ORGANISATIONS, PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE POST MODULE ASSIGNMENT

ORGANISATIONS, PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE POST MODULE - Assignment Example By achieving these HR competencies, it will then be easy for Samsung to overcome most of the issues it is having. Talent management Talent management is a central part of any strategic business management (Deb, 2005). Samsung should include this as part of its HR strategy. Talent management will be managed by a process of hunting for talent and nurturing talent as a way to make sure that the firm will have a good pool of talent with regard to all its human resource areas. This will be important especially for the technical departments such as engineering in order to guarantee that Samsung will always be ahead of its competitors in producing the best technologies. It will also be important for the other departments because as Silzer and Dowell (2009) say, a formidable human resource is necessary for an organization to be competent in any industry. Training Training is the base of any human strategy and should be taken seriously if the organization is to be able to manage its employees (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, 2004). It is training and recruitment that offers the organization an opportunity to get the kind of employees that they want. It also helps in training ordinary employees into competent managers and this means that the organization does not have to look outside for managers (Pynes and Lombardi, 2011). Figure 1.1, from: http://www.hrps.org/blogpost/736528/HR-Management-Strategies Samsung needs to look at the various ways in which it can develop its training program in order to get the best employees. Well planned training will help Samsung to have employees who will; Be ethical in their conduct thus avoiding issues such as copyright infringement. One of the issues that Samsung has had in the past is the fact that it has been involved in copyright infringement. This is something that reduced the strategic position of the organization due to the legal issues and the negative publicity which the firm gets from such. As a result, recruitment and trainin g of employees in the firm should be done with this in mind. Issues such as copyright infringement are as a result of inadequate human resource. It is also an indication that the firm is having poor talent and therefore not being able to develop its own portfolio (Nejati et al, 2008). This has also been seen in the fact that Samsung does not have an operating system for most of its products. As a result, this makes Samsung to have a weaker strategic position compared to its major competitor, Apple, that has an own operating system for its product and never has to use third-party products. By training the right people, it will be easier for Samsung to be able to have people who can be innovative and productive enough to deal with these issues. There are other issues which need to be considered with regard to Samsung’s human resource. These include the commitment of the employees. As Kumar (2010) says, it is hard for an organization to be able to have a competent human resource if the employees are not highly committed to the organization. In this case, Samsung will have to focus on increasing the commitment of the employees. This will help the organization to be able to improve its talent management and to make sure that there is enough talent in the organization

Physiological Effects of Pressure on Man and Cetaceans

Physiological Effects of Pressure on Man and Cetaceans Air and water are always exerting pressure on every object or organism on Earth. Pressure is the force or weight exerted on an object per unit area in order to move it (Anderson, 2011). It is measured in bar or atmosphere (ata as an abbreviation) and changes depending on the place on Earth affecting organisms in different ways.   Ã‚   Despite that all three groups within this study belong to the class Mammalia, they all evolved in different ways adapting them to their environment. Being cetaceans the group who is entirely aquatic including whales, dolphins and porpoises (The Editors of Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica and G. Mead, 2014). Pinnipeds are the group of fin-footed mammals who spend most of their time in the water, however, coming to shore to rest or mate and it includes seals, sea lions and walrus (NOAA, 2014). Therefore, it is aimed to analyse and compare the effects of pressure in humans, cetaceans and pinnipeds as well as comparing possible adaptions of each one. At sea level, despite being imperceptible any object or being is subject to the pressure exerted by the air defined as one bar/ata. When going underwater to the pressure exerted by the water the pressure of air at sea level has to be added. When the altitude drops every 10 meters below sea level the pressure increases by 1 bar/ata plus the one at the surface (PADI, 1996). Resulting in 2 bar/ata and so the pressure underwater can change as demonstrated in figure 1. Figure 1. The relation between Depth and Pressure. (PADI, 1996) However, if the dive is made in a submarine to a depth of 120m/396 feet the crew inside will still be subject to 1 bar of the pressure of the air and the submarine would be the one subjected to the pressure of 24bar/ata from the water and air combined (Martin, 1997). Gas Exchanges All mammals have a bidirectional respiratory system that isnt prepared for living permanently underwater like fish are. In a respiratory system like this, gas exchanges occur by using the same airways. They start to inhale oxygen (O2) at the surface before diving and at some point, all must return to release carbon dioxide (CO2) and inhale again (Martin, 1997). The exchange itself occurs in the alveoli within the lungs, being the O2 transported to different parts of the body by the circulatory system and the CO2 expelled back through the nose or mouth in humans and pinnipeds and through the blowhole in cetaceans according to WhaleFacts.org and NOAA. Cetaceans and pinnipeds being well adapted to a marine life they can hold longer underwater between dives comparing to humans who need scuba gear to dive deeper and for longer. At first, could be assumed that in the case of cetaceans the reason for longer dive time or deeper dives is lung size. However, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) comparing whale average body and lung size to the one of a human, a whales lungs take 4% less space in their bodies than a humans. Therefore, the key isnt in the lungs but in the blood and haemoglobin concertation which in a whales is 30% higher than in a human. This helps the whale to storage more O2 in their bloodstream and muscle tissues instead of inside their lungs and this way avoid depth related complications. And the same can be verified in some deep diver pinnipeds (Kooyman and Ponganis, 1998).   The effects of pressure on body cavities As these three groups belong the Class Mammalia they all share three main body cavities which are normally filled with air, ears, sinuses and lungs. With air being a gas it changes volume along with pressure changes, so when pressure increases air get compressed and tends to decrease in volume. On one hand in humans this results in feeling an unconformable squeeze in the ear sinus and mask when using scuba gear. If these areas arent regularly equalised by adding air to them during a dive can end up in an eardrum rupture or a large headache (PADI, 1996). On the other hand, in cetaceans, evolutionary adaptations occurred within the hearing mechanism and sinus to be suited for water-borne sounds. Adaptations such as the fusion of the middle and inner ear capsules allowed cetaceans to better interpret sounds underwater however without being able to do the same to air-borne sounds (Au, Fay, and Popper, 2000). Similarly, to humans hearing pinnipeds ears more adapted to interpret air-borne sounds as most of the communication between individuals occurs above water. Although they do hear sufficiently well underwater (Riedman, 1990). Finally, the lungs commonly to all three groups the main rule is not holding your breath completely while diving. During ascends as pressure decreases air volume increases and not realising it can cause lung rupture (PADI, 1996).   Among other major depth related consequences are barotrauma, decompression sickness or the bends and nitrogen narcosis. Decompression Sickness (DCS) While underwater the organism accumulates nitrogen and due to not being used, it must be expelled which normally happens with each exhalation. If the amount of excess nitrogen is too high when ascending the nitrogen leaving the tissue, forms large bubbles that can cause symptoms from dizziness, tingling and numbness to in severe cases unconsciousness and death. It is commonly called by divers as the bends due to the nitrogen bubbles being trapped in the joint open area and not allowing them to bend their joints without pain. With a wide range of noticeable signs and varying from mild to moderate it is difficult to diagnose DCS in humans. In the case of cetaceans despite study made by Jepson et al. showing a lot of individuals with bubble lesions, it cannot be assumed that all cetaceans mass stranding are related to severe cases of DCS when actually it was not possible to determine the origin of those bubbles. Nitrogen Narcosis This symptom is a result of a direct toxic effect of high nitrogen pressure in the body and it is similar to being under the effect of alcohol. May affect human divers at different depths but once it starts only gets worse has the depth increases and can be deadly as divers under this effect will commit dangerous actions while diving (Martin, 1997). It can also be associated with cases of DCS as it usually happens before DCS.   Regardless of being completely aquatic, semi-aquatic or terrestrial, all three groups may suffer from the effects of pressure like DCS and nitrogen narcosis. Being completely terrestrial humans are the most affected ones. Cetaceans are the most adapted group to life underwater, however, it is not safe to assume yet that this means that they are less affected or even immune to DCS nitrogen narcosis as the origin of the bubbles, that at first would be characteristic of DCS, was not determined by Jepson et al. studies. Nonetheless it is possible to say both cetaceans and pinnipeds retrieve and storage oxygen a lot more efficiently than human beings thus more efficiently avoiding DCS (Kooyman and Ponganis, 1998). Text: Anderson, M. (2011) The Physics of Scuba Diving. Available at: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9781908062512 (Accessed: 19 February 2017). Au, W.W.L., Fay, R.R. and Popper, A.N. (2000) Hearing by whales and dolphins. (12 Vols). New York, NY: Springer New York. Chapter 2 Martin, L. (1997) Scuba diving explained: Questions and answers on physiology and medical aspects of scuba diving. Flagstaff, AZ: Best Publishing Company. PADI (1996) PADI open water diver manual. Santa Ana, CA: Atlantic Books. Ponganis, P.J. (2015) Diving physiology of marine mammals and Seabirds. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (2014) Whats the difference between seals and sea lions? Available at: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seal-sealion.html (Accessed: 24 February 2017). Riedman, M. (1990) The pinnipeds: Seals, sea lions, and walruses. Berkeley: University of California Press. Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) (no date) How do whales breathe? Available at: http://uk.whales.org/blog/2012/10/how-do-whales-breathe (Accessed: 24 February 2017). WhaleFacts.org (ed.) (2017) Whale Anatomy. Available at: http://www.whalefacts.org/whale-anatomy/ (Accessed: 24 February 2017). Images:   Ã‚   Figure 1: PADI (1996) PADI open water diver manual. Santa Ana, CA: Atlantic Books.

Alternatives to Conventional Internal Combustion :: Expository Essays Research Papers

Alternatives to Conventional Internal Combustion Congress created the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technologies (EHV) Program in 1992 for reasons of national defense. The specific purpose of the program was to solve the issues of performance, stealth, and fuel efficiency demanded by the military. The EHV program was managed by the Department of Defense and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), as a side note DARPA developed the F-117 Stealth Fighter during the mid to late 1970’s and early 1980’s. DARPA and the Department of Defense created a consortium with 150 companies that were involved in 300 projects with a total investment of 250 million from 1993-1998 with half the funding provided by non-federal partners. They focused and developed on these areas of research â€Å"hybrid electric transmissions, auxiliary power units and motors, advanced battery and charger systems and controllers, flywheels to augment or replace batteries, and advanced materials to reduce vehicle weight (http://scitech. dot.gov/partners/nextsur/avp/avp.html)† The Advanced Vehicles Technologies Program represents the civilian version of the military EHV Program. EHV became AVP in 1999. The AVP budget was 50 million annually from 1999 to 2003. USCar, also began in 1992, it is a program made up by DaimlerChrsyler, Ford and General Motors â€Å"to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative, pre-competitive research (http://www.uscar.org/)† and from this project came a new program called FreedomCar, which is a joint venture with the USCar members and the Department of Energy. The ultimate goal of FreedomCar is to make hydrogen and fuel cell based transportation system. This is the long-term goal, which will take some time to be realized. The project is also looking at advanced internal combustion engines, emissions control for diesel engines, light weight materials, hybrid electric vehicle systems, advanced batteries and alternative fuels (http://www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/program_areas/freedomcar/index.shtml). The transportation sector obtains 95% of its fuel from petroleum and this sector accounts for 67% of American’s total petroleum use. The United States imports roughly 10 million barrels of oil per day (http://www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/program_areas/freedomcar/index.shtml). The dependence on imported oil could potentially threaten the energy security of the U.S. Roughly 55 percent of oil we consume is imported and this is expected to go up to 65 percent by 2025.

How would Xerox define diversity

Xerox defines diversity as a priceless resource and a key to their success. It more than just race or gender. By incorporating in a company like xerox different cultures and ways of thinking it expands the mind set of the company and leads toward creating innovative solutions and business opportunities (Xerox). How has the definition of diversity changed over the years? We live in a world where, because of the Internet and the Web, we can communicate with someone in Africa or Asia as easily as we can communicate with someone in the office next door. A company like Xerox represents businesses all over the world, and the diversity of its employees is a big plus. Acknowledging our differences and using them as a value-added for any clients needs is one of the keys to a companies success. The economic problems that the world economy is experiencing has only added greater emphasis to our beliefs in the importance of diversity. We are all in this economic situation together. It certainly is not the time to retreat from our strong belief that diverse perspectives are essential to prospering in today's world. What are the seven reasons why Xerox should be motivated to diversify their workforce? Illustrate how Xerox shows its values workplace diversity. Wider Talent Pool More talent will be employed at Xerox if employees of all cultures and race are hired. More Knowledge Sharing Employees can share cultural traits , market demographics and help develop companies develop robust knowledge management and market intelligence systems. Enhanced Productivity By processing varied skills , competencies and capabilities of different races and cultures, Xerox can increase its productivity worldwide (Xerox). Reduced Discrimination At Xerox woman and minorities make up for 52% of the workforce and 42. 5% of Xerox senior executives are women or people of color or both (Xerox). This motivates employees in a way that they feel like they are being treated equally and thus providing a better job performance. By the hiring of african americans and other employees of other cultural backgrounds they have achieved equality in their workforce (Xerox). Demographic Marketing The marketing of products and services at Xerox has become culturally and demographically segmented. This requires the company to hire people from different backgrounds and nationalities to better serve the marketed area. Human Capital Retention Diversity has been leveraged to attract the best most heterogeneous talent it also has been harnessed to retain talent and corporate integrity. Commitment and Willingness of employees to seek Growth Xerox Provides Equal Opportunity to all employees of any cultural background and race. By doing this employees of all types are more motivated and committed to provide good job performance to seek growth in the company. Research Question The Fortune 500 Company I chose to compare Xerox with is FedEx. While doing some research about the workforce diversity at FedEx I realized that FedEx and Xerox have much in common. FedEx as well as Xerox strives to promote the hiring of different cultures all over the world to increase their productivity and to meet the worldwide needs of their customer satisfaction. FedEx quotes that † We place a high priority on serving the needs of diverse communities; after all, we live in a country comprised of people from many different backgrounds and cultures. To show we're serious about promoting and supporting diversity, we've spearheaded a number of diversity programs — for our employees, our suppliers, our customers and our neighborhoods (FedEx). FedEx has various diversity groups to promote cultural awareness and to ensure the inclusion of all employees, these groups include The Asian Network Group,The African-American Network Group, The Hispanic Network Group, The Women's Network Group and the FedEx Gay, Bisexual,Transgender and Friends Network. Each network group operates as a separate entity, features chairperson and other group officer positions as needed, and meets monthly and sponsors/co-sponsors at least one corporate diversity forum with CCA annually (FedEx). Comparing FedEx to Xerox I would have to say the they pretty much have the same goal in creating a successful company by the incorporating a diverse workforce and policies to provide trust and respect to their employees and by doing this they are creating more productive employees who are highly motivated to achieve the goals of the company.

The Concept Of Agency Theory Recognizes There Are Fundamental Differences Accounting Essay

IntroductionAn bureau relationship is a contract under which one or more individuals ( the principal ( s ) ) engage another individual ( the agent ) to execute some service on their behalf which involves deputing some determination doing authorization to the agent ( Jensen and Meckling, 1976 ) . If both parties to the association are public-service corporation maximizers and they may hold different purposes and aims, it is inevitable that the agent will non ever move in the best involvements of the principal. The construct of bureau theory originated from the work of Adolf Augustus Berle and Gardiner Coit Means, who were discoursing the issues of the agent and rule every bit early as 1932. Berle and Means explored the constructs of bureau and their applications toward the development of big corporations. Michael C. Jensen and William Meckling shaped the work of Berle and Means in the context of the risk-sharing research popular in the 1960s and '70s to develop bureau theory as a formal construct. Jensen and Meckling formed a school of idea reasoning that corporations are structured to minimise the costs of acquiring agents to follow the way and involvements of the principals. ( Renee O'Farrell, 2010 ) The construct of bureau theory recognizes there are cardinal differences in how stockholders, directors, and even bondholders interpret their several relationships to an organisation. While they may portion some common ends and aims, there is the possible for at least some aims to emerge that are focused more on single enrichment than on the wellbeing of the whole ( Kleiman, 2010 ) . For illustration, directors may be more focussed on constructing a repute for themselves, perchance making their ain power bases within the construction of the larger organisations. Stockholders may go more focussed on gaining dividends now and less on the hereafter of the concern. Bondholders may be concerned merely with the undertaking associated with the bond issue, and lose sight of how the overall stableness of the company can hold a negative impact on the return earned from that bond ( Kleiman, 2010 ) .Contribution of bureau theory to the development of accountingCurrent mainstream accounting resea rch is based extensively on economic theoretical accounts of bureau that represent he runing company ( house ) directors â€Å" agent † and the single investors â€Å" chief † . This chief agent theoretical account has besides been implicitly adopted in the ordinance of accounting, which focuses on the demands and public assistance of a diverse group of single investors who entrust their wealth to the control of director. ( Bricker, Chandar 1998 ) Accounting plays an of import function as a critical portion of the contracts that define a house. For illustration, imparting agreements between a house and its creditors frequently contain several accounting based compacts. Accounting-based fillip programs are often a constituent of executive compensation programs. Accounting steps are normally used in the public presentation rating of a house ‘s cost and net income centres. ( Bricker, Chandar 1998 ) The construct of Positive Accounting Theory has emerged, in recent old ages, which is based on the theory of bureau. It focuses on the relationships between the assorted persons involved in supplying resources to an organisation and how accounting is used to help in the operation of these relationships. While normative theories tend to urge what should be done. When decision-making authorization is delegated, this can take to some loss of efficiency and consequent costs. For illustration, if the proprietor ( chief ) delegates decision-making authorization to a director ( agent ) it is possible that the director may non work every bit difficult as would the proprietor, given that the director might non portion straight in the consequences of the organisation. Any possible loss of net incomes brought approximately by the director underperforming is considered to be a cost that consequences from the decision-making deputation within this bureau relationship – an bureau cost. The bureau costs that arise as a consequence of deputing decision-making authorization from the proprietor to the director are referred to in Positive Accounting Theory as bureau costs of equity. ( http: //www.download-it.org/free_files/Pages % 20from % 20Chapter % 207 % 20Positive % 20Accounting % 20Theory-d0385ad3b7925717c0b72a06b16de4f4.pdf ) Positive Accounting Theory, as developed by Watts and Zimmerman and others, is based on the cardinal economics-based premise that all persons ‘ action is driven by opportunism and that persons will ever move in an timeserving mode to the extent that the actions will increase their wealth. Impressions of trueness, morality and the similar are non incorporated in the theory ( as they typically are non incorporated in other accounting or economic theories ) . Given an premise that self-interest thrusts all single actions, Positive Accounting Theory predicts that organisations will seek to set in topographic point mechanisms that align the involvements of the directors of the house ( the agents ) with the involvements of the proprietors of the house ( the principals ) . ( http: //www.download-it.org/free_files/Pages % 20from % 20Chapter % 207 % 20Positive % 20Accounting % 20Theory-d0385ad3b7925717c0b72a06b16de4f4.pdf ) Some of these methods of alining involvements will be based on the end product of the accounting system ( such as supplying the director with a portion of the organisation ‘s net incomes ) . Where such accounting based ‘alignment mechanisms ‘ are in topographic point, there will be a demand for fiscal statements to be produced. Directors are predicted to ‘bond ‘ themselves to fix these fiscal statements. This is dearly-won in itself, and in Positive Accounting Theory would be referred to as a ‘bonding cost ‘ . If we assume that directors ( agents ) will be responsible for fixing the fiscal statements, so Positive Accounting Theory besides would foretell that there would be a demand for those statements to be audited or monitored, otherwise agents would, presuming opportunism, seek to exaggerate net incomes, thereby increasing their absolute portion of net incomes. ( http: //www.download-it.org/free_files/Pages % 20from % 20Chapter % 207 % 20P ositive % 20Accounting % 20Theory-d0385ad3b7925717c0b72a06b16de4f4.pdf )Agency Theory and Corporate GovernmentPersons are by and large taken to be preoccupied with Generally the basic unit of analysis is taken as the ‘individual ‘ who is preoccupied with maximizing or at least fulfilling their public-service corporation ; conceived typically in footings of a tradeoff between work and leisure. It is this blend of false independency and self-interested thrust that creates the jobs within bureau relationships. ( J Roberts, 2004 ) Using this construct to corporate administration, in effect of the separation of ownership and control, it is the stockholder who is taken as the ‘principal ‘ and the job is how the principal can do certain that his ‘agents ‘ – company managers – work for the fulfilment of stockholders involvements instead than their ain. The redresss to this construct of the bureau job within corporate administration involves the credence of certain ‘agency costs ‘ involved either in making incentives/sanctions that will aline executive ego involvement with the involvements of stockholders, or incurred in supervising executive behavior in order to restrain their self-interest. ( J Roberts, 2004 ) As these premises have been read onto corporate administration, and informed its reform in recent decennaries, they have resulted in what are now an about cosmopolitan set of techniques and patterns designed to command the behavior of executives both within the corporation and externally ( Walsh and Seward 1990 ) . Inside the company, boards have basically two agencies to exert control over executives ; they can fire them and they can give them incentives – portion options, long-run inducement programs. For these levers to work, nevertheless, boards must be populated with ‘independent ‘ non-executives who are willing and able to supervise executive public presentation, peculiarly where there are possible struggles of involvement. The growing and development of both the figure of non-executives on boards every bit good as the increased specification of their function and conditions of ‘independence has characterized board reform around the universe. The separa tion of the function of main executive from that of the non-executive president has been portion of this ; in the linguistic communication of Cadbury it is intended that this ensures that no 1 person has ‘unfettered ‘ powers of determination. The creative activity of audit, wage, and nominations commissions all staffed by independent non-executives, is besides common and ideally ensures both the proper usage of inducements and a high grade of monitoring of executive public presentation and decision-making. To these internal controls are added a scope of external controls. Foremost here has been the focal point on enhanced ‘disclosure ‘ , and the ‘transparency ‘ that this allows, chiefly of fiscal public presentation but late besides of societal and environmental public presentation ( Dissanike 1999, Zadek 2001 ) . The purpose is that the portion market is thereby better informed such that all relevant information is impacted into the share-price ( Fama 1980, Barker 1998 ) . There is besides a market for corporate control ( Cosh et al 1989, Robert 2004 ) that ideally allows for weak direction squads to be displaced by strong squads that will run companies to better consequence for stockholders. In recent old ages at least at a policy degree at that place has besides been concern that stockholders – in the signifier of the big institutional investors – taking on their duties as proprietors ( Myners, ISC 2002, Simpson and Charkham, Robert 2004 ) through exerting proper examination and influence both publically and through their private contacts with investors ( Roberts et al 2003, Robert 2004 ) .Covering with Agency Problems – Reward strategiesThere are two polar places for covering with shareholder-manager bureau struggles. At one extreme, the house ‘s directors are compensated wholly on the footing of stock monetary value alterations. In this instance, bureau costs will be low because directors have great inducements to maximise stockholder wealth ( Eugene and Jensen, 1985 ) . It would be highly hard, nevertheless, to engage gifted directors under these contractual footings because the house ‘s net incomes would be affected by economic events that are non under managerial control. At the other extreme, shareholders could supervise every managerial action, but this would be highly dearly-won and inefficient. The optimum solution lies between the extremes, where executive compensation is tied to public presentation, but some monitoring is besides undertaken. In add-on to monitoring, the undermentioned mechanisms encourage directors to move in stockholders ‘ involvements: performance-based inducement programs direct intercession by stockholders the menace of firing the menace of coup d'etat Most publically traded houses now employ public presentation portions, which are portions of stock given to executives on the footing of public presentations as defined by fiscal steps such as net incomes per portion, return on assets, return on equity, and stock monetary value alterations. If corporate public presentation is above the public presentation marks, the house ‘s directors earn more portions. If public presentation is below the mark, nevertheless, they receive less than 100 per centum of the portions. Incentive-based compensation programs, such as public presentation portions, are designed to fulfill two aims. First, they offer executives inducements to take actions that will heighten stockholder wealth. Second, these programs help companies pull and retain directors who have the assurance to put on the line their fiscal hereafter on their ain abilities-which should take to better public presentation wealth ( Eugene and Jensen, 1985 ) . An increasing per centum of common stock in corporate America is owned by institutional investors such as insurance companies, pension financess, and common financess ( Kleiman, 2010 ) . The institutional money directors have the clout, if they choose, to exercise considerable influence over a house ‘s operations. Institutional investors can act upon a house ‘s directors in two primary ways. First, they can run into with a house ‘s direction and offer suggestions sing the house ‘s operations. Second, institutional stockholders can patronize a proposal to be voted on at the one-year shareholders ‘ meeting, even if the proposal is opposed by direction. Although such shareholder-sponsored proposals are nonbinding and affect issues outside daily operations, the consequences of these ballots clearly influence direction sentiment. In the yesteryear, the likeliness of a big company ‘s direction being ousted by its shareholders was so distant that it posed small menace. This was true because the ownership of most houses was so widely distributed, and direction ‘s control over the vote mechanism so strong, that it was about impossible for heretical shareholders to obtain the necessary ballots required to take the directors ( Kleiman, 2010 ) . In recent old ages, nevertheless, the main executive officers at American Express Co. , General Motors Corp. , IBM, and Kmart have all resigned in the thick of institutional resistance and guess that their goings were associated with their companies ‘ hapless runing public presentation. Hostile coup d'etats, which occur when direction does non wish to sell the house, are most likely to develop when a house ‘s stock is undervalued comparative to its possible because of unequal direction ( Chen et al, 2006 ) . In a hostile coup d'etat, the senior directors of the acquired house are typically dismissed, and those who are retained lose the independency they had prior to the acquisition. The menace of a hostile coup d'etat subjects managerial behaviour and induces directors to try to maximise stockholder value ( Kleiman, 2010 ) . In the best instance scenario, bureau cost is managed in such a manner that the involvements of all parties is protected, and the organisation is able to boom as a consequence ( Tatum, 2010 ) . Even if the assorted types of costs or disbursals involved are identified, if the actions pursued to make a balanced divergency of control are non effectual, the organisation is extremely likely to endure, sometimes to the point of complete failure. When this occurs, the collective and personal ends and aims of directors, stockholders, and bondholders are all undermined to some extent, ensuing in losingss for everyone concerned ( Tatum, 2010 ) .

The Health Problems in Pregnancy Associated with Coccaine Essay Example

The Health Problems in Pregnancy Associated with Coccaine Essay Example The Health Problems in Pregnancy Associated with Coccaine Paper The Health Problems in Pregnancy Associated with Coccaine Paper There are many health problems that are known to be associated with the use of cocaine. They include heart rhythm disturbances, heart attacks, respiratory issues, chest pain, neurological effects, seizures, headaches, strokes, stomach pain, upset and nausea and sometimes death(COCAINE focusas. com/Cocaine. html). The impact of cocaine use during pregnancy cannot be ignored as the above issues pass through the placenta to the fetus, but there is also a risk of lowered IQ in the child who was exposed to cocaine during gestation. MONITORS There are several measures in place to help those addicted to cocaine to stop using the drug during pregnancy. Some of those include legal monitoring through a court order, social workers and mentors. All of these measures can be effective depending on the willingness of the participant and the attitude of the monitor. The attitude of the person monitoring the expectant mother can have a positive or a negative impact on the outcome. If the monitor has a positive, upbeat attitude that conveys a WE can do it attitude, the mother will be less apt to feel that she is being treated like an addict who is beneath society. She will be more apt to feel that it is a team effort and that everyone involved cares not only about the health and safety of her unborn child but also cares about her health and safety. Making a pregnant woman feel that the only concern is about the baby and that she is of little consequence can further damage an already fragile self esteem which can lead to cravings to get high and numb the pain. It is important to create a team atmosphere and attitude so that the mother feels she is part of the solution and not just the problem. The use of urinary testing as a monitor can be highly effective if the mother understands that it is to help her get past the cravings for the drug. In addition, the knowledge that she is putting her baby at risk for being placed in foster care following birth if she fails the screenings may assist her in overcoming or getting past craving the drug. Mandatory drug screens for newborn babies should be implemented for every baby, not just those who have known drug using mothers. It should be as simple and mandatory as other tests and procedures performed on newborns. This is a tool that can have a positive impact as it creates a data base for programs to get in touch with mothers whose babies came back with a positive result. It is not necessary to instantly remove any baby with a positive result but an immediate social service referral can be implemented and that can have an early intervention impact on the newborns life and success rate. CONCLUSION? Cocaine is a drug that can be highly addictive and can be harmful to an unborn baby. Few women consciously want to hurt their babies. They often need help and monitoring with their addiction to insure that they stay away from the drug during the gestational phase of pregnancy and delivery. It is important to have a team attitude so the mother believes she is part of the solution and not the problem if the monitoring is going to work.

Andrew Jacksons and the Bank essays

Andrew Jacksons and the Bank essays Andrew Jackson had multiple motives for killing the Bank of the United States. He distrusted the bank president Nicholas Biddle; he felt that the Bank was unconstitutional, that it held to much power and that it would use it inappropriately in elections and other political occasions. The reasons for which Andrew Jackson closed the bank were legitimate and valid, regardless of the devastating effects that his decision would eventually inflict upon the American people. One of Jacksons main reasons for closing or killing the Bank, was that it possessed a very powerful influence on national affairs and that it had no higher power to answer to. It did not have to answer to the government nor did it have to answer to the people because it had signed a charter releasing it from those duties. The bank was controlled privately but was granted a charter by the government which basically allowed both the government and the private shareholders to share in the financial ventures. Additionally, it was a storehouse for public funds and it did not have to pay state taxes. As a result of these factors the bank was too powerful and if it were not subdued or ended altogether it would become a threat to the American governments. It could, if it chose to, use its power inappropriately in many different ways, such as: influencing political situations, giving out loans selectively etc. This was Jacksons first and main reason for closing the Bank. He felt that poli tical occasions, such as elections, should never be influenced by anybody but the public and that loans should be given to all who qualify, regardless of political implications. Jackson also suspected that the bank was not apolitical (politically neutral) as Nicholas Biddle, the Bank President, claimed it was. Biddle received a warning from one of Jacksons advocates early on advising him to stay apolitical, Biddle, for whatever reason failed to take...

Johannes Vermeer Bio - Dutch Baroque Painter

Johannes Vermeer Bio - Dutch Baroque Painter Movement, Style, School or Type of Art: Dutch Baroque Date and Place of Birth: October 31, 1632, Delft, Netherlands This was, at least, the date on which Vermeer was baptized. There is no record of his actual date of birth, though we assume it was close to the above. Vermeers parents were Protestant Reformed, a Calvinist denomination that held infant baptism as a sacrament. (Vermeer himself is thought to have converted to Roman Catholicism when he married.) Life: Perhaps appropriately, given the scant factual documentation about this artist, any discussion of Vermeer must begin with confusion over his real name. Its known that he went by his birth name, Johannes van der Meer, shortened it to Jan Vermeer later in life and was given the third moniker of Jan Vermeer van Delft (presumably to distinguish him from an unrelated family of Jan Vermeers who painted in Amsterdam). These days, the artists name is correctly referenced as Johannes Vermeer. We also know when he was married and buried, and civic records from Delft indicate the dates Vermeer was admitted to the painters guild and took out loans. Other records tell that, after his early death, his widow filed for bankruptcy and support for their eight minor (the youngest of eleven, total) children. As Vermeer did not enjoy fame - or even a widespread reputation as an artist - during his lifetime, everything else written about him is (at best) an educated guess. Vermeers early work concentrated on history paintings but, around 1656, he moved into the genre paintings he would produce for the rest of his career. The man seems to have painted with painstaking slowness, dissecting a whole color spectrum out of white light, executing near-perfect optical precision and reproducing the most minute details. This may have translated to fussy from another artist, but with Vermeer it all served to highlight the personality of the pieces central figure(s). Possibly the most amazing thing about this immensely famous artist is that hardly anyone knew he had lived, let alone painted, for centuries after his death. Vermeer wasnt discovered until 1866, when the French art critic and historian, Thà ©ophile Thorà ©, published a monograph about him. In the years since, Vermeers authenticated output has been variously numbered at between 35 and 40 pieces, although people hopefully search for more now that they are known to be both rare and valuable. Important Works: Diana and her Companions, 1655-56 Procuress, 1656 Girl Asleep at a Table, ca. 1657 Officer with a Laughing Girl, ca. 1655-60 The Music Lesson, 1662-65 Girl with a Pearl Earring, ca. 1665-66 Allegory of the Art of Painting, ca. 1666-67 Date and Place of Death: December 16, 1675, Delft, Netherlands As with his baptismal record, this is the date upon which Vermeer was buried. Youd want to assume his burial was very near to his date of death, though. How To Pronounce Vermeer: vur ·mear Quotes From Johannes Vermeer: No, sorry. We have nothing from this man of mystery. We can only imagine what he might have said. (One guess, with eleven children in the house, would be the occasional plea for quiet.) Sources and Further Reading Arasse, Daniel; Grabar, Terry (trans.). Vermeer: Faith in Painting.Princeton : Princeton University Press, 1994. Baker, Christopher. Vermeer, Jan [Johannes Vermeer]The Oxford Companion to Western Art. Ed. Hugh Brigstocke. Oxford University Press, 2001. Grove Art Online. Oxford University Press, 6 November 2005. Franits, Wayne. Vermeer, Johannes [Jan] Grove Art Online. Oxford University Press, 6 November 2005. Read a review of Grove Art Online. Montias, John M. Artists and Artisans in Delft, a Socio-Economic Study of the Seventeenth Century.Princeton : Princeton University Press, 1981. Snow, Edward A. A Study of Vermeer.Berkeley : University of California Press, 1994 (revised ed.). Wheelock, Arthur K.; Broos, Ben. Johannes Vermeer.New Haven : Yale University Press, 1995. Wolf, Bryan Jay. Vermeer and the Invention of Seeing.Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2001. Videos Worth Watching Dutch Masters: Vermeer (2000) Girl With a Pearl Earring (2004) Vermeer: Master of Light (2001)Publisher website Vermeer: Light, Love and Silence (2001) See more resources on Johannes Vermeer. Go to Artist Profiles: Names beginning with V or Artist Profiles: Main Index

Duty to rescue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Duty to rescue - Essay Example Statute should be passed which would impose civil and/or criminal liability for a failure to rescue. The duty to rescue should be imposed as a mandate subject to criminal and civil liability because it is a positive obligation which can benefit people. This duty finds support in the utilitarian principle. This principle is a normative theory which â€Å"explains all of morality and political justice in terms of positive obligation – the single positive obligation to benefit people as much as possible† (Murphy, 2001). In this case, the utilitarian principle emphasizes that the morality of actions is based on the obligation to benefit people. The earliest philosophers and economists Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill discuss that actions are right if they bring happiness and they are wrong if they bring about the opposite of happiness. In this case, happiness should be brought to the one performing the action and the person affected by such action (West, n.d). In fulfill ing one’s duty to rescue, benefit and happiness is surely brought upon the rescued; and happiness is also felt by the rescuer. Based on this theory, legislation which imposes civil and/or criminal liability to those who fail to rescue is justified because it benefits the rescued and the rescuer. Granting that the benefit to the rescuer may also be based on an egoistic need to make oneself look or feel good, this egoism still does not negate the validity of the duty to rescue. Based on the utilitarian theory, â€Å"it is possible for the right thing to be done from a bad motive† (West, n.d). Therefore, even if a person’s motive in rescuing may be bad or selfish, it still does not diminish his obligation or duty to rescue. The very essence of utilitarianism is rounded up in the query, â€Å"What ought a man to do?† The answer is that he ought to act in order to produce the best possible

A River Sutra Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A River Sutra - Essay Example The man had been tutored by her father and had promised to marry her after he had learned his music. A young executive who worked at a tea company lives a wasteful life until he meets a young woman called Rima and falls in love with her. The woman puts a spell on him and he becomes insane. He goes to the river and makes a mud image of goddess and he regains his sanity back. In summary, the river offered love and life to all the people. The other theme the author reveals in the book is misery. The people who visit the river experience suffering and seek happiness. The monk, despite being wealthy, is not satisfied in his life. He had lived a poor life and he sought something more from life. Mohan is taunted and sneered by his wife for being poor. He takes a young boy, Imran who sings beautifully but the wife sells the young boy to a master for five thousand rupees. The master slits the boy’s throat and Mohan commits suicide afterwards, his life has been full of suffering. It is clear that the people have different beliefs regarding the river. The people who pay pilgrimage believe the river is one of the holiest in India. However, it is a paradox that the river means ‘whore’. The archeologists who conduct a dig in the river wonder about the immortality of the river and makes fun that the people believe that it is sacred. Therefore religion is a complimenting theme in the book. People from various religious backgrounds such as Muslims, Hindus and Jain monks pay pilgrimage to the river. .The stories reveal that man must undergo suffering in order to attain perfection of power from the river. This is portrayed when the archeological professor Shankar realizes he is the Naga Baba that rescued Umi from a brothel as an ascetic and immersed her in the river for cleansing. In conclusion, the stories in the book link love forgiveness and happiness to each individual’s belief. Regardless of their different religious beliefs, the river

Internet and World Wide Web Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internet and World Wide Web - Essay Example People from the late forties have been looking for a system of universal information database.The World Wide Web made such system possible where user of one computer can easily access information stored in the others through the worldwide network. The World Wide Web is based on the principle of universal readership according to which if information is available to a single individual it will be available to all. Internet and World Wide Web are two terms that are often used by many individuals interchangeably but in reality, the fact is that the two words though in similar use are not synonymous. They are related but conceptually and essentially might be differentiated. Internet is a massive infrastructure of networks, which might be popularized as the network of networks. Millions of computers are globally connected and communicate with each other through Internet. It forms a network in which any number of computers can communicate with each other as long as they remain connected thr ough the Internet. The variety of languages through which information is transformed in Internet is called protocols. There is no single owner of the Internet. A single firm or an organization does not control it entirely. Internet is rather a virtual framework than a physical entity that relies on the physical infrastructure connecting one network to the other. Different organizations, schools, Governments, private individual citizens, service providers, and corporations build their individual infrastructure. There are some organizations like the National Science Foundation, the Internet engineering task force, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Internet Network Information Centre (InterNIC) and the Internet architecture Board, who oversee and standardize the happenings on the Internet. They also assign IP address and domain names to the networks (Who Owns the Internet? 2010) The way of accessing information over the Internet is on the other hand called th e World Wide Web

Law of tort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law of tort - Essay Example Amy was likely to have a tort of negligence against Bob. This is the omission to do something that a reasonable person guided by considerations that regulate ordinarily, the conduct of human affairs would do or not do. In this case, to succeed in the action of negligence, Amy should be able to prove; a legal duty of care, that the defendant was in breach of the legal duty and that the act of breach led to the suffering of the damages. With regards to the duty of care, Amy will have to prove that Bob owed her the duty of care. Applying the rule of Atkins where the rule that you have to love your neighbor becomes in the law that you must not injure your neighbor. Arguing along this line, Bob's neighbor was Amy and because of Bob's careless driving, he ended up injuring Amy (Heather, 2004). On the other hand, it can be possible that there was a breach of duty when Bob carelessly drove his care leading to the injury of Amy. This is something he could have avoided by simple standard care required when driving. Finally, since negligence is not actionable, Amy should prove that the injury sustained was due to breach as a result of Bob's carelessness. Before the accident, Amy was physically well, however, because of the accident, Amy sustained injuries. This enough proof of the negligence. The state that has the jurisdiction over the case is Colorado, however, Washington may also claim the same. Jurisdiction may be defined as the power of the court to make a decision on a case that will be enforceable by the authorities as well as other courts.

Arbitration on Buyer-Seller Disagreement Case Study

Arbitration on Buyer-Seller Disagreement - Case Study Example There are situations in the international market where the buyer and the seller disagree on their transactions. The basis of such dispute could range from the supply of inferior quality goods, failure of the goods delivered to meet standards and specifications or failure to deliver such goods or services in good time (Cornell, 2001). Under all these circumstances, the laws governing the international market provides an avenue through which such disputes can be resolved (Frank, 2009). In our case where the American businessperson ships livers to the German trader that do not meet all the specifications, then a need for dispute resolution arises. While the sex of the animal from which the livers are obtained is no cause for concern to Americans, the case is different in Germany. The livers obtained from different sexes of animals will fetch different prices in their markets. Since the attempt by the traders to resolve the dispute by them has failed completely, then a need for arbitrati on arises. The most important thing that the arbitrator should consider in this dispute resolution is the fact that a company is guided and under obligation to follow both the domestic laws regulating business transaction and the laws of the foreign country where the company is undertaking its business. In this case, owing to the fact that in Germany livers fetch different prices, based on which sex of the animal they come from, then the German importer has a reason to require the American supplier to pay a price allowance of $1000 (Cornell, 2001). Owing to the fact that the German importer issued instructions to the effect that the livers shipped should be of customary merchantable quality, it was the responsibility of the American trader to seek to understand the particular requirements of customary merchantable quality livers in the German market. Therefore, in this case, the arbitrator will rule in favour of the German importer, and establish an agreement with both of the traders, for the American exporter to reduce the price of the livers he shipped, so that the German importer does not run at a loss wholesomely.     

Gender Differences in Smoking Cessation Success Essay

Gender Differences in Smoking Cessation Success - Essay Example Studies show that women are at a higher risk of smoking-related diseases, including lung cancer (Kure et al. 1996; Dally et al. 2003). Research has also shown that cessation among women is more difficult compared to their male counterparts (Perkins 2001; Swan, Ward, Carmelli & Jack 1993; Green, Lynn, & Montgomery 2006; 2008). Possible reasons for gender differences have been suggested by researchers to include women’s concern about weight gain, and increase in negative mood during cessation attempts and a greater need for social support from family and peers (Jensvold, Hamilton, & Halbreich 1996; Hatsukami, Skoog, Allen, & Bliss 1995; Pierce, Lee, & Gilpin 1994; Grunberg, Winders, & Wewers 1991). Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that some studies have failed to identify any significant gender differences in cessation success (Cinciripini et al. 1995; Fortmann & Killen 1995: Killen, Fortmann, Newman, & Varady 1990). In light of these contradictory findings my literature review will focus on the evidence both for and against gender differences in the cessation of smoking in order to gain an insight into the nature of any variations in cessation success. This paper has a whole focuses on the gender differences in smoking cessation success. This paper is divided into executive summary, introduction, methodology, literature review and conclusion. The methodology adopted for the research is qualitative one in which, a detailed literature review will be given to analyze the gender differences in smoking cessation success. For this purpose, a number of books, articles and journals are consulted for collection of suitable information for the review. Some of the writings are left out because of their inadequacy according to the need of the review while others are employed for writing a detailed literature review. â€Å"Current Concept in Adolescent Smoking† by Pletcher and Schwarz is not included in the

Arbitration on Buyer-Seller Disagreement Case Study

Arbitration on Buyer-Seller Disagreement - Case Study Example There are situations in the international market where the buyer and the seller disagree on their transactions. The basis of such dispute could range from the supply of inferior quality goods, failure of the goods delivered to meet standards and specifications or failure to deliver such goods or services in good time (Cornell, 2001). Under all these circumstances, the laws governing the international market provides an avenue through which such disputes can be resolved (Frank, 2009). In our case where the American businessperson ships livers to the German trader that do not meet all the specifications, then a need for dispute resolution arises. While the sex of the animal from which the livers are obtained is no cause for concern to Americans, the case is different in Germany. The livers obtained from different sexes of animals will fetch different prices in their markets. Since the attempt by the traders to resolve the dispute by them has failed completely, then a need for arbitrati on arises. The most important thing that the arbitrator should consider in this dispute resolution is the fact that a company is guided and under obligation to follow both the domestic laws regulating business transaction and the laws of the foreign country where the company is undertaking its business. In this case, owing to the fact that in Germany livers fetch different prices, based on which sex of the animal they come from, then the German importer has a reason to require the American supplier to pay a price allowance of $1000 (Cornell, 2001). Owing to the fact that the German importer issued instructions to the effect that the livers shipped should be of customary merchantable quality, it was the responsibility of the American trader to seek to understand the particular requirements of customary merchantable quality livers in the German market. Therefore, in this case, the arbitrator will rule in favour of the German importer, and establish an agreement with both of the traders, for the American exporter to reduce the price of the livers he shipped, so that the German importer does not run at a loss wholesomely.     

Progressivism, Bonus Army and the Civil Rights Movement Essay

Progressivism, Bonus Army and the Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example With its reform agenda, the progressivism movement was aimed at achieving efficiency in all areas of society as a response to changes made by modernization. It was determined to be aimed at addressing ideas, impulses, and major issues stemming from modernized changes in the American society. Its ideologies centered on democracy, proper municipal administration, elimination of governmental corruption, proper education for everyone, and many others. Under the theme of democracy, there was also instigation of the women suffrage movement and elimination of corruption by black voters (Roark et al. 234-235). In the municipal administration, there was creation of proper laws and legislation to govern cities as well as the creation of a bureaucratic administration system leading to the creation of a democratic municipal administration. To the progressives, corruption was a source of inefficiency and waste leading to formation of laws to curb it. The progressives also worked hard to improve a nd expand public and private education in America at all levels (Roark et al. 465). For a very long time now, America has been operating efficiently in several sectors of the economy as well as government as a result of this movement. The bonus army was a protest that was launched by the World War I veterans 1932 demanding payment of their bonuses after the congress had voted to give them these bonuses for their services in the war in 1924. However, even though they asked for these bonuses to be released to them in 1932, they were meant to be released in 1945 (McPherson 134). They marched into Washington D.C. to demand for immediate release of their bonuses. When the senate went to vote for the bill requiring the veterans to be paid their bonuses, it turned out that the outcome was not successful as the senate defeated the bill by 62 to 18 votes. This showed that the veterans were not going to be paid their bonuses. The veterans were dispatched by the state police where two of their members were shot dead and later the intervention of the army which led to most of them being seriously injured (O’Brien 78). In a nutshell, this protest did not yield any fruits for the propagators. On the other hand, looking into the American Civil Rights Movement, almost a similar situation comes out but with slight success realized. It was a movement that relied on biblical connotations to fight racial segregation. This was under the leadership of Martin Luther King Junior who was a black clergyman. This was a movement that was instigated after the slavery period had ended and sought to end the massive discriminatory practices that had been instigated against the black people for a very long time. Most of the propagators were jailed and some killed in the quest for a society that is deeply rooted in equality. As a result of these struggles, laws were enacted propagating equality for all Americans. However, this was only in theory but practically, many black Americans hav e suffered discrimination for a continued period of time (Roark et al. 562). In conclusion, the progressive movemen

Effect of Banking Regulations on Financial Intermediation

Effect of Banking Regulations on Financial Intermediation Introduction Banks have all along played the role of financial intermediaries by channelizing funds primarily from household sector to producing sector and the efficiency and smoothness with which such intermediation is done by banks is one of the prime parameters that determine the economic efficiency and consequent industrial and material progress of a society. Financial intermediation has a cost and that cost is reflected in bank rates and overhead expenditures incurred by banks. Bank rates, however, are not determined in isolation or only from the perspective of profit maximization by the banking sector. These rates are impacted by many other economic and statutory issues pertaining to a particular economy and such issues may vary widely from economy to economy depending upon the administrative attitude towards matters of equanimity in various sectors of the economy, especially the banking sector itself. The general view among experts in this field is that if administrative authorities are in favor of competition, it will lead to the presence of larger number of players in the banking sector that would automatically lead to lower bank rates as competing bankers will vie with each other to attract customers, and will automatically have to become efficient in their functioning in order to stay afloat in such highly competitive environment. So, the economy as a whole would be able to enjoy efficient banking services coupled with comparatively affordable bank rates. However, if entry in banking sector is strictly regulated, it would result in less competition and might also lead to lesser efficiency and almost certainly higher bank rates as the few banks that would be operating in the finance sector would remain assured of clients as the latter would have no option but to approach these few bankers for finance. It must be repeated, however, that these statutory regulations differ so widely between countries and regions that the only plausible method of measuring the impact of such biases and restrictions on bank rates and efficiency would be to consider each instance individually and comparing it with the larger and more generic backdrop of financial efficiency. (Demirgà ¼Ãƒ §-Kunt, Laeven and Levine) Impact of net interest margin and overhead expenditures on Cost of intermediation Cost of intermediation is substantially impacted by net interest margin and it would be worthwhile to study in a little more detail as to the exact characteristics and features of net interest margin. Put simply, the net interest margin signifies the income of banks and it consists of the interest a bank earns by lending money to borrowers and the interest it has to pay to its depositors. The exact measure of net interest margin is obtained by dividing the difference between a banks interest earning and interest expenditure by the volume of interest bearing assets. The net interest margin thus is related to the traditional functions of banking industry accepting deposits at lower interest rates and lending them at higher rates of interest. The overhead expenditure ratio of a bank is calculated by dividing bank overhead costs by the total assets of the bank. It is but obvious that the more inefficient a bank the higher would be its overhead expenditure ratio. But overhead expenditures are not only dependent on pure operational efficiency of a bank. It also depends on the prevailing market regulations and freedom or otherwise for players to leave or enter the banking sector as and when the desire to do it arises. The degree of freedom of entry or exit is, quite obviously, determined by the statutory or law enacting authorities of the country. It might be worthwhile to mention at this juncture that though freedom of entry and exit primarily determines the extent of competition in the banking sector, there are other equally important issues that determine the ability of the commercial banks to offer credit to potential customers. It is proper at this stage to take a closer look at these regulatory issues that influence the quantum of credit that commercial banks can offer to customers and the consequent cost of financial intermediation in an economy. There are two principal instruments to impact the bank regulations and monetary policy that are adopted by central bank of an economy to control the availability of credit in the economy. They are: Quantitative Instruments and Qualitative Instruments These instruments, by restricting or allowing commercial banks to offer loans, actually increase or decrease the overhead expenditures of a banking company. It perhaps needs no elaboration that overhead expenditure ratio will get lower and lower as more and more deposits available to the bank are lent outside. The more it can lend from the deposits collected, the higher will be the proportion of interest bearing assets with respect to total assets and quite naturally, the overhead expenses per unit of interest bearing asset will start falling. Thus every banker in his mind wishes for a regime that is very soft on application of these monetary policy instruments. Quantitative Instruments: These are those instruments of monetary policy which affect overall supply of money/credit in the economy. These instruments do not direct or restrict the flow of credit to some specific sectors of the economy. Important ones are: Bank Rate: The bank rate is the minimum rate at which the Central bank of a country (as a lender of last resort) is prepared to give credit to the commercial banks. The increase in bank rate increases the rate of interest and credit becomes dear. Accordingly, the demand for credit is reduced. On the other hand, decrease in the bank rate lowers the market rate of interest charged by commercial banks from their borrowers. Credit becomes cheap; accordingly, demand for credit expands. The Central bank adopts dear money policy when supply of credit needs to be reduced during periods of inflation. It adopts cheap money policy when credit needs to be expanded during deflation. Success of bank rate policy, however, depends on the following factors: Degree of dependence of commercial banks upon Central Bank for loans: If commercial banks have their own surplus funds which they can utilize during periods of high credit needs, their dependence on Central Bank is comparatively less. Degree of sensitivity of banks demand for funds from the Central Bank: Depending on business conditions, commercial banks may or may not be very sensitive to small variations in bank rate. In such situations, bank rate policy may not be a big success. Structure of interest rates in the money market: If non-banking financial institutions in the market vary their interest rates in accordance with what Central Bank expects from the commercial banks, the bank rate policy may not succeed. Overall supply of funds in the market: Bank rate policy may not be a success if non-banking sources of funds are of greater importance in an economy than banking sources. Open Market Operations: Open market operations refer to the sale and purchase of securities in the open market by the Central Bank. By selling securities, the Central Bank absorbs cash balances from within the economy. And, by buying securities, the Central Bank contributes to cash balances in the economy. Cash balances are high powered money on the basis of which commercial banks create credit. Thus, through open market operations, if cash balances are increased, flow of credit will increase many times more, and if cash balances are reduced, the flow of credit will decrease many times more. Success of open market operations depends on some of the following factors: Existence of securities market: There must be a well organized and properly functioning market for the sale and purchase of securities. In the absence of it, open market operations would make little impact on the overhead expenditures of commercial banks. Reserves with the commercial banks: If commercial banks tend to keep own excess reserves with them, they need not buy securities. This is the standard practice in several developed countries; therefore open market operations under such market scenario would hardly ever be a success. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): It refers to the minimum percentage of a commercial banks total deposits required to be kept at the central bank. Commercial banks have to keep with the Central Bank a certain percentage of their deposits in the form of cash reserves as a matter of law of the country. For example, if the minimum reserve ratio is 10% and total deposits of a particular commercial bank is $100 million; it will have to keep $10 million with the central bank. If the minimum reserve ratio is raised to 20%, the commercial bank will have to keep $20 million with the Central Bank. When the cash flow or credit is to be increased in the economy, minimum reserve ratio is reduced, and when the cash flow or credit is to be reduced in the economy, minimum cash reserve ratio is increased. Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Every commercial bank is required to maintain a fixed percentage of its assets in the form of cash or other liquid assets called SLR. With a view to reducing the flow of credit in the market, the Central Bank increases this liquidity ratio. However, in instances of expansion of credit, the liquidity ratio is reduced. Success of both CRR and SLR again depends on the amount of excess reserves with the commercial banks. CRR and SLR would be rendered meaningless if banks are used to keeping high excess reserves. Qualitative Instruments: These are those instruments of monetary policy that focus on the alternative uses of credit in the economy. These instruments direct or restrict the flow of credit to specified areas of economic activity. Of course some qualitative instruments may have the shade of quantitative instruments as well, but they are broadly classified in the following manner: Margin Requirement: The margin requirement of loan refers to the difference between the current value of the security offered for loans and the value of loans granted. For example, a person mortgages an article worth $100 with the bank and the bank gives the person a loan of $80. The margin requirement in this case would be 20%. In case the flow of credit is to be restricted for certain specific business activities in the economy, the margin requirement of loan is raised for those very activities. The margin requirement is lowered in case the expansion of credit is desired. It is but natural that those banks that have more exposure to industries where the government of the country is unwilling to forward easy credit, will face lesser demand for loans and thus will be saddled with more idle funds and hence the overhead expenditure ratio for those banks would start soaring. Credit Rationing: Rationing of credit refers to fixation of credit quotas by Central Bank for different business activities conducted in the economy. Rationing of credit is introduced when the flow of credit is to be checked especially for speculative activities in the economy. The Central Bank fixes the credit quota for different business activities. The commercial banks cannot exceed the quota limits while granting loans. Direct Action: The Central Bank of a country might initiate direct action against the member banks in case they do not comply with its directives. Direct action includes withdrawal of banking license of the erring commercial bank and disallowing it to continue with banking business any longer. Moral Suasion: Sometimes, the Central Bank makes the member banks agree through persuasion or pressure to follow its directives with a view to controlling the flow of credit. The Central Bank has regulatory authority over all commercial banks and hence these banks generally care for and heed to the advices given by Central Bank with regard to expanding or contracting the flow of credit. If flow of credit is expanded, overhead expenditure ratio of commercial banks comes down and if the flow of credit is restricted, the overhead expenditure ratio of commercial banks goes up. If overhead expenditure ratio goes up, the commercial banks are compelled to increase their lending interest rates in an effort to retain the net interest margin. Selective Credit Controls: It refers to the discriminatory policy of Central Banks in favor of or against certain sectors of the economy. Flow of credit to certain sectors (priority sectors) may be encouraged with a view to stimulating the level of activity in these sectors. This is a positive application of Selective Credit Control. Also, the Central Bank may decide to restrict the availability of credit to certain (non-priority) sectors. Generally, during periods of inflation, availability of credit for speculative activities is discouraged. This is a negative application of Selective Credit Control. Commercial banks falling within the ambit of negative Selective Credit Control usually find it rather difficult to maintain their net interest margin. Market structure-Competition in the banking sector and stability of commercial banks The traditional view is of competition-fragility where it is stated that increased number of players in the banking sector reduces market share of each player and negatively impacts both the net interest margin and overhead expenditure ratio. If such an unrestricted entry in the banking sector is coupled with a spate of deregulation of this sector; banks are handed in a platter the opportunity of taking risks that are at times too high and purely speculative. At times banks have been able to manage such risks, but more often than not, such rash risk taking has ended in a spate of bank failures in countries where simultaneous relaxation of entry norms in banking sector coupled with deregulation of banking activities have taken place. Thus proponents of competition-fragility concept argue against allowing unrestricted entry of willing entrepreneurs in the banking sector. However, of late there has been another school of thought that has gained considerable ground and it takes a contrary stand of competition-stability. The second school of thought does not negate in totality the perceptions of the older school of thought in the sense that it does admit that additional competition indeed reduces market equity that leads to greater degree of risk taking by commercial banks by lending at higher rates of interest to potentially risky borrowers in an effort to shore up the steadily declining net interest margin that gets battered by increased competition in the lenders market. But the new school of thought differs in how the commercial banks would brace themselves against such potential high risk customers. The new theory states that the banks will try to cover their high exposure to risk by opting for more equity capital, sale of loans or credit derivatives or opting for a leaner loan portfolio or some other risk mitigation techniques that are easily avai lable. The dominant refrain in this school of thought is that when the banks are aware of the additional risk exposure on account of increased market competition, they will most certainly undertake risk mitigation measures instead of closing their eyes to the impending danger and pray for a miracle or feel smug under the misleading impression that they are too big to fail. The other observation of experts is that prevailing deposit rate controls are essentially strong and act as sufficient disincentives to banks to try and corner a sizeable number of customers by offering irresistibly attractive rates of interest. These deposit rate controls never allow the commercial banks to cross all limits and behave in a totally imprudent manner irrespective of the extent of competition in the banking sector. The other equally important issue is that a bank can hope to increase its franchise power only if it remains in business for a sufficiently long period of time. Surely no commercial bank would risk its long term future, indeed its very existence by dealing in high risk loans and be out of business before getting any real chance of building up a substantial goodwill. Those in favor of competition-stability theory also attempt to view the issue from an opposite perspective. They argue that if there is less competition in the banking sector the established playe rs, secured in their sizeable volume of market share might get tempted to take irrational risk in an attempt to earn excess profit. The perception that they are too secure and, more importantly, too big to fail may make them a trifle reckless and over adventurous while taking loan risks. These apparently inconsequential loan risks may snowball into crises that may put the entire bank in financial jeopardy. (Berger, Klapper and Turk-Ariss) Recent improvisations in financial intermediation market With the recent emergence of financial futures and options there has been a sea change in the market for financial intermediation which was till recently dominated by banking firms that mobilized deposits or issued insurance policies and channelized resultant funds to producer sector. The financial markets have undergone a complete transformation with an unprecedented growth of bonds and stock markets and the emergence of completely novel financial products as various mortgage backed securities and other securitized assets, as well as derivative instruments such as swaps and complex options. One important observation made by experts in this regard is that these new financial products have almost completely been used by financial intermediaries with households showing practically no interest in dealing with these new entrants in financial market. In fact, there has been a dramatic reduction in the participation of individuals and almost corresponding increasing in the level of participation of intermediaries in financial markets. There has also been a silent but thorough change in the nature of players in finance markets. The market shares of traditional banks and insurance companies have fallen while market shares of mutual funds and pension funds have increased phenomenally. A completely new type of non-banking or non-insurance financial intermediary like GE Capital, that has raised capital entirely by issuing security and not taking any deposits, has emerged on the financial scene. In a natural reaction, banks and insurance companies have also brought in certain perceptible changes in their operations. Banks have discovered that by securitizing loans it becomes possible to remove them from the liability side of their balance sheets. Insurance companies have also started shifting from actuarial functions to providing newer and more growth oriented products. It has been observed that a dramatic reduction of individual participation has been almost simultaneous with an increase in better opportunities for individuals to operate in market. This nails earlier theories that financial intermediaries prospered as it is difficult and expensive for an individual to conduct activities in financial market. The truth perhaps lies in the idea that financial intermediaries have actually evolved in becoming really efficient risk managers of both individuals and corporate entities and have an extremely important role to play in economies of future. (Allen and Santomero) Conclusions The Bank regulations can explain the cost of financial intermediation. It has the statute of limitations and regulations on banking activities. These rules can regulations the freedom of bankers to conduct business, and improve the banks net interest margin. From the bank stability, firms access to external finance, bank valuations and financial development. From these points to shows the characteristics centralized control of banking sector and the inflation rate. The more important is the Institutional rules and regulations, market structure. Governments ownership and business cycle fluctuations both these factors can impact the Cost of Financial Intermediation. The impact of market structure is from the competition. Lowering the price to increase the market share and reduce the Cost of Financial Intermediation. References Allen, Franklin and Anthony M. Santomero. The theory of financial intermediation. Journal of Banking Finance 21 1998: 1461-1485. Berger, Allen N., Leora F. Klapper and Rima Turk-Ariss. Bank Competition and Financial Stability. J Financ Serv Res 2009: 99-118. Demirgà ¼Ãƒ §-Kunt, Asli, Luc Laeven and Ross Levine. Regulations, Market Structure, Institutions, and the Cost of Financial Intermediation. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol. 36, No. 3, Part 2 June 2004: 593-622. Diamond, Douglas W. (1984). Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring. Review of Economic Studies 51, 393-414. Levine, Ross (2003). Deny Foreign Bank Entry: Implications for Bank Interest Margins. In Bank Competition, edited by Luis Antonio Ahumada and Rodrigo Fuentes. Santiago, Chile: Banco Central de Chile, forthcoming.

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba :: Essays Papers

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba On Francesco del Cossa’s Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba The Italian artist, Francesco del Cossa, created an oil painting on a panel during the mid-15th century called Meeting of Solomon and the Queen Sheba. This work is now displayed in the Boston Museum of Fine Art. The plate that identifies the painted tray in the museum explains that this twelve sided tray is a ceremonial tray, most likely in honor of the marriage of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and given to them as a gift. The back of the tray was against the wall but the identification plate noted that two cupid figures with cornucopias and coral necklaces were painted there to symbolize good luck and fertility. The most striking part of this work is the symmetry. The symmetrical architectural structures perfectly centers the palace. The dome of the palace perfectly divides the arch behind it; the highest point of the palace perfectly divides the sky within the main arch. The next most noticeable point of this painting is where the figures of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon stand. They appear to protrude out from the rest of the painting. Each has an out turned foot that comes into the viewer’s space. This aspect and the symmetry make it apparent that the Queen and Solomon are the characters to be focused on. The deep color is very striking, especially the abundance of reds, pinks and purple. It seems very bold, perhaps suggesting the royalty of the subjects. The overcast gray sky is the same color as the dome of Solomon’s palace. Perhaps the dome is supposed to look as if it is made of metal, but it appears to reflect the trouble that is about to storm. The entire painting is almost composed exclusively of shades of red and black, with highlights of blue. The use of color is not realistic, but very symbolic. Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba utilizes many of the techniques that were beginning to be used in painting during the 15th century. The vanishing point lies on the central angelic statue above the arch of Solomon’s throne. The lines created by the checkered floor and the landscape in the background suggest the depth and distance of this image.

What Should Be the Relationship Between Teachers and Students? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

What Should Be the Relationship Between Teachers and Students? Classroom by definition is a place where students meet to study the same subject. A teacher, who took a leadership role in leading discussions and getting students to be involved in learning the subject taught, controlled this environment at one time. Now a days, the role of a teacher in a classroom environment has been reversed. Students are allowed to take the leadership role in creating and leading discussions. Just as roles of the teacher and a student have changed in a classroom over the years, so have the relationships between a student and a teacher. Many years ago, as we have read and heard, student teacher relationships have been very formal, distant, and the teacher's judgement was accepted. With almost 21 years of experience as a student, I have come to learn the relationship between student and teacher can vary depending on many characteristics. Since everyone has a different background and a different character, it is almost difficult to say how a teacher should relate t o a student or vice versa. I do believe that student teacher relationship should be professional, yet not so professional that students fear to approach. Teacher, student relationship should be formal, yet inviting. Teacher student relationship should definitely not be judgmental, and it should allow the teacher on her or his part to take time to get to know the student. At one time, about six years ago I took an economics course, which was a lower division course, it was apparently taught by one of the professors who had a very reputable standing in the department of economics. I would never forget how this professor always came to work looking very professional, wearing attire that did not seem to suit the environment. He was overly professional looking compared to other professors on campus, so it made him stand out. This look apparently had students talking about how unapproachable this professor was. No one dared to approach and ask him a question because it would only make anyone appear foolish if they did. His attitude at the beginning of the year had also thrown off many students. The fact that he would say to a student just coming into the classroom wearing his hat backwards, "Those who wear their hats backwards, their brain is backwards!" I personally did not get to know this professor because it was obvious that his intent was to just lect ure and leave.

Behavior is hereditary Essay

The whole issue of nature and nurture is complex with potential debates centered round their influences on human development. Nature refers to the traits inherited from parents while nurture refers to the influence of the environment to an individual’s behavior (Lippa 2005, p. 26). Psychological research shows that both nature and nature have a general influence on the physical and behavioral characteristics of people. This paper seeks to explain the factors which affect nature and nurture. The nature theory holds that human behavior is hereditary. True to the theory, some traits such as blood type and eye color are known to be predominantly genetic. It can therefore be asserted that genetic variation of people affects the development and characteristics of the next generation (Lippa 2005, p. 28). Nurture on the other side holds that the environment in which an individual is brought up in influences his or her behavior. In this context therefore, it can be acknowledged that the ability of an individual to interact and conform to the societal requirements and the environment at large affects the degree to which the environment can influence the individual’s behavior (Lippa 2005, p. 28). Still to be noted here is the effect of age on the influence of nature and nurture. Inherited traits are first noticed when a child is born. As the child grows up to teenage, behavioral characteristics are predominantly influenced by the environment because of the interactive nature of people at this stage of growth as well as the ability to conform to peers and the society at large (Lerner & Bearer 2004, p. 86). At adult stages, people tend to become more independent hence less influenced by the environment. At this stage therefore nature prevails but the nurture traits acquired at early stages of growth remains effective. In conclusion therefore, nature and nurture are undoubtedly influential to human development. Nature gives inborn traits while nurture takes these inborn abilities and changes them with age to fit the individual’s environment. ? Bibliography Lippa, R 2005, Gender, nature, and nurture, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Lerner, R, & Bearer, E 2004, Nature and Nurture: The Complex Interplay of Genetic and Environment. Routledge: New York.

Montagnais Tribe Essay

The Montagnais Tribe Summary and Analysis: a. The myth comes from the the Montagnais tribe (also known as the Naskapi Indians), who are now called Innus (they have a lot of names) b. The location of the tribe during the pre-columbian era was in eastern Canada, in what is now Quebec. When the Europeans began dominating the Montagnais’ tribal lands, the Montagnais recognized that the Europeans could be of some use to them. They became quick allies with the french, and made a compromise with them to handle all of the tribe’s fur trade in turn for protecting them against their enemy tribe, the Mohawks. c. Main characters: – Atachecam – creator of the earth, the Montagnais don’t know much about him – Messou – flooded the entire earth and rebuilt it, loves his lynxes – Muskrat – Brought back the piece of land that Messou uses to rebuild the earth – The Lynxes – Messou’s beloved pets, dumb enough to get stuc k in a lake d. The Montagnais tribe believed that the world was created by a powerful god named Atachecam. However, they don’t know how he created the earth, nor do they know much about him. One day, Messou was hunting with his lynxes when the lynxes got trapped in a lake. Messou looked all over for them, but could not find them, until a bird came by and said that he had seen the lynxes going into the lake and that they were stuck there. Messou tried to go into the lake to save the lynxes, but he overflowed the lake and flooded the entire earth. Messou tried to send a raven to retrieve a piece of ground that he could use to rebuild the earth, but the raven was unsuccessful. Then he sent an otter to retrieve some ground, with the same results. Finally, Messou sent a muskrat to get land, and the muskrat returned successfully with a piece of ground. Messou rebuilt the earth, exacted revenge on whatever had been holding his lynxes, and married the muskrat to repopulate the earth. e. The Montagnais believed that the earth, or their land as they knew it, was an island that had been created by Messou when he flooded the earth, and that all of the offspring between the muskrat and Messou became ancestors of all of the current creatures of the earth (including humans.) In other words, the Montagnais believe that they were the original people on this land. f. The myth sounds vaguely familiar to the story of Noah’s Ark; in fact, in an altered version of the Innus creation myth, the Montagnais God commanded a man to build a large canoe, and then flooded the earth. In comparison (with the first story), Messou can be connected to Noah, although Noah was not the cause of the flood that God created. The fact that Messou married the muskrat to repopulate the earth could be connected to how, in saving all of the animals, Noah was able to repopulate the earth after the flood. In this myth, there is nothing that would necessarily support the theory of the crossing of the Bering Strait, aside from the fact that there was a flood, which very well may have occurred after the Ice Age in the Younger Dryas era, but the myth can definitely support the idea that the Montagnais were an original people. It certainly can be inferred that the creation myth could hold to some level of truth, (symbolically, of course.) g. What we can learn from oral history, especially this myth in particular, is whether or not certain tribes are an original people or sub-cultures of other tribes. We may also be able to tentatively trace the immigration of these tribes back as far as the Ice Age or possibly even before. h. Bibliography â€Å"Indians and Colonists Relations.† 123helpme.com. 123helpme.com, Inc. 2012. Web. â€Å"Montagnais.† Atlantapedia.com. Atlantapedia, Inc. 2012. Web. â€Å"Montgnais Religion.† bigorrin.com. Article Archives. 2012. Web.

Netflix’s Business Model and Strategy Essay

Netflix is the largest subscription service for sending DVD’s by mail and streaming movies and TV episodes over the internet. Netflix’s revenues grew from $500 million in 2004 to $519.8 million in 2010. Company’s net income increased from $21.6 million in 2004 to $141-156 million in 2010. It attracted 1.6 million subscribers in 2004 and had to 15 million subscribers by 2010. Reed Hastings founder and CEO of Netflix have pushed the company to outcompete its movie rental competitors by building the world’s best internet movie service. Netflix is the world largest online entertainment subscription service and revolutionized the way that people rent movies. Netflix has outcompete its rivals on the basis of differentiation features, with their higher quality, wider product selection, added performance and services, and has superior technology. Netflix has a large selection of DVDs to choose from. It maintains relationships with entertainment providers to expand the title selection. Movies are prescreened for customers based on peer reviews. This allows Netflix to increase their inventory with movies chosen by viewers. There are no late fees. Netflix technology is superior because movies and TV episodes can be streamed directly onto nearly any device in a matter of seconds. Netflix business model and strategy can be analyzed with the 5 competitive forces in the movie rental marketplace: 1-substitute, 2- buyers, 3- suppliers, 4- potential for new entrants, 5- rivalry Substitute-It does not matter who sells the movie or the TV episode at the end the end user is getting the same product whether he got it from Walmart or Blockbuster. Substitute for Netflix and a potential threat is pirating movie files from the internet and illegal. This is a substitute that is inexpensive or free copy of the file. Buyers- Have the power to select where they are going to get movies or TV episode. They are going to look provides the best price and best quality. Buyers are not loyal and can get this product from other vendors. Competitors compare industry prices and quality. They will reduce cost in order to attract the buyer. Suppliers-Such are Hollywood are likely to increase cost if the industry profits increase. Suppliers have the capability to make movies and TV episodes harder to get by limiting license agreements. In order for suppliers to maximize their revenues they sell large number of movies and TV episodes the outcome results in competition and does not allow supplier to have much power on the product. Potential for new entrants- Blockbuster, and Netflix are the dominant retailers in the market it is very difficult for new entrants to succeed. Rivalry- Consumers have multiple sellers they can buy or rent movies and/or TV episodes. Main competitors are online subscription services internet movies and TV episode provider, kiosk services, and DVD rental outlets. From SWOT analysis we found the Strengths as followed, by operation on line is very flexible and very low cost, it has high customer satisfaction levels, and strong knowledge base and brand identity. Weakness are the industry, it is constantly changing at a fast speed, it is supplier dependent, postage is a variable cost (increases), customers need to have internet access and or DVD players. Opportunities are: It can expand globally to international markets because its internet access, new technology. Threats: If it’s not able to adapt or keep up with technology, rivals such as Walmart.com or Blockbuster have capital to compete against Netflix. There are some issues Netflix is facing Netflix needs to watch out for growing competitors with deep pockets and need to keep up with the fast growing changes with technology. It is recommended that Netflix increases its customer base (subscribers). This income will offset the ongoing costs. Netflix should move away from DVD rental, it creates a large percentage of its operating cost. Netflix should find out why people are still ordering DVD’s Netflix should educate customers with their streaming and downloading and focus on encouraging customers to stay with the service. Blockbuster advantage over Netflix is that they are able to release new released titles. Netflix needs to negotiate with entertainment providers to get new releases earlier than the competitors. Finally it is suggested that if Netflix is able to get new releases earlier they should pass a cost for the newest release (separately from subscription download monthly fee).

Research professional associations specific to your career field or Assignment

Research professional associations specific to your career field or industry - Assignment Example For the nearly two and a half years I have been associated to this group, we have been meeting 2-3 times a month mostly on Saturdays. Every meeting has a structured format, which also runs between 3-3 hours, with a number of members taking part in the diverse roles, in the meetings. We are normally 39 members at our club. Membership is open to every individual above the age of 18 and hoping to enhance their leadership and communications skills. This organization has helped me a lot enhance my veterinary technician career. I learned through the organization that people who have better communication skills stand a good chance of getting better jobs compared to people who have the required academic qualifications, but poor communication skills. My days at this organization have greatly shaped my communication skills. At least I can stand in front of a group of people and offer a clear presentation and they understand. Two years back this was merely impossible. We are located in California State, Rancho Santa Margarita, and you can reach us at 1-646-558-5908. You can also visit our website @

Talent Practices at the Home Depot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Talent Practices at the Home Depot - Essay Example Therefore the only manner in which the company can truly differentiate itself is through its service standards. Employees are key to offering customers with the highest levels of service. Home Depot is aware of this fact and therefore uses its employees to gain competitive advantage over its rivals in all the different countries that it operates in. In order to gain competitive advantage through its employees, the company communicates the strategic importance of them to the company (Burke & Cooper, 2004). The performance levels that are expected of them are constantly communicated to them and they are provided with ongoing training to help them to update their knowledge and upgrade their skills, based on the area of the business the work in, whether it is on the shop floor or the office (Adamson, 2006). However since the company has to differentiate itself from its rivals in a highly competitive market, the company pays special attention to employees on the shop floor, who are the first line of contract with the customers and hence the most able to make a difference. Since this is the 'do it yourself' industry, the best employees are those who can help customers in their 'do it yourself' projects. ... refore when recruiting individuals to work on the floor in the retail outlets the company always looks for individuals who have an interest in 'do it yourself' projects (Clarke & Layman, 2004). The company gives priority to individuals who have specialist trades knowledge in areas such as plumbing, wood work, crafts, painting etc. Further individuals who are home owners themselves and have embarked on many different 'do it yourself' projects at home and have the necessary experience to help a customer are given priority. This is not to say that the company does not employ teenagers, high school and college kids. The company does recruit many such individuals but does so only if they have some interest in gardening or home maintenance or areas specific to electronics and home appliances. Therefore the company appeals to the above segments through various means such as trade schools for individuals who have specialist knowledge in such areas, these individuals not only work on the shop floor and as independent contractors for Home Depot but they also deliver work shops in areas such as gardening, wiring, tiling, etc. Next the company also uses the Internet through its website and also job sites such as Workopolis to recruit individuals. Another channel used by the store is in-store advertising for associates during high seasons, and walk in interviews. Discuss the critical programs used by Home Depot to keep talent in their pipeline. The company works with many different trade and vocational schools and builds relationships with these schools to gain access to their graduates, thus having a pipeline of qualified candidates to work for the company as independent contractors. Likewise all individuals who apply for positions within the company but are not successful at