Parliamentary vs Presidential Systems

The statement â€Å"The constraints imposed on a Prime Minister are greater than those imposed on a President. Therefore, a parliamentary system is more democratic than a presidential system†, makes a broad claim to which I agree. While Prime Ministers and Presidents are similar in some ways such as their responsibilities to do the best that they can for their nations, they also differ in many ways. These differences include separation of powers, the systems having different heads of state, and different election processes.Each of these examples contribute to the difference in constraints imposed on presidents and prime ministers and therefore contribute to the level of democracy within each system. A parliamentary system is â€Å"a system of governing in which there is a close interrelationship between the political executive (prime minister and Cabinet) and Parliament (the legislative or law-making body)† (Mintz, Close, and Croci 338), while a presidential system is d efined as â€Å"a system of governing in which the president and Congress each separately derive their authority from being elected by the people and have a fixed term of office† (363).Firstly, residential and parliamentary systems have different individuals as head of state and head of government (342). Presidents and prime ministers are considered to be heads of government, but while presidents are also heads of State, prime ministers are not. The head of state in a parliamentary system is symbolic, and â€Å"carries out a variety of official functions but is expected to be ‘above’ politics and thus is not usually involved in making governing for a country† (342).For example, in Canada the governor general, as a representative of the Queen, holds the role of head of state on a federal level, and the lieutenant-governors hold it on a provincial level. While these individuals do not have power in terms of law-making procedures and are not involved in elect ions or politics in general, the governor general does hold certain responsibilities and powers.The governor general is responsible for ensuring that a government is in place at all times and must approve of all legislation, but he/she also has certain powers that are higher in importance. The governor general can use personal discretion in situations such as the appointment and dismissal of the prime minister, and the dissolution of parliament or prorogation of parliament (343-344). On the other hand,

How The Internet Destroys Your Brain? Essay

Central Idea – Three ways how the internet destroying our mind are the internet may give you an addicts brain, your brain get tired because of lack of sleep and the internet may makes you more lonely and jealous. Main points – I. The internet may give you addict’s brain. II. Your brain get tired because of lack of sleep. III. The internet may makes you more jealous and lonely Introduction – I. – Imagine you live in a world without internet. Would you survive in it? II. – I encountered this topic as I was surfing the internet a few weeks ago and I felt responsible to share it to you as most of us use internet in our life for doing assignments, socializing and other sorts of things. III. – The internet become a big influence in our daily life. It is becoming more and more important for nearly everybody as it is one of the newest and most forward-looking media and surely ‘the’ medium of the future. But, if you spends too much time surfing the internet, it may cause a serious damage to the brain. (Transition): Let me begin with my first main point which is how the internet  destroys your brain. Body: I. The internet may give you an addict’s brain. The majority of people we see with serious internet addiction are gamers. These kind of people tends to become lazy and because of that their brain cannot function well. â€Å"People who spends a long hours in roles in various games that cause them to disregard their obligations†, Dr. Henrietta Bowden Janes, an Imperial College, London psychiatrist who runs a clinic for internet addicts and problem gamblers, told the Independent. II. Your brain get tired because lack of sleep. We technophiles are accustomed to falling asleep while surfing the internet with laptop glows softly by our beds. Susan Greenfield, a British Neuroscientist said that during her research she suspected the glowing lights emitted by laptop screens will disturb the brain’s â€Å"sleep mode† and mess with your body’s sleep inducing hormones. Exposure to bright lights will probably cause lasting effects as it making people harder to fall asleep, especially for those who struggle with insomnia. III. You may feel more lonely and jealous. Social media makes it easy to connect with others Recent research by German scientists suggests that constantly viewing images of other’s vacation photos, personal achievement, etc, can trigger strong feelings of envy. Researchers have been described the phenomenon as â€Å"Facebook Depression†. Conclusion : – in conclusion we have seen that the internet can do harm especially to our brain that can cause a lot a personal problems to the society. An entire creative and traditional way generations will be slowly wiped out and a non-creative and technology depending generation will be born. Before it’s too late, a lot of efforts are needed in order to prevent future problems Give ourselves chance to disconnect from the internet and go outside and meet friends and families to have fun. The best connection is stay connected to our family.

Drainflow Repairing Jobs That Fail to Satisfy Essay

William Assemiah, 12021643 Irene Aidoo, 12021610 Sroda Adzo Apam, 12021626 Asare Ohenedwira Thomas, 12021639 Dorothy Dede Aklerh Asamoah, 12021634 Sampson Abbey Armah, 12021630 Arthur Sherifa, 12021631 Amadu Waliu, 12021617 Report Summary 1. Executive Summary DrainFlow, a plumbing maintenance firm in the USA, has been losing its customers to competitors due to poor services. Job motivation and satisfaction among employees is declining across various job categories within the firm. This dissatisfaction has been attributed to the overspecialization of some job functions in the company. The report attempts to assist DrainFlow improve in three key areas: job structure and design, incentive policies, and recruitment practices. It will go further to analyze the causes of the woes being faced by DrainFlow and provide a constructive recommendation on how to overcome them The main contents include an introduction to the problems DrainFlow is encountering, analyses of the current business, and recommendations on how DrainFlow can overcome these issues to foster a long-term competitive advantage. 2. Introduction Research shows that a happy worker is a productive employee. Satisfied employees tend to be better at their workplaces. Many of the individual behaviors at the workplace are affected by job satisfaction The main contents include an introduction to the problems DrainFlow is encountering, analyses of the current business, and recommendations on how DrainFlow can overcome these issues to foster a long-term competitive advantage. The goal of this proposal is to provide recommendations for a new job structure, a new incentive structure, and new hiring practices. The job structure recommendations will allow for more cross training between office workers and service providers. This will enrich all jobs at DrainFlow by adding different tasks, autonomy, and feedback. The new incentive structure will allow for flexible benefits and recognition. This is designed to motivate  employees and improve customer service. Lastly, the new hiring practices will provide a repeatable solution for finding a cohesive set of new employees. The report consists of five (5) parts: Executive Summary, Introduction, Motivation and Job Structure Analysis, Recommendations and Implementation. 3. Motivation and Job Structure Analysis 3.1. Job Design Research shows that there is a moderate relationship between job satisfaction and job performance as well as customer satisfaction. Satisfied employees perform better at their jobs and provide better customer service. Employees of DrainFlow are dissatisfied and that is the root cause of their present situation. Generally, specialization results in cost effectiveness and delivering of core competencies among employees when jobs are complex and require years of experience and learning for mastery. It becomes an albatross when jobs have few tasks and require little skill. The bottom line is, jobs have different effects on efficiency and motivation. The current job structure of DrainFlow due to its specialization has contributed to job dissatisfaction among employees and in 25% cases, turning employees away from the company. Work groups are dissatisfied with each other’s output. The current job structure only assigned tasks without considering the interdependency of those tasks. Due to this, problems such as assigning a plumber assistant on a job meant for a plumber, and vice versa, and poor customer service have plagued DrainFlow. DrainFlow should adopt Hackman’s Job Characteristic Model to describe current jobs in the firm. The JCM has five core dimensions which include skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. Skill variety is the use of different skills and talents to complete a variety of work activities. The current job- tasks in DrainFlow are very narrow and do not allow employees that skill variety. Task identity is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole or identifiable piece. This will help communicate the interdependence of work from one group and the other through the order to bill process. Task significance is the degree to which the job affects the organization and society. There no feedback channels in the firm at present and as such it’s difficult to measure customer satisfaction. Autonomy will provide the freedom, independence and discretion in scheduling  work and determining the procedure to be used in accomplishing it. DrainFlow has a preplanned and stringent procedure to follow. Feedback will provide employees with direct and clear information about their own performance. DrainFlow’s employees haven’t that information to assess their performance. 3.2 Incentive Scheme DrainFlow has no incentive scheme in place that will motivate employees to put any extra effort on the job. The present reward system is based on skill and qualification. Plumbers are rewarded the most as compared to the others because of their level of skill and not on performance. Generally, reward systems tend to motivate employees better when they are:   linked to performance; the rewards are important, when team rewards are used for interdependent jobs and those rewards are valuable. Lee’s attempt to salvage DrainFlow by introducing the reward system is laudable but it will need a few modifications. 3.3. Recruitment Practices The current recruitment processes by DrainFlow are based on unstructured interviews by different managers thereby creating a higher level of inconsistencies in the choices of selection of employees. The use of shortcuts for judgment such as selective perception (tendency to selectively interpret what one sees based on one’s interests, background, experience and attitudes), or stereotyping (judging someone on the basis of one’s perception of the group to which that person belongs) are prevalent. Although the shortcuts may aide accurate perceptions and hence predictions, they are not full proof and may result in perception inaccuracies. Research indicates that impressions are formed within a tenth of a second, based on a first glance. Wrong perceptions may result in employees that are unqualified for the position and/or dissatisfied with work. The current situation at DrainFlow was aggravated by these perceptional recruitment inefficiencies. Most employees lack training in customer service, organizational behavior and are anxious about speaking with customers. Order processors do not have  sufficient knowledge or skill to explain the customer’s situation to DrainFlow Plumbers or Plumber Assistants. Billing representatives must deal with the negative reactions of dissatisfied customers; however, Bill processors are only involved at the end of the job process and unaware of any job details. DrainFlow plumbers are sometimes reluctant to deliver bad news of an unexpectedly high bill to customers. Furthermore, it is clear that a majority of order processors do not know any more about plumbing than customers calling in. These deficiencies have resulted in a direct negative impact on the revenue and cost savings, which were to be achieved by dividing assignments and specializing job responsibilities. 4.0 Recommendations A. Job Redesign DrainFlow work units have been overspecialized and there is little or no coordination among employees of different functional units. Therefore, we recommend a radical redesign of the job structure and business processes to achieve dramatic performance improvements and motivation. Order and Bill Processing be merged into one work unit under a job title. This will enable employees to have a first-time touch with customers. Cross training programs should be organized to enhance their knowledge of plumbing and plumbing-related activities. Feedbacks on customer satisfaction can easily be tracked. Plumbing assistants, besides performing less technical plumbing works, should be given the opportunity to do rotational job activities in Order and Bill Processing unit. This will foster a better relationship among employees, enhance skill variety, cross training; reduce boredom and increase motivation and job satisfaction. Plumbers should organize training sessions on plumbing for worker in Order and Bill Processing Unit and continue to do complex plumbing works. The training should be interactive and focus on providing skill on how to respond to plumbing problems. This is to add a variety to plumbers’ activities. B. Incentive Scheme There is no current incentive scheme in place that is capable of providing employee satisfaction and motivation. DrainFlow should introduce an incentive scheme geared towards increasing employee satisfaction. This scheme should be both intrinsic and extrinsic; it should be both skill-oriented and performancebased.   Skills in customer service, plumbing and work attitude should be considered in the scheme. Performance-based will reward employees who create and maintain high customer retention rates. At the end of any job, a customer satisfaction survey should be conducted to assess level of customer satisfaction. Results from the survey should be the bases for implementing Lee’s reward scheme. Rewarding performance should be an ongoing managerial and not just periodic. Therefore, extrinsic rewards such as performance pay should be consistent with overall management objectives, used to reinforce a motivational in which nonmonetary rewards exist such as employee recognition. C. Recruitment Practices Based on the problem analysis concerning recruitment practices in DrainFlow, we recommend that management should design a consistent recruitment procedure that is capable of finding and hiring individuals who have the skill and experience to function well on the job. The recruitment policy procedure should emphasize on: ï‚ · A brief summary judgment about the applicant’s strength and weaknesses ï‚ · Interpreting facts as they appear on resume and make judgments; highlight and comment on experience and skills only as they apply to the needs of DrainFlow ï‚ · Identifying personality  traits (such as Agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, and emotional stability) that will improve customer service and emotional labor 4. Implementation This is probably the hardest part of it all. DrainFlow’s challenges of improving employee and customer satisfaction whiles increasing profit levels through cost containment and job performance is contingent on implementing our recommendations. However, any successful implementation of these recommendations will require support from toplevel management. The objectives of the changes should be clearly communicated to employees. DrainFlow should not do any radical changes; they should introduce the changes gradually in order of importance. Redesigning the job structure is essentially the first change management should introduce. The focus is on combining order and billing work responsibilities into a single work unit. This should be followed by cross training and weekly job rotational activities. Workers of the newly created Order and Billing Unit should be given the opportunity to clone a plumber or plumber assistant to learn the basic concepts of plumbing. This will equip them with the necessary competencies in executing order and bill processing. DrainFlow needs to implement a new incentive scheme that is capable of boosting employee satisfaction to put in more effort in their work. The proposed incentive scheme should include a financial reward system, as proposed by Lee, and an intrinsic, employee recognition program. Research has shown that financial rewards are mostly effective and deliver good results  only in the short-run. Employee loyalty and long-term motivational needs are triggered by non-financial rewards such as recognition. 5. Conclusion This report summarized recommendations on how DrainFlow will gain a competitive advantage by improving three key knobs: job structure and design, incentive scheme and recruitment practices. The recommendations are clear and understandable and should be technically easy and financially cost effective to implement. The report proposes combining some job units,  encouraging a weekly job rotational activities, cross training by utilizing the current talents available within the organization, etc. A new incentive scheme will create job satisfaction through job motivation; this will boost productivity, performance and customer retention. The new recruitment policy entails finding and training employees that fit and share the dreams and aspirations of DrainFlow. Consequently, DrainFlow will see positive changes in employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and retention, motivation, loyalty, performance, productivity and profitability.

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Aristotle - Essay Example One of the primary elements of a virtuous man is that he also be a courageous man. Despite the fact that Aristotle’s ideas lie at their foundations, much of Aristotle’s ideas are presented in relatively abstract terms, often difficult to understand and apply to everyday modern conceptions. However, studying Aristotle’s concepts of what constitutes a courageous man can provide a great deal of insight regarding what he intended when he discussed the more abstract concepts of virtue. Aristotle dedicates three full chapters to the discussion and investigation of what constitutes a courageous man in his book, Nicomachean Ethics, which begins to demonstrate on a more concrete level what he intended in his discussions of the virtuous man. Courage is a mean between fear and recklessness. All objects of fear are fearful things, and generally they are evil also, so fear is defined as the expectation of evil. It is right and proper to fear some evils, but wrong to fear those which are not within ones control as an agent. The truly courageous man is concerned only with the most terrible of evils—death—and in particular with death in the most noble of circumstances, war. The real test of courage is how a man behaves in the face of dangers that are to some extent within his control. Like all human beings, the courageous man fears what is fearful, but he endures his fear in the right way and for the right reason because his aim is to act with nobility. It is possible to fear things to a greater or lesser extent than is warranted or to fear what is not really fearful, and these are the forms taken by the vices surrounding courage. Common usage has no name for excessive lack of fear, but the man who is afraid of nothing is either a madman or totally immune to pain. Excessive confidence is called recklessness. Excessive fear is cowardice. Cowards, reckless men, and courageous men are all concerned with the same situation, but have different attitudes

Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example Migration has been a chief source of growth in Australia’s population over the last few years, accounting for 44% of the population increase since 1979 Jupp (2001, p.88). Certainly, overseas immigration is the most important component in the population growth of Australia. Linguistically and culturally varied people comprise a considerable percentage of the West Australian population. The phrase â€Å"culturally and linguistically varied† refers to individuals and groups of people who differ in terms of ethnicity, religion, language and race, with an exception of people whose ancestry is Aboriginal, Anglo-Celtic or Anglo-Saxon. The widely used abbreviation for this group is CALD, â€Å"Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.† This report aims at highlighting several management issues related with diversity, especially between Malaysia and Australia. The report bases its contents on an interview conducted with the CEO of iNOVA Pharmaceutical, Andrew Howden regardin g his experiences as a CEO in Australia and other countries such as Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. It also bases its findings and discussions on another interview with a Malaysian insider, Ralph, who was born and raised in Malaysia, but relocated to Australia. The report begins with a background analysis of iNOVA pharmaceuticals, the CaLD stakeholders and relevant information on the CALD group. What follows is a summary of the interviews’ results, stating the CEO’s and the insider’s comments, experiences and views on several management issues. The report will then offer a literature review and discussion of the results by offering more information on the role and significance of CALD on Australian business and management, and management and operations differ between Australia and Asian countries, especially Malaysia. In this section; it will focus on the benefits of having a multicultural workforce, in relation to the interview. Before concluding, the repo rt offers recommendations on how to handle problems created by diversity. 2.0 Background iNova Pharmaceuticals (Australia), is the corporate headquarters for â€Å"iNOVA* operations. The company is leading in consumer healthcare, with specialty prescription brands in over fifteen countries including Asia Pacific, New Zealand, Africa regions and Australia. The company was borne out of Riker Laboratory and 3M pharmaceutical fifty years ago, and presently maintains a broad spectrum of products as well as the ability to develop and acquire new products. Providing new opportunities and bringing new talents are fundamental to iNOVA The CALD stakeholder is Malaysia, a Southeast Asian federal constitutional monarchy. The country has a total of 13 states and three territories. Malaysia has a â€Å"freedom of religion† clause in its constitution despite maintaining Islam as its state religion. 61.3% of Malaysians practice Islam while Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hindu ism and several Chinese religions, shares the remaining percentage. Malaysian official language is Bahasa Malaysia, while English is an active second language. The country has a multilingual, multicultural and multi ethnic society. 3.0 Results a) Interview with iNOVA CEO: account and perspective In an interview with Andrew Howden, the CEO of iNova Pharmaceutical, the CEO pointed out several potential difficulties pertaining to the management of people of different cultures and religious backgrounds. The main culture in question was the Malaysian culture, with emphasis on the Muslim religion. The aim of the interview was to establish the potential difficulties that managers must overcome in order to manager people of differe

Police civil liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Police civil liability - Essay Example The pursued entered into other two officers and they were ordered to block the truck by closing the line it was driving. Tipsy did not stop but closed the line and collided with Oldsmobile. After collision, Tipsy and other two passengers in the Oldsmobile lost their lives. There after, the plaintiff filed a claim against the police officers, police chief and the police departments. In the case, the plaintiff claimed that the officers had violated or gone centrally to Section 1983 amendments. In the case, the plaintiff stated that the police did not observe the laws of pursuit in conduct of high speeding. In the case, in order to make the ruling the court must consider some facts. The court must prove that the circumstances which led to accident were as a result of police action. The pursuit involved the death of three people and the court must determine whether the action by police was the main cause of the death. In order for the officers to be held reliable for the death, the action by the officers must be the cause of the incident (Kappeler, 2006)v. Before making the judgement, the court must examine different facts. The court must examine the cause of the pursuit. The court has the duty to examine why and when the pursuit took place. The court also must examine whether the police adhered to the pursuits laws. The police also must examine the cause of accident and events leading to the accident. In the case the police officers was investigating a shoplifting crime. The officer started the pursuit in order to enforce the law by arresting a suspect. The police officer did not contact the pursuit for personal gains but was as a result of performing his duty. The court will determine whether the police officer acted for personal gain or for constitution purposes. In the case the police was enforcing the laws of the state. The court will also have the duty of

The Experience in Working at Various Organizations Essay

The Experience in Working at Various Organizations - Essay Example I have grown up with the ideology that education and religion are two aspects that are very influential in life. Before joining college, I worked hard in order to raise enough finances to cater for my school fees. It was not simple since I had to work during the day and at night. Even though I am working hard to raise my school fees, I still require financial support in order to continue with my education without any difficulties. Sometimes even after the hard labour, I have to support my family as I save the rest. It reaches a moment where one feels exhausted and ready to surrender, but, Dr Packer’s quote, 'it is always too soon to quit† pops into my mind and I encourage myself to go on with the hard work. In my academic life, I have encountered many challenges and tribulations that nearly put me off, but I have this spirit of trying again. This is a driving force that has kept me going. Withal, my intentions are not to stop at the college level, but to attain a doctora l program, and this is the reason why I am applying for a scholarship. As an average student, I have been committed and dedicated to raising my performance in school, most offering voluntary services in my community. I also participate in various campaigns with important information about managerial development skills. Lately, I took part in the Hunger strike campaign which had an encouraging message of feeding the poor and bridging the gap between the poor and the rich. I was honoured to present a speech in Berkeley college where I emphasized the significance of applying classroom knowledge into real life situation.

Why Tesla Motors became successful Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Tesla Motors became successful - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that having its origin in America, the Tesla Company specializes in designing, manufacturing as well as in selling electric motors and components. The company came into light after the production of Tesla roadster and the luxury sedan, which were distinct in that they were fully electric. The company has had great success in the motor industry and the success would be explained through a number of factors. Among the factors are being opportunity driven, high access to necessary resources, increased search of knowledge as well as great entrepreneurial mindset. However, it would be ascertained that success did not just come; challenges such as failure to register profits for the first ten years of operations, were part of the same. Literature shows that the company adopted the ‘first to market’ strategy in being the first to design and launch an electric automobile in US and Europe. The initial vehicle to be designed and produced was the roadster, which fetched a relatively higher price while compared to the subsequent model S that was relatively lower in price. Current plans are for the company to design and introduce into the market a cheaper vehicle, which will be instrumental in making the company hit the market successfully and targeting the middle-income population. This therefore explains the spirit that drives the company as being opportunity driven.

Strategic Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Corporate Finance - Essay Example There are several capital budgeting techniques that can be used by companies; NPV can be defined as the difference that exists between the present value of cash outflows and the present value of cash inflows. The technique is applicable in capital budgeting in the analsyiss of the profitability that is associated with an investment. The analsysis is usually sensistive to ythe future cashflows that are reliable that a project is likely to yield. The technique usually compares the value of a dollar at the current moment in regard to the same dollar in the future. The values must be inclusive of the effects of inflation and the rate of returns that are expectrsed from a project.a project that has a negative NPV should be rejected because the expected project would probably yield to a loss. In the available projects in the case of Yorkshire, both inshore and off shore prohjects should be rejected because they both have a negative NPV ammounty. That will mean that if the company goes ahead with the project, the company will end up getting losses. IRR can be defined as the discounting rate that is used in capital budgeting in an attempt to make the net present value of cashflows from a project equalto zero. The higher the IRR of a project, the more desirable a project is. IRR is therefore useful in the ranking of projecst that may be considered by a company. If all factors are constant, the project that yields the highest IRR should be considered and undertaken. Irr is also termed as economic rate of return. (ERR). Irr can be thought to be the rate of growth that a project is expected to generate. The IRR of a project can be compared agaibnsts the rates that are [prevailing in the securities matrkrt. If a company can not find a project that hjas an IRR that is greater than the retunrs, the company should prefer investing the retained earnings into the market. The working capital of a company is equivalent to the current assets less the current

Bargaining Power of Buyers Essay Example for Free

Bargaining Power of Buyers Essay According to Michael Porter, one of the 5 forces that can cause competition and influence a corporation is buyers/consumers. Without customers a business is nothing. Buyers cause corporations to compete against one another by causing them to lower prices and produce higher qualities of goods/services to consumers. The following are when a buying group has the greatest influence. When a buying group purchases large volumes When one buyer purchases most of a supplier’s sales, the importance of that buyer to the supplier is significant. If they stop buying, the supplier takes a dramatic financial hit. When items purchased are standard If all items in a market are similar or standardized, it allows a buyer to feel confident in doing business with other suppliers. Suppliers need to lower prices to keep consumers coming to them. When the buyer faces few switching Costs If a buyer faces little to no costs to switch to another supplier, there is no reason to stop them from switching if a supplier is offering a product for cheaper. Buyers can roam the market looking for the best deal. Suppliers on the other hand may have large switching costs making it hard to change markets. When buyers can backward integrate A buyer may not need to buy from a supplier if they can acquire items from inside the business. An example could be a bakery that requires wheat to make bread. They would backwards integrate by buying a farm with a wheat processor and no longer having the need to buy wheat from a supplier. When buyers product quality doesn’t matter Buyers will be price sensitive if the products they are producing do not require great quality. The buyer will go to whoever is the cheapest.

Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady, Selina Hastings Analysis

Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady, Selina Hastings Analysis Humans are very complex beings. From sentience arrives emotions, both negative and positive, which create the beings we know as our friends, our enemies, and the rest of the world. In this rendition of the classic work Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady, Selina Hastings reinvents two characters from the medieval tale of King Arthur, including the King and Sir Gawain. In this legend, King Arthur meets a mysterious rogue knight when separated from his men on a hunt during the Christmas season. The knight hands him a riddle, What women desire most, in which he must solve in three days time, or else the rogue knight will slay him and take possession of his kingdom. Eventually, King Arthur encounters a woman who can accurately answer the riddle, although she herself is a disgusting old hag. What is even more horrendous is that she offers a high price for her services: The hand of a knight in marriage. Arthur reluctantly accepts, and defeats the rogue knights riddle. As Arthur arrives safely back to the castle, Sir Gawain agrees to become the ugly womans husband, for the honour of his king. Although initially unhappy, Gawains mood is altered for the better when his bride turns out to have been under a curse, and is actually a beautiful lady. In order to permanently rid her of the curse, Gawain gives his wife what all women desire, to have her own way. Throughout this tale, Sir Gawain is depicted to be a courageous, arrogant, immature, and loyal knight, effectively making him a multifaceted character. Sir Gawain is obviously a very courageous man. As stated, he is usually the first to come forward to the king when the king requires an undertaker for a quest. King Arthur had not even ventured into the details of the endeavour, when Sir Gawain burst out, Sire, I beg you, let me defend you! Grant me the quest' (Hastings 179). This proves his courage, since he seems to be willing to tackle any problem, even if the details are unclear. Sir Gawain only further proves his mettle when he proposes to the Loathly Lady, who is able to make the other knights sit as Stills as statues, [and] hardly able to believe their eyes (Hastings 179). Madam, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] will you honour me with your hand in marriage' (Hastings 179) was the line possibly well-rehearsed by Gawain, but however, to be able to speak it so fluently and so convincingly under the hideous gaze of the Loathly Lady is certainly a feat not to take lightly. Based on the above examples, Sir Gawains courage is a force to be reckone d with, as it seems to be able to overrule his common sense. Being at foundation a man, it seems he has a less knightly characteristic: an overwhelming sense of arrogance, displaying his multifaceted personality. When King Arthur finally explains the quest, Gawain looked stunned, but his spirit never faltered (Hastings 179). Upon hearing the fact that he must propose, he faltered, as he and his pride were prepared for battle, not for something as unexpected as a marriage to an abhorrent bride . As a result of being the only volunteer and as a victim of knightly chivalry, he was forced to marry the Loathly Lady, and as a consequence of the self-embarrassment, his pride suffered. In shock of his actions, he moved through his wedding in a trance. After the wedding, he thought to himself, Was he to spend the rest of his life shackled to a creature more hideous than the demon of a nightmare (Hasting 180). Upon his courage intercepting his mind and causing him to propose to the Loathly Lady, his inner sense of pride was disintegrating. In order for him to be so dismayed, he must have had inner thoughts that he would court a beautiful young lady, instead of an ugly old hag. Upon realizing the reality of his situation, he must have noticed the cons of having such an unappealing bride, in which every solution resulted in having to hide the Loathly Lady, therefore deducting an aspect of adulthood, demoralizing him and stripping him of what little may have been left with his arrogance. Due to this episode, Gawains pride as a member of the round table was temporarily diminished. His courage and arrogance may be explained by another trait he houses: his immaturity as the youngest Knight of the Round Table in the castle of Carlisle. When the king explains he does not know how he may save his honour, Sir Gawain leapt up, scattering the ivory chessmen at his feet (Hastings 179). As he was the only knight the rush to the kings aid, it is clear he lacks experience, since no other knight had done the same. Another contributing factor is the fact that he is very superficial, only studying appearances instead of personalities. When The pair [Gawain and the transformed Loathly Lady] were so happy and so much in love (Hastings 181), it is obvious that their love cannot be anything deep, since they only met the day before the quote, so their love is a shallow, sexual love, rather than a deep romantic love. Being young, immaturity is unavoidable. His final trait, which is the most obvious of all characteristics among a group of knights, is their loyalty, more specifically to their king. As previously stated, he is always the first to come forward (Hastings 179). Along with being courageous, this statement may also represent loyalty, as he takes it upon himself to help the King in whatever way he can. After hearing the quest Gawain had replied Take me to her, Sire, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] I will marry her tomorrow.' (Hastings 179), which continues to prove his strong sense of loyalty, which prevents his arrogance from allowing him to refuse, and keeps his courage at a constantly effective level. Sir Gawains loyalty keeps a constant hold upon him. The knight, Sir Gawain is a multifaceted character, since he is loyal as he is arrogant and courageous as he is immature. He obeys all orders given to him by the king, but his sense of pride is at the same time corrupted by the arrival of his loathly wife. His courage is tested to the limit when he marries the Loathly Lady, but when the Loathly Ladys curse was broken, it shows how shallow Gawain really is, displaying immaturity. By incorporating a mix of positive and negative traits into the composition of Sir Gawains personality, Selina Hastings has effectively recreated the complex character of a human being. It illustrates the nature of human life, as nobody is perfect.

Strategic Management of Downsizing

Strategic Management of Downsizing Introduction This has become a major strategic alternative by well known firms such as DuPont, ATT and IBM (Hopkins, S Hopkins W., 1999). It is not only told in the daily newspapers but as well as in the entertainment industry. The recent movie entitled â€Å"Up in the Air† starred by George Clooney wherein his job was to tell employees that their position is no longer available. Top management plays an important role in this course of action. The strategic decision to downsize implies some ethical issues: first, the managers obligation for the best interest of the company and secondly, making sure not to violate the rights of the employees. It is in fact, the most preferred option of companies to sustain operating costs and comply with the existing scope of the business. It is an important management venture and requires large assistance from the human resource management team. Downsizing is extremely difficult. No one looks forward to being laid off. The extremely difficult decisions of who must be laid off, how much notice they will be given, the amount of severance pay, and how far the company will go to help the laid-off employee find another job are given less than adequate attention. These are critical decisions that have as much to do with the future of the organization as they do with the future of the laid-off employees. How It All Started Downsizing is the conscious use of permanent personnel reductions in an attempt to improve efficiency and/or effectiveness (Budros 1999, p.70). Since the 1980s, downsizing has gained strategic legitimacy. Indeed, recent research on downsizing in the US (Baumol et al. 2003, see also the American Management Association annual surveys since 1990), UK (Sahdev et al. 1999; Chorely 2002; Mason 2002; Rogers 2002), and Japan (Mroczkowski and Hanaoka 1997; Ahmakjian and Robinson 2001) suggests that downsizing is being regarded by management as one of the preferred routes to turning around declining organizations, cutting cost and improving organizational performance (Mellahi and Wilkinson 2004) most often as a cost-cutting measure. Euphemisms are often used to â€Å"dsoften the blow† in the process of firing and being fired, (Wilkinson 2005, Redman and Wilkinson, 2006) including â€Å"downsize†, â€Å"excess†, â€Å"rightsize†, â€Å"delayering†, â€Å"smartsize†, â€Å"redeployment†, â€Å"workforce reduction†, â€Å"workforce optimization†, â€Å"simplification†, â€Å"force shaping†, â€Å"recussion†, and â€Å"reduction in force† (also called a â€Å"RIF†, especially in the government employment sector). â€Å"Mass layoff† implies laying off a large number of workers. â€Å"Attrition† implies that positions will be eliminated as workers quit or retire. â€Å"Early retirement† means workers may quit now yet still remain eligible for their retirement benefits later. While â€Å"redundancy† is a specific legal term in UK labor law, it may be perceived as obfuscation. Firings imply misco nduct or failure while lay-offs imply economic forces beyond ones control. During the past several weeks, major staff reductions taking place across the world. Tens of valued professional Jewish communal workers along with competent and loyal administrative and support staff have received pink slips in some cases they were given just two days notice to clear out their offices as their jobs were being retrenched. These costs saving measures are not unique to Jewish organizations and have been seen thorough-out the public, private and not-for-profit sectors the world over. However, these massive layoffs raise the issue of the ethics of downsizing and whether or not there is a Jewish approach to these practices, particularly when it concerns employees who work for the Jewish community. Why Downsizing is an Ethical Issue Anytime were faced with a decision that can affect the rights or well-being of others, were looking at an ethical issue. No matter how strong the justifications for reducing the workforce are or seem to be, laying off loyal and productive employees is an upsetting experience for all concerned, and those on the receiving end face not just financial but psychological injury. How so? For many of us, the workplace isnt just a place for work; its where we develop and maintain some of the most important relationships we have. During the week, we spend more time with co-workers than with our families, and for better or worse, work is how many of us define ourselves and give meaning to our lives. Getting laid off compromises all of these things, so managers should think of downsizing as a deep and painful trauma for those being let go, and not as a mere setback or reversal of fortune. Yes, downsizing has legal implications, and it is understandable that companies want to minimize their liability when they downsize. Yes, there are economic matters to consider, which makes downsizing a management issue, too. But at its core, downsizing is an ethical issue, and the good manager is concerned not just with protecting the companys financial and legal interests but also with honoring the dignity and integrity of the human beings who work on the front lines and who are the lifeblood of the organization. What Are Your Ethical Responsibilities Downsizing successfully is immensely difficult. The following ideas can help to focus thinking for anyone considering such a move. Treat all employees with respect. Communicate too much rather than withhold information. Research applicable laws and follow the spirit of the legislation. Then afterwards, give employees the psychological space to accept, and discuss, Downsizing refers to a companys decision to reduce its workforce not because of poor performance, criminal conduct, or unethical behavior on the part of those being let go. The word is a euphemism meant to soften the blow as much for the company as it is for the soon-to-be eliminated. There is nothing wrong with making a difficult task easier to bear. In fact, there are good ethical reasons for doing so, as well soon see. Still, there is no getting around the fact that downsizing is a type of layoff, with all that this implies. The ethical manager will keep in mind what is really going when he or she is charged with letting good people go. Do it the right way. Showing compassion for these employees is the right thing and ethical thing to do no matter what the ultimate decision of the outcome. Do it in person. This seems obvious thing to do, but surprisingly a number of reports said about employees who were downsized on the phone or by e-mail. Managers who use this method claim it makes the whole thing easier to deal with. Yes, but for whom? Certainly, not for the employee being let go. As uncomfortable as it is to end someones employment, the right thing to do is to have a private conversation with him or her in person. The ethical principle of respect for others (BusinessWeek.com, 1/31/07) requires nothing less. Do it privately. Respecting others means honoring their wishes and values, and it is reasonable to assume that most people would prefer to have troubling news delivered in private. This means in your office, with the door closed. Ive heard of managers who broke the bad news at the employees cubicle within earshot of everyone in the vicinity. Again, one would think that this would be a matter of common sense and common decency, but apparently neither is all that common. Give the person your full attention. Interrupting the conversation to take phone calls, check your BlackBerry, or engage in other distractions isnt just rude, it tells the other person that the matter at hand isnt all that important to you. Thats yet another violation of the principle of respect. The impulse to turn your attention to less troubling matters is understandable, but along with the privileges of being a manager come responsibilities, and downsizing with integrity is one of the most important obligations you have. Be honest, but not brutally so. Must you always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Yes, if youre giving sworn testimony in a court of law, but beyond the courtroom the duty to tell the truth is constrained by the duty to minimize harm. In practical terms, this means being forthright with the employee but also choosing with the care the words, tone of voice, and demeanor you use. Compassion (BusinessWeek.com, 2/22/07) literally, â€Å"suffering with† someone honors the dignity of your employee and speaks to the better part of your nature. We cant always make things better (BusinessWeek, 1/18/07), but we shouldnt make things worse. Dont rush. A shock takes time to absorb. Imagine that your physician says you have a serious illness. Wouldnt you expect him or her to allow the news sink in, rather than to summarily dismiss you and call for the next patient? Being let go isnt as serious as getting a diagnosis of cancer or heart disease, but it is still a major, life-changing event. You owe your employee the space to absorb the information, and you may have to explain more than once what is happening and why. You would demand nothing less if it were happening to you, and you would be right to do so. These guidelines assume that the organization has good reasons for downsizing but what if you dont see things this way? For example, suppose your company believes that it is necessary to shift its customer service jobs overseas (BusinessWeek.com, 9/27/07), and you believe that doing so is both unethical and bad for business. In this case, you not only have a right to object, you have an ethical obligation to object. Does this mean that you should be prepared to give up your job on moral grounds? Not necessarily. Depending on your personal circumstances, your duties to your family or to yourself might justifiably override the value of making a statement by quitting. Even if you are committed to keeping as many jobs in the U.S. as possible, this goal will take time to achieve, and it may be easier to do so from within the company than from the outside. Conclusion There are two main issues to keep in mind when planning a layoff: respecting employee dignity and business planning. No one, from the mailroom to the board-room, take pleasure in downsizing; but when the need for a reduction in staff is unavoidable, a layoff can be accomplished in such a way that the problem is fixed and the organization excels. The bottom line is important, but so are the values of respect, compassion, and simple human decency. The good manager takes all of these into account always. Derivative terms Downsizing has come to mean much more than job losses, as the word downsize may now be applied to almost everything. People describe downsizing their cars, houses and nearly anything else that can be measured or valued. This has also spawned the opposite term upsize, which means to grow, expand or purchase something larger. Ask the Ethics Guy! September 12, 2008, 11:57AM EST text size: TT References: Hopkins, S. Hopkins, W. (1999) Journal of Ethics : Perception of Rights and Responsibilities http://www.springerlink.com/content/m80p7mv83x110376/ Byron, W. (2009) Philadelphia Business Journal: The Ethics of Operating in downturns and downsizing http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/01/12/smallb4.html From Alan Downs in Business: The Ultimate Resource Downsizing or doing layoffs is a toxic solution. Used sparingly and with planning downsizing can be an organizational lifesaver, but when layoffs are used repeatedly without a thoughtful strategy, downsizing can destroy an organizations effectiveness. How you treat people really matters to the people who leave and the people who remain. One outcome of downsizing must be to preserve the organizations intellectual capital. How downsized employees are treated directly affects the morale and retention of valued, high-performing employees who are not downsized. Downsizing should never be used as a communication to financial centers or investors of the new managements tough-minded, no-nonsense style of management the cost of downsizing far outweighs any benefits thus gained. So what happens? These decisions are handed to the legal department, whose primary objective is to reduce the risk of litigation, not to protect the morale and intellectual capital of the organization. Consequently downsizing is often executed with a brisk, compassionless efficiency that leaves laid-off employees angry and surviving employees feeling helpless and de-motivated. Ineffective methods of downsizing abound. Downsizing malpractices such as those that follow are common; they are also inefficient and very dangerous. Furthermore, attorneys advise against saying anything more than whats absolutely necessary to either the departing employees or the survivors. This caution is designed to protect the company from making any implied or explicit promises that arent then kept. By strictly scripting what is said about the layoffs, the company is protecting itself from verbal slips by managers who are themselves stressed at having to release valued employees. This approach may succeed from a legal perspective, but not necessarily from the larger and more important concern of organizational health. First, laying off employees by a flat percentage across different departments is irrational. How can it be that accounting can cope with the same proportion of fewer employees as human resources? Could it be that one department can be externalized and the other left intact? The decision of how many employees to layoff from each department should be based on an analysis of business needs, not an arbitrary statistic. The concept of laying off employees strictly on the basis of seniority is also irrational. The choice of employees for a layoff should be based on a redistribution of the work, not the date the individual employee was hired. Sometimes an employee of 18 months has a skill far more valuable than one with 18 years seniority. Always Respect Peoples Dignity The methods employed in many poorly executed layoffs treat employees like children. Information is withheld and doled out. Managers control over their employees is violated. Human resource representatives scurry around from one hush-hush meeting to another. How management treats laid-off employees is how it vicariously treats remaining employees everything you do in a layoff is done in the arena, with everyone observing. How laid-off employees are treated is how surviving employees assume they may be treated. Why does this matter? Because successfully planning for the new organization will keep it going and improve its results. You must keep that exceptional talent, who are also the employees most marketable to other organizations. When they see the company treating laid-off employees poorly, theyll start looking for a better place to work, fearing their heads will be next to roll. While its important not to allow the legal department to design a layoff, its nevertheless important that you respect the employment laws. In different countries such laws include entitlements tied to civil rights, age discrimination, disabilities, worked adjustment, and retraining. These laws are important and should be respected for what they intend as well as what they prescribe or proscribe. If you have planned your lay-off according to business needs, and not on head count or seniority, you should have no problem upholding the law. You will almost always find yourself in legal trouble when you base your layoff on factors other than business needs. The method of separation may have an effect on a former employees ability to collect whatever form of unemployment compensation might be available in their jurisdiction. Unemployment claim and receive compensation. unemployment benefits, as are those who are fired for gross misconduct. Also, lay-offs due to a firms moving production overseas may entitle one to increased re-training benefits. Certain countries (e.g. France), distinguish between leaving the company of ones free will, in which case the person isnt entitled to unemployment benefits and leaving the company voluntarily in the frame of a RIF, in which case the person is entitled to them. An RIF reduced the number of positions, rather than laying off specific people, and is usually accompanied by internal redeployment. A person might leave even if their job isnt reduced, unless the employer has strong objections. In this situation, its more beneficial for the state to facilitate the departure of the more professionally active people, since they are less likely to remain jobless. Often they find new jobs while still being paid by their old companies, costing nothing to the social security system in the end. There have also been increasing concerns about the organizational effectiveness of the post-downsized anorexic organization. The benefits, which organizations claim to be seeking from downsizing, centre on savings in labor costs, speedier decision making, better communication, reduced product development time, enhanced involvement of employees and greater responsiveness to customers (De Meuse et al. 1997, p.168). However, some writers draw attention to the obsessive pursuit of downsizing to the point of self-starvation marked by excessive cost cutting, organ failure and an extreme pathological fear of becoming inefficient. Hence trimming and tightening belts are the order of the day (Tyler and Wilkinson 2007) Here are your ethical responsibilities By Bruce Weinstein, PhD Most discussions about downsizing focus on the legal, economic, or psychological issues raised by this practice. These are essential concerns, but we rarely consider how or why downsizing is also an ethical issue. The next two columns are an attempt to redress that problem. Here, well consider your ethical responsibilities if you are the one charged with giving the bad news. In the second column, well look at what you ought and ought not to do if you are the one being downsized. (Weinstein, 2009) March 17, 2009 by Stephen G. Donshik http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-ethics-of-downsizing/ No one is oblivious to the massive firings that have been taking place over the last eight months. As the recession has been felt in countries throughout the world we have witnessed not only the collapse of financial markets but also the retraction taking place in multi-national corporations and among the largest manufacturers on all continents. More and more people are finding themselves unemployed, either the result of firms closing or staff reductions. In dealing with the ethics of downsizing our communal organizations we have an opportunity to demonstrate both our leadership and our commitment to Even though a number of Federations have already implemented cuts and made difficult decisions it is not too late to assist others who are yet to face the need to retrench staff members. This is an area that is clamoring for both clarity and direction. Lets hope we can rise to the occasion. After all, it is in our tradition that we are a light unto the nations. Stephen G. Donshik, D.S.W., Managing Leadership The strategic role of the senior executivehttp://managingleadership.com/blog/2006/10/25/corporate-ethics-and-downsizing/ Ethics cannot survive the retention in the management team of anyone who is responsible for the downsizing dilemma. They must resign, or, at a minimum, the CEO must resign. Furthermore, any member of the board of directors complicit in the development of the crisis forcing this decision must resign also. Indeed, in the absence of a board that creates and enforces such an environment of ethical acknowledgement and acceptance of responsibility for executive and managerial decisions, there is not only no corporate ethics in the conventional sense there is also a fundamental lack of executive fiduciary responsibility; a lack that will ineluctably continue to damage its shareholders, and as a result of that, also 1) the company; 2) its employees, customers, and vendors; and 3) its community. The unethical environment arises in the absence of a board that establishes and supervises this fiduciary responsibility. In such an unethical environment, the real specific ethical violations occur well before the dilemma such as the need to downsize that attracts all the attention. This is in seemingly better times, when the CEO, executive teams, and consultants inflate the role and capabilities of the companys senior management, leading to what can only be described as juvenile ill-discipline and playing to the crowd. This is when they make the ill-advised decisions evaluated more for the force of the impact they create about the pseudo-gravitas and paradigm-shifting vision of these great personages, than for their contribution to the advancement of corporate aims and the growth of shareholder value both of which should be delineated to management by the board. These are the decisions that create the inflated work force. In the current environment of non-accountability, where half of a board consists of company management, and the other half of managers of other companies familiar with the game, it is only the work force that is downsized, and, possibly junior levels of management who have not yet attained the corporate version of tenure in this collusion. In such circumstances, the only possible outcome is downsizing, and this is not unethical in and of itself, taken as a distinct business decision. Taken as a whole, however, as Ive attempted to portray it, it is an extension of an unethical situation and of a chain of unethical decisions. Crocodile tears will be shed by a management team professing to be compelled to oh-so-reluctantly make tough business decisions and effect practical remedies that cannot be avoided and which must be taken to discharge their executive duties and serve the company and its shareholders considerations which neither concerned nor motivated them sufficiently, if at all, when they created the circumstances leading to the crisis. This was written by Jim Stroup. Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006, at 10:02 am. Filed under Boards, CEOs, Ethics, Organizational Leadership. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. 42k-6 sec @ 56kwww.buzzle.com/articles/reasons-for-downsizing.htmlwww.buzzle.com/articles/reasons-for-downsizing.html Reasons for Downsizing Corporate downsizing has been the biggest fallout of the troubled times, the world is witnessing. As we continue our efforts to fight the global downturn, downsizing has become a stark reality. Downsizing refers to a process where a company or a firm simply reduces its work force in order to cut the operating costs and improve efficiency. It has become a legitimate option for business growth strategies, especially after the 1980s. It is in fact, the most preferred option of companies to sustain operating costs and comply with the existing scope of the business. It is an important management venture and requires large assistance from the human resource management team. There are a number of reasons why a company downsizes its employee base. Merging of two or more firms: When a certain firm combines its operations with another firm and operates as a single entity, in order to stay in profit or expand the market reach, it is called a merger. In case of a merger, certain positions become redundant. The same work is done by two different staff members. Usually in such a case, the company cuts staff to eliminate redundancy in work. It is characterized by some employees leaving an organization voluntarily, or by lay-offs, especially in case of higher management positions. Acquisition: If one organization purchases another one, there is a definite change in the management and the acquired company staff has to face unemployment. The reason for this is the same as the earlier case, viz to cut costs and and increase the revenues. Change in management: The change in the top brass of a company can also result in downsizing. The working methods and procedures vary with the management. Therefore, a significant change in the management roles may drastically affect the employee size to suit a particular style of working. Economic crisis: This is the single biggest cause of downsizing. Often, it consists of huge lay-offs by a number of organizations across various domains. The recent economic recession facing the world, has triggered a number of lay-offs in many reputed and popular firms in the world. According to a survey conducted by the US Bureau of the Census, organizations consisting of higher percentage of managerial staff downsize more than the ones with higher percentage of production process employees. Strategy changes: Some companies may reduce certain areas of operation and focus on other areas. For example, if a company is working on a project in which there are no assured returns, it may downsize its employees working on that particular project. It focuses its resources on specific projects, which could be profitable ventures. Excessive workforce: In a period of high growth, a company hires excess staff, to meet the needs of a growing business. However, in times of recession the business opportunities dwindle, leading to downsizing of the surplus staff that was hired. Increase in efficient work flow and computerized services: If an organization work process is extremely fast and easily meets the requirements of the market, it may downsize some of its workforce. Similarly, if manual work can be done by a machine, in a much better and cost-efficient way, it also results in the reduction in the number of employees. Outsourcing practice: Organizations catering to international markets require a huge and efficient employee base. If this labor can be obtained by ‘exporting the job to other countries, a huge downsizing takes place in the parent country. For instance, if a certain job can be done more effectively in India and is more viable economically there, than in the United States, the business is operated from that country. These practices result in downsizing, which is a rampant practice prevalent these days. Efficient management of the existing skill set and constantly acquiring new skills and education is a sure way to beat the effects of downsizing. By Prashant Magar In todays business world downsizing, outsourcing, and combining of jobs to eliminate headcount is more prevalent than ever. As the economy swings down, companies find themselves needing to cut costs and increase their return on net assets (RONA). All too often, the easiest way to reduce costs and increase RONA is through reducing staff. The elimination of jobs, or finding more cost effective ways to perform their functions through job integration and outsourcing, reduces the salary expense as well as reduces benefits costs, human resources or payroll costs, and frees up those funds for additional investment activity if needed. Many companies, however, do not look at the potential long term ramifications before making these decisions. Among them are the potential for substandard customer service, costs associated to unemployment claims or placement strategies, potential for higher turnover of remaining employees, or loss of customer confidence. While cost reduction through job elimination or restructuring poses no legal implications or policy violations, it certainly presents many ethical problems. How the company proceeds could greatly affect the consumer view of their business practices. They also have the potential to place some employees in a position of being ethically challenged should they inform some parties of the possible downsizing but insist the information be kept from others. That will leave those employees who are aware with the ethical dilemma of telling what they know to those who will be affected or of keeping the company secret. The feeling though, that others know more and will not share the information, leads to extreme paranoia and dissatisfaction among lower level employees. If the best decision for the business financially is to centralize functions, the Kantian model of ethical thought would support full disclosure to the affected employees. This would provide them the dignity and respect they deser ve. Helping them with counseling for the self esteem issues presented in their job elimination and placement services seems to me the soundest ethical solution. Allowing them to prepare themselves financially for a potential loss of income would show respect for them as people as well as for the time they have spent as loyal, hard working employees. Potential attrition after the announcement might prove to be a challenge but will provide the same end result, less staff. To keep this information completely from the affected employees would fall under Ethical Egoism theories. It would serve only the officers of the company from having to deal with their own lack of ethics in this circumstance. The employees become a means to an end rather than the end itself. This school of thought tends to violate the morals taught through religious and parental guidance to most individuals. It directly violates all the major principles of the other moral theories. Consequently, following this path would likely lead to moral repercussions for those choosing to venture down this road. Living with the decision you have made and must stand by could be as emotionally traumatic in the end as the damage caused to the employees sacrificed for the company benefit. All too often the Utilitarianism approach is followed by not disclosing the full details but sharing information only as changes are closer to being implemented. This eliminates the likelihood of employee loss due to fear of the impending changes. A high turnover could cause those remaining employees to become overworked with no relief available. It would be vital though that the company effectively communicate what changes are coming with an accurate timeline of when they would occur in order to still be fair to the affected employees. The company should not hide the coming changes from the employees affected in any solution with a dissolution that trust will remain in tact for other employees unaffected by the changes. Character ethics would support at least this minimal amount of disclosure. The only fair thing to do is treat the employees as those making these decisions would want to be treated if they were in the same position, essentially following the Golden Rule. References: Baston, Ted Blake, J. Neff. (2007). Business ethics, Sunday ethics-Monday world. Triangle Publishing: Marion, Indiana The New York Times reports that the unlucky employees of fob Inc. received a bloodless e-mail informing them of their demise. Some employees of New York Times Digital learned of their fate in The New York Times itself. Dotcoms from Boston to Silicon Alley to San Francisco have behaved thoughtlessly and, yes, unethically as they frantically scrambled to salvage their companies. The idea of â€Å"downsizing† needs no introduction. Although borrowed from the automotive vocabulary, â€Å"downsizing† is a feared and familiar term throughout the employment ranks. It targets people. In all cases of downsizing anticipated, actual, or past the corporation have ethical obligations to its people. Not least among these obligations is telling the truth. Here are some principles for employers to consider whenever downsizing is a possibility or has, in fact, happened: keep employees informed; help employees to keep themselves employable; honor all pro

Analysis of Tone in Chapter 25 of The Human Comedy Essay -- Human Come

Analysis of Tone in Chapter 25 of The Human Comedy Chapter 25, "Mr. Ara," begins with the gathering of neighborhood boys in front of Ara's market. August Gottlieb, Ulysses, Lionel, and other youths of Ithaca have just taken part in the theft of an apricot from Old Henderson's tree. Standing in front of the store, the boys revere the apricot as an item of sacrament. August, the boy who physically plucks it, is held in high regard for his bravery and efficiency. Although the apricot is hard and green and far from ripe, it has a deeper meaning to the young boys of the small town. The fruit is an item obtained in spite of the possible danger of getting caught by Henderson; it is considered an extremely well earned keepsake. The boys value it more than any other item at that moment. To them, it symbolizes courage and brave will for risking their reputations in order to obtain this savored item. The apricot is admired with respect and gratification. As August holds it in the palm of his hand, he is described as a religious leader, since he is one who committed the Biblical sin of stealing and has come away clean. A respected ruler is established due to the single, brave action of a young boy. Later, Mr. Ara comes out of his shop and asks the boys to leave. After they are gone, his toddler son walks over and asks for an apple. Ara sympathizes with the young boy and he seems to share a silent sadness with him, a negative nostalgic feeling of a cold and oppressive past. As the boy takes a bite of the apple, he decides that he does not want it. A little annoyed, Ara consumes the rest of the apple so as not to waste it. However, he finds the apple unappealing and does not finish it himself. Overall, Ara is somewhat perturbed by the... ...escribable sadness that lurks in the air around them. The way the young child will not be satisfied sends his father into a frustrated resentment of modern society. People take too much for granted in a place of hope, privileges, and freedom while war drags on in another country, ten thousand miles away. The appreciation of youthful innocence is thus juxtaposed with selfishness and an inability to be satisfied, which seems to create a double tone that creates a contrast about the reality of humanity. Sometimes we can never be content with what we have until something is lost or sacrificed. In youth and innocence, satisfaction and the appreciation of the world around us seem to come more easily, perhaps because life has not yet been tainted by greed. It may be part of human nature that, as one grows, his desires become more complex and thus more difficult to satiate.

Creating an Interactive Web Site with CGI Essay -- HTML Web Page Creat

Creating an Interactive Web Site with CGI Introduction The Internet explosion of the 1990’s has been one of the most revolutionizing business factors of the decade. The Internet allows individuals and businesses to reach each other more effectively at an increasingly lower cost. However, the most effective method of interaction is two-way interaction. This applies whether the interaction is between two people, a person and a business or two businesses. Basic HTML web pages allow for easy one way interaction. It also allows people to send e-mail back and forth. More effective web pages allow for immediate two-way interaction. These pages can gather survey data, create shopping carts, check credit ratings or even simply have visitors sign a guest book. Interactive web sites definitely have advantages over their less advanced cousins. Common Gateway Interface (CGI) provides one of the more common formats for designing an interactive site. This paper will address some of the concepts behind creating an interactive web site with CGI. It will proceed by considering the following points: 1. Background 2. Creating forms Background Before explaining how CGI works, it is helpful to gain an overall perspective of how the internet itself functions in connection with the end user. Bruce Gronich of BigNoseBird.com provides a good analogy that will be used throughout this paper. He compares the end user’s browser to a rat searching for food. The garbage can doles out the food when the rat requests it. The garbage can is the server. So, the browser requests information from the server, and the server in return doles out the information that is requested. The server uses differe... ...lt;INPUT TYPE="reset" value=" Clear-Form"> <INPUT TYPE="HIDDEN" NAME="FORM_NAME" VALUE="THE TEST FORM"> <INPUT TYPE="HIDDEN" NAME="MAIL_TO" VALUE="person@to-get.mail.com"> </PRE> </FORM> Conclusion This paper has been primarily about some of the HTML codes required to put together an interactive web site. It has reviewed how the internet works and how to assemble a form on a browser. The paper has also addressed how the information needs to be formatted so that it can be successfully passed to a cgi script for further processing. Acknowledgements The primary source used in this paper was the web site www.bignosebird.com The web site www.icthus.net/CGI-city/ was also helpful. Finally, the textbook Frontiers of Electronic Commerce provided some information as well.

Our Bog Is Dood Essay

This poem is a conversation between two people, a female and a set of children. The female asks the children to explain to her why their God is good. When the children can’t agree on a reason on why their God is good they begin questioning their faith. In the first stanza of the poem you can tell that the poem is a conversation between children and an older female. â€Å"They lisped in accents mild† this line shows that they are talking about children. When children are young they usually slur in their words. â€Å"My darling little child? † confirms that the poem is between little children and an older person. It’s safe to say that our Bog is dood can be translated into our God is good. The poem starts off with what seems like the children chanting out God is good. When the older woman asks them to explain why their God is good the children get upset because they believe their faith is being questioned. In the second stanza the children respond by saying they know that their God is good because that’s what they wish. They kids say they don’t need a reason to believe that their God is good. This shows that these child a blind faith towards their God. The children are very prideful of their God who they blindly follow. They also accuse anyone who doesn’t agree or believe in their God are sinners. â€Å"You shall be crucified† the blind faith that these children posses causes these children to turn to violence towards nonbelievers. In the third stanza the older woman again asks the children what’s so good about your God. She asks them how do you know that your God is good. The children react to her questions by bowing their heads and praying. The children say that they belong to their God and that they belong to their God. At the end of this stanza I felt that the tone of the poem changes. It goes from our God is good to our God is dead. In the fourth stanza begins with the children raising their heads after being questioned about their faith. The children become upset with each other because they can’t agree on what is good about their God. Each of the children had a different definition for what was good. They all had conflicting views about their faith. In the fifth stanza the older lady leaves the children after she gets them to question their faith. She left because she didn’t want to see them realizing that they had a false image of God. She felt as if it was better to just walk away and leave the children alone. The last three lines of the poem I believe that the â€Å"encroaching sea† is religion in general. People blindly follow God and it gets to a point where they are going to drown in the religion. I believe that the children in the poem follow God because that’s probably the only thing that has been taught to them and when they begin questioning their faith it feels like they don’t have anything else to believe in. The last line in the poem shows that the older woman has not been sucked into religious conformity. The theme of this poem is about blindly following religion. The poem is basically a conversation between an older woman and a couple of children. The poem begins with the children firmly believing that their God is good, but then when they are asked to give reason why they begin to question themselves. The children aren’t able to agree on a reason why their God is good and this is where the tone in the poem shifts to our God is dead. The older female in this poem makes the children realize that they are blindly following something that they know nothing about.

Effects of World War 2 Essay

â€Å"Economic effects was the most important effect of World War 2.† To what extent do you agree? World War 2 (WW2) was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 and it originated from early conflict within Europe. It involved many of the leading powers of the World including the great powers and became the most widespread war in history. The ending of WW2 led to three very important effects: social, political and economic; that greatly shaped the post-war world. I disagree that economic effects was the most important effect of WW2 because it did not last very long and did not affect a large scope of people as compared to other factors. The criteria used to evaluate the social, political and economic effects of WW2 is the duration of which the effect lasted for, the scope of people it affected and its magnitude. Economic effects did meet the magnitude and duration criteria. However, it did not fulfil the other criteria and it is ultimately political effects that is determine d as the main effect of WW2 because it fulfilled all the criteria and largely impacted the post-war world. The first criteria will be the duration of which the effect lasted for. Economic effects did not meet this criteria because the effects of financial aid that the US and USSR provided lasted for a long time. For example, the International Monetary Fund created in 1944 still exists and has lent money to countries to protect their currencies in times of difficulty. The financial aid was only provided for a short period of time just to help Europe recover from the consequences of the disastrous war. However, the effects of this still exists today and therefore economic effects fulfilled this criteria. Social effects of WW2 included a change in gender roles and family structure, more importantly, the role of women in post-war world. There was a wider range of jobs that women could take on after WW2, however, women were still treated badly as compared to the men. After WW2, women became more confident and they decided to create more feminist movements and campaigns for equal pay and rights. As of today, feminist movements are still being conducted and this shows us how these campaigns are being influence by wartime experience. The recent HeforShe campaign created by the United Nations (UN) ne wly appointed Ambassador Emma Watson serves as an example of a feminist movement influenced by the other campaigns that were sparked up because of WW2. This is why social effects fulfils this criteria  as it still impacts the world today and therefore, is a long-term effect. Political effects included the nuclear age and the development of atomic weapons after WW2. The atomic bombing of Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had a profound effect on the pot-war world. Between 1945 and 2000, 128,000 nuclear weapons were built. The nuclear escalation after WW2 started as more countries other than the US and USSR started to build nuclear weapons. The consequences of political effects still exists because countries are still building nuclear weapons as it is seen as a display of power and therefore political effects fulfils this criteria. Therefore, all these factors fulfil this criteria. The second criteria will be the scope of people the effect affected. Economic effects did not meet this criteria because world trade, a result of economic effects actually only affected Europe and the US only and had not direct impact on the world internationally. For example, when the US pressed for freer trade, Western Europe began to co-operate economically and tried to lower i ts tariffs. Economic effects did not meet this criteria because it only majorly impacted Europe and the US and not the rest of the world. Social effects also did not meet this criteria because it only affected the minorities in society like the blacks and women. In the Southern states, black labour increased and this gave black people more job opportunities which gave the blacks a wider experience of the world. Evidently, social effects only affected minor groups of people and does not fulfil this criteria. Political effects included greater unity and international co-operation. The large scale defence organisations like the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation of 1949 and regional pacts like the South East Asia Treaty Organisation set a precedent for the many international organisations that started. All these measures are taken so that countries can resolve conflicts using negotiations instead of war and this allowed the maintenance of peace amongst most of the world. Political effects is the only factor that fulfilled this criteria. The third criteria will be the magnitude of the effect and how large its impact was on post-war world. Even though financial help from the US lasted only for a short period of time, it caused the greatest economic impact on Europe. By 1952, Europe not only recovered from its initial poverty but was also on the edge of its greatest economic boom in history. Econ omic effects had a large impact of Europe and this is why it fulfils this criteria. Social effects did not cause as large  of a magnitude because its effects were mediocre. It is indeed true that women were more confident and freer from demands at home but there were no drastic changed to social systems as women were still considered beneath men. Even today, there is no gender equality as men in most parts of the world still receive more pay and rights than women. This is why social effects does not fulfil this criteria. Political effects caused the development of the cold war which was considered one of the most significant consequences of WW2. It greatly impacted Europe, making Western and Eastern Europe more divided. The cold war was a battle over ideology, making the distinction between the US and USSR even clearer. The cold war was also the closest the world ever came to another atomic war. The two superpowers of that time possessed nuclear weapons that would have been extremely detrimental to the world if launched. Political effects impacted the world to a great magnitude because the cold war included the two superpowers during that time and it caused a greater division between Western and Eastern Europe. Economic effects and political effects fulfilled this criteria. After comparing the different factors with this set of criteria, I still disagree that economic effects was the most significant effect of WW2. Economic effects only fulfilled the magnitude and scope criteria and therefore is not the most important effect. I believe that political effects is the main effect of WW2 because it fulfilled the most criteria. It was a long-term effect of war and affected large amounts of people. It also impacted the post-war world to a great extent and this is why it should be considered as the most important effect of WW2. Economic effects did pull Europe out of poverty and it also lasted very long but it did not affect the world internationally. It was only limited to Europe and the US. Social effects only satisfied the duration criteria as feminist movements still exist in the modern world today and were influenced by the WW2. On the other hand, political effects lasted very long and also pushed for better international relations that strongly impacted post-war world. Therefore, political effects is the most important effect of WW2.

Social Ills of a Society

Societal values of every society is sustained by the organs of the society. interestinly,the most important organ is the goverment. so goverment is the most important organ reponsible in maintaining societal values. We are all living in a democratic world today and like democracy is clearly define as â€Å"the goverment of the people by the people and for the people†,this means the goverment is the peolple that make up the society. Now,a society that has failed in all sense of the word,is not without the fault of the ones that inhabitates the environs. hen crime and iimmoral decadence become the order of the day,and is seen as the norm in a society,then we have an issue in our hand. I mean a society where boys of 18 years are drug barons and heads of gangs responsible for murder,robbery,and distribution of illicit drugs in the society. but inspite of all these,they are celebrated and worshipped by the society which they have destroyed. Education is one area that has recieved s et back greatly in this whole drama,as many young ones growing up don't see models in the light of education around them,yo follow. ut they see a lot of gangsters that are making money even from a very young age. so this becomes the benchmark for measuring success in this society.Those that even went to school,immediatly they got a job that could give them some money,they left the society and went some place else to build a life of thier own,as they really could'nt fit in to that world back home. This is the case with many african societies,and this has brought about alot of death,rape,unwanted pregnancies,child abuse and drug abuse. etc. but the society still feell trapped in this quagmire irrespective of the huge prices that is been paid for all of this. his is where agencies both govermental and non-govermental,should become more strategic in saving lives and the society. they should come up with orientation programes on the effect of drugs,alcohol, and crime. the goverment shoul d embark on compulsory secondary school education for all youth within the age of education. they should arrest and remand all crime defaulters so as to serve as deterrent for the others. they should build more schools in such societies and increase the activities of the law enforcement and drug enforcement agents in these kind of environs. All of these will help curb the menace of crime and drug in the socities.

Native Americans vs. African Americans Essay

In today’s society there are many people living in poverty. All across America there are different projects and reservations where the less fortunate reside. Statistics show that mostly minorities live in these different locations. Native Americans and African Americans are two of the more popular races living in these places. The group suffering the most in these situations is the youth. Although both Native American and African American children living on a reservation or in the projects experience a terrible community, have little to no faith, and a broken family structure, African American youth living in the projects have it worse than Native American children living on a reservation. First, one of the most common living situations for less fortunate African Americans is in the projects. A project is a public living environment that is government owned. Although these buildings are government owned they are far from nice looking. Most of the buildings have no windows, are run down, dirty, and old. The government’s main goal is to maintain affordable housing not to make them the best looking homes in town. The projects aren’t a good environment for a child to be raised. Throughout these neighborhoods different gangs can be found. These gangs are built to defend the different areas in the projects. The gangs bring major violence to the area and are one of the main causes of death. At a young age children join these gangs and are raised to be violent. Many of them decorate the buildings they are living in with graffiti expressing their gang colors, symbols, or motto. In contrast, while Native American youth also live in poor housing, the environment is safer than the projects. A reservation is an area set aside for a specific type of land use or activity, or for use by a particular group of people, mostly Native Americans. Similar to the projects, houses on a reservation are old, beat down, and dirty. The houses on a reservation are government owned as well. Although these two locations are very similar they also differ. The reservation is a safer place then the projects. On the reservation there is a couple cases of mild violence but they aren’t as severe as the violence in the projects. Therefore, the reservations environment is a better environment than the projects. Secondly, many of the young people have no faith growing up in the projects. A lot of them believe their only way out of the projects is to become a basketball or football player or to become a top selling rap artist. At as young as sixteen years of age most African American males end up in jail, deceased, or selling drugs. A lot of them are also lead to believe that if they don’t do what every other man on the streets is doing, then they won’t make it anywhere in life. On the reservation the kids believe their only way out is to become NBA players or â€Å"powwowers†. Powwower’s are traditional Native American cheerleaders or dancers. Much like the African Americans growing up in the projects, the life expectancy rate for those living on a reservation is in the mid forties. Considering that both of these locations are in the United States mid forties is very young of age. Many of these people don’t live very long because they don’t have enough money to take care of themselves as well as their families. They also aren’t able to live a healthy lifestyle which shortens their days. Death is common in the two locations which leaves these two young groups wondering what’s beyond the age forty. Lastly, family structure is very important in a household. In the projects many of the homes lack a very strong family structure. Children growing up in the projects nine times out of ten don’t have both parents in the home. Most of them are drug dealers, alcoholics, prostitutes, or doing any and everything to try and provide for the child. Although these parents are trying to provide for their children a lot of the time they are also on welfare. Moreover, these children’s parents aren’t ever around, they sometimes go days without having anything to eat. Many of the young men follow after the footsteps of their father, older brother, or uncles which is why this cycle has continued for so long. Native Americans typically stick together as a unit. According to Sherman Alexie, an award winning author who grew up on a reservation, â€Å"Native American children are taught to be suspicious of Caucasian people. † Native Americans teach this to their children because there are many people in America that are against minorities and believe that just because they are the majority they’re better. A lot of the parents on a reservation go from job to job not being able to keep one job for a long period of time. Many of these parents are also alcoholics. On the other hand, some of these families on these reservations are very family oriented unlike the African American families in the projects. These Native American families have up to seventeen family members living in one house. They keep their families very close and are very supportive of one another rather then being against each other like African Americans. The parents watch over their children to make sure they don’t go down the wrong path in life. Although these families are experiencing hard times they cheer each other up and manage to smile every once in a while. Therefore, the Native Americans family structure is stronger then African Americans. In conclusion, Native American youth living on a reservation have it better then African American youth living in the projects. Both of these minorities are going through some hardships. From alcoholic parents to not having anything to eat they both are suffering as young children. Native American families provide a safer living environment, work harder, and look after one another, where as African Americans are against one another, on the streets all day, and are strongly associated with violence. As the years go on these families are hoping that the government will separate people in the projects and those living on reservations and provide them both with a better living situation. If these environments are separated the United States will be one step closer to eliminating violence in America.

IP Networking Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IP Networking - Lab Report Example Company X headquarters has a total of four directorates and 400 employees. The department includes the executive leadership, research and development, human resources, and sales. Region 1 has customer service and accounting department, Region 2 has marketing and advertising department, while region 3 has inventory, manufacturing, and engineering departments. To accommodate the network growth the company will have to use the VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Mask) which was previously ignored by a consultant. This is after the company realized that all the network addresses are statically generated. This led to a high administration overhead when the networks and locations are added to the network. The company therefore has opted to come up with a standard IP addressing table for the WAN links and their locations. It has also decided to sample the configuration of Cisco for each and every location. Additionally, it will deny the users in Region 2 from accessing the offices of region 3 seri al interface. At the end of the configuration the company will generate a network diagram capturing the whole system. Technical Details IP Addressing Table and WAN links for the Locations ASSIGNED IP NETWORKS IP Network Region Department IP Address VLAN 207.17.5.0/24 Corporate X headquarter Executive Leadership 20 1 Sales 80 1 Human Resources 25 1 Research and Development 275 2 207.17.8.0/24 Region 1 Accounting 20 1 Customer Service 80 1 207.17.9.0/24 Region 2 Advertising 23 1 Marketing 47 1 207.17.10.0/24 Region 3 Manufacturing 25 1 Engineering 78 1 Inventory 22 1 WAN LINKS IP Network Region       WAN Required 207.17.11.0./24 HQ to Region 1       2 HQ to Region 2       2 HQ to Region 3       2 Future expansion       2 Future expansion       2 Future expansion       2 Cisco configurations Here it is assumed that every network interfaces are operational and is ready for consultant’s configuration. The configuration entails the Ethernet configuration , VLAN configurations, the serial ports, routing protocols, and the summarization route from the headquarters’ office to region 1. The section describes how the three regional offices will be connected to the corporate’s headquarter. The corporate will use the following WAN options; synchronous leased line, frame relay, asynchronous dial-up line, and x.25. The WAN encapsulation will comprise of the point-to-point protocol, frame relay, X.25, and HDLC (High Level Data Link Control). The routed protocols will include IP and IPX. Other feature in the system are Dynamic IP routing, IPX routing and Dynamic IP, IPX routes and Static IP, sub-interfaces, and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Additionally, the configurations options include the Command line Interface and cisco 805 Fast Step. The table below shows the sample network configuring the three regions and the headquarters to ISP networks. Region No WAN options WAN Encapsulations Routed Protocol Other Features Confi guration Options Headquarters Synchronous Leased Line HDLC IP Dynamic IP routing CLI, Cisco Fast Step Software Region 1 Asynchronous dial up line PPP IP Static IP route Firewall IPCP/PPP CLI, Cisco Fast Step Software Region 2 Synchronous Leased Line PPP IP Static IP route CLI, Cisco Fast Step Software Region 3 Frame Relay Frame Relay IP Firewall, Static IP route, and NAT overload CLI, Cisco Fast Step Software Before configuring, the following steps will be done: the network administrators from the headquar