An Ordinary Outlook Essays - Lake Forest, Illinois,

An Ordinary Outlook The movie Ordinary People directed by Robert Redford is a very real life movie set in the suburbs of Illinois in the late 1970's. The movie begins early December and ends what seems to me like the following spring. I think the significance of the seasons is that December, representing a dreary lifeless mood, at least for the northwest region, symbolizes death. During this time, Conrad experiences many confrontations with this matter. He has recently witnessed the death of his brother and is struggling to make his appearance seem ?normal?. When the weather begins to get warmer, setting a more renewed atmosphere, Conrad begins to understand his emotions and, therefore, deals with the circumstances of his brother's death better. Conrad Jarrett, the protagonist, is a seventeen-year-old student attending a public high school. Conrad represents more of a heroic figure in this story because he has begun to overcome the overwhelming obstacles of life. This complex individual realizes that love gives one the strength to endure life. However, Con must struggle to cope with the drastic changes occurring in his life. His struggle against these obstacles is the antagonist in the story. Other important characters include Con's mother, Beth; Con's father, Calvin; Con's psychiatrist, Dr.Berger; his friend Karen, and his somewhat girlfriend Jeannine. Beth, a determined perfectionist, is constantly concerned with the way people view her and her family. She wishes for everyone to view her family as ?normal?. She buried all her love with Buck and, therefore, neglects Conrad because she no longer understands how to love. Beth feels that Con had intended to hurt her as much as himself when he had tried to commit suicide. She can only see things in terms of how they affect her, a very selfish mindset. Beth thinks that everyone feels this way and that perhaps she is simply more honest about it. At one point of the movie, Beth states that she does not hate Con for what he has done, but she cannot forgive him for it. In a way, it seems she can not forgive him for surviving. On the flip side of the movie, Calvin or Cal, struggles to understand how he should react to his son's fe elings and actions. Cal feels as if Beth and Con are drifting away in opposite directions, and he doses not know which direction to follow. Con's self confident psychiatrist, Dr.Berger, helps con to express his feelings and encourages him to do what he wants instead of what people expect him to do. Berger is unorganized and spontaneous which works to the benefit of Conrad. Con finds comfort in Berger's friendship and his willingness to listen. Karen is also a valued friend of Conrad. She was in the hospital at the same time he was, and they helped each other get through the hard times. When Con left the hospital, they lost contact until he called her one-day and they met in a restaurant. When talking with Conrad, Karen displays a false sense of enthusiasm for the coming years. Later on in the movie Conrad is shocked when he finds out Karen has committed suicide. This event causes Con to release all his suppressed anguish and let down his shield to his emotions. Jeannine is Conrad's somewhat girlfriend who is there for him and allows him to feel needed, a feeling Con cant seem to find even in his friends at school. She is the only person who really asks Con about what he had felt when he tried to commit suicide. The major conflict in the movie is an internal one between Con and himself. Conrad struggles to cope with the drastic changes occurring in his life. He wants to please everyone. Con will not allow himself to feel or express emotion for fear of becoming vulnerable. There are many other minor conflicts that occur within the story. One example is an external conflict between Conrad and Beth. Con and his mother find it hard to communicate for the fact that both are too unwilling and stubborn to forgive each other. Also, Beth and Calvin experience an external conflict because of the circumstances have caused them to grow apart, and question their love for

To What Extent Does Britains Welfare System Provide for the Needs of Its People Essays

To What Extent Does Britains Welfare System Provide for the Needs of Its People Essays To What Extent Does Britains Welfare System Provide for the Needs of Its People Essay To What Extent Does Britains Welfare System Provide for the Needs of Its People Essay A welfare state is a concept of government where the state plays the primary role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term may cover a variety of forms of economic and social organization. 1] There are two main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: ? A model in which the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens. This responsibility in theory ought to be comprehensive, because all aspects of welfare are considered and universally applied to citizens as a right. ?Welfare state can also mean the creation of a social safety net of minimum standards of varying forms of welfare. ?Explanatory Notes? ^ [1] Encyclop? dia Britannica A Brief History of the British Welfare State The primary idea underlying the platform of the British Labour Party was the rather obvious idea that it was part of the governments responsibility to help find solutions to the major social problems facing its citizens. The questions surrounding the possibility of successful Implementation of these solutions at been at the core of the the contention that existed between the opposing political ideologies. The onslaught of German aggression in World War II forced Britain into a situation where it no longer had any choice but to give in to ideological pressures and put them into practice. By the conclusion of the war pretty much all doubt had evaporated in the clouds of bombs as to whether a welfare state policy was practical. Upon the somewhat surprising sweep by the Labour Party into the halls of power in 1945, the United Kingdom underwent a wholesale change in ideology. The Labour Party wasted precious little time in mandating a series of programs aimed directly at revolutionizing every aspect of British society. It initially accomplished through an aggressive agenda involving the nationalization of various systems such as power industries and the the health care and insurance systems, among others. The aim of these moves by the Labour Party was nothing less than full employment throughout the country with the most basic needs to be provided by the government. The intention was certainly good, but the economics failed to take into account the changing nature of the world. England was able to burst out of the post-war gate quicker than many others, especially the losing side, but eventually had to face its own lack of resources, which required borrowing money that was to be paid as the post-war boom continued. That boom, in fact, did not continue and rather than quick repayments, the country fell deeper into debt. Meanwhile the costs of running government programs continued to rise far beyond the capacity to maintain them. Psychologically, the welfare state contributed to the rise of a certain type who expected to be taken care of without contributing. This type is often overdrawn by those opposed to socialist programs, but it nonetheless carries a poisonous strain that must be dealt with. With the rising debt and the subsequent unemployment, however, England failed miserably at dealing with this element. As a result, the Conservative party seized the concept of a nation that succeeded only in producing lazy citizens who expected the government to take care of all their needs. As the economics of the world changed, the architects of the welfare state failed to make adjustments, setting the stage for the deep divide and miserable governance of the 1970s. The Conservative leaders capitalized on the deepest fears about socialism and as a result the Thatcher era was ushered in with a mandate to take any steps necessary to fix the problems. Although deemed a socialist policy of governance, the failings of the British welfare state may rest in that it wasnt socialist enough. Rather than fully commit to a true socialist state, the Labour Party attempt to create a hybrid of socialism and capitalism and as a result the worst aspects of each economic theory served to undo the better aspects. Britains welfare system now needs urgent reform Britains welfare system now needs urgent reform The National Health Service is considered to be one of the best healthcare systems in the world by the World Health Organization. But in recent years, administrative difficulty has become a big problem for fulfilling the need of the British people. Britains benefits bonanza has been laid bare as it emerged 100,000 households rake in more than the average wage in welfare every year. They collect ? 30,899 (Dh182,304) before tax, while many workers an only aspire to an average wage of ? 23,422. Meanwhile 50,000 of those households are entitled to more than ? 500 a week - which adds up to more than ? 26,000 a year. Officials at the Department for Work and Pensions highlighted the figures after the coalition pledged an overhaul of the welfare system to make work pay. Employment Minister Chris Grayling said: Yet again we see more evidence for why reform is so desperately needed. The current wel fare system is not fit for purpose. After a decade of economic boom there are 2. 5 million people on incapacity benefit. It is the whole society’s job to face up to this challenge and take on those who say recession is a convenient excuse to do nothing. We cannot afford to do nothing. We need a robust welfare system able to withstand every twist and turn of the economic cycle. A strong welfare state will help everyone, be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances and offer real financial incentives to get people into sustainable work. Bescides this,the British prime minister David Cameron stressed his commitment to cutting the country’s deficit and said an overhaul of the welfare system would soon begin.

How has my writing changed in this semester why Essay

How has my writing changed in this semester why - Essay Example Consequently, I could not boast about great achievements in the beginning; however, I identified my weak points and developed clear goals I wanted to set. My motivation was warmed up by clear assignments, support and help of my mates and comprehensive teaching approach. Now I feel more confident when it comes to writing due to the skills I improved during this course. I have understood the line between formal and informal writing; I avoid using personal pronouns in academic essays. What is even more important, I have learned more about essay and paragraph structures. I used to deliver my thoughts in mess but now I know that every essay should have distinctive introduction, main body and conclusion. It is difficult to underestimate the contribution of my peers to my learning process. Peer-review process showed me how other people perceive what I wrote. It helped me to spot and correct my mistakes, reorganize my paragraphs and avoid meaningless sentences in writing. I started writing on the point, giving more examples, relating abstract things to real life

Social networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social networking - Essay Example Over the years, social networking has replaced a great amount of the traditional, physical communication between people. This reveals that while there are numerous advantages of online social networking, there are also plenty of disadvantages. When someone communicates with a friend or family member over an online social networking website, their attention is often divided. They are usually watching television, eating, doing homework, talking to another person via another medium, or even a combination of the aforementioned. Even though the person they are speaking to is usually unaware of it, they are not getting the complete attention of their friend, who has found other things to busy themselves with. The same can even be said for the person being talked to. Physical communication, on the other hand, means that both people are being given the proper amount of attention. They may be engaged in other activities, but the physical presence of each person will prompt better undivided at tention. They will acknowledge that the other is there, thus allowing more focus on communication, as opposed to something else. Yet another downside of communicating through online social networking websites is that tone and emotion are often misconstrued.

Boeing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Boeing Case Study - Essay Example It is evident from the study case, that the problem in Boeing was affecting different processes within the company. The whole company was in doubt; the previous admirable performances were ceasing. The stock had previously risen by 6.7%, and it was beginning to fall drastically. The company later began undergoing a series of changes. This was after the company was unable to meet the prevailing demand. It tried its best by doubling it capability, but all was in vain. It got to the extent that the company had stop producing the 747 for 20 working days. This was to the company as it lost a lot of money. From the arguments from the acting president, this was a result a poor organizational structure. Other activities casing the problem are lack of communication. In reference to the culture of the company, it has been doing well through acquisitions, thus forming integration among different companies. The aim of the strategy was to extend its reach, therefore, making the company stronger t hat its opponents. These activities made the company lose the culture. It merged with different organizations, such as the McDonnell Douglas in the year 1997. The step made the company change its operations, as well as, its management trends and centre of administration was transferred to Seattle Chicago. Issues in the management of the company began after the merging action as it lost its culture. McDonnell had a complex culture, based on defense contracts. The merge also came with it, financial issues where $92.5 Million were distributed to shareholders. In the same year, the firm designed new strategies to improve their marketing capabilities. It also hoped that the production would increase the level of production. The firm also employed new strategies to for communication within it. Their stock was also keenly supervised through system. This is evidence that the company, was getting back to its previous position. There was also decentralization of information technology within the firm. This enhanced collaboration between different branches of the company. Toward the end of the month of December 2003, the company had recovered the opportunity to manufacture the 7E7 Jets. From analysis from difference economist, the reason behind the under performance of the company was that it had over promised and under-delivered. It is evident that the plans of the company depend on the producing smaller planes; it also plans to expand its productivity to the extent of purchasing large plans in the future. Market pressure There are diverse pressures that triggered Boeing to effect changes on its operational strategies. A crucial pressure for Boeing was mainly market demand. Market demand markedly increased in 1997, in an attempt to meet all its surplus orders, Boeing instantly doubled its production. Unfortunately, this strategy brought about a severe manufacturing crisis. Worse still, Boeing’s reputation was deteriorating and it called for urgent measures to cur b the situation. It was then that the manufacturing of 747 was abruptly stopped for up to 20 days. Lack of communication within the organization was the main source of the ongoing crisis. However, Boeing termed it as a win at all cost methodology. There has been a series of endless problems at Boeing. Citing a case of the year 1994, shock prevailed among executive managers when Airbus booked more orders than

A Report on Nestle Organisation at the Corporate Level

A Report on Nestle Organisation at the Corporate Level This is an evaluation of Nestlà © in 2008 case study from DeWit and Meyer (2010) Strategy: Process, Content and Context 4th Edition. This report evaluates the strategic process of the company and how it strikes a balance between multiple products, structure and corporate goals. The cross-business synergies within the organization were identified, and the corporate mechanisms to leverage the synergies are discussed. It highlights the importance of cross-business synergy initiatives among the business-units within the Nestlà © corporate structure. Based on the integrated organisation and portfolio organization perspective, the future scenarios of Nestle corporate level strategies were outlined. The corporate growth direction of the company was identified in this process. A short Introduction of Nestlà © Organisation With the establishment of Nestlà © by Henri Nestlà © in the mid-1860s in Switzerland, the company has expanded from being a Swiss company to a global brand. Nestlà © is quite everywhere. It has become a household brand name in many countries and has established offices in more than 80 countries. The Nestlà © brand portfolio covers practically all foods and beverage categories: milk and dairy products, nutrition, ice cream, breakfast cereals, coffee and beverages, culinary products, chocolate and confectionery, petcare, bottled water. Many of these brands have category leadership, both globally and in local markets. The best-known global brands include Nescafà ©, Nestea, Maggi, Buitoni, Purina and of course Nestlà © itself. Other brands also sell in many countries for example, Milo, Nesquik, Nespresso, Kit Kat, Smarties, Polo, Friskies, Perrier and Vittel. The total number of brands including local brands reaches into several thousands.  [1]   Nestlà © had gone through several name changes from 1866-1929. Farine Lactee Henri Nestlà © merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. in 1905, and the companys name became Nestlà © Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. In 1929, Peter-Cailler-Kohler Chocolats Suisses S.A. merged with the company. The name was then changed to Nestlà © Anglo-Swiss Holding Co. Ltd, on November 27, 1936. By late 1947, the company name had been changed to Nestlà © Alimentana S.A. through the acquisition of shares of Alimentana S.A. The current name which is Nestle S.A was adopted in 1977. Cross-Business Synergies within Nestle The primary logic behind implementing strategy in a multi business organisation like Nestleà © is to increase the business performance. A business strategy of an organisation is the way it chooses to go about succeeding in its industry. It is simply a process of looking at the range of options a firm can undertake to achieve its stated objectives with high priority to increase corporate performance. For many multi-business firms, cross-business growth is the major lever of growth in their saturated market (Knoll 2008, p. 1). Cross-business synergies is defined as the value that is created and captured, over time, by the sum of the business together relative to what it would be separately (Martin and Eisenhardt 2001, p. 3). The pursuit of synergy is at the heart of the rationale for the existence of a multibusiness corporation (Porter, 1985). The first identified cross-business synergies of Nestlà © is the strong organisation implementation. The strong business performance by Nestlà © in 2008 is as a result of strong organisational effectiveness which dates back in its history. This is very critical to getting organisation strategy right. As stated by Paul Bulke, CEO of Nestlà ©, the Nestlà © 2008 performance reflects its ability to achieve a high level of organic growth. This in a sense is that the systemic arrangements of the company different sections and brands enable its growth which was reflected in the company EBIT margin in 2008. The company operational efficiency was a result of it strong organisation implementation. The EBIT value is useful when comparing various sections (departments) in a multi business company like Nestlà ©. The company policy of rationalising underperforming product lines also serve as one of the major drivers of improved performance. Nestlà © strong organisation implementation has the refore ensured the optimisation of management rules and orderly operation of the company. Another cross-business synergy of Nestlà © is that it engaged in multi-business team decision process. The multi-business teams, certainly in collaboration with the corporate office, are the locus of value creation and identify potential synergy initiatives. It is a form of leveraging in terms of relational resources and strategic alignment. In relation to this, Nestlà © has a dedicated initiative teams overseeing each of the company four growth platforms. The company Popularly Positioned Product (PPP) strategy is one of these platforms with a specific business model which focuses on lower income consumers by offering them high-quality nutritious products at daily affordable prices. Nestlà © Corporate Goal Direction The importance of goals to any organisation cannot be underestimated. Every organisation small or large aims for success and in order for an organisation to become successful it needs clearly defined goals. Nestlà © not only have clearly defined goals, the operational plans of the company meets its strategic plan. The company corporate goal direction is to be the worlds largest and best branded food manufacturer and to ensure products of the highest quality. It is a holistic strategic thinking which the organisation as a system that integrates each part in relationship to the whole. The point is that this approach allows the managers of Nestlà © to employ an advance form of analytical reasoning that ensure creativity. DeWit and Meyer (1998) submits this as generative thinking perspective. In Nestlà ©, however, the creative and logical thinking perspectives are combined. Logical thinking emphasized the ability of managers to critically reflect on the assumptions they hold and to ma ke their tacit beliefs more explicit (Ibid). This in a way ensures creativity which is critical for innovations. The company is a market leader in many product lines such as coffee, milk, chocolate, food seasoning, bottle water and pet food. Its corporate slogan, good food, good life is understandably a slogan that pushes consumers to buy Nestlà © products as it signifies a better and healthier products for consumers. The growth of the company is also been driven by Nestlà © commitment to making better healthier products for its consumers around the world. Nestlà © corporate goal is founded on corporate innovation and knowledge management which involve collecting and utilizing information, innovation and knowledge resources for the realization of corporate objectives of the organisation. This is to achieve the corporate goal of being the world largest and best branded food and confectionaries producer. With the resources at the company disposal, the goal of Nestlà © is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timed. Nestlà © Corporate Management Mechanisms The management responsibility is based on a system of specific individual responsibility for each post. This is reflected in the company corporate business principles, and with specific policies related to each principle. These principles are respected by all employees and their application is monitored and regularly audited. The company strengthen management of rules and regulations through standardization and simplification. There are different levels of management and the company step-by-step according to levels ensure that the management of different sections and brands of the company can be conducted separately. To optimize the management of rules and ensure orderly operation of the company, Nestlà © reach aggregation among the internal control through management system for risk control, management system for product development and innovation, corporate information mechanism (that allows the company to make full use of knowledge resource and improve managing efficiency) and ma nagement system for cost control. All of these make corporate performance better. Accordingly, knowledge based corporate management is the key corporate management mechanism adopted by Nestlà ©. It is basically driven by information system and includes learning process, corporate culture, trust and power relations (Epstein and Manzoni 2006, p. 176). The Nestlà © programme Global Business Excellence (GLOBE) which aims to harmonize and simplify business process architecture through and integrated information system is an example of information system in governing knowledge. The main goal of this programme is to ensure: a best practice that is creating common business processes, establishing best practices for activities such as purchasing, sales forecasting, production planning and customer service; data standardization which is to manage data as a corporate asset. The company has an established common coding system for various items such as raw material and packaging, finished goods, vendors and customer. In order to support best practices and standardization, Ne stlà © has a common information system. The programme also seeks to standardize internal and external databases and to implement a common business process architecture. This provides Nestlà © companies with common guidelines, structures and best practices to integrate operations across the whole organisation and to align organisational strategies with corporate goals (Ibid, p. 177). Nestlà © Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy is essentially what makes the whole company greater than the sum of its business units. The separation of strategic and tactical decision making as argue by Chandler (1962; 1991) is the most efficient corporate organisation as it allows the corporate centre to focus on the destiny of the corporation and allow business units to focus on within business unit operations. Mintzberg puts forward five formal definitions of strategy: plan; ploy; pattern; position; and perspective. Planning is concern with the development of mission or vision of what the company would aim to achieve. The organisation must have a vision of what they want the company to be at a point in future. The pattern has to do with how the strategy unfolds and becomes concrete. If strategy as plan refers to deliberate, intended strategy that may or may not be realised, then strategy as pattern suggests unplanned, emergent strategic patterns or consistencies that are realised despite, or in the ab sence, of intentions (Mintzberg and Waters, 1985 in Graez 2002, p. 456). An integrated organisation strategy is based on overall orientation towards growth and stability. In the case of Nestlà ©, the overall orientation is to be the worlds largest and best branded food manufacturer with the highest quality standard. A company may also focus portfolio corporate strategy, which is a strategy focus on the market that the firm competes in through product line and business units. In fact this is the basic underpinning strategy that drives Nestlà © orientation of producing the world healthiest product. The core principle of Nestlà © is helping consumers to have a balanced healthier diet. For firms to sell successfully to foreign customers requires culturally sensitive adaptations to product services, services, marketing and advertising (Rugman and Collinson 2009, p. 132). In the face of an unpredictable, highly volatile and competitive marketplace, a capacity for innovative, divergent strategic thinking at multiple organisational levels is seen as central to creating and sustaining competitive advantages (Liedtka 1998 in Graez 2002, p. 456). Nestlà © uses both planning scenario and strategic business models. Nestlà © Nutrition, an autonomous unit within Nestlà ©, is responsible for the claim-based business of infant and healthcare Nutrition. This is one of the strategic units of Nestlà © created in order to maintain the company competitiveness. This unit aims at delivering superior business performance by developing and offering consumable nutritious products. The unit in particular would strengthen Nestlà © leadership in this market hence a key element of the company corporate strategy.Michael Porter (1979) came up with four competitive strategies for business. The first strategy is to be the cost leader which means having the lower cost either across the industry or within the industry segment. An example of across the industry cost leader strategy of Nestlà © is its ability to make its entire product available and affordable to consumers regardless of countries. Income disparities exist among countries, so Nestlà © produce and repackage products in line with consumers capacities to purchase if different countries. The cost leader within the industry segment would be Nestlà © making its product to be the cheapest in the entire industry. The second strategy is differentiation, which means having your product better or making your service better and unique among the competition. A company can either differentiate its product/service in the industry or across the industry segment just like the cost leader. An example of having differentiation across the market place is the Nestlà © makes it products to be major healthy products to consume. In fact, Netslà © agreement with LOrà ©al in 2008 is a good example of the company continuous product diversification strategy. In Asia and Africa, Nestlà ©s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets. Eisenhardt and Brown (1998) argue that while, traditionally, strategy was about building long-term defensible positions or sustainable competitive advantage, today strategy must focus on continuous adaptation and improvement and be constantly shifting and evolving in ways that surprise and confound the competition (Eisenhardt and Brown 1998, p. 787 in Graez, F. 2002). The Nestlà © Consumer Communication Principles contain mandatory rules on marketing communication to all consumers, including accurate representation and portrayal of foods in a way that does not encourage over-consumption. Conclusion Nestlà © will continue to remain a competitive global brand for time to come. The structure, organisation and strategy of the company reflect an organisation that is well focus to achieve its stated objectives and goals. As a food, nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlà © has targeted the essential primary motivation for consumer to purchase. More than ever before, consumers are concerned about the nutritional contents of products they consume. Through its global strategic approach, Nestlà © has transformed its organisation to a world recognised leader in nutrition, health and wellness. The company Popularly Positioned Product (PPP) strategy is best for Nestlà © as big portion of their core competence and resources are directed fast growing product and division. As a markets seeker, Nestlà © has the motivation to expand internationally and invest in foreign countries. The organisation knowledge of customers in different contexts has improved its profit margin relative to its competitors.

Ethics Competency

Also, cases Like stealing are hard to report since collecting evidence Is not always easy unless the act is captured by a security camera or another employee witnesses the same situation. 2. Waste My answer to this question was NO, as I feel that waste is hard to be defined and measured. Waste can be as simple as waste of paper, wasting valuable work time where tasks can be performed or wasting resources such as not matching up employee's potentials with the type of work performed. Waste of paper is something very simple and can be quickly corrected by setting up an environmental awareness policy at the workplace.But, waste of valuable work time or resources Is more serious, especially If It affects everyone else on the team (I. E. ) deliverables to the client and would have to be reported to a superior. 3. Mismanagement My answer to this question is YES, as mismanagement might lead to waste of resources and time. This also leads to frustration amidst employees as they might have to repeat a task over and over again due to mismanagement of Information or work long hours due to miscalculation of time.This should be reported to a superior as mismanagement over time leads to economical problems in an organization as more money has to be spent to fix something that should have been done right in the first place. Safety Problems 4. My answer to this question Is YES, as workplace safety Is top portly as It affects the life of employees, productivity of the team and also costs an employer a lot of money in worker's coma and employee's compensation. Workplace safety is very important and needs to be reported as the damages caused by safety issues might involve one or several people and may turn out to be fatal if neglected. . Sexual Harassment and quality of work. Many employees may not report this issue for fear of losing their jobs, but it is important to report such behavior to stop the issue from occurring gain and to protect the overall morale of the team. It is g ood to collect evidence, such as taped conversations or emails so that the person is unable to deny his/her behavior. 6. Unfair Discrimination My answer to this question is YES, as the corporate culture today is very diverse and people from various countries and cultures work together. Unfair discrimination on the basis of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation etc†¦ s very demoralizing and brings down an employee's morale. Unfair discrimination also leads to stereotyping as the group or individual who faces discrimination feels that no matter how good hey perform, it will never be acceptable. Unfair discrimination needs to be reported as it squashes good talent, new ideas and innovation. Good support from superiors above managers is necessary to curb discrimination. It is also helpful to collect evidence in the form of emails or support from other employees who have experienced similar discrimination. Legal Violation and Financial Reporting 7.My answer to both of these is YES, as legal and financial violations both face serious consequences from the Judicial system and the company might incur huge fines as a result of these violations. Companies can even get shut down as a result of legal violations and financial reporting issues and both of these must be taken seriously and reported. Types of Retaliation 1 . Coworkers not associating with person. I have not witnessed this yet as many of us on my current team confide in each other and discuss common issues, we maintain an open dialogue and do not dissociate with a person who brings up an ethical issue.We collectively work and support each other to resolve the issue. 2. Pressure from co-workers to stop complaint. I have personally not witnessed this till date, but have seen it in other cases where there co- workers have persuaded another co-worker to not complain against my boss as several other people who complained before about similar issues were let go. My boss being the director of the departmen t has the support of the UP of our department who can influence HRS decisions even if a person chose to report to HER.It would be nice to have a non biased and approachable person heading the department or a HER manager or UP who was open to review issues. But the key is collect adequate and relevant evidence to support the case. I have witnessed this in work environments where people have been with the organization for a very long time and consider any new hire or entry to be a threat or challenge to their position. Ego, insecurity and narrow mindedness play a key part in this issue, as people feel that though they have done a task inefficiently for several years, it is right as nobody has pointed out otherwise.If a person new to the team points out the inefficiency, egos flare up and hostility begins. 4. Poor performance appraisal. This happened to a co-worker of mine who no longer works for the organization as my boss felt that he was a threat to her position as he was very knowl edgeable and ride to suggest new processes for existing tasks (I. E. ) new ways of doing things more efficiently. His probation was extended during his review stating that he did not complete his tasks on hand in a timely manner, did not communicate effectively etc†¦ Which were all false accusations.He did have adequate evidence to go to HER to report my manager and chose not to come back to an environment of hostility but was well compensated by the company for the entire mental trauma he went through and for the time he spent on the issue. 5. Verbal harassment or intimidation. I did witness this in several situations at different workplaces. In my current workplace (I. E. ) in the case I mentioned in the previous item (#4), my ex-coworker had to put up with verbal harassment from my manager who would snap at him for reasons unknown or would confront him on issues in staff meetings and try to put him down.In another case at a previous workplace, my immediate manager would alwa ys give one of my co-workers a hard time as she was recently promoted to a Project Meg's position but he expected a lot out of her and offered no help to mentor her. He loud constantly criticize her work and would lower her morale with his demoralizing comments. She finally resigned after feeling intimidated and threatened by her superior. This type of issue hampers team work and lowers the teams morale as people get scared to present new ideas for fear of getting shunned or losing their position.Tighter scrutiny of daily work by management, reassignment to a different 6. Job, reassignment to a different Job with less desirable duties and denial of a promotion. I have seen this happen in cases in my current organization when an employee rises to report a manager's unethical actions such as discrimination to higher authorities and the manager indicates hostility towards the employee as the manager is under scrutiny. s run and tries to apply for another position within the company, th e current manager starts getting hostile and indifferent as they consider a person transferring from their department to be an indication of bad management on their part. A simple dialogue and an effort to resolve the issue is all that is required which most managers tend to ignore. As stated in an article published in the Ethics Resource Center (2009) about Enron's downfall: To help avoid the fate of Enron and other companies whose ethics are called into question.

Kitty’s Diary Essay

Dear Diary, My day today proved to be one of the strangest and most revealing in my life. I’ve been speeding forward so rapidly with everything that I’ve barely had a proper chance to stop and look back. My opportunity came today, when apparently Helly was having some ‘family issues’. I know you’re only a book, but you don’t have to be a genius to work out why Loopy sent me to help her instead of Liz. To be honest, Helly helped me just as much as I helped her today. When I first found her in the storage cupboard, she was a right old mess, I tell you, tears streaming down her face like waterfalls, and clutching more tissues than I thought humanely possible. She looked as if she was suffering from a severe fever. Once Helly had settled down (well as far as someone in a state like her could settle down) she explained enough for me to understand the conflict she had going on with ‘Toad-Shoes’. After shifting myself into a near-comfortable position I launched into my Goggle-Eyes story. I realise that the next part may sound a bit vain, but I am really, rather a good story teller. I could tell from the sparkle in Helly’s eyes that she was entranced, and could have happily settled down and listened all day. Actually, she did, almost. A few hours. Close enough. As I recalled the events, they seemed to re-enlighten in my mind; it was as if I was reliving every single minute, but with a completely different attitude to everything. It’s an amazing but queer feeling, to lose yourself in your own story. I could imagine it all in my mind. I thought back, observed my every action, and at the same time telling what I did to Helly, making me feel quite like I was commentating on my own life. My emotions all merged together, what I felt then to what I feel now. Reflecting on it, there are so things I wish I never said, however, I could never really shake off that smug little feeling you get; whenever I did something horrible to a certain someone, my immediate reaction would be embarrassment and a short glance at Helly to make sure she wasn’t as disgusted as I was with my childish actions, but, as I regret to admit, then followed by a small ‘Ha ha’ in my mind. It shocked me (in a good way, don’t worry) how much I’d changed these past few months. Helly’s little dilemma made me realise just how much I just wanted to tell somebody else what I had been through, going from absolutely loathing a disgusting specimen that eyes’ popped out at my mother dressing, to loving someone who had now lightened up everything and made me happy. True, Gerald (see, I’m calling him his proper name now) is blunt, rude, and occasionally makes such bad jokes that it’s slightly worrying, but I guess as time went by I got used to having him around, so used to it in fact that it’s a surprise if he’s not around our house by at least 4pm. I now realise that he was incredibly patient with what nuisance I was causing him. I find it incredible how much I used to hate him, but how I was silly enough not to realise that he was part of my life until it was too late. At the end of my tale (it actually lasted all morning, can you believe it? ), Helly made me realise that I have grown so attached to him, that I can swear on my life I wouldn’t mind if he and mum got married. It’s the complete opposite to what I had said to Gerald when he first walked in, can- Uh oh. Mum’s coming; she’ll kill me if she finds up I’m up this late again writing in you. Better go NOW. Night!

Mike Myers essays

Mike Myers essays You know him as the top secret 60s spy Austin Powers, and as the hilarious Wayne in Waynes World, but who is Mike Myers? Mike was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada on May 25, 1963 and is currently 40 years old. Mike graduated from high school in 1982. Almost immediately after that he was accepted into Torontos Second City Comedy Ensemble but his career really started to take off in 1988 when he joined Saturday Night Live. He worked there for six seasons while he played Dieter and Wayne Campell. Mike is now one of our most beloved Canadian actors. He has done numerous movies, which keep us laughing for hours. Mike has done Waynes World (starring as Wayne), which he received $1,000,000 for and also did the sequel for $3,500,000. He starred in Austin Powers for $3,000,000 and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me for $7,000,000. His newest movie Shrek also paid him $3,000,000 (take in mind this is all in US funds). Now that you know about his career, lets get personal. Mike is the youngest of three sons. He appeared in a TV commercial when he was nine, and on the last day of shooting he cried, so his brothers gave him the nickname sucky baby. Mike met his wife at a hockey game, when she got hit by a puck. It is said he immediately fell for her. He also has three dogs named after famous hockey players. Mike carries a British passport and regards himself as British, due to the fact both his parents; Eric and Alice were British citizens. He took dancing lessons in Toronto. Mike is also a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. I believe Michael Myers is important to Canadian history/culture for many reasons. For one there doesnt happen to be many famous Canadian actors, we have always been second to the US in this field. Mike is also very funny and excellent at what he does and breaks the classic impression of what Canadians act like, say and do. With more people like Mike, it shows ...

Cabaza Del Vaca essays

Cabaza Del Vaca essays Cabeza de Vaca learned to communicate with the Spaniards and also learned to believe in some of their Christian values, including faith healing. The Spaniards learned to live within the culture of the indigenous people, learning to eat those things that were eaten by the local Indians, practice witchcraft, healing, and other rituals. Similar to the indigenous people, Cabeza de Vaca and his followers adapted the style of dress worn by those with whom they were enslaved and later befriended. Cabeza de Vaca no longer sought to find the wealth of the new land but became sympathetic to the Indians, and wanted them to remain free. Cabeza de Vaca did not want the Indians to be captured by other Spanish soldiers. In my opinion, the reason that the Spaniards said, "we must tell lies" was two fold. When they inspected the dying man who was shot with a Spanish musket ball in the last village that was pillaged, looted, and then burned by the Spanish soldiers, Cabeza de Vaca and the others were aware that the Spaniards would not be far away. In an effort to prevent many of the indigenous people being captured and enslaved, Cabeza de Vaca and the others knew the only way the Indian followers would go in a different direction was to pretend that he was cursed with death everywhere that he went. Because the Indians were very superstitious, Cabeza de Vaca knew that he could use this as an excuse to leave the nomadic group he was traveling with without raising much suspicion among the Indians. The Indians believing that Cabeza de Vaca was cursed continued their travels without him. The other men in his exploration party later met up with him later. The second reason that Cabeza de Vaca and his e xpedition followers determined that they must lie was that if they professed to the practices of the rituals of healing and raising people from the dead as prescribed by the Indians through witchcraft or medicine man healing, the Spaniards knew the...

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic - Essay Example Ownership of many airline companies is shifting from government to private hands British Airways (BA) is a leader in airline industry which carries more than 27 millions passengers a year. This company obtains strong market position maintaining high standards of performance. It becomes possible because of improvements and innovation strategy provided by the company recent years. BA delivers scheduled passenger services which accounted for approximately 83% of all its operations. It is flying to over 550 destinations, and a fleet of 340 aircraft. "Its mainline fleet also currently includes 7 Concordes, 71 Boeing 747s, 38 Boeing 777s, 21 Boeing 767s, 48 Boeing 757s, 83 Airbus A318/319/320s in service or on order, and 52 Boeing 737s" (British Airways: Short description 2001). As airline industry becomes mature, BA has focused on market share and how it can be gained. Contracting out of services including aircraft handling, ticketing, baggage handling to third parties are the main difference between BA and other companies. The company employs about 65,157 people. Th e company offers four classes of service: World Traveller (Economy Class) and World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy), Club World (Business Class) and FIRST (First Class) (British Airways: Short description 2001). Virgin Atlantic is also a UK-based company operatin... Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic is also a UK-based company operating on the market since 1982. It attracts its customers by exceptional service and standards. It is the second largest UK carrier and the third largest European airline. The marketing strategy applied by Virgin Atlantic is essentially a matching process between the needs and expectations of customers, and the organization's ability and capacity to satisfy them. For this matching process to take place successfully, Virgin Atlantic understands who is the customer and what value is required, and how best to deliver this value on a sustainable basis in line with the organization's overall corporate objectives. The company proposes three classes of service: Economy, Premium Economy and Upper Class. It invested in development of customer service in order to optimize performance and deliver customer satisfaction. (Virgin Atlantic. Students Information Pack. 2006) Approaches to Marketing Both companies are dynamically evolving entities operating within a dynamically evolving environment influenced by political changes and economic fluctuations: fuel prices, trade union policies and terrorist attacks. For BA and Virgin Atlantic marketing depends upon effective marketing system. Both companies employ different approaches to marketing and a business philosophy to sustain strong position of the market and compete with each other (Johnson, Scholes, 1998). Marketing Mix Product (Service) BA business philosophy includes reward strategies and insensitive schemes for regular passengers with free flights and services. The main target group of BA under this program is Business Class and First Class passengers. In

Strategic Management of Technological Innovation Term Paper

Strategic Management of Technological Innovation - Term Paper Example The main question in strategic management of technological innovation in recent years has been how companies can attain and maintain competitive advantage. In the current economy which is knowledge-based, the endurance of competitive advantage for larger number of companies rests on their ability to constantly create, protect, and deploy their innovations. Virtually all industries across the globe have been faced with heightened need to strategically manage technological innovations in order to endure competitive advantage. Telecommunications industry is one of those industries that have enormously embraced strategic management of technological innovations (White and Garry 12). This paper will focus on the telecommunications industry. Telecommunication industry primarily focuses on products and services that transmit information. This industry provides the world with a global system that touches nearly everyone as it allows people to share their thoughts, interact with one another, a nd conduct business with each other regardless of their location in the world. The sustainability movement has become more and more important for businesses across the world as they face ever-increasing competition and the need to meet and even exceed social, environmental, and economic requirements (White and Garry 19). The sustainability movement in telecommunications industry has gained much prominence in the recent years as researchers and innovators take a whole-systems approach to develop human technologies, lifestyles, and systems that can provide environmentally benign and high quality ways of life to all human beings presently and many generations in the future. The telecommunications industry is characterized by high innovation rates due to fast- changing technological landscape. As a result, the industry is associated with a wide range of sustainability challenges and risks. The industry has been revolutionizing at a rapid rate, especially in the recent decades. This is e videnced by widespread introduction of internet technology, introduction of mobile phones, and recent transition into the using of smart meters and smart phones which has contributed to the rise in the mobile data services (White and Garry 23). The sustainability risks and challenges in the telecommunications industry have been brought about by the following factors: the new technologies that are speedily changing customers’ expectations and requirements; the need for constantly modernizing infrastructure to keep pace with emerging expectations; increased outsourcing of services; increasing demand in mature markets; and fast technological and economic advancement in emerging markets (Schilling 28). Telecommunications industry is one of the biggest, if not the biggest industry in the world. It brings together numerous players who provide products and services that in one way or another facilitates transmission of information around the world. The industry is comprised of commu nications satellite operators, ICT service providers, mobile phone companies, telegraph companies, wireless carriers, internet service providers, telecommunications equipment vendors, and VolP companies among others. The largest company members of the