Questões de Concursos Inglês

Opportunity Cost

This phenomenon goes by the name of ‘opportunity cost,’ since by not investing in more equipment and a more rigid production flow, the company is forgoing the opportunity to earn increased profits. These costs are every bite as real as the payment of dollars out-of-pocket.

This notion _______ opportunity cost can be reinforced _________a famous saying ______ Benjamin Franklin, no slouch himself _________ operations management. To make the point, however, we must make a brief excursion into logic. One truth of logic is the validity of the so-called contrapositive, which says simply that if the statement “If A, then B” is true, then it is also true that “If not B, then not A.” That is, of every time A occurs B follows, then we can be sure that if B does not occur, then A did not occur as well. Enough logic then, and back to Ben Franklin.

One of his Poor Richard sayings is that “A penny saved is a penny earned.” We have all recognized the truth of that since childhood, but I assert that by this saying Ben showed us he knows everything about opportunity cost. After all, what is the contrapositive of “A penny not earned is a penny not saved (i.e., a penny sent). All we are saying by this notion of opportunity cost is that “a penny not earned (an opportunity forgone) is a penny spent.” We shall often have occasion to consider opportunity costs, in analyzing and deciding various operations issues.

SCHMENNER, Roger W. Production/Operations Management. 5th Edition. Prentice-Hall, 1993.

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Structure of education in Singapore

The complete control and management of Singapore’s education is in the hands of the Ministry of Education (MOE). With continuous endeavour from MOE, today Singapore can be considered to have a strong and well-reputed education system. As per recent study Singapore is ranked fourth in terms of World’s Best Education System.

The preschools are run by the private sector, including religious bodies, community foundations, business groups, etc. However, every preschool need to register itself with the Singapore Ministry of Education before being functional.

After completion of 6 years of primary education, students have to appear for a Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE). All those students who passed the exam are admitted in a secondary level course, which is usually completed in 4-5 years. It is similar to attending seventh grade through tenth grade in the American education system.

After completion of the secondary education, the students need to appear in Singaporean GCE ‘O’ Level exam. Based on the merit in that exam, students proceed to pre-university education, which is similar to attending eleventh grade and twelfth grade as per the American education system. At this level students can opt for a wide range of subjects from varied academic areas covering Humanities, Arts and Languages, Sciences and Mathematics streams.

www.singaporeeducation.info/Education-System/ Structure-of-Education

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Companies know how we think

Companies can now find out exactly how you think through the science of neuromarketing. Advertisers are currently collaborating with scientists to test their products directly on our brains. Some experts believe that one in ten TV commercials have already been designed using neuromarketing.

The reasons are obvious. The technique allows companies to discover exactly what people like about their products. For example, when we eat a type of potato chip, it may be the color, the flavor, or the pleasant noise it makes when you crunch it in your mouth that we like most.

In order ............ tap into what’s going ............ in consumers’ brains, it all begins ............ laboratories and office buildings.

Groups of volunteers submit themselves to a simple process. Wearing a special headset called an electrode cap, they watch commercials or test products. The caps allow researchers to monitor brain activity. When something attracts the attention of the volunteers, this is highlighted on a computer. They literally use this device to read the minds of their volunteers. This may sound a little scary, but advertisers are just tap-ping into our existing thoughts and desires. And that’s what advertisers have always tried to do.

Previously, companies would give people a survey or questionnaire to complete in order to research their customers. The problem was that people didn’t always tell the truth. They may not want to be critical of a product or advertisement because they don’t want to upset the interviewer. The electrode cap overcomes this problem. It shows when someone really is interested in something.

Neuromarketing is also used to develop packaging for the world’s most famous brands. The aim is to make their products stand out in a busy marketplace. This will become standard as more companies capitalize on the technology. With millions invested in advertising, companies simply cannot afford to hope that their ads and products will be a success. If they can find out what we think first, and change their products to make them more successful, they will quickly pay off the high cost of neuromarketing and dominate their market.

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5 Ways to Boost Your Resilience at Work

Since the pace and intensity of contemporary work culture are not likely to change, it’s more important than ever to build resilience skills to effectively navigate your worklife. While working as a CEO I’ve seen over and over again that the most resilient individuals aren’t the ones that don’t fail, but rather the ones that fail, learn and thrive1 because of it.

Resilience is built by attitudes, behaviors and social supports that can be adopted and cultivated by anyone. Factors that lead to resilience include optimism and the ability to stay balanced and manage difficult emotions. To build resilience skills at work it’s important to understand and manage some of the factors that cause us to feel so stressed at work. Being hyperconnected and responsive to work anytime, anywhere, can be extremely onerous.

The current and rising levels of stress in the workplace should be cause for concern, as there is a direct and adverse relationship between negative stress, wellness and productivity. Stress that causes us to experience difficulty or unhealthy strain is a major cause for concern as it directly and adversely affects personal and business success. Here are some tips on how to develop resilience and stay motivated:

Exercise mindfulness – Turn your attention to mental training practices associated with mindfulness to improve your judgment accuracy and problem solving, job performance and cognitive flexibility.

Compartmentalize your cognitive load – Create dedicated times in the day to do specific work-related activities and not others.

Take detachment2 breaks – Step away from work for even a few minutes to reset energy and attention. Balancing work activity can promote greater energy, mental clarity, creativity and focus.

Develop mental agility – Decenter stress: step back, reflect, shift perspectives, create options and choose wisely.

Cultivate compassion – Create positive work relationships, increase cooperation and collaboration, happiness and well-being to decrease stress.

<https://tinyurl.com/ycvtxc4v> Acesso em: 04.03.2018. Adaptado.

Glossário:
(1) Thrive: prosperar, desenvolver, ter sucesso.
(2) Detachment: descolamento, distanciamento, separação.