The Doubtful Hero: An Artist\u27s Journey

THE DOUBTFUL HERO: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY By Heather N. Falks, MFA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Director: Noreen Barnes Graduate Studies Director, Department of Theatre This thesis documents my role as director of Time Tells, an ensemble based, multi-media, devised theatre piece. I address my specific responsibilities when leading an ensemble to create new work and produce it for the public. I identify the problems the ensemble faced and account how I mediated when dealing with conflict. Additionally, I include important professional influences such as, director and author, Anne Bogart and her nine Viewpoints; and the work of director and activist, Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed. I explain how exercises from Viewpoints and Theatre of the Oppressed aided my approach to team building and helped the ensemble establish a common language for communication. A shared vocabulary and sense of community allowed the ensemble to freely explore character and relationships, which led to formation of the Time Tells story

COVID-19 Employer Liability Still Unknown

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a new era of personal injury litigation. Across the United States, lawsuits for wrongful death, negligence, and retaliation are being filed against businesses for their failure to protect employees and the public from the known dangers of COVID-19.1 Tyson Foods was sued for wrongful death by the widow of a Tyson employee who contracted COVID-19 five days after administering temperature checks for Tyson employees at a meatpacking plant. He died from COVID-19 two weeks later.2 A Trader Joe’s employee filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board claiming he was terminated in retaliation for requesting greater COVID-19 protections from his employer.3 New York sued Amazon for disregarding health standards in Amazon warehouses.4 Colorado congressman Doug Lamborn was sued by a former employee who claims the congressman failed to implement any safety standards and as a result contributed to the spread of COVID-19 to his staff.5 Most recently, following the death of four courthouse workers, the Superior Court of Los Angeles was fined more than $25,000.00 for COVID-19 safety violations.

Supply Chain Management Strategies in the Manufacturing Industry

Inefficient supply chains result in unsold inventory and unfilled customer orders, posing a significant risk to company profitability and consumer satisfaction. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies supply chain managers in the manufacturing industry used to match the level of unsold inventory in the supply chain with customer demand consistently. Porter\u27s value chain provided the conceptual framework for the study. A sample of 5 experienced supply chain managers from a global manufacturing company headquartered in the midwestern United States participated in semistructured interviews. Each participant provided company supply chain documentation for triangulation. Data analysis followed Yin\u27s 5 stages of data analysis and yielded 4 themes: define policies and processes, develop collaborative partnerships, leverage technology, and consider the end-to-end supply chain. The themes are the foundation of successful supply chain management strategies that have improved matching of unsold inventory in the supply chain to customer demand. Study findings benefit both supply chain leaders and consumers by providing the potential to improve consistency in meeting customer demand with less inventory in the supply chain, resulting in customer satisfaction, business growth, and stable employment. The findings may contribute to positive social change by helping supply chain leaders create thriving businesses with satisfied employees and customers who are willing to spend their time and money contributing to community growth, economic stability, and enhanced social conditions