4.2 Decision Making StrategyINSTRUCTIONS1.  Based on the classroom discussion, write a short journal entry that answers thefollowing:a. Use a real-world example to illustrate the importance of improving the decisionmaking process itself, rather than just the results of the process.  Analyze the issues involved and recommend how the decision making process could have been improved.  Provide a detailed explanation of your analysis that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.b.  Among the six decision-improvement strategies you learned in this assignment, select one to describe how an organization can benefit from the use of this strategy and determine its strengths and weaknesses. Provide a detailed explanation of your analysis that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.2. Then answer the following reflective question about the concepts presented in this assignment:a. The fifth decision-improvement strategy you learned in this assignment is Take an outsider’s view.  Consider some decision you have made in the recent past, and apply this fifth principle to this decision assuming you were from another country or culture.   How does understanding another culture improve your ability to use this fifth strategy and how can you use this strategy to improve your own decisions at work?  Provide a  detailed evaluation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.3. Be sure the entry is grammatically correct, 600 – 800 words in length, and cites sources in accordance with APA standards.

Question 1:________________________________ is a study that all belts should conduct to assure that the  variation shown in data analysis is coming from the data itself and not from the mechanism by which it  was collected. A Correlation B Control Charting C Voice of the Customer D Measurement Systems Analysis Question 2:What is the medal that recognizes a chief executive for practices of quality and breakthrough   management? A Juran Medal B Ishikawa Medal C Deming Medal D Lancaster Medal Question 3:What is one way to channel nervousness early in preparing for the presentation? A Acknowledge the crowd B Use interjections C Meet and greet the audience D Memorize the names of attendees beforehand Question 4:A consistent “Lean Enterprise Culture” and “Continuous Process Improvement” are just two of the four   dimensions associated with A The Deming Prize B The Shingo Prize Model C The TOC Model D The Juran Model Question 5:In order to be considered for the "Shingo Prize Model" the Master Black Belt should consider  implementing which approach and philosophy across the enterprise? A The PDSA approach B The lean management approach and philosophy C The SPC approach D The Crosby approach Question 6:What outcomes are reviewed in the “Results” category of the Malcolm Baldrige National  Quality Award? A Product and Service Outcomes B Customer Focused Outcomes C Process Effectiveness Outcomes D All of the above Question 7:The House of Quality is a wonderful tool but infrequently utilized by belts in most organizations.  Which of the following is not a consideration for the Master Black Belt when considering the deployment of this  tool within their organization? A Determine the template the organization will use and incorporate across the board B Bring in someone from the outside when you have to use this tool C Use the tool during continuing education sessions with belts D See one, do one, teach one Question 8:Ideal solution elements are part of what creativity technique? A Delphi B Mind Mapping C TILMAG D Brainwriting Question 9:Main effects and interaction plots show A The statistical significance of the effect or interaction B The magnitude of the effect or interaction C The relative strength of the effect or interaction D B and C E All of the above Question 10:Which of the following is the key to a successful Supplier/Customer relationship? A B Transparency C Quality D All of the above E None of the above Question:What’s the difference between simple random sampling and stratified random sampling? A Stratified random sampling divides the population into overlapping groups B For stratified random sampling, in each strata, every kthelement is selected C Stratified random sampling divides the population into nonoverlapping groups D Stratified random sampling divides the population into clusters and simple random sampling is done within each cluster Question 12:All of the following are characteristics of a Master Black Belt. Which one is characteristic of a  Black Belt? A Project execution B Tool specialist C Dashboarder D Project selection Question 13:What are some of the advantages cited for ISO Certification? A Good paperwork B Recognition domestically only C International trade and productivity improvement D Less focus on the economy Question 14:Which of the following is a statistic utilized during a Gage R & R for discrete data? A Kappa B F C T D Levene's Question 15:As a company becomes more experienced in implementing process improvement, according to  Malcolm Baldrige, the impact is likely to increase their scores leading to A The likelihood of an award in the first few years B A visit from Baldrige auditors C Dismissal of their application submission D None of the above Question 16:According to the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award, points are awarded based on A Approach B Deployment C Both A and B D Neither A nor B Question 17:When folding over a design, you should block on the two experiments. A True B False Question 18:Which of the following should a company ask of the quality program of a potential supplier? A How do they measure their quality? B What data are they willing to share? C Do they benchmark? D All of the above E None of the above Question 19:The award or medal that recognizes a company’s outstanding improvement in seven categories is A The Ishikawa Award B The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award C The Deming Medal D The Grant Medal Question 20:What is one of the steps a Master Black Belt might pursue in order to advance his\her career? A Continue attending local conferences only B Do only projects visible to senior management C Secure a coach and mentor D Keep focused on the job attending development as time allows Week Twelve (12) - Six (6).doc 

Please read the following book review and view the video clips, and the accompanying response to Gracia’s book. Next, write a 250-word response in English to the issues raised. Every response is valid, and all opinions will be respected. Make sure to address ALL of the following questions: Is there a unique or singular Hispanic/Latino Identity? Why or why not? What are the definitions of Latino/Hispanic/Latin American? Do you agree or disagree with the positions expressed below?  Are these issues relevant to our society in general? Why or why not? Jorge Gracia, Hispanic/Latino Identity: A Philosophical Perspective. http://www.amazon.com/Hispanic-Latino-Identity-Philosophical-Perspective/dp/0631217649 Book review: Written by Jorge Gracia, one of the most influential thinkers of Hispanic/Latino descent, this volume provides a superb introduction to the philosophical, social, and political elements of Hispanic/Latino identity. The book explores central historical and current debates surrounding Hispanic/Latino culture, thought, and identity in the United States, Spain, and Latin American countries. In Hispanic/Latino Identity: A Philosophical Perspective, Gracia addresses questions that have been of concern to Latin Americans since the 19th century and remain of vital interest today. First is the central issue of whether Hispanic/Latino people share a common identity, which raises complex questions such as, Should Iberians, Latin Americans, and their descendents in any part of the world adopt an ethnic name? What name should they adopt? Is one name more representative than another? Is naming even possible? Is Latinos/ Hispanics a term that denotes race? What are some of the benefits of adopting a “particular” identity? Why I am Not Hispanic: An Argument with Jorge Gracia by Paula Moya http://www.apa.udel.edu/apa/publications/newsletters/v00n2/hispanic/02.asp "[T]he search for a name, more than an act of classification, is actually a process of historical imagination and a struggle over social meaning at diverse levels of interpretation." Juan Flores, "The Latino Imaginary" In declaring that I am not Hispanic, I mean to be intentionally provocative. Moreover, I do so with the full knowledge that I run the serious risk of having the philosopher Jorge Gracia task me with being an ignorant and prejudicial purveyor of misinformation about my cultural and historical background. I run this risk not because Gracia is an unfriendly person, but because, according to the definition of the term that Gracia proposes in his recent book Hispanic/Latino Identity: A Philosophical Perspective, I am Hispanic; I fit easily into the group of people that he designates as Hispanic. According to Gracia, Hispanics are the "group of people comprised by the inhabitants of the countries of the Iberian peninsula after 1492 and what were to become the colonies of those countries after the encounter between Iberia and America took place, and by descendants of these people who live in other countries (e.g. the United States) but preserve some link to those people." He goes on to note that his definition "excludes the population of the other countries in the world and the inhabitants of Iberia and Latin America before 1492 because, beginning in the year of the encounter, the Iberian countries and their colonies in America developed a web of historical connections which continues to this day and which separates these people from others" (48-49). Why, if I am willing to admit that I fit into Gracia's definition, am I yet unwilling to claim the identity Hispanic? Am I simply being perverse? Elsewhere, I have demonstrated that how a person identifies herself has profound consequences for how she understands the world, and consequently, for how she chooses to act within it. Claiming or affirming an identity, under this view, is more than a simple act of self-determination-although it is that, too. Fundamentally, it is a struggle over social and historical meaning. Moreover, because identity labels are tags for conceptual categories, they are epistemically and politically significant in ways that Gracia clearly acknowledges in his introduction but fails to fully register in his argument in favor of Hispanic identity… The key to understanding my objection to Gracia's argument has less to do with what I think is the "best" name for the group of people Gracia delineates, and more to do with the constitution of the group, as an identity group, in the first place. Gracia's concept of Hispanic is not, properly speaking, an identity category. Identity categories, ethnic and otherwise, serve a particular social function-they help us to locate individuals (more and less accurately) in relation to social groups. As such, an identity category is most meaningful when it provides some substantive hints about the person who is designated as a member of that group. The concept of Hispanic ethnicity as Gracia defines it, however, is so capacious as to be contentless at a number of different levels. It provides no substantive hints regarding a person's possible place of birth, nationality, economic or social status, sexuality, language, religion, political perspective, or even what century he or she belongs to… If we are going to reach back through 500+ years of history, with the only criteria being a historical one, there is little reason to suppose that I, for example, should privilege my Spanish ancestors rather than my Anglo ones. Why, since I have Cunninghams and Blacks in my genealogy, don't I identify as Anglo? On what basis can I claim more affinity with the Bacas, the Martinezes and the Moyas in my particular family history? How, unless I know what I am looking for, am I to determine which branch to follow up my historical family tree?… Skin color, hair texture, and bone structure never even come up for serious discussion in Gracia's book on Hispanic/Latino identity. And yet, the particular visible morphological characteristics we carry around on our bodies have a great deal to do with how we are treated, how we see and evaluate others, how we come to interpret the social world, and, ultimately, whom we identify with. Skin color, hair texture, and bone structure have no inherent biological or social meaning, but they do have historically constructed and highly sedimented social meanings that affect-in ways that can be described-how people sort themselves and others into racial and ethnic categories. I can imagine a future in which our physical characteristics will be irrelevant for how we identify. That future, however, is not yet here, and as long as skin color, for instance, can make such a difference in how a person experiences the world, theorists of identity cannot afford to ignore it as a factor in ethnic (or racial) group categorization… So, if I am not Hispanic, what ethnicity am I? This is a complicated question, and one that can be answered in a variety of ways. In some contexts I would decribe myself as Mexican-American, in others as Chicana, and in still others as Latina. I use the term Mexican-American, usually with people who are not Mexican-American, as a way of helping them to locate me. The term, for me, is a descriptor that indicates that I am a U.S. citizen and that my cultural heritage is Mexican. If the person to whom I am speaking knows very much about the community of Mexicans in this country, they might be able to envision what foods I likely grew up with, what music I might have listened to as a child, what religion I was probably baptized into, and what languages I might have some familiarity with. Despite the fact that not all Mexican-Americans will share all aspects of this cultural identity, enough of us share enough of these aspects so that the people who can be so described constitute a fairly organic grouping. The cultural attributes that are generally associated with the concept of Mexican American provide a backdrop against which we can explore our individual differences… I use the term Chicana when I want to signal a particular kind of affiliation with other Mexican Americans who share an identifiable (although internally heterogenous) perspective on the world. In some ways, the term Chicana/o does the work of the term Mexican-American plus a little bit more. A Chicana/o identity is a politicized identity, and one that many Mexican-Americans do not claim. The fact that not all Mexican-Americans claim it is perfectly fine with me. There are many Mexican-Americans whose views about assimilation, for example, I do not share, and the use of the term Chicana/o is a convenient way to signal that. Finally, I use the term Latina when I want to signal an experiential, and to a lesser degree political and cultural, affiliation with a larger group of people living in the U.S. who themselves or whose ancestors have come to this country from Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, El Salvador, etc. It refers to basically the same group of people that Gracia designates with the term Hispanic with a crucial difference. When I refer to Latina/os, I am not referring to people living in Latin America or Spain. This is not because I am a nationalist, or because I am biased against Latin Americans or Spaniards. Moreover, I acknowledge the important connections (economic, political, intellectual, familial, and cultural) that exist between Latina/os in the United States and Latin Americans and residents of the Iberian peninsula. But I believe that when it comes to assigning and describing social identities-especially when they are invoked for political or epistemic purposes-it is important to recognize the specificity of geopolitical space, and the experiential significance of being a ethnic minority citizen or resident of a country like the United States. I am in no way suggesting that being Latina/o is inherently better or worse than being Latin American or Spanish. I am, however, suggesting that it is different enough to be worth marking… Here is a "taxonomy" that may be a useful reference for this topic: (http://www.mexica.net/chicano.html) "Spanish people" This term is used frequently in the United States to refer indiscriminately to any person that speaks Spanish. As such, it is imprecise and often inappropriate in that it includes people from more than two dozen countries, spanning all of the American continent, the Caribbean and Spain. The term does apply specifically, however, as the proper name for the native people of Spain, and for this reason it is as incorrect to use it to refer to any and all Spanish-speakers as the term "English" would be to refer to citizens of New Zealand, Australia or the United States. Hispanics This term is often used to refer collectively to all Spanish-speakers. However, it specifically connotes a lineage or cultural heritage related to Spain. As many millions of people who speak Spanish are not of true Spanish descent (e.g., native Americans), and millions more live in Latin America (cf., "Latino" below) yet do not speak Spanish or claim Spanish heritage (e.g., Brazilians)… Latino This term is used to refer to people originating from, or having a heritage related to, Latin America, in recognition of the fact that this set of people is actually a superset of many nationalities. Since the term "Latin" comes into use as the least common denominator for all peoples of Latin America in recognition of the fact that some romance language (Spanish, Portuguese, French) is the native tongue of the majority of Latin Americans, this term is widely accepted by most. However, the term is not appropriate for the millions of native Americans who inhabit the region. Mexican Specifically, the nationality of the inhabitants of Mexico. Therefore, the term is used appropriately for Mexican citizens who visit or work in the United States, but it is insufficient to designate those people who are citizens of the United States (they were born in the US or are naturalized citizens of the US) who are of Mexican ancestry. Mexican-American This term is commonly used to recognize US citizens who are descendants of Mexicans, following the pattern sometimes used to identify the extraction of other ethnic Americans (e.g., "African-American). This term is acceptable to many Mexican descendants, but for those who do not identify with a Mexican heritage, but rather with a Spanish heritage, it is unacceptable (cf., "Hispano," below). Hispano This term is preferred by that subpopulation, located primarily in the US southwest, who identify with the Spanish settlers of the area, and not with the Mexican settlers (specifically, the Creole Spanish-Native American race). There is in fact an important number of these people located along the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico and in the northern Sangre de Cristo mountain range of the same state. Chicano A relatively recent term that has been appropriated by many Mexican descendants as unique and therefore reflective of their unique culture… The most likely source of the word is traced to the 1930 and 40s period, when poor, rural Mexicans, often native Americans, were imported to the US to provide cheap field labor… The term was appropriated by Mexican-American activists who took part in the Brown Power movement of the 60s and 70s in the US southwest, and has now come into widespread usage. Among more "assimilated" Mexican-Americans, the term still retains an unsavory connotation, particularly because it is preferred by political activists and by those who seek to create a new and fresh identity for their culture rather than to subsume it blandly under the guise of any mainstream culture. *This list is not complete, and these definitions are subjective…VideosDue to the large file size of the videos, they can take several minutes to load (depending on the speed of your connection). If you have any difficulties watching the videos, follow these instructions.  Under Course Home, review the eCollege Technical Requirements under “Getting Started with Your Online Course.” There is a browser test that you can perform once you have access to the course so that you have an opportunity to download whatever might be needed ahead of time. In this “Technical Requirements” section there are also some guidelines to review under “Feature Requirements.”·  It will be challenging at best to view video elements on a dial-up connection. Wireless internet connections can also be troublesome. So, it is  recommended that students use hard-wired, broadband internet connections whenever possible. ·  RealPlayer is the video player used to present the clips. Links to download the software have been embedded below. Prior to installing the free player, students might consider reviewing: http://real.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/real.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3206&tabName=tab0 for installation instructions. There are also some additional troubleshooting suggestions on this page. If the problem persists contact the helpdesk.  Click the links below to access the video clips Hispanics Growing Influence Voices from Cuban AmericansWhat is a Chicano To download Real Player, please select your operating system.