Case Study the Virgin Group Essay

PROBLEM: * The Virgin Group is so unrelated diversified that it has been criticized by some commentators because it has become an â€Å"endorsement brand that could not always offer real expertise to the businesses which it is associated†. So the real question is â€Å"Can The Virgin Group be good/successful in every business it gets into?† â€Å"Are they really adding a real value to each business/customer? * What will happen if a customer has a bad experience with any of the product lines of the Virgin Brand? Would that influence this customer to never try again another line of this brand? Some commentators have found a big risk with Virgin’s approach stating that: â€Å"The greatest threat is that Virgin Brand may become associated with failure†. Can that be possible? * Richard Branson’s is associated with the Virgin Brand, this sure has been the key to the success of this company, but can also his image fire back toward the Virgin brand if he g ains a bad reputation? What can be the consequences? FACTS: Organizational: * The Virgin Group is one of the UK’s largest private companies. (S) * The Virgin Group included in 2006, 63 businesses such as airlines, health clubs, music stores and trains. Also included Virgin Galactic which promises to take passengers into the sub-orbital space. (S) * The personal image and personality of Richard Branson, the founder of the Group is highly bound up with those of the company. (S ,W) * Branson announced in 2006 his plans to invest $3bn in renewable energy. (S) * Virgin’s partnership with cable company NTL, undertook an expansion into media challenging publicy the way NewsCorp operated in the UK and the effects on British democracy. (S ,W) * Virgin was founded in 1970 as a mail order record business and developed as a private company in music publishing and retailing. (S) * In 1986, Virgin was floated on the stock exchange with a turnover of 362.5 million (Euros). (S) * Branson decided to take the business back into private ownership and the shares were bought back at the original price offer, when the price of the shares began to fall and because of the pressure to create short-term profit. (S ,W) * Virgin’s expansion had often been through joint ventures whereby Virgin provided the brand and its partner provided the majority of the capital. I.e.: For cosmetics and clothing Virgin provided 1,000 (pounds), while its partner Victory Corporation 20m (pounds). (S) * Built business with Virgin Mobile, by forming partnerships with existing wireless operators to sell services under the Virgin brand name. The carrier competences lay in network management. Virgin set out to differentiate itself by offering innovative services. (S) * Virgin has been described as a â€Å"keiretsu† organisation. A structure of loosely linked, autonomous units by self-managed teams that use a common brand name. (S ,W) * Virgin Atlantic, which is owned in 49% by Singapore Airways is one of businesses Branson will never sell, despite of the cyclical nature of this business. He included airline businesses such as Virgin Express (European), Virgin Blue (Australia) and Virgin Nigeria in the group. (S) * Branson has reported about withdrawing from the business which more or less can run by itself now, hoping that his son Sam might become more a of Virgin figurehead. At the same time he launched his initiatives in media and fuel. (W) Environmental: * Branson’s public image and special appearances has contributed to the definition and recognisability of the brand. (O) * Virgin is putting up the Capital for Virgin Fuels and is using the brand to attract the attention to the issues and possibilities that the technology offers. (Different from the other business) (O) * In 2005 announced the establishment of a â€Å"quadruple play† media company providing television, broadband, fixed-lined and mobile communications through the merger of Branson’s UK mobile interests with UK’s two cable companies. (O) * Branson describes Virgin as â€Å"a branded venture capital house†. There was no â€Å"group† as such; Virgin was described as a family rather than a hierarchy. (O) * In 2006 Branson explained the basis upon which he considers opportunities: be global in scope, enhance the brand, be worth doing and have an expectation of a reasonable return on investment. (O) * Branson’s engagement with â€Å"greener† fuels has created a debate on measures to reduce carbon emissions from airplanes. (O) * The public flotation of individual businesses rather than the group as a whole has become an intrinsic part of the â€Å"juggling† of finances that underpins Virgin’s expansion. (T) * Virgin argues that its brand research indicated that people who have had a bad experience will blame that particular Virgin company or product but will be willing to use another Virgin product or service due to the very diversity of the brand. (O , T) * In 2000 Strategic Rail Authority Review voted Virgin Rail on 23rd and 24th place among 25 railway operators what had a great negative impact on Virgin Group overall reputation. (T) Values & Aspirations: * The Virgin name was associated with words such as â€Å"fun†, â€Å"innovative†, â€Å"daring† and â€Å"successful†. It was chosen representing the idea of the company being a virgin in every business it entered. (1) * Establish The Virgin Brand as a major global name. (2) * Virgin won an award for the best wireless operator in the UK. (4) * Branson saw Virgin adding value in the three main ways, aside from the brand: Public relations and marketing skills, its experience with Greenfield start-ups; and Virgin’s understanding of the opportunities presented by â€Å"institutionalized† markets. (3) * Each company is â€Å"ring-fenced†, so no company had no rights over the assets of another; providing not only financial protection, but also to a business ethic aspect. (5) * The increasing conformity between personal interest and business activities could be discerned in the establishment of Virgin Fuels. Branson has stated that by using non-oil-based fuels a Second Gulf War can be prevented. (7) * The line between personal conviction and business interests is everyday more thin. (6) KEY ASSUMPTIONS: * Branson’s taste for his brands of business remains undimmed so will surely continue this way. He has grown his business using the Unrelated Diversification Strategy, which is based in entering new businesses sectors outside the core activities; such as travel, telecommunications, trains, cosmetics. * He will continue investing in â€Å"Green companies† producing ethanol and cellulosic ethanol fuels in competition with the oil industry. He has already started to Go Green, so surely all his companies will follow this new eco-friendly trend. * Branson’s son may be taking the lead of the company in the future. His statements toward leaving the company in the future and let his son take the lead may be to prepare his entire workforce for this moment. * Even though the Virgin Brand is powerful, Branson’s image is strongly related to the company, so if he decides to go, will the next person in charge be able to maintain the same cultural organisation that has identified this company till now? * To be part of the World history, by becoming the most powerful Brand and Company, not only of the UK, but also Europe and make many other businesses in other Continents. * Become a leader of non-oil industry. His high investment in this area confirms his seriousness about this issue. * Continue investing on more R&D in new and innovative technologies in order to expand the company’s position in entertainment and telecommunications market. He is already the leader in the mobile service due to correct strategy and implementation. * Virgin Galactic may become the leading company to send humans to space, making this company be part of the Humankind History. SOLUTIONS: * So far Branson’s strategy has leaded him to success. He must continue making new alliances and also to strengthen the ones that have been made so far. The strategy used by the Virgin Group, based on Unrelated Diversification has been the key element of success of the company. This strategy has created a unique culture and corporate structure needed to build a strong competitive advantage. * The investment of new R&D technologies may make the difference for this company’s future. It has the potential to become a Giant in the IT area. * Continue gaining competitive advantage over the market by identifying themselves as the fun, playful and innovative company they have been so far. This marketing campaign has helped Virgin Brand to gain loyal customers. * Expand the Virgin Brand into new continents. Select another target markets in the Asian and African continents where surely can form alliances with local markets and gain competitive advantage by the strong growth potential.

Foundation and Empire 12. Captain And Mayor

Captain Han Pritcher was unused to the luxury of his surroundings and by no means impressed. As a general thing, he discouraged self-analysis and all forms of philosophy and metaphysics not directly connected with his work. It helped. His work consisted largely of what the War Department called â€Å"intelligence,† the sophisticates, â€Å"espionage,† and the romanticists, â€Å"spy stuff.† And, unfortunately, despite the frothy shrillness of the televisors, â€Å"intelligence,† â€Å"espionage,† and â€Å"spy stuff† are at best a sordid business of routine betrayal and bad faith. It is excused by society since it is in the â€Å"interest of the State,† but since philosophy seemed always to lead Captain Pritcher to the conclusion that even in that holy interest, society is much more easily soothed than one's own conscience – he discouraged philosophy. And now, in the luxury of the mayor's anteroom, his thoughts turned inward despite himself. Men had been promoted over his head continuously, though of lesser ability – that much was admitted. He had withstood an eternal rain of black marks and official reprimands, and survived it. And stubbornly he had held to his own way in the firm belief that insubordination in that same holy â€Å"interest of the State† would yet be recognized for the service it was. So here he was in the anteroom of the mayor-with five soldiers as a respectful guard, and probably a court-martial awaiting him. The heavy, marble doors rolled apart smoothly, silently, revealing satiny walls, a red plastic carpeting, and two more marble doors, metal-inlaid, within. Two officials in the straight-lined costume of three centuries back, stepped out, and called: â€Å"An audience to Captain Han Pritcher of Information.† They stepped back with a ceremonious bow as the captain started forward. His escort stopped at the outer door, and he entered the inner alone. On the other side of the doors, in a large room strangely simple, behind a large desk strangely angular, sat a small man, almost lost in the immensity, Mayor Indbur – successively the third of that name – was the grandson of the first Indbur, who had been brutal and capable; and who had exhibited the first quality in spectacular fashion by his manner of seizing power, and the latter by the skill with which he put an end to the last farcical remnants of free election and the even greater skill with which he maintained a relatively peaceful rule. Mayor Indbur was also the son of the second Indbur, who was the first Mayor of the Foundation to succeed to his post by right of birth – and who was only half his father, for he was merely brutal. So Mayor Indbur was the third of the name and the second to succeed by right of birth, and he was the least of the three, for he was neither brutal nor capable – but merely an excellent bookkeeper born wrong. Indbur the Third was a peculiar combination of ersatz characteristics to all but himself. To him, a stilted geometric love of arrangement was â€Å"system,† an indefatigable and feverish interest in the pettiest facets of day-to-day bureaucracy was â€Å"industry,† indecision when right was â€Å"caution,† and blind stubbornness when wrong, â€Å"determination.† And withal he wasted no money, killed no man needlessly, and meant extremely well. If Captain Pritcher's gloomy thoughts ran along these lines as he remained respectfully in place before the large desk, the wooden arrangement of his features yielded no insight into the fact. He neither coughed, shifted weight, nor shuffled his feet until the thin face of the mayor lifted slowly as the busy stylus ceased in its task of marginal notations, and a sheet of close-printed paper was lifted from one neat stack and placed upon another neat stack. Mayor Indbur clasped his hands carefully before him, deliberately refraining from disturbing the careful arrangement of desk accessories. He said, in acknowledgment, â€Å"Captain Han Pritcher of Information.† And Captain Pritcher in strict obedience to protocol bent one knee nearly to the ground and bowed his head until he heard the words of release. â€Å"Arise, Captain Pritcher!† The mayor said with an air of warm sympathy, â€Å"You are here, Captain Pritcher, because of certain disciplinary action taken against yourself by your superior officer. The papers concerning such action have come, in the ordinary course of events, to my notice, and since no event in the Foundation is of disinterest to me, I took the trouble to ask for further information on your case. You are not, I hope, surprised.† Captain Pritcher said unemotionally, â€Å"Excellence, no. Your justice is proverbial.† â€Å"Is it? Is it?† His tone was pleased, and the tinted contact lenses he wore caught the light in a manner that imparted a hard, dry gleam to his eyes. Meticulously, he fanned out a series of metal-bound folders before him. The parchment sheets within crackled sharply as he turned them, his long finger following down the line as he spoke. â€Å"I have your record here, captain – complete. You are forty-three and have been an Officer of the Armed Forces for seventeen years. You were born in Loris, of Anacreonian parents, no serious childhood diseases, an attack of myo†¦ well, that's of no importance†¦ education, premilitary, at the Academy of Sciences, major, hyper-engines, academic standing†¦ hm-m-m, very good, you are to be congratulated†¦ entered the Army as Under-Officer on the one hundred second day of the 293rd year of the Foundation Era.† He lifted his eyes momentarily as he shifted the first folder, and opened the second. â€Å"You see,† he said, â€Å"in my administration, nothing is left to chance. Order! System!† He lifted a pink, scented jelly-globule to his lips. It was his one vice, and but dolingly indulged in. Witness the fact that the mayor's desk lacked that almost-inevitable atom flash for the disposal of dead tobacco. For the mayor did not smoke. Nor, as a matter of course, did his visitors. The mayor's voice droned on, methodically, slurringly, mumblingly – now and then interspersed with whispered comments of equally mild and equally ineffectual commendation or reproof. Slowly, he replaced the folders as originally, in a single neat pile. â€Å"Well, captain,† he said, briskly, â€Å"your record is unusual. Your ability is outstanding, it would seem, and your services valuable beyond question. I note that you have been wounded in the line of duty twice, and that you have been awarded the Order of Merit for bravery beyond the call of duty. Those are facts not lightly to be minimized.† Captain Pritcher's expressionless face did not soften. He remained stiffly erect. Protocol required that a subject honored by an audience with the mayor may not sit down – a point perhaps needlessly reinforced by the fact that only one chair existed in the room, the one underneath the mayor. Protocol further required no statements other than those needed to answer a direct question. The mayor's eyes bore down hard upon the soldier and his voice grew pointed and heavy. â€Å"However, you have not been promoted in ten years, and your superiors report, over and over again, of the unbending stubbornness of your character. You are reported to be chronically insubordinate, incapable of maintaining a correct attitude towards superior officers, apparently uninterested in maintaining frictionless relationships with your colleagues, and an incurable troublemaker, besides. How do you explain that, captain?† â€Å"Excellence, I do what seems right to me. My deeds on behalf of the State, and my wounds in that cause bear witness that what seems fight to me is also in the interest of the State.† â€Å"A soldierly statement, captain, but a dangerous doctrine. More of that, later. Specifically, you are charged with refusing an assignment three times in the face of orders signed by my legal delegates. What have you to say to that?† â€Å"Excellence, the assignment lacks significance in a critical time, where matters of first importance are being ignored.† â€Å"Ah, and who tells you these matters you speak of are of the first importance at all, and if they are, who tells you further that they are ignored?† â€Å"Excellence, these things are quite evident to me. My experience and my knowledge of events – the value of neither of which my superiors deny – make it plain.† â€Å"But, my good captain, are you blind that you do not see that by arrogating to yourself the right to determine Intelligence policy, you usurp the duties of your superior?† â€Å"Excellence, my duty is primarily to the State, and not to my superior.† â€Å"Fallacious, for your superior has his superior, and that superior is myself, and I am the State. But come, you shall have no cause to complain of this justice of mine that you say is proverbial. State in your own words the nature of the breach in discipline that has brought all this on.† â€Å"Excellence, my duty is primarily to the State, and not to my living the life of a retired merchant mariner upon the world of Kalgan. My instructions were to direct Foundation activity upon the planet, perfect an organization to act as check upon the warlord of Kalgan, particularly as regards his foreign policy.† â€Å"This is known to me. Continue!† â€Å"Excellence, my reports have continually stressed the strategic positions of Kalgan and the systems it controls. I have reported on the ambition of the warlord, his resources, his determination to extend his domain and his essential friendliness – or, perhaps, neutrality – towards the Foundation.† â€Å"I have read your reports thoroughly. Continue!† â€Å"Excellence, I returned two months ago. At that time, there was no sign of impending war; no sign of anything but an almost superfluity of ability to repel any conceivable attack. One month ago, an unknown soldier of fortune took Kalgan without a fight. The man who was once warlord of Kalgan is apparently no longer alive. Men do not speak of treason – they speak only of the power and genius of this strange condottiere – this Mule.† â€Å"This who?† the mayor leaned forward, and looked offended. â€Å"Excellence, he is known as the Mule. He is spoken of little, in a factual sense, but I have gathered the scraps and fragments of knowledge and winnowed out the most probable of them. He is apparently a man of neither birth nor standing. His father, unknown. His mother, dead in childbirth. His upbringing, that of a vagabond. His education, that of the tramp worlds, and the backwash alleys of space. He has no name other than that of the Mule, a name reportedly applied by himself to himself, and signifying, by popular explanation, his immense physical strength, and stubbornness of purpose.† â€Å"What is his military strength, captain? Never mind his physique.† â€Å"Excellence, men speak of huge fleets, but in this they may be influenced by the strange fall of Kalgan. The territory he controls is not large, though its exact limits are not capable of definite determination. Nevertheless, this man must be investigated.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. So! So!† The mayor fell into a reverie, and slowly with twenty-four strokes of his stylus drew six squares in hexagonal arrangements upon the blank top sheet of a pad, which he tore off, folded neatly in three parts and slipped into the wastepaper slot at his right hand. It slid towards a clean and silent atomic disintegration. â€Å"Now then, tell me, captain, what is the alternative? You have told me what ‘must' be investigated. What have you been ordered to investigate?† â€Å"Excellence, there is a rat hole in space that, it seems, does not pay its taxes.† â€Å"Ah, and is that all? You are not aware, and have not been told that these men who do not pay their taxes, are descendants of the wild Traders of our early days – anarchists, rebels, social maniacs who claim Foundation ancestry and deride Foundation culture. You are not aware, and have not been told, that this rat hole in space, is not one, but many; that these rat holes are in greater number than we know; that these rat holes conspire together, one with the other, and all with the criminal elements that still exist throughout Foundation territory. Even here, captain, even here!† The mayor's momentary fire subsided quickly. â€Å"You are not aware, captain?† â€Å"Excellence, I have been told all this. But as servant of the State, I must serve faithfully – and he serves most faithfully who serves Truth. Whatever the political implications of these dregs of the ancient Traders – the warlords who have inherited the splinters of the old Empire have the power. The Traders have neither arms nor resources. They have not even unity. I am not a tax collector to be sent on a child's errand.† â€Å"Captain Pritcher, you are a soldier, and count guns. It is a failing to be allowed you up to the point where it involves disobedience to myself. Take care. My justice is not simply weakness. Captain, it has already been proven that the generals of the Imperial Age and the warlords of the present age are equally impotent against us. Seldon's science which predicts the course of the Foundation is based, not on individual heroism, as you seem to believe, but on the social and economic trends of history. We have passed successfully through four crises already, have we not?† â€Å"Excellence, we have. Yet Seldon's science is known only to Seldon. We ourselves have but faith. In the first three crises, as I have been carefully taught, the Foundation was led by wise leaders who foresaw the nature of the crises and took the proper precautions. Otherwise – who can say?† â€Å"Yes, captain, but you omit the fourth crisis. Come, captain, we had no leadership worthy of the name then, and we faced the cleverest opponent, the heaviest armor, the strongest force of all. Yet we won by the inevitability of history.† â€Å"Excellence, that is true. But this history you mention became inevitable only after we had fought desperately for over a year. The inevitable victory we won cost us half a thousand ships and half a million men. Excellence, Seldon's plan helps those who help themselves.† Mayor Indbur frowned and grew suddenly tired of his patient exposition. It occurred to him that there was a fallacy in condescension, since it was mistaken for permission to argue eternally; to grow contentious; to wallow in dialectic. He said, stiffly, â€Å"Nevertheless, captain, Seldon guarantees victory over the warlords, and I can not, in these busy times, indulge in a dispersal of effort. These Traders you dismiss are Foundation-derived. A war with them would be a civil war. Seldon's plan makes no guarantee there for us – since they and we are Foundation. So they must be brought to heel. You have your orders.† â€Å"Excellence-â€Å" â€Å"You have been asked no question, captain. You have your orders. You will obey those orders. Further argument of any sort with myself or those representing myself will be considered treason. You are excused.† Captain Han Pritcher knelt once more, then left with slow, backward steps. Mayor Indbur, third of his name, and second mayor of Foundation history to be so by fight of birth, recovered his equilibrium, and lifted another sheet of paper from the neat stack at his left. It was a report on the saving of funds due to the reduction of the quantity of metal-foam edging on the uniforms of the police force. Mayor Indbur crossed out a superfluous comma, corrected a misspelling, made three marginal notations, and placed it upon the neat stack at his fight. He lifted another sheet of paper from the neat stack at his left. Captain Han Pritcher of Information found a Personal Capsule waiting for him when he returned to barracks. It contained orders, terse and redly underlined with a stamped â€Å"URGENT†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ across it, and the whole initialed with a precise, capital â€Å"I†. Captain Han Pritcher was ordered to the â€Å"rebel world called Haven† in the strongest terms. Captain Han Pritcher, alone in his light one-man speedster, set his course quietly and calmly for Kalgan. He slept that night the sleep of a successfully stubborn man.

African American Movie Essay

Out of all the great African-American films out there, I decided to write on a film, which is still considered to be a classic to this day, â€Å"Cooley High. † The film takes place in Chicago, 1964, and centers on a group of lower-class black kids, including Preach, a smart student, and his close friend, Cochise, a great athlete who’s on the verge of getting a scholarship. This film has been compared to be the black version of George Lucas’ â€Å"American Graffiti†; the film has a lot of energy and substance to easily overlook that fact. There are many funny moments, including a scene where the boys joyride with Preach behind the wheel; a scene where the boys cut class and head to the zoo, ending with a hilarious encounter with a gorilla; and a scene where Preach hides from some hoodlums in an bathroom that is occupied. There’s also romance in the film, as Preach attempts to woo classy beauty Brenda; the two even lose their virginity together in a truly tasteful scene. The movie ends in tragedy, and since the characters have depth, we feel the loss. â€Å"Cooley High† set the standard for African-American film excellence when it was made. This film plays on various emotions, and you definitely feel for all of the characters. Sure, some of the acting is a little wooden, but fortunately, those parts aren’t pivotal. The music is sensational, with classic songs from Motown and the tearjerker hit single, sang by then Motown’s newest recording artist, G.  C. Cameron â€Å" Its So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday†, which was later released in 1991 by the group Boys II Men, in honor of the movie. Even though â€Å"Cooley High† may not have inspirational or depict a positive role model, it’s a part of my life that brings back memories of just having fun and â€Å"obeying no laws expect for the ones of caring† (Preach). This film is truly a classic from the 70’s until the years to come.

Target Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Target Corporation - Case Study Example After SWOT analysis the report contains analysis of macro environment of the company which includes details about its economy, culture, politics and technology. The overall report is followed by a conclusion stating what has been mentioned and discussed in the report. Introduction Target Corporation, an American retailing company with its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota is among the second largest discount providing retailer after Wal-Mart in United States. It was founded in the year 1902 and characterized as the Dayton Dry Goods Company and also one of the first Target stores which have been opened near Roseville, Minnesota in 1962. It operates 1556 stores in 47 states. Target stores, Mervyn’s and Marshall Field’s were the three main retail divisions of Target which was formerly known as Dayton Hudson Corporation. It offered fashion conscious upscale products at affordable price thus distinguishing itself from competitors. Hudson’s and Marshall’s w ere department stores offering sophisticated costly products to the mooned customers while Target and Mervyn’s offering apparel and recreational items to the budget conscious customers. Target received America’s Corporate Conscience Award in 1989 and contributed over $2 million to the communities where the stores were located (ABOUT, 2012). Target continued to be the biggest money maker of Dayton Hudson’s Corporation in 21st century with a successful business mix of trendy merchandise and easy to navigate quality stores. Fifty expanded Target Great land stores were open in 1990 which was combined by general merchandise mix with grocery store. The Target Guest Card which is the first store credit card was introduced in 1995 which attracted around nine million accounts by 1998. With the growth of Target and being the largest division of Dayton Hudson Corporation the company was then renamed in August 2000 as Target Corporation. In 2002 Target generated 84 percent of fiscal revenue from 1225 stores located in 47 states. In 2010 it was ranked at number 33 in Fortune 500 companies. It is also a component of Standard & Poor’s 500 index. Target Corporation expanded business in Canada in January 2011. By 2013 it plans to operate 100 to 150 stores in Canada (ABOUT, 2012). The mission of Target Corporation is to provide outstanding value, exceptional guest experience through continuous innovation while fulfilling Except More, Pay Less promise and become the preferred shopping destination for guests. Positioning of Target Corporation was based on quality, style, trend and not just pricing. Today Target operates more than 1600 outlets in 47 States which includes grocery shopping, photo processing centers, pharmacies, food avenues, in-store bakery, deli, and meat and production section. Target Corporation used attractive promotional strategies for advertisement and became the second largest discount retailer in United States by 2002. Main compet itors of Target were Wal-Mart and K-Mart. When K-Mart declared bankruptcy the only competitor for Target remains Wal-Mart is one of the retailers which leads the market and industry in terms of sales and size. Target Corporation’s key element of success was its ability of communicating effectively the unique position of company through

Detailed explanations of the IOT (internet of things) and implications Essay

Detailed explanations of the IOT (internet of things) and implications technology - Essay Example This will be made possible through the increased connectivity between the physical items and the virtual world (Mattern & Floerkemeier, 2010). The Internet of Things is not created by a single novel technology. However, it is made up of a variety of technical developments that create the capacity to bridge the existing gap between virtual and physical world. The capacities that would be created include communication and cooperation, addressability, identification, sensing, actuation, embedded information processing, localization and user interfaces (Mattern & Floerkemeier, 2010). The objects through communication and cooperation would have the capabilities to network between each other as well as with the internet sources, and to update their state using data and services. In addressability, the objects have the capacity to be remotely configured and interrogated through effective location and address through discovery. The physical objects will also be uniquely identified. The optically readable bar codes and the Near Field Communication are just a few of the technologies that incapacitate passive objects that lack inbuilt energy resources to be identifiable. With sensing, the objects will be or are equipped with sensors enabling them to collect data, record and interpret it accordingly then forward or reacts to it. They also have actuators for environment manipulation. They have microcontrollers, processors, in addition to storage capacities. By localization, the objects are conscious of their physical locations or better still can be located. With the user interfaces, the objects are able to effectively communicate with people in appropriate and relevant manner. The concept is premised on the trends witnessed towards the end of the 20th century, where there exist gradual advances in communication and information technology, as well as in microelectronics. These changes

Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Young People Essay

Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Young People - Essay Example Many agencies have taken a stand on teen sexual activity teaching abstinence or protection, but the American Social Health Association (ASHA) is a leader in the understanding and prevention of the transmission of STIs in sexually active individuals, especially young people. Not only can information be found on their website, www.ashastd.org but can also be found at their teen oriented site, www.iwannaknow.org. These sites and this agency are bound to the education and prevention of the spread of STIs in the United States and in concert with other non-profit and governmental agencies. ASHA has been working as a non-profit public health agency since 1914. Initially named the American Social Hygiene Association, its first main focus was to prevent the spread of venereal disease in military soldiers fighting in World War I. In the 1920s, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. helped to fund the ASHA mission, and a special fund was used to create the Committee for Research in Syphilis (ASHA, 2009). In the 1930's, 36 states have created local affiliations with ASHA, and help to change the view of venereal diseases from a moral to medical issue (ASHA, 2009). A major milestone occurred in 1947 when the International Union of Venereal Diseases and Treponematoses names ASHA as its American liaison to the United Nations. Even as early as 1956, ASHA took an interest in the growing number of teenagers being infected with the diseases. In the years leading to today, ASHA has not sat back quietly, but has been the rallying force for many studies, prevention training for medical professional s and educational professionals. In essence, ASHA has remained at the forefront with helping those who have questions through hotlines, community centers, and now even the internet (ASHA, 2009). Mission and Vision of ASHA The mission of ASHA has never changed in all the years it has been working for public sexual health. The three person executive staff along with the board of directors ensures the ASHA remains focused on education in and prevention of STIs. The association has four main visions that they work on constantly. The first is the public awareness that is focused on educating, preventing, and the destigmatization of STIs. The second focus is the "patient education and support" which educates patients in aspects of their infections and how to deal with doctors and partners. The third vision health care policies working as advocates for the research and prevention of STIs. The last part of the vision focuses on provider training in the areas of prevention and treatment of STIs (ASHA, 2009). Who Benefits the Most ASHA benefits all that are looking for help or answers to questions. However, the association has taken a strong interest in the youth in relation to the contraction of STIs and how the numbers are growing and have been for the past 40 plus years. Because of this, ASHA has created the www.iwannaknow.org website to make finding answers easy and anonymously by the teens that truly need the

Cezanne's treatment of pictorial depth Assignment

Cezanne's treatment of pictorial depth - Assignment Example The essay "Cezanne's treatment of pictorial depth" concerns the painting of Cezanne. His compositions reveal innovative techniques such as the use of colour and intensity, as well as the interaction between the three-dimensional with the two-dimensional plane of the composition for creating pictorial depth. Important non-traditional elements in his work relate to the use of distortion and flat surfaces in his paintings. Paul Cezanne’s art consisted of steadfast searching and growth, and was not a process of creating masterpieces easily. He struggled with himself and his medium and produced classical works in which he achieved detachment by mastery over chaotic impulses. The restlessness of his early art gave way to Impressionism which guided Cezanne to use nature as his inspiration. The Provencal landscape captivated Cezanne more than any other. During the 1890s, he spent most of his time in Aix, however, making frequent trips to Paris. In the summer of 1896, at a health resor t in Talloires on Lake Annecy, he painted the following composition of the lake seen in Figure 1, â€Å"one of the most impressive of all the landscapes that Cezanne painted outside Provence†. In figure 1. above, of lake Annecy, the water’s surface appears dense and solid, its effect is motionless and tectonic or caused by structural deformation of the earth’s crust, similar to the mountain in the background which appears as an immense solid mass. Before composing this painting, Cezanne absorbed the scene, registering colour sensations.

Cat's Paw Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cat's Paw Theory - Research Paper Example Once the cat burns his paws the monkey runs off with all the chestnuts they had picked up together. Cat’s paw can be defined as a person that uses another person as a tool or dope. This concept was recently used by a judge to make a ruling regarding a human resource issue in courts. A company had fired an employee claiming that the firing was based on bad performance when in reality the motivation was based on discrimination against military personnel. The employee had taken several leaves due to military obligations. The cat paw theory comes in into effect because the supervisors duped the human resource manager into thinking the firing was based on legit reasons when in reality it was based on discrimination. The termination was illegal because it violated the Uniformed Services Employment Rights Act. In order to avoid a ruling against a company based on Theory HR resource managers can take measures to prevent its occurrence. The HR manager should educate himself on all the current anti-discrimination laws and he should ensure that the company’s policies are aligned with the law. Whenever an HR manager is faced with a termination decision the person should never take the word of the supervisor at face value. He is supposed to investigate the situation and eliminate the possibility that the incentive for the termination is based on discriminatory practices. The use of employee evaluations to be performed on a recurrent basis can help an HR manager determine whether the claims of a supervisor are true.

Principles of quality control relating to business management Research Paper

Principles of quality control relating to business management - Research Paper Example There are many employees who at times do not take adequate measures in order to maintain proper quality. Therefore, in this regard, it can be demonstrated that such an attitude may lead to loss of the customers. On the flip side, the competitors may take the advantage of the market needs. It has been viewed that most of flourishing companies have identified the role of the customers-defined quality on the business. As a consequence of this, most of the companies have focused their attention towards the quality standards. The two successful companies that have identified the customer satisfaction as their top most priorities are Honda Motor Company and Ford Motors. Quality Quality is one of the primary aspects that each and every organization aspires to maintain upon their products and offerings. Quality in their offerings can offer an organization with the added competitive advantage. The definition of the factor quality in business management context generally relies upon the positi on of the people defining it. There isn’t any single description of quality. ... It has gained importance as in due course of time organizations have realized that poor quality might result to high costs. The greatest loss to the company can result when the poor standards of quality transpires to discontented customers. This can ultimately result in loss of consumer as well as business. The term quality can be associated to a few other costs. One group of cost is referred to as the cost of quality control whereas the other group of cost can be referred as the prevention and appraisal cost (John Wiley & Sons, â€Å"Total Quality Management†). Quality Control The term quality control can be defined as sequence of the analytical measurements that can be taken for the purpose of judging the quality of the analytical data (SlideShare, â€Å"Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control†). The concepts of quality as well as productivity run side by side to each other. Thus, it is important to comprehend how the consumers measure the quality. It is generally done by recognizing how efficiently the product serves its own purpose. According to the views of the manufacturers, quality can be measured by the extent to which the product executes as per the predefined standards. The task of creation of the quality standards, the production of the goods that meet those standards and the measurement of the finished goods is the task of the quality control. In order to control the quality, the companies must be highly dedicated so as to manage and work in a manner that can assist in building excellence in every aspects of the operation of the organization (Gitman, L. J. & McDaniel, C., â€Å"The Future of Business: The Essentials†). Quality Control in Modern Business The modern business environment can be characterized as highly complex

Racial profiling in NJ and NY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Racial profiling in NJ and NY - Essay Example The allegations on racial profiling continue to provoke debate and partition among members of the communities. Many states have encountered more civil action lawsuits as a consequence of racial profiling allegations. This kind of proceedings is not only costly and time consuming but disruptive to the community and department it serves. Racial profiling is commonly defined as the use of race and used as the â€Å"only† basis for a stop. It is also the exercise of detaining a suspect according to a broad set of criteria which, casts suspicion on the complete class of people lacking of any personal suspicion of the specific person being stopped (Leach, 2001). Durlauf (2005, p 30-31) conducted an assessment on racial profiling and concluded that upon assessment by deontological arguments and/or welfarist, it was known that in traffic stops and searches, general case in support of racial profiling is very weak. The welfarist argument, that reduction of crime rates as far as racial profiling is concerned, has not been proven empirically; studies of race and guilt rates do not identify the prevention effects from the policies. The investigation will explore on the barriers to the citizen complaint system against racial profiling and its corresponding economic costs in Metropolitan Areas of New York and New Jersey. Furthermore, it should provide answers to the following questions: In October 2000 (Leach, 2004), Senator Gormley, announced that the review of racial profiling shall be conducted. The said Committees examined several issues like organizational and cultural issues confronting the Department of Law & Public Safety as well as the NJSP Part of this proposed reform is motivated by the fact, in which CAD or Computer Aided Dispatch System, the RMS or Records Management System as well as the MAPPS or Management Awareness Personnel Performance System (MAPPS) In addition, Durlauf (2001) stated that there is no good justification to believe

Argumentive Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Argumentive Evaluation - Essay Example This paper will critically evaluate how the author built his argument, his tone, mood, purpose for his argument and describe his audience. Stoll (248) argues that giving glitzy gadgets to a child who cannot read or write in class is of no good. He claims that is more painful to direct little children to computer screens than making them read a few pages of a book. However, the author fails to understand that introducing a child to technology at an early age prepares him/her for the modern world that is driven by technology day by day. It is easier to introduce technology to children because they learn faster than adults; thus, teaching them how to use computers even if they can hardly read or write gives them a chance to learn other things such as games, which is more fun than forcing them to read a page in a book. The author Stoll (248) also argues that teaching machines drive students away from reading and writing and even prevent them from attaining scholarships. This is because c omputers take the ability of students to understand questions before writing answers; thus, they substitute the ability of students to reflect and think critically, which involves originality, concentration and intention. Nevertheless, the author is hasty in concluding that computers substitute the ability of students to think critically. Computers do not provide straight forward answers to all questions. This means that students who use computers are required to read and understand the content provided in the computer so that they can choose the best in order to make their own conclusions. Thus, a lot of understanding and critical thinking is required. Moreover, the students are likely to have more fun while searching for information in computers than spending painful hours in the library reading many books. Hence, technology makes learning fun and effortless. As stated by Stoll (248), technology encourages intellectual passivity. He argues that students are likely to focus more on having fun than learning. As a result, they develop inability to exercise patience, persistence, and attentiveness. However, the author fails to explain how students develop distaste for these inabilities by using technology to learn. On the contrary, students are able to exercise patient, attentiveness and persistence when using technology. This is because for them to understand what they are doing they need to be patient and pay attention to the instructions given by their teachers. Moreover, Stoll (248) argues that taking learning as fun cheapens the process of learning and the product. This means that by integrating fun into learning, teachers no longer focus on teaching but entertaining students, which results in poor quality of education. The students also focus more on having fun than learning and scholarships lose their meaning. However, this is not true. This is because if teachers would focus only on teaching, the students would likely to get bored with time. The truth is that everybody gets bored with routine and especially being in a classroom all day without any form of entertainment. If students get bored in class, they may not understand anything that the teacher says. For this reason, incorporating fun in the learning systems makes the learning process even more fun and the students develop more interest in learning; hence, the improving the

Hcl Project Report Essay Example for Free

Hcl Project Report Essay Before I begin my documentation I must thank all the people behind the successful completion of my project. I am especially thankful to my industry guide Mr. Vinod Rai for his valuable and enlightened guidance. I am highly grateful to him for providing me an opportunity to undergo the project in his presence. Despite his hectic schedule he showed a keen interest in my research and helped a lot in broadening my vision for the topic. My thanks again go to him for providing me all the required help to compile the data and other information to materialize the study. I am also grateful to my faculty mentor Mr. Tarun Kumar Vashisth for his guidance and kind support throughout the project. I must also not forget to mention the names of people in the organization who pumped me with immense confidence and support without which it would have been impossible to complete the project, hence with warm regards I would like to thank Mr. Sunil Bhatt Mr. Shammi S. Bhatia Ms. Priyanka Ms. Parbhaker PREFACE This project is based on the study of working capital management in HCL Infosystems. An insight view of the project will encompass – what it is all about, what it aims to achieve, what is its purpose and scope, the various methods used for collecting data and their sources, including literature survey done, further specifying the limitations of our study and in the last, drawing inferences from the learning so far. HCL Infosystems Limited (HCL) is a leading domestic computer hardware services company. HCL is engaged in selling manufactured (like PCs, servers, monitors and peripherals) and traded hardware (like notebooks, peripherals) to institutional clients as well as in retail segment. It also offers hardware support services to existing clients through annual maintenance contracts, network consulting and facilities management. The working capital management refers to the management of working capital, or precisely to the management of current assets. A firm’s working capital consists of its investments in current assets, which includes short-term assets— cash and bank balance, inventories, receivable and marketable securities. This project tries to evaluate how the management of working capital is done in HCL Infosystems through inventory ratios, working capital ratios, trends, computation of cash, Inventory and working capital, and short term financing. DECLARATION I Ajay hereby declare that research project submitted to punjabi university, patiala in partial fulfillment of the degree of BBA on Working Capital is the result of my own hard work under continues guidance of Mr. Vinod Rai , HCL CDC Chandigarh.

Review Of Thomas Paines Argument History Essay

Review Of Thomas Paines Argument History Essay Thomas Paine begins his pamphlet, Common Sense, by asserting that government is a necessary evil that is a part of society. Paine goes further in depth with his analysis for the need of government by criticizing Britains government. He believes that there is a less of two evils in terms of government and Britains government is the more evil one. He strongly disagrees with Britains monarchy and their complex government. He states that their government is corrupt and unjust and that their immoral way of governing is affecting the lives of colonists through unfair taxes and mistreatment. Paine argues that America needs to strive for absolute independence because no country will be able to mediate the dispute between America and Britain as long as America is seen as a part of Britain. Nor will any country help America if they think that their help will be used by America to reconcile with Britain in the future. By declaring independence, America could begin to gain the benefits of allian ces and trade as well. By gaining complete independence from Britain will America truly be free from wrongful taxes and exploitation. Paine makes it clear that he is not fond of government. For Paine, living without government is perceived as being ideal. Paine sees the idea of government even in its best state as a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one (Paine 3). He believes a governments existence is justified only to the extent that it mitigates problems between civil disputes. Other than ending civil quarrels, Paine believes that a governments purpose is to restrain our vices (3) and act solely as a punisher (3). Paine presents government as an institution whose function is to restrain the evil in man. If people were to act morally, government would not be necessary. However, since people are capable of committing sins, government is necessary for the protection of life and property. Governments fundamental purpose, therefore, is to provide security. If a government fails to improve society than it is not worth keeping or at the very least should be reformed. Common Sense  attacks Britains monarchy and all that comes with it. Paine presents his specific problems with the British monarchy, with his attack on hereditary succession and with the numerous complaints he makes against the king. In a country, where they believe all men are created equal Paine criticizes Britain for having kings, essentially being hypocrites. The idea of kings originates from the Bible when the Jews asked the prophet, Samuel, for a king. Samuel warned the Jews of the outcomes of having a king but the people did not listen. Therefore, Paine believes that the origin of a king comes from sin. Kings and the idea of sin might not be as important in todays society but including the argument of kings and religion in his pamphlet made a more significant impact on readers in Paines generation because they were strict on religion. Even in biblical times, kings were reasonable positions although they were viewed as coming from sin. Kings back then were often generals or ju dges; however, in England, a man would be puzzled to know what is his business (16). Paine is saying that there is no real reason to have a king because we have generals and judges; therefore the duties of a king are meaningless. Paine adds that hereditary succession of kings brings other evils. For example, people who see themselves as born into an elite existence are often ignorant and unfit (15). Paine believes that a king should not exist within a government because the king has too much power and their touch with society is lost. Lastly, Paine opposes the theory that hereditary succession reduces civil wars. At least nineteen rebellions and eight civil wars broke out in Britains past. Paine concludes that monarchy and hereditary succession have produced nothing besides a wrongful government and bloodshed. Paine argues that America will eventually be independent. Since many people in Paines time are uncertain about the idea of a  revolution, it is important to establish the grounds for American independence. He establishes American independence as being a necessity, not a choice, in order to escape from taxes. By convincing his audience that America will be independent some day, it is much easier for Paine to make the case for an immediate and full rebellion. Paine states clearly that America will, in the end, separate from Britain. It is not a matter of if, but when they will separate. Paine says the ideal time to separate from Britain is now. Paine states if the British continue to rule in America the country will weaken. Paine persuades his readers by stating that America has a large number of able men ready to retaliate. Additionally, Paine argues, the colonies are small enough to be united. If the colonists allow too much time to pass by, more and more people will flock to Ameri ca. With more people, Paine believes, it will be more difficult to work with everyone and organize a full rebellion. Another key point in Paines argument comes from the scenario if America were to make peace with Britain. Paine argues that if America was to repair relations with Britain, the problems they presently face will come back and begin an endless cycle. A cycle where America and Britain reconcile and then Britain breaks their part of the agreement by creating some other absurd taxes. The new taxes that would be imposed would interfere with the colonists lives. Paine supports his argument by pointing out the history of colonial relations with Britain, especially the events surrounding the Stamp Act. Paine references the Stamp Act of 1765, where Parliament imposed taxes on a variety of printed materials. After the colonists protested, Britain revoked the tax. However, by 1767, Parliament imposed a new round of taxes on a large range of goods in the colonies. These taxes are just an endless cycle that will continue to occur, unless America just ceases all relations with Britain. One of the key problems that had colonists doubting revolution was the British Navy. Even though, Britain appeared to be an all-powerful world empire, many could simply not believe the idea that the colonies could break free of the worlds largest empire. The colonists knew that the British Navy was one the strongest, if not strongest, naval forces of their time. Paine addresses this problem by stating that America can raise a navy of their own that will match up or even surpass the British Navy. He explains that this is possible because America currently has no national debt and can afford to construct a navy. Paine presents calculations, done by Mr. Burchett, Secretary to the navy, that show the cost of around 3,500,000 pound sterlings to build a navy. Paine shows with detailed calculations that the colonists could build a navy to rival Britain. Furthermore, Paine also adds that America has all the natural resources, such as tar, timber, iron, and cordage, (36) to construct a navy. Paine explains that it would cost even less because there are raw materials and natural resources conveniently available to them. By laying out a detailed plan of how America could build a navy to rival Britains, Paine makes a more convincing case that America can do what many would consider impossible. Another significant argument that Paine makes, in regards to the navy, is that Americas coasts are unprotected and vulnerable. Paine writes, The more sea port towns we had, the more should we have both to defend and to lose (34). By raising a navy it would both further expand business and trade of America and provide defense for their shores. In addition, Paine writes that the British Navy is too busy patrolling various colonies of the Empire, and that an American navy would need only concern itself with protecting their own coast. Paine concludes by stating, to expend millions for the sake of getting a few vile acts repealed, and routing the present ministry only, is unworthy the charge (34). Paine says that the cost of the war is justified if the result is complete freedom. However, Paine believes that it is not worth putting up a struggle if it is simply to repeal some tax laws. Paine wants absolute independence, and nothing less. There are counter-arguments that Britain protected America from the French and Indian; therefore, the colonists should be grateful. However, Paine points out the Britain only protected America for its own financial reasons. Britain did not protect America out of concern for the colonists. Furthermore, if America had not been a part of Britain in the first place, they would never have needed the protection. It is because America was a colony of Britain that they needed protection. Another counter-argument that Paine addresses is being of British descent. Paine argues that being of British descent does not matter. He uses an analogy that Britains population is made up by French. However, unlike the colonists, the French that live in Britain are not forced to pay French taxes while living in Britain. Paine uses this analogy to criticize the taxes imposed on America by Britain. If the British themselves do not pay taxes for the French, the colonists have the right not to pay either. Common Sense plays a pivotal role in the American Revolution because it forges the attitude of Americans. Common Sense is easy to comprehend, and that is Paines goal. He presents these arguments so that the common man is able to understand. He stresses that the time for independence is now and presents strong arguments as to why the time is now. With the importance of raising a navy and pointing out the corrupt government Britain has America under, Paine illustrates that independence is Americas top priority. Until America declare independence from Britain, the colonists will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, yet knows it must be done, hates to set about it, wishes it over, and is continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity (44). Paine could not have explained the importance of haste for independence any better.

Impact of Remuneration to Motivate Employees

Impact of Remuneration to Motivate Employees This dissertation is based on a concept of human resource management, which is an important aspect for the success of the firm. The research topic of this dissertation is Investigate the impact of Remuneration to motivate employees in the Fast Food Industry: A Case Study of McDonalds. Remuneration is one of the main tools to appraise the performances of the employees, which ultimately motivates them to work with zeal and enthusiasm. This topic is mainly focused that managers uses remuneration as a tool of motivation. Case study of McDonalds will help to evaluate the importance of remuneration as an important tool for managers to motivate employees. Introduction Remuneration is directly or indirectly one of the mainsprings of the motivation in the society. A well defined compensation system leads to motivate the employees, which further leads to increase productivity (Chi and Han 2008). This research study mainly focuses on the relationship between remuneration and motivation. Yermack (2004) has asserted in his study that all the business organizations act like a profit maximization institution, so they put their efforts to improve performance of its employees by motivating them. This motivation ultimately helps the organizations to increase productivity level. Work motivation is interrelated with job satisfaction. Money often is looked upon as a means of fulfilling the most basic needs of man. These needs are made available through the purchasing power provided by monetary income: remuneration and salary of individual (Stajkovic and Luthans 2003). According to different motivation theories, such as Maslows Need Hierarchy, Two factor theory given by Herzbergs, McGregors theory X and theory Y, Achievement Theory, Taylors Motivational Theory, etc. Money is one of the main sources to persuade the behaviour of an individual towards his organization and work productivity (Wheeler 2008). Thus, it is necessary for the corporate executives or managers to be aware with the economical and social background of employees to offer good remunerations as per their talent and skills and motivate them to work. The general meaning of remuneration is the basic salary or pay of an employee, but in the broader sense, remuneration comprises salary, fringe benefits, compensation, bonus, commissions, employee stock op tion, etc. (Guedri and Hollandts 2008). In the current business scenario, managing and motivating human resources has become a complicated task. In this highly changing and competitive environment, remuneration is one of the main tools for the manager to improve the productivity of the employees, to attract competent personnel, to retain present employees, to reduce the rate of absents and employee turnover, to manage job sequences, to strengthen union management relationships, to improve public image of the company, etc. (Perry, Mesch and Paarlberg 2006). This research study would target the remuneration procedure in fast food industry of the United States of America, by using McDonalds, worlds number one fast food restaurant. Presently, the structure of fast food industry has become complicated and its success is mainly dependent upon the qualified and talented employees, who are able to understand the changing needs and requirements of the customers. Competitive pressure and environmental changes has increased the importance of motivational practices for managers to boost the performance of the employees. This dissertation will focus on the issue that how managers of McDonalds use remuneration practices to motivate the employees and creating competitive advantages in the industry. Additionally, this dissertation will also discuss the interrelationship between remuneration and motivation with the help of different motivation theories. Research Aims and Objectives During this research work, the researcher would examine the need and importance of motivation tools for the managers and how remuneration would help the managers to motivate employees in McDonalds. The main objectives, which are coming out of this research, are as follow: ? The foremost objective of this dissertation is to identify the impact of remuneration practices on the performance of the employees in the fast food industry. ? Second objective of this research study is to identify the relationship between remuneration and motivation, on the basis of different motivational theories. ? Next objective is to understand the remuneration practices and procedures used by managers in McDonalds to motivate the employees. ? Another objective of this research dissertation is to compare performances of employees in McDonalds with its rival companies to identify the importance of and advantages remuneration to motivate the employees. ? Additionally, suggesting different strategies and practices to compensate employees as per remuneration act is also one of the main objectives of this study. Background Information McDonalds is one of the biggest fast food family restaurants, which operates in more than 120 countries and serve more than 47 million customers in a day (McDonalds: About Company, 2010). It doles out some of the favourite foods all around the world like World Famous French Fries, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets and Egg McMuffin. Success of the firm is highly dependent upon its HRM practices and efforts put by its managers and employees. All the HR policies of the companies are defined very clearly for the benefit of all stakeholders. The main aim of the HRM department of the company is to offer best services to the customers by ensuring that the company has skilled, motivated and committed employees. Remuneration practices used by the firm are also very good and effective and based on various motivational theories. Remuneration is not a new concept for the business organizations. In the corporate world, all the members from owner to lower level employees work for money. Not only in MNCs but also in small shops, everybody wants high remuneration and financial incentives to fulfil their basic needs, thus, it is necessary to work hard to improve the productivity of the employees and earn more money (Yermack 2004). Corporate world has become competitive, in this concern, top executive and managers uses management practices and motivational theories to enhance the skills and productivity of the employees and earn high money. Thus, fair remuneration practise are used by the managers. This creates a feeling of satisfaction among employees to fulfil their needs (Chi and Han 2008). According to the assumptions of motivation, compensation and incentive is direct tool to motivate employees. Managers in McDonalds have taken a complete overview of this concept and motivate employees by offering good remuneration and performance incentives. Presently, companies are following the system of paying for performance. Qualification and experience are also important but work performance enables employees to get good remuneration (Perry, Mesch and Paarlberg 2006). For example, if a marketing manager is highly qualified but he is not able to conduct a market research effectively and his working output is very low, company would not give a high remuneration and other financial incentives to him. On the other hand, if a sales executive has average qualification and he serve more number of customers by showing his abilities and maintaining good relations with them; he would be definitely promoted by the company and would get monetary rewards also (Wheeler 2008). Thus, it is very clear that money matters for all the employees, whether they are at high position or belongs to middle and lower levels. Remuneration requires by all the employees to fulfil their basic needs and non-monetary and monetary rewards and compensation are also given by the firm to develop job satisfaction and control the rate of employee turnover (Guedri and Hollandts 2008). Thus, this research study would focus on McDonalds, which has effective HR and compensation policies to pay its employees and motivate them to put their best efforts to achieve the goals and objectives of the firm. Literature Review Motivation is a process to push employees towards some work in order to satisfy a need. Most of people work to reach some specified goals. It is the reason that motivation is goal-directed drive that causes to person to act. Mathis and Jackson (2008) defined that need, desire; want and drive all are similar to motivation. They described that understanding of motivation is important for organizations as reaction to compensation. Compensation and motivation are directly proportional to each other (Ajila and Abiola 2004). Performance of employees, rate of absenteeism and turnover are affected by motivation and remuneration and also influenced to motivation. Managers can use different motivational tools to motivate their employees and remuneration is one of main tools among all of them. Remuneration can be defined as the monetary motivation tool that influences the behaviour of employees towards work (Armstrong, Murlis and Group 2007). In the words of Perry, Mesch and Paarlberg (2006) each employee should receive a general compensation for their efforts, role and responsibilities followed by him in the company. Before deciding a form and amount of remuneration, several considerations are there such as general economic climate, specific business condition, cost-of living and worker qualification and productivity that a firm must consider (Carraher 2011). Different authors described about the relationship between remuneration and motivation. In order to support this relationship, Mathis and Jackson (2008) stated that remuneration is different from motivation and it is related with Herzbergs hygiene factors. Remuneration includes several th ings such as bonuses, commission, salary, fringe benefits such as pensions, holiday entitlement. The study of Chapman and Kelliher (2011) represent that employees motivation does not only come from decision mix (amount of pay) of an organization policy but also it comes from the understanding of individuals. The remuneration of an employee depends on several factors such as basic needs, psychological needs, social needs, performance of individual, productivity, profitability return, etc. (Khan, Farooq and Ullahb 2010). In favour of this, Kmiotek and Lewicka (2008) stated that effective motivation does not only involves proper implementation of remuneration policy but also involves some other motivators such as organization of work, HR development and training, performance management tools, performance appraisal, etc. According to the HR experts, creation of effective reward system is necessary to motivate employees but there is a need of good and enthusiastic managers, who can drive people towards good performance. In order to create an effective motivation process, it is necessary that there should be an appropriate remuneration policy for employees (Kubr 2002). According to Ajila and Abiola (2004) there are two types of rewards such as intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards are related with the rewards that are natural with job. This reward is achieved by individuals when they successfully achieve their own objectives. On the other hand, extrinsic rewards are outside the job such as working condition, security, promotion, working environment and service contact. Presently, in order to motivate employees, both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards should be a part of remuneration policy. It is also well discussed that individuals effectively work to the extent for the job, which provides them remuneration if they are intrinsically motivated. In contrast to this, if people are extrinsically motivated, they effectively work to the extent by which they can attain external rewards from the job (Chapman and Kelliher 2011). Thus, it can be concluded that if the remuneration is intrinsic to the job, desire for motivation is also intrinsic or if the remuneration is extrinsic to the job, desire for motivation is also extrinsic to the job (Ajila and Abiola 2004). Perry, Mesch and Paarlberg (2006) stated in their research study that in this new government era, in order to increase the performance and productivity of the employees, managers should adopt good remuneration policies. This will ultimately help the business organizations to offer quality services and products to the customers (Maxwell 2008). It is the reason that most of employers now use remuneration policies to attract, motivate, retain and satisfy employees. It is founded through different research that performance-based remuneration motivates employees to work hard (Ajila and Abiola 2004). The study of Khan, Farooq and Ullahb (2010) support the arguments of Ajila and Abiola (2004) and said that in an effective rewards system, there are several factors that influences the performance of employees such as basic remuneration, bonus, incentives, fringe benefits, monetary and non monetary rewards, commission, etc. All these factors are good sources to boost the performance of the employees. Carraher (2011) defined that remuneration helps in developing strong relationship between employers and employees. It is founded by researchers that employees motivate through different monetary remuneration and an effective remuneration helps in reducing absenteeism, turnover intentions, provides organizational attractiveness to different job seekers and also helps in increasing employees job performance (Kmiotek and Lewicka 2008). It has been stated by Guedri and Hollandts (2008) in their study that managers in different organizations consider remuneration as a major factor that helps in increasing productivity of employees. Remuneration is an important tool that focuses on motivating employees performance and behaviour. The study of Employee retention and organizational performance (2011) also support the views of Carraher (2011) and asserted, it is necessary that there must be appropriate rewards in order to satisfy and motivate employees. In contrast to both Carraher (2011) and Employee retention and organizational performance (2011), Mathis and Jackson (2008) said that other factors such as job itself, participation, appropriate feedbacks, morale and discipline are more important than remuneration that impact on remuneration. According to Blythe (2005), in the present competitive environment, job satisfaction is more important than money, thus, manager should concentrate on all non-monetary factors, promotions, health insurance, rewards systems, etc. Zyl (2010) has stated in his research study that there is a positive relation between labour productivity and employee remuneration, which is also supported by Carraher (2011). It is the reason that greater the employee remuneration, higher the level of labour productivity. Several reasons support this fact such as if an organization adopts more differentiate remuneration, it will enhance the human efforts and a higher remuneration structure also enhances the productivity of employees (Montana and Charnov 2008). At the same time Zyl (2010) also assesrted that if gaps between employee remuneration is regularly increase, it would ultimately increases gap and convert positive relations between employees performance and remuneration into negative. There are several reasons such as if it is filled by employees that their real remuneration is less than the fair remuneration, it can cause for negative relationship. Kubr (2002) Stated that an effective remuneration system does not only enhance the performance of people, who are already working well but also it is used to enhances the performance of people who are not performing well. Remuneration play an important role in motivating employees but different employees motivate through different factors. An effective remuneration package includes several elements. These elements are as below: First, element is salary that includes different things such as pay, commission, profit related pay and share dividends. Second element is related with different facilities such as insurance, healthcare schemes and pension. Other elements are availability of discounts on companies product and service for employees and subsidiary for meals and accommodation (Kubr 2002). Salais and Villeneuve (2004) support, Kubr (2002) and said that remuneration is a better tool to motivate employees for better performance. There are three basic remuneration components such as bonuses, basic pay and profit-sharing schemes that influence the performance of employees. Armstrong, Murlis and Group (2007) described about the effectiveness of remuneration as a mean of motivation such as: ? In order to motivate employees through remuneration, it is necessary that remuneration should be equitable and externally competitive. ? Contribution systems and pay for performance system are created on the basis and understanding that directs that motivation is only takes place when the rewards are worthwhile. ? Each employee understands about the workings of financial reward system and about the benefits that is provided by it. They also know about the skills and competences of remuneration system (Murlis and Hay Group 2007). In the fast food industry, remuneration is an important part that managers use to motivate employees and enhance their productivity level. In contrast to this statement Schlosser (2001) defined that if there are lack of secure employment and good wages in fast food organization, managers use team spirit in order to motivate employees by saying that, if one employee is arriving late and do not work hard, it also affects the performance of their friends as well as their co-workers. It also helps in motivating employees, so that they can improve their performance. It has been also defined that employees work only to increase their profits and this is the reason that if organizations provide more remuneration to the employees, it helps in generating more output (Wales and Reaich 2004). Development of an employee is directly proportional to the development of the organization. If the remuneration is directly related with work performance, employee will work hard. It is the reason that most of managers use remuneration to motivate employees. Managers clearly stated in their organizations policies that if employees work hard they can earn higher profits and it is the reason that employees are motivated through this policy. Good return and high profit will allow the organizations to hare the profit with employees, thus they should work hard to get good remuneration (Yermack 2004). Zyl (2010) has been also found in their research that if employees are motivated through remuneration, there are two positive effects of this such as it helps in reducing the labour turnover from organizations and it also helps in enhancing the more salary and good working environment. Thus, it is fact that it helps in generating a productive team of efficient and talented people for the enterprise (Wales and Reaich 2004). According to them remuneration as a managerial tool to motivate employees is important for several reasons. These reasons are as below: ? Remuneration is a tool to impartial measurement of different employees. It is because if employees get more facility instead of money, it does not motivate employees to work harder. ? With the increment in salary, employees can maintain their honour, prestige and ensure economic security (Wales and Reaich 2004). ? They also argued that remuneration is a more efficient motivating factor as it can easily increase or decrease according to the proportion of work. ? Remuneration also helps in increasing the self-confidence of employees that further helps in improving the standard of living (Wales and Reaich 2004). Thus, finally it has been concluded in many research studies that remuneration is an important tool that several managers use to increase the performance of their employees. Justification of the Study This research study has its own significance to understand importance of remuneration for the business firms to improve the performances of employees and for the individuals to fulfil their desires. Although this research topic is related with the HRM but it has a broad significance in the society. Remuneration means salary and pay that is paid by employers to its employees. Money is the foremost sources for the well living of individuals, which help them to fulfil their basic needs. Presently, innovations and changes in the economical, social and technological environment have enhanced the living standard of individuals (Mathis and Jackson 2008). Money allows them to enjoy a lavish life and raise their social standard, thus, this research topic is very much beneficial for the managers to understand that how remuneration practices enables them to motivate employees to work with zeal and enthusiasm. The main reason behind selecting the fast food industry and McDonalds is the popularity. Growth and success of fast food industry attract individuals to earn good remuneration. McDonalds provide good remuneration to its employees, who develop high level of job satisfaction among the employees; thus, this example would provide valid and true information. Although job satisfaction and enrichment is also important for the development of the employees, but money has also its own importance. This research study would be beneficial for all kinds of firms such as international, MNCs, small and medium size firms, to improve the productivity of the employees. Managers would also able to understand the significance of remuneration tool to boost the morale of employees and motivate them to achieve the goals on time. Research methodology Research methodology can be discussed as a systematic process, which assists researchers to collect, organize, record, and evaluate the data and information to resolve the problem and draw a valid and reliable conclusion (Bordens 2006). Selection of research methodology is a significant task for the researcher. In order to select suitable methodology, firstly, researcher would use appropriate approach. Research Approach: There are mainly two kinds of research approaches inductive and deductive. Inductive Research Approach: In this kind of research, theories are developed according to the situation or problem (Crowther and Lancaster 2008). All these theories enable the researcher to explain data and information. This is very flexible in nature and based on bottom up approach. In this kind of approach, researcher evaluates a main concept and generalizes this view as per the research problem. It is related to the interpretivism point of view (Gill and Johnson 2002). On the other hand, this kind of research approach also involves some extent of uncertainty. Deductive Research Approach: Deductive research approach is mainly based on the positivism paradigm. In this kind of approach, research develops theories and hypothesis and tests these theories with the help of empirical observations. This approach is top to bottom approach in which researcher evaluates general views to reach at specific situation (Hyde 2000). The suitable research approach for this study would be inductive because this research focuses on the specific areas of human resource management, which are remuneration and employees motivation. Both of these concepts have their own significance in the success of a company as well as individuals. Thus, this research approach is more appropriate to explore the effectiveness of remuneration to motivate the employees and improve their productivity (Burke 2007). Deductive research approach would not be used because HRM has not given any kind of theory to defined remuneration. Basically, this is a pay given by companies to the employees for their job performance that can be used to develop a hypothesis for the research study. Appropriate Research Methodology: There are numerous research methodologies such as theoretical, applied, analytical, descriptive and empirical. Selection of research methodology would be based on the nature of research problem. In order to select the appropriate research method, it is essential to understand the nature of the research problem. The suitable research methodology for this research topic would be descriptive and applied research methodology. The main reason behind choosing this methodology is its advantage of identifying population characteristics (number of employees to collect primary data) in McDonalds to understand the impotence of remuneration to motivate employees and develop feeling of job satisfaction among them. It is a flexible methodology in which researcher uses several variables and lot of information to solve the problem or to achieve research objectives. It has flexible nature, which comprises both qualitative and quantitative research process (Cooper and Schindler 2007). We are not using other research methodologies because they are not appropriate for this study. In theoretical research, there is lack of experimental analysis and in analytical research there is a restriction of theoretical background (Goddard and Melville 2004). On the other hand, empirical research methodology is highly based on observation and field data rather than theoretical. Thus all these methodologies are not well appropriate for this study. In descriptive and applied research methodologies, the research got a chance to use both concepts and observational method. Both of these methods are also beneficial to manage cost and time (Marczyk, DeMatteo and Festinger 2005). Data Collection Method to collect Primary and Secondary Data: After deciding research approaches and methodologies, appropriate data collection method would also be selected. In order to investigate impact of remuneration and different motivational tools on the performance of employees in McDonalds, we would focus on two different types of methods. Primary research and secondary research are two different types. In order to complete this research study, the propose research types are primary as well as secondary. Primary research type comprises observations, survey and interviews through questionnaires, whereas secondary research methods comprises evaluation of reliable academic articles and published studies that are previously done by other researchers (Scruggs and Mastropieri 2006). Questionnaire can be defined as a set of some important questions that are related to the research problem. In order to collect primary data, a set of questionnaire would be used to conduct a survey process. Some well defined questions would be e-mailed to the participants in the form of questionnaire, so that it will be easy for the researcher to get back the responses of participants and carry out the research study in a systematic way. This is a suitable way to collect important qualitative data, which comprises low cost and also free from discrimination (Stead 2001). On the other hand, this research methodology has also some restrictions such as dully filled questionnaires, lack of reliability on data, low rate of return, etc. This kind of research strategy can be used only in the situation when the participants are well educated and collaborates (Bordens 2006). In case of this research study, the research would target the employees of McDonalds, who are well qualified and experienced to understand the importance of research topic for their personal, social and organizational welfare. In order to minimize the chances of discrimination, an observation methodology would also used. The information gathered by researcher at his personal level would be observed through graphical and tabular presentation to manage the thematic analysis (Crowther and Lancaster 2008). In order to collect secondary data and information variety of academic journal would be analyzed after assessing their credibility. Most of the portion of this research study would be based on the secondary data. Primary data would be used for a limited extent because it is really difficult to select appropriate participants and contact with all the participants for their valid and reliable response. By using secondary data and information, it would be easy for the researcher to enhance the credibility of the research (Cooper and Schindler 2007). Apart from research articles, companies report, different case studies would also be used. The researcher philosophy for this study would interpretive, which provide subjective reasoning according to the secondary data and real life examples (Scruggs and Mastropieri 2006). Justification of Research Methodology Both primary and secondary research methods are used to collect data, which are questionnaire, observation and review of academic journals. All these methodologies would be beneficial for this study to find the real facts and figures. According to the inductive research approach and descriptive and applied research methodologies, these are absolutely suitable strategies for this dissertation. The main aim of the researcher is to understand the impact of remuneration and motivational practices on employee performances by minimizing the errors, thus all these strategies would be beneficial to reach at the valid conclusion (Silverman 2004). Survey through questionnaire and observation method has many advantages and it is very much useful for the researcher to understand the real life situations to achieve the objectives of this research study. Survey through questionnaire is a very efficient technique to collect data and information from a large number of populations. In this research study, researcher has selected a small sample size, which gives an idea to him for the large population, thus both survey and observation methodology would be appropriate (Marczyk, DeMatteo and Festinger 2005). It is valid and reliable research methodology, through which research can study beliefs, attitude and behavior of employees and managers due to different remuneration packages. In questionnaire and observation method, extent of subjectivity and discrimination is limited. On the other hand, secondary research method enables researcher to evaluate the subjectivity of the research topic. Ethical Consideration In order to conduct any research study, it is necessary for the researcher to concentrate on the research ethics and integrity. Without ethics and integrity, research study has no value. This research study would also be conducted on ground of ethical boundaries, which ultimately help the researcher to achieve consistent and dependable result. Following ethics in research also shows the concern and responsibility of the researcher towards society and corporate environment (Resnik n.d.). The researcher would develop a code of ethics with the help of corporate lawyer. The researcher would establish ethical guidelines according to the law and regulations. Conducting an unethical research will ultimately lead confusions for the society and readers, which would waste the effort and hard work of the researcher (Ethics in Research 2010). The code of ethics would lead surety about the safety and security of data and information. The researcher would ensure the participants that he would not disclose their personal and professionals information. Researcher, his team and all the participants would follow integrity, honesty and dependability to conclude and authentic result. The researcher will record all the information to in hard copies and soft copies to by accessing passwords and security codes (Resnik n.d.). Researcher would follow non-discrimination practices to collect and evaluate primary and secondary data. Possible information sources In order to collect secondary data to accomplish the research and achieve the objectives, different sources would be used by the researcher. These sourc

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay -- Night Elie Wiesel Jews Nazi Genocide Es

Night by Elie Wiesel Nobody wants to read such a morbid book as Night. There isn’t anybody (other than the Nazis and Neo-Nazis) who enjoys reading about things like the tortures, the starvation, and the beatings that people went through in the concentration camps. Night is a horrible tale of murder and of man’s inhumanity towards man. We must, however, read these kinds of books regardless. It is an indefinitely depressing subject, but because of its truthfulness and genuine historic value, it is a story that we must learn, simply because it is important never to forget. As Robert McAfee Brown states in the preface of the memoir â€Å"the world has had to hear a story it would have preferred not to hear- the story of how a cultured people turned to genocide, and how the rest of the world, also composed of cultured people, remained silent in the face of genocide.† Elie Wiesel has paid much attention to an inner desire and need to serve humanity by illuminating the hate-darkened past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Night is a horrifying account of a Nazi death camp that turns Elie Wiesel from a young Jewish boy into a distressed and grief-stricken witness to the death of his family, the death of his friends, even the death of his own innocence and his faith in G-d. He saw his family, friends and fellow Jews first severely degraded and then sadistically murdered. He enters the camp a child and leaves a man. At the book’s end, Elie bears little resemblance to the teenage boy who left Sighet almost a year earlier. Night is a memoir exquisitely written. Wiesel’s eloquence makes his descriptions seem terrifyingly real and repulsive. It is a book about what the Holocaust did, not just to the Jews, but to humanity. People all over the world found themselves affected by this atrocious act. Even today, there are a number of survivors who are tormented by their experience every day of their lives. The Wiesel’s have, throughout the novel, several opportunities to escape Sighet as well as the camp itself, but they are stubborn in their beliefs and refuse to listen to the warnings. Moshe the Beadle, Elie’s mentor at the beginning of the novel, while Elie is still a deeply religious young man, manages to escape the Gestapo in Poland. He returns to Sighet to deliver his message and to try to warn people of the pending situation. The villagers, however, believe Moshe has lost his mind, find... ...e† was Elie’s body, but it had not only lost so many pounds to make him look like a walking skeleton, but he had been robbed of its soul as well. This is similar to the loss suffered by people all over the world. Although several survivors are still alive physically, their mind and spirit have long been dead, or at least a large part of it. Recovering his spirit, his personality, even his faith, is, when he is released, is the most difficult obstacle for Elie to overcome. Night tells the story of innocent victims. It is the story of people who were destroyed simply because they were Jews. These people had done nothing and yet were tortured, degraded and liquidated for no other reason other than their faith in the Jewish religion and their semitic â€Å"racial inferiority†. Wiesel is a witness to all the horrible things, and by reading his memoir we too, become witnesses. He is a spokesperson for all those who cannot bear to speak and to pass the message on to us, the next generation. We are the ones who are obliged to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. We must take advantage of his eloquence and its importance, which is never to forget, in order never to let this happen again.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay -- To Kill a Mockingbird Essa

Atticus once said You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them - Examine characters and relationships in to kill a mockingbird, in order to illustrate this maxim! TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Atticus once said "You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them" Examine characters and relationships in to kill a mockingbird, in order to illustrate this maxim! I think Atticus is trying to say that you never really know a man until you step in his shoes and do what he does. In the story there are different relationships where characters do this. I think the biggest relationship showing this is between brother and sister, Jem and Scout Finch. Through out the whole story they will be together doing things like playing with each other, helping each other and exploring things with each other etc. Even on the first page when they are talking to each other about the events leading up to Jem's broken elbow to the last page where Scout is watching over Jem who is in bed after his broken arm, they are always together even if it is Jem watching over Scout at school or Scout helping Jem think of plans. There are lots of examples in to kill a mockingbird where Jem and Scout are together. The first real time Jem and Scout are together is when they meet Charles Baker Harris and they start talking about reading. "How old are you" asked Jem, "Four-and-a-half?" "Going on seven" "Shoot no wonder, then" said Jem, jerking his thumb at me. "Scout yonder has been reading ever since she was born, and she aint even started to school yet" Here Jem is showing Scout off and showing how proud that his sister has not started school yet but she can read. When Charles B... ...ything. That night Mr Cunningham and his crew come wanting to hurt Tom but luckily for Tom, Atticus is there and Scout manages to talk to Mr Cunningham and get them to leave. When the trial comes Atticus tries his hardest to prove Tom is innocent. He tries different way's and one is when he tells Bob Ewell to write some thing which he does then Atticus asks which side of the face did Mayella get hit on. Atticus makes it so that he catches out Bob. Atticus then asks Tom to come up and asks him to pickup a glass fully knowing he can't. This shows signs that it was not Tom who committed the rape but someone else. Even though Atticus proves this the Jury still finds Tom guilty of rape obviously because he is black and Bob Ewell is white. I think these are the main relationships in to kill a mockingbird, but there are also more but which are no way near as big.

Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club :: Essays Papers

Joy Luck Club Anaylsis In the movie "Joy Luck Club," four women are introduced. Their lives are described, their mother's lives are described, and their grandmother's. This movie shows three generations of Chinese women and how each of their lives have progressed and changed. Through every generation, there is a constant underlying tension between mother and daughter. The pressure that a mother applies to her daughter is described. In one incident the mom forced her daughter to play the piano. The daughter didn't even like playing the piano. However, the mother forced her daughter to practice daily, and perform in talent shows. When the daughter would complain, the mom would reply by saying, "don't be disobedient." It's sad when a mother forces their child to participate in something that the child doesn't feel in their heart. However, pressures like this aren't just applied by Chinese mothers. In America it is so common to see parents (mom and dad) forcing their child to do something against their will. My best friend, Rachel, is half black and half white. She is really tall and an incredible basketball player. Sadly she is so sick of playing basketball. Her mom forces her to practice everyday, attend basketball camps, play for the school team and a recreational team. Rachel's mom is making Rachel play basketball in college. Althou gh Rachel is amazing on the court, she doesn't like it. Similar to the scene in the "Joy Luck Club," both mothers are pressuring their daughters to do something that they have no desire to. This creates major tension between mother and daughter. Sadly, it seems that parents don't realize the pressure they apply. In the mean time their children are growing to hate the particular activity and dislike their parents. Another scene where tension between mother and daughter is shown is when the daughter breaks down and begins to cry because of not feeling accepted by her mother. The daughter complains that through her entire life, she has never met her mom's standards. Anything that she does or did, was inadequate and always in need of improvement. The decisions she makes in her life can never be perfect. The man she marries, the job she takes and anything else never satisfies her mom.