Essay on Mt302 Unit 1 Assignment - 726 Words

**************** MT302 Organizational Behavior Unit One: Case Incident 2 The Global Recession and Workplace Malfeasance **/**/**** The Global Recession and Workplace Malfeasance It could easily be proven with the right set of data presented in the right light that the Global recession is causing people in the workplace to cause problems at an increased rate, and in a worst case scenario, go ‘Postal’ on other employees. This case study does not prove that a recession either impacts or does not impact misbehavior in the work environment, but it does make a strong point that due to the volume of reporting available in the media people might think that it does. The†¦show more content†¦the celebrity tabloid press is that the business press can have a much greater impact on who they are writing about, and the organizations that are the subject matter will ensure at all costs that it is to the subject organization’s benefit. Again, everything is based on some truth, but the truth to look for that can be learned is not what is written on the page, but what is left out of the articles. How do we take on the business press from an OB point of view? Everyone needs to simply â€Å"put on your investigator hat, ask questions, analyze the situation, and consider the source!† (Robbins and Judge, 2011). If we lower our guard and believe every scrap of information that floats by us on the news or in written publications without question, then we might as well just give up and get a job in the service industry like 80% of the current US population according to Robbins and Judge; service jobs generally require little or no thought at an individual level aside from understanding company objectives and following pre-lain guidelines for success within the organization. Regardless of current business media trend reporting on chaos in the cubicles or fight clubs breaking out in the factories, sensible businesses leaders must sift through the muck and still make important decisions regarding their company security and employee safety. Regardless of whether this case incident proves that recession causes employee unrest, the reality is

Essay on Standard 8 Health and Safety in an Adult Social...

Roles and responsibilities relating to Health and Safety in the work Setting 1.1 What legislation relates to Health and Safety in your work setting? The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Other key pieces of legislation that sit alongside and support the Health and Safety at Work Act are: †¢ The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992. †¢ The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (known as COSHH). †¢ The Manual Handling Regulations 1992 . †¢ The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (known as RIDDOR). 1.2 Do you know the main points around the health and safety and agreed ways of working in your work setting? †¢ Moving and handling of people and objects†¦show more content†¦Step 1 Identify the hazards Step 2 Decide who might be harmed and how Step 3 Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions Step 4 Record your findings and implement them Step 5 Review your risk assessment and update if necessary Risk assessment is everyone’s responsibility. 2.2 How and when should you report any concerns around health and safety? Risk assessment is about identifying the risks and putting things in place to reduce or remove the risks. Slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of non-fatal major injuries in service industries and account for over half of all reported injuries - Source HSE. Example: Slips - Wet floors because something has been spilt or an individual has just had a bath Put â€Å"Caution – Wet Floor† sign up to alert other people of the danger. Trips - Electrical leads carelessly left trailing across the floor - Frayed carpets or mats Cleaners bucket left in a walkway - Tidy up the leads so they do not cross a walkway Alert a maintenance person or your supervisor immediately Remove obstacle and inform cleaners. Moving and Positioning 3.1 Are you aware of the key legislation that relates to â€Å"moving and positioning†? †¢ The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (known as MHOR) are designed specifically to eliminate or reduce a manual handling risk to an acceptable level. †¢ Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment RegulationsShow MoreRelatedASSESSMENT 1 WORKING IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE Copy1525 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ LEVEL 2 CERIFICATE IN PREPARING TO WORKING IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE ASSESSMENT 1 WORKING IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE QUESTION 1 EXPLAINE HOW A WORKING RELATIONSHIP IS DIFFERENT FROM A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP They both apply in different sphere; the first determination refers to work related aspects e.g. professional codes of conduct, employer policies and all relevant procedures according to which we needs to perform our daily duties, as the second one applies to private life. 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Diversity- celebrating differences and valuing everyone. By respecting visible and invisible differences everyone can feel valued for their contribution, beneficial for both the individual and the setting. Equality- Two definitions of Equality are: Equality-Read MoreWhy Leadership Matters : Observation Of Patient Experience / Care1591 Words   |  7 Pagesexperience/care. This assignment provides an analysis of an observation of patient experience in a clinical area, following the assignment brief outlined in appendix A. Introduction: The relationship between patient experience and high quality care The definition of high quality care proposed by Lord Darzi in High Quality Care for All (2008) has now become enshrined in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. 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Study of Theatre’s -isms Free Essays

The only form of theatre known before realism was romanticism so the world was very scared to accept the new, scary kind of plays. Especially considering that the new style was not always perfect and nice, but sometimes sad and disappointing. Realism didn’t really catch on so only 20 years later, naturalism was formed. We will write a custom essay sample on Study of Theatre’s -isms or any similar topic only for you Order Now Unfortunately, naturalism did not do so well either. In the 18805-1 9005, symbolism started to appear. This was a very significant step in the life of theatre and is still very often used today. The creators of homeboys believed that reality can only be expressed indirectly and through symbols. They used many medieval symbols and religious paintings in their plays as well as allegorical signs. Around the same time period is when impressionism made it’s short appearance. This movement was primarily seen in the set designs because it was believed that â€Å"artist is affected internally through external reality†. Oftentimes in plays today, you will notice a certain painting or color in the background of the set that looks random but always has a deeper, much more interesting reasoning. This all started in the asses with symbolisms and impressionism! In the years 1916-1924 is when theatre started to become more†¦ Artsy. This is when dada and surrealism became genres. Both of these focused on what was unusual and different to the audience. Dada started as a reaction to the First World War. The word â€Å"dada† itself is a made up word that means nothing. It was sought to outrage the audience into action. Sets and costumes often looked blurred together like a big mess – or they were just completely outrageous. Similarly, surrealism said that art must transcend reality by ding all arts into one single vision that suggests a harmony. Many times, there would be what seems like way too much on stage or on a costume but in surrealism, somehow it always blends together peacefully. Surrealism seems to be, in many ways, the most preceding of the -isms because of how prominent it still is in theatre and film. Through all of my research, have learned that theatre today is nowhere close to what is was when first created. Am sure that in the next years, theatre will continue to change even more and I cannot wait to see where it ends up when my children are my age! How to cite Study of Theatre’s -isms, Papers

ICT in the Everyday Business Operation-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the usage and value of Information and Communication technology (ICT) in the everyday business operation of a travel agency. Answer: The article is 'the usage and value of information and communication technology (ICT) in the everyday business operation of a travel agency'. The continuous growth and development of information and communication technology has a considerable and major impact on the service industry, especially the travel agency industry (Berne, Garcia-Gonzalez Mugica, 2012). The spread and utilization of Internet by the public has led to a several number of circumstances that have acted like game changers to the business operation of a travel agency. As a result of this, most of the travel agencies present in the 21st century era have made considerable and important adaptations or changes to stay relevant and solvent. This article focuses on the several advantages that information and communication technology has provided in the everyday business operation of a travel agency. It points out the usage and value of ICT in the industry of travel agency services (Mokhtarian Tal, 2013). Technology has the ability to improve any sector of the industry. The travel agency has benefitted a lot and generated enough profit through the utilization of information and communication technology. The fast speed of the Internet has enabled the travel agencies to communicate in a fast manner with their travel partners. This has allowed the travel agencies to raise their level of productivity. Their response to the customers has increased leading to high level of customer satisfaction. Customers can clarify their doubts online and find out the expense of travelling to different place without visiting the office. Customers are able to book any travel plan online through the travel agency website (Mihajlovic, 2012). This generates profit for the travel business in no time. Travel agents in this present generation are responsible for booking around 55 per cent of air tickets. The use of information and communication technology has improved the process of coordination in a travel agency (Aramendia-Muneta Ollo-Lopez, 2013). A travel agency can communicate and interact across the world via text, voice message and video calls. This can be done by the agency in a cost effective manner. This allows to travel agency to run their business with less expenses as compared to the traditional methods of telephone calls. The agency is able to immediately transfer information and data to the hotels, airlines and other services for any kinds of transactions. They are able to book any tickets, rooms without any delay just by using the internet. Traditionally this would consume a lot of time leading to customer dissatisfactions. It can be seen that once the customer is satisfied with the fast transaction procedure of the business, then they tend to come back to the same agent repeatedly. In simple words it can be said that the customer loyalty can be increased by using ICT in the business operations of a travel agency. This indirectly creates value for the travel agency by generating more profit. In this era of growing ICT, every business should make proper utilization of the information and communication technology in order to grow and develop. References Aramendia-Muneta, M. E., Ollo-Lopez, A. (2013). ICT Impact on tourism industry.International Journal of Management Cases,15(2), 87-98. Berne, C., Garcia-Gonzalez, M., Mugica, J. (2012). How ICT shifts the power balance of tourism distribution channels.Tourism Management,33(1), 205-214. Mihajlovic, I. (2012). The impact of information and communication technology (ICT) as a key factor of tourism development on the role of Croatian travel agencies.International Journal of Business and Social Science,3(24). Mokhtarian, P. L., Tal, G. (2013). Impacts of ICT on Travel Behavior: a tapestry of Relationships.Handbook of Transport Studies, Sage.

Educational socialization

Socializing Agents Socialization is one of the most important factors in the life of an individual. Some of the socializing agents include the family, the school, religion, and the peer group. These socializing agents play a crucial role in shaping my life in college.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Educational socialization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More My family is relatively large considering that it is an extended family. My parents have always instructed me to be social to other relatives, friends, and neighbors. We frequently visit other relatives, including aunts and uncles. My uncles and aunts visit us regularly to discuss matters affecting the larger family. My parents have always been nice to my friends since they have never questioned their credibility. When I bring them home, they always receive warm treatment from my parents. During holidays, I visit my cousins and spend some time with them talkin g about issues affecting the youths in the modern society. They would also come to visit me often, especially during the weekends. My parents have always cherished holiday trips. They usually take the whole family to various places within the country during holidays. From my parents’ experience, I have come to appreciate the importance of unity and cooperation in the family. I have learned that any close friends should be treated as members of the extended family. This has helped me to achieve my educational dreams. I find it easy to socialize with other members of society, given the fact that my family has a number of friends. The church has played an important role in ensuring that my family lives peacefully. During the early years of education, I learnt through my teachers that teamwork plays a critical role in achieving various objectives. This has helped me in my group discussion. My age mates have influenced my life positively because I have learned acceptable lifestyle s from them. I find life in college much easier because of the above socializing agents. Summary The focus will be on my family. My family has influenced my life in a number of ways. My family helped me in acquiring values that are respected by many members of the extended family. My family believes in socialization because it is always willing to learn new things in life. My parents have always insisted that one should always take care of other people who are not members of the family because they might be of help in the future.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More My mother has always insisted that I should know people and learn to respect them because they will be of help one day. I have learned through my family that I have a responsibility of ensuring that I create a conducive environment that would make everyone feel respected and loved. My father advises me that I should be th e caretaker of my friends, not because I expect the same from them, but because it is my responsibility to do so. My parents have always insisted that I have to pray regularly because it would help me to develop spiritually. These values have defined my personality even at the college level. My family instilled the above norms directly and indirectly. My parents would teach me how to talk to adults, peers, and younger relatives and friends. They also taught me how to keep time by helping me in writing the timetable. The way my parents related to other family members and friends taught me how I should behave. This means that children should watch their parents and try to emulate their behavior because this is how I gained the family culture. My family has always worked tirelessly to develop my character. My family has been the major source of inspiration in my entire life. My parents are my role models, and I have tried to behave like them in my life. They are selfless and are always ready to help anyone in need. They have taught me to emulate perfect habits from them. Through their constant encouragement and teachings, I have acquired my current personality. This shows that various socializing agents play different roles in character development. However, the family is the most important because it is the primary socializing agent. It influences the behavior of a child directly. Other agents influence the behavior of a child indirectly. This essay on Educational socialization was written and submitted by user Isis Bell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Essay on Successful Project Management

Essay on Successful Project Management Essay on Successful Project Management Essay on Successful Project ManagementThree partners in a consulting business provide the services of designing and implementing information system for physicians. The company purchases the necessary software and hardware, adds customized software, implements the system for the clients and performs user training. The company primarily targets individual physicians and small medical companies; the costs of typical projects range between $10,000 and $40,000 (Gido Clements, 2014).One of physicians who used the companys services joined a large regional practice consisting of 6 offices and 2 pharmacies. The practice employs more than 200 people. The practice prepared a request for proposal for consulting companies. These RFPs were sent to large consulting firms while the considered company did not receive a RFP. However, the physician who worked with the target company asked whether the partners would be interested in getting the RFP and competing for the project.Paul Goldberg was quite enthusiastic about the project since it allowed the company to enter a larger consulting niche and earn a reputation. Maggie Pressman is concerned because of the lack of time and the need to complete existing projects. Steve Youngblood is doubtful whether the company will be able to complete the project of such size and difficulty.Major ProblemsThe key problem in the case is the target companys decision on whether the participate in the project of automating the regional medical practice. The major concerns are the following:a) large consulting companies already started working on RFPs;b) the company might not have sufficient expertise to complete the project;c) the personnel is quite busy now and the company might lack people and resources to complete the project.Analysis and AlternativesThe target company did not receive RFP along with other companies because of two reasons: 1) the company was small and was not considered as a potential bidder by the purchasing manager; 2) the pur chasing manager was not aware that this company might be interested in completing the project. Third possible cause is the lack of personal contact between the target company and the purchasing manager of the regional medical company.The team is currently being considered as a candidate to submit a proposal because an employee of the regional medical company recommended them and put in a word for them. The communications between the purchasing manager and Dr. Houser along with the good impression which the team made on Dr. Houser in the past made this opportunity possible for the team.It might be reasonable to develop a bid/no bid checklist for helping determine whether the team should submit a proposal (Kerzner, 2013). Key factors for this checklist are 1) competition, 2) the opportunity to enter medium business niche in information systems consulting, 3) company reputation, 4) availability of necessary expertise, 5) availability of resources to prepare a proposal and 6) availabili ty of resources to complete the project. Factors 1, 2 and 3 have high weight and factors 4-6 have medium weight. The team has strong position pertaining to factors 2, 3 and 5, while factors 1, 4 and 6 are associated with the teams weaknesses.It is possible to identify three possible alternatives: 1 the team rejects the RFP and does not submit a proposal,2 the team submits the proposal and completes the project with its current staff and 3 the team submits the proposal and hires additional staff with relevant expertise to complete the project.Recommendations and ConclusionsIt is reasonable to weight each alternative according to the bid/no bid factors and to choose the alternative which allows to use the teams strengths while minimizing their weaknesses (Vida, 2012). Alternative 1 will result in weakening the companys reputation (factor #3) and the team will miss an opportunity to expand its business and to enter a new business niche (factor #2). Furthermore, the team will not be able to strengthen its competitive position (factor #1).As for alternative 2, it allows to use factors 2 and 3 for the benefit of the considered team, but the company might lack expertise (factor 4) and resources (factor 5) to complete the project; furthermore, any failures or poor performance might affect the companys competitive position (factor 1) and damage the companys reputation (factor 3). Therefore, although alternative 2 is more viable than alternative 1, it is a risky option.Alternative 3 allows to balance the risks: the company will strengthen its position in relation to factors 4-6 as the team will hire employees or contractors with the relevant expertise and will increase its pool of resources. Furthermore, the team will be able to prepare a more impressive proposal if it manages to involve key contractors with relevant experience. Alternative 3 also allows the team to benefit from factors 1-3. Therefore, alternative 3 is the most viable option: the team should hire add itional contractors with proper experience to prepare the proposal and to complete the project.

Leadership and management mean different things to different people Essay

Leadership and management mean different things to different people - Essay Example Another alternative meaning of leadership entails organizing a collection of people, so as to accomplish common goals. K-12 school leadership involves enlisting and directing the talents and efforts of education stakeholders like administrators, parents, pupils and teachers, towards realizing common education goals. Several universities globally offer graduate programs in education leadership. Leadership studies in various organizations have generated theories from traits intelligence, situational interaction, charisma, behavior, charisma, power and function (Carter, 2013). There are several leadership theories which are applied in the education sector. The early western history illustrates the traits or characteristics necessary for leaders. The theory illustrates that leadership was based on characteristics possessed by individuals. The leadership determined by the attributes or characteristics is referred to as trait theory of leadership. Alternative leadership theories developed during the 1950s. The theories illustrate the driving factors for leadership. The individuals also illustrate that individuals who are leaders in a given context or situation, may not be effective leaders in different situations. This led to shift in attention from traits responsible for leadership, to effective behaviors for leadership. The trait theory thereafter reemerged, due to new researches and measurement of leadership. Statistical advances in the 1980s used meta-analyses to quantitatively analyze leadership concepts. The researchers illustrated that individuals become leaders due to various tasks and situations. In the k-12 school contexts, leaders are developed when teachers are promoted to the administrator position. There is direct relationship between leadership development and associated traits such as; intelligence, extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness. K-12

Critcally appraise the nurse mentors role in the support and Essay

Critcally appraise the nurse mentors role in the support and management of under achieving students - Essay Example Here, nurse mentors are supposed to come up with appropriate strategies for intervening to address the areas where a student portrays weaknesses (Cottrell 2013). By differentiating the treatments to facilitate in addressing the needs of underachievers, it would be possible to start addressing the problem attributed with underachievement in both the society and schools (Duffy 2007). For instance, there are diverse forces that lead to underachievement among students. This creates a need to adopt interventions for reversing the effects of underachievement. Instructional interventions and counselling are among the key strategies that nurse mentors can adopt to deal with the issue (Cooper and Gosnell 2014). Various counselling interventions lay emphasis on altering the family or personal dynamics, which lead to underachievement by a student. These interventions may target family, group, or individual mentoring. In diverse mentoring instances, a nurse mentor should refrain from forcing a student to become a successful. Rather, the mentor should focus on helping the student to determine whether success is a valuable goal, creating room for changing counterproductive behaviour (Brown, et al. 2012). Furthermore, a major instructional intervention that has been noted to play a major role in assisting underachieving students is placing them part-time to special classrooms. In these designated environments, mentors aim at providing the students with an appealing environment by altering the customary classroom environment. Usually, small ration between the student and the mentor prevails where the mentors can offer mentoring services and choice for exercising control and freedom in their environment. Here, the students are encouraged to utilize diverse learning strategies as well as adopt self-directed behaviour (Cooper and Gosnell 2014). Thus, this paper

Minority politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minority politics - Essay Example the post- racial American society marred with widespread racial unemployment disparities and serious racial wealth gaps that are not primarily attribute to differences in educational attainment. Throughout the article, the two authors particularly espouses the view that bold policies for economic justices urgently need to be instituted in order to help redress the current racial economic inequalities in different parts of the United States. This is primarily based on the argument that throughout the history, the U.S has always been characterized by a longstanding pattern of structural racial inequalities that has further deepened due to the recent economic downturn. For example, the article argue that although the U.S Bill of Rights and the constitution guarantees freedoms to all Americans, the post slavery America has always been characterized by a highly stratified social system that has continued for many years. According to Darity and Hamilton (82), although considerable improvements have been made in the income gap, both the racial wealth gap and employment gap have remained stubbornly persistent. The article offers two potential remedies to the current economic justice that involve the implementation of racially neutral programs that could help eliminate racial economic inequality while at the same time benefiting all Americans. For example, one of the recommendations of the two authors is that the federal government should implement federal jobs guarantee to all American citizens by providing an economic security of a job and minimizing the threat of unemployment among Americans. On the other hand, the authors also propose that the government should also institute substantial child development accounts for all American citizens regardless of their economic position at birth. Such child development accounts will be expected to grow progressively depending on the familial asset positioning of the parents of a child and will be an important way of providing

Internal and External Analysis of M-TRONICS

Internal and External Analysis of M-TRONICS M-TRONICS was founded during the consolidation of small local machine shops in the early 1900s. From early 1900s to 1999, M-TRONICS has struggled and faced with many operating and personnel problems within its organization. One of the positive aspects of this company is EBIT Margin. According to the EBIT Ratio, M-TRONICS has done very well in the last decade (90-99). At present it has a bright future. M-TRONICS has to consider every alternative they have in order to make sure that their organization is able to continue with its growth strategy. The alternative that is mentioned below for M-TRONICS will allow them to solve the issues that are being restricted in the organizations growth strategy. After analyzing the main issues and the internal and external factors, the best alternative for M-TRONICS is to realign the organization so they can think closely about on one strategy and one focus. This case analysis will recognize the issues that are being faced by M-TRONICS, an analysis o f the external and internal factors, and to provide the most feasible solution for the organization. Key Issues M-TRONICS must evaluate the different options they have that would allow their company to grow within their competitive industries. The key issues and questions that needs to be addressed in this case analysis are: 1. Should the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries be a key part of M-TRONICS growth strategy? The Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries at M-TRONICS is causing a money drain as large amount of the companys budget is going towards the subsidiaries instead of their two major divisions (Electronics and Machinery Division). 2. Should changes be made within the organizational structure and strategy? The structure and strategy at M-TRONICS are different in each division. As each division has operated in different manner, it has resulted in conflict of culture, structure, and strategy of the overall organization. M-TRONICS has been faced with an increase in turnover over the past few years. The increase is due to employees being unsatisfied with how the organization is operating. External Analysis (page 7 ) There are two industries in consideration have vastly different characteristics. The industrial machinery industry is characterized by its inactive nature. Success in this industry relies more on quality and a strong sales force rather than on innovation. As it is a slow growth industry, being a market leader is not necessarily dependant on having a first-mover advantage. The market is in a mature phase; therefore, factors like cost, quality, and reputation are important for survival. The electronics industry is contrary to the machinery industry. The electronics industry is constantly growing and evolving. It is characterized by innovation and development, and longevity is dependant on an evolving product line. Research and technology are the cornerstones of the industry and being a pioneer is essential to success. Other industries are involved depending on which industry a subsidiary is created in. These industries generally have synergy with the two above and are also reliant on development. Internal Analysis M-TRONICS structure has made its culture highly reflective of its history. By keeping the electronics and manufacturing divisions separate, each was able to retain the characteristics and management of Datronics and McKenna Machine Company respectively. Before acquiring Datronics to form M-TRONICS, McKenna Machine Company was a leader in industrial machinery. Datronics was a highly innovative fledgling engineering company focused on high-tech developments. The two together formed a comprehensive manufacturing company with an emphasis on stability in the manufacturing division and development in the electronics division. Sales following the acquisition increased from $600 million to over $2 billion and gross profits grew from $12 million to $104.3 million. Henry McKenna, who had little involvement with the actual operations of the company, but was acting more as a figurehead until his retirement, oversaw the two divisions. The manufacturing division is essentially the McKenna Machine Company component of the company, who is led under the same leadership of George McElroy. McElroy was an essential part of the companys success and was extremely involved with the company. McElroys division is driven by performance and stability, reflecting the stagnancy of the industry and the division. Compensation reflected this, as its basis was only 10% based on return on investments and a lower use of incentives. Datronics founder John Martell led the electronics division, effectively what the Datronics component comprised. Martells style was entrepreneurial, and he believed in fostering innovation and a creative atmosphere. The division was constantly growing and searching for new enterprises to engage in. This dynamic style of leadership is what led to Martells appointment as McKennas successor as president and CEO of M-TRONICS. Martells appointment as president brought several wide sweeping changes as he infused his entrepreneurial spirit and open culture throughout the organization. This was to help develop into new high growth markets, while retaining their current customer base. One of Martells biggest implementations was the Entrepreneurial Subsidiary approach. The Entrepreneurial Subsidiary program was to hedge risks while capitalizing on new investments and retaining talent within the company. The program gave M-TRONICS 80% ownership of the new subsidiary formed by M-TRONICS employees and otherwise staffed by new talent. Depending on the success of the subsidiary, it would eventually amalgamate into the company. The program was designed to entice employees to develop breakthrough concepts without losing out on the benefits of the innovation or the loss of talented employees. Employees were able to expand their ideas in independent ventures with the security and support of M-TRONICS backing them while also making potential substantial gains. Martells changes to the company were very effective in promoting growth and development. However, these changes began to have trouble integrating into the company and dissatisfaction with employees began to rise. Martells appointment of Grennan as the new leader of the Electronics division was creating some dissension as his alliances from his subsidiary were causing some dissension. Another issue was that the focus on electronic development had left the manufacturing division behind their competitors and as a result their top-rated sales force was beginning to leave. Costs were rising considerably in the electronics division with some products obsolescing before they reached their break-even mark. The successes of the subsidiaries were now showing weaknesses as loyalties were forming cliques within the company and as returning employees felt dissatisfied in their roles back in the company. Meanwhile, the manufacturing division required an investment of $200 million to $250 million t o update their facilities and product line to keep up with the industry. Alternatives Realignment The alternative that we ranked number one is that of realignment. We chose this alternative because we feel that it would bring the company back to one strategy and one focus. This would enable the company to reduce the money drain of the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries, reduce the talent loss, and allow for investment in both the machinery and electronics divisions. In order to realign the company, the first step would be to eliminate any future subsidiaries and bring any existing subsidiaries that are profitable into the company under the electronics division. This would stop the losses and loans to those companies, as well as bring back the talent that left to manage those companies. This would leave M-TRONICS two divisions, which could then be managed with one strategy. Under a single strategy both units would have the same, or very similar, compensation packages and rewards. This would create an environment for all to flourish while retaining and attracting talent, while also increasing morale. It would also create an innovative company, which could return to the high profits while being a leader in the industry. It would also ensure that both divisions would be managed under the same management style, which is not the case at the moment. Eliminating the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries The second alternative that M-TRONICS can consider is to eliminate the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries. M-TRONICS is better off eliminating the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries because it has been a money drain on the company. By eliminating the subsidiaries, it would be beneficial to M-TRONICS, as it would enable them to invest more money towards the Electronics and Machinery Divisions. With the savings in cost, it would allow M-TRONICS to directly invest more money into the RD departments of the Electronics and Machinery Divisions. It would enable the divisions to enhance and improve existing products as well as developing new products. Also by eliminating the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries, it would reduce the tension within the organization between the employees from the different departments within the divisions. In doing so, it would eliminate the conflicts in the divisions and improve the productivity of the organization. Flatten Organization The last alternative that M-TRONICS could adopt is to flatten the organizational structure of the company. Warring factions were developed in many of the organization departments, particularly in the RD department and between research and other departments (for example, marketing and manufacturing). The conflicts led to poor decisions, lack of cooperation, and wasted energy, which could have limited the future growth of M-TRONICS. It is necessary to make changes to the organizational structure. The result of the changes could benefit the organization just by using resource more efficiently. They could join the two divisions research and development department together, which could help Machinery Division improve their product quality by using Electronics Divisions resources. They can also join other similar function departments, such as marketing departments. Machinery Division have too many salespeople, they could use joint sales force to sale both divisions products. This could res ult in a reduced total sales force. For Electronics Division, they could also join their sub research departments and division research departments together in order to save research costs and increase development speed. Implementation It is time for M-TRONICS to rethink their strategy and approach. This will require a realignment of the existing strategy with an increased focus on current profitable subsidiaries and talent retention rather than future subsidiaries. Initially all ideas for future subsidiaries and interests will be put aside and a thorough re-assessment of existing profitable subsidiaries will be conducted. In order to determine if the current approach, they are using needs to be modified or changed in any way. By using a single strategy to manage both departments, a new compensation and rewards package will be introduced to both departments. This new reward system will be implemented immediately with increased focus on boosting worker morale, giving workers more empowerment then before, and an improved rewards system. A similar management style will be introduced to both departments as well, which will make organizational practices in both departments more consistent with each other. With increased rewards, career growth opportunities and higher levels of recognition by upper management, these wild ducks will not only get the opportunities to challenge themselves in a competitive work environment, but also grow as talented individuals. This new rewards system will insure that current talent is retained and new talent is attracted. If strategies for profitable subsidiaries are modified then there will be a 6-month test period for their new strategies. Afterwards, performance will be evaluated against pre-set benchmarks regarding revenues and operating margins along with potential growth opportunities. At the moment, there will be a shift of focus from future subsidiaries, as they will not be considered for some time in order to reduce current financial strains. Focus will be reduced mainly to existing profitable subsidiaries, which will come under the electronics division, and the machinery division. The main area of focus in the machinery division will be employee motivation and product quality. The main aim will be to reduce turnover and bring back the motivation that the employees had, especially in the sales force. However, one of the reasons why the sales force was losing its motivation was due to inferior quality products that were being produced. This new strategy will cause a shift of focus in the organization and reduce financial strain. It will allow M-TRONICS to invest more in the machinery department in order to bring back the quality that M-TRONICS have been known for. With improved product quality, more standardized management practices throughout the organization, improved rewards and bonus systems, increased worker empowerment and morale, and a new approach, M-TRONICS will be on its way to once again becoming the market leader it was before.

Use of the Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth Essays -- Macbeth ess

Use of the Supernatural in Macbeth In Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses an underlying motif of the supernatural to control the characters and add a new dimension to the play. Shakespeare uses a large motif of light vs. darkness throughout the play to present moral choices and religious ideas. When the play opens, there is thunder rolling around and the witches on stage. The thunder is symbolic of darkness and gives the audience the first impression that the play will not be ordinary. The witches who only appear in darkness, elements of the supernatural, are one of Shakespeare's classic ways of catching the audience's attention and of also setting the mood for the play. Another motif present in Macbeth is appearance vs. reality. In this motif, Shakespeare uses concepts that either hint at the character's delusion or that a supernatural force has taken over and controls what is real and what is not. An example of this is seen when Macbeth sees the dagger before him. The dagger could just be a hallucination or it could be a vision sent from the wi...

Civil Engineering Administration Essay

Engineering Administration Introduction A NZ property developer â€Å"PROFIT† proposed to develop an office building in Beijing, The Republic of China. This requires the use of FIDIC Conditions of Contracts for Construction (i. e. the 1999 Red Book) which is different in the dispute resolution mechanisms compare to the local NZS 3910:2003 Conditions of Contract. Objective The first objective of this report is to compare the difference in the dispute resolution mechanisms between the 1999 Red Book and the NZS 3910:2003 Conditions of Contract. The second objective is to give critical comments to the dispute resolution mechanisms in these 2 standards. Tables and flow charts Discussion There are many differences in the dispute resolution mechanisms between the 1999 Red Book and the NZS 3910:2003 Condition of Contracts. Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows the flow of structure for dispute in both 1999 Red Book and NZS 3910:2003. The figures show that the general flow path between the two acts is similar. For both acts, the engineer that is responsible for the contract is always the first person (party) to be referred to. If the engineer cannot solve the dispute, both acts recommend a method of dispute resolution (by a neutral third party) before referring to arbitration. Arbitration is the last method of dispute resolution that can be used for both acts, the decision from arbitration is call an award and binding and enforceable to both the clients and the contractors. There are 5 major differences between 1999 Red Book and NZS 3910:2003. The differences are listed on table 1. The first difference is the difference in engineer’s position and engineer’s response. In the 1999 Red Book, the engineer is an employee of the client. The response of the engineer can be regard as the response of the client to the contractor (Cl 20. 1). In the NZS 3910:2003, the engineer is a third neutral party responsible for the contract. The decision of the engineer is final and binding on when both the client and the contractor are satisfied. There is also another small difference that the engineer can do while making engineer’s review between the two acts. It can make a connection with an agreed expert to make recommendations to assist to resolve the dispute with the consent of the client and the contractor. This is similar to adjudication, but with the involvement of the engineer. The second difference is the difference in obligation of the engineer to give it decision to the dispute. In 1999 Red Book, the engineer must give it response to the contractor within 42 days after receiving the claim to obey the law. In the NZS3910:2003, the engineer is expect to give a response to the dispute in 20 working days. However, the engineer may choose to not give any decision within the time limit which is not against the law. In this case, the client and the contractor could refer to other adjudication process to resolve the dispute. The third difference is the difference in the recommended method of dispute resolution to take before referring to arbitration. The 1999 Red Book recommend to referred to dispute adjudication board. The NZS3910:2003 recommend to referring to a mediator. The dispute adjudication board is panel of experienced and expertised reviewer which is organised before the construction begins and meets at the job site periodically. There, the reviewer in the dispute adjudication board is familiar with the job procedure and progress. The mediator is an independent neutral third party which acts as the case manager and the facilitator of the dispute. The mediator does not have to be expertise and it does not have previous relationship with the contract before the mediation undertaken. The fourth difference is that in there is an extra obligated process which is required to be undertaken in the 1999 Red Book but not in the NZS 3910:2003. Clause 20. 5 in the 1999 Red Book indicates that before commencement of arbitration, both parties shall attempt to settle the dispute amicable. In the NZS 3910:2003 There is no similar regulations. The fifth difference is the difference between the restriction dates for all the steps in the dispute resolution procedure in figure 1 and figure 2. The 1999 Red Book has specified clearly the restriction time. The NZS3910:2003 use working days and sometimes months in it regulations. For example, the restriction on the submission date for contractors’ claim is within 28 days in 1999 Red Book after he became or should have become aware of the event;the restriction date of the same situation in NZS 3910:2003 is 1 month. Obviously, the clear number of days used in the 1999 Red Book is more formal and precise than the use of month in the NZS 3910:2003. In some other step, the NZS 3910:2003 sometimes use working days. For example, the engineer review shall give a formal decision within 20 working days (clause 13. 2. 4). The use of working days is

Aginst Gun Control essays

Aginst Gun Control essays Persuasive Essay against Gun Control All of a sudden your walking down the street and a crook comes up to you with a gun. What would you do if you were in this situation? What would be your after actions Many people in this world today are just confused about firearms. The facts show the best way of fixing a problem. If you were in a situation like this one would you fight for stricter gun control laws, or would you fight for the right to carry. If you were one of those uneducated people that would fight for stricter gun laws, then you are subcontuaslly making a mistake. If you were in the imposed position you would now you didnt have a gun, but the criminal did. The criminal will always have a gun, because they are a criminal and they dont care about anyones laws. The only way to fix that problem would be to arm the public. If you were one of those people that would fight for firearms your defiantly on the side witch has the best effect on crime rate. It is proven in every State witch has adopted a concealed carry law. The crime rate has dropped dramatically. In fact the countries that adopted gun control, like England, the crime rate increased by 90 percent of violent crimes. So if you ever happen to be put in a awkward position, just remember you can make the difference. You can help keep crime rate down, and you can protect yourself better the next time. For a better example the State of Vermont has no restrictions on firearms carry, and in return they have the smallest crime rate. ...

Sex, Drugs, Media essays

Sex, Drugs, Media essays Our society is obsessed with sex and drugs. We talk about them, seek their pleasures, and conform to their images constantly. I believe the main reason that this expression of our intimate drives is so prevalent in our society is due to the media's impact on desensitizing us to sex and drugs in general. In my essay Ill reveal some of what I learned during the seminar pertaining to these issues as well as some of my own thoughts as well. The media directly influences all but the most reclusive of our society. We see messages that we dont even know are there and subliminal concepts that change our very own behavior. This is especially true for the media's representation of "body image." Within the media's programming we see an abundance of sexual images, in-fact out of a 50-hour week of soap opera programming we see over 156 implied acts of sexual intercourse . And who is implementing these sexual acts? Men with muscles and tans, and women with D cup breasts and a tiny waists. It is these types of body images that are ingrained into our psyche as the "status quo" when in reality they are far from normal. For within the television's three walls and screen everybody is a Revlon model or playgirl bunny. Yet in reality this is not true, but it creates a false reality leading millions to insecurity. Now if I was a female I couldnt imagine how un-intrinsic their view of a normal body image must be. Men can be overweight y et still be sexy to some, where as woman have a much more narrow avenue when it comes to ideal body image within the media . Thin, with big breasts and no loose skin is a hard thing for every woman in the US population to meet and I think if I were a woman of not such a natural standing I would be lead to great depression from this expectation. Now imagine if I had to explain the US's cultural norms regarding body image to someone living outside the US, how could I describe it? Maybe the following: we are a soci...

Shakespeare in love and Romeo and juliet Movie Review

Shakespeare in love and Romeo and juliet - Movie Review Example In this way, Will-as he is referred to throughout the film-becomes less of a historical figure and more of a literary character in his own right; Stoppard has created a Romeo with wisdom, showing the audience what might have happened to the tragic lovers had they been less rash. Although Will is fresh faced and handsome like his counterpart, Romeo, he also has maturity and the ability to think things through. Essentially, although many parallels exist between the works, each positive and negative turn of events in Shakespeare in Love speaks to responsibility and sacrifice for the greater good rather than the impulsiveness and selfishness of youth. In the original play, Romeo and Juliet, it is love at first site, with the two falling in love upon first meeting and marrying soon after. Although Romeo woos her with beautiful words, it is clear that attraction is rooted in the chemistry they feel upon meeting more than anything else. Their families are locked in a perpetual feud and Juliet is betrothed to another man, which makes their love forbidden. This of course makes the affair more exciting but more complicated as well. When Romeo is banished for murder, Juliet concocts a plan to fake her own death but Romeo is never informed of it and kills himself in grief. Waking to find him dead, Juliet kills herself and their families are left to deal the fall out from their deaths. We are left to believe that they agree to restore peace among them. Shakespeare in Love, on the other hand, related the story of a young noble woman who falls in love first with Will's poetry, his ability to use words to paint pictures and invoke deep emotions. Many of these words are used within the film, creating a play within a play. Rather than create a direct parallel, wherein all of the elements follow a recognizable predetermined path based upon the play, Stoppard chooses to sprinkle these elements throughout the action. The feud, for example, is not between the families of the lovers for example, but between two play houses-The Rose and The Curtain-and their playwrights-Marlowe and Shakespeare. However, the death of Marlowe and the shutting down of The Rose sparks a truce between the two houses. "Will Shakespeare has a play. I have a theatre," (Stoppard) says the owner, Burbage, when he offers his stage to the now defunct players. Loss brings together these warring groups, just as it did in Romeo and Juliet; however the lesson here is greater. When both children are dead, a truce serves only to prevent further bloodshed. It will not bring these children back nor allow them to enjoy the peace that their deaths have brought. It is a bittersweet victory. However, when the two play houses form a truce, they are both elevated beyond their previous quality, producing a play worthy of the Queen's approval and praise as one that is able to truly demonstrate love. This diversion from the play serves to move the action forward by giving the play a stage, it provides everyone involved with some measure of success, and one could learn a lesson in cooperation-if they were so inclined-as neither party could have reaped the rewards on their own, our lovers Will and Viola included. Another parallel between the plays is the morning after the lovers have first consummated their love affair and are torn from each other by the quickly approaching

Investment in a social media strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment in a social media strategy - Essay Example As a result of social media there have been pervasive changes in the way individuals, communities, and organizations. Lately, there have been improvements in the ways in which business organizations make use of social media to get in touch with the public. This is because of developments such as globalization which makes it very hard for business organization to use face-to-face communication for customer service. This paper aims at discussing how a business organization can use social media for customer service. Customer service is a very important aspect of business management. The customer service is in most cases referred to as the process of identifying and fulfilling the needs of their customers. The customer service is considered to be very important because in most cases it is always the only way through which customers can contact a business organization. Given the fact that business organizations have been satisfying the needs of their clients as one of the primary goals, customer service is one of the most reliable ways of determining if they are fulfilling this part of their goal. Customer service can also enable a business to know in which ways they should improve in order to completely satisfy the needs of their customers. Customer service is also a channel through which customers can make inquiries on goods and services produced by a certain business organization (Shaw, Dibeehi & Walden 2010, p. 111). There are various factors that promote the use of social media for customer service. One of such factors is the manner in which the use of social media enables business organizations to deliver better customer service. Researches have proved that twitter is in most cases the first option for customers who want to make pre-purchase inquiries. This proves that many people can be attended to through social media customer service. This is enhanced by the fact that a very big percentage people in the

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Philosophy - Assignment Example ey argue using stock question, "If everything has a cause, then what caused about God?† To recommend that God require not have a cause, and then it implies the universe did not have a cause. Perhaps, the individuals who disagree with the question and recommendation, it is the universe itself or the occasion that rose it, that is the uncaused cause (Solomon and Martin 90). There are numerous illustrations of philosophers who are against the straw man First Cause contention. They incorporate Graham Priest, Steven Hales, Bertrand Russell, Nigel Warburton, Robin Le Poidevin, Simon Blackburn, Jenny Teichman, Michael Martin, and Katherine Evans. Solomon and Martin offers a few further samples from philosophy books, including Russells book Why I Am Not a Christian as the source from which numerous writers realized the caricature that was answered by the stock. Solomon and Martin believe that David Hume through his book the Dialogs Concerning Natural Religion discredits the stock straw man’s First Cause contention; he was among the first extraordinary authors to do as such. Solomon and Martin suggest that it is agreeable without qualifying the rule "Each being has a cause,† any invalidation this, if nothing else, ought to excite suspicions among the believers concerning the principle or practice. Critics routinely discredit the straw man without referring to any individual who has ever defended it. For example, Le Poidevin conceded that nobody has actually defended it, after dishonestly criticizing proponent or the advocates for the First Cause contention of disaffirming themselves by denying that God has a cause. Solomon and Martin note that Aquinas unequivocally denied that everything had a cause. Aquinas said that "to be caused by an alternate or another, does not apply to a being inasmuch as the being; generally, every being would be caused by another, so we ought to need to move ahead to limitlessness in causes - impossibility†. Aquinas believes that it is

An introduction to working with children Essay Example for Free

An introduction to working with children Essay Nurseries provide care and education for children under the age of five in my area by offering free learning and play sessions which take place in the mornings and afternoons. Instead of a nursery just being a place where your child plays, a nursery provides education by qualified staff and professionals who encourage a child to learn as well a play while still providing care. Holiday play schemes is a place where children over the age of five go and can participate in various different types of activities which are both educational and play sessions, the activities range from reading books and watching educational programmes/videos/DVD’s to children playing on game consoles. ‘The room is divided into areas of various types of play experiences. These areas include, large and small construction sets, imaginative play dressing ups, home corner, mark making, Hama beads, dance mats, games machines, pool table, small world, football table. We also have two adjoining areas where children can access messy/art and craft activities and relax in the quiet area, reading books or watching various videos/DVDs.’ http://brightbeginningschildcare.co.uk/playscheme 11.11.11 A Child-minder is a person who looks after a parents children in their own home, child-minders usually look after children under the age of five, they provide care and education by helping the child with school work such as homework, participating in educational games or activities with them or generally playing games with them, baking or watching programmes with them. Nurseries aim to support children and their families by building a strong partnership with parents/careers because the setting and the child’s guardian want what is best, and for the child to achieve. If a nursery did not have a good relationship with parents/careers then there isn’t any trust or respect so if an issue is raised for example the child is underachieving and the nursery thought it is best for that child to receive additional support, a parent/career could take offence to it and then the situation could escalate. But if the nursery had a good positive relationship with parents and careers then a discussion could take place about the child receiving additional support, because it is important that you include the parent or career in discussions about their child otherwise they could feel that they are not valued or respected, and it is also their right to make decisions about their child, so if a nursery overlooked a parent or career regarding a situation wi th their child the parent or career could feel disrespected. ‘It recognises that parents and carers need to be fully involved in discussions about their childs additional support needs. Where necessary, they should be given support by their school or nursery to take part in meetings and be included fully in decisions that affect their child. Establishments and parents/carers may not always agree on what is in the best interest of the child, but by developing good relationships, and through good communication, it is expected that most problems and disagreements will be solved at school/nursery level.’ http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/learning/aslfamilies/ 18.11.11 Holiday play schemes offer children a wide range of different activities from rock climbing to extra-curricular lessons such as additional english, maths or science, but the way these extra-curricular lessons are integrated into the activities do not seem like they are lessons, but the children are subconsciously learning new things which would help them throughout school because they can relate back to these activities. This supports children because they are providing a safe and secure place where they can come and be happy, make new friends and learn new skills and play schemes provide for all children so every child is included, they are also supporting the child by teaching them new things or helping them with specific work by integrating it into an activity. Holiday play schemes support families by ensuring their child is in a safe, stimulating learning environment while they are unable to look after the child because they are at work etc. Play workers also can pick the child up from their school so the parent/career will not have to worry about transport for the child. ‘Holiday play schemes are run by play workers. Play workers are responsible for planning activities to help children learn, play and relax with their friends. Play workers will often pick up children from local schools.’ http://www.youngsouthampton.org/parentsandcarers/childcare-schoolaged/holiday -play-schemes.asp 12.12.11 Child-minders aim to support children and their families by providing a safe and stimulating for the child/children they are caring for, child-minders mainly care for a child in a domestic environment such as the child’s home. Child-minders become a valued member of a family because they pay such a big role in the child’s life. A child-minder usually takes the child on day trips to museums or animal parks such as zoo’s, they are usually educational day trips where the child can learn something. Arranging stimulating and therapeutic learning activities such as finger painting, cooking, reading, dress-up games or even celebrating cultural events which could include making Christmas or Eid cards or creating their own Easter egg. All these activities support children because they are learning new skills which they will need in life, they all acquire the child to use their fine and gross motor skills which will help them develop, and also their language and intellectual development. ‘They do this in a domestic setting (normally their own home) for payment†¦to ensure they provide a safe and stimulating environment for the children that they care for. Registered child-minders are usually self-employed and run their own business. Although every day will be different, a child-minder’s typical day may include: †¢visiting a park, museum, library or playgroup †¢arranging fun and stimulating learning activities, such as dressing-up, creative play, reading, and celebrating cultural events from around the world †¢providing meals and snacks for the children, involving them in food preparation and menu choices †¢taking children to and from school or clubs †¢working with other local child-minders to organise group activities.’ http://www.ncma.org.uk/childminders/become_a_childminder/what_childminders_do.aspx 12.12.11 The Human Rights Act 2000 This act ensures all children have a right to the protection of private and family life, this means in practice all children’s personal life is always kept private, this includes any information that is disclosed from parents or carers about a child, also anything that is revealed during placement. The right to education, this means that every single child has the right to have an education no matter of their race, gender, culture or background whether it is at a statutory or private sector. To discriminate against children because of their race, sex, culture, background etc is unlawful . ‘The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.’ http://www.elc.org.uk/pages/lawarticleshra.htm#14 16.12.11 These are some of the ri ghts that The Human Rights Act 2000 allows children to have, this legislation overall supports the rights of children because it ensures children have the right to equality, dignity and to be respected. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 This act supports the rights of children because it states that it is unlawful for educational providers such as teachers to discriminate against pupils with a special educational disability or need. It influences working practices in the setting because if a teacher discriminated a child which was physically disabled and in a wheel chair by not making sure they had access to everything they needed, additional care, help or support then they could be prosecuted because it is against the law. The Equality Act 2010 This act supports the rights of children because it states the legal responsibilities of public sectors such as schools to provide equal opportunities for everyone. This act influences working practices in the setting by trying to ensure that everyone is treated equally no matter what ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion etc. A staff member could not treat a child differently to the other children because of their religion, for example; during a seasonal period such as Christmas and the children are creating Christmas cards and one of the children is Muslim and their parents have asked the staff for their child not to take part in activities like that, the staff could not just isolate the child and give them nothing to do, the staff should either set a different piece of work of that child to do which does not involve Christmas activities or send them to a different class where they are doing a different activity so that child does not feel left out or isolated.

The Bank of England Monetary and financial stability

The Bank of England Monetary and financial stability The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom. Sometimes known as the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, the Bank was founded in 1694, nationalised on 1 March 1946, and gained independence in 1997. Standing at the centre of the UKs financial system, the Bank is committed to promoting and maintaining monetary and financial stability as its contribution to a healthy economy. The Bank of England exists to ensure monetary stability and to contribute to financial stability. The Bank of England has been issuing banknotes for over 300 years. During that time, both the notes themselves and their role in society have undergone continual change. From todays perspective, it is easy to accept that a piece of paper that costs a few pence to produce is worth five, ten, twenty or fifty pounds. Gaining and maintaining public confidence in the currency is a key role of the Bank of England and one which is essential to the proper functioning of the economy. Core Purpose 1 Monetary Stability Monetary stability means stable prices and confidence in the currency. Stable prices are defined by the Governments inflation target, which the Bank seeks to meet through the decisions delegated to the Monetary Policy Committee, explaining those decisions transparently and implementing them effectively in the money markets. The first objective of any central bank is to safeguard the value of the currency in terms of what it will purchase at home and in terms of other currencies. Monetary policy is directed to achieving this objective and to providing a framework for non-inflationary economic growth. As in most other developed countries, monetary policy operates in the UK mainly through influencing the price at which money is lent, in other words the interest rate. The Banks price stability objective is made explicit in the present monetary policy framework. It has two main elements: an annual inflation target set each year by the Government and a commitment to an open and accountable policy-making regime. Setting monetary policy deciding on the level of short-term interest rates necessary to meet the Governments inflation target is the responsibility of the Bank. In May 1997 the Government gave the Bank operational independence to set monetary policy by deciding the short-term level of interest rates to meet the Governments stated inflation target currently 2%. Core Purpose 2 Financial Stability Financial stability entails detecting and reducing threats to the financial system as a whole. Such threats are detected through the Banks surveillance and market intelligence functions. They are reduced by strengthening infrastructure, and by financial and other operations, at home and abroad, including, in exceptional circumstances, by acting as the lender of last resort. One of the Bank of Englands two core purposes is monetary stability. Monetary stability means stable prices low inflation and confidence in the currency. Stable prices are defined by the Governments inflation target, which the Bank seeks to meet through the decisions taken by the Monetary Policy Committee. A principal objective of any central bank is to safeguard the value of the currency in terms of what it will purchase. Rising prices inflation reduces the value of money. Monetary policy is directed to achieving this objective and providing a framework for non-inflationary economic growth. As in most other developed countries, monetary policy usually operates in the UK through influencing the price at which money is lent the interest rate. However, in March 2009 the Banks Monetary Policy Committee announced that in addition to setting Bank Rate, it would start to inject money directly into the economy by purchasing assets often known as quantitative easing. This means that the instrument of monetary policy shifts towards the quantity of money provided rather than its price. Low inflation is not an end in itself. It is however an important factor in helping to encourage long-term stability in the economy. Price stability is a precondition for achieving a wider economic goal of sustainable growth and employment. High inflation can be damaging to the functioning of the economy. Low inflation can help to foster sustainable long-term economic growth. Monetary Policy Framework The Banks monetary policy objective is to deliver price stability low inflation and, subject to that, to support the Governments economic objectives including those for growth and employment. Price stability is defined by the Governments inflation target of 2%. The remit recognises the role of price stability in achieving economic stability more generally, and in providing the right conditions for sustainable growth in output and employment. The Governments inflation target is announced each year by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the annual Budget statement. The 1998 Bank of England Act made the Bank independent to set interest rates. The Bank is accountable to parliament and the wider public. The legislation provides that if, in extreme circumstances, the national interest demands it, the Government has the power to give instructions to the Bank on interest rates for a limited period. The inflation target The inflation target of 2% is expressed in terms of an annual rate of inflation based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). The remit is not to achieve the lowest possible inflation rate. Inflation below the target of 2% is judged to be just as bad as inflation above the target. The inflation target is therefore symmetrical. If the target is missed by more than 1 percentage point on either side i.e. if the annual rate of CPI inflation is more than 3% or less than 1% the Governor of the Bank must write an open letter to the Chancellor explaining the reasons why inflation has increased or fallen to such an extent and what the Bank proposes to do to ensure inflation comes back to the target. A target of 2% does not mean that inflation will be held at this rate constantly. That would be neither possible nor desirable. Interest rates would be changing all the time, and by large amounts, causing unnecessary uncertainty and volatility in the economy. Even then it would not be possible to keep inflation at 2% in each and every month. Instead, the MPCs aim is to set interest rates so that inflation can be brought back to target within a reasonable time period without creating undue instability in the economy. The Monetary Policy Committee The Bank seeks to meet the inflation target by setting an interest rate. The level of interest rates is decided by a special committee the Monetary Policy Committee. The MPC consists of nine members five from the Bank of England and four external members appointed by the Chancellor. It is chaired by the Governor of the Bank of England. The MPC meets monthly for a two-day meeting, usually on the Wednesday and Thursday after the first Monday of each month. Decisions are made by a vote of the Committee on a one-person one-vote basis. Communications The interest rate decision is announced at 12 noon on the second day. The minutes of the meetings, including a record of the vote, are published on the Wednesday of the second week after the meeting takes place. Each quarter, the Bank publishes its Inflation Report, which provides a detailed analysis of economic conditions and the prospects for economic growth and inflation agreed by the MPC. The Bank also publishes other material to increase awareness and understanding of its monetary policy function. Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Interest rates are set by the Banks Monetary Policy Committee. The MPC sets an interest rate it judges will enable the inflation target to be met. The Banks Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is made up of nine members the Governor, the two Deputy Governors, the Banks Chief Economist, the Executive Director for Markets and four external members appointed directly by the Chancellor. The appointment of external members is designed to ensure that the MPC benefits from thinking and expertise in addition to that gained inside the Bank of England How Monetary Policy Works From interest rates to inflation When the Bank of England changes the official interest rate it is attempting to influence the overall level of expenditure in the economy. When the amount of money spent grows more quickly than the volume of output produced, inflation is the result. In this way, changes in interest rates are used to control inflation. The Bank of England sets an interest rate at which it lends to financial institutions. This interest rate then affects the whole range of interest rates set by commercial banks, building societies and other institutions for their own savers and borrowers. It also tends to affect the price of financial assets, such as bonds and shares, and the exchange rate, which affect consumer and business demand in a variety of ways. Lowering or raising interest rates affects spending in the economy. A reduction in interest rates makes saving less attractive and borrowing more attractive, which stimulates spending. Lower interest rates can affect consumers and firms cash-flow a fall in interest rates reduces the income from savings and the interest payments due on loans. Borrowers tend to spend more of any extra money they have than lenders, so the net effect of lower interest rates through this cash-flow channel is to encourage higher spending in aggregate. The opposite occurs when interest rates are increased. Lower interest rates can boost the prices of assets such as shares and houses. Higher house prices enable existing home owners to extend their mortgages in order to finance higher consumption. Higher share prices raise households wealth and can increase their willingness to spend. Changes in interest rates can also affect the exchange rate. An unexpected rise in the rate of interest in the UK relative to overseas would give investors a higher return on UK assets relative to their foreign-currency equivalents, tending to make sterling assets more attractive. That should raise the value of sterling, reduce the price of imports, and reduce demand for UK goods and services abroad. However, the impact of interest rates on the exchange rate is, unfortunately, seldom that predictable. Changes in spending feed through into output and, in turn, into employment. That can affect wage costs by changing the relative balance of demand and supply for workers. But it also influences wage bargainers expectations of inflation an important consideration for the eventual settlement. The impact on output and wages feeds through to producers costs and prices, and eventually consumer prices. Some of these influences can work more quickly than others. And the overall effect of monetary policy will be more rapid if it is credible. But, in general, there are time lags before changes in interest rates affect spending and saving decisions, and longer still before they affect consumer prices. We cannot be precise about the size or timing of all these channels. But the maximum effect on output is estimated to take up to about one year. And the maximum impact of a change in interest rates on consumer price inflation takes up to about two years. So interest rates have to be set based on judgments about what inflation might be the outlook over the coming few years not what it is today. Setting interest rates As banker to the Government and the banks, the Bank is able to forecast fairly accurately the pattern of money flows between the Governments accounts on one hand and the commercial banks on the other, and acts on a daily basis to smooth out the imbalances which arise. When more money flows from the banks to the Government than vice versa, the banks holdings of liquid assets are run down and the money market finds itself short of funds. When more money flows the other way, the market can be in cash surplus. In practice the pattern of Government and Bank operations usually results in a shortage of cash in the market each day. The Bank supplies the cash which the banking system as a whole needs to achieve balance by the end of each settlement day. Because the Bank is the final provider of cash to the system it can choose the interest rate at which it will provide these funds each day. The interest rate at which the Bank supplies these funds is quickly passed throughout the financial system, influencing interest rates for the whole economy. When the Bank changes its dealing rate, the commercial banks change their own base rates from which deposit and lending rates are calculated. Quantitative Easing In March 2009, the Monetary Policy Committee announced that, in addition to setting Bank Rate at 0.5%, it would start to inject money directly into the economy in order to meet the inflation target. The instrument of monetary policy shifted towards the quantity of money provided rather than its price (Bank Rate). But the objective of policy is unchanged to meet the inflation target of 2 per cent on the CPI measure of consumer prices. Influencing the quantity of money directly is essentially a different means of reaching the same end. Read more Significant reductions in Bank Rate have provided a large stimulus to the economy but as Bank Rate approaches zero, further reductions are likely to be less effective in terms of the impact on market interest rates, demand and inflation. And interest rates cannot be less than zero. The MPC therefore needs to provide further stimulus to support demand in the wider economy. If spending on goods and services is too low, inflation will fall below its target. The MPC boosts the supply of money by purchasing assets like Government and corporate bonds a policy often known as Quantitative Easing. Instead of lowering Bank Rate to increase the amount of money in the economy, the Bank supplies extra money directly. This does not involve printing more banknotes. Instead the Bank pays for these assets by creating money electronically and crediting the accounts of the companies it bought the assets from. This extra money supports more spending in the economy to bring future inflation back to the target

Isaac Asimov, Mind of a Child Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout history man has always had a vivid imagination. In prehistoric times, old man used to write stories, tales and such upon their cave dwelling walls. These were performed through the use of symbols. These symbols, called hieroglyphics, portrayed the thoughts and creativity of their authors. Boszhardt once said while talking about the cave pictures in Wisconsin, "When I first visited the cave, I was skeptical about the possible art that Daniel had written to me about, But once my flashlight came upon some of the drawings, there was no question that this was authentic Native American art. The birds, deer, and bow hunters are of styles that had to be prehistoric, and the charcoal had been absorbed into the rock. I was literally stunned--this was real, this was old, and there was a lot of it." In ancient Egypt, we also find such displays of messages and stories. Weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve all heard of such writings in the pyramids and such. The most brilliant display of these messages lies in the Mexico Desert with its mile long pictures created by who are believed to be Aztecs. These messages from the very beginning offered new, unique views and ideas upon existing scenarios. Ancient authors who had witnessed and read such symbols got their own ideas and developed their own style of writing and stories. This is has happened throughout history and is most prevalent in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s society. In the early 1900à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s technology began to boom. Many tales of science fantasy were created. The imagination of many was stirred violently as America and the U.S.S.R. were neck and neck in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Space Raceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Magical tales of aliens and Martians were shaped by the twisted and horrifically minds of authors such as Isaac Asimov. Many remember the comical almost, ridiculous movies of the early nineteen fifties. At that time though, many believed them to be real and were frightened beyond normal convention. Many authors in this era began to evolve, much how the earlier ancient writers evolved themselves. I will give you a brief biography of Isaac Asimov to allow you to understand his writing better and relinquish the ideas captured within his works. Throughout his amazing and fantastical life he has written almost five hundred astonishing works. While not... ..., Robot is a collection of short stories written by the science fiction author himself, Isaac Asimov. He set out the principles of robot behavior that we know as the Three Laws of Robotics. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (choen, Lindsay. I,Robot) Contained in this whimsical collection are stories of robots gone mad, mind-reading robots, robots with a sense of humor, robot politicians, and robots that secretly run the world, all told with Asimov's trademark dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction. This collection has set the boundaries and set a certain criteria for other authors to follow and keep consistency in their stories involving robots and other forms of artificial intelligence. Throughout time many innovators come and go. For some of these great men we remember not only their accomplishments but them as a person. Many of our modern technologies were developed or founded by one man, but do we know their names? Isaac Asimov must be considered one of the few innovators whom have not only shaped a new idea into reality but have also kept their legacy along with it.

Developing Negotiation Case Studies

While a great deal of excellent advice exists for producing case studies on managerially relevant topics in general, negotiation cases have distinctive aspects that merit explicit treatment.This article offers three types of tailored advice for producing cases on negotiation and related topics (such as mediation and diplomacy) that are primarily intended for classroom discussion: 1) how to decide whether a negotiation ­related case lead is worth developing; 2) how to choose the perspective and case type most suited to one’s objectives; and 3) in by far the longest part of the discussion, ten nuts and bolts suggestions for structuring and producing an excellent negotiation case study.Suppose you read about, participate in, or otherwise become aware of a negotiation that intrigues you as a possible candidate for a case study. Perhaps a student, colleague, participant in an executive program, or private client suggests such an episode. You may consider researching and writing u p the case yourself or you might supervise someone else for this purpose. Should you proceed with an investment of your scarce time and resources? If so, how?What’s the best casewriting advice you can give to a research assistant, a student (team) grappling with a course assignment to produce a case study, or someone else who is simply interested in writing up a negotiation for discussion purposes? ii Generations of experienced, even legendary, casewriters have codified guidelines for producing excellent case studies on virtually any subject. iii Yet negotiation cases often have distinctive aspects that merit explicit treatment.Over the years, I’ve found myself in many conversations trying to crystallize and convey the elements that seem to contribute to crafting superior negotiation cases. I hope that pulling these insights together and developing them a bit more systematically will be useful for others undertaking casewriting projects. A quick caveat: though casewrit ing is often properly part of a larger research program, and synergistic with other methodologies, I focus here on case studies that are mainly intended as vehicles for classroom discussion and analysis.As such, I sidestep important issues associated with systematically selecting and developing cases for well- defined research projects. For example, in the field of international relations, which thrives on case studies, the â€Å"method of structured, focused comparisons† is a research staple. iv More generally, exacting criteria exist for identifying, developing, comparing, and Draft: Developing Negotiation Case Studies. Copyright  ©2010 by James K. Sebenius. 1 contrasting case studies in order to extract valid inductive social scientific knowledge. However, I leave that set of considerations for specialists with casewriting as a component of well-defined research agendas. vi The following sections offer three types of advice for producing cases that are primarily intended for classroom discussion: 1) how to decide whether a case lead is worth developing; 2) how to choose the perspective and case type most suited to your objectives; and, 3) in the by far the longest part of the discussion, ten nuts and bolts suggestions for structuring and producing an excellent case study.One of the best ways to learn the casewriter’s craft is to study a number of truly excellent case studies, or better, to discuss such cases in a forum led by an experienced case method instructor. As such, in each of the three advice sections that follow, I’m tempted to list a number of my favorite negotiation cases as models.Since, however, these choices may be unfamiliar to many readers, and may be set in times, places, or contexts of little interest to others, I will instead offer a set of model cases, plus commentary, in an online forum in the hope that others will consult, comment, and contribute. (See online url to be provided later. ). I. Advice on developing a prospective case: a case for what? A case of what? Start by seeking clarity on your overall purpose: â€Å"a case for what? †

Sexuality and Gender in the Therapeutic Relationship

Sexuality and gender in the therapeutic relationship There is a minefield awaiting the counsellor who has not given much time in the study of gender issues in the therapeutic relationship. When we enter a room to see a client, we are encouraged to bring ourselves as a complete person, so we can create a relationship with the client, and thus facilitate the changes he/she needs. To bring ourselves into the relationship we bring all aspects of our identity including our sexuality and our sexual hang-ups and our pre-conceived gender notions. In spite of the fact that we are in a post-Victorian, post Irish catholic guilt, post free love time. We all carry the accumulated burden of our forefathers, educators policy makers and others. Firstly being male or female dictate how we deal with any situation. Whether its talking to our mothers to opening a can. Our gender and how we perceive ourselves in it informs our view of the world. If we look at the profession itself as a whole, counselling is defined by gender. Simply put there are more female counsellors than male by a huge factor. Also there are many more female clients than male. This tells us volumes. The profession is a caring one and is top heavy with those whose gender attract them to the caring professions. This puts a gender bias on all that psychotherapy does. Also the predominance of female clients can put the few male counsellors on their guard. This is because the person sitting opposite us in the room is our client, but also is a woman, with physical attributes and a subject of attraction to the male counsellor. Counselling is a one-to-one relationship that exists between two humans in which one is the focus ant the other is the companion or guide. The sex of the two protagonists is probably the first aspect that will impress upon either one. â€Å"The client coming for the first time might already know that she or he will be seeing a man or a woman. She might have certain expectations as result of this knowledge, for example she might expect a woman to be gentle and supportive and a man to be more judgemental and confrontational. † Palmer (1997) Therapy will tend to be dominated by the structures that society imposes on both the counsellor and the client. Once the therapist is aware of this here are two ways he/she can go. First they can try to act as if they are a â€Å"tabla rasa† or blank slate and be as neutral as possible and hope that by being counsellor first and a sexual being second. This is guaranteed to be a failure, primarily because the blank slate idiom is aspirational and not very practical. Also it goes against concreteness as the therapist will not be â€Å"there† in any real sense and wil l not function in any valid person centred way. The other alternative is â€Å"Explicit treatment†, which put gender issues at centre stage of therapy. This requires a clear understanding of the gender position of both protagonists in the therapeutic relationship. The dynamic between both is not a static situation as the initial meeting causes automatic reaction in the therapist. For example when faced with an attractive female client a male counsellor may think. â€Å"Nice smile, good legs† or â€Å"not pretty†, etc.. This gives way to â€Å"Good speaker, Lovely laugh,. † Then the presenting problem is aired and it would be hoped that the â€Å"skilled helper† mentality kicks in. But the societal hooks have dug into the therapist and may affect his relationship with the client. So until gender is expressed in some way it is hidden and can surface in an unhelpful way. There are many ways that this can be expressed. If part of the problem is self confidence issues, there would be a perfect lead in to a confidence boosting â€Å"You see yourself as ugly but you are an attractive woman with a strong personality. † for example. If the client dresses attractively it may be how she always dresses, perhaps as armour against the world. When people begin to see a counsellor they often see this as a new beginning and the attractive dress of the client might be an expression of her â€Å"newâ€Å" personality, making a strong effort to face the world more robustly, and to leave it uncommented on might do harm to her new-found confidence. Also it may be simple transference, so this should be explored in the therapeutic relationship. Other Gender Issues In our world we are also subject to the â€Å"Dominant Discourse† of our society. These are the system of statements, practices, and structures that share a common value and sustain a world view. It is so easy to let our societies be reflected in the therapy room, especially how we view gender. The best way to insure that society's dominant discourses do not alter the desired â€Å"shape† of therapy is to make gender issues explicit in the therapy dialogue when relevant to the discussion. Explicit treatment can lead to reconstructions of the dominant discourses or at least an opening up to alternative discourses. We make assumptions when we meet clients, Housewife, business man, etc.. The male therapist may feel pressured to â€Å"fix† his female clients â€Å"problems† A female therapist may feel the need when dealing with a male client to display a very strong nurturing role and may avoid challenging her client into action. Conversely the therapist may, when facing a powerful man with attitude to match may become businesslike and direct because that is what society tells us to do when we â€Å"do business†. Same sex client and counsellor can be a problem too. Two people, especially if their backgrounds are similar, can collude with one another and not challenge if the therapist is not aware of the human tendency to let a cosy cartel of collusion to develop between two people of the same sex. There also may be a frisson between two people of the opposite sex and may cause an unease between them just because they are the opposite sex and carry whatever societal burden is imposed on them. The above attitudes are â€Å"static† and can be monitored and adjusted if the counsellor is aware of their presence and their effect can be lessened by self examination, supervision and personal therapy. But there is a more insidious side to gender issues. This is a â€Å"fluid† attitude change. If a male counsellor has been out for a game of rugby with his friends he could have a more â€Å"macho† base to his personality than if he has recently left the embrace of his loving wife and family. This could affect his dealings with a client. How we interact with our fellow man is affected by our experiences immediately before meeting them. An incident while driving may put us in an emotional state where our patience with the opposite sex may be compromised. There is an unfortunate side effect in the way society loudly defines our gender and how it manifests itself. We can become so preoccupied by our gender and the its affect on us in the counselling room that by being careful about how it affects us that we cease to be effective in our dealing with another human. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW Janet Shibley Hyde of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has reviewed evidence from studies on cognition, communication, social and personality variables, psychological well-being, motor behaviours and other variables. She has turned all these aspects of gender in to one â€Å"meta survey† and came to the conclusion that fully 78% of the much vaunted differences between me and women are small or close to zero. (Hyde, 2005). There are 3 main areas of difference. Sexuality – in particular attitudes to sex in uncommitted relationships, Aggression – Men are usually the more aggressive . Motor performance – Men are better at throwing, jumping, running and such. So why are we so hung up on our differences if there are so few between the genders? Society has painted them in lurid colours and made us believe they are intractable. Perhaps it is not our position as men or women, but our position as humans that looks for differences that are not there, to define us as people. It also reminds us that rather than accuse the nebulous â€Å"Society† of putting a bias on our view of other humans we should remember that we are society ourselves. As Hyde puts it â€Å"It is time to consider the costs of over inflated claims on gender differences. Arguably, they cause harm in numerous realms, including women’s opportunities in the workplace, couple conflict and communication, and analyses of self-esteem problems with adolescents. Most important, these claims are not consistent with the scientific data. † Hyde (2005). Also there is the concept of gender as limiting rather than defining. Judith Butler (1956-) is Professor of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, and is well known as a theorist of power, gender, sexuality and identity. In her most influential book Gender Trouble (1999), Butler gave the history of feminism, a much vaunted alternative to the common view of gender, and argued that they had made a mistake by trying to assert that ‘women' were a group with common characteristics and interests. That approach, Butler said, performed ‘an unwitting regulation and reification of gender relations' — and reinforced the simplistic binary view of gender, albeit from an alternative view. If there are only two sides then no matter what side we choose we still support a simple binary view. Rather than opening up possibilities for a person to form and choose their own individual identity, â€Å"masculinism† never did it and feminism has closed the options down. Butler argues that sex (male, female) is the cause of gender (masculine, feminine) which is seen to cause desire (towards the other gender). Butler's approach is basically to destroy the supposed links between these, so that gender and desire are flexible, unmoored from biology and not 'caused' by other stable factors. Butler says: ‘There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; †¦ identity is performatively constituted by the very â€Å"expressions† that are said to be its results. ‘ Butler J. (1999) . In other words, gender is a performance; it's what you do at particular times, rather than a universal who you are. In the counselling room we may be victims of this binary problem. CONCLUSION As I read back over this essay I find that I have no personal recognisable stance on the issue of gender and sexuality. Perhaps I have had the fortune to be brought up in a liberal, forward thinking household and am less affected by society’s strictures. But alternatively I may be carrying around significant biases but not realise it. Also, if Hyde is right, I may be carrying around biases for differences that in the main part do not exist and this essay is a figment of my own imagination, an illusion that I share with the rest of humanity. And if I carry such a burden, the all of my fellow human carry similar ones so perhaps they cancel each other out. If we are to be real in the counselling room and we subscribe to Ms. Butlers ideas that unless we are careful to separate from gender we continue to perform the dance that we have been trained to do for millennia. BIBLIOGRAPHY Palmer Stephen, McMahon Gladeana, (1997), â€Å"Handbook of Counselling† page 272, Routledge. New York. Hyde, J. S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60(6), 581-92. And 590. Butler Judith (1999) â€Å"Gender Trouble† p 25. Routledge New York