Americans should have more holidays and longer vacations Essay

Americans should have more holidays and longer vacations - Essay Example Americans deserve more holidays and longer vacations than are being given to them currently. Americans should have more holidays and longer vacations The Americans deserve more breaks and longer vacations. It is because they work hard and thus need time to satisfy themselves as well. Americans really believe in the dictum of providing themselves more holidays and longer vacations because they have to come back smoothly towards their work domains and give their best concentration towards work ethos and realms. More holidays are required because the Americans work very hard and devote their own selves whole-heartedly towards their work ethos (Author Unknown, 2011). It is of paramount importance to know that they will be requiring more in terms of vacations because they have to refresh themselves. Americans deserve more in terms of their fun and frolic related activities as they help them to enjoy with their family and friends on different locations within America as well as the rest of the world (Monroe, 2010).

Organizational Behavior-Communication Essay Example for Free

Organizational Behavior-Communication Essay 1. Present which channels of communications should be emphasized and how these channels will be used to ensure that the traditional departments (e.g., IT, human resources, customer service, and sales) at SWC headquarters have necessary accurate and timely information. Communication in an organization or company is very important in achieving goals and objectives. It is oftentimes used in relaying information, messages and issues that concern the success of a company or organization. It is the medium used by most of the high ranking officials and members to have an organized and timely delivery of information in every office or department for instance. Various types of communication or channels had been used. These communication channels are used by the companies to convey and interact well with the employees in order to improve and attain growth of the organization. There are two types of channels—indirect and direct communication. Indirect communication is used when the interaction is not face-to-face. It uses medium such as different types of technologies like computers, monitors and among others. The most common type of indirect communication is the teleconferencing.   On the other hand, direct communication is a face-to-face type of communication. This is common when all of the members of the team are present in just one area. 2. Which channels will be key to those work teams with all members located within headquarters? In the case of SWC, all of the members of the team are within the headquarters, it is best to use direct communication. In relaying this message , a memo can be sent to the members of the team to inform them of the activity that will be done within the headquarters. It is a common knowledge that doing a meeting or gathering within a certain place when all of the people are present, it is best to employ the direct communication. If the head of the department do not have the time to write a memo the most common thing done is to send an email to the members stating the information and issues that should be discussed and later on meet face-to-face with the members. It is not advisable that the leader will just send an email to all the members even if all are present within one area. On the other hand, an email might be good to relay the information fast and easy but still it connotes something to the members. The members might think that the leader of the team is not interested in talking with them. So, there are also strengths and weaknesses of these channels. But in this case, a good leader nurtures a relationship with the members through constant socialization, constant talking with them and assuring that the company is still wants them and will be like a friend that whenever the company decides to change leadership and people the members will be the first to know. It is showing of sincerity with the members of the team. In a study done by the Harvard business school, they projected what a good manager is. They found out that the effective manager spends more than 80 percent of their time in interacting with their personnel and staff. Furthermore, their study said that interaction and conversations within the working area is important in leading a company or organization. It is human capital and social capital that is working in order to achieve and create what the company wants such as increasing productivity while enhancing innovation. In another research done by Ron Burt from the University of Chicago, a leading researcher on the social capital of managers has found, through numerous studies, that certain patterns of connections that individuals build with others brings them higher pay, earlier promotions, greater influence, better ideas and overall greater career success. Burt believes that good social capital provides a much higher return on investment in human capital the two work together. (K rebs, 2005) In another research done at the Norwegian school of economics, a manager or team leader with a better social networking were more productive since they are sincere with their work, they can easily coordinate with the members without hesitation and coordinate tasks in order to finish a certain project and accomplish the goals and objectives of the project (Krebs, 2005). 3. We may have virtual self-managed teams with members located in different parts of the world. The members have yet to meet each other. These teams are each focusing on designing and delivering specific products to certain customers by designated dates. On the other hand, while face-to-face interaction is important in achieving productivity the introduction of various technologies cannot be ignored. Some of the teams of SWC are located in various areas where there is difficulty of meeting face-to-face. In this kind of interaction, teleconferencing has been used by many organizations and companies in order to hold a meeting or to discuss an issue that concerns the company. Also, one of the successful interactions is through networking. This technology helps individuals communicate with each other even if it is across the world. It is a laborious and costly though but once it is set up many of the staff outside the headquarters will benefit from it. From this networking there will be better information flow and exchange of communication among the team members(Lussier, 2005) If SWC were to consider the virtual self-managed teams, below are some key areas that would be evaluated. A virtual self-managed team has been around the globe today. It is used by the outsourcing companies such as call centers, medical transcriptionist, and even tutorials online. Through the introduction of the technology people have embraced this and been nurturing and disseminating it to the others. But before going into a deeper context of the virtual self-managed team, a creation of this team is very important such as choosing the right person to manage and disseminate information. There are a lot of criteria in choosing the person. One of this is the knowledge and skills on the technology that will be used in the entire implementation of the project or program. Individuals who are adept with various types of technologies and willing to be trained again and again just to ensure that there will be no problems later on in the implementation.   Individuals who have lots of connections and networks that can assist them with their problems in terms of technology. Individuals who are willing to share later on their knowledge and not be tacit about the new information and studies so that there will be transfer of skills., and someone that cannot only design programs but can facilitate information flow and sharing of knowledge. a. What communication channel(s) would you recommend for the initial meeting? For the initial meeting of the team, it would be best that is done face-to-face. This is the first meeting so it should build rapport with each other. Even if there are the use of technologies later on, at least during the initial meeting and introduction of each other there already a communication among them. b. What communication channel(s) would you recommend as key interactions (you are not limited to those channels listed in the exhibit)? Later on, after the initial meeting the team can discuss issues through teleconferencing, phone calls, chat messengers and among others that might not require the presence of each other and spend costly fares just to be in one place. Organization of the issues beforehand is also important because this will identify how urgent the meeting should be or is it just one of the meetings and phone calls would be enough. c. Explain how these teams will meet the challenges of each of the stages of group/team development. Engaging in this kind of set-up, virtual self-managed team, is difficult to maintain though. It will require energy because this does not only entail communication but it also needs feedback and learning (source) among the team members. In order to meet these challenges there should be a constant communication even it is called â€Å"virtual† because through this monitoring can be done as well as learning along the way. d. What challenges does diversity present? What must be done to meet these challenges? Diversity in people is very challenging. Every person has its own personality, culture and attitude. Constant learning through trainings can be a good answer to it. e. From a communications point of view, what are the advantages and what are the disadvantages of virtual self-managed-teams? Virtual self-managed team is cost-effective. The only costs that will be incurred are the gadgets that will be used during the networking and conferencing. It can also be done anywhere and anytime of the day. Just put the set up and voila there will be a meeting in the middle of beach. On the other hand, it has also disadvantages. Since it will not require the presence of the person it does not nurture a relationship and does not build rapport among the team. Oftentimes than not, the reaction and the feelings will be not be felt if it is only in the monitor or phone calls. Conversations can be faked and might build walls.

Truths Exposed in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay -- Steinbeck

Truths Exposed in Of Mice and Men  Ã‚        Ã‚   John Steinbeck's timeless novel Of Mice and Men is a somewhat controversial story of the hardships of life. To illustrate these hardships, Steinbeck takes the reader back to an era of bankruptcies, migrant workers, and drifters. Today, this time, the 1930's, is branded the Great Depression. The quest of George and Lennie, two migrant workers, is an example of the dilemma of thousands of homeless and unemployed men in America during the Great Depression era (Ito 39). The harsh circumstances presented by the Great Depression reveal a darker side of human nature. In order to survive, a man's priority had to be himself. Through his characters, Steinbeck exposes truths about people and life in general.    Through the character of Curley, Steinbeck mocks the insecurity that can develop in a person. This primary flaw in Curley displays a basic flaw of humanity. Howard Levant reiterates this point in saying, "The central theme is stated and restated - the good life is impossible because humanity is flawed" (Owens 146). Candy, an old swamper, tells George, "Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he's mad at 'em because he ain't a big guy" (Steinbeck 26). This insecurity is articulated through Curley's abhorrence for men bigger than he, or often men in general. Curley also relentlessly worries about the activities of his wife, which reemphasizes his apparent lack of self-confidence. He further demonstrates his diffidence by his frequent ganging up on Lennie. Curley shows this when he picks a fight with Lennie. Curley asks, "What the hell you laughin' at?" (Steinbeck 62). Not only was Lennie an immense man, but he ... ...s novel causes the characters to act to some extent selfishly, looking out for their own good. It would be wrong to blame them though. In the Depression Era world that Steinbeck recreates, this live and let die attitude was often the only way to endure. The point of the novel, however, is not who is right or wrong. The point is that, by the conclusion of the novel, everyone loses. Though it is often easier to fulfill one's basic needs on his or her own, in the long run, interaction with others is an essential part of human nature.    Works Cited Ito, Tom. The Importance of John Steinbeck. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1994. Owens, Louis. "Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment." Modern Critical Views on John Steinbeck. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 145 - 149. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993. Truths Exposed in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men Essay -- Steinbeck Truths Exposed in Of Mice and Men  Ã‚        Ã‚   John Steinbeck's timeless novel Of Mice and Men is a somewhat controversial story of the hardships of life. To illustrate these hardships, Steinbeck takes the reader back to an era of bankruptcies, migrant workers, and drifters. Today, this time, the 1930's, is branded the Great Depression. The quest of George and Lennie, two migrant workers, is an example of the dilemma of thousands of homeless and unemployed men in America during the Great Depression era (Ito 39). The harsh circumstances presented by the Great Depression reveal a darker side of human nature. In order to survive, a man's priority had to be himself. Through his characters, Steinbeck exposes truths about people and life in general.    Through the character of Curley, Steinbeck mocks the insecurity that can develop in a person. This primary flaw in Curley displays a basic flaw of humanity. Howard Levant reiterates this point in saying, "The central theme is stated and restated - the good life is impossible because humanity is flawed" (Owens 146). Candy, an old swamper, tells George, "Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he's mad at 'em because he ain't a big guy" (Steinbeck 26). This insecurity is articulated through Curley's abhorrence for men bigger than he, or often men in general. Curley also relentlessly worries about the activities of his wife, which reemphasizes his apparent lack of self-confidence. He further demonstrates his diffidence by his frequent ganging up on Lennie. Curley shows this when he picks a fight with Lennie. Curley asks, "What the hell you laughin' at?" (Steinbeck 62). Not only was Lennie an immense man, but he ... ...s novel causes the characters to act to some extent selfishly, looking out for their own good. It would be wrong to blame them though. In the Depression Era world that Steinbeck recreates, this live and let die attitude was often the only way to endure. The point of the novel, however, is not who is right or wrong. The point is that, by the conclusion of the novel, everyone loses. Though it is often easier to fulfill one's basic needs on his or her own, in the long run, interaction with others is an essential part of human nature.    Works Cited Ito, Tom. The Importance of John Steinbeck. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1994. Owens, Louis. "Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment." Modern Critical Views on John Steinbeck. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 145 - 149. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993.

Example Fo a Descriptive Essay Eng 101

Week 4 Assignment: Descriptive Essay John Barkle IV ENG 121 English Composition I Instructor: Antoinette Oesterlein 11/24/12 It is a very merry Christmas. It's my favorite time of year. For some people, Christmas lasts one day. For me it starts the week before Thanksgiving and last the whole month long. I have been celebrating month long Christmases since I was a little boy. My family owns 5 Christmas tree lots, and I have the pleasure of working on our main lot; Deejohn's Christmas Trees in San Mateo.This paper w ill discuss the sites, sounds, and smells of the Christmas tree lot, and how there is no place that says Christmas like a real Christmas tree lot. (Thesis) The first thing you notice is the lights. Most every Christmas tree lot uses the same types of lights. The temporary lighting system uses evenly spaced bare light bulbs strung methodically above each row of trees. This creates an unmistakeable pattern of lights that screams Christmas tree lot.Maybe it is just because I a m so attuned to the business, but I can recognize a Christmas tree lot from a mile away because the way the lights look from a distance is so distinct. Most people probably do not think about it, but next time you are out during the season, keep an eye off into the distance while you drive down the street. I am sure you will understand what I am talking about once you start to look for it. Of course the most distinctive feature of a Christmas tree lot is the trees. We display our trees all in a row,side by side, and sorted by height.As you walk on the lot you notice the trees all grouped together like a little green forest amongst the urban background. Something about the way the trees are arranged in even straight rows, make the little ones want to play hide and seek. Almost every kid who comes on the lot ends up hiding in the trees. Of course every one decorates the place with bright red, green, gold, and silver Christmas ornaments. We have a 5 foot tall inflatable Santa. Standing next to Santa are two 3 feet tall elves, all dress in holiday green and red, with their pointy green elf shoes and red jingle bell hats.The most famous reindeer of all Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer stands with Santa and his elves. One thing that is unmistakable about a real Christmas tree lot is the smell of fresh cut fir trees. One thing you can not get away from on our Christmas tree lot is the music. As I sit and write this essay, I am listening to Bing Crosby singing I'll be home for Christmas over the loud speakers outside the trailer. On our tree lot there is always Christmas music playing. From Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, to The Little Drummer Boy, Christmas music is playing from open to close.To be honest, we all get a little tired of it near the end of the season, but for our customers, it would just not be the same experience with out hot apple cider and Christmas Carols. I can not count the number of times I caught myself humming I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas In J uly. Another sound you hear on the lot all the time is the sound of laughter. Children dart between the rows(even though we tell them to walk for their safety) and giggle when they get â€Å"found† by their siblings and parents. For the most part, a Christmas Tree lot is the happiest place on Earth.There is something about the experience that just lends itself to good cheer. This is the one time of year Mom gets to be as picky as she wants, while Dad just sits back and says â€Å"Yes dear it is a beautiful tree, I think the your mother is going to love it. † Of course Dad always glances at me, rolls his eyes and shrugs as if to say: â€Å"What can I do? It's Christmas! † Almost everyone who comes on the tree lot comments on the fresh smell of pine, and how wonderful it is. What most people realize is there is no pine on our tree lot. All of our trees are Firs.We have Noble Fir, Douglas Fir, and Grand Fir and each has a distinctive smell. The noble fir smells lik e a traditional Christmas tree. The Noble fir smell is the smell most people relate to Christmas trees. The smell of our Douglas Firs is overpowered by the Noble and Grand firs on the lot, but when you take them home they can really perk up your lace with the smell of Christmas. My favorite tree for smell is the Grand Firs. The Grand fir has a vibrant green needle with a silver gray back. The grand fir has a powerful and pungent oil, and it has a vibrant smell that is unmatched by any other live tree I have experienced.Just rubbing a branch on your skin or clothes can leaving you smelling festive for hours. Working on a Christmas tree lot is a dirty business, but I have come home from many another job smelling much worse than I do at the end of a long day on the lot. The sights and smells of Christmas come and go, but the music stays with me the whole year round. Christmas is one time of year that brings families separated by states and nations back together; even if only for a shor t time, and the Christmas Tree Lot seems to be one experience they all seem to agree is positive and fun.From the delicious cinnamon spiced hot apple cider, the pungent aroma of fresh cut fir trees, and the joyous laughter of a game of hide and seek in the trees, a visit to the tree lot is loved and remembered by all. Come visit us, and I bet you will find yourself humming Jingle Bells or Joy to the World all the way home. Whatever you do, don't forget to grab a red and white stripped peppermint candy cane on your way out.

Destin Brass Products Co.

Problem Statement: Destin Brass president Roland Guidry is concerned with the competitive trends of the company products. He and his staff are worried that company profits are falling in regards to these competitive problems. Analysis: Destin Brass Company manufactures three items dealing with water purification systems: valves, pumps, and flow controllers. The company has been seeing some problems dealing with competition within some of the product markets they produce. Ronald Guidry had two basic questions they wanted answered dealing with this case: 1. Why was it so difficult for the company to stay competitive in the pump market? 2. Why has the company not seen any competition in the flow controller market even with a recent raise in their price to consumers? These questions aroused from Guidry when he realized that the company wasn’t making the standard 35% gross profit margin in pumps. This was the case because the company was forced to reduce the selling price in pumps away from the target price ($97. 10 to $81. 26) due to stiff competition. Management also realized the excessive gross profit margin of 42% in flow controllers even after a recent 12. % increase in price. [pic] The answer to the questions raised by management is directly related to how the company is accounting for their overhead relating to each product. The company had been using a traditional way of allocating overhead. (Exhibit 2) This was a simple and inexpensive way for the company to accomplish this task. However, it really didn’t accurately assign overhead to each product. Destin realized this and had it controller, Peggy Alford, design a revised way for allocating overhead. Exhibit 3) This revised system didn’t seem to answer any questions or alleviate any problems that Destin was having. Activity Based Costing (ABC) was another possibility to allocate overhead and helps answer the questions above. (Exhibit 4) Traditional Cost system: The traditional cost system that was currently being used was a fairly inexpensive way for the company to allocate overhead cost. This system was used to generate a standard unit cost that was then used to produce a target selling price based on the 35% profit margin set by the company. The structure used to assign overhead to each product to arrive at a standard cost was a very inappropriate method for the company to use. There are a number of reasons that this way was inappropriate. First, the only way overhead is allocated using this system is by assigning overhead to production to each product on the basis of production-run labor costs. [pic] The table above shows how the overhead rate was generated for use in the traditional cost system. Using this rate it allocates $4. 39 of overhead for every $1. 00 of run labor used in the product which the labor was applied. This per unit overhead rate is then added with a material and direct labor per unit cost. Adding these three cost up will give you the standard unit cost for producing each product. (Exhibit 2) This system basis all overhead on labor and therefore is not a very accurate way to distribute overhead cost to each product. Take for instance the flow controllers which have a labor usage of . 40 hours per unit. Using the overhead rate above of 439%, overhead allocated to each flow controller is $28. 10. This only takes into account direct labor and nothing else. This creates a problem because even though Flow Controllers take . 40 hours to produce they only use . 20 hours of machine usage. Compare this machine usage to . 50 machine hours to produce each valve which uses . 25 labor hours and . 50 hours to produce each pump which uses . 50 labor hours. This shows that flow controllers are incurring more cost then needed when dealing with machine usage. This problem of over allocating overhead to certain products is also true when dealing with machine depreciation. Machine depreciation accounts for $270,000 of the total overhead, a large percentage. With the overhead rate being determined by labor using this traditional system, machine depreciation is being determined by how much labor is being used to produce each product. In reality machine depreciation should be allocated to overhead using how many machine hour it took to produce each product. With 4,000 flow controllers being produced at a machine usage of . 20 hours they accounts for 800 total machine hours. This number is very small in comparison to valves and pumps which take 3,750 and 6,250 total machine hours to produce, respectively. This means that flow controllers should be allocated less machine deprecation overhead due to the relative small number of total machine hours used. However, since the overhead rate is only calculated using labor in the traditional system Flow controllers are being over allocated. The table below shows how much machine depreciation is being allocated to overhead using the traditional method based on labor hours. [pic] The table below shows what machine depreciation would be if it were calculated using the number of machine hours used produce each product line. [pic] Based on the previous two tables allocating machine depreciation based on direct labor hours can give the company a false cost on how much it cost to produce each unit of a particular product. Pumps are being allocated $19,350 ($175,600-$156,250) too much machine depreciation. With the company producing 12,500 pumps that’s a per unit over charge of $1. 55. While this is only showing the differences in machine depreciation, the other overhead cost associated with Destin producing it products also vary. With these overhead cost being miss-allocated for, there is the potential for Destin to be using bad data to price its products. This could help explain the competition problem the company is facing and will be discussed later in the paper. A second way that this traditional cost system is inappropriate for Destin to use is because it only gives the company one option in dealing with a price change. Since all overhead is figured using direct labor hours if Destin wanted to change it cost associated with overhead, then the only way would be to change the direct labor dollars. This severally limits the company by having only one â€Å"pool† to change prices. Revised Unit Cost System: Destin Brass Products controller Peggy Alford put together a revised cost allocating system in an attempt to better allocate overhead based on activities. This system separates material related overhead and labor related overhead and determines corresponding rates to plug into your unit costs. (Exhibit 3) The table below shows the separation of the two types of overhead used in the revised method. [pic] The revised system is better than the standard system that Destin Brass currently uses to allocate overhead. It takes into account the problem in the standard system which based all allocation of overhead only from direct abor dollars. In correcting this problem the revised structure now takes into account material related overhead which has no relationship to the labor costs of machining. While this dilemma was corrected in the revised system other problems aroused questioning the accuracy of the system allocating overhead to the right products. When looking at the â€Å"other overh ead† section in the table above packing and shipping overhead is included. This creates a problem when the overhead rate for this group of cost is determined using machine hours. Let’s use flow controllers again to better understand the problem that is created. In the revised cost system all overhead not dealing with materials is allocated to products using $42. 59 per machine hour used. With flow controllers taking . 20 hours of machine time to produce the â€Å"other overhead† is assigned to the standard cost at $8. 52 per unit. With valves and pumps both using machine time of . 50 hours to produce each unit, this systems creates an advantage for the flow controllers. Although flow controllers use less machine time they require more shipping and packing cost. Flow controllers require a total of 22 shipments to its customers compared to only seven for pumps and one for valves. With this being true the majority of the $60,000 assigned to packing and shipping overhead should be allocated as cost to flow controllers. Despite this fact the allocation can’t be done because of how overhead is assigned based machine hours used. The following table shows the current overhead assigned to packing and shipping based on the revised system of using machine hours as the basis for overhead allocation. [pic] The next table shows what packing and shipping overhead would be based on a percentage of total shipments company wide. [pic] The second way shown is the better way to allocate overhead based on packing and shipping costs because it takes into account how many shipments and necessary of each product line. Looking at flow controllers again you can see that this product line requires 22 of the 30 shipments. This is a cost of $44,000 that is directly related to the flow controllers. With the current revised system represented in the first table, flow controllers only were allocated $4,430. 0 of cost associated with packing and shipping. This is only 10. 1% of the cost that should be allocated. With this Revised System for costs Destin Brass would still be using bad data to set prices of it products. This could be one possible answer to the questions asked in the beginning by the company. Another problem that arises if this revised system is put into place is one that is similar to the p revious problem. Destin Brass manufacturing manger John Scott is quoted in the case as saying â€Å"(the company) probably spends one-half of our engineering effort on flow controllers. If this is the case, then like before flow controllers aren’t being allocated enough overhead with regards to engineering cost. This is shown in the following two tables. The table on the left shows the amount of engineering overhead being currently allocated to flow controllers. The table on the right shows what the allocation of engineering cost should be to flow controllers based on the estimated number of 50% of total engineering. [pic] [pic] This again is another possible reason for the competition and price problems that Destin Brass is facing. Both of the above methods really restrict the company from implanting changes in price and/or cost. The methods have few â€Å"pools† for management to implement changes using and result gives poor data. A System with the possibilities to implement changes easily is activity based costing. Activity Based Costing A system that would benefit Destin Brass greatly would be to implement activity based coasting as a means to allocate the overhead costs associated with its products. This method traces the costs of resources to the activities consumed. The problem identified in the two previous systems would all be eliminated if ABC where used at Destin. The ABC method is used by applying all direct cost (direct labor and materials) towards the product coast based on the coast summary. (Exhibit 1) Indirect cost (Indirect labor and materials and depreciation) are then applied to each product at a rate that set by the amount of the activity used to produce the good. The amounts used in this case are estimated based on how many transactions occur in total and are caused by each product. Exhibit 5) This way of allocating overhead better illustrates how much cost goes into each product based on the amount of components and runs is needed to complete each product. With this being true flow controllers now have representation to the cost being occurred and the overhead allocated to them. Flow controllers numbers are now more accurate because of the fact the all transactions needed to complete the product are used in generating an allocati on rate. Each flow controller is made up of 10 components and that are being produced in 10 runs. This will account for the company to have 100 transactions (10Ãâ€"10) in order to produce the good. The numbers that Destin came up with using this method are shown in Exhibit 4. With each overhead cost being rated by itself for each product, the company has better data to make sound decisions with. They also have better control on implementing changes. As with the previous methods management could only change labor or machine hours to effectively change coast. With the ABC method each cost is rated separately and therefore a change to a cost would be easily done. When comparing the product unit coast obtained from the three methods discussed in this paper, the companies’ problems dealing with competition and price are easily reasoned with. The following table shows these unit costs for each product line using each of the three methods: This comparison table shows that Destin Brass was allocating its overhead in a way that gave decision makers faulty data. By looking at the numbers obtained using the ABC method and comparing them to the two other methods answers to the two questions raised by the president can be answered. The first question of why was it so difficult for the company to stay competitive in the pump market is explained by the above chart. Destin had believed its production cost for pumps to be $63. 12. With this being said when Destin had to lower their price due to stiff competition the company felt they were no longer going to be able to obtain the desired 35% profit margin. However if Destin new the true cost of producing each pump unit was $37. 70 then lowing the price to stay competitive would have been no longer and issue because the company would still be over the 35% mark. The second question raised by management at Destin Brass dealing with why the company has not seen any competition in the flow controller market is also easily answered using the above table. Destin believed that its standard unit cost for producing flow controllers was $56. 50. Using this cost number the company set a target selling price of $86. 96 to obtain the desired 35% profit margin for the company. When potential competitors looked at this price they felt there was no way they could make a profit in this product line. The potential competitors most likely had a cost of producing a flow controller some where around the price we obtained using the ABC method of $100. 91. Even when Destin raised the price of flow controllers by 12. 5% to $97. 07 competitors would still not want to enter the market based on our selling price. These questions are also easily answered by looking at the following table which take the unit cost obtained using the ABC method and comparing them with last months selling prices: This table shows that the flow controllers were priced to low based our current cost. The company would have incurred a loss of 4% gross margin if this were the unit cost we used last month. Again this shows why now competition was forming because any other company using the ABS method would incur a loss as well. If Destin where however to make a 35% margin at its new unit cost of $100. 91 it would need to sell the flow controllers at $155. 25. This increase in price might fuel some competition. Potential competitors might see this new price Destin is selling at and feel it is a favorable market to get into now competition can sell above their production cost. Pumps are also easily analyzed using this table. Now that the company has an ABC unit cost of $48. 79 they can better compete in the price wars the take place in the pump market. At the price Destin was selling pumps at last month of $81. 26 the company would now be making a 40% gross margin using the ABC cost. This leaves Destin the option of lowering the price in pumps $75. 06 in order to stay competitive and maintain market share. At this price Destin would still be making the company desired 35% profit margin. Net income would not change in the flowing month if the ABC method were to be implemented. This is assuming there are no changes in production, sales, or costs. This is strictly saying that the way you account for overhead as no impact on net income. The ABC method total overhead costs, it only changes how those costs are allocated for internal purposes. With this information shown the ABC method for allocating overhead to products is far superior to anything Destin Brass had used before. The ABC method takes into account all overhead cost and the components involved in each product. In summary a company’s profitability of a product depends on the allocation rules used internally. Recommendations: I would recommend to Destin Brass president Roland Guidry to implement the ABC method for allocating overhead. This method alleviates the two problems he had at the beginning of the case dealing with the question of competition and price. The ABC method will also let Mr. Guidry better control his cost and prices by providing him with a way that’s easier and more effective. I would recommend to Mr. Guidry that he lower the price of the pumps in order to remain competitive in that market. He should lower pump prices as long as he stays at or above the 35% gross margin he wants. I would also recommend that he slowly raise the prices of flow controllers. With the unit cost a lot higher than where it was this price needs to raise and try to obtain the 35% margin. Mr. Guidry should keep a close eye on the competition in this market. As the price is increase potential competitors might enter the market. He should raise the price for flow controllers as long as competition stays to a minimal to retain the market share Destin has already obtained. [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

Conflict Resolution Essay Example

Conflict Resolution Essay Example Conflict Resolution Essay Conflict Resolution Essay Conflict Resolution BY Drearn2212 Although individuals working in a team may share differences of opinion and ideas, anticipated or unanticipated problems can be resolved through conflict resolution. According to Austin E. Grigg (2004), conflict, in theories of personality, is usually considered a state of discomfort or stress caused by an individuals experiencing two or more desires or needs that are incompatible (1 1). Conflict, while uncomfortable and unavoidable, can bring positive results in a team environment. Often times the best result come from a conflict where individuals are able to voice their opinions nd make an argument on what direction they would like to see a learning team go. This allows individuals to give their information and take in anothers information. Based on a group decision, all materials are deciphered and the best chosen for a group. Constructive group conflict has many positive outcomes. Issues and people are better understood through an open exchange. The quality of decision making improves as opposing viewpoints and concerns are discussed. Expressing differences constructively can make a group discussion more interesting and promote participation. (documentation learning kit) People in a learning group need to nderstand that arguing statements do not necessarily mean negative conflict. If you have a group that is willing to work as a team, then naturally all persons involved will want the best possible solution to a problem. There is always the case though of intent by an individual to sabbotage a project or integrity of the learning team. This can cause misunderstanding and mistrust to the learning group and disrupt efforts to complete tasks undertaken. Therefore, there are tools that can be used within the group to help resolve this type of conflict. Communication is an extremely valuable tool we all use on a daily basis. Whether its reading, writing, listening, or speaking; without communication we wouldnt be able to get by. This is why communication is so important, more so when it comes to working in teams. We need to be able to use all forms of communication so there is always that understanding. If theres one thing thats avoidable, its lack of communication. Listening is a valuable communication skill. Listen with the intent to understand. Try not to only focus on what you want to say, but objectively listen to what your team member is saying. If you want him/her to listen to you, you need to listen Just as well. Pay attention and focus energy on the words that are being said. Give that person the same respect they give you. Effective listening is also incredibly important. According to Steven R. Covey, empathetic listening gets inside another persons frame of reference The essence of empathic listening is not that you agree with someone; its that you Tully, deeply, unaerstana tnat person. (2 10 practlce your erective llstenlng sKllls, put yourself in a situation where you have to prove you are listening, said Stephen D. Boyd. Listen as close as possible to what your teammates may suggest. You may ot always agree, but youll send out the message that youre taking into conside ration whats being said. Attentive listening allows your team members to feel that you care about what they say. Let your team and team members know youre interested in what they are talking about. It will assure them that you were listening and have absorbed what was said. Ask questions if necessary, this will help clear things up that may have been misconstrued . You never know, another one of your team mates may have been wondering the same thing. Also, when talking (no matter who youre talking to) one of the most important lements of communication is eye contact. You should always look the person in the eye when he/she is talking. Youre showing them that they have your undivided attention. Its not a good thing when a team mate, co-worker, friend, supervisor etc. s talking to you and youre doing other things such as writing, filing, crunching numbers on a calculator or other things like that. You want them to know that youre focusing all your attention on them and nothing or no one else. When someone is talking or explaining something to you, especially in a group or team environment, you should remain quiet. This allows you to practice aggressive silence. As difficult as it may be for you to remain quiet, this is telling the person providing the information that you are listening and do not intend to interrupt. Once the person speaking is finished, then you may get clarification or ask questions if needed. Cooperative communication is another valuable asset to a learning group. All members should contribute our thoughts and ideas to our group. Youd be amazed what you can come up with when you put your heads together. We should all learn to take in and utilize others input Just the way we present ours. When working with your co-workers, in a team, or with a group of individuals we have what you call combined communication. This is when we are all sharing our message with each other and have a multiple of opinions on the table. Whats so great about this is we have so much we can discuss and make use of. Since we all have different ways of looking at things, we have so much more to talk about. As for responsibility sharing, we are all obligated, when working together, to share the workload. It wouldnt be fair if some worked on a project more than others. We should all have an equal amount of responsibility. There are some individuals who are able to get the project or assignment done in a short amount of time. When this happens, he or she may want to go back to that group or team and see if anyone needs help with anything. Working in a team and or group of students / co-workers has its advantages, and one of those advantages is the fact that we have a pile of unified thoughts and ideas. What makes this a great advantage is, once you have all agreed on something, its easier to go from there. You should always be on the same page as your group or team. Constructive vs. destructive criticism has both Its advantages ana Olsaavantages as well. You nave Dotn nelpTul ana useTul information and bad not so good info as well. This is where conflict in a team usually arises. I think you should hear each other out and come toa conclusion the whole team agrees on. Conflict can be a healthy incentive for teams. If approached with the perspective of opening ones mind to approach the project openly, it is an excellent stimulus. Too often, conflicts take place that create negative responses and it can make the other individuals want to avoid the situation. According to (Sheila Porter, J. D. IJOP, pg 1, 2003), when various people project the utcome of a situation, and it isnt clarified, it could become a closed environment. Conflict will happen due to different perspectives. It is up to the individuals to decide how it will be managed. When is conflict healthy and when is it unhealthy? Its healthy, when it stimulates the individuals to create mind maps with the subject. With these mind maps it could enable team members to build and develop processes and thoughts that would create excellent results. It is negative, when the situation becomes a closed session and individuals are left completely frustrated and are unable to see any positive outcome. How can conflict be managed: There is an analysis called the 4RS Method (Engleberg, Wynn, Schuttler, pl 54, 2003). Reasons Why is there a conflict Reactions Why are you responding to it in this manner Results What is the outcome if we dont work this out Resolution What should we do to find a solution After we perform the analysis and we are able to identify what the problem is, there are ways that it can be approached. Terrence Wheeler of the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution, and Conflict Management, ou tlined five main types of conflict management styles: 1) co-operative problem -solving, 2) competing, 3) avoiding, 4) ccommodating and 4) compromising. Ralph H. Kilmann and Kenneth W. Thomas, authors of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument has also identified five general principles: 1) avoidance, 2) accommodating, 3) competition, 4) compromise, and 5) collaboration. In reviewing these principles, you are able to note, that these principles are derived from research and study on what approaches should be utilized for a team to resolve negative conflicts. Each of these principles have guidelines and could be utilized to ascertain a solution toa conflict. Each situation is original and therefore the outcome will be decided after careful review and ollaborative efforts. Problem Structuring James Corner, John Buchanan, Mordecai Henig, Journal of Multicriteria Decision Analysis, indicates that problems structuring is obtained from various views and approaches. There is a distinct and clear synopsis that the approach that is utilized has to have specific measurements and outcomes. This approach endeavours to Dr10ge tne gap Detween prescrlptlve ana aescrlptlve aeclslon proDlem structuring. Decision Support In most organizations, there are rules in place to deal with conflict. According to David K Pruitt, Law and Order, losing experienced and productive employee are not n option. They have a facilitator work with developing the methods and getting the individuals to focus. If there is no one managing this process, it can reduce productivity and minimize collaborative relationships. If the team cannot reach a decision after thorough evaluation and review, and the situation is critical, someone will be assigned to make some decisions. This can proceed with them reviewing all the data and bringing the team together to give them additional information to process. This process can have the ability to reenergize the teams. You have assisted them to formulate a decision. It can also proceed with the facilitator taking the dictator in order to resolve the issue. When differences arise in a team, a resolution must be reached in order for the team to reach its objective. There are many different ways for a resolution to be reached. There is the Mediation process, which can be broken down into five steps. According to Ray Gaitan and Brian H Kleiner in Equal Opportunities International those steps are as follows: The Mediator opening statement, the disputants opening statement, the discussion stage, the caucus, and reaching the agreement. This Process is more of a formal way to solve a conflict. This is used for lawsuits and contract negotiations. The other, less formal ways of solving a conflict, is to listen to one anothers problems and put yourself in their situation. To find a common ground will help you resolve the problem a lot faster. In order to facilitate this it is a good idea to right down what the parties do agree on. Then the focus should shift to the differences. This will help the team find out the origin of the problems. Finding the origin of the conflict makes it easier to fgure out options for resolution. An example is: Team member a has a problem with team member c over how they should ake a presentation. Team member a wants it to be an informative speech, while team member c wants it to be a lecture where the audience interacts with the speaker. They must find common ground and solve their differences or go their different ways. How a conflict is handled can make or break a team. If neither team member is willing to give something up, then both sides will fail. It is also possible for one team member to have more leverage on the table and maneuver the resolution in their favor. This can be a dangerous tactic to use because the loosing party will almost certainly resent the other party and performance will suffer. And in rare instances both parties may achieve their goals. This is why it is important that negotiations be concluded only when both parties have a sense that they have accomplished something. In 10 steps for managing conflict in your HR Dept by Human resource Department report It states tnat unresolved conTllcts would cause personality contest involving threats, intimidation, and blame for past actions. A personality contest involving threats would be where one party is nice to another party in order to sway their support and threatened the other party with removing them or themselves from the project. Intimidation, s when you use some leverage you have to overwhelm the other party. Blaming people for past actions is what politicians live for. Every one has made mistakes in the past and to bring them out into the light makes one party seem more credible than the other. This report also states that there are no real grown-ups. That is why most adults in conflict behave no better t han a five-year-old fighting over an ice cream. References Institute of Management Administration, 10 steps for managing Conflict in Your HR dept Human Resource Department, Management report: 1, 11-12, Septmber 2000. ISSN:1092-5910 March 21 2004

The Press and Indian Removal essays

The Press and Indian Removal essays Whether a mainstream press organization remains objective or lends itself to partisan ideologies, news reporting has always managed to shape the opinions of the general public. Throughout history, the news written and reported in mainstream publications have come from a culturally biased perspective, and do not favor the needs and issues regarding an oppressed minority group. The plight of cultures that are oppressed can often go much deeper than oppression itself. The press has failed in many cases to properly inform the public with news related to the tragedy that has plagued many cultures in the world, especially those affected by the outcome of wars involving the United States. These failures are evident not only in wars abroad, but wars at home, such as Indian removal, the war on drugs, and more recently the war on terrorism. Although the agenda of the modern press differs in certain ways from the press of the 1820s and 30s, during the time of Indian removal, there are many similarities to be evaluated. Since the invention of the Gutenberg printing press to the vast publications and news programs of the modern media, the concept of what is or isnt newsworthy tends to leave out vital components of information crucial to the knowledge seeking process. Furthermore, the importance of generating support for elite policies has commonly taken precedence in the news media over the notion of empowering the public to make informed political decisions. In the 1820s and 1830s, the press helped the nation justify its forced removal of thousands of Indians to reservations west of the Mississippi River by reporting that Native Americans were a "vanishing race" and that relocation west was their only hope for survival. The few stories that chronicled the great tragedies that accompanied their removal were as much political attacks on the Andrew Jackson administration as they were commentaries about the injustice associ...

WRITING FOR SMALL INDIE PUBLISHERS

WRITING FOR SMALL INDIE PUBLISHERS Between the behemoth Big Six and the self-publishing path is a plethora of other markets seeking quality fiction. Some small indie publishers have even seen their authors rise to the top of the New York Times, USA Today, and Kindle bestseller lists, with books available in bookstores nationwide. Yet chatter in the industry rarely discusses theses successes. These smaller, independent publishers produce a wide range of genres from nonfiction to science fiction to erotica. Many publish only in electronic format, but many also produce paperback, hardback, and audiobook versions. They tend to have less restrictive contracts, higher royalties, and are more willing to take cross-genre, experimental or hard to define works. They offer professional editing, cover art, and many even provide regular promotion or easy access to promotional outlets for their authors. Advantages of Small Presses: While they usually cater to a niche market, small presses often allow a great deal of freedom within that market. Also, indie niche markets are often ones the bigger publishers don’t focus on at all due to smaller readership. So if you have a difficult to categorize book that combines urban fantasy, speculative fiction and erotica, for example, a smaller publisher might snap it up. Many small presses pay royalties monthly, so you get your money more quickly and more regularly than you might from a publisher following a traditional model. Most pay royalties from 30% to 50% on e-book sales- considerably higher than the Big Six publishers offer. Disadvantages: Most small Indies don’t pay advances. Those that do generally offer very small ones- a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand. However, this is often offset These presses are small. In many cases, youll be looking at selling hundreds of copies rather than thousands. But in most cases your book will take off more quickly than if you self publish, because a small press has a built-in group of loyal readers who will buy anything the company publishes. Breaking In: As with any publisher, lead with your best work. Indie pubs are not in the business of buying that early piece thats been rejected Follow submission guidelines. These can include genre, word count, formatting, whether or not simultaneous submissions are allowed, and sometimes, specific requirements within the genre. Again, I see many submissions where the author obviously didnt take to time to read the guidelines and has sent material that doesnt fit the publishers needs. Some Small Press Markets: Samhain Publishing Romance, urban fantasy, horror, retro romance Eggplant Literary Productions Speculative fiction Etopia Press Urban fantasy, science fiction, fantasy, horror, literary fiction Musa Publishing A variety of genres including speculative fiction, romance, historical, mystery and young adult Noble Romance Various romance subgenres Changeling Press Erotica

Compensation in Canada and Spain Research Paper

Compensation in Canada and Spain - Research Paper Example But workers cannot refuse to work on statutory holidays if his job requires him to do so (Workrights.ca, â€Å"Statutory Holidays†). The minimum wages have been set by the Canadian government. The minimum wage is the lowest wage that an employee can be paid by his employer. There are strict regulations pertaining to the protection of workers in the absence of unions. The minimum wages are primarily meant to influence the compensation level of employees. The act as introduced in the year 1918 has undergone a lot of changes but every province in Canada is bound to function according to the laws pertaining to minimum wages. Minimum wages are not same in all the provinces. This requires the workers to navigate through the links for each province to collect maximum information on minimum wages prevailing in that area. It is to be noted that all workers are not included in the minimum wages law. Certain designated workers are excluded from the minimum wages rate. This is laid down in the regulations. The list of minimum wages in each province in Canada has been provided in the figure below. The minimum wages have been raised by a number of provinces in Canada in the year 2010. In fact it has been set as a percentage of the gross domestic product per worker. But this has had a negative impact on the Canadian society in the form of increased unemployment. Employers have responded to the rise in minimum wages by resorting to job cuts (Karabegovik, p.2). The compensation and bonus structure in Canada is well formulated and structured. The compensation structure was initiated in Canada in the year 1910. The structure carries proper compensation for employees working in organisations. Along with this, it also establishes other aspects of securities for all employees. Bonuses in Canada are paid depending on the corporate earnings. This is done with the view to reduce the taxable income.

Culture and communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture and communication - Essay Example Then I must make sure I view patients as individuals rather than members of a particular category. Considering the patient’s perspective in an empathic way is vital, especially when they make non-verbal expressions, which I must be careful not to miss or ignore. Lastly, forming a partnership with the patient will reassure them that we are working together towards one end, standing us together, rather than on either side of a gulf. This promotes trust and understanding. 2. First impressions last longest: Matthew said he hopes to improve his expression and tone to reflect a more caring attitude, seeking to comfort and soothe the patient. This is very good, because patients place a lot of trust and hope in a medical practitioner, so it should not be left to chance or personality. However, training in aspects of cultural competency, and in avoiding unconsciously categorizing patients (Medscape CME 2008), is something I must address as critical, in addition to appropriate bedside manner. A patient should feel on a level standing with all others, and feel that I can empathize and consider their individual circumstances and preferences. Experience will help me gauge facial and other non-verbal messages to accurately decipher a patient’s preference, fears, choices and inclinations. This means I must look inside myself and discover more about how I regard members of our culturally-diverse

How can we ethically increase organ donation Essay

How can we ethically increase organ donation - Essay Example Moreover, legal principles are discussed as the crucial principles of organ donation development in UK and USA. On the examples of legal regulations adapted in UK and USA organ donation it is clearly seen that organ transplantation is currently developed in such a way that organ donation is propagated in the society as a moral obligation of all citizens. Many people die every year in a queue for a transplant. Both dead and alive people can donate their organs. Some countries have regulations and laws, which allows organ transplantation from a dead relative without agreement of his relatives. Voluntarily donation of organs leaves much to be desired. Is there a lack of monetary reward or encouragement? Are ethical issues violated in organ donation? It is necessary to draw reveal a curtain from this modern problem, because thousands of lives are at stake1. Sally Satel in her article claims that organ donors should get a worthy monetary compensation. Mere altruism is not sufficient facto r to increase organ donation. In her article Sally Satel discusses an experience of kidney transplantation. A donor sacrificed his kidney for the favor of a recipient and got no monetary compensation. A mere altruism was a basis of such an outstanding gesture of a donor’s generosity. ... UK allows covering expenses connected with organ donation. Organ transplantation is more available in other countries and those who need organs often travel abroad to the countries where it is legal or possible to buy organs in the illegal market. Of course, organ donation covers ethical and legal issues. Ethical consideration of the problem is of high relevance currently. In accordance with Professor Strathern â€Å"We need to think about the morality of pressing people to donate their bodily material. Offering payment or other incentives may encourage people to take risks or go against their beliefs in a way they would not have otherwise done†4. Currently, in order to shift accents of immoral oppressing of â€Å"people who are able to donate their organs, people are encouraged to donate their organs in the name of their beloved salvation or the whole society†.5. In the Organ Donation Taskforce report of January 2008, in order to encourage people to donate, it is relev ant to solve different issues in order to provide all clinics with necessary conditions to conduct operations of organ transplantation. Concerns about non-heartbeating donation require strict legal principles. Legal principles of organ donation of patients are discussed in the Department of Health considerations. In the UK, NHBD plays a role of legal regulations occurring in case a patient dies. Moreover, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) regulates doctors’ actions to decide in the best interests of a dying person if his brain is badly injured. In accordance with UK courts, â€Å"best interests are wider than simply treating a person’s medical condition and include a person’s social, emotional, cultural and religious interests†6. Consequently, best interests of a person are discussed with

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

No - Essay Example sis shall in addition provide a discussion on the suggestions of what are to be done in order to improve the profit performance of the industry in the future. The following analyses are the probable reasons for the reduction of the industry’s profit according to the London’s time and tide (2011) newspaper explanation. According to the Excellence Clothing Company journal of 2014, there is a general decrease in base of revenue for the company. The revenue of the industry declined from  £255063 to  £215623 from the years 2013 to 2014. Since profit is a direct related function of revenue, that is profit = revenue – cost (cost of sales). Such a reduction in revenue consequently leads to loss realization or profit decline. There can be quite a number of factors that may lead to such a reduction in revenues. The policies of London have been proved to be ignorant on the clothing industries. The policies have not allowed for any incentive offer to be given to the industry. There are also varieties of stringent restrictive actions imposed by the London policies that have subjected the industry to many operation ceilings (Clutterbuck, & Crainer, 2012). This means that the company cannot operate beyond a certain set level of production even if it has the capacity of doing so. Most of the policies especially those by the London government have imposed huge amount of taxation on the industry in the year 2014. The industry is being taxed hugely in cases where the clothing raw materials to be used are imported. The custom duty to be paid in such cases of raw materials importation have been cutting deep in to the amount of cost expenses that are to be paid by the industry. The company is as well expected to be paying excise duties monthly and submitting their returns for excise duty charges. The above mentioned costs of taxation are of a negative impact to the industries revenues. Since such costs have to be paid by the industry through making withdrawals and deductions

Reflecting on a moral problem ( affirmative action) Essay

Reflecting on a moral problem ( affirmative action) - Essay Example Other countries similarly enlightened adopted the same principles of this affirmative action law but termed it differently, such as â€Å"positive discrimination† in the United Kingdom in which discrimination was given a positive and beneficial connotation or in Canada where it is called as employment equity to mean everybody has equal chances at getting employed if a person has the same qualities, qualifications, credentials, and capabilities as another person. In all these countries, the main idea was to take positive action that will equalize everybody. In reference to the Women's Liberation Movement (or feminism for short), the same laws in principle were adopted and likewise applied to women to have the same opportunities as men. Some countries adopted a different system altogether such as using quotas to allocate a certain number of slots to members of some minority groups. The same idea of affirmative action was soon introduced to schools and universities in admitting s tudents for enrollment. In this paper, it will be argued how procedural affirmative action is the better of the two variants. ... The only remaining criterion for a job applicant is his or her qualifications for the position. In a sense, this first side of affirmative action is negatively stated, that to achieve the noble aims of affirmative action, any employer should ignore the applicant's race, creed, or color. This first side is what is now called as the procedural affirmative action (Cahn 14). On the other hand, the second side is now more nuanced as it carefully takes into its consideration the very things which were supposed to be ignored or not considered such as an applicant's race, creed, or color; the elements which will make affirmative action a success is to embrace the same criteria which were to be ignored or discarded as mentioned earlier. It is now incumbent upon a potential employer to carefully take into consideration the same things like race, creed, or color when evaluating an applicant. This is what is required now by the so-called preferential affirmative action by paying very close atten tion to the same criteria. These two seemingly contradictory aspects of the affirmative action program can be problematic for those desirous to comply with its provisions and objectives although both two aims aspire for the same result of equality in opportunities. The main problem is whether to use the same set of criteria and then whether to grant compensatory advantages to group members of minorities who were discriminated against. This flies in the face of the ideals of affirmative action which is to allow everybody to compete fairly on an equal footing against everybody else. This implies preference for diversity to enrich everybody's experience but the philosophical debate on this issue has

The Exxon Valdez Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The Exxon Valdez Company - Case Study Example As the paper highlights, the company also launched cleanup initiatives to ensure the water were clean. The in Exxon tanker oil spill, however, boosted disaster preparedness in many organizations today. The incidence occurred in 1989 characterized by oil spill from an Exxon tanker. The Exxon Corporation and Alyeska Pipeline services faced considerable disapproval in view of the manner in which they handled the incidence. The spill occurred on 24 March and spread over considerable square miles. The Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska were the most affected areas by the spill. The incidence created serious environmental concerns because of the effect it brought to the environment including the waters. It would also have profound effects on the oil production in the area of Alaska. The company undertook clean up initiatives and compensated different stakeholders affected by the oil spill. The major issues in the case included the imperfect and slow response to the oil spill. An i n-depth analysis of the response reveals instances of unpreparedness of the organizations to handle the situation. Instances of mismanagement and negligence were evident from the approach use as a response to the spill. The decision of the ship’s captain to attempt to free the tanker from the reef was a sign of underperformance. According to officials, the decision led to further spill of the oil. After getting the oil spill report, Alyeska crews did not respond in a manner that showed their preparedness for an oil spill. The company did not have sufficient containment equipment, which were vital for managing the situation. This was a case of mismanagement. Alyeska Pipeline services did not depict proper disaster preparedness strategies. The organization’s oil-spill containment equipment was in disarray and took a long time to assemble. There was improper preparation of ways in which to transport the equipment to the oil spill point.  

Reflecting on a moral problem ( affirmative action) Essay

Reflecting on a moral problem ( affirmative action) - Essay Example Other countries similarly enlightened adopted the same principles of this affirmative action law but termed it differently, such as â€Å"positive discrimination† in the United Kingdom in which discrimination was given a positive and beneficial connotation or in Canada where it is called as employment equity to mean everybody has equal chances at getting employed if a person has the same qualities, qualifications, credentials, and capabilities as another person. In all these countries, the main idea was to take positive action that will equalize everybody. In reference to the Women's Liberation Movement (or feminism for short), the same laws in principle were adopted and likewise applied to women to have the same opportunities as men. Some countries adopted a different system altogether such as using quotas to allocate a certain number of slots to members of some minority groups. The same idea of affirmative action was soon introduced to schools and universities in admitting s tudents for enrollment. In this paper, it will be argued how procedural affirmative action is the better of the two variants. ... The only remaining criterion for a job applicant is his or her qualifications for the position. In a sense, this first side of affirmative action is negatively stated, that to achieve the noble aims of affirmative action, any employer should ignore the applicant's race, creed, or color. This first side is what is now called as the procedural affirmative action (Cahn 14). On the other hand, the second side is now more nuanced as it carefully takes into its consideration the very things which were supposed to be ignored or not considered such as an applicant's race, creed, or color; the elements which will make affirmative action a success is to embrace the same criteria which were to be ignored or discarded as mentioned earlier. It is now incumbent upon a potential employer to carefully take into consideration the same things like race, creed, or color when evaluating an applicant. This is what is required now by the so-called preferential affirmative action by paying very close atten tion to the same criteria. These two seemingly contradictory aspects of the affirmative action program can be problematic for those desirous to comply with its provisions and objectives although both two aims aspire for the same result of equality in opportunities. The main problem is whether to use the same set of criteria and then whether to grant compensatory advantages to group members of minorities who were discriminated against. This flies in the face of the ideals of affirmative action which is to allow everybody to compete fairly on an equal footing against everybody else. This implies preference for diversity to enrich everybody's experience but the philosophical debate on this issue has

Dyscalculia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dyscalculia - Essay Example Some researchers declared that it is a biological trouble related to brain, some believe that emotional problems are contributing to this disorder; some psychologists declared it, a result of overall low intelligence of children and some say mathematical anxiety is causing this problem. Hence there are a lot of views regarding dyscalculia. A lot of researches have been made to identify the reason causing dyscalculia, yet it is not clear what actually is making it difficult for the children to understand mathematics. Whatsoever is causing dyscalculia; the methods to resolve this problem must be defined and implemented in schools for such children. A person needs to identify whether the problem exists or not before solving it. The first step in helping such children is to examine if the child is having dyscalculia or is it just because of lack of attention and interest. Three methods are defined to diagnose dyscalculia. However one out of those three techniques is considered effective. Two of them evaluate the tendency of a child of solving mathematical problems. These techniques diagnose dyscalculia by considering the errors made by the child and the time taken by the child to solve basic mathematical sums. While solving mathematical problems, a child may be influenced by the environment and other changes. The techniques to diagnose dyscalculia must not be a normal mathematics test as a child may be weak mentally i.e. he may have low aptitude level. The child may be distracted due to some other activity and errors may occur due to some misunderstanding and less power to learn and fathom questions easily. Therefore, the most effective technique is considered to be 'The dyscalculia Screener', which is developed by Butterworth, 2003. This screener is designed to diagnose dyscalculia among the children between the ages of 6 to 14. There are certain mathematical skills that human beings adopt automatically from the nature. For example, a person may easily identify that a set of data contains a numeric value, 6 is less than 7 and counting (2 comes after 1). Dyscalculia is basically designed to carry out if the child is lacking inherent numerical knowledge. This software program is designed with three different groups. The first group is named as dot enumeration, second is called as number comparison and third is arithmetic achievement. The screener shows the weaknesses of a child in the natural human mathematics skills. If a child is performing at a low level in dot enumeration and number comparison and has medium performance in arithmetic then he has dyscalculia. In contrast, if he's perf orming at a high level in dot enumeration and number comparison but performing badly in arithmetic test, he's just bad at arithmetic know-how. Despite of the importance of this screener, it is not considered to be the most successful idea. The price offered to schools is higher than the budget of schools which rely on funds. On the other hand, some schools do not take note of its usefulness and hence despite of having enough finance they do not purchase this helpful and efficient tool. People having dyscalculia are also affected socially because we need

Evolution as an Adaptation Essay Example for Free

Evolution as an Adaptation Essay The Chipping Sparrow is found across most of North America and eats mainly insects an seeds that are found in suburban areas and in farmland in the United States (Chipping Sparrow). Since the early 1990s, the feeding range of the Chipping Sparrow has included farms that grow genetically-modified grains, including the corn and wheat that are part of the Chipping Sparrows traditional diet (Genetically Altered Wheat Promises Higher Yields). Genetically-modified seeds are used to develop crops that are resistant to disease or pests, that use less water, or that are needed for specific requirements such as for pharmaceutical uses. While these crops may be helpful to humans, this change in the food supply could have important implications for the evolution of the Chipping Sparrow and other animals (Chrenkova, Sommer, Ceresnakova, et al, 2002). Although Chipping Sparrows share enough common traits to qualify as a unique species, differences still exist between individual Chipping Sparrows. Some of these differences might include metabolic differences that affect the individual birds digestive process. It is possible that the genetically-modified corn, for example, could be missing an enzyme that is essential to the Chipping Sparrows digestive process. If this happened, then the majority of Chipping Sparrows would not be able to break down the modified corn and would not benefit from eating it. The birds might feel full, but an essential part of their diet would be missing. Unless they could find another source of food, these Chipping Sparrows would eventually die of malnutrition. It is also possible that a small number of Chipping Sparrows could have some genetic metabolic abnormality that made it possible for them to digest the modified corn without this particular missing enzyme. In fact, it is even possible that this genetic abnormality in these sparrows digestive systems had always existed and that earlier generations of Chipping Sparrows who had this trait tended to have shortened life spans. If this had happened, then this digestive trait would have been passed along, but would only be present in a small number of the sparrows who would have been less likely to reproduce. If this was the case, then the change in the food supply could turn what had been a genetic liability into a genetic benefit. The Chipping Sparrows that could digest the modified corn would survive and would pass this trait along to their offspring. Those that did not have the trait would eventually either die or migrate. The fate of the Chipping Sparrows that remained would not be decided by luck, but would be the result of a genetic mutation that proved to be beneficial in their new environment. The change in the environment would effect the Chipping Sparrow population in stages. First, the majority of Chipping Sparrows that were unable to digest the modified corn would either leave or die, resulting in a severe drop in the Chipping Sparrow population. The sparrows that had the gene for the digestive trait would pass it along to their offspring. Even if this was a recessive gene, the odds of it being passed along to future generations would still increase as the number of non-adapted sparrows and their effect on the gene pool diminished. Instead of only one parent carrying the gene, which may have been the case in previous generations, it would become more likely that both parents would carry the gene for this particular trait. To summarize, the original population at time zero would have thrived on naturally produced corn. Individual members of this population, however, may have had what was the equivalent of a food allergy that prevented them from getting the full benefit of this natural food source. The change in the corn would have turned this genetic disorder into a genetic benefit which would have been passed along to future generations. Eventually, the surviving Chipping Sparrows would evolve into a species that thrives on genetically-modified corn and is unable to digest natural, unmodified corn. References Chipping Sparrow. Avianweb. com (2006).Retrieved May 25, 2008, from http://www. avianweb. com/chippingsparrow. html Chrenkova, M. , Sommer, A. , Ceresnakova, Z. , Nitrayova, S. , Prostredna, M. (2002). Nutritional evaluation of genetically modified maize corn performed on rats. Archives of Animal Nutrition,56 (3), p229-236. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. Genetically Altered Wheat Promises Higher Yields. New York Times (May 28, 1992). Retrieved May 25, 2008, from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=9E0CE4DF1039F93BA15756C0A964958260

Suicide :: essays research papers fc

I will never forget what happened in my high school merely five months ago. Chuck was 16 years old, a junior in high school, and a star football player. In December of 2002, he began to have many troubles in his life. His girlfriend of about one year broke off their relationship, and declined his invitation to the school’s annual Christmas Ball. In the days leading up to this dance, Chuck had lost his after-school job, and had several conferences with his guidance counselor about his poor academic performance. On top of all of these factors, Chuck went to a car dealership to put a down payment a car he had his heart set on, and discovered it had already been sold. Chuck went to the Christmas Ball alone, following his ex-girlfriend around for the majority of the night. Midway through the evening, one of Chuck’s classmates screamed at him, â€Å"She doesn’t like you, get away from her and get a life!† Chuck spent the rest of the evening sitting alone. He di d not attend any of the after-parties that evening, and the next day, Chuck’s parents discovered his body hanging in their shower. Have you ever felt like just throwing it all away? No matter how pleasant a person’s life is, there are often times where a person feels overpowered by feelings of doubt, despair, and hopelessness. The majorities of people either push these feelings aside or cope with them, and the feelings diminish and disappear. For others, these emotions never seem to fade away; intense negative feelings continually overwhelm their lives and lead them to believe there is no way to escape or cope with the problems at hand. They turn to suicide, seeing death as the only solution to their problems. Suicide is a problem that affects all people, in every age group, from every background, in every social class, and should not be taken lightly. Due to the graveness of the issue and its detrimental effects, all people are socially obligated to help prevent suicide at all costs. Suicide is defined as â€Å"the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself.† (www.dictionary.com) In the United States alone, an average of 29,350 people commits suicide each year, equaling approximately 80 people a day, one person every 18 minutes. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Although the overall rate of suicide has dropped in recent years, teen suicide has increased, becoming the 3rd leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24.

The Standards and Values by which the Court of Malfi Lives Essays

The Standards and Values by which the Court of Malfi Lives The values that govern character's decisions in The Duchess of Malfi are diametrically opposed to the modern day ethos by which we are accustomed to live. The play is set in a time and society where today's basic sociability, fairness and freedom from oppression were completely unheard of and unprecedented. Those in power saw no point to their authority if they did not take full advantage of their influence, nobody would lookout for anyone else and people's livelihoods depended on kings' fickle whims. Corruption was rife, fuelled by the ruthless backstabbing and do-or-die attitude. In fact, the play starts by amalgamating and spotlighting the flaws with the court system by referring to Antonio's recent excursion and comparing Malfi with the vastly different French court. Antonio is clearly a newly-converted Francophile and describes his experiences in glowing terms, emphasising its superiority with a pithy, italicised aphorism to show that the French head-of-state fully understands how his decisions affect the people - should someone "poison't near the head, Death and diseases through the whole land spread" (I, i, l. 14-5). Coining a superb simile in describing the court as "like a common fountain" (I, i, l. 12), the French communal spirit and sharing lifestyle is drawn to the audience's attention. Unlike the Duke of Calabria, the King does not punish freedom of speech and feels duty-bound to deracinate the inveterate "corruption of the times" (I, i, l. 18). Antonio is one of the most admirable characters and one of the few in the play's opening who displays an attractive side to their personality. He clearly has positive values, as shown by... ...her classes sufficiently, and several characters such as Rodgerigo and Castruchio seem to favour following this method. The Cardinal looks as though he has reached his elevated position only by extirpating himself from his conscience and things such as respect and position are clearly very important in court society. A moral character that would stick to ethical beliefs would not last long in this world of corruption and mercilessness. Right and wrong (only in respect to what is owed to you) is a vital issue and it is very important to learn to mix with the right people in order to rise to the highest echelons of the court. Overall, the emphasis in the Italian court of Malfi seems to rest on material worldly goodness such as money, appearance and status rather than aspects some would consider more important - spiritual well-being, conscience and morals. The Standards and Values by which the Court of Malfi Lives Essays The Standards and Values by which the Court of Malfi Lives The values that govern character's decisions in The Duchess of Malfi are diametrically opposed to the modern day ethos by which we are accustomed to live. The play is set in a time and society where today's basic sociability, fairness and freedom from oppression were completely unheard of and unprecedented. Those in power saw no point to their authority if they did not take full advantage of their influence, nobody would lookout for anyone else and people's livelihoods depended on kings' fickle whims. Corruption was rife, fuelled by the ruthless backstabbing and do-or-die attitude. In fact, the play starts by amalgamating and spotlighting the flaws with the court system by referring to Antonio's recent excursion and comparing Malfi with the vastly different French court. Antonio is clearly a newly-converted Francophile and describes his experiences in glowing terms, emphasising its superiority with a pithy, italicised aphorism to show that the French head-of-state fully understands how his decisions affect the people - should someone "poison't near the head, Death and diseases through the whole land spread" (I, i, l. 14-5). Coining a superb simile in describing the court as "like a common fountain" (I, i, l. 12), the French communal spirit and sharing lifestyle is drawn to the audience's attention. Unlike the Duke of Calabria, the King does not punish freedom of speech and feels duty-bound to deracinate the inveterate "corruption of the times" (I, i, l. 18). Antonio is one of the most admirable characters and one of the few in the play's opening who displays an attractive side to their personality. He clearly has positive values, as shown by... ...her classes sufficiently, and several characters such as Rodgerigo and Castruchio seem to favour following this method. The Cardinal looks as though he has reached his elevated position only by extirpating himself from his conscience and things such as respect and position are clearly very important in court society. A moral character that would stick to ethical beliefs would not last long in this world of corruption and mercilessness. Right and wrong (only in respect to what is owed to you) is a vital issue and it is very important to learn to mix with the right people in order to rise to the highest echelons of the court. Overall, the emphasis in the Italian court of Malfi seems to rest on material worldly goodness such as money, appearance and status rather than aspects some would consider more important - spiritual well-being, conscience and morals.

English Language Essay

English has emerged as the global language of trade and commerce in the past few decades, affecting many key aspects of business in the modern world. The English language has become the standard for all important official communications in an increasingly large number of countries with a wide variety of native languages. In the modern world, English continues to spread as the major medium through which both small businesses and large corporations do business. There are about 5,000 languages in the world today. Some have gained international status; some are developing; others are used in isolation in their region, community, or village; a few have gone extinct or have died (like Latin and Sanskrit). The number of users of the English language has grown by leaps and bounds. Second language and foreign language users are seen to exceed the number of native speakers.  · Worldwide more or less two billion people live in countries where English has official status.  · One out of five of the world’s population, speaks English with some degree of fluency.  · Over one billion had been seen in the year 2000 to continue their studies in English.  · As language of science and technology, English, the universal language, claims more or less 90% of all information in the world’s electronic retrieval systems being stored in English. English is used regularly by more than 350 million people scattered over the globe. It is the native or official language of one-fifth of the world. Of the languages of colonization it has been the one most important in Africa, Asia and the islands of the central and southern Pacific. The use of English is widespread in international trade, international scholarship, and scientific research. More than half of the world’s scientific and technical journals, as well as newspapers, are printed in English. Three-fourths of the world’s mail is in English. The Soviet Union and China use English in their propaganda broadcasts to the developing countries of Africa and Asia. English is the most widely-studied language in areas where it is not native. In Japan English is widely used in the upper grade level. In India, English is the alternate official language to Hindi. In the Philippines it is the common language or medium of communication of people speaking different languages. More or less 80% of Filipinos speak/understand English. Doing Business Worldwide English is a global language for doing business. In some industries, English is the official standard language. Therefore, an excellent command of English is required for key jobs. In addition, English has emerged as a major language for finance and the stock markets around the world. People wishing to do businesses globally need to have a good command of spoken English. The ability to clearly write in English is also of key importance, as many forms of business communication, from emails to presentations and marketing to important business contracts, are written in English. A CNN Report (CNN) Hiroshi Mikitani sees nothing wrong with the word, incorporating it easily into our discussion about Japan’s future. The internet entrepreneur and CEO of Rakuten Inc, Japan’s largest e-commerce site, intends to change his country from the inside out. â€Å"And Englishization is a part of it,† he says bluntly. With 6,000 employees and sales topping $3 billion a year, Mikitani intends Rakuten to keep growing into a global player. The goal: be as common a household name as Google in 10 years. The path to that goal, believes Mikitani, is to speak the global language of business, English. â€Å"English is the only global language. We’re doing a global business. I think this is the only way a Japanese service organization can become a global organization.† By 2012, Mikitani’s pledge is to make Rakuten an English-only corporation. All communication, verbal and email, would be sent not in Japanese, but in English. It’s a daunting task for a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo. Last year’s Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) rankings showed Japanese test takers scored second worst in the East Asia region, below North Korea and Myanmar. Only Laos ranked lower than Japan. Honda’s CEO, Takanobu Ito, said publicly, â€Å"It’s stupid for a Japanese company to only use English in Japan when the workforce is mainly Japanese.† Mikitani doesn’t flinch at the criticism. In fact, he seems to relish it. â€Å"The nature of our business is totally different,† he says, pointing out Honda manufactures a hardware item and Rakuten deals with users on the internet. â€Å"If you want to become successful in other countries, you need to internationalize the headquarters.† Rakuten is expanding despite Japan’s macro-economic struggles. They are starting a Chinese version of Rakuten and purchasing ecommerce sites in the U.S. and France. â€Å"One thing I know, the definition of ‘country’ is going to change. Definition of ‘currency’ is going to change,† says Mikitani. â€Å"There is going to be less importance which country you’re operating from. And there’s going to be global competition, not local to local.† Mikitani is everything â€Å"Corporate Japan† is not: young, a risk-taker, outspoken and fluent in English. He started his company with a friend in 1997, using their own money. The two friends grew the business into the public corporation and powerhouse it is today. The 45 year old, energetic CEO says he is, at the core, utterly Japanese. But he disagrees with how corporate Japan and the policy makers have run the economy and country. Look at the aging demographics and the economy of Japan, says Mikitani, and the writing is on the wall for corporate Japan. Growth, he says, can only happen if Japanese companies go outside of the country for expansion and look for opportunities outside of Japan’s famously produced cars and electronics. â€Å"I felt (sic) those kind of ages is over. Now we need to really dramatically change the structure of economy of Japan and IT is going to be an extremely important part of it,† says Mikitani. â€Å"But none of the Japanese†¦ for example, politicians, truly understands from the bottom of the heart, how important that is.† Mikitani feels the two decades-long economic stagnation for Japan has fundamentally affected the country’s young, which spells trouble for the country’s future. â€Å"Japanese society, especially younger people, are so inward looking. They don’t even want to go to other countries. They want to stay here. They want to have a good life; they don’t want to be rich. They want to have a good day to day life. That’s it. And I think we need to be more sort of dynamic, outward looking,† he says. The solution, hopes Mikitani, will be found in concrete economic policy from Tokyo’s lawmakers and strong leadership from Japan’s companies. Japan can produce innovative, high quality ideas and products, says Mikitani, but the talent needs a direction. He remains positive about his country’s future, despite its problems. Rakuten means optimistic, he points out. â€Å"I think that in absolute terms, we [Japanese] are lagging. We are slowing down. I don’t think we need to be pessimistic, but our window is not so long.† An Indian Perspective English even after 36 years of independence occupies an important place in the social educational, administrative, scientific industrial and commercial life of the country. Ever since India became independent, the fortunes of English have seen many ups and downs. In accordance with the prevalent mood of hostility against everything foreign, English, considered only a foreign language, could not also escape the wrath of many people. It was decided to do away with it as early as possible. It was given a lease of fifteen years, and after that it was to be replaced by Hindi as the national and official language of the country. English was spoken and used by a micro-scopic minority of the people and they could not dominate the majority which spoke Hindi. Educationally also it was desirable to impart instruction in Hindi. Educationally also it was desirable to impart instruction in Hindi and other regional languages. Moreover, the continuance of English as the official language of the country was regarded as some sort of an affront to national honor. Did not every country have its own national and official, language, it was asked. There was much weight in all these arguments. But when the deadline, 1965, for the switch-over to Hindi came, there were unseemly controversies and riots in the country. The main opposition to Hindi came from the South. After long and tedious deliberations it was decided to continue English as an associate official language. The States were free to adopt their own languages and were to correspond with one another and the centre either in Hindi or English. Later the the three language formula was also devised. The general feeling is that Hindi as it develops and as people while learning it show, and are shown patience, will continue to gain in importance and will increasingly take over as many functions of English as possible. But along with the spread of Hindi, English will continue to be used in one way or another and it will play its due role in the nation. India is a land of many languages, cultures and religions. It is rich in variety and diversity, but there is a real danger that in the absence of a link language, its unity may just fall to bits. Considering the situation as it is today, English is the only language to discharge this important obligation. At the official level, the importance of English is obvious. It is the associate language of the Centre and most of its employees use it in official work. Since the States have adopted their regional languages for official business and many of them are averse to the use of Hindi, a virtual linguistic chaos would result if English were not used for inter-State communication. So in this sphere also, the importance of English is obvious. Interestingly, the state of Nagaland has English as its official language. In education too, the use of English cannot be dispensed with. Hindi and the regional languages, though they are developing and enjoy official patronage, are still inadequately equipped for imparting education, particularly at the university level. There is a general lack of standard text books and it may well take several decades before there is sufficient development of these languages. Again, English still enjoys a commanding position in science, technology, engineering, law, medicine, commerce, industry and the diplomatic services. It is virtually impossible to replace English in these disciplines by Hindi or any other Indian language. Considering then for a moment the absence of English from India, exchange of professors, doctors administrators, and students will cease. Research will slacken and there will be a steep decline in the quality of education. The efforts of the country to industrialize itself rapidly and to raise the standard of the masses will be seriously undermined. There will widespread disunity and this will jeopardize our freedom. So the role of English today for us is twofold. It knits the country and maintains equality and standard at all levels. Considering this important place of English, we Indians are today learning it in larger numbers than they ever did before. It is a world language and even in Russia, China etc., it is being learnt eagerly. In India those who oppose it seem to be a little prejudiced either for political reasons or because of some absurd sentimentality. Don’t they accept foreign goods, clothes and technical know-how? They do, because it is good and useful. Why then oppose English, simply because it is a foreign language? They should not forget that it was the knowledge of English that helped India gain freedom. The overall situation then appears to be this. English even after 36 years of independence occupies an important place in the social educational, administrative, scientific industrial and commercial life of the country. Those who know and support it need not despair. English will continue though it may occupy a secondary place to Hindi.