Monthly Archives: March 2023

In the digital age, moving products along the supply chain through multiple members is made easier with the right tools to coordinate the effort and provide real-time data. There are even new devices available to fight counterfeiting and theft at every stage. Whether determining the proper inventory in distribution centers or lead time needed for ordering to maintain minimum levels without running out of stock, customer satisfaction and cost savings are desired outcomes. Supply chain management software can measure expected travel time at each destination based on weather and other factors; movement within warehouse, distribution centers, or fulfillment centers; and progress to the final consumer in last mile delivery. The interconnected nature of players within the chain depends on software and technology that are compatible. Some member groups are implementing standards that allow cross-carrier tracking. Benchmarking can be established at the macro and micro level down to an individual employee’s productivity. 

Case Assignment

• Research the pros and cons of transportation management system (TMS), warehouse management system (WMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and supply chain management software from the perspective of cost, supply chain integration, and competitive advantage.
  This portion of the paper will be 1½ pages in length.
• Research the financial aspects of a digital supply chain. Include a discussion on how it is leveraged for assessment, benchmarking, and quality control.
  This portion of the paper will be 1½ pages in length.

Resources should be no more than three years old for this case because the industry is changing rapidly, and the goal is to remain relevant throughout your career.

Module 3 Case Background Readings

Trends and Practices in Supply Chain Analytics (2020)

Formulating a Predictive Flow (2020)

Masters of Logistics 28th Edition: Find Your Digital Direction (2019)

The Build-Versus-Buy Conundrum in Supply Chain Digitization (2020)

Need Speed Across the Supply Chain? It’s All About the Barcode (2019)

How a Freight Audit and a TMS Can Drive Efficiency for Your Supply Chain (2019)

“Digital Transformation” Can Enhance Working Capital Performance, New Hackett Group Survey Reveals (2019)

Three Logistics Trends to Watch in 2020 (2019)

Adding Data Science to Supply Chain’s List of Job Specs (2019)

Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite and reference the sources in APA format. The paper should be written in the third person; this means words like “I,” “we,” and “you” are not appropriate. For more information, see Differences Between First and Third Person. The excessive use of quotes or unoriginal content will directly impact performance since it suggests lack of comprehension and indicates that a student may not have mastered the concepts.  

Assignment Expectations

Use the attached APA-formatted template (LOG302 Case3) to create your submission.

Your submission will include:

• Trident’s cover page
• A 3-page paper with APA citations (2- or 3-sentence introduction, 3-page body, and 2- or 3-sentence conclusion)
• The alphabetized reference list page in APA format

As the managing director for your company, based in India, that manufactures computer equipment, you are negotiating with an official in China. His job is to select computer equipment for city employees. You are adamant that you want all the specifications named clearly in a contract. However, the Chinese official is not interested in the technical and financial details. In a minimum of two pages, explain why having a cultural profile of people in the official’s cultural group could help you avoid a breakdown in communication in this situation. How can you get through the intercultural impasse and obtain a contract that both you and the Chinese official find acceptable?

An understanding of change theory is critical to the success of human and social services professionals. A classic model of change theory consists of three phases: (a) unfreezing, (b) movement, and (c) refreezing (Lewin, 1951). Another model describes the differences between first- and second-order change and how first-order change may continue to perpetuate the very problems human services professionals seek to remedy (Watzlawick, Weakland, & Fisch, 1974). Developmental theory and systems theory may also be relevant to implementing change in human and social services related agencies and organizations.

As you develop your Capstone Project strategic plan, think about the element of change and how change might affect the change processes that will be associated with the agency, organization, or community for your strategic plan. Think of principles from relevant change theories and how you can implement those procedures to manage the individual and organizational change that may come about as a result of the strategic plan. Along with change theory and processes, you also should consider codes of ethics to guide you in addressing these issues.

References:
Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. New York, NY: Harper.
Watzlawick, P., Weakland, J. H., & Fisch, R. (1974). Change: Principles of problem formation and problem resolution. Oxford, England: W.W. Norton.

To prepare:

• Select a change theory and the related change processes (e.g., force-field analysis, developmental theory, systems theory) that you might apply to address the issues related to the strategic plan for the agency, organization, or community you selected in Week 1 Discussion 2.
• In addition, consider the ethical challenges that you might encounter and codes of ethics you might apply to address these challenges.

By Day 7

The Assignment (2–3 pages):

• Briefly describe the issues you anticipate encountering in your strategic plan.
• Explain the change you think is needed to address these issues and factors that might influence that change.
• Describe a change theory and related change processes that may be applied to the issues related to your strategic plan.
• Explain how you might apply the theory and processes.
• Briefly explain two ethical principles, issues, or challenges that might arise in your efforts to apply these changes.
• Explain how a professional code of ethics might advise in each case. Be specific, citing elements from an applicable code of ethics.
• Explain the opportunities and challenges that you might encounter in fostering and implementing the change.

Support your Application Assignment, citing all resources in APA style, including those in the Learning Resources.

Respond to this discussion

My life is project management. I have to use schedules with my wife, grown children, colleagues I work with and especially myself. I am a very disciplined person when I set my mind to accomplish something. What keeps everything ticking like clockwork (along with the occasional work mishaps and home bloopers) is my personal mission and vision statement. It is the reason why I go to work everyday and it keeps everything in balance no matter the adversity that comes. I am man about fulfilling the Creator’s purpose in my life and therefore because I know certain aspects of it, the way project management’s approach to stating and completing a project is how I approach many things in my life. I am a sound decision maker and assess the risks of decisions and weigh them against the project outcome or real life situational outcome of my life. Key pertinent questions include, “If I make X decision what is every possible outcome it could have? What is the actual problem I am facing? (The book gives a fascinating insight concerning this. It notes that “the way you define a problem determines how you will solve it,” (p.59 or Location 970 in Kindle). The example goes on to note a person experiencing a car breakdown and in an attempt to define the problem, they devise a solution that cannot solve the immediate concern of getting to work. Yes you need to get the car repaired but asking how funds to get the car repaired is not the right question. The right question is how am I going to get to work. Other questions I ask include, “is the outcome of the decision I make a memory I want to live with?” “How will this impact the budget and well being of all involved?” Lastly, in a more personal way, will the choice I make I make regarding this situation move me one step closer in the direction of purpose and destiny? I hope you would consider these same aspects regarding decisions you have to make and apply principles and concepts from project management to your life. It will help you become more organized, effective and efficient in your personal performance.   

Richard

Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Discussion 1: Patients’ Perception About Religion and Spirituality

Religion and spirituality are complex constructs that have the capacity to influence patients’ illnesses, courses of treatment, and experiences. Medical social workers may feel unsure of how to address patients’ religious beliefs. Despite knowledge about the benefits of medications and treatment in illness management, social workers may hear patient comments such as, “I don’t need medicine. God is going to heal me.” In situations of conflicting ideas, it is important for medical social workers to consider the standards and tenets that govern the profession. Medical social workers must listen, not judge, and promote a patient’s self-determination. In addition, they must accept that they may not be able to address a patient’s religious or spiritual needs and call upon colleagues such as pastors, priests, imams, and rabbis who are more qualified in these areas

Organizations have to develop an international human resources management strategy when they expand globally. Which do you think is more critical for international human resources management?

• Understanding the cultural environment.
• Understanding the political and legal environment.

Please choose one position and give a rationale; examples are also a way to demonstrate your understanding of the learning concepts.

Assignment Overview

Koch Industries is one of the most profitable privately held corporations in the country. In spite of being owned primarily by four brothers, it has not been immune from intense internal power plays and intrigue. A decades-long dispute between CEO Charles Koch and his younger brother Bill Koch led first to an internal battle for control of the company and ended with a lawsuit between the brothers.

Carefully review the background materials regarding sources of power within an organization and influence tactics. Examples of sources of power include reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, and expert power. Examples of influence tactics include forming coalitions, pressure, and exchanging favors. Make sure to understand the main power sources and influence tactics and know the vocabulary and definitions from the background materials before starting the assignment.

The epic battle between two of the Koch brothers tested the limits of both of their power bases within Koch Industries. Both used multiple tactics before Charles Koch ultimately secured his position of almost unrivaled power within the corporation. Do some research about this power struggle using the Trident Online Library and online news sources. Here are some articles to get you started:

Schulman, D. (2014, Jul). Koch vs. Koch. Mother Jones, 39, 16–27,64,2

Tomsho, R. (1989, Aug 09). Blood feud: Koch family is roiled by sibling squabbling over its oil empire: Fired by his brother, William sues often, helps feds to probe Koch Industries, haling mother into court. Wall Street Journal [ProQuest]

Case Assignment

Once you have finished your research, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following issues. Make sure to cite at least 3 of the required background readings in addition to articles about the Koch brothers in your paper:

1. What were Charles and Bill Koch’s sources of power within Koch Industries? Did they have reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, or expert power? Any other sources of power? Refer to Bauer and Erdogan (2012) or Luthans et al. (2015) in your answer, as you should demonstrate a solid understanding of these readings as part of your answer.
2. What influence tactics did each of them use in their battle for control? Refer to Bauer and Erdogan (2012) or Luthans et al. (2015) in your answer.
3. Ultimately what do you think led to Charles Koch’s victory in this battle, and what do you think are the most important lessons on organizational power that you learned from reading about this power struggle?

Assignment Expectations

• Case Assignments are to be prepared in Microsoft Word and should be 4 to 5 pages in length, in addition to a cover page (course name and number, module number, session name, student name, and date prepared) and a reference list. The paper should be double-spaced, using 12 pt. type in the Times New Roman font. It should consist of a 2- or 3-sentence introduction, a body, and a 2- or 3-sentence conclusion and use Trident University International’s cover page. The reference list page must be in APA format.
• Assignment content should include a brief introduction to the assignment, background information about the organization being studied, and discussion in terms of the concepts or theories being applied in the assignment.
• Use headings and subheadings to improve presentation values.
• Include both a References page and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 11-14 on in-text citations. Attention is to be given to citing sources of information in-text as well as in the References page at the end of the paper. Citation and reference style instructions are available at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/ or at APAstyle.org.
• Submit your report in the Case dropbox for this module on or before the date due, as indicated in the TLC Homepage.
• Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite and reference the sources in APA format. The paper should be written in the third person; this means words like “I,” “we,” and “you” are not appropriate. For more information, see Differences Between First and Third Person.

The Learning Resources in this first week will help you answer these questions, and they will provide you with a foundation in the philosophy of science that will help you appreciate various research designs and methods. With this foundation, you will be encouraged to reflect on how your assumptions about the acquisition of truth and the nature of the world influence your approach to the research process.

For this Discussion, you will identify an area of interest for a possible research topic. As you read about the different philosophical orientations in this week’s readings, consider if one of these orientations most closely aligns with your worldview and a particular approach to research.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 4

Post a brief description of your topic of research interest. Next, state the philosophical orientation that reflects your worldview and explain the epistemological and ontological assumptions of this orientation. Then, explain how these assumptions lend themselves to one or more research approaches.

APA style

references

Healthy People 2020 targeted the identification of social factors as a priority in its national health promotion campaign. In your opinion, how effective has this campaign been in communicating the role of social justice as part of its mission? Share your opinion with class members.

For the last discussion I want to focus on capital improvements as it pertains to budgeting. Before beginning the discussion, be sure to read Chapter 11, the associated lecture, and review the example CIPs in the short reading folder.

In most communities, capital improvements make up a large percentage of the budget – in some cases, 50% or more of all government expenditures. These projects can range from the normal to the absurd depending on the community.

For this discussion, I want you to consider the capital projects that your local community has budgeted for during the next year (this should be easy if you are working on your final paper!). 

1. Do the projects seem reasonable given what you know about the community and its needs?

2. Are there any projects within the budget that you find surprising or inappropriate? Why?

3. Do the project costs seem affordable to the community?

4. Who is slated to pay for the project, if you know – current taxpayers (pay as you go) or future taxpayers (funded with debt/future revenue)?