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The Perfect Balance of Green Technology and Luxury. The Good looks are obvious, but our apartment is as special inside as it is outside. Located on East 116th St., is home to a generous use of marble and granite,unique bamboo flooring, architectural moldings, over sized windows, smart temperature controls and smart design galore. Located in historic East Harlem, it is located near all major trains, which will take you to all the major destinations in the city. You will feel at home in our available guestroom with a comfortable Memory Foam mattress which can be converted to two twin beds or a King-sized bed. Your own private bathroom, Wi-Fi internet access, on-site concierge, valet, 24-hour attended lobby, enclosed courtyard and sculpture garden. Private Chef available upon request.
Score Breakdown based on
50 Reviews
5 on January 16, 2015
Ich bin mehrfach im Jahr in New York und übernachte immer hier, denn es ist die beste und leckerste Übernachtungsadresse in New York bei fabelhaftem Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis!
5 on December 01, 2014
This bed and breakfast is everything it's advertised to be and more. The hosts are friendly and welcoming. The location was convenient and neighborhood safe. We enjoyed homemade pastries and to-die-for coffee! This is the best deal in NYC!
5 on May 11, 2014
I brought my mother to the city for her birthday, and we couldn't have asked for better accommodations! The building is a beautiful luxury high rise with a concierge. We had our own living room and dining area, a private bathroom larger than any NYC hotel could offer, and a lovely, comfortable room. The breakfasts of fresh homemade pastries every morning were fantastic - Carlos is an amazing chef! The bedroom has a large TV, closet space, and two incredibly comfortable beds. They even provide free wifi and umbrellas for bad weather. There is a nice laundry room down the hall, so you can pack light if you have a long stay. We could come and go as we pleased, and the innkeepers gave us total privacy. We only saw them at breakfast each morning. Carlos and Cesar are very friendly and helpful, and made us feel very welcome. They had plenty of recommendations for local dining, and provided us with maps and guidebooks of the city. This is the only place I will ever stay when I am in the city!
5 on December 31, 2013
Carlos and Cesar were extremely friendly, helpful, and hospitable. Their place was cozy, clean, and perfect for a short stay in the city. They made a delicious breakfast for us each morning and let us come and go as we pleased. It's located very close to several subway/bus stops. We'd recommend "My Favorite Place" to anyone traveling!
4.8 on November 28, 2013
We stayed at my favorite place b&b for 5 days during our honeymoon in the States. When we arrived a nice room and a bouquet of flowers were waiting for us. Very nice welcome, super friendly hosts. You can ask them anything and they will help you out whenever. So everything is very good or even perfect and then there is... the breakfast. It's not just any breakfast. It's amazing breakfast!! (Made especially for you every morning...) We are definitely planning on dropping by again on our next trip! Thank you Carlos & Cesar :)
5 on September 08, 2013
fantastic hosts. everything was clean and comfortable home
4.6 on May 04, 2013
A perfect place to be. In Harlem, nearby a subway and Central Park. Nice bedroom and bathroom, clean. Carlos and Cesar are very nice people and are very hospitable. The breakfast made by Carlos was every morning more than good. Everything was fresh and selfmade. Also the advise for the restaurants was very good. We've had a perfect time in NY and yes the B&B is "our favorite place". Thanks again Cesar and Carlos (from Holland)
5 on March 23, 2013
El pasado 7 de marzo llegamos a casa de Carlos y César con toda la ilusión del alojamiento que habíamos encontrado, después de leer los comentarios que los huéspedes anteriores habían escrito es esta página, y podemos afirmar que My Favorite Place in NY superó nuestras expectativas!!! Queremos agradecer a Carlos y César lo bien que nos trataron, desde el primer momento nos sentimos muy cómodos y supimos que habíamos tenido la suerte de encontrar un lugar muy especial, hay que decir que el cariño con el que lo tratan se nota en todos y cada uno de los detalles!! Para nosotros es un B&B "con alma" ;-) Nos llevamos un muy grato recuerdo de confort y amabilidad. La casa está muy limpia, la cama es muy cómoda y los desayunos recién horneados cada mañana, fueron espectaculares!!!! También las recomendaciones de restaurantes que nos hacía Carlos cada mañana, hicieron que el viaje aún resultara más especial!! También queremos dejar constancia de la amabilidad de César, al ayudar a nuestros amigos a enviarme un regalo sorpresa al B&B por mi 40 cumpleaños, durante los días que estuvimos allí alojados, nuestros amigos desde Mallorca también te dan las gracias a través de estos comentarios! Carlos, César volvimos hace 1 semana de NY y ya tenemos ganas de volver y estar en vuestro B&B de nuevo!! Miquel y Celia desde Mallorca (Spain).
5 on March 04, 2013
Carlos and Caesar were outstanding guests! My father and I stayed at their place for 3 nights. They were very accomodating and very nice with both of us. Breakfast was a dream! I'd recommend Carlos&Caesar's place to anyone! Enjoy!
5 on December 24, 2012
My daughter and I were lucky enough to stay here for a few days during Thanksgiving. Advantages: 1. Room as nice or nicer than any uptown hotel. 2. Significantly less expensive. 3. Friendly, adorable hosts. 4. Easy subway access to anything. 5. Breakfasts to die for. Disadvantages: None. The little book left in the room for guests to write comments makes for interesting reading. Carlos and Cesar have had guests from everywhere in the world, and not one has left anything but the most glowing reviews. Plus, I stupidly left my camera there when we went home and they notified me that same night and took the camera to a nearby UPS where I was able to arrange for it to be mailed back to me. Would not consider staying anywhere else on our future trips to NYC. These guys made a wonderful trip MORE than wonderful.
John F. Kennedy Airport, Newark International Airport, La Guardia Airport, Airport, City
New York, NY (NYC-All Airports)
Instructions Upon Request.
Art Galleries, Concert venue, Gourmet/Fine Dining, Movie Theater, Museum, Nature area, Apollo Theatre, Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, 42nd Street/Times Square, Broadway Shows, Outlet Stores, Performing Theater, Picnic area, Religious Services, Zoo
Private Home Bed and Breakfast
Board games, TV Video games, Washer/dryer , Near 2,3,6, B, & C Trains, Near Crosstown Bus 116, 101, 102, 103, Other Buses: M1,M7,M98, Quiet, Private Bedroom with Memory foam matress, Private Bathroom, King Sized bed or Two Twin beds available
Air conditioning, Bath robes, Coffee/Tea facilities, DVD Player, Desk, Fridge, Hairdryer, Internet Service, Ironing Board, Satellite/Cable TV, TV, VCR, Videos, Wi-Fi, Wired internet
Near Central Park (Activities include:, Volleyball, Tennis, Running, Walking Tours), Additional info. @.centralpark, Central Park Zoo, 5th Avenue Mile Museums, New York Sports Club (Gym).
English, Spanish
, Open Upon Request, Owner is a Chef
Open Upon Request


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We will Be holding the Saturday Foundations Session this Saturday, 11am-1pm. Please come if you have signed up for Foundations.
We will be holding only the Noon, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, and 7pm classes today.
CrossFit Kids will now be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next two months from 10am-11am starting today.
Partner WOD today!
Strict Press 3/3/2/2/2 (Start at 80% of your 1RM)
In Teams of two:
20 Power snatches (95#/95#)
25 Push-ups
20 Toes-to-bar
200m run
-AMRAP in 13 min-
Partners will split the reps up however they'd like, but both partners will run together. You can NOT start your next round until both partners have finished the run. One partner works at a time while the other partner holds a plank position. Partners can not be working on the reps unless the other partner is in the plank position.
Add 10 reps to each movement if in a group of three. Same rules except you can have two people working on the reps while one person is in the plank position or vice-versa.
Upcoming events at CFMG:
Kettlebell Lifting for Fitness (July 28-29)
31 Heroes WOD (Aug. 4th)
Running Seminar w/ CF Endurance Co-Founder Doug Katona (Aug. 11)
The 2012 Left Coast Invitational (Aug. 18-19)

subset: commoncrawl


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Originally written on NFL Trade Rumors | Last updated 11/15/14
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Georgia inside linebacker Alec Ogletree was arrested on DUI charges last weekend. "Last weekend, my client Alec Ogletree was pulled over for speeding and a lane violation in Arizona," said Ogletree's agent Pat Dye, Jr. "After the officers smelled alcohol, they conducted tests and also cited him for DUI. Although Alec regrets this incident terribly, he is thankful that there was no accident and that no one was hurt. Because this matter is still pending, we cannot comment further publicly at this time." The news of Ogletree's arrest comes a week before the annual NFL Scouting Combine, which will no doubt be a hot topic during the interview process at Indianapolis. Ogletree is widely considered to be a first-round talent, so this news figures to have negative impact on his overall draft stock. Ogletree has a history of red flags as he was suspended four games in 2012 for violating the Georgia's substance abuse policy after failing multiple drug tests. We had Ogletree going to the Steelers at No. 17 overall in recent 2013 NFL Mock Draft. The post Georgia ILB Alec Ogletree Arrested On DUI Charges Last Weekend appeared first on NFL Trade Rumors -.
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I heard today that the Emperor of Japan had sex with the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu.Crazy, right? How did this not make the news sooner?Apparently, the coital union has led to all sorts of trouble for the Japanese economy, not to mention the creation of a general, "atmosphere ruled by the powers of darkness."Ouch.And...confusing.Sun Goddesses typically are associated with the Sun, and the Sun gives off light. But somehow this goddess actually is responsible for darkness…I'm sorry. This i … [Read more...]
M. Macha NightMare: Bone Blossom Channels Spiderwoman | Season of the Witch
Guest post by M. Macha NightMare for our Season of the Witch series, recounting the stories of Witches.My late friend Bone Blossom had a huge loom in her living room upon which she wove all manner of wonderful cloth. For the direct action at Lawrence Livermore Labs, at which there was a large contingent of Reclaiming Witches and other Earth-loving Pagans -- I recall this as being at Brigit of 1982 -- she created an open weaving for demonstrators to interweave flowers and feathers, photographs … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Michael York responds to Peter Kreeft
Micheal York is a Pagan theologian, retired professor of Cultural Astronomy & Astrology at Bath Spa University, currently teaches at Cherry Hill Seminary, and author of Pagan Theology.Peter Kreeft is a Christian apologist, professor of philosophy at Boston College and King's College, and author of Christianity for Modern Pagans. .Near the beginning of the article on "The New Paganism,"[1] we hear that "Paganism is simply the natural gravity of the human spirit, the line of least resis … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Teo Bishop on Celebrating the Full Moon
Teo Bishop just joined Patheos! Be sure to check out his blog: Bishop In The Grove!The Moon went full on September 11th, 2011. The Moon was full, and Pagans gathered, and we celebrated the continuity of life, the rising and falling of the tides, the movement toward light, the realization of wholeness, and the slow, steady return to the darkness.Pagans celebrate. Pagans gather and make ourselves aware of the rhythms of the Earth, and the reliability of the heavens, and we do so in the … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Scott Schulz on Salem Witch Trials Rock Opera
If you live within pouncing distance of San Francisco, you should go to this musical next weekend. If you don't live around here, I strongly recommend watching the live stream here at 9:00pm Pacific Time on August 25, 26 or 27.Here's why:Abigail The Salem Witch Trials A Rock Opera is a balls-to-the-wall hard rock exploration of the roots of Christian theocracy in America. While last year's production was a somewhat muddled mess saddled with an awkward venue and abysmal sound system, this year … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Steve Provost asks Whose god is it anyway?
Need more proof that the traditional media's claims of "objectivity" are bogus? You need look no further than a single three-letter word: god.Current style in journalism goes something like this:Capitalize God or words that mean God in reference to the divine being of all monotheistic religions. Lowercase god, goddess and their plural forms when referring to the deities of polytheistic religions and cultural mythologies; but capitalize their proper names. See any bias there?I sure do. F … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Drew Jacob on Lúnasa with "The Family"
What are your plans for this Lúnasa? Hold a ritual? Make offerings? I'd like to suggest a different perspective on the holiday, and some ways to celebrate it that many Pagans may not be familiar with.For four years I've been a devotee of Lugh. I had felt a pull toward him for far longer, but also knew he's a demanding deity with high expectations of his followers. I waited until I was ready.When I first apprenticed myself to Lugh, I made a one-year contract starting May Day, the … [Read more...]
Michael York: Not All Gods Are Deities
Reprinted with permission from a Facebook group. Micheal York is a Pagan theologian and teaches at Cherry Hill Seminary.I want to talk about the gods. We probably all think of the gods differently, and some of us do not think of them at all and/or discount any existential propensity to them. For some of us they are symbols; for others they are real beings. I have currently some provocative students through my CHS module on the World's Religions. Several have expressed themselves as p … [Read more...]
Polytheism is Good for America (and so are Pagans)
No theology is perfect, but I believe polytheism, the belief in a multiplicity of the divine, is uniquely suited towards preparing the United States for its future. In his book "The Deities Are Many: A Polytheistic Theology," York University Professor Emeritus of Humanities Jordan Paper concludes that "polytheism at best is a very positive human experience and is never less than benign. We do not find the angst, let alone the doubts, that many experience with regard to their relationship with … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Drew Jacob "Temple Without a Song: a Report to the Community"
For seven years Temple of the River has been near to my heart. Most days, regardless of work or family obligations, I spent at least a little time thinking about or working for the Temple. As it grew, a lot of that time was spent working with students who stepped up to take over some of the work. It was never an easy project. But it was always worth it because we were building something that would help people.Temple of the River began as an experiment. It was founded in 2004 as the first … [Read more...]


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Colts downgrade Brown's status to questionable
The Indianapolis Colts say running back Donald Brown is questionable for Sunday's game against Miami.
He had been listed as probable most of this week after returning last weekend following in-season knee surgery, but team doctors found swelling in the knee Saturday.
Team officials now say Brown will be re-evaluated before Indy (4-3) turns in its list of inactive players 90 minutes before kickoff. If Brown does not play, rookie Vick Ballard would likely see the bulk of the action. Ballard has started Indy's last three games.
The Colts host Miami (4-3) in a matchup between teams that have surprised everyone by starting rookie quarterbacks and managing to spur talk of playoff hopes among their fans this season. Game time is 1 p.m.
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL
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NFL Insiders: Dolphins name Dennis Hickey new general manager
Carroll: Seahawks CB Richard Sherman sorry about postgame rant
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Falcons hire former Chiefs GM Pioli as assistant general manager


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Strategic Role and Contribution of Purchasing in Singapore: A Survey of CEOs.
The purchasing function is receiving increased attention as a key contributor to the strategic success of the firm. This study seeks to identify the strategic role of the purchasing function and the contributions that purchasing can make in an organization. A mail survey was conducted among CEOs based in Singapore to examine the relationship between corporate competitive strategy and purchasing objectives, as well as how purchasing affects business performance through its integration with other functions, its partnership with suppliers, and its involvement in team decisions. The data collected were factor analysed and the results suggest that purchasing objectives are affected by the firm's corporate competitive strategy. More important, purchasing can yield better business performance through greater integration with other functions, closer partnership with suppliers, and greater involvement in team decisionmaking.
Purchasing is a very traditional activity. Despite its long history, however, it is only in the past three or four decades that there has been widespread recognition of the importance of efficient purchasing. Previously, purchasing was generally regarded as a routine clerical function or as a service function concerned with spending (Lysons 1981). Since the mid-1970s, there has been a growing, albeit sporadic, interest in strategic approaches to the procurement process, with an emphasis on the scope for pro-activity. However, there has been little consideration of the contribution that may be made to the overall competitive effort of the organization (Rajagopal and Bernard 1993). Farmer (1978) found that multinational manufacturing companies show a growing awareness of the importance of the supply function as an element in corporate activity.
When the deep recession of the early 1980s began to grip industries, purchasers found themselves on the ascendancy. They tended to work closely with suppliers to improve schedule and quality reliability, to seek mutual benefits from more effective liaisons, and to guarantee supplies into the future (Bailey and Farmer 1986).
Recognizing the importance of the purchasing function in overall corporate performance, most progressive firms today are paying close attention to their purchasing functions and have attempted to improve the management of their supplier networks. Also, recent writings have begun to recognize the importance of purchasing in formulating corporate-level strategies (Watts, Kim, and Hahn 1992).
In terms of direct contribution, for some organizations, purchasing is important. In others, it is critical. For example, the average firm in the United States spends about 60 percent of sales on materials and equipment (Killen and Kamauff 1995). In contrast, the expenditure on wages, salaries, and fringe benefits amounts to only about one-third of the materials cost or 20 percent of sales.
The logical question to ask is, "With the growing importance of purchasing, how has the CEO's perception of the purchasing function changed?" More important, how will this perception shape purchasing-supplier partnerships as well as affect purchasing's role in team decisionmaking in organizations today? According to Johnston and Lawrence (1991), many industry observers attribute Ford's gains over General Motors in the 1980s to Ford's proactive moves to forge strategic partnerships with suppliers.
Overall, the cost and economic impact of purchasing are often underestimated. Purchases continue to exceed 55 to 60 percent of sales in many industries (Ansari and Modaress 1987; Anderson, Griffiths, and Laseter 1993; Leenders and Fearon 1993). Thus, the fundamental questions is, "How can the CEO'S perception of purchasing affect business performance?" Most firms try to increase profit by reducing labor costs and increasing sales, while at the same time overlooking a significant opportunity in the form of total supply chain management (Killen and Kamauff 1995). Research has shown that without access to world-class suppliers, a firm will find it Increasingly difficult to meet the demands of its sophisticated customers (Monczka and Trent 1992).
With growing emphasis on the purchasing function, it is especially essential and interesting to have a better understanding of its role in and contributions to the organization. As such, this study is timely. Specifically, this article seeks to:
1. Understand the CEO's perceptions and expectations of the purchasing function in Singapore.
2. Examine the relationship between the corporate competitive strategy and the CEO's perceptions and expectations of the purchasing function.
3. Examine the effects of purchasing-supplier relationships on business performance.
4. Study the effects of the purchasing function's involvement in team participation on business performance.
5. Study the effects of the purchasing function's integration with other functions on business performance.
A mail survey was sent to 800 CEOs of firms randomly selected from the mailing list of the Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management (SIPMM). Recipients of the questionnaire were requested to respond to questions designed to measure their perceptions and expectations of the purchasing function, general competitive strategies of the firm, purchasing-supplier relationships, purchasing's participation in team decision making, the purchasing function's integration with other functions, and business performance of the firm.
Ammer (1974) has already noted that top management views purchasing as having a passive role in the business organization. The 1973-74 oil crisis and other related raw materials shortages drew attention to the importance of purchasing. In spite of the crisis, top management and purchasing professionals did not react to improve the role of purchasing in corporate strategy (Farmer 1978). Porter (1975), in his seminal work on the forces that shape the competitive nature of industry, identifies buyers and suppliers as two of the five critical forces. Thus, the strategic importance of the supplier and the firm as a buying entity began receiving recognition in the mainstream strategy literature.
The 1980s were a period of shifting attitude with regard to purchasing's role in corporate strategy. While many authors noted the benefits of greater strategic involvement by the purchasing function, there was limited significant research until late into the decade (see, for example, Spekman 1981; Browning, Zabriskie, and HuellMantel 1983; Spekman 1985; Burt and Soukup 1985; Caddick and Dale 1987). During the early 1990s, the research focus appears to have shifted toward the integration of purchasing with other functions, and the means by which the purchasing function can work to become recognized as a significant contributor to the firm's success (e.g., Freeman and Cavinato 1990; Pearson and Gritzmacher 1990; John and Young 1991; Monczka 1992).
Kaiser (1976) posits that purchasing strategy is influenced by the type of buy and the supplier market. Another study by Jain and Laric (1979) indicates that purchasing is important to the achievement of the marketing strategy of the firm. Hahn, Kim, and Kim (1986) also present a conceptual framework to examine the effects of a purchasing strategy that encourages competition among suppliers. Later, Watts, Kim, and Hahn (1992) develop a conceptual framework for connecting purchasing to the firm's competitive strategy and to the strategies of other functions. These studies are, however, only conceptual in nature and have not been tested empirically.
Previous studies have also focused on specific areas of purchasing such as supplier partnerships (Stuart 1993) and empowering of the purchasing function (Giunipero and Vogt 1997). These studies exclude corporate competitive strategy as a factor that can affect the way purchasing forms partnerships with suppliers. Further, others like Rajagopal and Bernard (1993) outlined a framework to map the development of a competitive purchasing strategy, which, however, remains untested empirically.
A study on team participation by Ellram and Pearson (1993) also suggests a transition from individual purchasing responsibility to a team-based approach. However, the research does not examine the consequences of the team-based approach. To date, there is no research that examines the possible affect of the CEO's perceptions and expectations of the purchasing function on supplier partnerships and team participation. Also, Stuart (1993) has established a model for supplier partnerships and tested it empirically using a questionnaire, which was distributed to a broad-based sample of industries. He confirmed the empirical test of his model exclusively to supplier partnerships. However, the model does not address how corporate competitive strategy can influence the purchasing philosophy and committed resources.
A review by Ellram and Carr (1994) revealed that much of the research completed in purchasing is either conceptual in nature or is based on a small number of case studies. While some studies have based their findings on data gathered from a large number of firms, most do not report the use of statistical analysis to support the findings of the research.
In another study, Tan (1990) Looked at how the electronics industry in Singapore organizes its purchasing function. In this study, respondents were questioned on the goals and objectives of purchasing, and organizational and management issues such as centralization, the existence of a central purchasing authority, the use of computers, and the freedom to formulate departmental policy and run the department. Most purchasing managers (89 percent) feel that their top management recognized the importance of purchasing. The study also reports that firm size does not seem important to top management's recognition of purchasing. However, it did not examine the possible effects of corporate competitive strategy on purchasing and how purchasing can affect business performance. Wang (1997) examined purchasing trends among manufacturing firms in Singapore and how using JIT can affect the changes that are taking place in purchasing departments. Her study, however, overlooks the effects that purchasing may have on business performance.
Thus far, there is no recorded empirical research on the effect of corporate competitive strategies on purchasing. To establish the purchasing function's role in strategy, a major study of purchasing's role and participation in corporate strategy is needed (Ellram and Carr 1994).
This study seeks to address some purchasing research gaps mentioned earlier. A framework that incorporates the CEO's perceptions of the importance of purchasing, purchasing's integration with other functions, the purchasing-supplier partnership, the role of purchasing in team decisions, and the contribution of purchasing to business performance is developed. The conceptual framework is shown in Figure 1.
Corporate Competitive Strategy
Porter (1980) proposed the first generic strategy to be cost leadership. This strategy requires aggressive construction of efficient-scale facilities, a vigorous pursuit of cost reduction from experience, tight cost and overhead control, and cost minimization. Its cost position gives the firm a defence against rivalry from competitors. Achieving a low overall cost position often requires a high relative market share.
The second generic strategy is to differentiate the product or service offering, creating something that is perceived industry-wide as unique. Approaches to differentiation can take the form of product design, brand image, product features, customer service, dealer network, or other dimensions. Product innovation is deemed extremely important. However, this strategy may not allow the firm to ignore costs, though it is not the primary strategic target. Differentiation provides insulation against competitive rivalry because of brand loyalty by customers and resulting lower sensitivity to price. Further, Porter argues that achieving differentiation may sometimes preclude gaining a high market share. It often requires a perception of exclusivity, which is incompatible with high market share (Porter 1980).
These two competitive strategies present the most important dimension of Porter's model, namely, the basis of competition for firms is either its uniqueness (differentiation strategy) or its low-cost leadership.
Purchasing Objectives
A commonly used definition of procurement objectives is to purchase the right quality of material, at the right time in the right quantity from the right source, at the right price (Lysons 1981; Bailey and Farmer 1986; Warts, Kim, and Hahn 1992; Killen and Kamauff 1995). But what is right? According to Killen and Kamauff (1995), some primary objectives of the purchasing function include buying at the lowest price ensuring the required quality and service, maintaining the specified material quality level, and maintaining good supplier relationships. Two contrasting purchasing strategies related to supplies appear to focus on cost and quality. In the former, the main concern would be price while in the latter, the main concern would be attributes of the product purchased, which would include the product's physical characteristics, features, functions, technology, and performance capabilities.
One would logically expect that the purchasing department and top management set the purchasing objectives. As such, purchasing objectives will dovetail with the corporate strategy of the organization. In short, purchasing objectives need to be congruent with organizational values and goals (Killen and Kamauff 1995). It then follows that the definition of right in a purchasing strategy must be consistent with the other functional area goals and objectives, and in turn be consistent with corporate competitive goals and objectives (Watts, Kim, and Hahn 1992). If purchasing objectives are not in line with corporate competitive strategy, this may result in a conflict in the goals of the firm and of the purchasing function. With an overall cost leadership strategy requiring tight cost control, one can also expect the purchasing function to emphasize cost minimization. Hence, the first hypothesis is as follows:
H1a: The more an organization emphasizes cost leadership in its competitive strategy, the more cost-focused are the purchasing objectives.
H1b: The more an organization emphasizes differentiation in its competitive strategy, the more quality-focused are the purchasing objectives.
Again, based on Porter's (1980) argument that differentiation and cost competitive strategies are not complementary additional hypotheses are as follows:
H1c: The more an organization emphasizes cost leadership in its competitive strategy, the less quality-focused are the purchasing objectives.
Hid: The more an organization emphasizes differentiation in its competitive strategy, the less cost-focused are the purchasing objectives.
CEO's Perception of Importance of Purchasing
Within a particular undertaking, purchasing may be accorded a relatively high or low status. The CEO regards the status of the purchasing function as important if there is equality of standing between purchasing and other departments. Purchasing will be consulted in areas other than the price, quality, and availability of materials, for instance, in strategy formulation and market planning. The purchasing function can also be involved in framing corporate policy (Lysons 1981). Any function will be deemed very important If it contributes to the overall success of the organization and is able to increase organizational profits effectively.
Many organizations claim that their purchasing function is equally important as other functions. However, the actual degree of importance as perceived by the CEO can be evaluated by examining the extent of the purchasing function's involvement in strategic planning. With an intense participation in strategic planning, purchasing can no longer be considered as just a "clerical function."
Purchasing-Supplier Partnership
An organization's success depends somewhat on a successful relationship with its external suppliers. It is one of purchasing's main jobs to cultivate these relationships and to ensure they continue to be successful (Killen and Kamauff 1995). Traditionally, firms have used some form of bidding process for selecting suppliers. Under such a system, a supplier is selected through competitive bidding, often on the basis of the lowest bid price. Some authors have suggested that the philosophical underpinnings of the competitive bidding approach to supplier selection can lead to higher total cost in the long run (Hahn, Kim, and Kim 1986).
According to Stuart (1993), short-term contracts, evaluation by bid, and numerous suppliers characterize the traditional adversarial relationship between purchasers and suppliers, with an emphasis on price. Partnerships and strategic alliances between purchasers and suppliers are gradually replacing these adversarial relationships (Gentry 1993). Supplier partnering, or strategic alliancing, establishes and maintains an ongoing relationship between the two partners. For it to work, it requires information sharing, joint problem-solving activities, and mutual dependency (Womack, Jones, and Roos 1990). Stuart (1993) states that such a partnering arrangement involves a thorough review of potential suppliers by the buying team and is hence time-consuming and expensive. Longer-term contracts, multiple criteria in supplier selection, and fewer selected suppliers characterize the supplier partnership. Such partnerships require extensive time and effort and imply higher costs on the part of the purchasing unit. As such, only those firms which place significant importance on the purchasing function would be likely to foster the formation of such strategic alliances. Thus, it is hypothesized that:
H2: The more important purchasing is perceived to be by the CEO, the greater the extent of the purchasing-supplier partnership.
Role of Purchasing in Team Decisions
Purchasing is a critical link in the entire value-added process, having both internal and external customers (Giunipero and Vogt 1997). Today, the team concept is becoming increasingly important in managing a business (Scholtes 1988; Ellram 1990; Ellram 1991; Bartlett and Ghosal 1990). Multidisciplinary teams are essential to success in a volatile business environment (Murphy and Heberling 1996). A team includes the use of a committee, task force, or group of people from a variety of functional areas to achieve a common goal (Ellram and Pearson 1993). Issues, which have broad and strategic implications, are increasingly decided at team level. With the workings of a team, purchasing personnel may also have an opportunity to participate in decisions previously closed to them. Thus, the team approach represents an excellent opportunity to increase the purchasing function's influence in decisionmaking, as well as its strategic participation and visibility to others in the firm (Ellram and Pearson 1993). Murphy and Heberling (1996) state that the integrated product team must have the support of top management to achieve real success. They propose that teaming and empowerment can bring about both opportunity and risk. Teaming provides an opportunity for any functional discipline to show that it can add value to the process. However, the reaction of purchasing professionals to these new management philosophies is not clear. They can either watch teaming from the sidelines or support it enthusiastically and productively.
Since the team approach would involve the purchasing function in more strategic decisionmaking, the CEO must perceive the purchasing function to be of significant importance before involving it extensively in team projects. However, if purchasing were not perceived to have an important role, it would be excluded from most team projects and would not be asked to contribute to team decisions. As such, it is postulated that:
H3: The more important purchasing is perceived to be by the CEO, the greater the extent of the purchasing function's involvement in team decisionmaking.
Purchasing Function's Integration with Other Functions
According to Rajagopal and Bernard (1993), organizations exercise the best control over the cost of purchased goods and services only when synergy exists between departments. Integrating purchasing with other functions implies the contribution or the adding of value to other functions, such as engineering and marketing. To Lysons (1981), purchasing has a low status in the organization when purchasers tend to do what they are told. Thus, if the purchasing function is deemed unimportant, it would most likely be told to purchase whatever other departments need. It would not be asked to contribute to the other departments. Thus, it is logical to postulate that the more important the CEO perceives the purchasing function, the more likely it is to contribute to other functions. Thus, the next hypothesis is as follows:
H4: The more important purchasing is perceived to be by the CEO, the greater the extent of purchasing's integration with other functions.
Business Performance
Organizations are concerned with profitability in their business ventures. Issues like profitability, sales volume, customer retention, and competitiveness affect the bottomline. A detailed study of Japanese success in industrial competitiveness reveals that at least some portion of that success is due to the supplier relationship (Womack, Jones, and Roos 1990). An ongoing relationship encourages suppliers to develop a better understanding of customer needs and quality requirements. This typically results in reduced variability in output quality and rejected products and higher quality inputs into a purchasing firm's operations (Trevelen 1987). Good buyer-seller relationships facilitate the organization's efforts in managing superior performance (Rajagopal and Bernard 1993). As such, good purchasing-supplier partnerships can be posited to improve business performance. Thus, the next hypothesis is as follows:
H5a: The greater the extent of the purchasing-supplier partnership, the better the business performance of the organization.
Researchers have postulated that, given access to information on the firm's strategy and involvement in key decisionmaking issues within the firm, the purchasing function can be an important contributor to the overall strategic success of the firm (Landeros, Reck, and Plank 1995). The concept of supporting team involvement maintains that improved interfunctional cooperation and understanding can improve the commitment to and quality and speed of decisionmaking. Therefore, the next hypothesis is as follows:
H5b: The greater the extent of purchasing's involvement in team decisionmaking, the better the business performance of the organization.
Few firms today can allow purchasing or any other functional management area to operate in isolation. The increasing complexity of most business operations requires the expanded use of cross-functional teams of various specialists in a highly analytical decisionmaking process. As such, the integration of purchasing with all other functions is also key in determining business performance. Therefore, it is hypothesized that:
H5c: The greater the extent of purchasing's integration with other functions, the better the business performance of the organization.
The 10 hypotheses represent relationships highlighted in the conceptual framework found in Figure 1. They postulate the relationships between competitive strategy, purchasing objectives, and purchasing importance as viewed by the CEO. The relationships between the purchasing function's integration with other functions, its involvement in team decisions, purchasing-supplier partnership, and business performance are also discussed.
Data were collected through a mail survey. The sampling frame used in this study consisted of 800 CEOs from the SIPMM mailing list. Those in the manufacturing industry include firms dealing with electronics, computers, plastics, semiconductors, printing, and construction materials. Firms from the service industry include hospitals, hotels, and restaurants. The CEO was chosen as the target respondent because the survey questions addressed the CEO's perceptions and expectations of the purchasing function, the overall performance of the organization, and the corporate competitive strategy. Using such broad-based questions meant that only the CEO or top management executives would be able to answer them accurately. Even though the CEO may not know the purchasing function in detail, he or she was the best person to direct the relevant individual in the organization to provide the information.
The multiple indicators of each construct in the study were gathered from a variety of sources. Some of the measures used were well established, some were modifications of existing measures, and others were developed from scratch using descriptive studies mentioned in the literature as a guide.
The operationalization of the "Corporate Competitive Strategy" construct involved the development of measures from descriptive studies in corporate competitive strategy. The main source is Porter's (1980) study. Purchasing objectives were measured based on cost or quality as the main focus of the objectives. These measures were adapted from Killen and Kamauff's (1995) study. Lysons' (1981) measures, "CEO's Perception of the Importance of Purchasing", were also adapted to operationalize the construct.
The measures for "Purchasing Function's Integration with Other Functions" were based on Rajagopal and Bernard's (1993) work. As the integration of purchasing with other functions generally means contributing or adding value to other functions, scales were developed to measure the extent to which the purchasing function adds value to the other functions.
The scales used to measure "Purchasing-Supplier Partnership" were developed after reviewing Stuart's (1993) research on supplier partnership, Gentry's (1993) study on strategic alliances in purchasing, and a study on maintaining buyer-supplier partnerships by Landeros, Reck, and Plank (1995).
Six-item scales for measuring "Purchasing Function's Involvement in Team Decisions" were developed based on the work of Giunipero and Vogt (1997) and research on the role of the purchasing function toward team participation by Ellram and Pearson (1993).
Subjective measures were used to measure "Business Performance." There are two reasons why subjective measures were chosen. First, subjective measures of performance are commonly used in research on private companies and on business units of large companies. Previous studies have found a strong correlation between subjective assessments and their objective counterparts (Narver and Slater 1990). Second, some respondents may not know or are unwilling to divulge certain information on the actual performance of their firms. They may, therefore, feel less threatened in answering questions that use subjective measures. Consequently, this may also increase the proportion of fully answered questionnaires among those returned. The subjective measures used here were adapted from Jaworski and Kohli (1992).
Questionnaire Design and Pre-Test
For consistency and easy completion, most of the scales used in this study are standardized 5-point and 7-point Likert scales. To reduce response bias, the measures for various constructs were mixed randomly and some of the questions were reversed scored.
The questionnaire was pre-tested on 10 key management personnel from 10 different organizations. The pre-test was used to assess issues such as face validity, statement clarity and precision, response format, sensitivity of questions, and questionnaire layout and length. The questionnaire was refined based on the respondents' comments. Certain commercially sensitive questions were rephrased to add clarity and certain questions (for example, sales volume) were taken out because they were deemed sensitive and would thus lower the response rate.
Field Procedure and Response
A letter explaining the nature and purpose of the research as well as a copy of the questionnaire was sent to the firms. To encourage quick and easy response, respondents were also allowed to fax their responses to the SIPMM, or return them via regular mail.
Of the 800 questionnaires sent, 65 were returned due to a change in address of the designated firms and other reasons. Thus, only 735 firms received the survey questionnaire, of which 89 companies replied. This yields a response rate of 12.1 percent. Discarding all incomplete and inconsistent responses, the final number of usable questionnaires was 71. A telephone check was made to determine the reasons for non-response. The lack of time, shortage of human resources, and sensitivity of certain questions were cited as reasons for nonparticipation.
The responding firms come from a wide range of industries, including electronic, computer parts, plastics, semiconductors, engineering, printing, restaurants, and the hospitality sector. This sample is appropriate for measuring the role and contributions of the purchasing function in Singapore firms in general. Also, the responding companies consisted of both small and large firms (66 percent were small and medium-sized firms with fixed assets of less than $15 million), as well as locally owned and foreign-owned firms (40.9 percent were locally owned firms). Table I presents the characteristics of the responding firms.
The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-X) was employed for the data analysis. As most of the data were collected using Likert scales, and tabulation was straightforward, missing data were not a problem as all incomplete returns had been removed.
Exploratory Factor Analysis
A factor analysis was performed for all the scale items to explore the underlying factors of the measures used. The results revealed that the underlying factors for the measures were, in most instances, consistent with the proposed constructs (see Table II). A factor loading of at least 0.30 was used as a guideline to determine whether a variable was part of a factor (Nunnally 1978). For measures with loading less than 0.30, the items were examined carefully to assess if the questions or statements used really tapped the constructs. Where there were doubts regarding the face validity of the measures, the items were dropped from further analysis.
The Cronback alpha values for the constructs used in this study are also shown in Table II.
Means and Standard Deviations
The overall means and standard deviations of the constructs are shown in Tables III and IV. The two extreme means are 5.9190 for "Strategy -- Cost" and 6.2911 for "Strategy -- Differentiation". The smallest standard deviation in this study is 0.3605 for "Importance in Purchasing". This, however, is not small considering that four of the items in this construct are based on 3-point scales. Table III reveals that the degree of purchasing-supplier partnerships for Singapore-based firms is relatively high. Also, purchasing has an active role in team decisions. The purchasing function is, however, viewed as relatively unimportant and it has poor integration with other functions.
Table IV shows that purchasing participates actively in the buying of raw materials, vendor assessment and selection, contract negotiation and administration, and international sourcing. These are the traditional activities performed by the purchasing function. The purchasing function seems to be relatively uninvolved in the purchase of accounting systems, information systems, services, and rental of buildings.
Chi-Square Test
Chi-square tests were also performed to determine if differences exist among some variables, such as the importance of purchasing as perceived by the CEOs, the purchasing function's integration with other functions, the purchasing-supplier partnership, and the purchasing function's involvement in team decisions, across Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) versus non-SMEs, and across locally owned firms versus foreign-owned firms.
The test results presented in Table V reveal that non-SMEs regard the purchasing function as more important than SMEs ([x.sup.2] = 4.78898, p = 0.05). This differs from Tan's (1990) study on the electronics industry where it was reported that top management commitment to the purchasing function was independent of firm size.
Pearson Correlation Analysis
The hypotheses were tested using the Pearson's Correlation test. The correlation coefficient matrix is shown in Table VI. The significant findings are reported below.
First, it was found that a firm that emphasizes cost leadership for its competitive strategy tends to have more cost-focused purchasing objectives, supporting H1a (r = 0.51, p [less than]0.01). Second, the more an organization emphasis differentiation in its competitive strategy, the more quality-focused are the purchasing objectives, supporting H1b (r = 0.28, p [less than]0.05). This supports Watts et al.'s (1992) proposal that functional goals must be congruent with corporate goals and objectives. Killen and Kamauff (1995) also maintain that purchasing objectives must be congruent with organizational goals and values.
There is a positive and significant (r = 0.32, p[less than]0.01) correlation between Strategy-Cost Leadership and Objectives-Quality, and as such, H1c is not supported. Thus, It appears that when firms use cost-leadership as a corporate strategy, they may have the purchasing function focus on quality as the purchasing objective as well. This may not prove to be productive as the purchasing function may not be synchronized with corporate strategy. There is also a positive and significant (r 0.46, p [less than]0.01) correlation between Strategy-Differentiation and Objectives-Cost. As such, H1d is not supported. It appears that when firms use differentiation as a corporate strategy, they may have the purchasing function focus on cost as the purchasing objective as well. Again, this may not be productive and may reflect differences between purchasing and top management.
Third, a significant relationship was found between the importance of purchasing and the extent of the purchasing-supplier partnership, supporting H2 (r = 0.33, p [less than]0.01). Fourth, there is no significant relationship between the importance of purchasing and purchasing's involvement in team decisionmaking; H3 is not supported. It, thus, appears that even when the purchasing function is considered important, it may not necessarily be included in team decisions. Fifth, there is no significant relationship between the importance of purchasing and purchasing's integration with other functions, thus H4 is not supported. This suggests that even when the purchasing function is considered important, it may not necessarily be properly integrated with the other functions.
Sixth, the extent of the purchasing-supplier partnership was found to improve business performance, thus supporting H5a (r = 0.28, p [less than] 0.05). This is consistent with Stuart's (1993) findings that supplier partnerships can affect the competitive advantage, growth, long-term profitability, customer retention, and sales of the firm, and with Rajagopal and Bernard's (1993) proposal that good buyer-seller relationships facilitate superior business performance.
Seventh, it was found that the extent of the purchasing function's involvement in team decisionmaking led positively to better business performance for the firm, supporting H5b (r = 0.28, p [less than] 0.05). Finally, the test results show that the extent of the purchasing function's integration with other functions is positively correlated with better business performance, supporting H5c (r = 0.28, p [less than] 0.05).
It is interesting to note that the three constructs -- purchasing's involvement in team decisions, purchasing's integration with other functions, and the purchasing-supplier partnership -- are highly correlated with one another (see Tables II and VI). This suggests that when a firm is able to integrate purchasing with other functions, it also involves purchasing in team decisions and engages in purchasing-supplier partnerships. The high correlation (r = 0.54, p [less than] 0.01) between team decisions and the purchasing-supplier partnership suggests that when a firm chooses to form partnerships with suppliers, purchasing then becomes a necessary participant in team decisions since it is in the best position to facilitate the partnership.
Practical Implications for General Managers
The results show that pursuing close knit supplier partnerships, involving purchasing extensively in team decisionmaking, and encouraging the purchasing function's integration with other corporate functions can lead to improved business performance.
As the extent of supplier partnership is affected by the CEO's perceptions of the importance of purchasing, general managers should discard the notion that purchasing is just another clerical function. With the trend toward global sourcing, coupled with rapid changes in technology and increased competition, it is vital that the purchasing function be viewed as a strategic function and as a contributor to the strategic planning process. It is, therefore, essential for top management to provide support and commitment to the purchasing function. This means viewing purchasing strategy as part of the corporate strategy.
Since supplier partnerships can improve business performance, it is important that the firm employ purchasing professionals whose attitudes match appropriately the form of supplier relationship it wishes to develop over the long term. Managing supplier partnerships requires a high level of analytical skills, problem-solving skills, creativity, and knowledge of the supplier's production and distribution processes. Suppliers play a critical role too. Firms should actively select only suppliers who are capable of, and willing to maintain mutually beneficial relationships.
The purchasing function's involvement in team decisions is shown to lead to improved business performance. The purchasing function should thus be asked to contribute to team projects whenever possible. The performance criteria should be team oriented, so that performance appraisal and compensation systems reward team results and not departmental results. Key supplier and customer representatives should also be included as full members of any team to which they can make significant productive contributions. This can further improve the team's performance.
The integration of purchasing with other functions is also essential. Top managers must constantly foster this integration by having more cross-functional meetings or, perhaps, job rotation to promote a better understanding of the conflicting objectives of different departments and of the potential contributions one department or function can make to the others.
This study has also revealed that smaller firms tend to regard the purchasing function as being relatively less important compared to larger firms. Since the purchasing function can contribute to business performance regardless of firm size, the relevant government agencies should educate top managers on the importance of the purchasing function to improved corporate performance.
Practical Implications for Purchasing Managers
Various aspects of the purchasing operation have been shown to lead to better corporate performance. Purchasing managers should derive greater confidence and assert their influence in the corporate strategic planning and implementation process. They should also seek to improve their abilities to participate in team decisionmaking and in integrating with other functions of the firm. They should strive to contribute to the success of corporate competitive strategy by pursuing internally consistent objectives, that is, focusing on cost in purchasing objectives when the firm is pursuing cost-leadership in the market and focusing on quality in purchasing objectives when the firm seeks to achieve differentiation in the market.
Purchasing managers should also view the role of suppliers in the right light. Suppliers should not be viewed as adversaries, but as pivotal partners in a demand value chain. Purchasing managers must, therefore, develop good negotiation skills to work closely with suppliers.
Purchasing needs to evolve and grow in strategic posture within the firm. This evolution requires the purchasing function to develop new skills and be recognized by top management as a key contributor to corporate strategy. As with almost all other business functions today, integrating purchasing with other corporate functions and integrating purchasing into strategic management is necessary for superior business performance into the next millennium. A prerequisite would be to change the attitude of purchasing managers and top management. It is imperative for firms to realize that purchasing must be proactive and operate at a strategic level to achieve and maintain sustainable competitive advantage into the next millennium. Changing the view of management in this regard, however, has been a slow process. It is hoped that this piece of empirical research can help to redefine and reinvent the various dimensions of purchasing needed to achieve corporate success.
Mark Goh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences at The National University of Singapore. Dr. Goh earned his Ph.D. degree from the University of Adelaide in Australia. His research interests include logistics strategy and supply chain management.
Geok Theng Lau is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Marketing at The National University of Singapore. Dr. Lau earned his Ph.D. degree from the of Western Ontario. His research interests include purchasing management and buyer/seller relationships.
Lillian Neo is a Marketing Executive for Tianpo Jewelry of Singapore. Ms. Neo earned her BBA degree from The National University of Singapore.
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PROFILE OF RESPONDING COMPANIES Frequency Percentage Ownership Locally owned 29 40.85 Foreign owned 42 59.15 Firm Size SMEs 24 33.80 Non-SMEs 47 66.20 Number of Employees Less than 100 employees 21 29.58 100 to 600 employees 35 49.30 More than 600 employees 15 21.12 FACTOR ANALYSIS RESULTS Factor variable (Percentage of Factor Cronbach's variance explained) Score alpha Competitive strategy -- Cost (6.66%) 0.7813 Cost leadership 0.789 Customer savings 0.742 Large market share 0.710 Efficiency in production 0.572 Competitive strategy -- Differentiation (4.05%) 0.7180 Product innovation/uniqueness 0.773 Product/service quality 0.630 Purchasing objectives -- Cost (3.41%) 0.7078 Ensure available supply of materials 0.810 Contain material costs 0.794 Purchasing objectives -- Quality (8.37%) 0.8184 Important to internal customer satisfaction 0.748 Important to external customer satisfaction 0.743 Important to improve/maintain material quality 0.730 Develop good supplier partnership to maintain quality 0.696 Affects bottomline 0.544 CEO's perception of importance of purchasing (3.00%) 0.6748 Instrumental in competitive strategy formulation 0.792 Critical in reducing prices for firm 0.639 Affects operations of firm 0.609 Purchasing's integration with other functions (10.11%) 0.8483 Legal 0.870 Research and development 0.822 Advertising/Marketing 0.788 Engineering 0.727 Accounting/Finance 0.529 Purchasing-supplier partnership (6.16%) 0.7757 Evaluate supplier extensively before partnership 0.741 Work closely with supplier to increase profits 0.712 Has large influence on supplier's systems 0.679 Engages in joint problem solving with supplier 0.649 Involvement of purchasing in team decisions (26.44%) 0.8498 Develop procurement strategy in matrix teams 0.794 Integrate information well with other functions 0.719 Always asked to contribute to teams 0.692 Always included in cross-functional project teams 0.678 Usually helps to make important team decisions 0.565 Thoroughly involved in all organizational teams 0.536 Business performance (4.61%) 0.8757 Able to perform well relative to industry leader 0.912 Reports superior overall performance 0.878 Maintains good long-term profitability 0.820 MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS OF VARIABLES Variable Mean Standard Deviation Strategy - Differentiation 6.2911 0.8046 Stragey - Cost 5.9190 0.9541 Supplier Partnership 5.7254 0.8775 Business Performance 5.5049 0.7889 Involvement in Team Decisions 5.0094 1.1187 Objectives - Cost [1] 4.3662 0.7744 Objectives - Quality [1] 4.0563 0.7490 Importance of Purchasing [2] 2.4356 0.3605 Integration with other Functions [3] 2.4696 0.9886 Notes: (1.)Variables are measured on 5-point scale. Larger numbers indicate greater importance. (2.)Construct is measured by 14 items, 10 of which are based on 3-point scales while the other 4 are based on 5-point scales. Larger numbers indicate greater importance. (3.)Construct is measured on 5-point scale. Larger numbers signify greater integration of purchasing with other functions. MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS FOR PURCHASING'S PARTICIPATION IN DIFFERENT DECISION AREAS Standard Decision Area Mean Deviation Vendor Selection 4.0000 0.9168 Vendor Assessment 3.9714 1.0764 Purchase Raw Materials 3.8857 1.6020 Contract Negotiation 3.7429 1.1879 Contract Administration 3.5714 1.3030 International Sourcing 3.5429 1.6033 Purchase Maintenance, Repair, Supplies 3.3714 1.2646 Appointment of Contractors 3.3714 1.2415 Purchase Transport and Freight 3.3429 1.5500 Total Quality Management 3.2429 1.2903 Purchase Capital Equipment 3.0000 1.2626 Purchase of Resale Items 2.1714 1.7108 Purchase of Information Systems 2.0571 1.4435 Purchase of Services 1.9857 1.2683 Purchase Rental of Building 1.6571 1.4831 Purchase of Accounting Systems 1.6286 1.3744 Note: All items are based on 5-point scales. CHI-SQUARE ANALYSIS View Purchasing As Row Important Not Important Total SMEs 7 18 24 63.6 29.5 33.8 Non-SMEs 4 43 47 36.4 70.5 66.2 Column 10 61 71 Total 14.08 85.92 100% CORRELATION MATRIX Strategy- Strategy- Objectives- Objectives- Cost Differentiation Cost Quality Model I Strategy-Cost 1.00 Strategy- Differentiation 0.65 [1] 1.00 Objectives-Cost 0.51 [1] 0.46 [1] 1.00 Objectives-Quality 0.32 [1] 0.28 [+] 0.27 [+] 1.00 (1.)p [less than] 0.01, (+.)p [less than] 0.05 Importance of Integration of Partnership Team Purchasing Purchasing with Supplier Decisions Model II Importance of Purchasing 1.00 Integration of Purchasing 0.20 1.00 Partnership with Supplier 0.33 [1] 0.30 [+] 1.00 Team Decisions 0.16 0.41 [1] 0.54 [1] 1.00 Business Performance 0.23 0.28 [+] 0.28 [+] 0.28 [+] Business Performance Model II Importance of Purchasing Integration of Purchasing Partnership with Supplier Team Decisions Business Performance 1 .00 (1.)p [less than] 0.01, (+.)p [less than] 0.05
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SimCity Developer Maxis Has Been Shut Down by EA
"Quick! During GDC while no one is looking!" -EA, probably.
This was not on the list of pre-selected disasters; I don't know how to deal with it.Read More
This was not on the list of pre-selected disasters; I don't know how to deal with it.Read More
Electronic Arts has done a terrible job with the launch of the newest SimCity, and things have just gotten worse since someone hacked the game to show that it can run offline, calling into question EA's claims that forcing players to be online in order to play is required for the game to run properly, and not just sneaky digital rights management.Read More
To state that the launch of the latest SimCity video game has gone poorly for Electronic Arts would be putting it kindly. Despite what they assure us were their best efforts, the PC game has been plagued with server issues from the moment it went live. They've been scrambling to correct this matter, and things seem to be smoothing out, but the majority of this past week was a hellish one for virtual cities everywhere. Well, EA knows they "done goofed," and they're going to offer a free game to everyone that's had to deal with their shenanigans.Read More


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Hi, everybody,
I have a fairly large and sprawling family tree. It is great for looking for new relations, new details, smart matches and Record matches. It is a Working tree.
But a lot of the people in it are too remote to be in my personal family tree.
So what I need is another tree, not connected to smart matches or anything like that. Like a book that has been proof read and revised and is ready for publication...
Ideas please, I am sure others are in the same situation. How do I start the new tree (can I select who I transfer to it or do I have to transfer the lot and delete all those I don't want in the final version?)
And technically how is best to do it? I am not very experienced with computers so what, basically, is the method; and what do I click on (!) to make it happen?
And then having started the new tree how do I transfer the desired new people and details as I acquire them in the working tree?
P.S. I would be delighted if MH could set this up for everyone; it's a concept that should be really popular. And it would open up their market; so far as I know no-one else offers anything like it. MH, please show this to your chief executive! G.
I have been working with family genealogy since early 1999 , and like you I have a large tree with many extended families.
I call it my speculative tree, actually it turns out to be a source tree. As I find and verify bloodlines, family members closely related to my core family then I transfer to my direct Maternal/Paternal tree. This one I will publish for the immediate family.
The source tree is public so everyone can take advantage of all my research, so it may help someone in their travels in the fog.
Never thought about incororpating something like that into a program. All I do is Just remove a direct line and work on it, then merge it back in. Requires a lot of back up to prevent contamination and corrupt data getting into the mix.
Happy Hunting,
ok it cant be that unusual that a person changes surname several times (due to several marriages, or just "for fun"). How can that be handled?
The best thing iould be if every person had several surnames fields, (with connected date and reason for change fields) but now I can only find "name as married" name as unmarried" (only for women for some strange reason, men changes their familynames quite often to their wifes here in sweden) and "earlier name".
But if someone have been married 2 (or more) times? Or been married and then later created a new family name? Can this be filed somehow?
I realise it might not have been as common in the older days, but when tracking current relatives it would be very useful, since all kinds of name changes are pretty normal nowadays (at least here in sweden and scandinavia)
A related question: In Sweden it is not that uncommon (nowadays) that a husband takes his wife's name in marriage. But the fields for birth name vs married name only shows up for women. Is there a way to fix this?
(I know there are more name-options in FTB, but I'd really like to be able to do this on the web as well)
Hello Malin,
Thank you for writing on our Forum.
On the Family Tree Builder:
1. Click on "Tools" on the to menu bar, and then click on "Options".
2. On the window that opens, on the left menu, select "Names".
3. In the middle of the window find the option "Show married names for males" and choose "Yes" on the front of it (see the screenshot below this reply).
Best regards,
Ok I would like to test that but I cant find those options.
Is it available in the web version or do I have to get the desktop program for this?
Dear Tomas,
Thank you for replying.
That option is available on the Family Tree Builder, which is our desktop software.
I think in tune with your cocept that the same applies for name variations.
One needs a "index name" becuse some family names are spelled many ways but they Doo come from the same root.
More needs to be explored on the NAMES issue and I support your concept.
I think you will find that you can have vary the default name for a male such that it CAN be varied as a marry name. it Does Exists 00 but I cant look right now. If you cant find it report back here and I WILL find it.
What I do covers the most common situation, one name change (in addition to the common one which is covered in the system, change of name by, usually, marriage.)
And I extend it to cover more changes...
So if (usually a lady) marries more than once, no matter why, I would record her under her Current Name, then note the previous name, the one before that (and maybe more...) and her maiden name.
Mary Smith (formerly Brown) (formerly Jones) [born Adamson].
Maybe the word 'born' is not there and maybe the last brackets are normal, I think they are, but you get the idea and it works fine.
There are not many with (apart from the birth name and the first marriage) more than one extra name, few with two and maybe one or two with three.
Do you mean that you write all those names in the surnamename field or are the names in brackets from some other fields?
I put the names in the surname field, thus (as I said):
Mary Smith (formerly Brown) (formerly Jones) [born Adamson].
Seems to work fine.
Hello. I started the tree in 2009 and only now it is getting a spin. I added a few admins so they can manage tree too like editing and adding new ppl but they are able only do pictures. Please check attached files. What should I do to make them able to edit? I understand it is given by default but not in my case. Thank you
Andrey from Anatoly account.
Ive seen where myheritage accepts tiff photos.. But so far ive not seen that work. just my jpeg show up.
does tiff only work under prem membership ? or is there a clitch Im missing?
Price Buhrman
I do have photoshop, gimp etc..
I had read in the FAQ that you could upload tiff's
Just seeing if info was correct, before I spent time converting.
my I suggest to consider
- to use tiff for storage of original images and if MH wil be the place for torage of orginal images.
- to use jpeg for MH ONLINE due to small file size, this will make file upload and review faster.
- due to big file siz of tiff you will have long sync FTB<>ONLINE and more free hard disc for backups storage.
I would use for MH jpeg, resized for HD or full HD.
Etter at jeg laget et familietre får jeg ikke søke om medlemsskap i andres sider. Det var ikke noe problem før. Jeg får opp et vindu som sier at jeg må oppgradere til Premium før jeg kan søke medlemsskap.
Jeg har kjøpt ett eller annet på MyHeritage via Itunes, pris kr. 159,- som jeg trodde var en måneds Premium. Fakturanummer er 162097954414. Det står Init. abonnement under type. Hva er det?
Ahoj vsem,
z nejakeho duvodu se mne nedari ted pridat zadnou fotku do profilu ostatnich lidi ve svem rodokmenu. Drive to slo bez problemu. Nevite nahodou, cim by to prosim mohlo byt?
Diky predem za pomoc


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OP Senior Member
Byron Center
Thanks Meter: 262
I have installed both AICP and C-ROM and I have not yet hit LTE even once. I pretty much always get 3G. My wife is sitting right next to me on her Galaxy S4 and is on LTE. Am I missing a setting? I've only had my G2 for a week so I'm new to some of the differences. I have had the Vibrant, S2 Skyrocket, and the S4 as my last 3 devices. Help! I miss my speed!
Sent from my LG-VS980 using xda app-developers app
Sent from my LG-VS980 using xda app-developers app


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This chic girl is crazy about fashion and shopping and she goes to the mall as often as she can to buy new items for her trendy wardrobe. As for many other trendy girls, shopping is such a pleasant and relaxing activity for her! Today is one of her special shopping days and she is going to spend a lot of time in her favorite fashion stores. When she goes shopping she likes to look really chic and trendy, to be admired by everyone for her beauty and style. Help her prepare for her shopping day!
New Games
Cheese Omelet
Farm Girl
Christmas Magic Santa
Strawberry Shortcake R
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Friendly Community
Among the Shadows is a Friends and Family style community, welcoming of all types of players. We realize that members many responsibilities outside of gaming. We want your membership here to be long and a fun experience.
Frequent Events
Most of our gaming divisions hosts a variety of events weekly. Our MMORPG divisions host dungeons and raids every week. Our RTS divisions host trainings, custom games, and tournament events. We use Ventrilo as our voice communication for events.
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Our community is member driven. Many of our established divisions are here because members stepped up to create them. This community is not about one person dictating the games of the community, it is about members making it what they want it to be.
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Visitor Center, Sedona
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Favorite thing:
You will soon realize that every view deck you will see in Sedona, it says that if you don't have passes you are not allowed to park there.
Accessing the Red Rock country, you needed to get Pass. It is required on national forest land in Sedona! Since Sedona is a high-impack recreation area, the national forest services required passes. This should be displayed in the windshield of the vehicle.
The revenue from the pass helps provide information, education and natural resource protection of the Red Rock Country.
Just make a mental note, however, that you can park on all the view decks to take pictures only. If you stop and linger around, meaning go for a walk, then you needed a pass.
Favorite thing:
Before entering the town, make sure to stop at the Sedona Information Center first. Don't go to the town, right away. This is a place to go to the bathroom and to get great maps and information. Also, when you buy postcards and other gifts here, you are helping Sedona.
First, you can get a lot of information by stopping at the Information Center. When you only have one day travelling in Sedona, this is the most prudent way to do. You can ask some travel guides and maps at the center. Also, there are important do's and don'ts that they will let you know while travelling in Sedona.
Ask for the travel guide and map of the Sedona town. It is free. The information is very crucial with us because it guided us how to manage our time and not missing checking out the beautiful red rock country!
Fondest memory: I love that we went there with my sister who just came to the United States from Japan. She was as excited as we were going to Sedona.
Favorite thing:
Sedona has four distinct seasons, and none of them are very extreme. If you do not enjoy heat, I would avoid Sedona in the months of June, July, and August because they have temperatures in the high 90s; however, the nights sink to the 50s and 60s.
Most people visit Sedona March through May and September through October. If you hate crowds, your best bet is to vist Sedona during its least crowded times which are the first two weeks of December and all of January. The only problem with that is that some of the lodges in Oak Creek Canyon close for the season.
You might want to call the Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Chambe of Commerce: (928)282-7722 or (800)288-7336. They are always happy to assist you concerning lodging and to send you a free information packet.
Fondest memory: We visited in early June and really had little problem, but I've been told that we were lucky.
It was unseasonably cool that year, and so we did not have to deal with any of the 90 degree weather.
The photos we took all look as though they were painted. Depending on the time of day and the lighting, the colors of the rocks vary in hue.
Favorite thing:
Before you try and see Sedona itself, stop by the Visitors Center. There you can get all the information you want on different tours, restaurants, sites, activities and more. You will find helpful people there that will help make the best out of your day. They will offer you maps and highlight were you really should visit. You don't want to leave and not have seen all the beautiful sites. There are signs everywhere pointing to as where the Visitor Centers are (there are two of them).
Visitors Centers at 331 Forest Road in Uptown Sedona or at the Tequa Plaza in the Village of Oak Creek. Visitor Center hours are:
Monday - Saturday, 8.30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday & Holidays 9:00 a.m. - 3 p.m. (closed Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year's)
For more information call 800-288-7336 or 928-282-7722 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Fondest memory: I will definitely miss the sunsets. It is the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. I miss sitting on the rocks and just gazing at the beauty. I miss the trails, and rocks you can climb to get a better view. The natural beauty. That's the most I miss. The natural beauty. I wish I could stay there forever. You will instantly fall in love with Sedona. Many, many beautiful things to encounter while you stay in Sedona.
Get an instant answer from local experts and frequent travelers
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Expert advice on carpet cleaning
Carpet Cleaning
courtesy of YorkCarpet.com
Related Articles
Removing Carpet Stains
Carpet Cleaning Solutions
Cheaper Carpet Cleaning
There are things that you can do to aid in keeping your carpet in good condition.
Do-it-Yourself Tips:
First, blot or scrape up the excess of any spill. Be sure to preset the removal method on an area of fabric or carpet that cannot be seen. Then proceed with the spot carpet cleaning outline below for individual stains.
Butter, Cooking Oil, Crayon, Hand Lotion, Mascara, Shoe Polish, Tar: Gently apply a commercial solvent and blot carefully to absorb all the spill. Then apply a mild detergent solution. Blot up excess again. Then wipe gently with a cloth soaked with water and blot dry.
Blood, Catsup, Chocolate, Mud, Egg, Ice Cream, Mayonnaise, Milk, Soy Sauce: Apply a mild detergent solution. Blot to absorb the excess. Apply a small amount of ammonia and blot again. Then repeat this time with a mild detergent and blot again. Wipe gently with cloth soaked with water and blot dry.
Beer, Berries, Candy, Coffee, Fruit Juices, Mixed Drinks, Soft Drinks, Wine: Apply a mild detergent solution. Blot to absorb the excess. Apply a small amount of vinegar and the detergent once again. Blot. Then wipe gently with a cloth soaked with water and blot dry. If none of the recommended steps work, you might wish to enlist the services of an expert. Be aware that do-it-yourself cleaning efforts might render the stain difficult for even an expert to remove.
Water Damage Cleaning:
- Remove as much water as possible by mopping or sweeping.
- Wipe furniture dry and block it up to allow the base to dry.
- Lift draperies off the carpet, loop through a coat hanger, and place the hanger on the drapery rod
- Remove wet area rugs or other loose floor coverings
- Open furniture drawers, closet doors, and luggage to enhance drying
- Move photos, paintings, and art objects to a safe, dry location
- Remove wet fabrics and dry them as soon as possible
- Remove damp books from shelves and spread them out to dry
- Do not use ordinary household vacuum to remove water
- Do not use electrical appliances while on wet carpet or wet floors
- Do not go into rooms with standing water if the electricity is still on
- Do not lift tacked down carpet without professional help. Lifting the carpet incorrectly could damage the backing
Article courtesy of YorkCarpet.com, a professional rug, carpet and upholstery cleaning in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Visit their website or call toll free 800.310.4640.
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Shop now and get Free Value Shipping on most orders over $49 to the contiguous 48 states, DC and to all U.S. Military APO/FPO/DPO addresses.
We want to ensure that making a return is as easy and hassle-free as possible! If for any reason you decide that your purchase just isn't for you, simply return the item within 30 days of receipt and we'll cover the cost of return shipping. Learn more about our Return Policy.
If any of the information does not apply, do not fill out the corresponding fields of the form. Please contact us if you need help understanding or entering your prescription. Prescription eyewear guide.
Segment Height and Pupil Distance (PD) are required and must be measured specifically for the frame you are ordering if you desire perfect fit for your prescription eyewear. Contact us if you have not had these measurements taken.
The Calligraphy Collections Baldacci SESC BALD00 Progressive Prescription Eyeglasses was fashioned to be the best way to always keep your vision happy, in good health and comfortable throughout the day. This pair of Progressive Eyeglasses from Calligraphy Collections is produced utilizing some of the best available components and design, to be able to supply you with a durable pair of progressive Rx eyeglasses which will do far more than rise up to the test of time. Calligraphy Collections has been on the list of the best names in the industry for a very long time, and the Calligraphy Collections Baldacci SESC BALD00 Progressive Prescription Eyeglasses is the direct end result of their determined commitment to making sure that you possess the right pair of glasses for the right situation. Within OpticsPlanet, we make it our individual obligation to be certain that you go away with the perfect pair of progressive Rx eye glasses for each of your personal requirements. For a great strategy to look fantastic whilst staying at the peak of trend, select the Calligraphy Collections Baldacci SESC BALD00 Progressive Prescription Eyeglasses.
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Bill Gaither Chamber Ensemble Music: 1 items found
Don Hustad Meets the Gaithers
Composed by Bill Gaither. Arranged by Donald Hustad. For Organ, Piano Duet. This edition: Complete. Collection. Sacred, General. Moderate. Organ & Piano Book. Published by Hope Publishing Company (HP.411)
Usually leaves our warehouse: Within 4 to 6 business days
Bill Gaither


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Metal Gear Solid FansHobbies & Interests group with 118 members, open to all members
This group is exactly what it says on the tin. You like MGS? Then this place is intended for you.
This is mah account... i don't really even know why i am doing this but ah i don't care this is my account all i do here on this account is to look at mods and comment i do nothing else ;_; now go away.... Games List:(that i play and are multi-player) (M)=Mod (B)=Beta Garry's Mod (Mostly) Counter-Strike: Source (Rarely) Day of Defeat: Source (Rarely) Left 4 Dead 2 (Often) Team Fortress 2 (Regularly) (M) CS promod Beta (Rarely) (M) Empires (Rarely) (M) Obsidian Conflict (Often) (M) Situation Outbreak (Rarely) (M) Synergy (Rarely) (M) Zombie Master (So-So) (M) Zombie Panic (So-So) (B) Star-Craft II (Often) War-craft III: Frozen Throne (So-So)
0 comments by liquid5nak3 on Apr 11th, 2010
I am in currently uploading a star-craft II video i may upload more but the problem is i suck the video i used is with a Very easy computer(since there aren't any other difficulties >.>). So ya... i have nothing else to say but here is the video i uploaded just in a you tube version.(moddb wont let me use the url to upload it and i have no clue why s dont ask me...)
This group is exactly what it says on the tin. You like MGS? Then this place is intended for you.


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Alien, Roger Corman - B-Movie legend Corman absolutely adored Dan O'Bannon and Ron Shusett's Alien script and thought that he would film the piece with an all-male cast. After Star Wars blew up though, studios were interested in any sci-fi screenplay they could get their hands on and Ridley Scott ultimately launched his career with his masterpiece.
Zoom Hover on Photo to Zoom


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About Schools in Jeffersonville, KY
Contact a Coldwell Banker® real estate agent to learn more about the schools and school districts in Jeffersonville, KY.FIND AN AGENT
Jeffersonville, Kentucky is located in Montgomery County. Nearby cities and towns include Camargo, Stanton, Clay City, Mount Sterling, Frenchburg, Owingsville, Salt Lick, Sharpsburg, North Middletown, Winchester, Farmers, Irvine, Ravenna, Ezel, Lakeview Heights, and Campton. Jeffersonville is a rural community with a population of 1,537. The median household income is $33,332. In Jeffersonville, 58% of residents are married, and families with children reside in 42% of the households. Half the population of Jeffersonville commutes 23 minutes or less to work, with 44% of residents holding white collar jobs and 56% residents holding blue collar jobs. The median age of homes in Jeffersonville, KY is 20 years, with 71% of those homes owned, 18% rented, and 11% not occupied. In the previous year, 13 Jeffersonville properties were sold. The median sale price of a home in Jeffersonville in the previous year was $69,985.
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text: Homosexuals and third gender people are seen walking on the streets making various groups in some major cities including Kathmandu, Dharan, and Pokhara, and they also adopted the sex trade as a means of their livelihood. Swastika Lama, a member of transgender group, said, firstly, the identity of transgender and homosexual people are not clear as such people are afraid of telling this in the family. Read the full story.


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Fun List: Family friendly - Hit the road for the Midnight Ramble
By Syd Kearney | October 23, 2013 | Updated: October 23, 2013 12:12pm
Photo By Roy Kasmir/PhotographerOnsequisi ex eu faciliquat laore modit estrud dolesectet, sum voloborer se diatio od magna core dio odoloreet velisim esse te ming et aciduis molutem ilOnsequisi ex eu faciliquat laore modit estrud dolesectet, sum voloborer se diatio od magna core dio odoloreet velisim esse te ming et aciduis molutem il
Photo By Roy Kasmir/PhotographerTexian Market Days
Photo By Roy Kasmir/PhotographerTexian Market Days
Midnight Ramble
The 41st annual BikeHouston Midnight Ramble will get rolling at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. The two-hour recreational ride offers two courses of eight and 20 miles that begin and end at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Nearly a dozen bike shops will provide mechanical support along the route, and contests for best lighted bike and best costume will be held prior to the ride. Festivities kick off at 10 p.m. All riders are required to wear helmets and have lights on their bikes. Proceeds benefit BikeHouston's advocacy and education programs.
When: 10 p.m. Saturday
Cost: On-site registration is $35
Where: 1001 Avenida De Las Americas
Information: bikehouston.org
Texian Market Days
Explore more than 100 years of Lone Star history at the Texian Market Days at the 480-acre George Ranch Historical Park in Richmond. Historical re-enactors will re-create skirmishes from the Texas Revolution and the Civil War, while volunteers will demonstrate period life skills such as quilting, cooking and doing laundry. There also will be vintage baseball games, an old-fashioned medicine show and the chance to get dirty in an archaeological dig.
When: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $10, $5 for ages 5-15
Where: George Ranch Historical Park, 10215 FM 762 in Richmond
Information: texianmarketdays.com