1.

Quality is an ever-changing state that applies to products, services, people,

processes and environments. Thus being said, quality applies not just to the
products and services being provided, but also to the people and processes that
provide them. Something is said to be of quality when performance meets or
needs expectations, and helps to produce superior value. Criteria that could
potentially be used by people to judge quality consists of; service, response time,
preparation, environment, price, and selection.
2. Total quality management is an approach to doing business that attempts to
maximize the competitiveness of an organization through the continual
improvement of the quality of its products, services, people, processes and
environments. The practical driver of this concept is competiveness, as companies
today would not survive without continuous improvement. The key elements of total
quality are as follows; strategically based, customer focus, obsession with quality,
scientific approach, long-term commitment, teamwork, continual process
improvement, education and training, freedom through control, unity of purpose,
employee involvement and empowerment, and peak performance.
3. Quality is a crucial aspect of organization excellence. To be referred to as
excellent, an organization must not only produce quality products and services in
the present day, but must also be constantly improving and keeping up with the
competition. Organizations must keep in mind that what is quality today, may
always not be quality tomorrow. Along with superior quality, organizations must
keep their cost and service at superior levels. This concept can be referred to as
total quality. Having a superior product is not enough to hook a consumer base
these days the cost and service associated with the product must also be superior.
Organizations that effectively apply the total quality approach, and remain ultracompetitive, are the ones most likely to achieve organizational excellence.
4. The Deming cycle was developed to link the production of a specific product with
consumer needs and focus the resources of all departments in a cooperative effort
to meet those needs. An illustration further explaining the cycle has been posted
below.

5. When attempting to implement total quality initiatives, there are several errors
that are common amongst organizations. To be successful, it is important that these
errors are avoided as a whole. The first error is categorized as senior management

delegation and poor leadership. In this circumstance, an organization will make the
mistake of delegating responsibility to a hired expert, rather than applying the
leadership necessary to get everyone involved. Secondly, the concept of Team
Mania must be avoided. Team mania can be defined as rushing to develop teams
and get to work on the initiative, before taking the time to learn how to be effective
members of a team. The next error takes place in the Deployment process. Some
organizations develop quality initiatives without concurrently developing plans for
integration into the different elements of an organization. Next up on the list of
errors that must be avoided is taking a narrow, dogmatic approach. What this
usually consists of is an organization determined to implement quality, using one
approach hoping for a one size fits all proposition, whereas that is simply not the
case. The final error on the list of commonly seen issues is confusion about the
difference among education, awareness, inspiration and skill building. In order for
people to do their part in making the total quality approach work, they must have
the skills required to do so beforehand.
6. It is safe to say that at some point in their life cycle, an organization is bound to
fall upon tough times which require cost cutting and drawbacks in funding to
ancillary objectives. It is during these times that the focus on quality may weaken
within organizations that see quality as a stand-alone issue, opposed to a normal
part of doing business. A lack of focus on quality can contribute to a host of issues
within an organization, and more times than not the consumers are the ones that
will be affected, thus leading to the organization itself suffering. Cost cutting
strategies can be successful in reducing overhead if that it what is desired, but If
product quality suffers as an expense, consumers will not be satisfied and will in
turn look elsewhere to have their needs met.
7. There is no rules or guidelines to becoming a world class organization. Instead
there are areas in which organizations are most concerned about doing well as they
attempt to compete in the global marketplace. The American Management
Association conducted a global survey in which they polled world class
organizations on which areas they focus most on, and the results can be used as a
reference for others looking to reach world class status. There are 15 areas that
were available as answers to the poll and they have been listed from highest focus
to lowest focus. They are; Customer service, quality control and research, research
and development / new product development, acquiring new technologies,
innovation, team based approach, best practices, manpower planning,
environmentally sound practices, business partnerships and alliances, reengineering
of processes, mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing and contracting, reliance on
consulting services, and political lobbying.
8. A key component of total quality management that sometimes goes unseen is
the concept of responsibility, and more specifically the concept of being able to
accept responsibility for the actions of an organization. This means that instead of
viewing the higher levels of management within your organization as they,
everything must be viewed from a we standpoint. Passing blame is an unethical
practice that is harmful to organizations, no matter the perceived gravity of the
situation at hand. In a total quality setting, people must be responsible for their

actions and accountable for their performance. Accepting responsibility helps build
trust, integrity, and all the other elements of ethics that are highly important within
a total quality environment. If members of an organization are unethical and
unaccepting of responsibility, how is the consumer supposed to have faith?
9. In a total quality organization, all stakeholders external and internal have a say in
establishing the corporate values. Just as the values of organizations can differ, so
can the decision-making models used for determining the ethical course of action in
a given situation. It is important to select a model that will withstand the scrutiny of
all stakeholders. There are many different models to choose from, however I would
like to highlight several that I tend to agree with most. The first model is known as
the Categorical Imperative model and is perhaps the most simple of all. In this
model, which can also be referred to as the black and white model there is zero
gray area. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. This model is effective in the sense
that is easily understood by all stakeholders. The next model for discussion is one
that should also be well understood by all. The Golden Rule Model follows the
same framework that most Americans were taught at a very early age. The model is
based strictly on what is known as the golden rule Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you. This model is effective largely due to the fact that it takes
the viewpoint of stakeholders into account when deciding what is ethical. The final
rule for discussion is the Organizational Ethic Model. This model is based on the
concept that above all is loyalty to the organization. The underlying premise is that
the most ethical decision is always the one that best serves the organizations
interests. This model is popular amongst stakeholders that are deeply connected to
an organization, however can be difficult to defend unless the organization in
question has adopted a set of guiding principles that ensure ethical behavior is
being practiced.
10. Managers within organizations are responsible for following through on
initiatives and exemplifying ethical behavior. They are responsible for establishing
high ethical standards, setting a consistently positive example of exceeding those
standards, and acting immediately when they observe unethical behavior. There is
no proven method for managers looking to make consistent ethical quality
decisions, however there are several methods that have been proven to produce
results. Details on the different methods and their core components have been
illustrated in the chart below.

11.
Pollution prevention is major global concern, not only because its harmful effects on
peoples health, but also the damage it does to the environment. As an organization
with interest in the environment, and with obvious interest in the health of
ourselves and our families, it is imperative that we accept our role in reducing
pollution. The first step that we must take is understanding the full impact our
organization has on the environment. Once we have a clear interpretation of any
possible pollutants we might be responsible for, we must then evaluate and
implement alternative action that ends the pollution. In addition to replacing
suspect activities with green alternatives, we should use our organizational
influence to pressure local legislation and policy to follow suit on this issue. The
video clips posted below provide a clear picture of what is at stake in this issue. The
life that exists below the see is just one example of an eco-system that is at risk of
being eradicated, should the global population continue to produce pollution at the
current level. Our organization does not hold the only key to answering this global
problem, but it is our responsibility as inhabitants of this earth to preserve it to the
best of our ability.

SUSTAINABLE GREEN FOCUS - VIDEO CLIPS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XydRYJXc4o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anp0SRZI2II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhYx_Qu8eYw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DLIQcB-YWg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhJdGtJ47P0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U544Mo-us18

SOCIAL MEDIA ASSIGNMENT - 1

Details On New Tesla Supercharger Usage Fees:
Through a blog post on the company website, Tesla Motorcars has announced
a new pricing structure for supercharger usage, affecting all Model S and Model X
vehicles ordered on or after January 15th 2017. The companys stated goal is not to
make additional profit through the new pricing structure, but rather to recover cost
in a fair manner. The company will allow for Tesla owners under the new program to
use 400 kWh per year at no charge, and will charge customers overage fees based
on their location. For example, owners of Tesla motorcars in the state of NJ will pay
$0.20 per minute above 60KW, and $0.10 per minute below 60KW. In comparison
New York Tesla drivers will pay a flat rate of $0.19 per kWh. Through discussion with
my peer Harvir Sanghera, we are both in agreement that this is a fair system that
allows for customers to continue to happily drive Tesla, while at the same time
allowing Tesla to build capital effectively.
New York Bets On Renewables To Replace Indian Point Nuclear Plant
Earlier this month New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans to
close the Indian Point Nuclear Power plant in 2020 and 2021. This comes as a
surprise to many that are interested in this matter, as the original schedule for
closure comes at close to a decade later. The Indian Point plant currently accounts
for nearly 10% of the states power generation, leaving many curious as to what
plans have been laid to replace this output. While many environmental experts have
celebrated this announcement, others are more skeptical at the loss of a carbon
emission free energy source. Governor Cuomo has stated that he plans to replace
this power source with separate carbon free sources such as wind and hydro, but
there are those that worry that natural gas will be left picking up the slack. Natural
gas is one of the leading sources of carbon emissions, an issue that has been at the
forefront of climate issues. My partner Harvir Sanghera is one of those that is
troubled by the possibility of increased natural gas consumption, however I am
optimistic that Governor Cuomo will stay true to his word and turn to other green
sources of power generation. As somebody who works for a company that is
involved in the construction of wind farms, as well as natural gas distribution
systems, I see this as a positive opportunity that I am fully behind.
EPA locks in 2025 fuel efficiency rules
Earlier this month U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy
finalized a determination that the landmark fuel efficiency rules instituted by
President Barack Obama should be locked in through 2025. The new regulations
that were laid in place by President Barack Obama state that on average the fleetwide efficiency should be more than 50 miles per gallon. While my partner Harvir

Sanghera tends express that he feels confidently about these regulations, I have a
somewhat contrasting viewpoint. The early moves made by President Donald Trump
lead me to believe that these regulations may not be able to withstand the test of
time. Executives from top US automakers have already shared their disapproval on
the issue with President Trump, and this group appears to be one that he is
determined to please. The article states that reversing this decision will not be an
easy task for Trump, however what we have seen from him thus far gives me no
reason to believe that he will not be determined to reverse and alter the work of
President Obama.

SOURCES:
Ayre, James. "Details On New Tesla Supercharger Usage Fees." CleanTechnica. N.p.,
13 Jan. 2017. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. <https://cleantechnica.com/2017/01/13/detailsnew-tesla-supercharger-usage-fees/?
utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%2BIMcleantechnica%2B%28CleanTechnica%29>.
Contributor, Guest. "New York Bets On Renewables To Replace Indian Point Nuclear
Plant." CleanTechnica. N.p., 13 Jan. 2017. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.
<https://cleantechnica.com/2017/01/13/new-york-bets-renewables-replace-indianpoint-nuclear-plant/?
utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%2BIMcleantechnica%2B%28CleanTechnica%29>.
Shepardson, David. "EPA locks in 2025 fuel efficiency rules." Reuters. Thomson
Reuters, 13 Jan. 2017. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. <http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usaautomakers-idUSKBN14X1Q6>.

DISCUSSION COMMENTS FROM PARTNER HARVIR SANGHERA:

Tesla SuperChargering

the implementation of such a system both infrastructure and payment plan in a short amount
of allows the consumer base to grow.

This system was to help ease the idea of range anxiety

Another area to consider is in the metropolitan area, in example of New York, having a flat
rate for both under and above 60 KW hours allows more customer a way to buy energy at any
given location. This allows the infrastructure to grow in those regions to help with the meet the
demand of energy

Indian Point Nuclear Plant

It is commendable that the plant is shutting down early

Natural gas prices are low which makes for cheaper cost for power

The downfall is in the downtime the grid has to be powered by natural gas

The use of natural gas will increase the amount of greenhouse gases.

Alternatively, could have spent more time developing a way to better use green sources of
energy

EPA

The theory of building more fuel efficient cars has been around since the 1970s this is when
the MPG polices were put together.

The changing of these polices through the new administration may lead to unwanted
changes. Having ties to big oil might reduce the drive to build more efficient vehicles. IE Chevrolet
EV1

If this bill goes unchanged this may lead to more job in development of high fuel efficient vehicles