Consider the product level models of New Product Development Essay

Consider the product level models of New Product Development - Essay Example These factors make the approach to new product development a critical one (Ribbens, 2000, p. 1). The process thus requires management support; it must also benefit from the experience of new product development teams composed of people from all affected activities; it has to follow distinct phases with extremely well defined activities in order to enhance understanding, greater accuracy and reduce risks and failures that are eminent in new product development. Key elements in new product development The process of new product development takes into consideration seven distinct elements, stages or phases. The first element is idea generation. This is the most critical aspect of all the elements in new product development because without idea generation it is difficult to come up with new products. Here ideas are gathered which present possible product options. Many companies conduct idea generation as a continuous process with contributions from within the organization and outside the organization. A number of methods are used and these may include focus group discussions with consumers, comments suggestions and feedback from customers and research from secondary sources. Creative problem solving technique such as brainstorming is used in this case that enables creative minds to come up with new ideas about an existing problem or a gap in the market. In the brainstorming session, first individuals are told about the problem as a creative challenge. This is important in order to come up with ideas that are viable for a new product. After this, people are given a time limit to think and come up with ideas. When the session begins, the people voice out their ideas and the facilitator lists them down with no criticism made. The best ideas are selected by the facilitator and which all group members agree with. The ideas are then evaluated on a scoring criteria and the idea with the highest score becomes the solution to the problem. Another model, the creative problem solving process model advanced by Osborn-Parnes can also be used here if a feasibility analysis has been carried out to identify problems upon which ideas are generated and solutions sought (Blythe, 2006, p. 50). The model is composed of six stages that can be compressed into three with distinct activities at each of these stages. They include: exploring the challenge which involves identifying the goal, gathering relevant data and clarifying the problem at hand; generating ideas involves coming up with options to solve the problem; and preparing for action which involves solution finding and preparing a plan for action. The process is lauded for its involvement of convergent and divergent thinking that can be used at each of these three stages. The second element is screening and this involves the careful and critical evaluations of the options presented by the new product development team to isolate the best idea or attractive options. This could be done in rounds depending on th e number of ideas and may also involve a number of techniques. As the ideas are being evaluated, other considerations are also made in terms of potential sales, the costs of production, profitability, competition. Only the accepted ideas

Alternatives for Capitalism in a Globalised Economy

Alternatives for Capitalism in a Globalised Economy Essential for globalized economy: Communism or Capitalism In this globalized economy now it is a big question for us that, what is the perfect economic system: communism or capitalism? By globalization we can understand cross boarder market. There is an international exchange of labor forces, ideas, capitals, knowledge, products, and services. Now we will focus on capitalism and communism and try to find out that in this globalized economy capitalism or communism, what is best suited? Is Communism applicable in globalized economy? Communism is a concept, in that ownership of land, capital and industry cannot be owned or controlled by the individual. However, under Communism the control of these things is not by a local community but by the State Government. Under this system the government has total control of everything produced and control what is made, and who will receive the goods and services produced. Under this system you are not allowed to own your own home, your own car, your own furniture, or even the food you eat. The State decides what you can use and where you will work. So, we think it is an obstacle for global economy. Because if the country determine what will be produced, how will be produced and for whom will be produced, then developed countries may notbe interested to invest in that country. At the same time Communism kills the will to work, competition, innovation and creativity, where these are the main characteristics of a worker in this modern globalized economy. Why compete to work? You wont make any more money. Why spend time innovating new ideas, or being creative, there wont be anything in it for me. As a result they fail to provide goods and services for their citizens. The Soviet Eastern Communist countries of the 20th century were noted for not having much goods and services for their citizens. Yet, the ruling class always had plenty of everything, and it was usually imported from capitalist countries. While we have rich people in America, we also have a large middle class that live comfortable lives. Even many if not most poor people in America have refrigerators, TVs, and food on the table. Since Communism controls all goods and services, the individual is at the total mercy of the State. You have no rights except those granted by the State. The old Soviet Union was a police state, with total control over its citizens.West Germany was full of cars on the Autobahns. The streets in East Germany were mostly empty, with an occasional person on bicycle, even in the middle of winter. Freedom of travel is restricted in a Communist State because they control who gets what and for how long. If you were lucky enough to get a car in East Germany, it was usually a worthless piece of junk. But, we may face a question that if communism creates hindrance to global economy, then how China runs its global economy as we know it is a communist country? Then our answer will be†¦ While China’s government may be officially communist, the Chinese people express widespread support for capitalism. And since 2002, the Chinese have been one of the strongest proponents of capitalism, even more so than Americans and Western Europeans. During last 30-35 years China has brought enormous changes to its economy. In the late 1970s, the government started opening the economy to foreign investment and privatization. With these changes came sky-high economic growth – an average of 10% since 1980. And now about 76% people of China agree that most people are better off in a free market economy. Listverse showed 10 benefits of Capitalism: Happiness If you look at this happiness map published by scholars from the University of Leicester, you can clearly see that the foremost democratic, capitalist countries like the USA, Canada, New Zealand and the whole of Europe are the happiest in the world. This is because in these countries, thanks to the free-market, whatever products people want, they can get. ViableAlternatives Perhaps the strongest argument working in favor of democratic capitalism is that there is no alternative politico-economic system which has proved itself to work in our modern age. Almost every attempted implementation of communism has failed (China – abandoned total communism long ago and are slowly creeping towards capitalism). America became socialist and imposed many strong measures on corporations to regulate their behavior, the largest companies (Trans-National Corporations) would most likely move their industry elsewhere, and potential entrepreneurs would be scared to invest in capital, irreparably damaging America’s economy. So as you can see, changing the economic system isn’t even an option. Growth Capitalism allows the economy to grow exponentially. It is a basic fact of economics that the more money a firm makes, the more it can invest in production, and the more it invests in production, the more money it makes. So long as no unfortunate events befall the firm, this growth can, obviously, continue indefinitely. Many see a problem arising with this: there are only a finite, or ‘scarce’ amount of resources on Earth, so this huge growth of production will one day run to a halt. Health There is greater awareness than ever of the importance of fitness due to government campaigns. All of these contribute to an extremely fit society, and, in desperation, one can always resort to liposuction or some other sort of surgery. Social Good It might seem at first glance that everyone is selfishly working for their own money, but dig a little deeper and it becomes apparent that every job has a benefit for someone else. Factory workers produce the products that we can’t live without; hairdressers perform a service that benefits us body and soul; and the police work to protect us and make sure we live in a lawful society. Even unpopular and ‘overpaid’ professions such as city bankers and sportsmen have a positive effect on society, whether it be helping us manage our money, entertainment or something else. Equality No matter where you start in life, everyone has an opportunity to make it big. The basic principle is that the harder you work, the greater your reward. Human Nature Being the Best Freedom Built on Democracy (Nunno, Jed Rachael, 2014) An authoritarian communist party controls Vietnam. Its true. But its founding ideology appears all but gone from the hearts of Vietnams people. Vietnam, in fact, may actually be one of the most pro-capitalist countries on Earth. Almost all Vietnamese people — 95% of them — now support capitalism, according to the Pew Research Center, which polled nearly 45 nations late last year on economic issues. No other country in the poll cracked 90%. Even in the United States — where socialist can be used as an insult — only 70% agreed that a free market economy is the best kind of economy. (Winn, 2015) References Nunno, Jed Rachael, 2014. Listverse. [Online] Available at: http://listverse.com/2010/12/24/top-10-greatest-benefits-of-capitalism/ [Accessed 24 April 2015]. Simmons, K., Spring, 2014. Global Attitude Survey, Washington, DC: PEW Research Center. Winn, P., 2015. USA TODAY. [Online] Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/13/vietnam-capitalism-global-post/70261770/ [Accessed 24 April 2015].

Self Knowledge And Happiness In Pride And Prejudice, by Jane Austen Ess

Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen is centred on characters that either gain self awareness and knowledge or possess none at all. Happiness is found even when one has no understanding of selfhood but the most happy and satisfied people in the novel are those who have self knowledge. People that possess self knowledge understand their strengths and weaknesses and characters that gain self knowledge are able to decipher these characteristics and act upon them. As marriage was seen as a great achievement for women in their society, happiness in Pride and Prejudice relates to whether one is happy or unhappy in their marriage. Lydia, Mr WIckham and Lady Catherine de Bourg have no self awareness and are unhappy in the novel. The marriage of Lydia and Mr Wickham is one of the unhappy marriages. Mr Wickham and Lydia are both very similar and are both unaware of their faults; they are both careless with money and see no problem with asking their relatives for money. Lydia as the youngest daughter is well accustomed to having other people look after her and she is dependent on other people. Lydia’s lack of self awareness doesn’t affect her greatly; she is happy and claims that she loves Wickham. She is very fond of him but he is not fond of her and quickly loses interest, â€Å"Wickham’s affection for Lydia, was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it; not equal to Lydia’s for him.† Lady Catherine de Bourg has no self knowledge. She is full of herself and sees herself very highly; it is obvious she is lacks self knowledge. She makes discourteous comments about other people without thought to their opinions and she also enunciates comments about how she views herself. Lady Catherine de Bourg is unhappy because she is disappointed ... ...ejudice and realizes her faults she develops towards Darcy and is then prepared for a more fulfilling happy marriage. People with self awareness can be both happy and unhappy. Mr Bennet has self awareness but he is unhappy because he finds no satisfaction in his family. Elizabeth and Darcy come to know themselves and develop towards each other and so their marriage has the capacity to hold the greatest happiness. Also, happiness can be found when you have no self awareness. Charlotte has self awareness and knows what she wants and needs and so she is content in her marriage to Mr Collins. Mr Collins has no self awareness but is happy because he has a wife and this is what he aspired to. Ultimately, people who have the most self awareness and knowledge who can grow and learn their weaknesses and faults are the people who will have the most happiness in their lives.

The Method of Teaching Conroy’s Used

The â€Å"Water is Wide† takes place on the coast of South Carolina and Yamacraw Island during the nineteen sixties. A man by the name of Pat Conroy offers to teach over on the island, many people on the island have no education and are illiterate. When Conroy gets over to the island he finds himself very disgraceful. The teachers at the school believe that the children cannot be taught. His method of teaching is very different from others. One of Conroy†s goals was to teach the children about America. So he showed them movies and let them listen to American musicians. After doing this about every day, it made an influence in the children†s lives. Big C and Lincoln were the class clowns. They hated the principle because every time they did something bad she would beat them. During most of his time on the island, Conroy stayed with the Skimberry†s. The Skimberry†s were a nice couple named Zeke and Ida. When Halloween came around Conroy decided he wanted to take the children over to Bluffton, South Carolina, or Halloween so they could â€Å"trick or treat.† None of the kids even knew what â€Å"trick or treating† was. After making field trip forms and sending them home with all the children. The children came back with one of them signed. So Conroy went door to door asking begging each of the parents to let their children go. Throughout the story Pat Conroy took the children many places. Unfortunately Mrs. Brown and Ted Stone accused him of doing many wrong things. He was not able to return the next year. Even if Conroy did not teach the children anything, he still felt they would be able to survive in the outside world. I like this book. It made me very thankful that I have a good education. I also like the way Pat Conroy writes. In the future, I hope to read some of his other books. My favorite part of the book was when they would listen to the music of different artists, I also liked when they would play outside and he would tell about how they played so roughly. This was the best book I have read in a long time. The one part I did not really like was how it did not really tell when the story took place. I also did not like all the description. I think people of all ages should read this book. The Method of Teaching Conroy’s Used The â€Å"Water is Wide† takes place on the coast of South Carolina and Yamacraw Island during the nineteen sixties. A man by the name of Pat Conroy offers to teach over on the island, many people on the island have no education and are illiterate. When Conroy gets over to the island he finds himself very disgraceful. The teachers at the school believe that the children cannot be taught. His method of teaching is very different from others. One of Conroy†s goals was to teach the children about America. So he showed them movies and let them listen to American musicians. After doing this about every day, it made an influence in the children†s lives. Big C and Lincoln were the class clowns. They hated the principle because every time they did something bad she would beat them. During most of his time on the island, Conroy stayed with the Skimberry†s. The Skimberry†s were a nice couple named Zeke and Ida. When Halloween came around Conroy decided he wanted to take the children over to Bluffton, South Carolina, or Halloween so they could â€Å"trick or treat.† None of the kids even knew what â€Å"trick or treating† was. After making field trip forms and sending them home with all the children. The children came back with one of them signed. So Conroy went door to door asking begging each of the parents to let their children go. Throughout the story Pat Conroy took the children many places. Unfortunately Mrs. Brown and Ted Stone accused him of doing many wrong things. He was not able to return the next year. Even if Conroy did not teach the children anything, he still felt they would be able to survive in the outside world. I like this book. It made me very thankful that I have a good education. I also like the way Pat Conroy writes. In the future, I hope to read some of his other books. My favorite part of the book was when they would listen to the music of different artists, I also liked when they would play outside and he would tell about how they played so roughly. This was the best book I have read in a long time. The one part I did not really like was how it did not really tell when the story took place. I also did not like all the description. I think people of all ages should read this book.

Democracy & America

In the world today and in America, democracy is the most valued and the vaguest political terms in the current political times and campaigns. The term democracy by definition is a governmental system in which the citizens retain and exercise the political sovereignty. This means that the citizens of a country have a direct say and would contribute in the administration of the country through one of their elected representative.The democracy in America is controlled by two major principles that has to be observed, these are; citizens have equal access to power and are guarded the same while the second one is that, the same power guards all members to enjoy the societal freedoms and liberties. Another very clear definition of democracy is that, it is a form of government which is constituted by the people of a country and in which the supreme power of that government is vested on the same people who constitute it.3 This government by the people lack any form of hereditary or class dist inction differentiation on class basis or privileges. True democracy is voted for by the majority and one that serves and works for the interest of the people, although in any country true democracy is not being experienced by the citizens, they have a voice during elections. This allows the citizens to elect whoever will represent their particular interest and standards. 4In the world there are three major types of democracy that are well known, namely direct democracy, representative democracy and liberal democracy; Direct democracy is a form of democracy in which the citizens have the right and the responsibility to attend meetings the national assembly and participate in the making of policies. In this case all the directly contribute and affect the decision making process. This system has representatives who drew the agendas for such assembly meetings.In this kind of democracy all the citizens have the right to vote and hold offices and it is the duty of all the citizens in a c ountry to actively participate in the decision making process which is determined by the majority. 5 Representative democracy is the kind of democracy that is used in the American Democracy. This form of democracy is characterized by the fact that the citizens elect their representatives who make the decisions on their behalf. Representative democracy is practiced both at the state level, local levels and eve n at the institutions levels. 6The third form of democracy is liberal democracy which is a form of representative democracy in which the elected representatives that hold offices and have the power of decision making on behalf of the public are moderated by the rule of law (constitution). The rule of law in all circumstances emphasizes the protection of the individual rights and the rights of the minority groups in the society. The most basic rights to be protected by the rule of law are like the rights of assembly and speech, the rights to owe and use private property, the rig hts and freedom to religion and the right to be equal before the rule of law.This democracy is as well characterized by elections; it is also characterized multi party systems and also an independent judiciary. These forms of democracy are being practiced in different countries and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. 7 A society that experiences any kind of democracy among the ones discussed above must meet some of the minimum characteristics. Those characteristics have to be met for a society to be referred to as democratic.The main characteristic of a democratic society is to educate the whole society to understand what democracy is and to know their obligations, contributions and requirements as citizens in a democratic society. 8 After the education of the public about their democracy they should also experience that they have the power to choose and replace the government through free and fair elections, the citizens should be actively be involved in the politics and the civil life, the democratic government should have the ability to protect the human rights and in that society the rule of law (i.e. the laws and the procedures) to apply equally to al citizens. All these are the minimum qualifications for a democratic society. 9 A democratic society first is characterized by a political System by which there is competition for power. Democratic societies have the mandate of to choose their leaders and to ensure that they are held accountable for their policies and conduct in office. In this due process of election the people decide who will represent them in parliament and who will head the government at the national and local levels.This is done in a fee and fair elections. In this society the government is based on the decision of the citizens because they are sovereign. In this society the elected representatives at the national and the local levels are always consulting their electorate and work according to their needs and representativ es. The principle of the public suggestion has to be observed since the public have the right and obligation to monitor their representatives business in the government and are free to criticize them.10 This requirement for a democratic society demands that free and fair elections be held after a regular interval as prescribed by law, this elections are not to be influenced by the people in power who do not have any right to extend their time in office without asking the consent of the people. In all democratic elections al the candidates also have the right to campaign freely and to present their ideologies to the voters.The whole process must be monitored by independent electoral observers and a committee that is to resolve any electoral disputes. 11 The second requirement to be met by a democratic society is that the citizens have a bigger responsibility to participate in public life. The society have the mandate and the obligations to be informed about public issues, they have t he obligation to watch carefully how their political representatives use the powers vested on them and to give their opinions and criticism on the same.This can only be achieved if the civil societies who represent a variety of interest and beliefs educate the public and especially women their democratic rights and responsibilities, improve their political skills, represent their common interests, and involve them in political life. In this system there is no one that should be forced to support any political party and the citizens should always be free to support any political party. 12The third requirement for a democratic society is that every citizen in the society has some basic right that is guaranteed under the international law and the state cannot take away from them. The citizens have the rights to have their own beliefs and to communicate freely. They too have the freedom of religion; this states that everyone is free to chose their own religion and to practice their reli gious norms as they deem fit for them. The citizens in such societies have the right to associate with other people and to be incorporate and to be incorporated in the organizations of their own choice.With all these freedoms and others, the state puts it upon the citizens to exercise these rights peacefully, with respect for the law and for the rights of others. 13 The fourth and last basic requirement for democracy in a society is that it be recognized as the rule of law. This rule of law protects the rights citizens, help in the maintenance of orders and helps to limit the power of government. In such a society all the citizens are treated equally under the rule of law and are not being discriminated based on their gender, race, religion or even the ethnic group.In this society the citizens are being protected by law and should never be arrested arbitrarily, they have the right to know their charges and anybody charged with a crime has the right to a fair, open and speedy public trial by an impartial public court. 14 In a democratic society no one is above the law and the law treats people equally. Although these are the requirements of any democratic society, all the societies in the world do not prove to obey them and to defend them. Therefore democracy is only a political term which is not put into practice.Work cited http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-liberal-democracy. htm Retrieved on 19th July 2008 Janda Kenneth and Et al (2004) The Challenge of Democracy: Government in America Houghton Mifflin Blaich Theodore Paul and Baumgartner Joseph Cornelius (1953) the Challenge of Democracy. Published by McGraw-Hill http://www. hewett. norfolk. sch. uk/CURRIC/POLIT/DEMOC. htm Retrieved on The 19th JULY 2008 http://college. hmco. com/polisci/janda/chall_dem/9e/student_home. html Retrieved on The July 19, 2008