Toyotas Total Quality Management

Toyotas Total Quality Management The once magic spell of Henry Fords T-modal and assembly lines is a long forgotten memory. In todays highly dynamic market place the consumer cannot be satisfied with a black color ford. Today the global automotive industry is facing its toughest challenge of delighting the customer in an economical manner. The Toyota motor company of Japan has taken this challenge seriously and has proved its ability to compete with the once emperors of the industry such as Ford, Volvo, Chevrolet et al. Buy careful adoption of cutting edge technologies such as Total quality management, Toyota has turned itself into a game changer in the industry. This assignment focuses on how Toyota achieved its objectives using TQM. It unfolds in three stages starting with TQM and its scope. Secondly competitive environment analysis with SWOT and PESTLE analyses and finally it arrives at conclusion based on a thorough evaluation of the organization. Company Overview Toyota Motor Company (TMC) is the crown of Japanese auto industry. Started as a small car manufacturer on August 28, 1937 it gifted many quality innovations to the world throughout its history. In the early 1980s Toyota won its first quality control award in Japan. The company launched its luxury brand Lexus in 1989 which became a massive success. It also manufactures Scion an economical automobile brand that targets young adults. Toyota also conquered the hybrid car market with the launch of its iconic car Prius in 17. Today with a work force of 71,116 and an annual sale of US$228+ billion, Toyota is as profitable as all the other car companies combined. In 2007 it became the worlds largest auto manufacturer beating General Motors. (Info http://www.toyota-global.com/) Literature Review Total Quality management Total quality management can be defined as A management psychology that seeks to integrate all organizational functions such as marketing, finance, design, engineering, production, customers satisfaction et al. to focus on meeting customer needs and organizational objectives. [Abstract Besterfield D, Michna Besterfield C, Besterfield Glen and Besterfield-Sacre Mary Total Quality Management (3rd Edition) (2002)] The team of the organization that the TQM is implementing tries to take part in improving processes, products, services as well as the culture which they work. This approach is inspired by quality leaders such as Philip B Crosby, W. Edwards Deming, Kaonru Ishikawa and Joshep M. Juran. According to Deming TQM involves 14 principles. 1. Create constancy of purpose 2. Adopt a new philosophy of cooperation 3. Cease dependence on mass inspection to achieve quality 4. End the practice of awarding business 5. Improve constantly, and forever 6. Institute training 7. Adopt and institute leadership for the management of people, 8. Drive out fear and build trust 9. Break down barriers between departments. 10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets asking for zero defects or new levels of productivity 11. Eliminate numerical goals, numerical quotas and management by objectives 12. Remove barriers that rob people of joy in their work 13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement. 14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. Today The concept of quality is significant more than ever before. The history of quality goes as far as 1920s to the times of gurus such as F.W. Taylor who is the father of scientific management. It erupted in 1950s in Japan in a time where the Japanese were searching ways to boost their economy that was ruined by World War 2. By 70s high quality Japanese goods had flooded the US and European markets. It took 20 years for the west to catch up the Japanese quality system. By today the growing global competition the quality has become a decisive factor and is inspired by changing customer needs. Today the customer is the person who defines the quality of a product. Quality management is important because achieving a higher quality is ever changing. Also failing to meet the quality standards continuously would result in losing customers. An organization can take many initiatives to assure quality of its products. Standardization is one such initiative that assures quality. Standardization can be carried out by round interchangeability, variety reduction; improved communication of technical criteria, commonly agreed safety and performance parameters. Standardization applies to raw materials, testing, sampling methods as well as processes Institutional learning is another way of ensuring quality. Here the training process for workers are recorded and will be used in the learning process. The learning forms such as lessons as well as good practices are the primary sources of the knowledge working process. The institutional learning process can be further enhanced through training workshops, evaluation material as well as electronic training media. Also by way of knowledge management an organization can assure the quality of its products. Under knowledge management the capacity to retain knowledge, educational capacity, design and training methods, the training programs as well as qualified trainers are the majors concerns under knowledge management. The fruits of knowledge management can only be picked when: The learnt knowledge puts in to practice. The knowledge is material in innovation. Turning tacit knowledge in to explicit knowledge Gathering and preserving knowledge from every possible source such as information, experience etc. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a method used to analyze the internal and external environment of an organization. Following is a comprehensive SWOT analysis of Toyota Motor Company. Strengths Toyota operates factories in US and China that led to increase in company profits since 2005. The organization through careful segmentation, Targeting and positioning offers the right product mix to the market. Toyota is highly efficient in its manufacturing which uses total quality management. Toyota has a strong brand name which is a house hold brand name all around the world. Weaknesses Toyota is excessively focused on US and Japanese markets. Thus suffers from fluctuating economic and political conditions of these countries. Toyota has few layers in its hierarchy and as a result there are few opportunities for promotions. Heavy emphasize on techniques such as kaizen has led to higher level of stress among workers. Opportunities Toyota and Lexus has pioneered the environmentally friendly technologies. The world needs vehicles inspired by such technologies more than ever. The company is targeting the urban youth market which has a huge potential. The European Union is emerging as a world of opportunities for auto manufacturers. Toyota already has a large market share in countries such as Denmark, Finland, Ireland et al. Threats Global recession has drastically affected the performance of the global auto industry. Rising gas prices due to the OPEC decision of price hike is a severe damage. In 200, 2010 the product recall of Toyota was estimated to be million units. This can have adverse effects the organizations reputation. Toyota faces strong competition from rivals. New entrants from China, South Korea and India are growing rapidly. (Info http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot/toyota-swot.html) PESTLE Analysis The PESTLE stands for P Political E Economical S Social T Technological L Legal E Environmental Political Since it is a global organization Toyota needs to observe the global political situation. For the past few years Toyota has been enjoying from some of the governments key decisions. The governments decision to limit vehicle imports to Japan and the US governments introduction of quota system in vehicle importing eases the pressure of heavy competition from the outsiders. The Japanese government has provided stimulus packages and tax reliefs to deal with the recent economic down turn. Economical The global recession has hit the global auto industry severely. With inevitable losses companies tend to cut jobs. The same is applicable to Toyota. Due to sky rocketing cost of living people might be prioritizing the fulfillment of their needs at primitive levels. In such a background the industry might get a serious blow. Also during the past 5 consecutive years the global auto mobile sales in major markets have sharply dropped. Social Social factors are vital in deciding the demand for a certain good. Throughout the past decade Japan is experiencing a growing adult population. It is estimated that by 2030 the 65 year old population will be 25.6% of the total population of Japan. Some critical changes in the age structure of the country can be observed. Also the countrys negative population growth rates provide serious implications for the business organizations. Because the shrinking population implies that the business organizations will have to face a shortage in skilled labor in the near future. [Source Matsumoto Yoshiko Faces of Aging: The Lived Experiences of the Elderly in Japan ] Technology With the introduction of cutting edge production technologies adoption of such technologies in the auto industry can be widely seen. Use of robotics for production in Japan has become a major trend. In this information age people have more ways to know about products which makes the present consumer a highly aware one compared to some decades back. The development in World Wide Web led to many organizations going online. The organization will have to adapt to the new ground realities of online marketing to stay ahead of the curve. Legal Today although the free trade is been heavily promoted some key player in the global economy are following protectionism. Countries such as India, Brazil et al are imposing legal restrictions on foreign auto manufacturers in order to promote indigenous manufacturing. With its recall of some of the car models in 2010 Toyota had to face several court cases over accidents occurred due to defect Toyota cars. It was reported that Toyota has paid $ 1.2 million in settlement of a case that was filed against the company. (Info http://www.dailymarkets.com/stock/2010/12/28/toyota-pays-10m-crash-compensation/) Environment The global warming and climate change has become a burning problem in todays world. The changes in this regard have a major influence on the global auto mobile industry. The global warming has insisted the global auto manufacturing firms to come up with less emission solutions. Governments all around the world are raising the standards and tightening the environmental laws on this matter. In addition to the global warming problem the dwindling oil reserves in Middle Eastern countries which are expected to come to an end as soon as 2040s has urged the auto manufacturers to seek more sustainable and energy efficient solutions for the future. The green marketing has become a major weapon for any organization competing in todays auto industry. Today the green products as well as green production methods has become a threshold in many cases. Thus any organization lagging behind its counterparts in green marketing is in the path to destruction. Analysis Although the total quality management is widely adopted in todays highly dynamic business environment Toyota motor company has its own version of quality management called the Toyota production system or TPS. The TPS includes just in time production which means manufacturing products in required amounts avoiding excess inventories Kanban and Jidoko or automation. According to the field research done and published by Harvards Steven J. Spear it leads to the conclusion that Toyota has achieved a dynamic capability by following the Rules-in-Use for Organizational design, improvement, and adaptation. [Source Spear J Steven Just-in-Time in practice at Toyota: Rules-in-Use for building self-diagnostic, adaptive work-systems Harvard Business Review Oct 2002] The paper identifies that in TPS managed organizations every operation is performed by carrying out hypothesis testing experiments that makes accelerated generation and accumulation of individual and organizational learning about coordinating delegating, and performing work done collaboratively. This also includes work which is done repeatedly few times. The findings adds literature by explaining the most tools that got lot of attention in the operations research process were trustworthy and were giving uninterrupted service without any malfunctioning. [Source http://www.icsti.su/rus_ten3/1000ventures_e/presentations/production_systems.html] Just in time The idea behind just in time is manufacturing the required amounts in required numbers at the required time. For instance the assembly line of a car arrives all the sub assembly lines should reach the main assembly line in right quantities. This will eliminate the need for inventories thus removing the requirement for warehouses and storage facilities. As a result the inventory cost will be drastically reduced giving a higher capital turn out to the company. The JIT manufactures quality products in an efficient manner by completely eliminating waste, inconsistencies and unwanted use of production lines. According to the JIT the Toyota by adhering to the following guidelines can manufacture a car which was ordered by a customer in a soonest possible manner. No sooner an order is received for a vehicle the instructions as well as specifications of the vehicle reach the start of the production line. The assembly line is stored with sufficient parts and components to enable the plant to assemble any kind of vehicle model without any delays. The assembly line must replace the parts used by retrieving the same number of parts from the parts-producing process. The preceding process should store a small number of all types of parts to manufacture only the numbers of parts that were retrieved by an operator from the next process. Although it proves to be a success of following JIT method it is a complicated exercise at Toyota as its business involves hundreds of spare parts and components. Kanban system Although many believe that kanban is TPS, the kanban method exist to manage the just in time method. Simply it is an information system which controls the quantities in every process. In kanban the required amount of units and types are written in a card called kanban. It is send to the people in preceding process to the subsequent process which connects many processes in a Toyota plant. This method is supported by followings. Smoothing of process Reduction of machine set up time Autonomation Standardization of jobs Improvement activities Kanban uses two cards. One a withdrawal card and the other a production order card. (Source http://www.toyota-global.com/) According to the above figure there are two operational flows as production instruction kanban and the operational flow of parts retrieval kanban. In the production instruction kanban it involves 3 distinctive steps. Firstly a production instruction kanban A is removed when an operator retrieves parts. Then the numbers of parts that are indicated in the kanban card are only manufactured. Thirdly the kanban is attached to the newly manufacture parts ready for the next process. Then the next process starts on the operational flow of parts retrieval kanban. The parts are transferred to this process from the preceding process. Then as the first step the parts retrieval kanban is removed when an operator uses parts. Secondly the operator carries the kanban to retrieve replacement parts. As the third step the operator removes the production instruction kanban and replaces it with a parts retrieval kanban. Finally the parts that are displaying the parts retrieval kanban are transported to the next process. Autonomation To gain maximum of just in time 100% good units must reach the prior process. And this process should continue without any interruptions. This means quality control must co-exist with JIT to get the best out of kanban. The idea behind autonomation is built in a mechanism means to avoid mass production of defective items in product lines. It involves autonomous inspections for abnormalities in the process. At Toyota all machines are autonomous where every machine is attached with automatic stopping device. This avoids mass production of defective items and also alarms machine break downs if there are any. The above theory also applies to the manual works at Toyota where an employee pushes the stop button if something abnormal happens in the production line. This would eventually cease the operations of his whole lines. In order to detect discrepancies in the process a device called andon, an electric light board is hung very high in the factory that it is visible to everyone this is called Toyotas visual control system. Conclusion The Toyota production system is a practical and effective as it popped out from the real life experience of the organization. This system is enriched with practical effects, actual practices and implications over the analysis. This system has a vital role in developing the quality of operations of the companies all around the world. Even to this date hundreds of western companies are using the Toyota quality management methods which are a clear indication of Toyotas success. Since Toyotas founding we have adhered to the core principal of contributing to society through the practice of manufacturing high quality products and services. Our business practices and activities based on this core principal created values, beliefs and business methods that over the years have become a source of competitive advantage. these are the managerial values and business methods that are known collectively as the Toyota way. Fujio Cho, president Toyota [Source Liker Jeffery, The Toyota Way, McGraw-hill, 2003]

Current Applications Of Software Agents Essay

If you have made a purchase at Amazon, you would have noticed that as soon as you complete your purchase procedures, Amazon presents you with a list of books that customers who purchased the same item as you did also bought along with this item. During your next visit, you will find a list of books that are similar to the ones you purchased previously that you might be interested in buying. Another popular site eBay displays a list of similar products that other customers who did the same search looked at. The above two sites are examples of two ways of implementing software agents. A software agent is a computer program that is capable of intelligently and autonomously executing a given task based on the instructions provided by the user. It basically operates on behalf of its owner. The goal of a software agent is to maximize the owner’s interests which it does by maximizing a particular utility function. Most software agents can learn from experience and adapt themselves based on the feedback obtained from the environment thus making it an autonomous process with no human intervention. A multi-agent system involves multiple software agents. Software agents are ideally suited for a wide variety of applications, in particular, process and workflow automation, electronic commerce, distributed problem solving and Internet applications (Acronymics, Inc. 2004). Some application examples include agent-based supply chain management, personal or user agents, e-business systems, e-market, e-banking, and e-investments, etc. Merchandise management in the retail industry is one area of application of the software agent. Merchandise management involves selection of desirable merchandise, disposal of slow-selling ones and ordering and distributing them appropriately. The competition is fierce with the eCommerce making it even more difficult due to diverse customer preferences low merchant loyalty. The only way to tackle this problem is by understanding the changes in customer demands quickly and responding appropriately through merchandise management. However, due to the sheer number of merchandise and brands, managing merchandise effectively becomes an impossible task. This is where software agents are helpful by performing the merchandise managers’ jobs autonomously, continuously and efficiently. These software agents help in evaluating and selecting merchandise and predicting seasons and building purchase schedules autonomously. An effective merchandise management helps reduce the inventory level while increasing sales and profits. (Jae Heon, P. , Sang Chan P. 2003) Rob Meijer describes the following commercial applications in his article: 1. Watcher agents – These autonomously look for the specified information and provide personalized versions based on the end-user’s preferences, an example is personalized versions of newspapers. To generate a personalized paper, a user must first provide with relevant personal information, preferences, and special interests. The agent then provides personalized news based on these details. With each visit, the agent improves and provides personalized newspaper without much human intervention. Fishwrap (MIT) and Newshound are examples of Watcher agents. (Meijer, R. 2005) 2. Learning agents – Based on the behavior of their user, they can learn to tailor their performance. Examples of the same are Firefly, Similarities Engine, WegHunter, Open Sesame, and InterAp. Similarities Engine was a Web-based music recommending system that worked similar to Amazon’s recommedations of new books; the technology has now been purchased by Microsoft. (Meijer, R. 2005) 3. Shopping agents – These agents are capable of comparing and finding the best price for an item. BargainFinder is an example of Shopping agents that searches the inventory of vendors on the internet to find the lowest prices on the desired product helping you save both time and money. (Meijer, R. 2005) 4. Information retrieval agents – These agents search for information intelligently and are capable of summarizing the information as well. Netsumm is an example that can provide an abstract of the most important sentences of a web page. (Meijer, R. 2005) The Intelligent Software Agents Lab (The Robotics Institute – Carnegie Mellon University) has created an information retrieval agent for Aircraft Maintenance. Considering the searching of relevant information along with time constraints, the mechanics are provided with wearable computers based on RETSINA infrastructure. When a discrepancy is encountered, all he needs to do is fill out a form on his computer and the agents would seek relevant information. â€Å"The advantages of wearable computers with agents include automatic location and retrieval of information relevant to repairs, utilization of historical repair data, increased efficiency of access to information from manuals, and reduction in average time for repair. The overall result is timely, quality maintenance. † (The Intelligent Software Agents Lab, 2001-2009) Another example on their site is WebMate which is a personal digital assistant that â€Å"provides URL recommendations based on a continuously updated user profile; offers ever more relevant web documents based on the ‘Trigger Pairs Model’ approach to keyword refinement; responds to user feedback by selecting features from documents the user finds relevant and incorporating these features into the context of new queries; compiles a daily personal newspaper with links to documents of interest to the user. † (The Intelligent Software Agents Lab, 2001-2009) 5. Helper agents – These are generally used for network management and standard maintenance functions. LANAlert is an example of Helper agent. (Meijer, R. 2005) Agents can also help automate the bargaining process i. e. based on the user preferences, products and services along with related conditions (like warranty and delivery time) can be made flexible to meet the client’s expectations. (Gerding, E. H. 2004) Google AdWords is an example of such an agent. On typing search keywords, it provides recommendations to users as sponsored links. First of all, there are limited ads that can be displayed on a search result page. The ads are displayed only on certain keywords selected by the advertiser. Also, since limited ads are there and also the order of displaying the ads (from top to bottom) makes a difference, advertisers have to compete for these spaces. This is done by choosing the best keywords based on the information provided by Google regarding search counts and setting an upper limit on the amount that you would pay if you have a visitor. The advertiser with the highest bid wins in this case. Gary Anthes provides the examples of the following companies who have been successful in utilizing software agents for complex processes: †¢ Procter & Gample Co. (P&G) used software agents to convert their supply chain management into a supply network connecting to 5 billion consumers in 140 countries saving $300 million annually. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Southwest Airlines Co. optimized cargo routing using software agents. †¢ For Air Liquide America LP, software agents helped reduce both production and distribution costs. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Software agents helped Merck & Co. find more efficient ways to distribute anti-HIV drugs in Zimbabwe. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Simulation of buyer preferences using software agents helped Ford Motor Co. come up with car options that â€Å"optimized the trade-offs between production costs and customer demands†. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Software agents helped Edison Chouest Offshore LLC to optimize service and supply vessels deployment in the Gulf of Mexico. (Anthes, G. 2003) Supply Chain Management through software agents not only help save costs but also help in inventory management through reduced inventory, and improved customer service. (Anthes, G. 2003) Gary Anthes also explains how software agents have helped P&G. Basically, each component of the supply system from trucks to drivers to stores was represented by a software agent. Using rules, they defined the behavior of each component that represented its actual behavior such as â€Å"Dispatch truck when full†. P&G then used the simulations to perform what-if scenarios and checked out inventory levels, transportation costs and in-store stock-outs. Many alternate rules were considered such as on ordering and shipping frequencies, demand forecasting etc. (Anthes, G. 2003) Through the use of these agent-based models, P&G realized that while sending trucks with less than full loads increases transportation costs, frequency of in-store stock-outs often resulting in lost sales is reduced. Similarly P&G relooked into many of its rigid rules and relaxed them to improve the overall performance of the supply chain. They also had to be more flexible in manufacturing – instead of one product at a time, they had to be able to produce every product every day, reducing stock-outs. Flexibility in distributing products within 24 hours instead of the customary 48 to 72 hours was another change that software agents helped P&G realize and change. (Anthes, G. 2003) References Jae Heon, P. , Sang Chan P. 2003. Agent-based merchandise management in business-to-business electronic commerce. In Decision Support Systems (Volume 35 , Issue 3 , June 2003). Elsevier Science Publishers B. V. Amsterdam. http://portal. acm. org/citation. cfm? id=794070 This article explains how an agent-based merchandise management system can help retail companies better manage their merchandise. Gerding, E. H. 2004. Autonomous Agents in Bargaining Games: An Evolutionary Investigation of Fundamentals, Strategies, and Business Applications. PhD thesis, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven. http://eprints. ecs. soton. ac. uk/15640/ This article explains how autonomous software agents could be used in the bargaining process and some of its applications. WebMate. The Intelligent Software Agents Lab. The Robotics Institute. Carnegie Mellon University. http://www. cs. cmu. edu/~softagents/webmate. html This article explains WebMate, a personal digital assistant, a real-life application of software agents. Aircraft Maintenance. The Intelligent Software Agents Lab. The Robotics Institute. Carnegie Mellon University. http://www. cs. cmu. edu/~softagents/aircraft. html This article explains how the aircraft maintenance issues have been resolved using software agents. Anthes, G. 2003. Agents of Change. In Computerworld. http://www. computerworld. com/action/article. do? command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Software+Development&articleId=77855&taxonomyId=63&pageNumber=1 This article provides examples of successful implementation of software agents by several companies and how it has helped them improve their processes as well as their thinking. Meijer, R. 2005. Intelligent Software Agents: Perspective for business. In The IPTS Report (Issue 5). http://ipts. jrc. ec. europa. eu/home/report/english/articles/vol05/art-it1. htm This article provides types of commercial applications of software agents along with implemented examples. Acronymics, Inc. 2004. Why, When, and Where to Use Software Agents. http://www. agentbuilder. com/Documentation/whyAgents. html This article provides an overview on software agents.

Man On The Moon Essay Essay

In the 1900’s space flight was just a topic of the future. But on June 20th, 1969 the US successfully landed a crew of men on the surface of the moon. The moon landing, Apollo 11 is considered one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of mankind. The purpose of the moon mission was to beat the Soviet Union in the space race which president at the time, John F. Kennedy made sure of. With the Soviets attempting to reach the moon USA’s finest scientists got together and through NASA accomplished this amazing achievement. To many the moon landing may not seem like a great accomplishment but in all reality it was the beginning of a whole new era of technology that allowed us to be one step closer to future technology. (www.space.com / Apollo 11 First Men on the Moon) The US was the first to ever send a man to the moon and bring him back successfully, but what really triggered the â€Å"Space War† was the fact that Soviets had already sent 2 spaceships in space and one which landed on the moon, 10 years prior to Apollo 11. While the war with the Soviets was still happening and talk of nuclear warfare was being tossed around American leaders wanted to show the world what they could do. The United States were trailing the Soviets in space developments and Cold War-era America allowed JFK to attempt his proposal of landing a man on the moon. It took a team of NASA scientists and engineers 5 years to test the first unmanned Apollo mission. (www.historyplace.com / Apollo 11) January 1967, NASA was in testing of their 7th Apollo mission, Apollo 7. This mission ended tragically when a fire broke out during a manned launch test that killed three astronauts. Although the Apollo 7 tragedy was a setback NASA still fought on and in October of 1968 they launched the first manned mission, which orbited Earth. After Apollo 7 there were another three manned missions to test all the technology needed for the lunar landing. Finally, 9 years after JFK’s proposal Apollo 11 was ready for launch. The crew of astronauts on this mission was, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Once the space shuttle took off it traveled 240,000 miles in 72 hours. The men orbited around the moon for a day and then Armstrong and Aldrin got into the lunar module named â€Å"Eagle† and began their decent to the surface of the moon. Once on the surface Armstrong radioed back to NASA saying a famous message, â€Å"The  Eagle has landed.† With millions of people listening to the Lunar Mission, Armstrong began his decent out of the lunar module and spoke his famous quote, â€Å"That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.† After collecting moon rocks and taking photos of the moon, also planting the American flag the astronauts mission was complete. The mission was a success and the men traveled back to Earth. USA had successfully landed a man on the moon and returned h im safely, beating the Soviets in the Space Race. (www.Nasa.gov / Apollo 11 Mission) Of course the moon landing did not help defeat the USA’s enemies in the war but what it did do was bring a new belief to all Americans and also the world. What the moon landing did was set off a new era of technology, which would help in all aspects of life or study in the following years to come. The astronauts brought back moons rocks which scientist studied and gave them never before seen data about our moon. Also this moon landing showed the world the real potential of man and that anything is possible with hard work and belief. The moon landing was literally turning science fiction into reality and also giving Americans something to feel proud about. It made men like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin legends in their own time being the first men to ever walk on the moon and setting a very high bar for all other competitors. America finally showed its worth against the Soviets and proved that one of the most famous presidents (Kennedy) was right for believing in America. (www .archive.wired.com / 10 Reasons Apollo 11 Was Awesome) When talking about an event that has changed humanity one topic for sure has to be the Apollo 11 moon landing. It did not only advance technology but also helped change the world. With millions of people tuning in for the mission all over the world people were being amazed with what was being accomplished. Even after all these years it is still an amazing feeling knowing that we as humans have advanced our technology so much to the point where we can not only leave our own planet but also return. I believe you don’t have to be a science nerd to appreciate Apollo 11, because it was not meant for just a certain type of person it was meant to touch everyone’s hearts in someway and give them new standards in life.

What Introvert and Extrovert Really Mean

Think about what an ideal evening for you might look like. Do you imagine yourself going out to dinner with a large group of friends, attending a concert, or going to a club? Or would you prefer to spend the evening catching up with a close friend or getting lost in a good book? Psychologists consider our responses to questions such as these our levels of  introversion  and  extroversion:  personality traits that relate to our preferences for how we interact with others. Below, well discuss what introversion and extroversion are and how they impact our well-being. The Five-Factor Model   Introversion and extroversion have been the subject of psychological theories for decades. Today, psychologists who study personality often see introversion and extroversion as part of what is known as the  five-factor model  of personality. According to this theory, peoples personalities can be described based on their levels of five personality traits:  extroversion  (of which introversion is the opposite),  agreeableness  (altruism and concern for others),  conscientiousness  (how organized and responsible someone is),  neuroticism  (how much someone experiences negative emotions), and  openness to experience  (which includes traits such as imagination and curiosity). In this theory, personality traits range along a spectrum. Psychologists who use the five-factor model see the trait of extroversion as having multiple components. Those who are more extroverted tend to be more social, more talkative, more assertive, more likely to seek out excitement, and are thought to experience more positive emotions. People who are more introverted, on the other hand, tend to be quieter and more reserved during social interactions. Importantly, shyness isnt the same thing as introversion: introverts can be shy or anxious in social situations, but this isnt always the case. Additionally, being an introvert doesnt mean that someone is antisocial. As Susan Cain, bestselling author and introvert herself, explains in an interview with  Scientific American, Were not anti-social; were differently social. I cant live without my family and close friends, but I also crave solitude.   The 4 Different Types of Introverts   In 2011, psychologists at  Wellesley College suggested that there may actually be several different kinds of introverts.  Since introversion and extroversion are broad categories, the authors suggested that not all extroverts and introverts are the same. The authors suggest that there are four categories of introversion:  social  introversion,  thinking  introversion,  anxious  introversion, and inhibited/restrained introversion.  In this theory, a social introvert is someone who enjoys spending time alone or in small groups. A thinking introvert is someone who tends to be introspective and thoughtful. Anxious introverts are those who tend to be shy, sensitive, and self-conscious in social situations. Inhibited/restrained introverts tend not to seek out excitement and prefer more relaxed activities.   Is it better to be an introvert or an extrovert?   Psychologists have suggested that extroversion is correlated with positive emotions; that is, people who are more extroverted tend to be happier than introverts... but is this actually the case? Psychologists who studied this question found that extroverts often do experience more positive emotions than introverts. Researchers have also found evidence that there are indeed  Ã¢â‚¬Å"happy introverts†: when researchers looked at happy participants in a study, they found that about one-third of these participants were also introverts. In other words, more extroverted people may experience positive emotions slightly more often on average, but many happy people are actually introverts. Writer Susan Cain, author  of the bestselling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts points out that, in American society, extroversion is often seen as a good thing. For example, workplaces and classrooms often encourage group work, an activity that comes more naturally to extroverts. In an interview with  Scientific American, Cain points out that we are neglecting the potential contributions of introverts when we do this. Cain explains that being an introvert actually has some advantages. For example, she suggests that introversion may be related to creativity. Additionally, she suggests that introverts can make good managers in workplaces, because they may give their employees more freedom to pursue projects independently and may be more focused on the organizations goals than their individual success. In other words, even though extroversion is often valued in our current society, being an introvert has benefits as well. That is, it isnt necessarily better to be either an introvert or an extrovert. These two ways of relating to others each have their own unique advantages, and understanding our personality traits can help us  study and work with others more effectively. Introvert  and  extrovert  are terms that psychologists have used for decades to explain personality. Most recently, psychologists have considered these traits to be part of the five-factor model, widely used to measure personality. Researchers who study introversion and extroversion have found that these categories have important consequences for our well-being and behavior. Importantly, research suggests that each way of relating to others has its own advantages; in other words, its not possible to say that one is better than the other. Sources McCrae, R. R., John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the five†factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175-215. http://psych.colorado.edu/~carey/courses/psyc5112/readings/psnbig5_mccrae03.pdfTen-item personality inventory. https://gosling.psy.utexas.edu/scales-weve-developed/ten-item-personality-measure-tipi/ten-item-personality-inventory-tipi/Cook, Gareth (2012, January 24). The power of introverts: A manifesto for quiet brilliance. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-power-of-introverts/Grimes, J.O., Cheek, J.M., Norem, J.K. (2011, January). Four meanings of introversion: Social, thinking, anxious, and inhibited introversion. Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, TX. http://www.academia.edu/7353616/Four_Meanings_of_Introversion_Social_Thinking_Anxious_and_Inhibited_IntroversionDiener, E., Oishi, S., Lucas, R. E. (2003). Personality, culture, and subjective well-being: Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 54(1), 403-425. http://people.virginia.edu/~so5x/Diener,%20Oishi,%20%20Lucas%202003%20Ann.%20Review.pdfHills, P., Argyle, M. (2001). Happiness, introversion–extraversion and happy introverts. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(4), 595-608. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886900000581Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that cant stop talking. Broadway Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Quiet.html?idDc3T6Y7g7LQCFleming, Grace. How does personality affect study habits? ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-personality-affects-study-habits-1857077