The rate of internet usage in the world is unbelievable. In this digital age, companies no longer rely on the outdated means of communication to gain customer loyalty. With the emergence of the social media, companies have created platforms where they can exchange ideas and promote brand loyalty (Boone, & Kurtz, 2013). The virtual communities and network created have significantly retained customers and boosted the credibility of the organization. In particular, Zappos’ core strategy is customer experience, and the company ensures it delivers happiness to its website customers. This report posits a detailed explanation of how Zappos uses social media such as Pinterest and Instagram to connect with the customers and achieve their loyalty.
Instagram and Pinterest have similar end goals. Zappos uses the two platforms to deliver messages and essential information to their clients through photos. Precisely, the online fashion retail company does much better job of engaging its customers on Instagram. They have set an optimized business Instagram account (@zappos) that has a link to boost traffic. Zappos uses Instagram as a platform where they can tell a story of their style shoots. They engage in behind the scene photography to build a personal bond and provide customers with information about Zappos culture (Clay, 2012). For example, the company posted a photo announcing trivia night. Zappos held such an event in support of a local charity. Also, they provide style tips and use the Instagram hashtag to generate content campaigns. The images of the company’s products such shoes and clothing are more interesting and attractive than on Facebook (Clay, 2012). They have good variation in content. Similarly, the company’s Instagram account has creative and professional videos that are appealing to the users. They provoke emotions and actions hence influencing customers through inspirations.
Also, Zappos uses Pinterest to revolutionize the way consumers find and share information on fashion. It uses Pinterest’s real-time data to get the attention of customers to the pinned items. Recently, the company launched a site called PinPointing. It is a new tool that had been designed to recommend the company’s products based on different Pinterest pins and board. The company uses Pinterest as a mall for window shopper. However, it hopes that the launch of PinPointing will drive web traffic from Pinterest to Zappos website. PinPointing adds a complex and interactive layer to Pinterest. According to the social scientist at Zappos, the customers are approximately 13 times more likely to share on Pinterest what they purchased than on Facebook or Twitter (Welch, 2013). Users will access the site by opening PinPointing and enter the board name. PinPointing tool will suggest Zappos products that are similar making it easy for the customer to purchase them. Similarly, customers can discover retailer’s most popular items. The company has 15,000 items on its website, and the Pinterest tool offers an easy way for the consumers to find products that were difficult to find (Welch, 2013). Therefore, since customer’s demand is rapidly changing, Pinterest is an excellent tool that helps retailers to know what their customers love most. The better the company knows the taste and preferences of their customers, the better it can promote its brand loyalty and encourage customers’ attention.
In conclusion, Zappos has retained more customers due to its competitive use of social media platform. The company conducts social media campaigns through Instagram to keep the loyal customers engaged. The advertisements posted on Instagram are appealing and allows the customers to believe that the company is ready to build a lasting relationship with them (Boone, & Kurtz, 2013). Also, Zappos customers can get product recommendations based on Pinterest activity thanks to the PinPointing tool. The new tool increases consumer engagement and also results in new discoveries; hence building customer loyalty.
Reference
Boone, L., & Kurtz, D. (2013). Contemporary marketing. Cengage Learning.
Clay, K. (2012, November 30). Why business should use social media for customer service. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2012/11/30/why-businesses-should-use-social-media-for-customer-service/#6c4b7e7113f3
Welch, A. R. (2013, November 13). Big retailers turn to Pinterest to drive E-commerce sales. Retrieved from http://www.innovativeretailtechnologies.com/doc/big-retailers-turn-to-pinterest-to-drive-e-commerce-sales-0001
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A Strategic Marketing Program essay help site:eduINTRODUCTION
Strategic marketing involves the differentiation of an organization by identifying its competitive advantages and focusing its resources on exploiting them. The intense competition in the market place which has been occasioned by the advancement of technology and the internet has made it impossible for organizations to remain relevant in business without use of strategic marketing. Therefore, there is increased demand for strategic marketing personnel who collaborate with the existing marketing staff to identify and develop the competitive advantages of an organization. However at Total Marketing Solutions (TMS) we have come up with a complete package that will have instantaneous impact. We have developed a pool of highly qualified strategic marketers who are well versed with all sectors of the economy and are therefore able to conduct a company analysis, identify the competitive advantages and recommend suitable strategies in record time. However, this does not mean that strategic marketing is an easy task but with the right information and resources it’s less complex.
TASK 1
THE INFORMATION PACK
1.1
Role of Strategic Marketing
Success in the current highly competitive markets can only be guaranteed by only one thing, strategic marketing. The market reaction however seems to change year after year making strategic marketing all more tricky and difficult. However, there are a set of guidelines which guide the strategist in coming up with the most appropriate approach; these are the principles of strategic marketing. An article in Forbes magazine outlined four main principles which will be in use for quite some time since they are addressed to solve the digital age problems. The first principle is clarification of business objectives which aim is to have an objective and specific goal which the organization should achieve rather than just making as many sales as possible. It is guided by three pillars which are awareness, sales and advocacy (Satell, 2013).
The second principle is the use of innovation teams to identify, evaluate and activate emerging opportunities which are actually the trend of the digital era. Information is moving really fast, and no organization can afford to be left behind, there is a need to keep tab with the trends. However, the innovation team has a duty of running test-and-learn programs so as to evaluate the true potential of the opportunities and trends (Satell, 2013). Separation of strategy and innovation is another principle whose aim is to make the two processes successful. Innovation is a process through which an organization develops a completely new product which may succeed or fail. Strategy, on the other hand, is a process of achieving a specific objective or goal and failure is not an option. Finally, the fourth principle is building of open assets in the marketplace whose aim is to create awareness about the organization’s products.
The principles are just guidelines to the actual importance of strategic marketing which are its roles. The primary role is identification and creation of value for the organization through strongly differentiated positioning (Ranchhod & Marandi, 2005). This is achieved by not only market research but also influencing an organization’s culture to create a customer focused environment. Strategic marketing involves the creation of a specific competitive position using marketing tools such as brands, innovation and pricing among others. It is also entitled with the role of ensuring coordination between various departments and ensuring that the entire organization is at par during strategy implementation (Ranchhod & Marandi, 2005).
Strategic marketing is not only focused towards selling the end product but is also involved in the innovation process whereby it streamlines the product development (Edmunds, 2014). Through marketplace research, target market analysis and competitors’ strategies analysis, the marketers are able to furnish the production department with the specifications of the new product. Prices which play a very important part in sales are also determined by the marketers who come up with optimal prices for each product. Strategic marketing is crucial for the long-term success or market position of the organization since it is the process through which the organization creates its brand image (Edmunds, 2014). Through effective marketing and distribution strategies an organization can make strides in the market as well as create a loyal customer base which is very crucial for any organization. Strategic marketing is, therefore, not only important in driving sales, but it’s at the core of the operations and success of any organization.
1:2
Value of Strategic Marketing Models
Strategic marketing is a complex process and, therefore, uses various models in its application. These processes are aimed at simplifying the application of the process as well as making the process more effective. The main models include porters five forces model, SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, Ansoff Matrix and product life cycle model among others. Each of these models has its unique characteristics and is most effective in a specific scenario. For instance, the SWOT analysis is most effective when used as an internal analysis tool while the PESTLE analysis is more effective in external environment analysis. Therefore, these processes posses various values which make their use important in strategic marketing.
SWOT analysis is a tool that is used to analyze the overview of an organization’s strategic situation. It’s a tool that is self-oriented as it focuses on the opportunities, strengths, threats and weaknesses of the organization. Through the analysis, an organization may discover new opportunities such as untapped markets or identify and solve threats such as shifts in customer preference and take the necessary measures. PESTLE, on the other hand, focuses on the external environment and its probable impact on the analysis. It entails the study of the political, economic, social, technological, leadership and environmental factors affecting the business. The model provides a summary of the driving forces of the macro environment, and an organization can use the information to position itself strategically for future market trends (Recklies, 2006).
Porters five forces model is an analysis of the competitive forces affecting an organization and is useful in day to day running of the business. This model is used to diagnose the principal competitive pressures in the market and assess their strength. It involves the identification of the powers of the stakeholders namely the suppliers, consumers, competitors, new entrants and substitutes. The five forces model is also a useful tool in the analysis of a specific industry since the pressures are shared among the players in the industry. The final crucial model is the Ansoff matrix which is specifically marketing oriented. The model indicates various approaches that are applicable to a product in relation to the market and the market relating to the product. The model is very useful in developing a marketing plan as it gives a guideline on which approach is more appropriate.
1.3
Relationship between Corporate and Marketing Strategy
A strategic plan generally gives direction to the efforts of the organization and facilitates the understanding of marketing research, product distribution and promotion, consumer analysis and price planning dimensions. Corporate strategy, therefore, is the central scheme which utilizes and integrates resources in areas of finance, production, research and development, human resources and marketing so as to achieve the desired goals and objectives (Ferrel and Hartline, 2011). It’s the facilitator of the strategic plan. This implies that marketing strategy is a subsidiary of the corporate strategy. This is further emphasized by the fact that the marketing sstrategy is subject to the organization’s mission and vision statement which are part of the corporate strategy. Moreover, the corporate strategy defines the capabilities and powers of the organization which limit the extent of the marketing strategy (Ferrel and Hartline, 2011).
The fact that marketing strategy is subsidiary to the corporate strategy however does not mean that it’s less important. The formulation of the corporate strategy is dependent on market research which is used in the setting of goals and objectives for the organization. It also contributes to the definition of the corporate strategy through the analysis of consumer practices and the environment. Competitive advantage which is a crucial aspect of the corporate strategy is also a product of market analysis (Viardot, 2004). The two strategies are, therefore, interdependent, and their success anchored upon each other. An intelligently crafted marketing strategy can be ruined by absence of vision or underestimation of the resources available while a visionary and objective corporate strategy maybe unsuccessful if utilized with a poor marketing strategy (Viardot, 2004). Therefore, the two strategies can be said to be inseparable if they are to be effective.
The relationship between the two strategies brings up the concept of relationship marketing which essentially involves marketing efforts which main aim is to establish a close and trusting relationship between the organization and its customers. The concept goes beyond the customers and involves the employees, distributors and suppliers. It’s a symbolic concept in strategic marketing as it symbolizes the shift from traditional transaction marketing (TM) which focused solely on competition and conflict to a strategic approach which focuses on mutual interdependence and cooperation between organizations. Relationship marketing mainly focuses on partners and customers rather than the products, puts more emphasis on customer retention and relies on cross-functional teams rather than departmental level work. Relationship marketing has also been referred to as the ability of a brand to create an emotional connection with a customer (Olenski, 2013) introducing emotions which is a new concept in marketing.
1.4
Development of Marketing Strategies
Having analyzed the various aspects and components of a marketing strategy, developing of a marketing strategy is not a complex process. It involves the identification of the various factors affecting the organization through one or several models and then developing a strategy that focuses on the set goals. The first step involves identification of the target market which involves various techniques such as positioning and segmentation (McLoughlin & Aaker, 2010). The next step is the analysis of the market and the marketing environment in which the target customers exist. One of the most used models is porters five forces model which involves the analysis or profiling of the competitors and suppliers so as to determine which position the organization should take in the market. It also involves identification of the purchasing power of the consumers and the threat of new entries. All these factors culminate in the determination of the competitive rivalry in the target market. This process may also involve the application of the Ansoff matrix which is useful in determining which marketing approach to use in the market.
The final process is the identification of which marketing tools the strategy will use in the actual marketing. Though marketing has an endless number of approaches an organization should single out two key approaches for the target market. This is useful because it helps in determining the cost of the marketing process and the returns it should make. The 7 Ps model is useful in determining which approach to use since it identifies the product, the price, place, promotion process, physical evidence and people who will be used in the marketing process. Once the strategy has been finalized its advisable to carry out a pilot strategy so as to determine the effectiveness of the strategy and probable flaws which should be addressed before the main strategy is rolled out.
TASK 2
APPLICATION OF STRATEGIC MARKETING
2.1
Marketing Techniques and Objectives
The market usually offers a very unique challenge for an entrepreneur because however much research you carry out a business cannot anticipate all the surprises of the market. Therefore for an entrepreneur what is of great essence is preparedness which is gained by an analysis of the market. Analysis of the market helps the entrepreneur determine which specific part of the market has the highest potential for sales. There are two main techniques which are involved in market analysis; there is target marketing and market segmentation. Market segmentation involves the subdivision of the market into several groupings with each group being identified for its unique preferences. Targeting on the other hand involves choosing of one of the market segments and using techniques that are most effective in the specific segment.
Market segmentation is useful to any business since the strategic marketing tool makes marketing a lot easier. There are various bases for segmentation in any particular market which is influenced by the type of product being sold and the organization’s objectives (Moschis, 1994). This technique uses four main approaches namely demographics, psychographics, behavior and geographical location each of which produces different results when applied.. Once the segments have been identified the prospective seller identifies a segment of his choice and uses the appropriate marketing techniques such as promotions, advertising or personal selling. The segments are, therefore, very important in determining which marketing technique the firm applies (McLoughlin & Aaker, 2010).
Targeting involves three strategies which are useful in determining which segment to choose. Undifferentiated targeting views the market as a single group and, therefore, uses a single-marketing strategy for the entire markets. This approach can only be successful in a market where there is little or no competition. The second strategy is the concentrated targeting which focuses on a particular segment of the market, therefore, having exclusive information and characteristics of the market which is crucial for successful marketing in the segment. This is a technique that is usually used by small businesses since they have limited resources, but can compete comfortably against big firms in the segment. Multi-segment targeting is the third approach and usually involves the organization targeting various segments of the market and using various marketing techniques for the segments. This is the most effective approach however it’s quite expensive and only large firms are able to use this approach. The trends have however considerably changed with the emergence of real-time consumption pattern analysis which is facilitated by advances in technology (Ferrel and Hartline, 2011).
An analysis of the market determines which technique to use among the many available. Once a business is well established in the market and is achieving its objectives and sales target, the next step is adopting a growth strategy or growth oriented marketing strategy. There are various growth strategies which an organization can adopt depending with the executive approach. An organization can adopt a market penetration approach, a market expansion, diversification or an acquisition strategy all which contribute to the growth of the organization.
When developing a marketing strategy, there is always a specific goal that the strategy aims to achieve after a specific period, this is known as the objective. It is defined as a statement of what is to be accomplished through marketing objectives (Lamb, hair and McDaniel, 2003). It is usually guided by the mission, vision and values of the organization. Objectives can be developed using the top-down approach where senior managers develop objectives and strategy or a bottom up strategy whereby the duty is devolved (Drummond and Ensor, 2008). However, for an objective to be useful it must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound (SMART). The objectives must also show consistency with the organizations priorities.
2.2
Approaches to External and Internal Environment Analysis
The environment in which an organization operates is very influential on the outcome of the organization’s activities. This is because it forms part of the organization’s market, and part of its suppliers thus weigh heavily on its operations. Owing to the fact that the environment is made up of various constituents, there are several approaches to analyzing the environment and each of the approaches should not be considered wrong or right but rather more or less useful in reference to a particular setting (Rabin & Miller, 2000).
In order to develop a competitive advantage, organizations have to analyze both the internal and external environment and there are no better tools than the SWOT and PESTLE analysis. The first two components of SWOT analysis i.e. Strength and Weakness form the internal environment. The strength of the business is crucial in formulating the marketing strategies as it identifies the potential of the organization in terms of finances, product and staff quality and market position among other factors while the weaknesses identify just how far the organization can stretch its resources in terms of finances, production rate and staff members among other factors.
PESTLE analysis on the other hand involves the analysis of the external environment and is also as important to the operations since it helps in determining which strategy to apply in the internal operations of an organization. The P represents political factors such as stability, levies and legislation; E represents the Economic factors such as a recession or a flourishing economy which favorable for business; Social factors represent social trends and practices which a business might exploit such as the social media or smartphone market; T represents technology which is very important in developing a competitive advantage; L represents Leadership, which has become an integral part in the success of any organization and finally E represents the Environment which the business need to be responsible to.
2.3
How Internal and External Analyses are Integrated
Analysis of the impact and the importance of both the internal and external factors and how the two integrate is the simplified definition of strategic management. However in our case we are analyzing strategic marketing whose interest is vested on the impact of the two factors. Combination of the two aspects constitutes a method of analyzing the environment in which a business operates which is known as the context analysis. The SWOT model is an integral part of the process since it’s an integration of the two environments and is very useful in analysis of the relationship of the business with the market. The concept of context analysis which we identified earlier is the tool used in collaboration with external and internal inputs to create strategies which use the information at the disposal of an organization to pursue a competitive advantage.
Integration however can either be within the two factors or between the two factors. The goals are however similar in that its main aim is to unify functions into a seamless process that aims at achieving the objective strategies of the organization (Mattioda, 2007). In the SWOT model this involves the understanding of the opportunities and threats in the external markets and comparing them with the organization’s strengths and weaknesses a process that develops the efficiency of the organization. Integration of the two factors is a continuous evolution of the organization and the implementation of an integrated strategy leads to the achievement of dynamic capabilities. These are idiosyncratic to an organization and rooted in the organization’s history and are defined as the ‘capacity of an organization to purposefully create, extend or modify its resource base’ (Helfat et al, 2007). This capability is a competitive advantage by itself ensures effective running of the organization’s activities
2.4
Strategic Marketing Response to Emerging Themes
The marketing environment has been changing and is still changing and the trend doesn’t seem as if it will abate anytime soon. Therefore an effective strategic marketing plan should be flexible enough to accommodate and adapt to the emerging issues and themes. One of the most influential themes has been globalization; the world is now a village. Finances, trends, technology and environmental issues make impact throughout the world in such a short timeframe. Organizations therefore have to be flexible and ever ready to take advantages of opportunities if and when they emerge. This means that an effective strategic need to be proactive not reactionary such the Starbucks closure of shops and striping of the workforce before the recession hit. An effective strategic marketing strategy should have technology as one of its key components since technological advancements are the trend setters of today’s market.
Threat of competition is another emerging theme in the modern market; companies are growing overnight making the environment all more unpredictably competitive. The increased number of takeovers and mergers has made financing of new companies quite easy therefore increasing the number of companies with competitive financial ability. A strategic marketing plan therefore should be in a position of identifying emerging niches which are left by the expanding companies as well as developing a lasting competitive advantage. Environmental concern is another issue that’s emerging in the market. The threat of global warming is ever so real and the continued melting of the glaciers is enough of the dire situation.. Strategic marketing should consider the issue of global warming in choosing the amount of finances that will be used in marketing and what share should be sacrificed to address the issue at hand.
CONCLUSION
The value of marketing as the most valuable processes in business has been slowly rising and TMS is just an example of how important it has become. The development of strategic marketing has brought about a new face to marketing and a new tweak to its feel as it involves more complex processes and more influence on the decision making process. The involvement of various models, new techniques and environmental analysis has meant that organizations can depend on the marketing staff to assess the organization’s position and base their production processes on the information given. Strategic marketing may not be the only influential activity that organizations depend on but it’s surely the most effective.
References
Drummond, G., & Ensor, J. (2008). Strategic marketing: planning and control. (3rd ed.). Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Ferrell, O. C., & Hartline, M. D. (2011). Marketing management strategies (5. ed.). Mason, Ohio?: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Helfat, C. E., Finkelstein, S., Mitchell, W., Peteraf, M., & Teece, D. (2007). Dynamic capabilities: understanding strategic change in organizations. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. D. (2003). Essentials of marketing (3rd ed.). Mason, Ohio: South-Western, Thomson Learning.
Mattioda, D. D. (2007). Internal Drivers of External Flexibility: A Detailed Analysis. Ft. Belvoir: Defense Technical Information Center.
McLoughlin, D., & Aaker, D. A. (2010). Strategic market management: global perspectives. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
Melding Internal and External Analyses – Boundless Open Textbook. (n.d.). Boundless. Retrieved July 17, 2014, from https://www.boundless.com/management/strategic-management/creating-strategy-common-approaches/melding-internal-and-external-analyses/
Moschis, G. P. (1994). Marketing strategies for the mature market. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books.
Olenski, S. (2013, May 9). This is the Most Important Word When it comes to Relationship Marketing. Forbes. Retrieved July 17, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2013/05/09/this-is-the-most-important-word-when-it-comes-to-relationship-marketing/
Rabin, J., Miller, G. J., & Hildreth, W. B. (2000). Handbook of strategic management (2. ed.). New York: Marcel Dekker.
Ranchhod, A., & Marandi, E. (2005). Strategic marketing in practice. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Recklies, D. (2006, November 1). PEST-Analysis – Management Tools and Models – Management Portal. PEST-Analysis – Management Tools and Models – Management Portal. Retrieved July 17, 2014, from http://www.themanager.org/models/pest_analysis.htm
Satell, G. (2013, April 16). 4 Principles of Marketing Strategy in the Digital Age. Forbes. Retrieved July 17, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/04/16/4-principles-of-marketing-strategy-in-the-digital-age/
Viardot, E. (2004). Corporate and Marketing Strategies in the Hi-Tech Industry. Successful marketing strategy for high-tech firms (3rd ed., p. 32). Boston: Artech House.
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Contribution of Mendelian Genetics to Darwin’s Theory cheap essay helpINTRODUCTION
The theory of evolution is generally attributed to Charles Darwin due to his great work and discoveries well documented in his The Origin of Species which was published in 1859. However what many do not know is that this though the birth of the idea of evolution was the initiator of various future discoveries and developments that would be published later. Darwin devoted his entire life to the development of the theory of evolution by means of natural selection but so did other scientists one of them being Gregor Mendel. Mendel main contribution was towards the understanding of genetics and their contribution to the evolution of the human species. The study of the discoveries of the two scientists and how they depended on each other is an important of understanding the theory of evolution taking into consideration there were other scientists works who were also integrated into the final theory.
Charles Darwin Initial Theory
The theory of evolution is widely accepted among most learners but faces great criticism especially from the church but this was not an issue to Darwin. The theory as indicated on his first book was based on the idea of survival for the fittest by means of natural selection. He argued that the survival of an organism was based on it being fitter therefore having the opportunity to pass its genes over by reproduction while the less fit organisms became extinct. However the process of natural selection was dependent on suitability there had to be a variation in fitness among the various species, existence of heredity and variation on population. The theory argued that the existing species had evolved from simple life forms which evolved to more complex forms as part of their survival skills and the process commenced over 3 billion years ago.
The theory however was not convincing among various scientists more specifically among the biologists and Darwin sort to improve this by writing various papers which were mostly addressed on a range of biological phenomena which covered areas of plants sexual systems and human anatomy and behavior. Darwin’s idea of natural selection specifically faced a lot of skepticism from geneticists such as Hugo de Vries who emphasized on the role of mutations and large and manifold effects (Provine, 1971). The specific cause of controversy was Darwin’s failure to explain why favorable variations are not lost within few generations of breeding with the normal populace. The theory continued to fall out of favor as it became more oblivious that the problems of hereditary had caught up with the theory in a period that lasted up to 1940 known as the ‘Eclipse of Darwinism.’
Gregor Mendel Work
Better known as the father of Genetics, the Central European monk is well known for his patience and patience is what his work had to have before it was recognized. The 1822 born monk who had a rather short lifespan living for only 62 years first published his work in 1866 but scientists were more obsessed about Charles Darwin speculation rather than his work which was later to be rediscovered in 1900. The initial discovery by Mendel was that certain traits that are present in the offspring, show up without any blending of parent characteristics. This he discovered before setting up the 8 year project of true-bleeding plants more specifically peas. His experiments involved the production of plants which when self-crossed produced similar results followed by years of making thousands of crosses through multiple generation plants.
The results of his long work were however satisfactory, he had come up with a discovery that scientists had struggled to achieve through multiple detailed researches and he identified three main laws. The first law was the law of segregation. The law noted that parental genes were randomly separated to the sex cells so that sex cells contain only one gene of the pair and therefore the offspring inherited only one genetic allele from each parent which meant that each inherited trait is defined by a gene pair. The second law was the law of independent assortment which stated that genes for different traits were sorted separately from one another so that inheritance of one trait is not dependent on the inheritance of another. The third and final law was the law of dominance which stated that an organism with alternate forms of a gene will express the form that is dominant. These laws were the result of the recorded observation of over 10,000 pea plants.
Gregor Mendel Work Application in Charles Darwin Work
The rediscovery of Mendel’s work in 1900 can be said to a very timely discovery because the Charles Darwin theory was under so much criticism which had no answers. One of the major problems of the evolution theory was the hereditary an issue that Darwin had noted and developed the idea of natural selection. Mendel discovery provided a ready solution to this issue with the discovery that alleles of genes are not changed when inherited, they also not blended together, however they remain separate and distinct and separate in the offspring (Sabelli, 2005). Therefore the variation was not lost but persisted through generations maintaining the raw materials for natural selection to take place.
Another issue in Darwin’s theory that Mendel solved was the explanation of how variation could be formed and maintained. This was well explained by the genetic drift which is the arbitrary changes in the incidence of variable alleles of comparable fitness. The variation is therefore explained by the fact that one allele cannot auto-compete the other but random sampling errors can have significant impact on small populations and therefore the high probability that one allele is completely lost during an environmental catastrophe (Llamas, 2011). The work of Mendel did not produce direct solutions to other detailed queries of the evolution theory and it was the work of various population geneticists that identified various details that were applicable to the evolution theory with the development of statistical and dialectic synthesis (Sabelli, 2005).
Sir Richard Fisher
The London born mathematician who studied mathematics and mathematical physics is one of the key contributors to the synthesis of Mendel’s and Darwin’s work. His first contribution was towards the analysis of the hereditary issue where he noted that genes of childless man could still prosper if the man had enough nephews what is better known as the idea of kin selection (Reeve, 2001). This was a mathematical justification of one of Darwin’s ideas following Mendel’s theory of genetics. Fisher also advanced the theory of sexual selection in his 1915 paper which was known as the Evolution of sexual selection. The epitome of Fisher’s contribution was the formulation of the fundamental theorem of natural selection which indicated contrary to many early geneticists, the Mendelian genetics was fully consistent with the idea of evolution by means of natural selection.
Haldane and Wright
These two individuals collaborated with Fisher in the establishment of the synthesis of the Mendelian and Darwin’s theory but their works received less publicity. Haldane’s most notable contribution was the analysis of the impact of variation in survival or reproduction due to one or two Mendelian genes would affect the population using the example of peppered moth to note the speed of natural selection (Reeve, 2001). Wright’s most notable contribution on the other hand was the analysis of how random genetic drift interacted with selection, migration and mutation. He is also responsible for the introduction of the notion of adaptive landscape whereby natural selection drives a population towards a local maximum but genetic drift pushes the population away from such a peak paving way for natural selection to push it to another peak (Reeve, 2001).
CONCLUSION
Contrary to what many may think, the existence of the theory of evolution is not solely the work of Charles Darwin but it’s a concerted effort of continued research to deduce various facts about the theory with the major facilitator being Mendelian genetics. Though Mendel’s work was not addressed to the evolution theory and was actually far from that since the Austrian monk was a Christian it has contributed a lot to the theory and it’s actually the reason for the use of the theory up to date. However since the two great individuals never met, credit need to be given to Hugo de Vries who finally understood Mendel’s work and rediscovered it and the endless efforts of Fisher, Haldane and Wright among other scientists who worked effortless to find the relationship between the two works.
References
Llamas, E. (2011). BiologÃa Para El Examen de Admisión. Raleigh: Lulu.com.
Reeve, E. C. (2001). Encyclopedia of genetics. London: Fitzroy Dearborn.
Sabelli, H. C., & Kauffman, L. H. (2005). Bios a study of creation. Hackensack, N.J.: World Scientific.
Sant, Joseph (2014). Mendel, Darwin and Evolution. Retrieved from http://www.scientus.org/Mendel-Darwin.html
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Case 3.7, Foamex International Inc college admissions essay helpAuditors responsibility in identifying internal control problems
Auditors have a responsibility to unearth any internal control problems that might be existing in any company’s accounting system. For public companies, the auditors should ensure that they completely understand each component of internal control over financial system. It is the responsibility of the auditor to identify any potential misstatements (Public Company Accounting oversight Board). The auditor should also assess those factors that may lead to material misstatements and finally design further audit procedures. The extents of procedures however depend with the size of the company.
After the auditing, the auditor has to communicate to the auditing committee and also the management in writing about any considerable weaknesses and deficiencies recognized during the auditing procedure. The communication should, however, be made before the issuance of an audit report. The report should be clear in distinguishing between significant deficiencies and weaknesses as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
For private companies, the audit report is communicated to the stakeholders. Stakeholders include all people with any interest in the company. They can also be an audit committee appointed by the stakeholders. The communication can be written or oral depending with the instructions of the stakeholders. The auditor should also assess those factors that may lead to material misstatements and finally design further audit procedures. The extents of procedures however depend with the size of the company.
I believe Foamex was at fault and the SEC was not making an example of them because the issues that led to the sanction had existed for long and different auditing firms had recommended that those issues be rectified. A good example is inventory reporting. In the 1999 audit, price Water Coopers (PWC) recommended that Foamex improves on inventory reporting. During the 2002 audit, Deloitte again recommended that the company should improve the inventory system as a whole. It was until the year 2004 that the company tried to remedy the internal control issues raised (Knapp 317).Some of these issues were identified as early as 1999 and the company should have rectified them then. I believe SEC undertook its mandate.
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Case 3.9 Walmart de Mexico college admission essay helpWalmart was accused of paying bribes to access permits to operate in Mexico. The company made illegal payments to government officials to acquire the permits. There are internal control activities that could have reduced the possibility of the company making illegal payments.
A major activity would be adhering to best practices. As a business ethics, any company should follow the best business practices but what Wallmart did was not a good business practice (Knapp 327). The company should have followed the official channels of acquiring the permits. Though this could have required a lot of time and resources, the company still spent large sums of money to pay government officials.
Again, if there was segregation of duties in the company, some other employee could have noticed the inappropriate action. Segregation of duties is important in ensuring such actions do not happen without being detected. The fact that the company was audited and the auditor never detected the payments means that the internal control was poorly designed. Authorization and approval is another major activity that could have prevented the massive payments. If all payments are authorized and approved by the high management, it would have made it hard for the payments to be made.
Work cited
Knapp, Michael Chris. Contemporary Auditing: Real Issues and Cases. Tenth ed. Australia: Cengage Learning, 2014. Print
Public Company Accounting oversight Board (PCAOB). “Auditing Standard No. 12 “. 2010. Web. 24 Oct. 2015. Retrieved from http://pcaobus.org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/Auditing_Standard_12.aspx
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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 scholarship essay helpThe ACA act of 2010 is a U.S legislation that sought to reform the American health care system. Its main emphasis is on affording more American citizens access to reasonably priced and affordable health insurance, enhancing the quality of health insurance and health care and regulating the health insurance industry, as well as minimize United States spending on health care.
Health Insurance Exchanges
Health Insurance Exchanges are a set of state-regulated and standardized health care plans from which individuals may purchase coverage that is eligible for federal subsidies. They are one of the main focuses of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and offer a variety of insurance coverage for both individuals and small businesses. They allow people to shop and compare before enrolling in a particular health care plan.
Affordable Care Act of 2010 Influences on Businesses
A number of provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have been identified as having considerable effects on small businesses, their employees as well as their families. Some of the requirements required by law place a lot of preconditions on small businesses and could in the long run have both adverse and favorable effects on these businesses.The features of the Affordable Care Act that relate the most bluntly to small businesses are: the creation of new insurance exchanges, penalties if the business fails to offer insurance coverage, tax credits and grants for wellness programs
Creation of Insurance Exchanges: this involves small businesses having the option of purchasing insurance through a new market referred to as the small business health option program. This exchange is intended to present individuals and small employers with a simpler way of comparing and purchasing plans before purchasing.
Penalties to Employers for Failing to Provide Affordable Coverage to their Employees: employers must provide insurance that covers at least 60 percent of the actuarial value of the cost of benefitsand the cover must also be affordable to the employees. However, there is no requirement that small businesses of less than 50 employees provide health insurance to their employees.
Tax Credits to assist in the Cost of Health Insurance: Small businesses with less than 25 FTE employees are entitled to tax credits to help with the cost of health insurance. However, to qualify the business must have an average annual wage of less than $50,000 and must be in a position to pay more than 50 percent of their employees health insurance.
Grants for wellness programs; this is applicable only for small businesses with fewer than 100 active employees, working for more than 25 hours per week and previously did not have a work place wellness program as at March 2010 qualify for grants to start such programs.
The Health Care Public Option
The public option is a health insurance program run by the government. It is operated like a private health insurance plan, except that the public option involves the government rather than a private company selling insurance. The public insurance is expected to be much less expensive than private insurance, as it is designed to serve mostly the low-income people who cannot afford the more expensive private insurance cover(Varney).
The controversy arises from the opposing position of the liberals who support the public option and the conservatives who oppose the option. Liberals state that the public insurance program is needed as it will enable a majority of the American population to afford cheap health insurance. On the other hand, conservatives argue that the government involvement inhealth care will worsen the situation. They state that government intervention will be destructive to patient’s health if more government bureaucrats are involved in their health care. They add that in government ran health care, patients face long and often deadly waiting which usually results to more mortalities.
The Role that the Government Can Play In Health care
The United States system of government provides for the government to do only that which private institutions cannot or will not do. The role has been to intervene only when a remedy is needed for a failure of the private sector to provide a service. However, personally, I am of the opinion that governments should be involved in the provision of any service which is classified as a basic right in constitution, health care included. The failure of the private sector to invest in a particular field can only be attributed to the inability of that field to give them good returns, therefore, their investment in a particular sector means they are getting good returns even if it is at the expense of exploiting the public. Therefore, personally I am of the opinionthat when it comes to the health care sector, the government should play an active role in its provision,including health education, immunizations, family planning services and material and child health services. However, I think more can be achieved if government works in partnership with NGOs and private health care providers.
Works cited
Kaiser Family Foundation. Explaining Health Reform: How will the Affordable Care Act affect Small Businesses and their Employees? 1 January 2012. 2 June 2014. <http://kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/explaining-health-reform-how-will-the-affordable-care-act-affect-small-businesses-and-their-employees/>.
Varney, Sarah. The Public Option Did Not Die. 12 January 2012. 3 June 2014. <http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2012/january/13/public-option-health-insurance.aspx>.
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Questions in Economics writing essay help
Milton Friedman Section
What is Milton Friedman’s view of Corporate Social Responsibility?
Concerning the role of corporations in society, Friedman adopted an ultra-liberal position. He was an enraged detractor of Corporate Social Responsibility and was strongly opposed to admitting any sort of social responsibility to businesses. He referred to Corporate Social Responsibility as a fundamental subversive doctrine in a free society. His arguments against corporate social responsibility can be divided into two types: philosophical and economic. His philosophical argument was that only people could have responsibilities, business entitiestaken together cannot be said to have responsibilities. The economic argument was the traditional one that businessmen are no more than agents of the shareholders who ultimately employ them. In Friedman’s view, the only dutyof businessmen is to their stakeholders, and therefore he construes that any undertaking by a businessman that does not direct towards maximizing profits to the stakeholder amounts to a tax to that enterprise. Friedman is therefore contemptuous of any thought of Corporate Social Responsibility(Friedman, 1970).
Explain the macroeconomic policy of “Monetarism”
Monetarism is a school or body of economic thought that stresses the importance of the aggregate stock of money in macroeconomic relations, especially those determining quantities denominated in money terms, such as national income(Jansen, 2014, p. 99). According to proponent of Monetarism, the appropriate way to manage the economy is through maintaining as far as possible, stable prices, and the appropriate way to maintain stable prices is through ensuring that, so far as possible, the amount of money available to citizenry reflects the volume of goods and services produced by the citizenry (Letwin, 1993, p. 119). Monetarists agree that money is veil, that is, the monetary and real side of the economy is essentially separate. Hence, they agree that monetary policy should concern itself with the price level and the real economy be regulated by other policies. Monetarists also advocate for the insulation of the domestic money supply from the world economy, this they state can be achieved through floating the currency (Friedman & Friedman, 1962).
Explain the “permanent income” hypothesis
The permanent income hypothesis is one of the modernviews of consumption and was developed by Milton Friedman (Davidson, 2011, p. 44). In this hypothesis, Friedman states that today’s income is divided into two components: transitory income and permanent income. Transitory income is associated with one-shot, non-repeatable changes in current income, while permanent income was defined in terms of long term income flows that a forward looking customer can expect to receive each future period throughout his life. This hypothesis posits that household consumption is based on Permanent income, which he defines as the expected future income stream of the household. The major implication of this hypothesis is that in the face of current income variability around permanent income, consumers will seek to allocate resources in order to smooth the marginal utility of consumption relative to current income.Friedman argued that any change in permanent income will affect consumption, while changes in transitory income will have little or no effect on consumption (Davidson, 2011, p. 44).
Explain the concept of “Natural Rate of Unemployment”
The natural rate of unemployment is also referred to as the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of unemployment. According to Milton Friedman, the natural rate of unemployment is that unemployment rate occurring when cyclical unemployment is zero or when the economy is operating at full employment (Rossana, 2011, p. 229). It refers to the rate of unemployment in correspondence with which the jobs available are equal to unemployed workers and hence the demand for labor is equal to the supply, so that the wage rate remains constant(Caravale, 2002, p. 177). It is the sum of frictional and structural unemployment
According to Friedman, what role should the government play in economics?
According to Friedman it was of paramount importance to restrict the government role in the economy in order to control government power. Milton argued that in trying to offset economic forces, the government had become “the major source of instability”.Friedman opposed government attempts at economic leveling because such actions he believed restricted personal liberty (Friedman & Friedman, 1962). He added that a state directed economy led to totalitarianism since it took away individual choice in matters of money and property. Friedman was of the opinion that the government should be involved in only four realms of responsibility, which he outlined as military and police, public goods and negative externalities, administration of justice and finally protection of children and the mentally handicapped.
What inspired him to write “Capitalism and Freedom”?
The book capitalism and freedom has been christened as being one of the most influential writing of the 20th century as well as the 21st century. Written in 1962 it presented a case for competitive capitalism as a tool for achieving economic freedom and a necessity for political freedom. What inspired and motivated Milton Friedman to pen this book was his desire to present a case for neoliberal thought which represented his view of the world. It was his drive to see an economy which is free from government interference in order to allow for free market.
What historical context was present when he wrote this book?
The book capitalism and freedom was written in the early 1960. During this period, the United States economy was experiencing modest economic growth. Although the prevailing ideologies insisted on fiscal responsibility and limited government intervention, the American public was demanding aggressive government action to redress economic shortcomings.During this period, the United Stateseconomy experienced its lengthiestcontinuousphaseof economic expansion and growth. Inflation was stable, profits in the corporates were at a record high, while the stock market had recoveredand rebounded. However, the unemployment rate was still too high at around 5.7 percent(US History: Economics of the 1960’s).
Corporate Social Responsibility Section
Definition and explanation of Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources. It is a business’ commitment to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, the local community, and society at large to improve their quality of life. It involves operating a business in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial, and public expectations that society has for business (Lee & Kotler, 2011, p. 1991).
Three positive attributes of Corporate Social Responsibility
Good Corporate Social Responsibility can bring to any organization a myriad of benefits. According to Keinert (2008, p. 89), these benefits can include the achievement of competitive advantage, enhanced access to market segments such as ethical consumers as well as socially responsible investors, and augmented opportunities for strategic partnerships or other alliances as major business opportunities for corporations with peripheral constituencies. From an internal point of view, corporate social responsibilitypromotes the enhancement of labor relations and employee commitment, and the achievement of overall better financial and strategic results.
Three negative attributes of Corporate Social Responsibility
The major prevalent view held against business actively participating in social responsibility activities is expressed in Milton Friedman’s writings. Friedman stipulated that a company may participate in social responsibility activities if the marginal gains exceed the marginal costs. Other major arguments against a company becoming involved in social responsibility activities include: it violates the policy of profit maximization, and as a result stockholders will suffer, business is not directly answerableto the public, therefore, the public would have little or no control over where and how deeply a company became involved, it will increase the price of the end item, and as a result all purchasers of the end item will suffer(Anderson, 1989, pp. 11-12). Other arguments against it can include social actions cannot be measured, so why participate in them? And the government should pass the laws they want obeyed and enforce them and not expect business to go beyond the law in solving the problems of society.
References
Anderson, J. W. (1989). Corporate Social Responsibility: Guidelines for Top Management. ABC-CLIO.
Caravale, G. A. (2002). Equilibrium and Economic Theory. Routledge.
Davidson, P. (2011). Post Keynesian Macroeconomic Theory, Second Edition. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Friedman, M. (1970). The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits. The New York Times Magazine.
Friedman, R. D., & Friedman, M. (1962). Capitalism and Freedom (2, reprint, reissue, revised ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Jansen, K. (2014). Monetarism, Economic Crisis and the Third World. New York: Routledge.
Keinert, C. (2008). Corporate Social Responsibility as an International Strategy. Springer Science & Business Media.
Lee, N., & Kotler, P. (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause. John Wiley & Sons.
Letwin, S. R. (1993). The Anatomy of Thatcherism. Transaction Publishers.
Rossana, R. J. (2011). Macroeconomics. Taylor & Francis.
US History: Economics of the 1960’s. (n.d.). Retrieved from US History: 1950-1975: http://elcoushistory.tripod.com/economics1960.html
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The Best Possible Outcome for the Future: A Utopian Society essay help site:eduA Utopian Future
The best possible outcome for the future is a world which has been transformed into a utopian paradise. This is a world that is based on just and fair values, where all people are equal and resources are distributed fairly. Such a society would rarely be tainted by the rigors of war and its citizens would experience a level of happiness unheard of in historical records.
So how would the future earth look like for humanity in a utopian paradise? A utopian paradise may experience conditions such as the obliteration of diseases and an improved life expectancy, a war free society, uniform and leveled rights for every citizen, and the elimination of the money and its system. It would also enmesh people doing work which they love and pursue careers that they delight in,there is an objective distribution of resources and goods, a more symbiotic relationship with nature, and limited laws as well as no poverty.
Computers, Tools and Technology as Means to a Utopian Future
Various utopias have arisen in the course of history. In Francis bacons book “New Atlantis”, the residents of the utopian island achieved happiness thanks to the abundance of technical products. A change in political and social institutions was unnecessary in Bacon’s utopia: only a higher production was sufficient. New Atlantis can be viewed as a prototype of what might be described as a technical utopia with technical progress being the only thing needed to create a utopian society.Technology guarantees perfection in society.
If a utopian future can be envisioned, outlining what is needed, humanity can then be able to take steps that would take them to this utopiaand avoid the dark future.The essential driver of change towards a utopian societylies with human consciousness. The better understanding of how and what consciousness symbolizes in human evolution-will guide material changes. A better and more positive understanding of consciousness will aid humanity comprehend and apply the empowerment and enablement that technology offers. With regard to technology, a very primary step would be to bestow a minimum, equitable and fair standard of living for all human beings. One basic compulsion for this standard is energy. The dawn of cost efficient, clean, green, lavish energy will be the first measure. Affordable, clean energy together with a consciousness of plenty rather than fear would raise the standards of living on the futuristic future.
Advances in artificial intelligence and robotics would in effect clone human appearances in artificial form. This would bring about challenges for organic and synthetic life forms. Synthetic life will outperform organics in logic, computing power, physical prowess, and sensory analysis. The challenge would be how to live together.
Technology can play a very important role in ensuring thatfuturistic utopian world is attained. Through more and more automation, the work place would be eliminated, and a robotic future where robots do all the work and the citizens enjoy everything for free and the people only work on things they revel in would be in place. However, this can also result to a dark future especially if other aspects of a utopian civilization are not put in place.
With advanced computing devices and material science, a global intelligence would emerge out of the interconnected minds. This would facilitate discovery of the cure to all diseases and aging, and provision of all the energy that the world could need.
Through the employment of computers, tools, technology, machines and networks, the production of energy, materials, food and health care will be simplified. Technology will facilitate the production of ones own energy from home by way ofwind, solar or water or preferably LENR. The creation of materials from scratch at home would be made possible by technology. Food through the help of robots, algae, and cultured meats would be made possible, rather than through the animal industry method. Genetically modified organisms would form the source for various nutrients, providing people with easy building blocks for food production.
With regard to healthcare, robots and nano-robots would maintain the human body at functional levels, harmonized with technology designed for nano-creating medicines-like pain killers- in molecular- 3D-printers. Through these technologicaladvancements, healthcare will become readily obtainable and accessible to the public and not through the government or the wealthy.
In the industries, personal robotics and 3-D printers would be capable of using and producing the materials man has created himself in developing all the other machines required for survival: electric tech like lighting equipment, the energy machines, houses, more computers and new robots.
In the utopia future, even though most people believe the world would fall into the nothing-ever-changes trap, and that a sense of boredom would encroach the world thus overwhelming the people with a monotonic life, this could not be further from the truth. This outcome for the future there would be many sources of drama for the population. These can include explorations and discoveries, tests of the utopian principles, interpersonal relationships, the struggle to maintain the utopia against internal and external disruptions, and personal sacrifice.
Conclusion
It was man’s seeking of the perfect axe that led to the development of technology, and so it should be that despite the impossibility of a perfect society that man should seek to improve the world. A true utopia would be a hard to attain feat, this notwithstanding the great strides that computers, tools, and technology, machines and networks would make towards the achievement of such a future. This future would be a far fetched idea for as long as humans remain humans.
Although presently, a utopian society would seem to be nothing more that a fanciful reality when the current states of the world is taken into account, and its affairs, there is some hope that such a future may one day materialize. It might take enormous shifts in perspective so as to accomplish such an existence, but if human society learns from its mistakes, this utopian reverie could still come to pass. Technology and computers will effortlessly facilitate this.
References
Cook, R. (2003). Yes – Utopia!: We Have the Technology. Ron Cook Publishers.
Ferns, C. S. (1999). Narrating Utopia: Ideology. Liverpool University Press.
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Organizational Behavior Case Study custom essay helpSources of Conflict Based on Model of Conflict Processes
The conflict between the implementation and policy team arises from several sources. The model of conflict process can be used in the analysis of the conflict. Among the sources of conflict is incompatibility or potential opposition. Potential opposition comes in based on the setting created at the workplace. The teams are working on different settings but, working on similar activities. One team spearheads an operation and the other one is left to complete. Working on different settings hinders the level of communication at the workplace. What the policy team develops might not go well with the implementation team. This is because the two teams have different perceptions on the matter. Their ideologies are likely to conflict hence polarizing the relationship that exists between the two parties (Furlong, 2005). Working in partnership would be the best approach to use under in such a working environment. Decisions arrived at would be mutual hence no one would have the audacity to oppose them. Another incompatibility aspect arises from the age differentials between the two teams. The policy team is believed to have experienced employees that are elderly compared to the implementation team. Based on this ideology, the policy team will always view the implementation team as inferior. They are reluctant to appreciate any work that they get engaged with. This causes conflict because the implementation team cannot get along with this. They have the quest of proving themselves hence the desire of going against the odds.
Another stage of the model of conflict process that is quite applicable to this case is cognition and personalization. Initially, the implementation team made a blunder in the first weeks. This was getting a farmers’ union offside as they executed their duties. As a result, the policy team views the implementation team as inferior. Such instances hinder effective operations at the workplace. The policy team does not trust the implementation with its duties. This aspect is vivid from the body language and the way the duties are executed. An implementation team member had leaked some emails that had from the policy team members. The emails had negative remarks towards the implementation team. Implementation team on its part is aware of how their colleagues view them. The occurrence draws sour blood between the parties since they view each other as enemies. Any opportunity to get pull down the team will be highly appreciated by the other party. This is not favorable in the department’s quest of attaining the desired objectives. The teams try to jeopardize each other’s work so as to prove a point (Gitman & McDaniel, 2009).
Another issue that contributes to the conflict is the intentions that every team has in mind. One of them is the competing aspect from the implementation team. The members are quite aware that they are young and inexperienced compared to the policy team. For this reason, they intend to prove their worth in the midst of the current setting. By trying to prove themselves, they engage in activities that do not go well with the policy team. They try to make them feel inferior too hence heightening the conflict between the two parties. The policy team on the other hand, has the intent of compromising the activities of the implementation team. For them (policy team), seem to be high on the hierarchy of the organization. This based on the age level and the work experience that they are perceived to posses. They fear that the people from the implementation team might replace them sooner than later if their efforts are substantial. The team is trying to use conflict as a way of slowing them down. This will continue for some time if something effective is not done.
The behavior of the previous manager has also contributed to the conflict being experienced. As the policy team tried to trade allegations towards their colleagues through emails, the implementation team had filed formal complains with him. However, John did not take any initiative to quell the problem. He just locked himself in the office and left the issues to sort themselves. This did not turn out well since the aggrieved party felt disappointed. They had the initiative of taking the matters on their own hands. This meant taking the policy team heads on without minding the extent to which the relationships would be ruined.
Outcome of the conflict also contributed to the conflict. The mechanism designed to bring calm did not last for a long time. It was short-term and hence could not hold on the reconciliation process. The department seemed not to have learnt of the root causes and try and solve them permanently.
Suitability of Max’s Actions
The actions of the manager were appropriate to some extent and inappropriate when looked from a different angle. As a short term solution, it was the best thing to do. Talking to all the relevant employees was aimed at passing some vital information. Max tried to reason out with the employees and come to conclusion that the conflict was not doing any good to the department and the employees’ careers too. However, talking to them as a group was more effective compared to individual basis. Individual basis would have resulted in some form of conflict. Every member of the department would be curious of what the others were discussing with the manager. To them it would appear as a way of duping them so as to bring them into good terms. It is evident that mechanism used to quell the problem did not last for long.
Max would have depended on his mechanism for the short-term period, but in the process develop a long-term strategy. Max should have taken the initiative of investigating the actual cause of these conflicts. This would have been through thorough interviews with all the employees. Everyone would have been held responsible for their own actions. Not conducting an investigation hindered any form of success in the future. A similar situation would arise since the mechanisms used in solving the problem might not be the most appropriate. Individuals that bared more responsibility in the conflict process should have been brought to book. Anyone of them that refused to corporate needed to be subject of further action from the management. This would have acted as a lesson to other employees that might think of heading in a similar direction in future operations. It would bring disciple on levels of the workplace.
This should be followed by developing a culture of working in partnership. This would have been a gradual process but would have paid immensely once implemented. By trying to make people work in partnership, a lot of things and systems in the organization tend to change. This includes the values, beliefs and perceptions that people have. Working in partnership eliminates the notion that one party is superior compared to the other. All people work towards achieving a common goal. Under such a setting everyone understands his or her duties clearly hence eliminating any form of conflict. It becomes the duty of every employee to hold his or her side of the task so as to complete the action of the others (Gennard & Judge, 2005). Working in partnership also helps in elevating pressure and stress at the workplace. These aspects highly contribute to the existence of conflict in the organization. People tend to find various excuses of why their lives are not turning out as expected. The immediate thing to do is finding blame of the side of colleagues. They tend to think they are the cause of their pressure and stress hence tends to confront them in various ways. If Max helped in eliminating this aspects, the conflict levels would not have gone overboard. When people have the peace of mind, their reasoning capacity is high hence make reasonable and appropriate decisions. To this effect, Max should have reviewed the working environment and patterns so as to come with a favorable mechanism.
Another way that Max would have dealt with the issue is by way of engaging all the relevant employees. To achieve this, he would have held several meetings with all the employees involved in the conflicts. Here, they would have discussed the issues and everyone given the opportunity to raise their grievances. Several policies that would have helped in bringing calm should have been devised through this mechanism. When the employees are involved the decision making process of an organization, there is an essence of belonging that is developed (Rahim, 2011). This way, they tend to adhere to all the regulations and stipulations brought forward since they were part of the team that coined them. Their involvement also makes sure that all the regulations brought forward are attainable.
Actions to be Enhanced by Joseph
Joseph has a lot to do in order to ensure that timeliness and government objectives are met. Among them is setting up mechanisms that will help in managing diversity. When the management has been able to manage diversity, it becomes feasible in attaining the postulated objectives. This is because every employee has a good understanding of their colleagues. They tend to appreciate them for who they are. Their weaknesses are no longer a subject of discrimination or judgment. People tend to see the importance of the differences while striving to achieve various objectives in the organization. The differences help in bringing in different reasoning aspects hence completing the allocated task in the best possible way (Cañas & Sondak, 2012). All employees also tend to understand that age, color of the skin, racial background and other differential factors really mean nothing at the workplace. It will be of help based on the grounds that policy team and implementation team seem to differ in terms of their age and experience level. However, if the process is not conducted in the best way possible it might not pay favorable results. The team allocated with this duty must be competent enough so as to see the process prevail. They must have a little background on managing diversity to help come up with the most appropriate polices and strategies for the process.
Another action that might help on issues regarding timeliness is setting of deadlines. Every task should be allocated a certain period of time. No matter the circumstances, the task should be executed within this time without any failure. Such a situation will help develop some form of focus on the side of the employees. It works as a form of motivation since the employees have something to work for. It is a driving force since there are aims and there is need to deliver. This will bring employees into working together since they have a common goal and the time is limited (Lauby, 2005). The improvement in relationship between the employees involved ensures that all the tasks are executed in the best possible way and on a timely manner. There is knowledge that any form of laxity from one employee might jeopardize the whole process. As a result, employees work as motivation to their colleagues. Once one of them is not in line with the general procedure, they tend to enlighten him or her of what is expected. When such aspects are the driving force at the workplace, it will become possible to attain the government’s objectives in the desired time frame. The relationship developed in the process will be very useful on future endeavors of the workplace.
Enhancing employees’ motivation would also make an effective action for Joseph. There are several ideas that he can use during the process of enhancing motivation. One way is by setting outcome based goals. The goals should be realistic and achievable based on the resources that the taskforce has on its disposal. There should be frequent reviews on these goals to help see whether their relevance still holds. Some goals become irrelevant along the way as new outcomes unfold. These reviews will help in eliminating irrelevance. The taskforce of its part will have a sense of doing something that is appropriate hence creating some form of motivation (Konrad, Prasad & Pringle, 2006). It will become easier for the department to achieve government’s objectives in a timely manner. Joseph should also establish some form of trust with the taskforce. Mistakes only provide an opportunity of fixing problems and moving on with the desired task. The employees had made a mistake before, but this should not deter Joseph from trusting them. It usually feels good on their side once they are trusted with something. It makes them feel responsible and have something to pay back to their manager. This boosts their motivation has improves their general performance. Identifying the employees’ strengths would also help in this realization. Age difference and work experience should not be used as criteria of determining whether a member of the taskforce works in the implementation or policy team. Joseph should take the initiative of analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of his members. This way, he will be able to assess where they best fit in accomplishing the designated tasks (Lauby, 2005). Getting the best out of every employee will be the ultimate objective. The occurrence will act as a motivation to the taskforce since everyone is doing what he or she is best at. Completing all the assignments in time and meeting relevant objectives will be enhanced by using such a technique.
References
Cañas, K. A., & Sondak, H. (2012). Opportunites and challenges of workplace diversity: theory, cases and exercises (Third ed.). kuma: earson Education, Limited.
Furlong, G. T. (2005). The conflict resolution toolbox models & maps for analyzing, diagnosing, and resolving conflict. Mississauga, Ont.: J. Wiley & Sons Canada.
Gennard, J., & Judge, G. (2005). Employee relations (4th ed.). London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Gitman, L. J., & McDaniel, C. D. (2009). The future of business: the essentials (4th, student ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cenage Learning.
Konrad, A. M., Prasad, P., & Pringle, J. K. (2006). The handbook of workplace diversity. London: Sage Publications.
Lauby, S. J. (2005). Motivating employees. Alexandria, Va.: ASTD Press.
Rahim, M. A. (2011). Managing conflict in organizations (4th ed.). New Brunswick [NJ: Transaction.
West, R. L., & Turner, L. H. (2011). Understanding interpersonal communication: making choices in changing times (2nd ed.). Boston: Wadsworth.
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Bristol Royal Infirmary Case college essay help near meSeveral solutions are available to help address the quality issues raised in the Bristol Royal Infirmary case. Among them is effective communication between HBC professionals, caregivers, parents and children. This would help address the situation since the parents will be able to know various risks involved before subjecting their children to this activity. The professionals involved should give the parents options if they fill that the staff involved is not highly qualified for a certain task. This can help in preventing unprecedented deaths. The patients should also have access to information regarding the hospital so that they can have adequate knowledge while making decisions.
Feedback from patients should be taken seriously at all times. Some patients had brain damage after undergoing heart surgeries in Bristol Royal Infirmary. Taking the feedbacks seriously would help the surgeons involved to identify the problem that occurred and hence prevent its future occurrence on other patients.
Employment of competent health professionals would also help in addressing the situation. This is because competent professionals are not likely to spearhead negligence when it comes to the lives of people. Their level of qualification would not allow them to make some stupid mistakes, which are very likely when unqualified personnel are involved.
Patient support services are also among the proposed solutions to this situation. However, this might not make a major impact. There are nurses and other support staff in the hospital, but their knowledge is somewhat limited. It might be difficult for them to mitigate various problems created by the doctors. However, they can be trained to be more diligent in their areas of specialization so that the shortcomings do not emanate from their side.
Staffing children healthcare professionals would also address the situation. In this case, it is outright that there is a low priority given to children. This is because the cases reported only indicate a shortcoming towards children and not other patients. This means that the staff available for taking care of children is not adequate. Bringing in more professionals that are solely concerned with children would help in solving the issue.
Training all the relevant staff involved with the institution might also work as a solution. The situation might be extensive than what meets the eye. Even when the surgeons are extremely careful in what they do, negligence from other stakeholders involved might result to deaths of children. This makes it important for all the stakeholders involved to undergo the necessary training.
Regular monitoring of performances also presents a suitable solution to this problem. National Health Service should undertake this task. Monitoring ensures that the activities being undertaken meet the required threshold. It eliminates any lapses that might arise on the side of the personnel involved with the hospital. The NHS should also try to remove all the unsafe practices during the monitoring process.
Ensuring safety of care would also come in handy in solving the problem. This because the Bristol case shows aspects of a lax with regards to clinical safety. When the lives of people are the subject matter, it is usually a high time that all the safety standards are put in place. Every life is precious hence the need to do anything to ensure that it is saved.
The patients should also get information of the nature of treatment being provided at all times. They should be part of the decisions that impact their lives. This would be helpful since the doctors would not bring about ideas that are likely to put the patients in danger. This is because the patients would refuse to go along with the ideas if they fill they are putting their lives in danger.
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Cognitive Differences custom essay helpPart 1
The introduction section asserts that individuals with ASD tend to experience various cognitive differences that affect various aspects of their lives. It postulates that it is important to identify these cognitive differences so that strategies to address them can be devised. The objectives section highlights the outcomes that will accrue to individuals that will be involved in studying the module.
The section on CEC professional standards on its part highlights the standards that should be maintained when dealing with individuals suffering from ASD. The overview of the module outlines that people diagnosed with ASD exhibit some elements of unevenness in their cognitive abilities. It has provided three cognitive models that could be used to understand the behavior of people with ASD. These models include executive function, theory of the mind and central coherence. This part indicates that it is important to identify various cognitive characteristics that underlie a behavior to develop an effective program.
The section on early cognitive differences indicates that cognitive development is likely to be influenced by social, communication and emotional development. Children diagnosed with ASD tend to demonstrate possible cognitive differences. The section on theory of the mind postulates that the cognitive ability to understand beliefs, thoughts, desires, intentions, feelings and perceptions, and apply this in predicting other people’s actions is the one referred to as the theory of the mind. The section also outlines that children who have been diagnosed with high functioning autism experience delays when it comes to making inferences about other people’s thoughts.
The section on theory of weak central coherence (WCC) shows how difficult it is for people with a weak central coherence to incorporate pieces of information into a larger context. This makes it difficult for them to understand complex contexts. Affected individuals usually have a problem when it comes to differentiating changes that are occurring in small details. The section on theory of executive dysfunction tries to encompass a group of cognitive processes. They include working memory, behavior inhibition, mental flexibility, task initiation, self-regulation among others. The section tries to explain that not all challenges associated ASD are as a result of executive function differences. There has been an outline of various difficulties that are usually related to executive function.
The section on context blindness is all about how people experience deficit when it comes to using context subconsciously and spontaneously to determine meanings. This usually affects individuals with ASD since on most occasions they do not use context in an intuitive way. They only learn facts and rules and apply them in an absolute manner. The section on cognitive strength tries to explain how people with ASD are not alike. A list of strengths associated with people suffering from ASD has been provided as a result.
The section on impacts of cognitive differences indicates that children with ASD experience higher rates of specific learning disabilities. There is also an indication that they have difficulties when it comes to applying concepts in real life contexts. The tendency to have narrow areas of interests also impacts academic performance in various ways. The section on planning and organization shows how an individual with ASD might have the knowledge to undertake a certain task, but lack in planning and organization skills. To some people, it might appear as if they are being manipulative in order to avoid tasks, but that is never the case. When it comes to literal understanding, the section is all about how individuals with ASD tend to interpret in a literal manner.
Part 2
The content entailed in this module is valuable for students in a number of ways. First being that as students, they aspire to become teachers as their professional career. During this period, they will encounter children portraying a variety of behaviors. The module provides information on how cognitive differences are inferred in children suffering from ASD. As a result, they will be able to use the appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the children get the most favorable support in an attempt of trying to make their life better.
The module educates students on the importance of identifying specific cognitive differences that are affecting a particular child. Identification of the cognitive differences is vital in making the decision as to which strategy will be more appropriate. This is an important element since the implementation of undesirable strategy might make things worse.
The module has also provided students with three cognitive models to help them understand the behaviors exhibited by individuals suffering from ASD. They include theory of the mind, central coherence, and executive function. These models would be very effective when making various analyses. There is also the provision of information regarding what other developmental aspects would influence cognitive differences. This is valuable since it gives the students an idea of what elements require some balancing to reduce the negative impact they would have on cognitive differences.
The part on Weak Central Coherence also provides some valuable information on how people with ASD find it difficult to comprehend situations. This shows that it is important to try and find other ways of showing them various changes occurring in small details since they might not comprehend the “bigger picture.” There is also some important information regarding how individuals with ASD might be poor at executing tasks, yet they have sufficient knowledge regarding the task. Through the module, students are able to learn that it is not a pretense, but something that can actually occur.
Part 3
If I was to implement the elements of this module in a classroom, the first thing I would do is try to identify specific cognitive differences affecting a child. This is because there is no way you can generalize these differences and expect to come up with strategies that will help solve the problem. To achieve this, I must have the ability to identify various cognitive characteristics that are particular to a certain behavior.
The other thing I would ensure is that a child’s emotional, communication and social development have been considered to a greater extent. This is because if these aspects are operating in an undesirable manner, the prospect of cognitive development being positive is quite low. To some extent, I would also avoid introduction of major changes when dealing with children with ASD. This is due to the distress that they experience as a result of changes or transition in their lives.
While dealing with children suffering from ASD, I would ensure that they do not only learn rules and facts. This is because they only end up applying them in an absolute manner. I must teach them how to analyze various contexts in light of the information they already have. This would be helpful to them since it reduces the prospect of other people taking advantage of their situation. I would also handle each child on an individual level. The reason behind this is that the children might be suffering from a similar condition, but they are not a like at all. This means that a certain strategy might work for a certain child, but fail completely when it comes to another individual. This is something that is even present to people that are not suffering from any disability.
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Business Purchase Case Study college admissions essay helpAn income statement is defined as a financial statement that companies use to measure their financial performance over a given period (Warren, Reeve, & Duchac, 2009). Precisely, it gives a summary of the company’s revenue and expenses in both operating and non-operating activities. On the other hand, 1040 Schedule C is a form filled by a sole proprietor to report his/her profit or loss from the business. The owners will fill the form when reporting their tax-deductible business expenses. In this case study, the financial statement for the business and the owner’s 1040 C business tax do not agree. It is important to note that owners of small business usually make it a common practice to hide vital information such as personal expenses in business expenses. Such a scenario has the following results that might benefit the owner of the business but according to the law, the practice is illegal. First, the owner of the business can take advantage of hiding personal expenses and take money from the business account without showing it as taxable income. Secondly, when the owner files tax return with hidden information on personal expenses, the amount of income that the business is taxed reduces (Warren, Reeve, & Duchac, 2009). Through such practice, the owner can lower his/her tax bill and reap the largest tax benefits.
Also, Sly’s explanation of the difference between his income statement and 1040 Schedule C lead us into discussing the ethical conflicts that sole proprietors experience in the business world. Other information that are critical and irrelevant to the potential buyer include the depreciation, interest, property tax, and draws of the owner. The new value for the depreciation will depend on the price that will be paid for the depreciable assets. Similarly, due to the change in ownership, the property assessment will also change. In case the new owner attempts to make draws, the action will depend on his/her needs and the future success of the business. Therefore, from the above information, it is impossible to determine the value of the business since the information provided are irrelevant.
Before a person pays for the business, he/she must put into consideration the amount to invest, the cash flows from the business and the amount of money realized from the business (Rudani, 2013). In this scenario, the business makes a profit of $60,000 on sales of $200,000. The sales return for this case is 30% which is high. The high returns rates might make a person feel suspicious, and a potential buyer would like to confirm the revenues and largest amount of expenses independently. If the $60,000 figure is confirmed to be correct, to determine the upper limit to the value of the business, we divide profits by the total cost of capital. On a further note, the rule of thumb for small business states that an individual should never assume a cost of capital that is less than 20%. Therefore, when we divide $60,000 by 20%, we get an upper limit of $300,000. This value is higher than the asking price and will automatically raise an alarm.
Ultimately, the new owner must consider the amount of cash flows he/she has. If the seller’s asking price is $240,000 and they are willing to finance $190,000 at 10% for 15 years, the new owner must have $50,000 per year to meet his/her expenses. Similarly, the approximate monthly payment will be $2,042. The current profit is $10,000 and $2,042 × 12= $24,504. When we add debt service and the desired draws, the result will exceed the current profit by $14,504. Therefore, this price is still too high.
Gwendolyn should get information on the demand for the products. He should know if the sales are growing, steady or falling. Second, he should get information on the cost of purchasing similar and used equipment from a restaurant supply. Third, he should determine if she can get an alternative and better finance source other than the owner (Rudani, 2013). Fourth, Gwendolyn should find out if there exist any contracts with the current sellers Caterwauling Coyote. Lastly, he should reconsider the reason he wants to buy the existing business. Why could she not simply make a similar source since the ingredients are listed on the label?
References
Rudani, R. B. (2013). Principles of Management. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Warren, C. S., Reeve, J. M., & Duchac, J. (2009). Financial and managerial accounting. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning.
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Cosmology Assignment essay help free
What is cosmology?
It refers to the system of beliefs that tries to explain the universe and its components. It provides a description to the origin, evolution and eventual fate of the universe (Campion 1). In the modern society, Cosmology is the scientific study of the universe through astronomy and mathematics.
What is African cosmology?
It refers to the way Africans view, belief and contemplates about their universe. Precisely, it entails African’s search for the explanation of the meaning of life and the relationship between humans and the universe. It is mainly based on the religious beliefs and practices.
How has cosmology impacted African art production?
African use their artworks such as sculptures to reflect various traditions and beliefs. The African cosmology provides harmony to the humanity and the environment by integrating African art and individuals into a larger structure that entails clan, family, community and tribal identity. The sculptures portray a complex cultural tradition whereby Africans try to understand and appreciate life through artworks. Similarly, cosmology has influenced African art production through rituals and ceremonies. African arts involve performance, ritual objects, costumes, and audience. Therefore, most artworks are used to illustrate myths and spiritual beings. Africans believed that natural phenomena were responsible for their daily need, and that is why they used their artwork to perform rituals and ceremony. Also, African artworks symbolized their ancestors. Ancestors played a significant role in African cosmology since they offed pieces of advice and granted them with good fortunes. Therefore, the ancestor cults were designed because they believed it acts as intermediaries between Supreme Being and man. Their art production was much related to the religion beliefs and practices.
Provide specific examples from three different cultures, detailing how cosmology has impacted their traditional artistic production and functions?
First, the Dogon people are prolific African artists whose artworks portray religious characters. Their cosmology enables them to concentrate on mythical beings such as the ancestors, mythical animals, and atavistic blacksmith (“African Art” n.p). The Dogon religious life is regulated by the Dogon creation myth and the Sigi festival held periodically. The Dogon Grand Masks are sacred and regarded as a double of the mythical ancestor since they reflect special signs and symbols.
Second, the cosmological thoughts of the Bangwa, a Bamileke people found in Cameroon are based on twinness and androgyny. In this culture, twins and their parents are reversed. The twin births are regarded as perfect births that represent primordial and androgynous world while the dual births were the rule (“African Art” n.p). In a situation when a woman gives birth to twins, sculptures will be carved in honor of the twins. Therefore, the twin parents give inspirations to Bangwa sculptures. The sculptures show women and men carrying twins. The other sculptures that are known are those of dancing figures whereby they carry bamboo trumpet and rattles. Third, the Yoruba people concentrate on religious art. They are prolific African carvers who are devoted to making cults of their gods. Besides, for ritual performances, they use masks and carved figures to portray basic myths. Moreover, their cosmology has influenced them to give twins special attention. In a case when both or one of the twins dies, the Yoruba people have the tradition of making images of them.
Works Cited
“African Art.” : History, Characteristics. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/ancient-art/african.htm>.
Campion, Nicholas. Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions. New York: New York University Press, 2012. Print.
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Anthropological Analysis cheap essay helpIn Alaska, researchers found the earliest evidence that ancient North America humans used salmon as a source of food. These findings counter the belief that ice age Paleoindians were hunters of big game. These assertions were mainly based on the analysis of a chum salmon that was 11,500 years old. Ben Potter, an anthropologist in the University of Alaska Fairbanks (University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015), found the chum salmon. After the site had been excavated, human dwellings, human remains, tools and salmon bones were found.
Fishing of salmon has deep roots, and it has now been revealed that human beings consumed the salmon 11,500 years ago. The findings also reveals that the salmon spawn runs had been build much further north and earlier than previously thought. After analysis of stable isotope and primordial DNA, it was verified that the fish remains were of sea-rum chum that migrated upriver for some 1400 kilometers from the mouth of Yukon River. This analysis suggests that the modern migrations of salmon have ancient roots.
According to Potter, there are cases where the salmon become landlocked and acquire different isotopic signatures as compared to the marine salmon (University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015). Combining the isotopic and genetics analysis enabled researchers to identify the remains as chum salmon, which have inhabited the area today and established their life histories. The two features according to Potter are important in understanding how human beings used these resources. Archeologists usually have a challenge when analyzing fish remains since their bones are very fragile, small and do not preserve well.
These findings reveal that Beringian diets in the early days were broader than previously thought. Ice Age humans used specialized technologies and complex strategies in obtaining food. Potter added that there was no evidence to oppose the idea that salmon runs were there in the area a few thousand years earlier. This seems to suggest that the fishing of salmon played a big responsibility in the human colonization in North America.
This article applies to Archaeology Anthropology in that it studies ancient remains to try to determine ancient human past. It reveals that ancient human in North America used to eat Salmon. Archeology is the study of ancient human past through studying material remains. By studying fish remains, archeologists can deduce that ancient humans living in the area used salmon as a source of food. The researchers have used an analysis of fish remains to determine the behavior of humans, which is what archeology, is all about. It uses the ancient remains to determine ancient human behavior and then compare with the present behavior. To prove a theory in archaeology, one has to assemble diverse evidence and then bring it together to make an informed assessment. This article used isotopic and genetics analysis to prove that the remains were those of Salmon.
The article is consistent with Archaeology Anthropology. It analysis fish remains to determine the evolution of the fish and ancients human diet. It identifies that the modern migrations of salmon started a long time ago and that Salmons have existed from then. North American inhabitants used salmon as a source of food. This finding eradicates the belief that ancient North Americans were Game hunters (University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015). Their diets were broader than researchers earlier thought were. It is also revealed that ice age humans also had their technologies applied in obtaining food.
Reference
University of Alaska Fairbanks. (2015, September 21). Earliest evidence of ancient North American salmon fishing verified. Retrieved September 26, 2015, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150921182109.htm
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E-Activity: Disc Drives online essay helpMagnetic Disk: Bernoulli Disk Drive
The Bernoulli Disk Drive was manufactured in 1983 by Iomega Corporation later re-branded LenovoEMC. It was a 10MB removable magnetic disk that contained an eight-inch floppy platter. However, the final versions of the Bernoulli drive had capacities of 90, 150, or 230MB per cartridge. At the time when it was floated into the market, it was considered as high capacity. They were made of PET “polyester film which made them more reliable than traditional hard disks since they were not susceptible to the common cause of hard disk failure during that period, known as head crashes. Although Bernoulli disk cartridge was expensive at the time, they promised data access time comparable to hard disk speed, allowing their use as a live storage medium as well as for backup (Sandler, 2007, p. 25). In 1988 when the Bernoulli Box II was released, its retail price was $2,350. At the time, this price was considered the highest among similar backup technologies.
Solid State Drive: Solid-State Drive DC S3700 Series
The Solid-State Drive DC S3700 Seriesmodel of Solid state drive was introduced in the fourth quarter of 2012 manufactured by Intel. It was produced with the selling point of achieving consistent performance.It has a maximum capacity of 800GB andboosts of a 4KB read performance of up to 75,000 IOPSper second and 4KB write performance of up to 36,000 IOPS.Over and above efficient performance, it also protects against data loss and corruption. It possesses high endurance technology that complies with the most demanding and arduous write needs, achieving more than ten writes per day across a five-year life (Intel, 2013). In terms of prices, solid state drives arecomparatively more expensive to HDD with the retail price of the Solid-State Drive DC S3700 Series ranging between $900 and $1200.
Optical drive: ASUS BW-16D1HT-PRO 16x Blu Ray Burner
Optical drives can be internal or external; the ASUS BW-16D1HT-PRO 16x Blu Ray Burner is an internaloptical drive by ASUS. It is a powerful and energy efficient Blu-ray writer that hasthe capacity of writing at 16X BD format. It has an M-Disc compatibility which allows users to store photographs and documents for close to 1,000 years, and together with BDML support- with maximum data storage of 128GB in a single disc. It possesses double data security through which it maintains high standards of security with allowance for password control as well as encoded file name functionality. The retail price range of the ASUS BW-16D1HT-PRO 16x Blu Ray Burner is between $90 and $140.
Conclusion
The best disk drive to use in a home environment is the optical drive, this is for the reason that not only is it cheap and therefore,affordable, but it also has a storage capacity that is big enough to store little family memories like photographs, documents and short videos.For a business environment, the Solid State Drive would be more appropriate. This is because they have a higher storage capacity with a better security system and keeps data safe. The SSD also has a high speed that can boot up a PC in a very short time, therefore more convenient in businesses. Additionally, they have a longer durability and therefore are more likely to keep data safe in the event that a laptop bag is dropped.
References
Intel. (2013). Intel® Solid-State Drive DC S3700 Series Consistently Amazing. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from Intel: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/solid-state-drives/solid-state-drives-dc-s3700-series.html
Sandler, C. (2007). Fix Your Own PC. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
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“The New Asylum”: The State of the Mentally ill in the American Prison System essay help site:eduAbstract
On average, inmates with mental illnesses serve longer sentences that inmates with no mental health issue; have a more likelihood of being involved in violence while incarcerated; and are more susceptible to victimization by other inmates. They are also more prone to be re-incarcerated upon release into the community. This clearly demonstrates challenges that face the mentally ill populations incarcerated in the American justice system. It demonstrates the importance of having in place policy measures that are necessary to ensure that the needs of mentally ill inmates are well addressed to ensure that their transition into the community is undertaken with minimum effort as well as ensure that convicted mentally ill inmates are placed in a prison system that aptly attends to their health needs and ensures they are not exposed to vulnerabilities that put their life and health at risk.
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the United States prison system based on the information presented in the film “The New Asylum.” The paper will present my view on why there are many mentally ill inmates in the United States prison system, and suggest some of the reforms that need to be undertaken so as to provide mentally ill offenders with adequate mental health treatment. The paper will further suggest the interventions that I am of the opinion are needed in the United States prison system and the types of aftercare programs needed for mentally ill offenders who are released from prisons. Finally, the paper will demonstrate the significance of the film in training future counselors and psychologists, and concludes by giving a brief conclusion of the paper,
Discussion
Summary and Analysis of the Film“The New Asylum”
The film “The New Asylum” is a documentary by PBS Frontier, which argues that the prison system in the United States is the new mental health facility. It was shot and produced in 2005 and is based on a prison located in the state of Ohio as a model for mental health in penitentiary system. The film aimed at answering the questions of why the prison system is the new mental health providers for the reason that there are 500,000 people suffering from mental illnesses in jails and prisons, compared to 50,000 people being helped in psychiatric hospitals. The New Asylumrevealed that the American prison system provides needed mental health services more than if the prisoners were not there. It also emphasized that the prison system is a very challengingbackground in which to provide mental health services, and it results in a cycle of recidivism for individuals with mental health issues. The documentary included recordings of inmates during mental health crisis, as well as interviews with inmates, prison guards, and mental health professional. The film is backed by facts and statistics that present the picture in a much clear and understandable manner that allows the viewer to get a clearer picture of how the issue of mentally ill inmates is grave and requires immediate policy action.
Reasons Why the United States Has an Inflated Number of Mentally Ill Offenders in the Prison System
The movie “The New Asylum” indicated that 16 percent of prison inmates in the state of Ohio are mentally ill requiring specialized attention in terms of medication and, or follow up. The movie further adds that while 50,000 mentally ill offenders stay in state hospitals, 500,000 offenders are housed in prisons. These statistics demonstrate the high number of mentally ill offenders in the prison system.
Personally, I have several thoughts on why the United States has an inflated number of mentally ill offenders in the prison system. These include:First, the country’s policy regarding which sector should render mental health services to the offenders is tilted towards imprisoning mentally ill inmates as opposed toputting in place facilities that would facilitate their treatment in a different setting. While other countries such as the United Kingdom in Europe and Japan in Asia have put in place policies that divert mentally ill offenders from the criminal justice system into the health or social services systems, the United Stateshas weaker or no structures that dictate the sector that such offenders should be taken to. Secondly, there is a higher probability of mentally ill persons to commit a criminal offense. According toAllen(2008)mentally ill individuals are more probable to engage in activities that may land them in jail, and are also likely to be re-incarcerated upon release. This coupled with the unavailability structures that help mentally ill inmates to reintegrate back into the community contributes to the high number of mentally ill inmates in the prison system.Thirdly, there is thedifficulty in defining the mentally ill population and determining who should receive specialized treatment. Other reasons why there is a high number of incarcerated mentally ill inmates include: the lack of effective treatment options; the fragmented and uncoordinated system of resources from private organizations, the state, and federal andas well as the resulting gap in care; the Lack of and misapportionment of funding for the treatment of mental health within the united states criminal justice system; and unavailability of psychiatric facilities and services to the public which results to individuals who should have been in mental hospitals finding themselves instead in prison or on the streets without access to effective treatment. Finally, the criminalization of the mentally ill population. Mentally ill individuals who commit crimes or create public disturbances directly go to jail or prison, transforming America’s prisons the de facto custodian of people with mental illnesses.
Reforms needed to provide mentally ill offenders with adequate mental health treatment
While the Eighth Amendment of the American constitution compels the prison system to afford a system of ready access to ample health care, including mental health care, a lot of reforms need to be done to provide mentally ill offenders with adequate mental health treatment.The reforms should not only aim at making the life of the mentally ill offender comfortable in the prison environment, but it should also develop an effective care and management strategy that prepares the offender for community life that reduces their chances of being rearrested or convicted.
The reforms needed to provide mentally ill offenders with adequate mental health treatment include: putting in place measures to ensure that there is adherence to pre-release continuity of care planning and after release. This involves enabling mentally ill offenders to access community treatment by facilitating their access to community programs. This will curb recidivism among the mentally ill population. There is also the need to conceptualize mental illnesses as a chronic illness and therefore broaden public health services into the prison system upon individuals’ incarcerations.
Other steps that can be undertaken in order to provide mentally ill offenders with adequate mental health treatment include: provision of appropriate treatment for prison and jail inmates with severe mental illnesses; implementation and promotion of jail diversion programs; promotion of the use of assisted outpatient treatment; encouragement of cost studies and establishment of careful intake screening procedures; and finally, management of release planning.
Types of Services/Interventions Needed in the United States Penal System
The United States prison system has a constitutional commitment to make available treatment options to prison inmates with severe medical and psychiatric illnesses. The case of Ruiz v. Estelle set the minimum musts for making available mental health services in the United States correctional system.The prison system should offer standard outpatient and inpatient mental health treatment, such as individuals or group psychotherapy, psychotropic medication, and discharge planning.A variety of interventions can be undertaken to reform the United States penal system to be more responsive to the treatment needs of the offenders. These interventions can broadly be categorized into two: incarceration-based interventions and offenders transitioning from incarceration to community interventions.
Incarceration-based interventions include pharmacologic therapy, psychological therapies such as cognitive skills training in form of reasoning and rehabilitation and group cognitive therapy, and finally all-inclusive interventions for inmates with a dual diagnosis, encompassing Modified Therapeutic Community (MTC) with an aftercare element and Modified Therapeutic Communitypersonalized to the needs of female offenders.Interventions that affect offenders transitioning from incarceration to community include: better implementation of the mentally ill offender community transition program; high fidelity integrated dual disorder treatment, discharge planning interventions that encompass assistance applying for mental health benefits; interpersonal therapy(IPT); and finally, interventions coordinated and/or administered by specially trained forensic providers.
Types of Aftercare Programs Needed For Mentally Ill Offenders Who Are Released From Prison and Changes That Need To Be Made To the Parole System In Order To Prevent Individuals from Re-Offending
Offenders suffering from mental illnesses face a myriad of challenges upon being released back into the community. Such offenders become a target for extreme social isolation and are prone to co-occurring substance abuse disorder. These offenders also find it hard to secure suitable accommodation or secure employment, and they may need additional medical and therapeutic assistances and help with financial management.These factors, coupled with non-compliance of treatment orders make these individuals not only a risk to themselves, but also to others.The unique challenges faced by offenders who are mentally ill upon release necessitates the putting in place of community-based treatment models of after release care to tackle the vulnerabilities and risks, as well as needsthis offender population. Treatment modesl based on the community and on continuing care may minimize the risk to the society, and theoffender and reduce the involvement of correctional system for these individuals in future, as well as provide a diversion program from the traditional justice system. According to Hartwell & Orr(1999), continuity of care is an indispensable constituent of effectual mental health treatment of mentally ill person who are involved in the criminal justice system.
Various aftercare programs can be employed to assist mentally ill offenders who are released from prison to integrate back into the community with minimum effort. These can include:Undertaking programs that focus on ensuring the offenders illness or mental state is stabilizing; taking steps that are targeted at enhancing the offenders independent functioning; maintainingmentally ill individualsexternal as well as internal controls in order to reduce the chances of this population actingaggressively and perpetrate new offenses;and establishing a cooperation between staff charged with treatment and the justice system; as well as providing structure in the offenders daily life.
Other aftercare programs that can be put in place to assist mentally ill offenders release from prison include working with the offender’s family to determine if they are a reliable source of social support, obtaining therapeutic living arrangements, and providing a structure for the offenders daily life as well as integrating treatment and case management.
SignificanceOf This Video In Training Future Counselors And Psychologists And Usefulness For Policy Writers
The documentary, The New Asylum,was meant to answer the question of why prisons have been transformed into the new mental health providers. This video would of much help in training future counselors and psychologists who are interested in working in or with individuals in the prison system. The documentary portrays the illnesses and the legalities that surround the prison system,Itenables future counselors and psychologists be prepared on how to handle various mental illnesses within the context of the prison system, an experience that cannot be obtained through in class training.The film challenges common fears among the public about working with the mentally ill inmatesthereby giving a more vivid picture of how things actually are. The Media portrayals of some mental illnesses have been inaccurate, and the general public has little knowledge and plenty of fear about this particular population. However, the film clarifies these perceptions and presents a clear portrayal of the way things are. It therefore, prepares counselor and psychologists on how to handle such populations by understanding how they express themselves.
To policy makers, the film presents the situations and conditions which prisoners are release into, for example, they are released with a little cash and only two weeks worth of medications and no place to go. This usually results to released convicts ending up off their medications, homeless and end up recidivating. The documentary therefore informs policy makers of how things are in the prison system and therefore places them in a better position to come up with policy steps that better address the needs of the mentally ill inmates within and upon release from the prison system.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the documentary opens the public’s eyes to the social problem of mentally ill inmates, a concern that is rarely addressed. Prisons and jails are often not the most appropriate places to manage and deal with individual’s suffering from mental health issues. The presence of a large number of inmates with mental illnesses represents a significant and costly problem for the American prison and jail system.Perhaps now more than ever has the care and treatment of mentally ill offenders in prisons and jails in America became a public safety and public health concern. With individuals being released into the community out of jails having disproportionately high rates of mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, the time is favorable for policy changes to be undertaken that address this societal concern and not only protect the society from such individuals but also the individuals from themselves.
References
Adams, K., & Ferrandino, J. (2008). Managing Mentally Ill Inmates in Prison. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 913-927.
Allen, S. (2008). Mental Health Treatment and the Criminal Justice System. Journal of Health and Biomedical Law, IV(I), 153-191.
Hartwell, S. W., & Orr, K. (1999). The Massachusetts Forensic Transition program for Mentally ill Offenders Re-entering the Community. Psychiatric Services, 1220-1222.
Navasky, M. (Director). (2005). The New Asylums [Motion Picture]. Retrieved December 18, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/asylums/view/
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Threat Posed By Failed States to Civilian Populations and Interstate Stability online essay helpFailed States Threat to Civilian Populations and Interstate Stability
The threat posed by failed states stems from their inability to discharge basic government responsibilities such as providing security, basic public goods, and civil services, and maintaining law and order and governing legitimacy. This power vacuum sparks crises that undercut global strategic interests includingcross-border crime as in the case of human trafficking in Eastern Europe and drug trafficking in Afghanistan and Columbia;proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and Eastern European countries; restricting access to important natural resources as is the case in Congo; thethreat of terrorism from the Middle East and Somalia;and regional stability in Eastern Africa Countries. It also results in the civilian population falling victim to competing factions and crime. These are the channels through which failed states pose a threat to regional stability and civilian populations.
Failed states provide lush bases for harboring terrorist groups and insurgency since such states do not have hegemony within their borders. According to Seth(2008, 33-34), failed states promote the rise insurgence groups which pose a threat to the global community as well as the civilian population as was the case in Afghanistan and Taliban.Ungoverned areas make up an attractive point for terrorist. Terrorists use such states as recruiting and training ground, for poor and disillusioned youth who harbor religious or ethnic grievances. Failed states also provide avenues where terrorist groups have access to weaponry and economicsupplies, and they exploit porous borders and weak law enforcement to reposition weaponry, militants, and money around the globe, or to smuggle goods that fund their operations. Failed states also make available safe havens and operational bases for international terrorists to regroup and strategize.
Failed states also pose other threats. A significant share of the illegal drugs in circulation originates from failed states, whether cocaine from Columbia or opium from Afghanistan. Other forms of criminal dealings thrive under the cover of failed states. The black market diamonds of Sierra Leone benefited warlords and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Failed states with weak governance systems also threaten poverty reduction programs inside such states as well as human rights. This threat of failed states forms the most complex and challenging to address (Krishna-Hensel 2006, 130-131). State failure also has the effect of making the civilian population leave their countries. This creates massive refugee flows that destabilize neighboring countries and facilitates human trafficking. Such refugee flows also become a source of cultural conflict between different social configurations and fuel inter-ethnic strains (Goldstein and Finnemore 2013).
However, Rotberg(2002, 95-96) suggests that the threats posed by failed states can be addressed by preventing weak states from failing in the first place. The author states that empowering failure-prone states before they fail is a pragmatic policy and promotes world order, minimizing war and skirmishes, refugees, casualties, and abuse of human rights. The author adds that preventing state failure is less costly as opposed to reconstructing failed states. Strengthening weak states also eliminate the power vacuums that facilitate terrorism. This willeliminate the threat that failed states impose to the global community and the wellbeing of the local population.
References
Goldstein, Judith, and Martha Finnemore. Back to Basics: State Power in a Contemporary World. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Krishna-Hensel, Sai Felicia. Global Cooperation: Challenges and Opportunities in the Twenty-first Century. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2006.
Rotberg, Robert I. “The New Nature of Nation-State Failure.” The Washington Quarterly 25, no. 3 (2002): 85-96.
Seth, G Jones. “The Rise of Afghanistan’s Insurgence: State Failure and Jihad.” International Security 32, no. 4 (2008): 7-40.
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Avon Branch Store Security essay help onlineExecutive summary
Avon branch located in Cincinnati has a closed circuit system that monitors the store with the aid of cameras. However, there are security loops that need to be mended. One of the six-installed cameras broke down and is not yet fixed for almost two months leaving the backdoor unmonitored. This leaves the store prone to a security breech. Again, the sensor that sets off an alarm when someone tries to steal a high-ticket item is not functioning. It is notable that this sensor has malfunctioned several times and the store associates ignore it completely. In addition, the storeroom door is not locking properly. This indicates the vulnerability of the stores inventory (Fennelly, 2012).
In terms of importance, the major issue is the back door camera since perimeter security comes first. Next comes the sensor that sets off an alarm when someone tries to steal a high-ticket item. The security of items in the store is important since employees and customers can steal items from the store. For the storeroom, not everyone will identify the position of the storeroom. Having solved the backdoor and sensor issue, stealing from the storeroom will be almost impossible.
Any security issue should be taken seriously. The backdoor camera should be fixed immediately or a security guard placed at the door to ensure complete monitoring of the backdoor. The sensor that sets off an alarm when someone tries to steal a high-ticket item should be fixed or replaced given that it has malfunctioned for several times. In addition, the storeroom door lock should also be repaired or replaced to ensure that the store’s inventory is safe.
Identified security issues
Avon branch located in Cincinnati, Ohio has maintained tight security in its facility. This is from the. However, a closer analysis of the security here reveals that there are security loops that need to be mended. These loop holes compromises the physical security of the store, which is very essential (Fennelly, 2012).
One of the major security issues in this facility is a camera break down. One of the six-installed cameras broke down and is not yet fixed for almost two months. The broken camera monitors the store’s back door. Non-monitoring of a back door leaves the store prone to a security breech. It would be easy for anyone especially an employees to sneak items through the back door. Any intruder can also access the store undetected through the back door. It is very irresponsible on the management for not making sure that the camera is fixed.
Another identified security issue is that, the sensor that sets off an alarm when someone tries to steal a high-ticket item is not functioning. This means that any one trying to steal items from the store is not likely to be detected. Now that the back door camera is not functioning, it would be easy for anyone to steal an item from the store and exit through the back door undetected. This is a loophole that will most likely increase cases of shoplifts. It is notable that this sensor has malfunctioned several times and the store associates ignore it completely.
Yet another security issue is the storeroom door not locking properly. This is because the lock is jammed. The storeroom houses all the inventories of the store. This indicates the vulnerability of the store in terms of managing the storeroom security. Though it is obvious there is a store manager, any other employee can easily access the store when the manager is not around. Any intruder with the help of an employee can also identify the storeroom and steal with ease. Because the sensor and the back door are not functioning, this makes theft easy and risk free.
Security issues ranking
In terms of importance, the major issue is the back door camera. Monitoring the entry and exits points is the first line of defense of the store. Any one can access the store through the back door undetected and cause any harm from theft to terrorism and vandalism (Roper, 1997). It is thus important for the store management to ensure that the store perimeter is well monitored and secure.
Next comes the sensor that sets off an alarm when someone tries to steal a high-ticket item. Any one raging from employees to customers and intruders can steal items undetected. A customer can get in to the store through the front door, steal undetected and exit through the back door. Having solved the back door issue it would be hard for anyone to leave with an item undetected.
The last in terms of importance is the storeroom door lock. Not everyone will identify the position of the storeroom. Again, the storeroom has a manager and any item from the storeroom has to be released by the manager. However, employees or anyone in collaboration with an employee can easily access and steal items from the store when the manager is not around. However, if the sensor is functioning, this will be detected. In case the sensor is not functional but the back door camera is functional, the storeroom intruder will not exit the store undetected.
Fixing the security issues
Any security issue should be taken seriously however unimportant it is. The backdoor camera has not been fixed for almost two months. This camera should be fixed immediately to ensure complete monitoring of the store. In future, if any camera breaks down, it should be fixed in time. However, if fixing seems to take time, a security guard can be placed at the back door. This will ensure that the back door is secure at all times.
Again, the sensor that sets off an alarm when someone tries to steal a high-ticket item should be fixed. Given that this sensor has malfunctioned many times, it would only be wise to replace it with a new one. If replacing does not seem fit, cameras can be added at strategic places to monitor the inside of the whole store. If all of these technologies fail, employees can be placed at strategic places inside the store to monitor all customers at all times.
The storeroom door lock should also be repaired or replaced. The storeroom houses the entire inventory and there fore very essential in terms of security. Access to the storeroom should be minimal for other people apart from the storeroom manager and assistant. Again, it would be good to install a door sensor that triggers an alarm every time anyone tries to interfere with the storeroom door. This will ensure that even when the lock is not fully functional, intruders can still be detected.
The physical security of any facility is important starting with the perimeter to inside the facility (Jones, Davis, Turnquist & Nozick, 2006). This ensures that all security issues are taken care off.
References
Fennelly, L. (2012). Effective physical security (4th ed.). S.l.: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Jones, D., Davis, C. E., Turnquist, M., & Nozick, L. K. (2006). Physical security and vulnerability modeling for infrastructure facilities. In System Sciences, 2006. HICSS’06. Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on (Vol. 4, pp. 79c-79c). IEEE.
Roper, C. (1997). Physical security and the inspection process. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
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Maddoff investment securities LLC Case Study argumentative essay helpMr. Markpolos wrote an email to the SEC raising concerns about the operations of Maddoff investment securities LLC. He claimed that the company was likely a Ponzi scheme. Ponzi scheme is an operation where an organization or an individual pays dividends to investors using the new capital raised from new investors rather than from profits made. However, even after Mr. Markpolos raised the red flag, the SEC investigated and concluded that there was no evidence of fraud. This tells us that raising the flag is not the end thing, proving it is the problem. People who run schemes are good at covering their footsteps.
The whistle blowers do not receive a good reception. For example when Mr. Markpolos raised the flag, the SEC did not consult him in the investigations. Before he raised the flag, Mr. Markpolos must have discovered something and the SEC did not care to consult him on what had made him raise the flag. It is common for whistleblowers to be assumed as people who are trying to tarnish the name of a company for personal benefits.
Mr. Madoff was a reputable person and even had friends in the SEC. the investors could not raise questions about the steady returns because they were happy with the returns. In addition, any investor who raised any questions had his/her money returned immediately. With a steady dividend, investors would want their money returned. The SEC on the other hand had conducted several investigations but never found the company guilty. One wonders how for eighteen years they never found any evidence. In my view, they must have feared the influence Mr. Madoff had or they were friends with Mr. Madoff.
A questioning attitude plays an important role in preventing the collapse of a company. By questioning the operations of a company, the management is kept in check and any problems unearthed soon enough. If the SEC had keenly followed the questioned raised about Mr. Madoff, it would have prevented the loss of $ 50 billion of investors money.
In my view, the investors could not have suspected the high levels of returns that never lost momentum. The main priority of an investor is high and steady returns. No investor wants to receive high returns on one period and then low returns on the other period. The investors were happy with the steady returns they were receiving. In addition, given Mr. Madoff’s reputation, the investors must have thought he was good at his work. He was very influential in the creation of NASDAQ and was even a chairperson of NASDAQ.
Arthur a former head of the SEC was known to consult Madoff on issues to do with the market. With such a reputation, investors could not question the returns they were receiving. They viewed Madoff as an experienced investor who had the capability to maintain momentum in the returns. In addition, whatever Madoff did to receive the profits for the high returns paid to investors was a secondary concern for the investors. The primary concern was the returns received. Given that, Madoff provided high returns as compared to other companies, investors were happy with his work.
Mr. DiPascali, the second in command in the company had not even finished college when Madoff employed him. His compensation was $ 2 million per year translating to more than $ 166,000 thousands per yare. This was a higher compensation for someone who had not finished college. Mr. DiPascali confessed in court that he had helped Madoff and other people commit fraud knowingly. I think Mr. DiPascali could not resist the urge to help them.
First, he was earning a high compensation. $ 2 million per year was too high for someone in his education level. In addition, he had been hired in the early years of the company and so he felt part of the company. Looking at it in Mr. DiPascali perspective, if he raised the flag, the company would be closed down and he would lodes his high compensation. With the reputation that the company would receive, it would have been hard for him to get another job let alone the high compensation.
As a normal human being, he chooses not to compromise his benefits. He participated in the fraud. In addition, when a company leader is committing fraud, it is common for employees to follow suit since they get the perception that non-fraudulent activities are not a priority in the company.
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Earthquake Occurrence in the Past Week college admissions essay helpAn earthquake is the shaking and vibration of the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along the fault plane or from volcanic activity. It usually results from the sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust which creates seismic waves. The aftermath always results in widespread destruction of property and loss of lives depending on the magnitude of the respective earthquake. These magnitudes are often reported on the Richter magnitude scales which describe their strengths. Therefore, this survey is intended to examine earthquakes of all magnitudes over a period of one week both in the USA and the world over.
The week recorded three earthquakes that had a magnitude larger than 6.0. The quakes were experienced in three separate locations namely Yujing in Taiwan, Panguna in Papua New Guinea and Ovalle in Chile. Over the last one week the number of earthquakes that recorded a magnitude between 4.5 and 6.0 are 91. This figure represents earthquakes that occurred all over the world. The largest earthquakes were located in two separate locations namely 24km SSE of Yujing in Taiwan and 92km WSW of Panguna in Papua New Guinea. They occurred on 5th and 8th of February respectively. They recorded a similar magnitude of 6.4.
Apart from the United States, the other country that witnessed the highest number of earthquakes over the last seven days is Chile, particularly the Ovalle region. It is evident in the world map because the circle representing the earthquakes in Chile is larger and repeats itself severally. Besides that Chile has also appeared individually in the list of countries with earthquake occurrences.
The most recent earthquake with a magnitude greater than 4.5 was located 56km SSW of Pangai in Tonga. It occurred on the 10TH of February 15:10:33 UTC. The magnitude of this earthquake was 5.4 while its depth was 35km. regarding depth; earthquakes are classified into three zones namely shallow, intermediate and deep. Shallow earthquakes occur between the ranges of 0-70 km, intermediate occur 70-300 km and deep earthquakes 300-700 km. considering that the depth of the earthquake in Tonga was 35km; it is classified as a shallow quake. The type of boundary that exists in the region where Tonga is located is a convergent boundary. A convergent boundary is where two plates move towards each other (Condie, 2013). They are associated with reverse faults and thus, experience some of the most powerful earthquakes on the planet with magnitudes greater than 8.0. Earthquakes are frequent in this region because of the converging Pacific and Indo-Australian plates.
The deepest earthquake was located 238km NNE of Ndoi Island in Fiji. It had a magnitude of 4.3 and a depth of 618km. it occurred on the 6th of February at 12:55:57. On the other hand, the shallowest earthquake was located on 10th February 24 km NNE of Badger in Alaska. It had a magnitude of 1.4 and a depth of 0 km. It is evident that the deepest earthquakes were located on the convergent boundaries where two plates were moving towards each other as in the case of Pacific plate and the Indo-Australian plates. The shallowest earthquake was located within the plates where no collision of plates could cause considerable depths. Consequently, this was evident because collisions of plates or convergent boundaries tend to result in powerful earthquakes that have larger magnitudes and depths.
The earthquake that occurred 6km SSW of Ladson in South Carolina was the nearest to my location. It had a magnitude of 1.9 and a depth of 0.7 km. the depth was very shallow even though it is located slightly far from the boundaries.
There is a close relationship between convergent boundaries and the largest, numerous and deepest earthquakes that were recorded in the world. Most earthquakes occurred between the Pacific and Indo-Australian plate boundaries. The other region with a higher number of recorded earthquakes was the border between Nazca and the South American plates. The line between the Caribbean and North American plates was also an earthquake zone.
These regions experienced numerous earthquakes because they are convergent boundaries. The characteristic feature of these borders is that they always move towards each other. When this occurs they at times, collide or crash thus resulting in massive earthquakes of larger magnitudes. Therefore, the types of faults created are deeper, and this is what result into earthquakes with greater depths. This kind of boundary is also associated with higher rates of earthquake occurrence. Consequently, based on this knowledge this is what is expected to happen in these zones considering the type of boundaries surrounding these countries. Other areas that experience earthquakes with low magnitudes tend to be located in either divergent or conservative boundaries that are associated with small destruction (Tramutoli, Aliano, Corrado, Filizzola, Genzano, Lisi & Pergola, 2013).
In conclusion, from the list of earthquakes provided that occurred over the last seven days, it is evident that the earthquakes were frequent and numerous along converging plate boundaries. These areas are earthquake prone zones because of the colliding plates which cause frequent quakes compared to other regions that border either conservative or divergent plate boundaries.
References
Condie, K. C. (2013). Plate tectonics & crustal evolution. Elsevier.
Tramutoli, V., Aliano, C., Corrado, R., Filizzola, C., Genzano, N., Lisi, M., … & Pergola, N. (2013). On the possible origin of thermal infrared radiation (TIR) anomalies in earthquake-prone areas observed using robust satellite techniques (RST). Chemical Geology, 339, 157-168.
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A Report on the Impact of Business Environment on Tesco college application essay help Introduction
Tesco is a multinational food retailing company that has store outlets in more than 12 countries around the world. The multinational food company is headquartered in the United Kingdom (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). The company is ranked as the second largest retailer in terms of revenues and profit made after Wal-Mart. Precisely, the company is known to offer food and non-food products; however, it has extended its services and now it also provides hardware services, insurance, finance and mobile services.
Tesco serves as a leader on the international level and; therefore, the company is fully engaging in environmental performance. Similarly, the company assumes corporate social responsibility in its activities (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). Tesco is still living up to its famous slogan, “every little helps” and add it to the company’s main goals that include customer satisfaction and maintaining a healthy relationship with the stakeholders (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). Other company’s essentials include supporting the local community, trade responsibly and reduce their impact on the environment and being a great employer. In this report, we shall discuss the effect of business environment on Tesco and how the company has responded or continued to respond to the environmental changes.
Business Organization and Environment
A business environment encompasses both the external and internal factors that affect the day to day operations of a business (Fernando, 2011). It is also possible that the internal and external factors influence one another and eventually work together to impact the business. Moreover, some of the external factors are beyond the control of the company or organization. For example, the political factors, geographical features, and technological changes (Fernando, 2011). The company has the role to try and relate to the different environment and how they affect the organization. The two main categories of the environment are the controllable and non-controllable environment. Besides, the company should consider how it relates to the environment because when it alters any environment, it will result in a counter effect on the other.
Controllable Environment
It entails the major make-up of the organization hence they are the reason for the existence of the business. Without these attributes, the company will be dormant to all its activities (Fernando, 2011). The controllable environment includes labor, raw materials, capital, equipment, and entrepreneurs. Such an environment can be controlled since the company decides on the quantity to be used depending on the availability of resources. First, raw materials are the physical resources or pieces that are supplied to the manufacture so that the company can produce the end product (Fernando, 2011). They are very essential, and the Tesco can dictate the amount it requires depending on the cost and availability.
Second, labor entails the human resources (actual workers) who have been hired by Tesco to provide physical or intellectual assistance to the day to day operations of the organization. The company’s human resources should have adequate knowledge and skills to carry out the operations that will benefit the company in the future (Craig, & Campbell, 2012). The company uses third, equipment as machinery or devices and they help in converting raw materials to finish products ready for use by the consumers.
Fourth, capital refers to the monetary aid the company will use to achieve its objectives. It is the most critical attribute the company must have since it is the one that makes the other attributes functional. Ultimately, we have the entrepreneur. They are groups or individuals that are directly involved in the company’s activities since they take risks and invest to achieve the goals set (Craig, & Campbell, 2012).
The organization must ensure that it balances the above attributes and consider them equal for it to survive in the market competition. Therefore, Tesco has recognized this and put the strategies in place to ensure the attributes contributes accordingly.
Non-Controllable Environment
It provides an insight into the indirect attributes that impact the operations of the company. They are uncontrollable because it is impossible for the organization to change them, but this environment can alter the intermediate processes of the organization. Each attribute has a role in shaping the way Tesco must carry out its operations and the company cannot consider them equal since they differ in their magnitude of the effect. These attributes include the following.
Political factors
The country’s government usually enforces these factors. Therefore, these factors are critical for the operation of Tesco because various countries offer different political platforms. Similarly, since Tesco is a global retailing company, it must follow the rules and regulations of the markets in the host countries. The political factors include quotas, tariff and taxes, embargoes, the stability of the country, subsidies and patent rights over the use of certain technology (Kew, & Stredwick, 2005). They are all decided by the government of the host country; therefore, Tesco always ensures that it works hand in hand with the relevant authorities to achieve its goal to capturing the target market.
At the moment, many countries are undergoing financial instability, their government have opted to encourage all retailers operating in the country to create jobs for the local population. It is a challenge to Tesco, and for it to be successful in such countries, it must create employment opportunities and this, in turn, will increase the demand for their products and the diversity of the workforce (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). China has the world’s profitable markets, and its inclusion in the World Trade Organization has enhanced the free flow of foreign traders. Similarly, China’s removal of trade barriers encouraged Tesco to move into the market that consist of more than 1.3 billion people (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). Also, many countries have joined the European Union (EU), and this has boosted trade between Eastern European countries and the Western. Therefore, such a move encouraged Tesco to expand its business network.
Economic factors
Tesco is much concerned with the economic factors since they directly impact the purchasing behaviors of the consumers. Moreover, the economic system controls what to produce and how the products should be produced (Craig, & Campbell, 2012). International trade is important for Tesco since the company is one of the largest producer and suppliers of food and non-food products. On the other hand, Tesco is concerned with the host country’s inflation rates, exchange rates, the type of economic system used and the level of employment (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). They are equally important for the company’s plans and financial safety.
In the year 2008, the UK economy was officially declared to experience a recession. However, the government intervened by reducing the rates of interest charged by the financial institutions. The action helped minimize the rise in unemployment and increased the consumers’ aggregate demand for the products. They also gained confidence about their financial status hence increasing the spending power. Moreover, in other countries that Tesco operates, they still experience financial uncertainty. In such scenario, consumers are most likely to reduce their spending on premium products that consist of organic and ready-made food. This will affect the company’s total sales and revenue.
On the positive side, during a recession, consumers will eat less when they are outside, but they will tend to eat more when they are at home (Craig, & Campbell, 2012). Therefore, since Tesco is a global grocery retailer, recession provide it with an opportunity to increase their output. Also, it is important to understand that food is the last item that consumers will cut back.
Similarly, changes in policies such as taxation could affect the company’s ability to access finance. However, although Tesco has expanded globally, it is still dependent on the UK market because of its large shares. Over the course of its operations, Tesco has pursued two important strategies that include internationalization and diversification. Most countries have endured a decline in both disposable and household income, and this made Tesco adjust its strategies and focus on advertising the product’s brands than concentrating on luxurious products.
Social factors
It primarily entails how Tesco blends in with societal components that include culture, lifestyle, and social class, demographic and sociological factors (Hamilton, & Webster, 2015). It is important for the company to develop a demographic profile of its customer base so that it could be easier for it to understand what motivates them. Tesco operates well in countries with different culture and social class because the company always offers products that satisfy most consumers despite their difference in religion, ethnic origin, income level, and race.
The recent research about the UK population indicates that the number of retired population is more than that of the children. Because of the high number of the aging population, the food retailers such as Tesco are discouraged since old people tend to consume less. Similarly, they do not frequently visit the supermarkets compared to the younger population. Therefore, this is a big blow to the Tesco and other food retailing companies. Moreover, the study concluded that the internet literacy level for individuals over the age of 65 years has dropped (Hamilton, & Webster, 2015). Nevertheless, policy makers have predicted that online shopping would be more convenient to the aging population. But according to the policies and strategies of Tesco, delivering small quantities would be ineffective and expensive o the company.
Besides, the various social changes trends show that consumers prefer and have moved to bulk shopping and one-stop shopping. The company responded to such an action by the customers by increasing the number of non-food items offered. Consumers’ attitudes and beliefs mostly drive their demand for goods and services. Precisely, customers have become more health conscious and hence their attitude towards food has changed constantly. Tesco has accommodated and increased the demand for organic food so as to adapt to these changes in demand.
Technological factors
These are innovations that companies use to promote their business. Similarly, it entails the rate at which technology advances. However, technological changes can either benefit or hurt your company (Fernando, 2011). Developing and keeping up to date with the changes in technology helps the company to participate competitively and take advantage of the market. Technology has directly impacted the supply chain and processes of grocery and food companies (Fernando, 2011). Therefore, it is the predominant medium by which the companies get their operations done. Also, in terms of food and non-food products, technology defines the way companies operate.
The use of technology by Tesco does not only shape culture but also it brings changes to certain aspects in the organization. For example, the company may need to upgrade its equipment to enhance the manufacturing of the finished products (Oshri, & Kotlarsky, 2010). The success of Tesco as a food retailer depends on constant improvement in technology. The two new opportunities Tesco brought due to the advancement in technology include the following. The company developed and introduced online shopping. In the past years, internet subscription by the consumers has increased by approximately 50%. Also, more than 70% of the UK population are using the internet. Therefore, the online shopping introduced by Tesco facilitates home deliveries, and this has encouraged more customers to purchase products through the internet (Tesco and Society Report, 2013).
Second, the company employed self-service checkout points. The new opportunity provided customers with convenience and ease and also the company benefited by a reduction in the labor cost (Oshri, & Kotlarsky, 2010). Moreover, other technological plans introduced by the company are loyalty programs and mobile applications. The company’s information technology department introduced loyalty programs, and it has helped the company since it discourages loyal customers from switching their services to the competitors.
Tesco uses the mobile technology within its food retailing. For example, the company uses New Wine Application to direct the customers to Tesco Wine and from there they can purchase the selected wine from their tablets or mobile phones (Hamilton, & Webster, 2015). Ultimately, Tesco has taken advantage of technology and invested its resources in energy efficiency projects. The company invests in such projects to fulfill its long-term goal of reducing the amount of carbon footprints.
Environmental factors
All governments have raised their concern on environmental matters. They request and put pressure on companies to be environmental friendly and reduce their packaging. Similarly, consumers’ concern on environment is a factor that determines their buying behavior (Kew, & Stredwick, 2005). The geographical features of the environment explain the influence of Mother Nature. Features such as landscape, weather, climate and natural disasters of a host country impact the operations of any organization (Hamilton, & Webster, 2015). Such an environment influence the potential sites to put a business. Therefore, serious companies and individuals with businesses should consider minimizing the effect of the environment to their operations. A company like Tesco is very innovative in how they design their products to overcome the influence of geographical features. The company has added hydrophobic materials to the packaging of their products and also bags with high melting to withstand he harsh conditions of the country.
In addition, Tesco has addressed environmental issues by reducing the amount of carbon footprint. Also, the company is committed to using scarce resources in their supply and be a zero-carbon business by the year 2050 (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). The company has gone far and addressed consumer awareness on the firm’s carbon footprint by adding data about carbon footprint on items such as potatoes, orange juice, dairy products, bread and other non-food products. The pressure from the government and the numerous campaigns from Tesco has resulted to the percentage of people using reusable bags increase from 71% to 74%. Also, the number of consumers who prefer not to use plastic bags to deliver their products has also risen from 65% to 68% (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). These improvements have promoted the company’s corporate social responsibility image and also reduced its overall production cost.
The company provides customers with rewards through their program called Green Clubcard points. Customers will only get the points when they request bagless deliveries, reuse bags, recycle aluminum cans and mobile phones (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). It also operates a scheme called Green Living. Through the scheme, Tesco offers pieces of advice to their customers on environmental issues that include ways to reduce food wastage and also the amount of carbon footprint when they prepare meals.
Legislative factors
Organizations and other businesses operate under the guidance of legal obligations and restrictions. Some of the legal factors deal with the health and safety of the consumers while others relate to environmental management, consumer protection law and import and export restrictions (Craig, & Campbell, 2012). The policies and legislations set by the government directly impact the operations of Tesco. In 2004, the Food Retailing Commission recommended the introduction of a code of practice. The legislation was to ban certain practices exercised by companies that include changing the prices of goods and services without giving notice. Also, the code of practice was to ban companies from requesting for payments from suppliers. The policies forced Tesco to offer its customers price reduction on various products such as fuel in accordance with the amount of purchase in the retail outlets. Some countries predicted an increase in VAT since the government would like to finance their huge budget deficit. Such actions would affect Tesco’s non-food sectors.
Competitors
When companies face competition, they tend to deliver quality goods and services to the consumers (Harrison, 2013). First, Tesco faces a threat of substitute products and services. The grocery retail market that deals with food items faces a minimal threat to substitutes; however, those that deal with non-food items face medium to high threats. Some of the retailers in the grocery market that tend to offer substitute products are small organic shops and other convenience stores that are not seen as a bigger threat by Tesco. It is because Tesco offers quality products and also at lower prices. Besides, Tesco responded to such competition by opening more Express store branches in city centers and local towns around to make consumers’ life convenient. Therefore, this creates a barrier for the substitute products to penetrate into the market. On the other hand, the company also faces a high treat on non-food items. Since the competition in the market with specialty shops is extremely high, Tesco has discounted most of its products such as clothing to attract more customers.
Second, Tesco faces a threat of entry of new competitors. Many firms have come up and joined the grocery retailing market to benefit from the vast number of populations around. Companies know that individuals would not survive without food; therefore, they tend to penetrate the market and enjoy the profits. Although the food retailing markets require large capital for investments and establish a brand name, this has not prevented companies from operating. Some of the brands apart from Tesco that have established themselves in the market include Asda, Wal-Mart, Sainsbury, and Morrisons. Therefore, from the research carried out, threats from new firms is considerably low since they have to offer something that the other firms cannot offer to the customers. For example, new firms should offer low prices and high-quality goods and services (Fernando, 2011).
Third, Tesco faces a high intensity of competitive rivalry. Companies such as Morrisons, Asda, Walmart, Whole Food, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s offer extremely high and direct competition in the food and grocery retail industry. These companies compete for prices, promotions and the types of products offered. Some companies such as Asda and Morrisons have increased their market share in the recent years. The slow market growth accompanied by increased market shares have intensified the competition and market rivalry. Therefore, this is a big threat to the market leadership position of Tesco. Similarly, major stores are limited and distance away in rural areas; therefore, consumers would be attracted to small retail shop such as Somerfield.
Fourth, the company is affected by the high bargaining power of buyers. Products that have slight differentiation and more standardized offer low switching cost. Therefore, there is a high chance that buyers will switch from one brand to another, and this will affect the sales and revenue generated. Also, most consumers are attracted to buy a particular product when the prices offered are low. The availability of online retail shopping has enabled the consumers to compare and select products they think suits them and have lower prices. The strategy the company will employ in such situation is to offer high-quality products and also low prices on products that are essential to customers.
Lastly, the bargaining power of the suppliers of raw materials and other essential inputs have had an impact to Tesco as food and non-food retailing industry. Suppliers would like to work for major food and grocery retailers. Also, they mostly fear to lose their business contract with leading supermarkets. Therefore, Tesco being one of the largest multinational food retailing company offers a strong and positive negotiation with the suppliers. The positive feedback from the negotiation implies that they will get a lower price from the suppliers.
Besides having a competitive environment, Tesco still manages to attain the leading position in the market. The company has invested more in research and development and promoted a healthy relationship with the customers. Therefore, the strategies employed by the company has helped it manage and provide the best and trusted brand name.
Stakeholders
They are individuals, groups or organizations who have shown concern in a business (Hamilton, & Webster, 2015). However, they are mostly affected either directly or indirectly by the objectives, actions, and policies employed by the organizations. In the world of business, the government and entrepreneurs are also considered as stakeholders. Employees who make up the human resource are also stakeholders of the organization since they can influence the actions of the organization (Oshri, & Kotlarsky, 2010). Also, the company’s actions or policies affect their relationship with the company. Tesco’s tasks and duties require the services and different skills from employees. Tesco has continuously learned and approved the skills and knowledge from their employees hence harvesting the best outcome from their stakeholders.
The second group of stakeholders is the community. The community as a whole is pictured as everyone in one place. Moreover, the community covers a larger sections of the population, and it includes individuals and factors that affect them. The community could be potential customers and employees who can successfully help the company. Besides, without the presence of the community, there would be no existence of the business. Therefore, Tesco has the responsibility to connect with the different communities across the world and ensure that its influence on them is a positive contribution.
The company’s current strategy concerns with two major areas and they include the following. Tesco is making use of online shopping to reach out to everyone in the community and stimulate their desire to shop online using their mobile applications. Therefore, the strategy has helped the company to bridge the gap Tesco and the communities. Similarly, Tesco signed an agreement with ITV so that it could screen some of the company’s popular and classic dramas that include Cold Feet and Hells Kitchen on the company’s Clubcard TV platform (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). The TV shows are supported by advertisements that promote the consumer’s shopping habits. The company has moved close to the community through the TV shows and also it has helped them learn more or change their shopping habit.
Third, suppliers as company’s stakeholders ensure that they provide the necessary raw materials to the company hence contributing greatly to the success and growth of the company. For years, Tesco has managed to control its bargaining power with the various suppliers and maintain a healthy and mutual relationship with them. The continuous healthy relationship with the suppliers gave an opportunity to the company to improve on their inputs and environmental performance. Most importantly, Tesco signed a global supplier requirement. The requirement included ethical considerations when operating a business. Similarly, the agreement applies both to direct and indirect suppliers.
Fourth, customers have a greater influence on the organization and also the organization may affect them in various ways. One of Tesco’s objective is to maintain a strong customer recognition since they determine the success of the company. Similarly, customers are free to choose what they prefer to buy and from which company (Kew, & Stredwick, 2005). It is the responsibility of the company to provide customers with quality products that will satisfy their needs. Also, they have to trade with the clients responsibly. The company has paid much attention to product design to attract and appeal their customers.
Ultimately, all environments have a greater impact; hence, they are essential to the company. However, for food retailing company like Tesco, technological change is the most significant and; therefore, the company should carefully integrate it into the business. Technology changes every time and at a higher rate. The company needs to have strategies to help it prosper in the future. It will be to the interest of the company if it evolves their hit goods and services.
Changing Nature of Tesco
Tesco is categorized as a public limited company that trades the company’s shares to the public. Besides, Tesco is owned by a group of individuals with numerous shareholders. The shareholders contribute a large amount of capital to the company. In addition, the company is avoiding too many shareholders since they may result in a weak control of the business operations. The company’s system of operation is an open one to allow it to interact with the environment responsibly. Tesco has kept a close relationship with the employees, motivated them and ensured they are satisfied with the way the management behave with them. Therefore, this has increased the production of the company.
Tesco’s reason for existence is to create opportunities, reduce food wastage and improve the health and safety of both consumers and employees across the world (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). As a global retailer, the company creates opportunities such as employment and also improving the growth of suppliers. It has tackled the global obesity crisis through health improvement. The company work hand-in-hand with the producers and suppliers and serve the customers to ensure that no food goes to waste (Tesco and Society Report, 2013). On a further note, the business environment changes from time to time just like technology. Therefore, Tesco needs to forecast the company’s plans and become flexible to withstand the changes. Employees and technology bring change to the organization due to their significant roles. Tesco has invested much in research and development hence making it operate well as a multinational food retailing company. Through research and development, the company has managed to neutralize the pressure of change. Similarly, the company has adapted to change hence stabilizing its operations.
References
Craig, T., & Campbell, D. (2012). Organisations and the business environment. Routledge.
Fernando, A. C. (2011). Business environment. New Delhi: Pearson.
Harrison, A. (2013). Business environment in a global context. Oxford University Press.
Hamilton, L., & Webster, P. (2015). The international business environment. Oxford University Press.
Kew, J., & Stredwick, J. (2005). Business environment: managing in a strategic context. CIPD Publishing.
Oshri, I., & Kotlarsky, J. (2010). Global Sourcing of Information Technology and Business Processes: 4th International Workshop, Global Sourcing 2010, Zermatt, Switzerland, March 22-25, 2010, Revised Selected Papers (Vol. 55). Springer Science & Business Media.
Tesco and Society Report. (2013). What matters now: using our scale of good. Retrieved from http://www.tescoplc.com/files/pdf/reports/tesco_and_society_2013_ipad.pdf
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Importance of Obtaining a Professional Engineering License to an Engineer essay help onlineProfessional Engineering Licensing is an examination process by which a state’s board of engineering licensing determines and certifies that an engineer has achieved a minimum level of competence. This process is intended to protect the public by preventing unqualified individuals from offering engineering services. However, this process also has some advantages that would go towards benefiting the engineer. This paper is going to highlight the benefits that an engineer stands to gain by obtaining a professional engineering license.
First, according to Collins, Dean and Steadman, obtaining the P.E license is an important score of a professional engineer. This is for the reason that it demonstrates the engineer’s dedication and commitment to the engineering profession and it is perceived favorably by majority of employers.The National Society of professional Engineers add that licensure also demonstrates the engineer’s developed leadership, supervision and management skills.
Secondly, in situations where an engineer is looking for employment, the possession of a Professional Engineeringlicense gives him an advantage over other job seekerswho may not be in possession of a the license. This may make the difference between securing a job or not. In some cases, possession of the license may provide job opportunities that may otherwise not have been available to an engineer without the license(Collins, Dean and Steadman).
Thirdly,Collins, Dean and Steadman state that a Professional Engineeringlicense is a requirement by law for any engineer who wants to sign and seal engineering drawings for clients. This implies that for an engineer to sign and seal a document and the document to be considered as valid he has to be in possession of a Professional Engineeringlicense. Additionally, according to the National Society of professional Engineers it is a prerequisite to obtain the license for an engineer to be a consulting engineer or be allowed by law to be in charge of an engineering firm in private practice.
Fourthly, the Professional Engineering license is an indication that the engineer is informed of current developments in the field of engineering and therefore, better placed to handle assignments that require knowledge of trending practices in the field(Collins, Dean and Steadman).
Fifthly, the engineering field being one that cuts across all the facets of the community, including the safetyand welfare of the community, a Professional Engineering license can be taken on grounds ofpromoting ethics and professionalism in the engineering field.
Finally, the possession of a Professional Engineer license accords the engineer a measure of respect, admiration and high opinion from clients as well as from the peers within the engineering community (National Society of professional Engineers). It also adds weight to the engineer’s qualifications and this makes it easier to defend a point of view and may in the long run earn the engineer a preferment when it comes to work-place promotions.
In conclusion, it would be in the interest of any engineer to obtain his Professional engineering license. This is for the reason that in the long run, the benefits gained from obtaining the license in terms of a better job, respect from peers and clients, advanced career, personal satisfaction, and personal growth far outweighs the cost of obtaining it, both in terms of time consumed and resources spent. It is highly advisable that for any engineer aspiring at making a career out of engineering aim at obtaining the license.
Works cited
Collins, Aaron , George Dean and John Steadman. A Dozen Reasons Why You Should Obtain Your P.E. License. 2010. 28 April 2014. <http://todaysengineer.org/2010/aug/licensure.asp>.
National Society of professional Engineers. Why Get Licensed? n.d. 28 April 2014. <http://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/why-get-licensed>.
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Development of the docklands and the artistic and cultural experience of Melbourne essay help freeIn the 1970s and 1980s, the city of Melbourne entered a period of decline. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the city center. City living became virtually non-existent as residents relocated to the surrounding suburbs, commuting in to work but leaving the streets empty and lifeless at night. Since then Melbourne has experienced a remarkable urban renaissance. Melbourne’s success story has been made possible by an integrated, systematic, and comprehensive planning process. Its transformation into a ‘city that never sleeps’ has been the result of three decades of creative urban strategies that have respected the fabric of the city, emphasized economic growth, involved citizens and celebrated culture(Liu & Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore, 2012, pp. 86-87). Strategies have been articulated in a series of long-term overarching plans, the implementation of which was overseen by the city of Melbourne, the administrative arm of the elected Melbourne city council.
History
The Docklands were created in the early 1850 to meet the demands of the mass migration that was occurring as a result of the gold rush that was taking place around this period. Growth continued until the 1930s but it was not until the 1960s that containers replaced bales and crates as means for transporting goods. However, the containers could not be accommodated by the Docklands sheds and wharves and this resulted to their closure as Melbourne’s hub of economic and maritime activity. However, this was not for long, in 1991, the Docklands authority was established to consummate docklands untapped potential. The authority was responsible for transforming the disused port and rail stretch into a modern urban waterfront.
This resulted to a renewed Docklands, which was a compelling addition to Melbourne, providing a world-class water front metropolitan, where the city met water, and acted as a vital asset to Melbourne and Victoria, serving vast economic, social and environmental interests.Presently docklands is one of the biggest projects and changes, the city of Melbourne has ever experienced. It has changed and transformed the structure and identity of Melbourne in significant ways (City of Melbourne, 2013).Melbourne docklands has become one of the country’s best examples of applying water sensitive urban design principles to connect the community with their environment in a sustainable way.The dockland precinct is still under development, upon its completion in 2020, it will equal the Melbourne central business district in terms of size and population, and will attract thousands of workers and visitors.
Cultural and Artistic Identity
In the 1880s Melbourne was known as ‘Marvelous Melbourne’. It was a time of great economic prosperity and optimism and perhaps some kind of accepted and tolerated decadence. It was a time of boom, the city sparkled and buildings were born which made Melbourne the envy of many. It was larger than many European capitals and the architecture rivaled that of New York. This extravagance of the 1880s set the stage for the present pomp and splendor that characterizes Melbourne. As one walks in Melbourne, domes, spires and turrets lay testimony to the bullet proof feelings of the time (VT, 2014). In terms of art, Melbourne provides a good array of ornate, architectural style of many of the older buildings, especially along Collins StreetApart from the architecture,Melbourne has much more to offer. There are theaters and no matter where one visits, there is always a host of world class shows going concurrently. There are theatrical productions in classic, old wordly style venues such as The Regent Theater.
Geographically situated in south eastern Australia, Melbourne is one of Australia’s’ most populated city with more than 4 million residents and only second in size to Sidney. Melbournians are a multi-cultural mix of people from around the world that help make Melbourne tourism one of the largest businesses in the city. Attracting visitors from all over the world, tourism in Melbourne has everything to offer ranging from restaurants, transport to entertainment(Allison & Peters, 2010, p. 228). Melbourne has a lot of foreign settlers, people who migrated from all over the world. This mix of inhabitants gives the city it’sdiverse, lively and eclectic culture.Well known as the sporting and cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne is home to events such as the Australian Open Tennis (January), Formula One Grand Plix (March), AFL grand final (September), the Boxing Day cricket test (December), museums, art galleries and many fine restaurants. The arts has the comedy festival (April), MIFF (July/ august), the Melbourne writers festival (august/ September) and the Melbourne arts festival (October).Melbourne was also home to Australia’s impressionist art origins at the Heidelberg school and is also the home of contemporary dance including such styles as the new vogue and Melbourne shuffle styles (VT, 2014). Recently, UNESCO had classified Melbourne as City of literature.
The development of Melbourne identity as a cultural and sporting event capital was enabled by huge injections over the past three decades. This was to a large extent initiated by John Cane who was the first Victorian labor premier in twenty seven years in 1982, in response to the deindustrialization and decay of the 1970s. It was considered an effective way of creating employment and attracting tourism. It has transformed the city into an energetic place to live, with key sporting events.
Melbourne city built its reputation as a place where more independent, less corporatized forms of culture thrive. There are independent bookshops staffed by people who know their stock and have read the books they sell, pubs that have live music rather than being full of pokies, live theater operating out of old buildings at the end of bluestone lanes, eccentric cinemas operating outdoors on rooftops and old buildings with all kinds of eclectic businesses operating within their 140-year-old walls. Parochialism has kept relentless and destructive change at bay in Melbourne.Some of the attractions of Melbourneare the Melbourne unique market place, theGog and magog at royal arcade, the paintings and street art
Urban Planning and Art in Melbourne
Over the past two decades city economies have restructured in response to the decline of older establishments. This has necessitated new practices of planning and urban economic development, a return to traditional concerns of city building and a focus on urban design(Hawkes, 2001, pp. 7-8). During this time, there has also been a marked rise in the understanding of cultural development and its role in the design, economy and life of cities.
Public art receives significant attention and is given great importance in many Australian cities, notably in Melbourne. Melbourne has made substantial financial and public as well as private commitments to art and artistic expressions in the public realm, yielding a major positive impact on the distinctiveness of the city. A comprehensive arts policy and program entailed many other things, including support for young artists, programs to nurture art in the schools, and festivals and arts-based celebrations.The city of Melbourne operates under an arts strategy, adopted in 2004, guiding its arts commitments. The strategy presents a vision of the city as a “crucible for the arts” and makes specific commitments around seven themes (Beatley & Newman, 2008, pp. 125-126). Substantial investment in public art can be seen throughout Melbourne. The artworks have made a real and lasting contribution to creating a sense of the city and are a positive part of the experience of living or visiting in the city. One of the most visually distinctive pieces of art in the docklands is by john Kelly, “Cow Up a Tree”. It is an unusual sight which is much of the idea behind the public initiatives One of the roles of public art in sustainability is to tell stories about the past that can help the public to see Melbourne’s way into the future.
Sustainability and livability are defining characteristics of Melbourne urban planning (Allison & Peters, 2010, pp. 227-228). The city of Melbourne in its city plan identifies the role that culture play. The plan states that culture is a celebration and definition of what a community is where it has come from and where it is headed.The city’s all-inclusive goal is that: “Melbourne is to be a thriving and sustainable city that simultaneously pursues economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality”(City of Melbourne, 2013).Historical conservation has been ancentral part of the effort to achieve the city’s goal. For example, the comprehensive plan for the central area of Melbourne states:
“The heritage of the capital city zone area, comprising individual buildings, precincts, significant trees, and aboriginal archaeological sites, is a significant part of Melbourne’s attraction as a place in which to live, visit, do business and invest. It is also important for cultural and sociological reasons, providing a distinctive historical character and a sense of continuity. Much of Melbourne’s charm is provided by its older buildings, which, while not always of high individual significance, together provide cultural significance or interest, and should be retained in their three dimensional form, not as two dimensional facades as has sometimes occurred. The identification, assessment, and citation of heritage places have been undertaken over decades, as part of an ongoing heritage conservation safeguard and their recognition and protection have been a crucial component of planning in Melbourne since 1982”
(City of Melbourne, 2013)
The Melbourne planning scheme for areas outside the capital city zone is more detailed and specific. The purpose of the plan is; to conserve all parts of buildings that are considered as having historic, social, or architectural interest which add to the substance, character, and guise of the building, or street scape.The other purpose of Melbourne’s plan is to also promote the recognition, safeguarding and management of cultural heritage values of the aboriginal, and finally, to make certain that new developments, and the construction of extensions or any alteration made to the buildings result to a positive contribution to the structure and amenity of the area and are reverential to the architectural, social, and historic character of the streetscape (Allison & Peters, 2010, p. 230).
Space and Politics
ForMelbourne rhetoric, initially advanced by the docklands authority, was that the redevelopment would not only transform an abandoned port site but also re-orient the entire Melbourne city through high-density residences and new economic activities. At present, the waterfront hosts high rise residential apartments, multistoried offices, film studios, public spaces lined with urban art, a piazza that is used for hosting events as well as two permanent screens set up to allow more than 10000 people to congregate and watch live sport. A mix of retail, cafes, restaurants, contemporary art, boutique shops and a shopping complex accommodating specialty and factory direct brand stores are located within the site.
The docklandsprecinct has been christened as lacking charm and character, lack of greenery, increased traffic congestion and the ever present wind tunnel effect. It has been christened a ghastly prefab ghetto waiting to happen. Beatley & Newman (2008), stated that the docklands will in the years to come be used as a case study for poor urban design. He adds that the dockland has become a soulless concrete jungle conceived by the mentality of “let us build it, they will come”.However, it worth noting that the docklands have brought with them some positives to the Melbourne area. It has brought with it a culture and identity in the area. However, the docklands is still finding its feet.Melbourne stripped of its small enterprises, its eccentricities, its hidden places full of unexpected people and their eccentric enterprise, that Melbourne really would be a bleak city.
Conclusion
Historic preservation is not the answer to all urban problems. Neither, though, is it an obstacle to economic development or rational planning. Rather, it is a very useful tool for extending and promoting the cultural side of a city: for saving places with special character, rich or poor; and for making or keeping a city livable. Planners often talk about the need for comprehensive planning and sometimes get to practice it. The essence of comprehensive planning is to take all factors into consideration before deciding what interventions need to be made to achieve a city’s goals. But even when the best planners think they are doing comprehensive planning, the plans often leave out many things. Planning is a balancing act. Sometimes something must be sacrificed in order to better a city as a whole. But the balancing act becomes skewed if too many factors are left out.
References
Allison, E. W. & Peters, L., 2010. Historic Preservation and the Livable City. Illustrated ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Beatley, T. & Newman, P., 2008. Green Urbanism Down Under: Learning from Sustainable Communities in Australia. Washington DC: Island Press.
City of Melbourne, 2013. Docklands history and transition. [Online]
Available at: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/History/Pages/Docklandshistoryandtransition.aspx
[Accessed 7 June 2014].
Hawkes, J., 2001. The Fourth Pillar of Sustainability: Culture’s Essential Role in Public Planning. Reprint ed. Australia: Common Ground.
Liu, G. & Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore, 2012. Cities in Transformation. illustrated ed. New York: Editions Didier Millet.
VT, 2014. Beauty of Melbourne Australia. Melbourne: VT.
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Issues in Anthropology college essay help near mePart A: Article and Documentary Reaction
The Maquilapolis documentary is an incredible documentary. It is an amazing film that exposes the tough times that big companies give to people. These companies could easily improve the standards of living of the workers through better, or at least fair wages, give them benefits so that when they get pollution-related illnesses they can be in a position to facilitate their own treatment, however, they do not.Nonetheless, I was especially impressed by the woman. In general, the film really opened my eyes to negative side of multinationals and made me think about all the goods I purchase which are a product of exploited labor.
With regards to the Apple article, I felt a need for labor regulations to be made an international issue, and it needs to be raised at various international levels and forums. It would be ideal if there existedinternational labor standards that could be enforced, as this would facilitate fair remuneration of all employees irrespective of where the factory is located. I just hope that some day, the multinationals will change the way they are doing business and employ ethical employment practices. Finally, I again hope that someday these factory workers would get a better treatment. It is simply unfair.
Part B: Profit Maximization as an Aspect of Free Trade
In economics one of the four main goals of conducting business is the profit maximization spur. Profit maximization also forms one of the key pillars of free trade. However, key factors that play a role in the attainment of this goal including the approach to production and the relationship between the various factors of production have resulted to many social externalities. In their quest to maximize this goal, most multinationals have abandoned a human sense of benevolent and humanity in exchange for a bigger bottom line and have adopted a sculpture approach to dealing with the workers.
The class articles have looked at the way women as well as children have been targeted by multinational companies for cheap labor and easy exploitation in their quest for bigger profit margins. Thishas includedhousing the workers in dilapidated work environments which can be likened to prison-like conditions as Annette Fuentes and Barbara Ehrenreich put it, and below minimal wages. These conditions are further worsened by the lack of representation or the failure for the setting up of labor unions who can bargain for better terms of engagement. Despite these being basic human rights, many multinationals deny them and through the help of the state the workers are further exploited so that these multinationals can maximize their profits. This search for profits continuously leads multinationals to target women and children as sources of cheap and docile labor to be exploited while young and fired as soon as their health begin to deteriorate. At the end of the end of the day, the wages go to further create and leave them in poverty.
In conclusion, in as much as free trade has gone towards facilitating the growth of many economies and creating great wealth to its owners, it has also brought with it greed, egocentrism and narcissism. Corporations have lost their sense of humaneness all in the pursuance of better profit margins. This is something that needs to change, and should in no way be justified either through the use of corporate social responsibility or economicrationalizations.
References
BARBOZA, D., & DUHIGG, C. (2012, January 25). In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad. Retrieved August 1, 2014, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Fuentes, A., & Ehrenreich , B. (1983). Women in the Global Factory. South End Press.
Torre, S. d., & Funari, V. (Directors). (2006). Maquilapolis: City of Factories [Motion Picture]. Retrieved August 1, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDIEW09MQNQ
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Prosocial Behaviors Article Summary custom essay helpDilalla, L. et al. (2015). Evidence of reactive gene-environment correlation in preschoolers’ prosocial play with unfamiliar peers. Developmental Psychology, 51(10), 1464-1475.
The study in the article had the objective of identifying genetic and environmental influences with regards to prosocial behaviors in children. This study did not have a specific research question but entailed four hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that there is a significant genetic influence on both temperament and prosocial behaviors. The second hypothesis was that children’s approach temperament had a correlation with their interaction behaviors. The third hypothesis postulated that approachable temperament and prosocial behaviors would evoke similar behaviors among children. The final hypothesis was that gene-environment correlation would be prevalent in the study. The study attempted to show these aspects by involving 126 5-year old twin and sibling pairs. Based on the reports provided by the parents, 4% were Black, 94.8% were White, and 1.2% were either biracial or Hispanic. The participants were recruited through postings, newspaper listings, and referrals. The measures conducted for the study were zygosity, child withdrawal/approach and play interaction behaviors. The main findings show that there is a significant genetic influence on behaviors. The study also revealed that a peer’s positive behavior had a positive correlation with the target. There was also evidence of gene-environment correlation. All the findings of the study supported the hypotheses made by the authors. The article is related to the course content in a variety of ways. Among them is the role that the environment plays in shaping the behaviors of children. They tend to grasp whatever is presented to them; be it good or bad. That is why children from violent families end up adopting such traits as they grow-up. One strength that the article holds is that it provides parents with significant insight on how the environment can affect their children. Positive parenting can culminate to positive behaviors while negative parenting results to negative behavior. The limitations of the study include the fact the study has included 5-year olds only. The research should have aimed at examining these aspects as the children age, in order to find out whether there are any differences.
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Interest Groups best college essay helpAn interest group or a pressure group or sometimes called a lobby group is an organized group of persons that tries to influence the leadership of a country or essentially the government to adopt or drop certain measures and policies. Interest groups strongly support their cause. They could be environmentalists, human rights activists or even policy advocates (Gilens and Page, 2014). Here is a group of leftist and rightist interest groups in the United States
Move on
This is a lobbyist group that fights for democracy and equality. It presses the political players and the authorities through the internet on matters of progressive change. The Move On family uses the power of technology to exert influence in a society where money is power (MoveOn.Org, 2015). Their main agenda is increasing democratic participation by lowering the barriers.
Media matters
It is a media watch dog that focuses on the issues of bias and misconstrued information in the American media. The nonprofit organization seems to bring sanity in the media by ensuring that reported information is true and any misinformation is corrected before it gets to the consumers. The group is thus able to monitor favoritism for certain politicians and political outfits hence condemn the acts.
Tides Foundation
TThe Tides foundation directs donor money to politically liberal channels. It strives for the social change of the people by partnering with innovators to solve social problems. A group like Tides keeps the people off the political mood by fostering change in a way that evaded political intrusion.
Weather underground
This leftist group was founded on the basis of opposition to the Vietnam War and proposition for black power. Their political influence is based in their imperialist and Marxist ideologies that they tried to exert.
Center for American Progress
This is a public policy advocacy institute that is nonpartisan. The main aim of this group is based on progressivism through string leadership, bold ideas and Americans lives improvement in concerted action. Through their policy ideas, they influence media coverage and make the course for national debate.
Organizing for America
This was a group founded to mobilize people in support of the policies of President Obama, particularly the health care reform. The group changed to Organizing for Action after Obama’s second term victory and their main agenda revolves around the policy issues of the president.
Media Research Center
This is a politically conservative organization that is analytical of the media content in a bid to foster balance. Their main agenda as a media watchdog is neutralizing the propaganda agenda. They neutralize left wing bias in the national news media. This is a role that may be very successful in frustrating politicians with self interests.
Freedom Works
This is a libertarian advocacy group. The group is politically active and supports the ideals of the conservatives. The group endorses candidates who share the ideals of less governments and economic freedom coupled with fewer taxes. This could count as a right wing political faction with vested interests that they seek to achieve.
Heritage Foundation
This is also a right wing interest group that is established on the ideals of limited government, free enterprise, economic freedom, conservancy and strong national defense. The group formulates and promotes conservative policies from which they seek backing from the political clout in their favor.
Center for Self Governance
This interest group seeks to train citizens on matters of applied civics. It is founded on the belief of the capability of the people to self govern. CSG teaches political theories that equip the citizens with information and knowledge to deal with the witty of politics and actively participate in policy making and policy change.
Human Events
This has been a conservative voice of the Americans for a long time now. The group is founded on conservative ideologies. The group declares that it is not impartial. It was the favorite of President Reagan who is known to have been the best carrier of the conservative voice. Up until now, conservatives turn to this group’s news publication for the conservative voice.
National Review
This is also a conservative politics commentator. The group’s main agenda is spread the news and culture of the conservatives without holding back. It could essentially be referred to as a propaganda tool for the sycophants of the conservative policies and ideologies. The push for a limited government and economic freedom leads the ideological spectrum.
Conclusion
There are sharp differences between leftists and rightists (Gilens and Page, 2014). They all stand in either impartiality or partiality of the political spectrum. The most intriguing are the right wing groups that show open advocacy for conservative policies. There are more right wing conservatives than left wing liberals. The presence of the Republican Party among the interest groups could be indicated with a higher index. This could probably interpret to a higher index of propaganda for the conservatives than the liberals.
Works Cited
Gilens, Martin, and Benjamin I. Page. ‘Testing Theories Of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, And Average Citizens’. Perspect. polit., 2014: 564-581. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
MoveOn.Org,. ‘What Is Moveon.Org?’. N.p., 2015. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
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