De Los Medios A Las Mediaciones ( 1987 ) Is Considered One...

De los medios a las mediaciones (1987) is considered one of the key works of Martà ­n-Barbero not only in the Latin American context, but worldwide. The book had been translated in four languages and, according to WorldCat, is held by 578 libraries worldwide. The Handbook of Latin American Studies describes De los medios†¦ as an Important contribution to Latin American cultural studies [that] focuses on popular culture within a general theory of hegemony. Also relates how mass media define national identities. As Herlinghaus puts it, it is â€Å"one of the most important books about the episteme of modernity and its mismatches† (Martà ­n-Barbero Herlinghaus, 2000: 147) and it is a treaty about how and what â€Å"the study of communication should shift from an emphasis on ownership and control, and on messages, to an emphasis on reception and consumption† (Hinds, 1994). Protzel called it â€Å"an etno-historiographic painting of popular massification, a cultural history composed by its own fragments† (Protzel, 1998, cited in Martà ­n-Barbero Herlinghaus, 2000: 30). This work is not only a result of Martà ­n Barbero’s erudition and his interdisciplinary approach, but it is also a product of his journey across Latin America and his meetings in several think tanks and universities in the continent in the mid-1980s. Martà ­n Barbero was eager to know what communication scholars were doing in the field, â€Å"he interviewed them, asking what we were doing and how, and what were our models†, remembers

Jean H. Baker The Lives Of American Suffragists Essay

Jean H. Baker is a teacher and author who specializes in studies that surrounds American politics in the 19th and 20th century. Along with many books regarding women she wrote, Sisters: The Lives of American Suffragists, published in 2006. Baker is an historian who has a passion to write about the leading ladies of the feminist movement, but she did not limit her writing to just this topic. Though her writing generally focused on the women’s movement, she also wrote books about certain presidents such as, Buchanan and Lincoln. Sisters, a collection of biographies, has a central purpose to describe the lives of five crucial characters of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s and early 1900s. This movement began during a period when nearly no one would allow a woman to stand up as a leader, and no one approved of any woman wearing pants; it was only acceptable for women to wear floor length dresses or skirts. Along with the strict dress code women had to abide by to remain sociable, their central duty was to be a house maiden and to care for children. Even the most monumental women in the feminist movement were expected to bear children and raise them the best they could. The leading woman who broke this cement mold that had been in place for decades was Susan B. Anthony. â€Å"In fact, she believed clothes to be just another illustration of the subjection of women† (Baker, 2006, p. 55). So with that being said she became the first woman to advocate for the cause of womenShow MoreRelatedWomens Suffrage: Creation of the 19th Amendment Essay3991 Words   |  16 Pageslike them, Americans wouldn’t have any rights that we have today. By researching and learning on women’s suffrage, I believe that it will better inform me and you on the importance of women voting. By reading my paper, I hope to enlighten you all on the history of the 19th amendment and why it is so significant to women and American history. During women’s suffrage, there were so many sacrifices made for women like you and me to have equality and treated equal in the world we live in today. Also

750 word analysis of a print advert Essay Example For Students

750 word analysis of a print advert Essay Advertising is all around us almost every second of the day, from T. V, radio and magazines to T-shirts and even the product itself. Also if you look back through the ages you will see that weve always had advertising like stall owners at markets and town criers. So advertising has always been around but what is it and why is it used? Well the Oxford English dictionary says, Advertise: proclaim merits of; to encourage sales; make generally or publicly known; ask for by notice. To put that generally it means to tell warn or inform. Advertising is a way of companies to get out on the market and to show what they have, without prior advertisement we wouldnt know what we could buy or where we could buy it. Every where you look you see advertisements, on buses, trains, toilet walls anywhere, but it takes something pretty impressive to make us think God I need that now! or I cant live without that! Thats where the big stunts or events come in, Like the sponsored chicken run by Kellogg or the make your own wings day by Red Bull. Both of these have been used and worked. Why do companies advertise in the way they do? They are all cleverly placed so their target audience have the best possible chance of seeing them, I mean you wouldnt advertise a stair-lift or pension plan in a teens magazine. Movies are advertised on school buses because they know that their biggest audience is mates hanging out so it gets to the teens and some other possible people that might go see the film will see the advert as the bus makes its journey. The advert that Im going to analyse has been taken out of Best magazine and is for Ribena original blackcurrant juice drink this is shown by the whole of the printed advert having a purple tinge to represent the blackcurrant. This advert appears to be targeted towards adults firstly because of it being found in an adults magazine and secondly because of the character used. In the centre of the advert a small child is seen wearing a jumper which completely covers him with just the top of his head and the bottom of his legs and feet visible. This is used to give the feel good factor and memory factor to make a powerful combination of not just making the audience think that used to be me but also to the parents of thinking thats my child as well. Possibly, after then, subconsciously, using this image as a catalyst to start almost a domino effect of all good memories of family members dressing up or getting a Christmas present that was to big for them. If my last statements are true this could be considered a Hyperbole. Which brings me neatly round to my next point.

Supply and Demand of Gasoline Essay Example

Supply and Demand of Gasoline Essay The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) produces about 40% of the world’s crude oil. This huge share allows OPEC to influence the world’s oil prices by limiting its members’ supplies to the marketplace through the imposition of quota. However, despite this large share of reserves, the continuous fluctuation of prices of the world’s crude oil shows that OPEC’s control over world prices is limited by the other forces affecting the global supply and demand of oil and gasoline (Grant, et. Al.).The supply and demand of gasoline is affected by price controls and in the same way, price changes affect the supply and demand of gasoline. But other than the gasoline’s relationship with its price per se, there are underlying factors that affect the supply and demand of gasoline. The price of crude and the perceptions on the future conditions of the market, which are then dependent on geopolitical changes, growing demand, seasonal changes , lack of spare production capacity and low Alaskan production capacity, are two of the major factors (Gasoline, 2006).Since the supply of gasoline is dependent on the supply of crude, it is indirectly dependent on the factors which affect the supply and demand of crude. And these factors are interrelated in a manner which is not as simple as it is not linear. Crude is an international commodity and is affected by the interrelationship of many international supply and demand factors. Consequently, since the supply of gasoline is largely dependent on the supply of crude, the supply and demand of gasoline are also largely affected the interrelated factors affecting the supply and demand of crude.The supply of gasoline is also dependent on the processes involved in its production and marketing. The production of gasoline involves the finding, extracting and the transportation of crude oil which is further refined to produce gasoline. This is then distributed and marketed to the retaile rs and then to the consumers. This continuum of processes is called the chain of production and it connects an international network of producers, refiners, traders and consumers of petroleum products. Meaning, the market is composed of lots of participants, all involved in the facilitation of the movement of oil from production to marketing. And any unnatural movement in these processes could greatly affect gasoline’s supply and demand (Grant, et. Al., 2006). Any event that could cause sudden disruption in the refining process of gasoline, for example, could lower the supply and increase its price. Such event could best be exemplified by the hurricane Katrina. This calamity caused an immediate hike in gasoline prices with the threat of reduced supply caused by the destruction of many refineries (Supply and Demand in Gasoline, n.d.), and with the increased demand as a result of the community’s â€Å"panic-buying† (Schwartz, 2005).With the increased global econom ic growth, plus increase in the number of commodities demanding petroleum, it is said that gasoline prices started rising in 2003 when the demand for gasoline suddenly increased (Grant, et. Al., 2006). This event has also been equated to the sudden unforeseen growth in some countries’, particularly, China’s economy, increasing the global demand for gasoline. This, in itself, has the power to increase the global price for gasoline. If the simple economic law of supply and demand would be applied, the increase in the price of gasoline would balance the market by decreasing the demand which would in turn, decrease the price. But as it is said, there are other factors that are at play. The unanticipated increase in the world’s demand on gasoline affected the world’s spare oil reserves resulting in an unanticipated substantial decrease in the world’s spare production capacity from 5.6 million barrels in 2002 to about 2 million barrels in 2003 and threat ening the future global supply (Grant, et. Al., 2006). The estimated future global supply also in itself is a significant factor that could move the market for gasoline.Spots and futures contracts are included in the market for gasoline to permit the consumers and traders to insure themselves against the risks of fluctuating prices. The futures market provides the traders with information on the future conditions regarding the gasoline’s supply and demand, that is, an estimate of the future price of the commodity. The current price of gasoline could increase or decrease just based on this information this information is a tool, used by the traders to strategically position themselves in the market, that is, whether they would buy or sell their spots and futures contracts. Their decisions, as affected by the futures information could affect the actual conditions of the current and future supply and demand of gasoline and thus, determine the price of gasoline (Grant, et. Al., 2 006).The supply and demand for gasoline involve the interrelationship of many different factors and in determining the movement of such market; no variable should be left unconsidered. The economics of gasoline works not as a simple linear cause and effect reaction but a more dynamic and sometimes circular system where all effects, however simple it may appear are greatly dependent on its minute initial conditions.

ethiopia case study essays

ethiopia case study essays Nearly half of Sub Saharan Africa's 45 independent countries encounter frequent serious food crises. Ethiopia, one of the world's larger countries, has long been plagues with the torment of poverty, illiteracy, hunger and disease. Famine, a reduction in everyday food supply, is a widespread problem that can strike in any corner of the developing world. Although sometimes unnoticed, this shortage of food slowly leads to hunger and malnutrition. Famine in Ethiopia is not caused by natural disaster, but instead is a direct result of social, political and economic human forces. "Not only are individuals and families dying from starvation there, but whole communities are forces to endure abnormal social and economic activities in order to ensure food". (5) Due to their lack of development planning in combating these hardships. "Ethiopia is characterized as one of the world's least developed nations". (4.65) This case study summarizes the existence of famine in Ethiopia as it rela ted to its causes, both natural and political, resettlement and relief efforts and the issues involved famine in the future. Existence of Famine - When did it begin? People die, governments fail, economies breakdown, poverty widens and futures become dark. Famine, war, and destruction appear to have always been an integral piece of human history, at last since the beginning of substantial human population growth. Its existence in Ethiopia has led to "millions of death, especially in women and children under the age of 5". (3.50) Although many famines have been recorded in human history. Most have occurred in areas of underlying civil conflict. "The famine in the early 1980's was first discovered in the West in 1984, four weeks after the celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the rule of the military committee in Ethiopia". (5) Political in the West had been in dismay when the Dergue announced the formation of the Workers Party of Ethiop...

Smart Answers to 10 Stupid Interview Questions

Smart Answers to 10 Stupid Interview Questions We’ve all been there. You’re in an interview and expecting to be asked intelligent questions so you can show off your excellent preparation. But all of a sudden, you get a question so stupid that it throws you off your pins. Here are a few of the silliest  questions we have heard- and ways to answer them gracefully.1. â€Å"Why do you want this job?†It is possible to have a good answer to this that talks about your passion for the company and the position and the field, but it’s also a pretty stupid way to phrase it- and not particularly nuanced. Get your revenge by quickly explaining your keen interest and then deflecting by ending your answer with another question. Such as: â€Å"I’d really love to hear more about what you’re currently working on here†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2. â€Å"Tell me a little bit about yourself†Keep your response here short and sweet. Don’t actually talk about your life story. Instead, have an elevator pitch r eady to encapsulate your career story- where you’re coming from and why you’re a perfect fit. Focus on the professional and finish it off painlessly and quickly.3. â€Å"Why should we hire you over all our other applicants?†You can’t compare yourself to the other qualified applicants. You have no idea who they are or what their resumes look like. All you can do with this question is sell yourself. I.e. â€Å"I don’t know about the others, but I can tell you why you should hire me.† And then just pivot to your talents and value.4. â€Å"What should we know that isn’t on your resume?†This is a curveball, and there are a lot of stupid ways to answer it, but it can also be a gift. Here’s your opportunity to explain gaps in employment, or to emphasize skills or experiences that would be relevant to this job but maybe didn’t make the cut on your documents. Frame your answer to show how you’d be great at this job. 5. â€Å"How honest are you?†This one is a real doozy. Who in their right mind would say: â€Å"Not at all; I’m a total liar.†? Get out of this one by giving a short and straightforward statement about your high ethical standards and remind your interviewer about your available references.6. â€Å"Describe yourself in three words.†This is an invitation to put yourself in a box. It won’t be particularly illuminating for either of you. Try to think of qualities that show you off in a particularly good light. And refrain from saying: â€Å"Ask better questions.†7. â€Å"If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?†The biggest trick here is to not make a face. Come up with something related to your professional strengths, then move on.8. â€Å"What was your salary at your last job?†Most applicants will feel compelled to answer this- and you really don’t have to. Fire it back this way: â€Å"I’m currently l ooking for jobs with an annual salary of around $X. Does that correspond with your salary range?†9. â€Å"What would your former manager say about you?†If they really wanted to know, they could call and ask for a reference. Also, your former manager might not be someone worth asking! The answer here depends entirely on the kind of person/employer your former boss was. Ignore the inanity of the question and say something positive and truthful.10. â€Å"How badly do you want this job?†Ugh. Answer honestly and you might sound desperate. Play it cool, and you might sound indifferent. Try to keep it in the middle. Say how confident you are that you would be an asset there, and then voice your enthusiasm and passion for the company or position and reassert your eagerness to move forward in their hiring process.

Obesity Epidemic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Obesity Epidemic - Essay Example now been declared a worldwide epidemic by the World Health Organization, after research indicated that it parallels to around 265 million adults and children around 15 million, simply meaning that there must be something we ought to do in order to regulate this situation and work towards an obese free world (Debasis & Preuss 30). According to Debasis and Preuss (38), for the last thirty years, there has been a drastic increase especially in childhood obesity. People should be asking themselves why there must be such a situation today. Take into consideration the situation of Barry Austin; he believed in eating so much that at one point he was heard saying that food was his god! Just at a mere age of 29, he was having a weight close to 320kg! From his close study, it was revealed that Barry’s breakfast consisted of four packets of crisps and almost three quarters a box of biscuits of which he consumed all. During lunch, which was from the chip shop, he would add several plates of beans on toast, additional Crips, and fruit cakes. If he was taking tea, he would have 12 roast potatoes, pie, custard, vegetables and gravy and 5 lamb chops. All these would then be cleared down the threat by 11 liters of soda every day. With respect to Hatfield and Stanton, they explain that studies have shown that Americans are consuming their foods well but not wisely. They further explain that the food habits have been growing for Americans every now and then. This is due to their ignorance in consuming a balanced diet. Some biological factors such as genes and the history of the family tend to increase the chances of developing obesity. Emotional factors could also be a contributing factor to this world catastrophe. One unique thing with obesity is that it doesn’t discriminate age nor gender. It affects the young and the old, the women and the men, blacks and whites, meaning that every kind of person is affected (Stern & Kazaks, 108). Obesity has symptoms that most people

Current Macroeconomic Situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current Macroeconomic Situation - Essay Example The argument that one takes only meat and no pasta or read is for one to be likely to lose weight (Pollan, 2007). I think the argument is that the pasta and bread only add up to carbohydrates. The Atkins diet suggest eating meat only and no bread, I think there are many other risks associated with a lot of protein. Dr Robert C. Atkins may have invented the Atkins diet, but I must question how it happens; that people still prefer taking sliming pills or other fad diets. Though this may be the best diet, it does not make sense because; people need energy as source of energy boosters (Pollan, 2007). Fat and sugar and sources of energy, but the Atkins diet fails to recommend them. Perhaps the argument fails to consider the fact that carbohydrates are not the main cause of weight gain (Pollan, M. Chevat, 2009). There are many types of foods that people think contribute to the overweight, this feeling is true but it is just how much and how often one takes them. For example, fast foods con tribute significantly to overweight especially if one consumes them more often and on a daily basis. On the other hand, irregular consumption of fast foods do not have much effect on the body as fast as weight gain is concerned, it is important to consider consuming recommended quantity of such foods (Pollan, 2007). Based on the above argument, it is healthy to argue that the omnivores argument is wrong as not all foods contraindicated by the omnivores are bad. In fact, all those foods have well for health and they contribute to a healthy you. It is also imperative to note that the countries that the omnivores are believed to have a positive diet have overweight people, and if the omnivores thinks slimmer is healthy, I am a little confused because that is not what healthy means (Pollan, M. Chevat, 2009). Having read Rousseau’s, a lot seems to be misplaced because the information does not add u at all. For example, most of the works are borrowed from other texts and this does make Rousseau an expert. Additionally, his argument is not sounding like those of an expert. Rousseau, introduces the consumption of mushroom and does not come clean where mushroom fits in (Pollan, 2007). Firstly, mushroom is a vegetable that is relatively harmless but harmful if the wrong specie is taken. The fact that most of the text in these books does not make them authors because nothing in these books are original content but other people works. This only makes their work vague. There is also the feeling that their work is mainly commercial because there is a lot of reference to the availability of the foods in supermarkets (Atkins, 2002). This may be marketing gimmick. There are many mistakes in ignorance, for example, people tend to each whatever they come across without knowing the consequences of their diets and this may not be easy to change considering that, they are ignorant. People will easily eat what they want as long as they can afford these foods. It is just ingra ined in the mind of people to eat what they desire and this may not be easy to change (Pollan, 2007). As the supermarket is commercial entities, they are much into business and are focused on profitability. Most supermarket are only sell the products brought by their suppliers are may not be interested in knowing how their foods contribute to the health of their customers Westman, C et al. (2010). Therefore, it is the duty of the customers to

Implicit Premise Essay Example for Free

Implicit Premise Essay Implicit premise is a missing premise that is supposed to support the conclusion to make the argument a good and well-formed argument. The implicit premise from â€Å"There are sins worse than cheating† by The Unskooled Professor is, performance of students and teachers evaluate the value of the university. The argument talks about what kind of grades a student gets when they are found guilty of academic dishonesty, then concludes with a point saying that academic dishonesty will destruct the value of the university. However it does not point out why academic dishonesty is related to the value of the university. If I were to reconstruct the argument, I would interpret it as shown below. Without implicit: 1) Students guilty of academic dishonesty will receive a letter grade of FD ,â€Å"Failure with Dishonesty† 2) Receiving an FD is worse than receiving an F 3) Academic dishonesty is a concoction of individual professors 4) Therefore, academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Adding the implicit premise: 1) Students guilty of academic dishonesty will receive a letter grade of FD; â€Å"Failure with Dishonesty† 2) Receiving an FD is worse than receiving an F 3) Academic dishonesty is a concoction of individual professors 4) Performance of students and teachers evaluate the value of the university 5) Therefore, academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Before adding the implicit premise, there were no premises to support why the values of the university will fall due to academic dishonesty. In general, most people know that academic dishonesty will give a student a failing mark and will bring down the grade average of the university which evaluates the value and ratings of universities. However, for people who does not have any knowledge about universities will not know why the values of the university would be ultimately destructive. By adding the implicit premise, a stronger argument can be formed and can support and reason why the conclusion may be true.

The Process of Obtaining a Home Mortgage Essay -- Business

To begin this executive summary, we first look at the issue of research. In our semester project we are discussing the steps one would take in order to get a home mortgage. The reason we have chosen to do this project is to see how one goes about not only becoming approved for a loan but also how to service your mortgage and keep it up to par. The sources that we used in obtaining this information were sources that were able to help educate us on home mortgage and also help us further understand the entire process. The web-site www.mortgage-x.com was to me the most useful in our research. This site provided thousands of articles on the issue, a glossary and dictionary to help us in our search, and also provided a number of links to other sites that could elaborate on a certain subject. One of the links that we visited was www.fanniemae.com, this site helped us further understand Fannie Mae and apply it to our research. With this extensive research we came across a number of main findings. The first was how one went about getting a home mortgage. We found that when applying for a mortgage the borrower must give a credit report, prove sources of income, show proof of any assets, and proof of any debts, i.e. credit card payments, car loans, ect. After the application process the applicant is either accepted or denied the loan, then the terms of the mortgage are decided upon. Terms of the mortgage can include length of the loan or interest that will be charged on the mortgage. Then a mortgage agreement is signed by the borrower and the borrower receives receives the mortgage and the financial institution begins to service the loan. Upon the closing of the mortgage, the financial institution begins to service the ... ...lue of the house and other factors. Sources 1) Gasper, Juli-Ann Ph.D, â€Å"Mortgage Securitization,† Power Point presentation— copyright 2002. 2) Hayes III, Samuel L., Mortgage Banking Harvard. 1992. 3) Home Buyer’s Guide. Omaha State Bank, 2001 4) Kidwell, David S., Richard L. Peterson, and David W. Blackwell. Financial Institutions, Markets, and Money. Harcourt College, 2000, Chapter 10. 5) Managing Your Mortgage. 18 Feb. 2002 http://www.mortgage- x.com/library/managing.htm. 6) Peterson, Doug. Personal interview. 18 Feb. 2002. 7) Mortgage Application. 18 Feb. 2002 http://www.mortgage- x.com/library/application.htm. 8) Transfer of Your Mortgage. 18 Feb. 2002 http://www.mortgage- x.com/library/loan_transfer.htm. 9) Understanding Fannie Mae. 15 Feb. 2002 http://www.fanniemae.com/aboutfm.

Simulated business: JKL Industries Essay

Business and strategic planning Mission JKL Industries is an Australian owned company selling forklifts, small trucks and spare parts to industry. We deliver value to customers and investors through our highly trained, motivated, and expert workforce. Vision JKL Industries believes in developing and unlocking the potential of its people to allow the company to become the leading supplier of forklifts, small, medium and large trucks in Australia. Company values Performance excellence Value for investors, customers and employees Personal and professional development Diversity Sustainability. Strategic planning Goals Strategic objectives Operational objectives Provide value to investors and owners Increase overall profitability by 10% over next three years Reduce costs through negotiations with suppliers Reduce costs through HR management efficiencies Increase revenue through providing increased customer value Exit underperforming markets; JKL will withdraw from the rental market and close the rental division within the next 18 months HR partners with business to help business achieve financial goals HR completes scan of external conditions and market/industry forces impacting competitiveness and capability development Provide value to customers JKL will continue to sell and service forklifts and expand their market share by 7% within the next 12–18 months Provide quality customer service JKL will expand existing branches to include the sale of medium and large trucks within 18 months HR partners with business to help business meet customer needs HR partners with front line managers to help them meet the needs of customers through motivated, competent and well- equipped staff Develop human potential Provide required training Deliver training to upskill rental employees Recruit Conduct skills audits and needs analysis for all roles to be filled by recruitment strategy Become an employer of choice Provide personal development plans for all employees Provide best in industry programs incentives and HR services Manage performance and adherence to organisational values Complete twice-yearly performance reviews Communicate organisational values and code of conduct Continuously improve operations and management efficiency Monitor performance in all areas of strategy and operational efficiency Monitor management inputs such as completion of reporting and coaching requirements Monitor stock turns of forklifts, trucks, etc. Monitor HR service delivery efficiency Operational plan JKL intends to implement operational plans to realise strategic objectives. Key aspects to operations include human resources, performance management, physical and financial resources and workflow. Human resources The organisation is currently using a HR business partner model with a human resources officer aligned to each of the three key business areas: Sales, fleet rentals, and service. JKL employees over 190 personnel in the following categories as demonstrated in the organisation chart below. The Managing Director reports to a board of directors and is based in the Sydney corporate office, along with the Operations Manager, HR Department and the Finance and Administration team. The HR Manager reports to the operations manager and heads up the HR centres of excellence that include recruitment, learning and development, and employee relations and services. In each of the state-based sites there is a branch office consisting of an office building, warehouse, service department and sales office. The Human Resources Officers (Business Partners) report to both the HR Manager at Head Office and their respective managers in the branches. A summary of human resources at each location appears below: Sydney head office Personnel: 30 full-time and casual sales and customer service people (8 sales consultants; 8 retail sales consultants; 5 mechanics; 3 apprentices, 3 HR officers; 3 administrative assistants Accounts Manager and 2 accountants senior management team (3) + one Branch Manager (Operations Manager, HR Manager, Finance and Administration Manager CEO and managing directors. Branches Each branch employs the following personnel: 30 full-time and casual sales and customer service people (8 sales consultants; 8 retail sales consultants; 5 mechanics; 3 apprentices, 3 HR officers; 3 administrative assistants Branch Manager. Office requirements Sydney Head office Size: 15,000 square metres (~70% space available for sales and rentals; ~25 available for servicing) Large mezzanine office space (occupied by Senior Management Team). Loading bay with large capacity. Branches Average Size: 12,000 square metres (~70% space available for sales and rentals; ~25 available for servicing) Large mezzanine open-plan office space with separate access (was previously rented out to a telemarketing company) Loading bay with large capacity. Operating capital requirements JKL requires approximately 13 million dollars in working capital to sustain the business and ensure it meets all opening and ongoing financial obligations. Operational expenses Wages, salaries $6,000,000 Consultancy fees $150,000 Communication expenses $120,000 Marketing $2,400,000 Premises expenses $3,000,000 Insurance $356,000 Depreciation and amortisation $540,000 Office supplies $180,000 Training $180,000 Total Expenses $12,926,000 Insurance requirements JKL will have to incur costs for business liability insurance. The estimated cost for this requirement is $356,000 per year. Operational workflow Sales 1. Negotiate with suppliers. 2. Receive and warehouse products. 3. Provide service and information to customers. 4. Receive payment. 5. Arrange delivery of items (if required). Rentals 1. Conduct market research to determine needs. 2. Negotiate with suppliers. 3. Receive and warehouse rental products. 4. Provide service and information to rental customers. 5. Receive payment. 6. Arrange delivery of items (if required). Service 1. Conduct market research to determine needs. 2. Negotiate with suppliers. 3. Receive and warehouse service supplies. 4. Provide service and information to service customers. 5. Receive payment. JKL accepts cash, EFTPOS and major credit cards. Credit terms are available for trades. Operating hours JKL operates Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. JKL will be operational year‑round except federal and state holidays (as they apply to each branch). JKL policies and procedures JKL has a number of policies and procedures to support its core values and to ensure compliance with legislative requirements. Code of conduct JKL Industries acknowledges its role as a responsible corporate citizen. JKL’s success will result not simply from satisfying specific equipment needs for a quality product at reasonable prices, but from conducting its business with integrity and in accordance with the core values of the organisation. Employees and officers of JKL are expected to: Respect and support the core values of the organisation: Performance excellence Value for investors, customers and employees Personal and professional development Diversity Sustainability Respect others and treat others (colleagues, managers, reports, clients, customers and organisational stakeholders) with fairness Act in accordance with relevant legislation, standards and industry codes of practice Act honestly to protect the reputation of JKL; avoid the fact or appearance of conflict of interest Protect the privacy of others in accordance with organisational privacy and recordkeeping policies. Legislative requirements It is company policy to comply in all respects with local/state/federal government legislation. The relevant legislation that needs to be complied with includes: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 Disability Discrimination Act 1992 Equal Employment Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 Fair Work Act 2009 Freedom of Information Act 1982 Privacy Act 1988 Racial Discrimination Act 1975 Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 Sex Discrimination Act 1984 State and territory health and safety legislation JKL’s policy of compliance with legislation requires each employee to understand the legislation relevant to their position. Managers and employees of JKL are expected to conduct their operations in a manner consistent with all relevant legislation. Relevant legislation is available for reference through senior management, HR or via access to the internet. State legislation and summary notes are accessed on state government websites. A guide to accessing federal and state legislation, court decisions, key national and state bodies and research tools is available at: Parliament of Australia, ‘Key internet links on Australian law’, viewed January 2014, . Health, safety and rehabilitation policy The purpose of this policy is to state the organisation’s commitment to reducing and managing health and safety risks, and delivering workers’ compensation and rehabilitation and first aid training. This policy applies to all officers, employees and contractors of JKL. Applicable legislation includes: Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cwlth) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) state health and safety Acts that apply to each branch (check your state’s legislation) Workers’ Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) Workplace Injury Management and Workers’ Compensation Act 1988 (NSW). The JKL health, safety and rehabilitation policy are displayed in all work locations. JKL’s commitment to the work health and safety is further detailed as part of the JKL Work Health and Safety Management Standards. Workplace harassment, victimisation and bullying policy The purpose of this policy is to underscore the organisation’s commitment to the elimination of all forms of bullying and harassment in the workplace. All employees have the right to conduct their work within a fair, supportive, high-performance environment. Harassment, victimisation and bullying in the workplace are illegal and such actions are not tolerated by JKL. Staff members found to be harassing or bullying other members of staff or customers will face disciplinary action ranging from counselling and performance management to summary dismissal. This policy applies to all officers, employees and contractors of JKL. Relevant legislation may include, but is not limited to: Disability Discrimination Act 1992 Equal Employment Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 Racial Discrimination Act 1975 Sex Discrimination Act 1984 Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW). Anti-discrimination and equal opportunity policy The purpose of this policy is to underscore the organisation’s commitment to  the fair treatment of all personnel and customers. JKL Industries values the diversity of its team, clients and communities and respects the rights of individuals and groups to operate in an environment free of discrimination. Access and equity (diversity and anti-discrimination) is fundamental to the operations of JKL. It is embedded in policies, practices and forward planning. JKL recognises the importance of diversity in achieving our vision. JKL understands the business environment and actively assists customers to reach their optimum potential. Our primary objective is to be solution-oriented and focused on customer needs. JKL recognises that valuing diversity is pivotal to achieving its vision. A welcoming, supportive environment will be provided leading to positive learning and employment, and individuals having the opportunity to reach their optimum potential. At JKL, anyone engaged in employment or the provision or receipt of training and/or services has the right to operate in an environment that is free from discrimination on the grounds of: age; breastfeeding; disability; industrial activity; lawful sexual activity; marital status; physical features; political belief or activity; pregnancy; race; religious belief or activity; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; parental or carer status; employment activity; or personal association with any individuals with these characteristics. Procedures are in place for handling any grievances including complaints of discrimination, unfair treatment or harassment. Complaints will be taken seriously and every effort will be made to resolve them quickly, impartially, empathically and with appropriate confidentiality. Victimisation of complainant/s and witness/es is illegal. Complaints may also be lodged with a relevant government agency or regulatory body. This policy applies to all officers, em ployees and contractors of JKL. Relevant legislation may include, but is not limited to: Disability Discrimination Act 1992 Equal Employment Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 Racial Discrimination Act 1975 Sex Discrimination Act 1984 Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW). JKL is committed to upholding affirmative action, equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation. This legislation is detailed at: ‘Legislation’, Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, viewed January 2014, . Privacy policy The purpose of this policy is to outline JKL’s commitment to protecting the right to privacy of both employees and customers. Customer information is treated under the following rules. 1. Collection Organisations must ensure that individuals are aware their personal information is being collected, why, who it might be passed on to and that they can ask the organisation what personal information it holds about them. 2. Use Personal information may not be collected unless it is necessary for an organisation’s activities and must only be used for the purpose it was collected. 3. Data quality Organisations must take steps to ensure that the personal information they collect is accurate, complete and up-to-date. 4. Data security An organisation must take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. 5. Openness An organisation must have a policy document outlining its information handling practices and make this available to anyone who asks. 6. Access and correction Generally, an organisation must give an individual access to personal information it holds about the individual on request. 7. Identifiers Generally, an organisation must not adopt, use or disclose an identifier that has been assigned by a Commonwealth government agency. 8. Anonymity Organisations must give people the option to interact anonymously whenever it is lawful and practicable to do so 9. Transborder data flows An organisation can only transfer personal information to a recipient in a foreign country in circumstances where the information will have appropriate protection. 10. Sensitive information Sensitive information (such as about someone’s health, political opinions or sexual preference), may only be collected with the consent of the individual (unless a public interest exception applies). JKL takes care to respect  employees to privacy and fully complies with our obligations under relevant legislation. Employee records are exempt from the Privacy Act. Records include: employee records and personnel files referee reports workplace surveillance and monitoring. Although such records are exempt from the Privacy Act, JKL commits to protecting the privacy of employees through: providing access to own records where available or practicable for correction undertaking not to pass on data to others or external parties except for the strict purposes of undertaking JKL business or without express permission. This policy applies to all officers, employees and contractors of JKL. Relevant legislation may include, but is not limited to: Privacy Act 1988 Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000. Recordkeeping policy The purpose of this policy is to outline the organisation’s approach to recordkeeping. At JKL, records management systems are based on developing and implementing recordkeeping policies, procedures, and practices to meet the operational needs of the organisation and that comply with externally imposed standards such as legislation. Implementation strategies for recordkeeping systems include: ensuring the system to meets all of the operational and strategic needs of JKL documenting the system (see procedures) training personnel to create and store records setting standards for recordkeeping and monitoring the use of systems ensuring all legislative requirements are met, including for retention periods. JKL adheres to the Australian and international standard for recordkeeping, AS ISO 15489: 2002 Records Management. This policy applies to all officers, employees and contractors of JKL. Relevant legislation may include, but is not limited to: Privacy Act 1988 anti-discrimination legislation. Recordkeeping procedures File management Create a personal subfolder within the server (using your name as the subfolder name) to hold your day-to-day working files. Do not store company data on your C: drive (i.e. do not save work only to your computer, rather than to the network) unless absolutely necessary. Company data should be stored in the appropriate server drive. Unlike the servers which are backed up automatically, data on your own computer is not backed up and your work may be lost if you experience a system crash. If you use a laptop and require access to files offsite, you will be set up with remote access to server files away from the office. When documents are completed, they should be saved to the appropriate ‘completed work’ folder in your department. Filenames Filename should include authors last name, title of report (or abbreviated title of report), and date of submission. Back-ups  Back-up copies of all electronic files on the server are made twice weekly. If you spend an extended time away from the office network using a laptop, it is your responsibility to ensure local copies of company files are backed up. Vocational education and training, apprenticeships and traineeships policy The purpose of this policy is to underscore JKL’s commitment to developing workforce capability and developing its people. JKL is committed to providing young and new graduates in gaining employment in the industry. Apprentices and trainees are rostered on each shift with at least one vocationally competent person who supervises the apprentice/trainee’s work and performance of duties. JKL directs all clients to the relevant guide to apprenticeships and traineeships and the relevant government websites. This policy applies to all officers, employees and contractors of JKL. Performance management policy The purpose of this policy is to underscore JKL’s commitment to monitoring performance, developing workforce capability and developing its people. Performance reviews should be held twice yearly by managers. Performance  should be monitored against agreed KPIs and feedback provided on a regular basis. This policy applies to all officers, employees and contractors of JKL. Relevant legislation may include, but is not limited to: Privacy Act 1988 anti-discrimination legislation equal employment opportunity legislation.

Listening skills Essay

Some of the commonly believed myths about communication are that â€Å"we communicate only when we want to, words mean the same to me and you, the best communication is a one way message.† Some effective barriers to communication are distractions, differences in background, emotions, stress, prejudice, personality differences, all of these have an effect on communication. The three essential parts of effective speaking are getting your listener’s attention, obtain the listeners interest, communicate your purpose for speaking. It is imperative to improve your listening skills because it is an essential trait to have in the business field. Half of your time is spent listening to employees, listening to instructions, and also listening to what guest want. You can improve your listening just like improving anything else listening may be the most important skill to success. One is always improving on their listening skills. Workplace civility is important because you need a peaceful environment not everyone jumping at each other’s throat or making fun of each other. Also you need somewhere that you feel comfortable at somewhere that you actually want to go if you are afraid to go to work than most people won’t go. The boss should deal with it if he hears that employees are making fun of each other or harassing each other and not just sit back Personally I never dealt with workplace civility because I only deal with kids and their parents but I had friends who had dealt with it that had workers make fun of them or would say stuff about the way they did stuff. If this happen if I was manager I would take the employee aside and say that I’m the only one that gets to tell someone I don’t like what they’re doing not them. Also be a good role model for good manners. If the boss is rough and mean, then everyone else has an excuse for also being rough and mean. If the boss is polite and encouraging, everyone else will likely follow in the boss’ footsteps. Teach civility to everyone in the workplace. Offer training on good manners and ways to show respect to colleagues.

Ramifications of the Reconstruction Period essays

Ramifications of the Reconstruction Period essays The reconstruction of the south was the period during and after the Civil War where several different groups in the government tried to solve the economic, political, and social problems that arose as a result of the Civil War. It was a time of disorder and chaos. Southern whites rejected all forms of equality and blacks wanted nothing but full freedom and land of their own. This led to frequent and inevitable riots. Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877 and was one of the most controversial periods in the nation's history. People still debate its successes and failures. Many people blames Reconstruction failure on black politics, calling it "Negro government." Even some newspapers that were in favor of Reconstruction blamed the black legislatures. Foner wrote, "Ironically, even as racism waned as an explicit component of the Northern Democratic appeal, it gained a hold on respectable Republican opinion, as a convenient explanation for Reconstruction's failure." Black politicians could have been the demise of Reconstruction. Another cause of Reconstruction could have been the Court's intervention. Foner stated, "Previously, the court had proved reluctant to intervene in Reconstruction controversies. The Compromise of 1877 between the Republicans and Democrats, occurring in January of that year, was the solution to the contested Presidential election of 1876 and furthermore brought an end to the period of Reconstruction following the Civil War. The banks could have also caused the failure of Reconstruction to speed up. The Freedman's Savings Bank went under with no money to pay its depositors. The bank held thousands of black's (Freedman) money. "In June 1874, with only $31,000 on hand to cover obligations to its 61,000 depositors, the Freedman's Savings Bank suspended operations." One of the main reasons for the failure of Reconstruction was the dropped prices of crops. Many farmers and sharecroppers could not live off what th...

Amalgam Definition and Uses

Amalgam Definition and Uses An amalgam is a type of alloy found in dentistry, mining, mirrors and other applications. Here is a look at an amalgams composition, uses, and the risks associated with use. Key Takeaways: Amalgam Simply put, an amalgam is an alloy of the element mercury.While mercury is a liquid element, amalgams tend to harden.Amalgams are use to make dental fillings, to bind to precious metals so they can be isolated later, and to produce mirror coatings.As with elements in other alloys, a small amount of mercury may be released by contact with an amalgam. Because mercury is toxic, amalgams may present health or environmental risks. Amalgam Definition An amalgam the name given to any alloy of mercury. Mercury forms alloys with almost all other metals, except iron, tungsten, tantalum, and platinum. Amalgams may occur naturally (e.g., arquerite, a natural amalgam of mercury and silver) or may be synthesized. Key uses of amalgams are in dentistry, gold extraction, and chemistry. Amalgamation (the formation of an amalgam) is usually an exothermic process that results in hexagonal or other structural forms. Amalgam Types and Uses Because the word amalgam already indicates the presence of mercury, amalgams are generally named according to the other metals in the alloy. Examples of important amalgams include: Dental Amalgam Dental amalgam is the name given to any amalgam used in dentistry. Amalgam is used as a restorative material (i.e., for fillings) because its fairly easy to shape once mixed, but hardens into a tough substance. Its also inexpensive. Most dental amalgam consists of mercury with silver. Other metals that may be used with or in place of silver include indium, copper, tin, and zinc. Traditionally, amalgam was stronger and longer-lasting than composite resins, but modern resins are more durable than they used to be and strong enough for use on teeth subject to wear, such as molars. There are disadvantages to using dental amalgam. Some people are allergic to the mercury or other elements in amalgam. According to Colgate, the American Dental Association (ADA) reports fewer than 100 cases of amalgam allergy have been reported, so its very rare. A more significant risk is posed by the release of small amounts of mercury vapor as the amalgam wears over time. This is primarily a concern for persons already exposed to mercury in daily life. Its recommended pregnant women avoid getting amalgam fillings. The ADA does not recommend getting existing amalgam fillings removed (unless they are worn or the tooth is damaged) because the removal process can damage existing healthy tissue and may result in the unnecessary release of mercury. When an amalgam filling is removed, a dentist uses suction to minimize mercury exposure and takes steps to prevent mercury from entering the plumbing. Silver and Gold Amalgam Mercury is used to recover silver and gold from their ores because the precious metals readily amalgamate (form an amalgam). There are different methods of using mercury with gold or silver, depending on the situation. In general, the ore is exposed to mercury and the heavy amalgam is recovered and processed to separate the mercury from the other metal. The patio process was developed in 1557 in Mexico to process silver ores, although silver amalgam is also used in the Washoe process and in panning for the metal. To extract gold, a slurry of crushed ore can be mixed with mercury or run across mercury-coated copper plates. A process called retorting separates the metals. Amalgam is heated in a distillation retort. The high vapor pressure of mercury allows for easy separation and recovery for re-use. Amalgam extraction has largely been replaced by other methods because of environmental concerns. Amalgam slugs may be found downstream of old mining operations to the present day. Retorting also released mercury in the form of vapor. Other Amalgams In the mid-19th century, tin amalgam was used as a reflective mirror coating for surfaces. Zinc amalgam is used in the Clemmensen Reduction for organic synthesis and the Jones reductor for analytical chemistry. Sodium amalgam is used as a reducing agent in chemistry. Aluminum amalgam is used to reduce imines to amines. Thallium amalgam is used in low temperature thermometers because it has a lower freezing point than pure mercury. Although normally considered a combination of metals, other substances may be considered amalgams. For example, ammonium amalgam (H3N-Hg-H), discovered by Humphry Davy and Jons Jakob Berzelius, is a substance that decomposes when it comes into contact with water or alcohol or in air at room temperature. The decomposition reaction forms ammonia, hydrogen gas, and mercury. Detecting Amalgam Because mercury salts dissolve in water to form toxic ions and compounds, its important to be able to detect the element in the environment. An amalgam probe is a piece of copper foil to which a nitric acid salt solution has been applied. If the probe is dipped in water that contains mercury ions, a copper amalgam forms on the foil and discolors it. Silver also reacts with copper to form spots, but they are easily rinsed away, while amalgam remains.

How can computer science help students in school Essay

How can computer science help students in school - Essay Example This sequence must be unambiguous and detailed. It is practiced by engineers, scientists and mathematicians. Through engineering, the building of hardware and software is achieved, while reason and logic are provided through mathematics. It has a strong connection to other specialties like software systems, computer architecture, software engineering, graphics and even artificial intelligence. As such, each of these specialties, having been drawn from Computer Science would mainly focus on particular challenges, and the application and understanding of basically all aspects of Computer Science. Research by the Sheehy shows that only about 21,000 high schools out of about 42,000 public and private high schools in America offered Advanced Placement test in Computer Science in 2011, a 25 per cent drop in the last 5 years. Only 9 states allow Computer Science as a satisfaction to core science or math requirements. Computer Science is considered as a math or science in 41 states. Some of the most influential people in the world like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs all had one thing in common; they all learned Computer Science in high school. ... Thus, computers have become necessary companions to students in various fields to understand the world around them. As Bentley puts it, â€Å"computers are our invisible helpers† (5). Science students use computer-based equipment to make the required observations and to determine the needed facts. For instance, Biologists use it to determine the genetics of given samples. Chemists use it to determine the concentration of chemicals in various samples. Thus, Computer Science provides the capability for students to understand their academic world. Secondly, Computer Science provides the capability of interacting with other students and peers around the world. The Internet gives computers the ability of being tools of communication across the world. Online versions of print publications are always available on the Internet because of the capabilities provided by Computer Science (Straubhaar, LaRose, and Davenport 263). A huge amount of information is stored on the Internet and is always available to the user. An online version of a newspaper will contain a blog section, where readers can contribute their views by leaving their comments, additional links to other sites with related news, multimedia extensions, online forums, and even audio and video files. Academically, they could access information on the advancements in research studies so as to determine the existing knowledge gap. Thus way, students would be able to carry out relevant research studies that would greatly contribute to the existing body of knowledge. Students could use this capability to interact with people from various parts of the world and get to understand what happens in other parts of the world, be it academic or otherwise. Of importance with regards

Financial Theory and Corporate Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial Theory and Corporate Policy - Essay Example Similarly, 'economies of scope' is also varied in nature: Cost-based economies of scope, revenue-based economies of scope, and diversification-based economies of scope. Reduction in Expenses - A merger must result in adoption of new technologies, goals, strategies, and operational approaches in such a way that they cumulatively lead to cost reduction in delivering the services and thereby make the merged-entity more competitive in garnering increased sales and net margins. Enhanced Market Power and Reduced Earnings Volatility - It is obvious that the acquired business should either add to the market share of the company or create a fresh niche market of its own, so that volatility in earnings can be minimized and profitability is sustained. Earnings are sustained only when sales performance constantly improves and that is where mergers come handy in creating that extra "edge" over the competitors with the least loss of time. Smooth Privatization - The ongoing sovereigns' love for deregulation and privatization resulted in cross-border movement of capital mostly into developing economies for acquiring controlling interests in companies being privatized. Indeed, many developing countries could attract fresh capital and modern technology into their otherwise obsolete public sector businesses and make them competitive through cross-border mergers/acquisitions. Competency Buildup - In today's deregulated markets, "competency" of domestic businesses has become a must, to face the onslaught from multinationals. In this regard, mergers have come handy for consolidation and buildup of requisite "scale of economies" and "scale of scope", to maintain the revenue stream with least volatility (Houston 2001). Tax Gains- Mergers and acquisitions attract capital gains tax in the hands of the amalgamated company/acquired company on the sale of its assets and shares. However, the treatment of taxing capital gains is not the same globally. A few countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, tax capital gains on real estate or shares in real estate at special rates, while Hong Kong exempts capital gains. Indonesia and Thailand tax the capital gains arising on the sale of shares and other assets at the normal rates of tax. 2. What sort of problems commonly result in mergers failing to achieve all of the promised efficiency gains Failure to anticipate a problem before the problem actually arises - Managements may unwittingly administer a merger process hoping to reap synergy or they may initiate a disastrous step hoping to bring cultural fusion between the acquired and the acquirer. One common underlying reason behind these acts could be that the acquirer firm may have no experience of such problems and thus are not sensitized to such probabilities. It is only in the hindsight that the analyst could say today that merger of copper business was a mistake, unless one increased its production capacities, to enjoy operating leverage. There are umpteen reasons as to why companies may fail to anticipate problems: Failure to perceive the problem, when the problem does arrive - Once a merged unit faces unanticipated problems, the immediate requirement is to address the issues that became a hurdle for realization of anticipated benefits. But in reality, managements seldom perceive the problem that has actually face and reasons for the same could be many: One, the

Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Death penalty or execution is the most severe sentence that the United States and other countries use particularly for rape and murder cases. Military laws and federal states have also bestowed capital punishment for other crimes like espionage, treason, kidnapping, desertion from military service and robbery. The fact that state prisons are full of a disparate number of inmates who are people of color and who are on death row is a clear indication of racial disparity in sentencing. In other words, today’s capital punishment is a system that vents the anger of society over crime crisis on a select group. As far as death penalty is concerned, the contagious existence of racism has not slackened with time and this crisis is not confined in one area. One of the possible causes for this abiding problem is that the juries who make the critical decisions on death penalty in the United States are almost exclusively white. An empirical study at Law School in St. Mary's University indi cates that in the U.S, there is only one percent African-American District Attorneys in counties that use the death penalty while the other chief District Attorneys are white with a percentage of almost ninety-eight.

Who is to blame for the Deepwater Horizon rig incident?

Who is to blame for the Deepwater Horizon rig incident? On the 20th of April 2011 explosion at Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and led to the largest oil spill in the petroleum industrys history. Apportionment of blame is likely to be contested in the law courts for years to come. Who i.e. which stakeholders do you consider has to share some responsibility for the accident or do you consider it an ultimately unpreventable accident, in todays global economy? Trying to get out of the PR wars on the oil spill, 4 month after the tragedy on September 8th, 2010, BP issued its own internal 234-page report. BP cited at least eight errors of judgment and equipment failures that caused the explosion that sank the rig. BP concluded that a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces contributed to the incident. The company accepted only shared responsibility for the explosion and pointed fingers at its contractors Halliburton, which provided cement for the blown-up Macondo well, and Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon. Transocean assailed the BP report as self-serving, contending that BPs fatally flawed well design set the stage for the rig explosion 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. Halliburton, which did the well cementing, said it found a number of substantial omissions and inaccuracies in the report and remains confident that all the work it performed was completed in accordance with BPs specifications. BPs internal investigation report was met with criticism by watchdog groups who questioned the companys motives. Wenonah Hauter, executive director of non-for-profit organization Food Water Watch told IPS News Agency: BP is distributing the blame and deflecting responsibility for the incident so they can justify their continued operation in the Gulf. Rather than accept the blame and financial consequences for its disaster, BP is continuing to point fingers at everyone it can, said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the conservation group Center for Biological Diversity. BP is clearly trying to limit its financial liability by blaming other companies and denying there was criminal negligence, Suckling said. If the Department of Justice concludes that BP was criminally negligent, its fines under the Clean Water Act will quadruple from 1,300 dollars per barrel to 4,300 dollars. That is more than a 10- billion-dollar difference. One month after the accident on May 21 President Barack Obama established the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. The Commission examined the relevant facts and circumstances concerning the root causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and developed options to guard against, and mitigate the impact of, any oil spills associated with offshore drilling in the future. This included recommending improvements to federal laws, regulations, and industry practices. A final report on the Commissions findings was presented to the President on January 12, 2011. According to the report, the Macondo blowout was the product of several individual missteps and oversights by BP, Halliburton, and Transocean, which government regulators lacked the authority, the necessary resources, and the technical expertise to prevent. Halliburton and BPs management processes did not ensure that cement was adequately tested. Halliburton had insufficient controls in place to ensure that laboratory testing was performed in a timely fashion or that test results were vetted rigorously in-house or with the client. In fact, it appears that Halliburton did not even have testing results in its possession showing the Macondo slurry was stable until after the job had been pumped. It is difficult to imagine a clearer failure of management or communication. BP, Transocean, and Halliburton failed to communicate adequately. Information appears to have been excessively compartmentalized at Macondo as a result of poor communication. BP did not share important information with its contractors, or sometimes internally even with members of its own team. Contractors did not share important information with BP or each other. As a result, individuals often found themselves making critical decisions without a full appreciation for the context in which they were being made (or even without recognition that the decisions were critical). Decision making processes at Macondo did not adequately ensure that personnel fully considered the risks created by time- and money-saving decisions. Whether purposeful or not, many of the decisions that BP, Halliburton, and Transocean made that increased the risk of the Macondo blowout clearly saved those companies significant time (and money). There is nothing inherently wrong with choosing a less-costly or less-time-consuming alternative-as long as it is proven to be equally safe. The problem is that, at least in regard to BPs Macondo team, there appears to have been no formal system for ensuring that alternative procedures were in fact equally safe. The report summarized that the accident of April 20 was avoidable. It resulted from clear mistakes made in the first instance by BP, Halliburton, and Transocean, and by government officials who, relying too much on industrys assertions of the safety of their operations, failed to create and apply a program of regulatory oversight that would have properly minimized the risks of deepwater drilling. It is now clear that both industry and government need to reassess and change business practices to minimize the risks of such drilling. BPs claim about disaster in the Gulf of Mexico to be the unavoidable accident was actually driven by a reckless pursuit of profits and selfish disregard for our planet. QUESTION 2: If you were Tony Hayward, how would you have acted in the immediate aftermath of the accident? It is easier to say what I would have done being a CEO of BP after analyzing what Tony Hayward did wrong during the incident in the Gulf. BPs handling of the Deepwater Horizon crisis under its former CEO Tony Hayward may be seen as a textbook case of how not to manage an enterprise in a period of reputational crisis. On June 17 Tony Haywood stonewalled the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation by refusing to provide information he knows as chief operating officer. He was recorded telling a camera man to get out of there during a photo-op on the shores of Louisiana. Haywards summer of PR disasters culminated in his public declaration that Id like my life back, and he went to participate in the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island yacht race off the Isle of Wight in the UK, while Gulf residents struggled with the effects of the spill. He was widely criticized for his comment which was perceived as selfish and he later apologized for it on BP Americas Facebook page. President Obamas chief of staff Rahm Emanuel wryly observed on American network news that I think we can all conclude Tony Hayward is not going to have a second career in PR consulting. In an interview on NBC on 8 June, 2010, Barack Obama said that Hayward wouldnt be working for me after any of those statements, referring to the remarks BP CEO made following the spill. In a lecture at Stanford Business School in May 2009 Hayward declared to the business students that our primary purpose in life is to create value for our shareholders. Later his statements that focused only on the individual corporate remit have also been quoted outside the context of the full lecture. Haywards point of view is in line with Milton Friedman who wrote in his famous 1970s article in The New York Times Magazine, that the one and only social responsibility of business, is to increase profits for shareholders. General idea of Friedman was that only people can have responsibilities, but not businesses. The people who are hired by business owners have a responsibility primarily to their employers, to meet their desires which in most cases are profits. General public view the company as a whole representative and if CEOs mistake leads to an error is social judgment, the public will judge the whole company, not just this person. It has been proven time and whilst CSR has yet to be harnessed to create a significant positive difference to profits, a negative policy can destroy profits. The costs BP saved by taking risky decisions at Deepwater Horizon have finally gone to many other stakeholders residents of the Gulf, government, business owners. BP cut corner after corner to save a million dollars here and a few hours there, said Henry Waxman, whose committee was investigating the Deepwater Horizon accident in the US. And now the whole Gulf Coast is paying the price. Some theorists believe that CSR stops businesses performing to their full potential and crippling the economy. My opinion is that an effective CSR policy together with efficient marketing and clear business strategy could help a business grow to larger profits whilst also benefitting society. Ironically enough, Tony Hayward was one of the key proponents of CSR in 2005, giving a speech about corporate responsibility and its increasing importance at BP. This was when Lord Browne was CEO and CSR was gaining more attention. But since mid-2007 many factors have weakened under Tony Haywards leadership, including contractor fatalities and greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental and safety fines spiked upward in 2009 and hydrocarbon flaring has nearly doubled since 2007. Summarizing the answer, if I was a CEO of BP I would spend all my time in the US to see whats happening on a regular basis and actively communicate with US administration for coordination of clean-up efforts. I would not lie about the size of catastrophe from the beginning and will not try to bribe ecologists in attempts to hide the actual result of the oil spill. The leader is always needed at the time of crisis which Tony Hayward has failed to be. QUESTION 3: If you were a member of the BP board what would you be recommending at this point that BP should do about the disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico? BP lost $95 billion in market capitalization within a few weeks of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, with its stock priced back to 14 years. There was a clear disproportion between the companys market losses and even the most pessimistic estimates of cleanup costs that never exceeded $30 billion this was an indication of the costs of this reputational risk crisis to BP. While firms today recognize the value of brand definition as a competitive advantage in the marketplace, reputation remains an often underestimated component of a companys value. Corporations experiencing a public crisis, such BP in 2010 undergo what is termed reputational distress. This concept was first coined by Stephen Greyser, Professor Emeritus at the Harvard Business School, and describes the critical period following a crisis event when a companys management is at risk of losing the confidence of the markets. Reputational distress can result in significant impact upon a firms market capitalization, as well as its corporate reputation, in correlation to how the crisis response of the firms management is represented in the markets and the mass media. Brand Finance Plc, the worlds leading brand valuation consultancy, estimated that the fallout from the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig has caused BPs brand value to plummet by $7.4bn, representing a 61% fall (or  £72m per day). Having spent many millions on promoting its Beyond Petroleum strapline and positioning itself as the most environmentally friendly of the oil companies, this disaster has had a highly detrimental impact on its brand value globally, especially in the US. In contrast to BP, the actions of Johnson Johnson in the case of the Tylenol tampering scandal represent a best practices example of how a firm can successfully manage reputational risk. Employing a crisis strategy defined by aggressive transparency, Johnson Johnson retained public and market confidence, resulting in the value of its shares quickly rebounding from immediate losses and the Tylenol brand actually becoming the industry leader shortly thereafter. Reputational risk management can therefore represent not only a challenge, but an opportunity. Traditionally in CSR the Bottom Line refers to the financial and economic responsibility of the company that is making profits. Recently introduced by John Elkington (1994) Triple Bottom Line model gives a wider view of responsibilities of organizations which obviously encompasses financial aspects and also environmental and social impacts of the company. The utilization of the triple bottom line allows companies to evaluate their success not only in their economic field but also in the environmental and social ones. BP currently remains a member of United Nations Global Compact. This is a high-profile CSR scheme, which requires firms to adhere to 10 principles which require to take a precautionary approach to environmental challenges, promote environmental responsibility, and encourage the development of clean technology. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico appears to provide evidence that BP has not adhered to the principles and could undermine its credibility as a signatory to the Compact. According to Mary Ann Ferguson, professor of PR at the University of Florida, when a company has a good reputation, people will appreciate its high-fit CSR program. But if BP tries to use high-fit CSR to further its public image, it may do itself more harm than good. Before you develop any high-fit CSR program, evaluate your companys reputation first so you dont just wreak further harm. Once the company name is tarnished, high-fit CSR tends to produce only skepticism. In other words, it backfires. If I was a member of the BP board at the time of the scheduled board meeting in London in May 2010, first of all I would recommend that the board meeting should be convened in Louisiana, preferably carrying part of it on one of the support vessels, engaged in the oil spillage liquidation operation, so that all board members can see for themselves, what has happened and received first hand information from the emergency operations crew. The second part of the board meeting should have been carried on the shore in Louisiana, and representatives from the key stakeholders in US such as regulators, environment protection agencies, NGOs, fishing community, should have been invited to this meeting. This little step, which wouldnt cost much would have helped to change the public perception of the companys approach to the problem. Secondly, Tony Hayward should have been removed by the board at this meeting, and a new interim CEO with specific drilling and disaster management experience should have been appointed at this time, showing BPs dedication to liquidate the disaster, thus bringing someone with hands-on approach instead of discredited CEO. At this time I would also suggest that the company start providing accurate estimates of the amount of oil spilling from the well, instead of trying to deceive the media and professionals. BPs move with lowering estimates of the oil spillage has done more damage than good. The inconvenient truth is less harmful that the sweet lies. The next step would be stop putting blame on subcontractors Halliburton and Transocean and start working together trying to find fast and solid solution of the problem. BP looked really silly with its biased internal report which has put most responsibility for the disaster to its contractors. Wasnt it BP the owner of the rights to the well, who selected those contractors in the first place? I am sure that BP has done their due diligence before hiring these companies. Last, but not least is to start paying serious attention and investing significant funds into disaster liquidation in the communities along the Gulf. BP has to draw attention of primarily US as well as world media to the efforts which company is undertaking in the sea and on the ground along the affected coast. Capping the well is no doubt a high priority, but dealing with the local stakeholders and environmental damage is no less important task, which provided to the company as being one of the most difficult ones. Stakeholder management is equally important, and saving the environment and providing other opportunities to the people which have lost their income source is critical. If I was a member of the board of BP at that time, I would put as much efforts and funding into this exercise as I would into capping of the well, if not more. Such proactive approach would help BP in the future when dealing with individual or class lawsuits, coming their way, as US is one of the most liti gious countries in the world. QUESTION 4: Why do you think BP attracted such opprobrium? Hayward, and BP in general, initially downplayed the spill, stating on 17 May 2010 that the environmental impact of the Gulf spill would likely be very very modest and calling the spill relatively tiny in comparison with the size of the ocean. On 27 May, Haywood changed his assessment, calling the spill an environmental catastrophe in an interview with CNN. Hayward earned the nickname Tone-Deaf Tony for his far from the truth assertions. Then after the explosion, BP denied there was a leak until it became painfully obvious. When they could no longer hide that fact, they low-balled the estimate of the leak at 5,000 barrels a day, which is probably low by a factor of 20. When Hayward met with members of the U.S. Senate shortly after the accident, he asserted that BP intended to meet its obligations up to its $75 million liability cap under the U.S. Oil Pollution Act. Haywards assertion that BP was protected by limited liability under U.S. law, coming at a time when thousands of fishermen and tourism workers in Gulf states were being laid off due to the oil spill, so angered the senators with whom he met that within days legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate to raise the damage cap facing BP from $75 million to $10 billion. BP sprayed more than 1 million gallons of chemical dispersants Corexit 9500 and 9527 into the Gulf since the oil spill began in a reckless effort to make the oil disappear from public view. BP threatened clean-up workers theyd be fired if they spoke to the media, also the company ordered workers showing up with respirators and other protective gear to remove it or be fired. Cleanup workers have been complaining of dizziness, nausea and other symptoms ever since then. Dispersants only alter the chemical and physical properties of the oil, making it more likely to mix with seawater than deposit on the shoreline. So what the dispersants do is re-direct the oil, making its impact perhaps less so on birds and shore-dwelling animals, but more so on fish, coral reefs, oysters and other marine life that live in the deeper waters. Also, when the dispersants mix with the crude oil, a third far more toxic product is produced called dispersed oil which has been shown to be more toxic than the sum of its parts. Toxicologists can only guess what the full extent of the damage will be, and its likely it wont show up in full for years or decades. Before BP could stop the oil leaking at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, it unleashed $100 million in ad spending, largely on network TV, to stem the damage to its image. But it also started spending heavily where it had never spent much before: buying ads in Googles search results. Nearly $3.6 million in the month of June alone were spent by BP, which pushed the company into the upper echelon of search advertisers, in a league with ATT, Expedia, Amazon and eBay. When people searched for oil spill theyll be directed to BPs damage control page that shows the companys Gulf of Mexico Response and cleanup efforts, instead of the massive amounts of damage that was still ongoing. In the CNN interviews, Deepwater Horizon workers described a corporate culture of cutting staff and ignoring warning signs ahead of the blast. They claimed BP routinely cut corners and pushed ahead despite concerns about safety. The rig survivors also said it was always understood that you could get fired if you raised safety concerns that might delay drilling. CNN interviews also revealed that BP had ordered a shortcut on the day of the explosion designed to speed drilling, as the rig was five weeks behind schedule and one day of its operation had an estimated cost of $750,000. All these facts are not surprising as BP is no stranger to environmental crime. Over the past two decades, BP subsidiaries have been convicted of three crimes in Alaska and Texas, including two felonies. Also BP holds the dubious honor of receiving the stiffest fine in history for work safety violations 760 fines as of June 2010, while Exxon Mobil has had just one. In 1991 BP was cited as the most polluting company in the US based on EPA toxic release data. The company has been charged with burning polluted gases at its Ohio refinery (for which it was fined $1.7 million), and in July 2000 BP paid a $10 million fine to the EPA for its management of US refineries. During the last couple of years before the Gulf accident BP became more profitable: Tony Hayward received a 40 percent pay increase in 2009 based on BPs improved performance. The company announced earnings of $5.6 billion for the first quarter of 2010, more than double the same quarter in 2009. But BP failed to fix the one problem that continues to get it into trouble: a reactionary management culture that puts an emphasis on cutting costs and efficiency while neglecting preventative maintenance. BP has been chronically unable or unwilling to learn from its mistakes according to analysts, competitors and former employees. QUESTION 5: Looking ahead 3-4 years, how do you think the disaster will affect BP? Will it: (a) have no significant, long-term impact on the business? (b)Result in BP becoming a much smaller company? (c)) Result in BP being bought by the Chinese, Qataris etc ormerged with another international oil company? (d) Be the catalyst for BP to move irrevocably beyond petroleum and becoming a new form of global energy business, based eventually in renewable energy? The BP oil spill has set a new precedent for both environmental damage and corporate irresponsibility. According to BP official there was a good reason why the Macondo well was being drilled in the first place. Its because the world badly needs the oil and gas that reside beneath the seabed of the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and other oceans in order to meet inexorably growing energy demand. BP pushed technology to the limit in the remotest reaches of Alaska and the deepest waters of the Gulf of Mexico the tough stuff that others cannot or choose not to do, as Tony Hayward once put it. Last year there was a serious debate as to whether the Deepwater Horizon incident will lead to bankruptcy for BP. Project failures such as the Deepwater Horizon can have enormous consequences on the value of BP shareholders, including many pensioners in the UK and current and past employees and may even jeopardize survival of the enterprise. BP have been paying not only for all environmental and economic damages from the blowout, but will also be facing years of claims, negotiations and litigation. The company is still facing legal suits from Edinburgh and Merseyside pension funds for the loss of value that emanated from an Alaskan pipeline spill in 2006. Gulf of Mexico claims will last much longer. According to Bloomberg, BP took charges totaling US$40 billion in the second and third quarters of 2010 to account for the cost of the Gulf spill. The company announced in July 2010 it would sell between $25 billion and $30 billion of assets, and has sold fields in Argentina, Colombia, Pakistan, the U.S. and Vietnam. BP interests in Algeria, Alaskas Prudhoe Bay and Canadian pipelines may be next up on the block. According to offshoreenergytoday.com, since taking charge in October, new CEO Bob Dudley has taken asset sales to $22 billion to pay costs from the worst US oil spill, reorganized management and cut the deal with Rosneft to give the company access to Russias untapped Arctic reserves. The share price has recovered about 60 percent from Junes post-spill low, in part on expectations that the dividend will return at 50 percent of the previous level. Recently BP has reinstated the dividend that was suspended after the spill as higher oil prices and improved refining margins lifted its earnings. It is unlikely that BP will be acquired by other major oil companies ExxonMobil or Royal Dutch Shell. BP executives held talks with a number of sovereign wealth funds including funds from Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar and Singapore, for creation of a strategic partnership to avoid takeover. Now BP continues to be Europes second-biggest oil company and the biggest producer of oil and gas in the US. Financial Times said that before the accident, the US had been the principal focus of the groups strategy, with deepwater oil production in the Gulf of Mexico at its heart. It was a source of oil and gas reserves in a region with an apparently stable legal and tax framework, and was a place to develop techniques that could then be deployed around the world. The BP oil spill has brought attention to the issue of greenwashing. This term was coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westerveld (1986) and means deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a companys policies or products are environmentally friendly. BP entered the greenwashing playing field spending 200 million dollars on rebranding the company in 2000. BP TV ads were focused on themes of biofuels, alternative energy and carbon footprints, closing with a green, flower-like logo and the slogan Beyond petroleum. According to Kate Sheppard, a writer at Foreign Policy (3 May 2010), despite all BP has spent on rebranding, the company hasnt done nearly as much to move beyond petroleum as its campaign implies. In fact, BP has been turning away from investments in nonfossil energy, last year cutting investment in alternative sources from $1.4 billion to $1 billion. Weeks before the spill, BP announced that it was shuttering its solar manufacturing plant in Maryland, it closed the doors of its much-hyped UK Alternative Energy headquarters in 2009. The company brought in $73 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2010, but only about $700 million of its business was alternative energy sources like wind and solar. The company has also spent a lot of time and money convincing political leaders that offshore drilling is clean, safe, and environmentally friendly while at the same time actually fighting against safety measures that might have prevented the horror in the Gulf. Green Energy Reporter said that BP plans to invest $1 billion in 2011 in its renewable energy business, roughly the same amount it invested last year. In 2008 BP was awarded a satirical prize, the Emerald Paintbrush award, by Greenpeace UK. The award was given to BP in order to highlight its alleged greenwashing campaign. Critics point out that while BP advertises its activities in alternative energy sources, the majority of its capital investments (more than 90%) continue to go into fossil fuels linked with major environmental challenges on a global scale. BP will definitely not make steps to becoming a new form of global energy business based on renewable energy until it can get the same tremendous profits from oil and gas. After the incident Bob Dudley has identified improving BPs safety practice and performance as one of his highest priorities. As it mentioned in BPs internal investigation report, it was possible for BP to drill deepwater wells safely. It is vital for the companys future that it can live up to that aspiration. In his latest speech on March 08th 2011 at CERA Week Conference in Houston Bob Dudley said: BP is sorry. BP gets it. BP is changing. Were strengthening safety, growing value and working to earn trust. The lesson for large companies is that whilst cost and time savings are certainly key initiatives, senior management and the Board need to ensure that they do not happen at the risk of brand and stakeholder relationships. Only by remembering this disaster and pushing for the truth to be brought to the surface the truth about what BP was hiding we can prevent a similar event from occurring in the future.

Frontpage - Microsoft’s Net Solution :: essays research papers

Frontpage - Microsoft’s Net Solution You know about the Vermeer story right? Never heard of Vermeer? Really? So the story goes, as I am usually lounging around with others who have migrated into the vast world of the web, these questions generally come up†¦ Vermeer was the company who silently pioneered FrontPage, and was quietly and expeditiously merged into â€Å"the empire† at Microsoft. It evolved into two key MS technologies, the Personal Web Server (PWS) and FrontPage, now widely utilized at homes worldwide as a key component of Office 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alas the story continues, as I tread the waters deeper and find other so-called web developers around Cebu creating pages and sites for the vastness of the net. I usually silently snicker inside as they tell me how they learned FrontPage at â€Å"so and so† institution and have been a professional web developer ever since. Rest assured, I think to myself, they’ll be attending a class or two of mine soon†¦ However, not for nothing, us professional developers (you know these guys, the ones who are making integrated solutions for the guy next down AND several [er, thousand] kilometers away.) usually have little to do with FrontPage nowadays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  FrontPage, long ago the â€Å"cream of the crop† silently sits in wait as we tear away with apps such as Ultradev 4, 1st Page, Flash 5, Adobe PhotoShop, XML-Spy, and the Top Style CSS editor. Us â€Å"big boys† are playing with such things as .asp, .php, ColdFusion, ActionScript, XSLT, and a myriad of other acronyms that will leave your head spinning. On top of that, we’re all scrambling to learn more Java (for server pages and COM building), PowerBuilder, and of course, XHTML. This is not to the fault of FrontPage , it still is functional, but has lost it’s functionality as we deal with interactive web sites and most (over 85%) of the servers in Cebu can’t run FrontPage’s Server Extensions (That’s what JavaScript is for anyway you say†¦). But don’t fret, they have just breathed life into this ailing creature, redirecting it’s path from the tangent path of obsolescence. Enter the next generation o f FrontPage, a powerhouse of fury packed under the soon-to-be-released Windows OfficeXP umbrella. XP standing for experience, something we’re all going to have to sit down and do ourselves†¦ but for now, here’s the primer†¦. What’s OfficeXP all about? Here’s the marketing pitch: Whether you are a small business user, a user in a larger organization, an IT administrator, or a user working from home, Office XP is the essential tool to maximize your productivity. Frontpage - Microsoft’s Net Solution :: essays research papers Frontpage - Microsoft’s Net Solution You know about the Vermeer story right? Never heard of Vermeer? Really? So the story goes, as I am usually lounging around with others who have migrated into the vast world of the web, these questions generally come up†¦ Vermeer was the company who silently pioneered FrontPage, and was quietly and expeditiously merged into â€Å"the empire† at Microsoft. It evolved into two key MS technologies, the Personal Web Server (PWS) and FrontPage, now widely utilized at homes worldwide as a key component of Office 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alas the story continues, as I tread the waters deeper and find other so-called web developers around Cebu creating pages and sites for the vastness of the net. I usually silently snicker inside as they tell me how they learned FrontPage at â€Å"so and so† institution and have been a professional web developer ever since. Rest assured, I think to myself, they’ll be attending a class or two of mine soon†¦ However, not for nothing, us professional developers (you know these guys, the ones who are making integrated solutions for the guy next down AND several [er, thousand] kilometers away.) usually have little to do with FrontPage nowadays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  FrontPage, long ago the â€Å"cream of the crop† silently sits in wait as we tear away with apps such as Ultradev 4, 1st Page, Flash 5, Adobe PhotoShop, XML-Spy, and the Top Style CSS editor. Us â€Å"big boys† are playing with such things as .asp, .php, ColdFusion, ActionScript, XSLT, and a myriad of other acronyms that will leave your head spinning. On top of that, we’re all scrambling to learn more Java (for server pages and COM building), PowerBuilder, and of course, XHTML. This is not to the fault of FrontPage , it still is functional, but has lost it’s functionality as we deal with interactive web sites and most (over 85%) of the servers in Cebu can’t run FrontPage’s Server Extensions (That’s what JavaScript is for anyway you say†¦). But don’t fret, they have just breathed life into this ailing creature, redirecting it’s path from the tangent path of obsolescence. Enter the next generation o f FrontPage, a powerhouse of fury packed under the soon-to-be-released Windows OfficeXP umbrella. XP standing for experience, something we’re all going to have to sit down and do ourselves†¦ but for now, here’s the primer†¦. What’s OfficeXP all about? Here’s the marketing pitch: Whether you are a small business user, a user in a larger organization, an IT administrator, or a user working from home, Office XP is the essential tool to maximize your productivity.

Path Goal Theory

Path Goal Theory In order to encourage, support and motivate their followers, Path Goal Theory requires a leader to take into account situational factors when adapting a leadership style. Successful integration of situational factors with a leadership style can lead to maximized satisfaction and effort from the follower. The Path Goal Theory states leaders must: †¢Forge a path for followers to obtain their goal through coaching and direction †¢Remove roadblocks and obstacles that are preventing followers from accomplishing goal †¢Increase rewards and incentives along the way 1.Subordinate Factors (Follower Characteristics) A. Ability: A follower’s self-efficacy and self perception of competence in performing tasks to achieve goals. B. Authoritarianism: is defined as the degree to which the followers seek structure and task clarity. C. Experience: Knowledge of or skill in achieving a goal. D. Locus of control: How one perceives how much they can control events th at affect their goal achievement. Those with low internal locus of control seek to participate and engage in decision making. On the contrary, those with a strong external locus of control like to be directed and provided structure.Coach Lengyel has a diverse group of followers with a variety of contrasting personal characteristics. Due to their lack of experience, youth and general â€Å"rag-tag† composition, the players on the team lack confidence, ability, cohesion and self efficacy. Given these characteristics, these players have a high external locus of control and yearn for task clarity and guidance. In contrast, Coach Red Dawson and Interim President Donald Dedmon have more autonomy and have established themselves more in their respected roles.Lengyel adjust to the varying characteristics of these followers by engaging them more in the decision-making process and seeking their advice on certain issues that arise. 2. Environmental Factors: A. Task structure: A leader ne eds to analyze the elements and nature of a task a follower is responsible for and identify and remove any difficulties it could pose to the follower. B. Formal authority: is the power position of the leader which can affect the satisfaction of a follower. If directive leadership and a highly formal authority system are in place, the redundancy can cause follower dissatisfaction.C. Work group: Group dynamics and relationship among followers. In situations where team cohesiveness is low, followers need supportive leadership. Where a group is more established and talented, a directive or achievement oriented style is more optimal. The players face significant environmental challenges in both their task structure and work group dynamics. First, the vast majority of the team consists of freshmen or students who have never played organized football. Learning the complex play schemes and the intricacies of the competitive collegiate game in such a short period is certainly daunting.Moreov er, positions players such as the punter do not fully comprehend everything their roles entail. Since almost all the players haven’t played with each other, the team lacks the camaraderie and cohesion of their competitors. The confluence of these factors and the physically demanding tolls of the game have created significant roadblock in accomplishing their goals. The fear of embarrassing the community and university with poor performance on the field and the stress of the tragedy compounds the challenges the team face and weighs on them greatly.As a result, the players are more sensitive and an overbearing and authoritarian leader will only exacerbate the situation. Similarly, the stress of the tragedy is also weighing significantly on both Coach Dawson and Interim President Dedmon. After losing colleagues and players he coached and recruited from the tragedy, Dawson has significant doubts about whether he can be around the game anymore. The drastic changes with Dawsonâ€⠄¢s workgroup and formal authority figure are daily reminders of the tragedy that occurred with the team.The tragedy wears on him and he has a significant effect on his confidence and motivation to fulfill and execute the tasks associated with the assistant coaching job. With Dedmon, the opposition by some in the community to rebuild the football program has made Interim President insecure and timid when approaching tasks with the job. Furthermore, Dedmon’s confidence erodes initially when numerous coaches around the country turn down the offer to coach the Marshall team due seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the program. Dedmon has to adjust o a changing environment surrounding the university and to Coach Lyngel’s energetic and enthusiastic style which contrasts greatly with his own. 3. Leader Behavior: A. Supportive leadership: Consider the needs of the follower, showing concern for their welfare, being approachable as a leader and creating a friendly working environment. This approach is best when the work is stressful, ambiguous and or hazardous. B. Directive leadership: Telling and providing leaders with structure, task clarity while giving appropriate guidance along the way.The leader sets clear standards of performance in order to decrease role ambiguity. This form of leadership can be helpful when the follower is inexperienced. C. Participative leadership: Effective when followers are autonomous. This form involves consulting with followers and making them an integral part of the decision process. This approach is most effective with followers who are knowledgeable and skilled and have a high internal locus of control. D. Achievement-oriented leadership: Setting challenges goals, both in their work and in self-improvement.The leader establishes high standard of excellence and leader shows confidence in the capabilities of the follower to succeed. This approach is best when the task is complex. Lengyel has to question whether the f amous sports tenet, â€Å"Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing† is applicable to the season Marshall is about to embark on. His predecessor, like a majority of other coaches led with predominately directive and achievement-oriented styles. Due to the nature of the sport and the intolerance of role ambiguity in the game, Coach Lengyel also exhibits a directive style of leadership in some scenarios.The players’ perceptions of their abilities are relatively low and Lengyel helps them by clarifying and directing them how to do their tasks. For instance, this directive style of leadership is evident when Lengyel instructs and clarifies the position players like the punter and offensive lineman how to do everything that their role entails. Given the players desire for task clarity and guidance, the directive style would most likely be the most effective leadership style with inexperienced players in most scenarios.The most important factor however that impacts the follower characteristics and environmental factors is the stress and pressure resulting from the tragedy. Realizing the enormity of the tragedy, Lengyel utilizes a supportive style that provides psychological support and concern to his followers by their acknowledging the pain and frustration. Knowing that Dawson is in a sensitive emotional and mental state, Lengyel isn’t too aggressive in his pursuit to have him on the coaching staff and always carefully listens and assesses Dawson’s objections and feelings.Lengyel’s pregame speech at the resting spot of six of the players from the Marshall team also exemplifies his exceptional ability to collectively assess both characteristics of his subordinates and the environmental factors when trying to motivate and instill confidence in his team. In the speech he addresses the tragedy of the past, the current team’s shortcomings and even mentions how the team they’re facing has more ability and talent. He declares if they give maximum effort they will not lose and will reach their goals of honoring the memory of the teammates killed in the plane crash and making the community proud.Lengyel realizes that due to the circumstances, that leading with the directive and achievement oriented styles isn’t the most conducive approach. To motivate the players on the team, Lengyel has to utilize a Supportive style that taps into and emphasizes with the emotions of the players and tries to alleviate the stress and pressure of the situational factors. While some other leaders and his peers ultimately fail in certain circumstances for their stubbornness, Lengyel’s biggest leadership strength in contrast is his flexibility.As mentioned, with the players on the team Lengyel’s demonstrates mostly directive and supportive styles. In regards to followers with contrasting characteristics of the players, Lengyel is able to successfully adapt his leadership approach to eng age and accommodate them. After assessing that the players on the team do not have the ability to execute relatively complex offensive schemes and tasks, Lengyel realizes they need to simplify their playbook. In this instance, because the assistants have established themselves in their respected roles, Lengyel engages them in the decision-making process.Utilizing the Participative leadership style results in Coach Dawson coming up with the idea to use the simplified Veer Offense. In addition to building trust and satisfaction from the assistant coaches, the players also benefit as it reduces a significant roadblock for them 4. Outcome: A. Performance: Helps followers reach their peak performance. B. Satisfaction: Makes working to obtain goal more satisfying. By successfully adapting to both the characteristics of his subordinates and of the environment, Lengyel helps his followers exert maximum effort and gain satisfaction from obtaining their goals.Coach Lengyel was able to forge a path for his followers by taking into account the different strengths and weaknesses of his followers. As articulated in his speech the team’s main goal of honoring the memory of the team was to â€Å"lay it on the line† and provide maximum effort. Whether it was the players on the players on the field or even Interim President Dedmond aggressively petitioning the NCAA to let their freshmen play, Lengyel’s followers were clearly motivated by his leadership