategic processes, 1998). Choosing which supplier to develop is a critical task again because supplier development involves resources such as money and time, thus the decision should be strategic not reactive (Gordon, 2008). (Handfield, Krause, Scannel, Monczka, 2000). Many situations exist which are not mutually exclusive but warrant supplier development. To decide which situation needs supplier development is calculated judgment. Companies have formal supplier measurement system with help of which they assess suppliers performance. If any gap is found in measured and expected results, these suppliers are identified for development process where in reactive approach respondent skip this step in supplier development activities (Krause, Handfield, Scannell, An empirical investigation of supplier development: reactive and strategic processes, 1998). Also buying firm carefully evaluates suppliers quality, volume, delivery cost performance, launch readiness and potential kaizen opportunities to identify a prosp ective supplier development program (Novak, 2008). Hence, Strategic processing and upper management involvement have significant influence on the outcome of this first step of supplier development-identifying critical commodities and suppliers. These two will be among the variable of interest in the research thesis. Form a cross functional team Each firm must develop their suppliers according to their requirement. For example, some firms need managerial assistance and some need technical assistance. Thus it is essential to evaluate each supplier individually to create a plan that benefits both supplier and buyer (Daghfous, Campa, Hamde, 2008). As a result to face this complex challenge of developing dissimilar suppliers, innovative ideas are required to break down knowledge barrier between buyers and suppliers and to facilitate a transition of knowledge transfer from buyers to suppliers, a cross functional team is necessary to form (Blindenbacj-Driessen, 2009). Before approaching suppliers and ask for enhanced performance, it is also important to build up cross functional consensus and build up their own house before expecting commitment from suppliers (Monczka, Handfield, Glunipero, Patterson, 2009). In particular commitment of buyers and strategic approach is essential for buildup of cross functional consensus. Also a b uyer must establish its supply chain strategies and roles of procurement so that the business objectives are clear. Hence, Commitment and strategic process have significant influence on the outcome on creation of cross functional team. Therefore, these two will be among the variable of interest in the research thesis. Meet with supplier top management Upper management involvement again prevails but this time it is of suppliers side. Cross functional team must meet upper management of supplier side and establishes stra