Saturday, August 31, 2019

In a World of Pay: Human Resource Management Essay

Pay rates have always been an important issue when it comes to hiring workersespecially when dealing with professionals whose talent and experience are highly soughtin the job market. In our case study, we will be discussing the difficulties and challenges of hiring expatriates which in this case will be revolving around pay. The case is about theproblems that arose at a German software Company (Typware) when the managementdecided to hire Anne Prevost whom they consider to be an ‘intelligent careful strategist.’Anne is generally agreed to be the perfect match for the job but the rate which Anna isrequesting for the job is causing controversy at Typware because some other workerssuch as Jurgen Mehr (Head of Typware European Marketing) feel threatened by theamount the new hire will be receiving. Case DescriptionThis case illustrates a german software company’s inability to effectively compile afair compensation package for the hire of an american ex-pat. Renate Schmidt, the headof human resources at typware, is faced with a dilemma of how much to offer AnnePrevost. Thomas Gutschein, the CEO of typware, has made it clear that Anne is a neces-sary strategic acquisition. Many managers, including the European head of marketingJurgen Mehr, have expressed discomfort and/or threatened by the high salary proposedfor Prevost. Schmidt has no reference in determining a fair ex-pat package as this is therst time in Typware’s history that they hire an outsider to work at HQ. Schmidt facesproblematic issues, one being that Typware does not use a uniform pay scale and overthe past decade many executives have received up to 30 percent extra salary based ongeographical circumstances. Having researched the employee salary les and not ndingany help from them, Schmidt calls in a favor from Rainer Barth. Barth, her contact at aconsulting rm, helps her compile a list of questions that need to be asked in order to geta more accurate idea of how Prevost’s salary will be determined. Finally, the last issueneeded to be stressed is that Prevost has another offer on the table and Typware needsto act fast if they are to successfully lock in this asset. Case Study: In a World of Pay2Section 2Problem Statement:Stafng and Job Analysis:Typware’s recruitment and selection process does not have a clear  job assessmentsystem evidenced through the hiring efforts of Anne Prevost. HR Activity in Theory:Stafng and Job Analysis:†A World of Pay,† the article discussing Typware’s employment methods, focusedtoo much on Prevost’s strengths as a candidate. Though she may have been a great as-set to the company she previously worked for, the duties she would have if she chose togo with Typware were not clearly specied. When hiring, the characteristics of a vacancyneed to be dened in order to recruit a suitable employee. Typeware’s assessment sys-tem focused m ore on keeping Prevost away from the competitors rather than paying at-tention to the job analysis. Obtaining more organizational effectiveness within the company, with regard tostafng and assessment systems requires recruiting and selecting more strongly basedon job analysis rather than the general qualications of an applicant alone. A clear jobanalysis addresses the job description and recruitment methods of a hiring company, re-sulting in a more structured approach to hiring international employees. First, Typware must clarify its job descriptions to improve human resource planningwithin the company. By facilitating more detailed job analyses, the efciency of ndingpotential candidates for vacant posts will be raised substantially. Wages and salary ad-ministration can be restructured because payment can be more strongly based on thefulllment of employee duties rather than trying to compete with wages on the interna-tional job market. The fact that Renate Schmidt needed to call Prevost a second time foranother line of questioning indicates the poor job description and HR information, be-cause such questions could have been known prior to the rst interview with proper jobanalysis. Once the job analysis is claried, the recruitment process can be broadened. Bybroadening the methods by which recruits are sought, applicants can be more readilyfound, no longer leaving Typware with the tough choice of whether to hire just one indi-vidual or not. Typware will likely have several candidates to ll the vacancy, leaving inter-national applicants with less room for bargaining their salary and compensations. Case Study: In a World of Pay3Two methods with which Typware can expand its recruitment sources are via theinternet and through employment agencies. Recruiting electronically would grant Typwarea large source for nding more talented recruits that meet the job specications. Typwarecould place the vacancy on its own website, granting public access to anyone who is in-terested in the company. This method leaves Typware free to give a clear job descriptionso that there is a larger chance to nd suitable applicants for the post. If electronic va-cancies fail to bring the desired results, Typware can recruit through employment agen-cies. A private employment agency would be responsible for lling higher posts, like theone Prevost applied for. The employment agency would look for people who may still becurrently employed and help to maintain condentiality between the employer and thecandidate. Typware’s receiving of applicants internationally brings on the added challenge oftrying to formulate a standard for hiring internationally; for example, Schmidt received in-formation indicating that four other multinational companies in Germany did not have setpolicies or standards yet. Due to the lack of an international hiring structure, the efciencyof the recruitment and selection for those other companies was greatly hindered sincecompensations and salaries became all the more difcult to balance. In the best interestof Typware and surrounding companies, Typware should formulate an international hiringmethod, which they can implement in almost any international applicant situation. Analysis & Implementation:Stafng and Job Analysis:If Typware were to implement the proposed stafng changes with regard to stafngand job analysis, there would be some added costs such as getting a web designer, orpaying for a headhunter. However, the added benets greatly outweigh the cost. The hu-man resources activities to be implemented include ensuring clear job descriptions, di-versifying recruitment methods, and formulating an international hiring structure. Schmidt’s task as the head of human resources for Typware is to ensure a  clear jobanalysis within the company at all times. Assuming she has a team reporting to her, shemust stress to its members the importance of a detailed job analysis. She should reviewsome of the job analyses from her team to ensure that the description is clear cut. In do-ing so, Schmidt produces more effective negotiations and interviews with potential em-ployees. The recruitment methods can be diversied in various ways. Two methods whichseem to most closely t Typware’s vacancy predicament are electronic recruiting and us-Case Study: In a World of Pay4ing private employment agencies. Recruiting electronically requires some technologicalexpertise, but considering Typware is a software company, that should not be an issue. Typware can utilize its own employees for web design by placing the job and the job de-scription on the company website. The benet of placing the job advertisement on thecompany website is that the applicants who visit the website are more likely to knowsomething about the company. Also, the applicants they would receive are more likely tobe closer in accuracy to the advertised post, because since it is the company website,Typware can feel free to make a detailed job description. Then, looking into private em-ployment agencies would fall into the department of Schmidt and her team. They wouldneed to nd a highly spoken private employment agency so as to ensure that they receivereturns on their nancial investment. Beyond that, after the team has contacted theagency, the responsibililty of nding a suitable candidate for Typware is left to the agency. Formulating an international hiring structure has quite a few complexities. Appli-cants such as Anne Prevost would most likely look into the potential extra costs of taxrates, ination, benets, and oating currencies. Accommodations such as schooling fortheir children, health care, social security, housing, and culture shock also need to be ac-counted for. To meet all these needs in salary and benets would mean a salary that is nolonger within equal range of their peers. Renate Schmidt can discuss ncancial optionswith a local private school, so that Typware’s international employees will not need somany added benets. Health care and housing can also be worked out in a similar fash-ion, thus helping to further reduce  costs. The costs really start to add up when there is noplan worked out at all beforehand. In the best interest of the company, Typware shouldorganize at least a minimal structure for hiring international employees to aid in more ef-fective stafng through exemplar y job analysis. Case Study: In a World of Pay5Section 3Problem Statement:Diversity of Workforce and Employee Rights:The lack of a diversity policy and the absence of concern for employee rightscauses dissatisfaction within the workforce. HR Activity in Theory:Diversity of Workforce and Employee Rights:In In a World of Pay the characters are faced with many common dilemmas thatcause problems or at the very least delays for processing new or existing candidates. Wewill be explaining, then applying diversity in the workforce and employee rights in rele-vance to the issues at hand. Equal employment compliance refers to the laws and regulations of a country inwhich a company operates. It is important for companies to identify with the well knownEEO or Equal Employment Opportunity movement started in the US. This is relevant be-cause of the ways countries and companies are evermore intertwined, creating a vastblend of cultures, setting the grounds for discrimination. Equal employment compliancehelps to avoid discriminatory scenarios. Diversity is one of the components of that policyand stipulates that an employee’s salary and benets are not to be determined or effectedby his/her race, national or ethic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, mari-tal status, family status or disability. Typware’s CEO seems to have little or no concern forequality amongst his employees, which causes great concerns. Equality in the workplace promotes a company culture that cares for its people. Itcreates an atmosphere where people want to work, there is courtesy and respect, peopleare listened to and trust and integrity are main aspects in which your staff relates to eachother. Furthermore everyone benets when the workplace is fair and equitable, and peo-ple feel valued. Analysis & Implementation:Diversity of Workforce and Employee Rights:In a  World of Pay a lack of Equal Employment Compliance compromises policiesfor hiring foreigners and integrating them into the headquarters. This stirs up inner ofcedisputes between Jurgen Mehr, Typware’s European head of marketing, and RenateSchmidt, head of human resources. It is of utter most importance that Typware quicklyCase Study: In a World of Pay6revises it’s internal policies to match those set forth by the countries in which they oper-ate, primarily Germany. In the case they are looking to draw up a proposal for one candidate. Thus a minorinfringement, if at all, on their local policy. Typware is based in Germany where the lawsare generally more favorable for the employee, meaning that once Anne Prevost is hiredlocally she will be entitled to a variety of benets and advantages non-existent in standardUS contracts. This a point to be noted when her arrangement is drafted. Typware wouldnot be disputing any of the existing German legal framework as a result of hiring AnnePrevost. Although this is the surface case, the underlying problem is a lack of equal em-ployment policy structure. On a note, the institutions governing equal employment op-portunities in Germany are ranging from legislative and administrative institutions tocourts and tribunals to workers’ and employers’ organizations such as the Biebestrat. In the case Renate Schmidt discovers that female and minority employees madeless then their white male counterparts. This is not only demoralizing and damaging tothe spirit of the workforce but it also conicts with the legislatures of the country. In notcomplying with the country’s equal employment compliance laws, Typware could ndthemselves involved in serious legal action against them. Renate Schmidt needs to takea rm ground in her talks with the CEO and explain the importance of implementing astrict pay grade system. As shown by current trends, the company need to re-structure their policies tomatch that demanded by the country. The implementation of such a pay grade systemwould benet them in various ways. One way is that it would bring them up to code onequality and employee rights. Another is it would prevent outburst like the one Renateexperienced with the German CIO who found out  his Japanese counterpart was paiddouble his salary. Typware needs to adopt new policies and treat all their employees with equality andshow a concern for their rights. In doing so, they gain a competitive advantage on theirglobal market and can continue to grow. While engaged with other HR activities they canformulate templates to process and recruit the right people for their organization. This willfacilitate their ability to correctly asses talents and consequently provide fair salary andbenets packages in line with market practices. However, if they fail to established a uni-formed pay scale and comply with the laws of the country they will suffer irreparable in-ternal damages that will lead the inevitable downfall of Typeware. Case Study: In a World of Pay7Section 4Problem Statement:Compensation and benets:†¦it appears that typware’s inability to update its compensation and benet systemhas resulted in a chaotic situation as evident by the issues arising from the hire of AnnePrevost. Compensation and benets:The use of benets by employers can be categorized into two main aspects whichcan be either as an inspirational tool to motivate employees to be more active in carryingout their tasks or it can be a form of compensation for a job well done. Benets can bedescribed as a payment made in recognition of a workers commitment to an organization. In relation to the case study, one of the major HR issues that faced Renate Schmidt wasbased on the fact that the company does not have a stipulated benet program. This isbecause the employee benet program would have provided a guideline for Renate todraft up benets for the proposed new hire; Anna Prevost. The irrational nature of Typware’s pay system has resulted in benet disparities anda difcult salary system. Such disparity like female and minority employees of Typwarereceiving less pay when compared to their white male counterparts is obviously one ofthe main reasons Jurgen Mehr is not taking the hiring of Anna Prevost lightly. This is be-cause he feared that  if a female employee will start with a salary close to his, she mightearn more than he does in the future. In his words â€Å"This isn’t fair, and it’s humiliating.†Jurgen Mehr is not just troubled because she is a new hire but it is a ‘she’ and also a for-eigner, which also brings us back to EEO. Nowadays, organizations tend to be institutionalizing benets such as savings planand pension because these are part of employment package that attracts employees andhelps the organizations to retain the good employees. However, Typware seems not tohave paid attention to these issues, because their benet system has not been updatesfor sometime. The importance of benets program to employees has become very signi-cant these days because when employees do not feel an appreciation for their commit-ment to an organization, there is a high possibility that they will withdraw that commit-ment and in some cases might leave the organization. This is based on a simple logic that†when you appreciate things that people do, it motivates them to keep on doing so.† Ineffect, benets have become part of organizational practices because it plays a signi-Case Study: In a World of Pay8cant role in helping employers retain good employees and encourages performance im-provement. Performance management:Theories and performance appraisal systems have developed as means to meas-ure employee’s performance at the work place, but none have been able to provide anaccurate assessment of employee’s performance. However, the importance of appraisalsystem can not be overlooked because they have proved to be good in detecting em-ployee’s strengths and weakness. Performance management can be dened a â€Å"meansthrough which managers ensure that employees’ activities and outputs are congruentwith the organizations goals.†1 One of the main purposes of performance management isto develop employees’ who are effective at their jobs. This is because when employees’are not performing as well as they should, performance management seeks to improvetheir performance. It appears that since Typware launched its aggressive campaign in the internationalmarket in 1996, little or no steps have been taken to promote employee development. Lots of emphasis has been paid to issues surrounding pay, with little or no steps towardsperformance management which is signicant for awarding of benets. In addition, Re-nate’s statement ‘it will make others who have been with us for a long time feel that wedon’t care about them’ is a clear indication that the organization lacks important HR activ-ity. Such HR activity includes human resource development and performance manage-ment. Also important when considering the performance management, is the link be-tween performance management and the organizations strategies and goals. This is be-cause nowadays systems such as the performance planning and evaluation system areconstantly being used to bridge the link between performance management and organi-zations strategies. Performance management and evaluation (PPE) system can be de-ned as â€Å"any system that seeks to tie the formal performance appraisal process to com-pany’s strategies by specifying at the beginning of the evaluation period the types andlevel of performance that must be accomplished in order to achieve the strategy.†2Case Study: In a World of Pay91Ibid p 3302Ibid p 332Section 5Reactions:1. What did the student think at the on set of the case?The case prompted some interesting issues in the global work place. It alsoshows how sometimes those in charge are not always fully capable, and muststrongly rely on their employees. The case also illustrates how a globally competitive company can go foronly a short time without identifying with the local legislation before it catches upto them and causes serious problems within the organization. This case reects on how organizations deal with HR issues such as paywith regards to hiring new employees. The organization has repeatedly violatedsome of its compensation and benet program by offering expatriates abroad extrabenets. This in turn resulted in a chaotic situation at the headquarters with em-ployees storming the ofce of Head of Human Resources to demand for equalbenet. 2. How did they feel about the key characters in the case?The CEO, Thomas, seems to fail to address the core issues, especially inregards to  formulating a more stable pay structure. The problems from the paystructure trickle down and cause a chain effect of problems within the company, aswas shown through the complaint of managers, and the efforts of trying to hireAnne Prevost. Furthermore, Anne Prevost is not the key to solving Typware’s problems asthought by the CEO. She is a valuable asset only if the core issues are correctionswiftly and re-structuring of the company occurs. Renate Schmidt showed some good reasoning in a tight situation. She wasable to sort out the larger issues within the company and had a well structured ap-proach to issues. She usually dened the issue, and tried to nd some precedenceon it rst. Then she would go through contacts to see who could help her achieveher set goals. The animosity we feel from Jurgen’s reaction to an American is a clear re-ection of how employees will treat each other when the work atmosphere is notfair and equitable. Case Study: In a World of Pay10Renate who is the head of human resources is faced with the challenge ofincorporating the demands of Anna Prevost (potential new hire) into the organiza-tion’s ineffective HR policy. The HR policy is ineffective because they lacked a sta-ble salary system. 3. What is the student’s opinion about the relevancy/application of HR activity In aWorld of Pay?Given the fact that the organization lacked an effective HR activity such aspay, it has resulted in a difcult situation with regards to drafting up an organiza-tional benet program for the proposed new hire (Anna Prevost). Such programswould have provided a guideline and minimized the amount of work to be done byRenate for the hiring of Anna Prevost. In a World of Pay showed how important HR activities are in preventing suchissues from arising. Had Typware more strongly followed set HR activities, thenthey could have minimized the amount of work involved to  rectify the larger issuesat hand. However, Typware did not follow HR activities closely enough and theirfailure to do so led to numerous problems within the company. Case Study: In a World of Pay11

Friday, August 30, 2019

Understand Your Fats and Fibers

Dr. Joseph F. Robare Bad tats are saturated and trans tats. Saturated tats are mostly in meats, dairy products and tropical oils. Saturated fat raises both bad cholesterol and good cholesterol, while trans-fat only raises bad cholesterol. This makes trans fats technically worse than saturated fats. The better fats would be monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated will lower your cholesterol, and unlike polyunsaturated they do not lower your good cholesterol.Your best fats would be the omega-3s (fish oil). This fat has shown to protect people from sudden cardiac death (Schardt,2002). Before you can understand the difference between good and bad fats, you need to some information about them. There are four major types of fats: monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans-fats. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as good fats because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health. These fats are found in o live, soybean, canola, and corn oils, avocados, fatty fish, and soymilk.Saturated fats and trans-fats are known as bad fats because they increase your risk of disease and elevate cholesterol. These bad fats can be found in high-fat cuts of meat, packaged snack foods, butter, cheese, vegetable shortening, fried foods, and candy bars. Foods containing trans-fats, or trans fatty acids, are harmful because they are known to increase the risk of heart disease, increase total cholesterol levels, and cause your healthy HDL (good) cholesterol levels to drop. They are also responsible for clogging arteries and causing obesity.Saturated fat is a fat that contains only saturated fatty acids, is solid at room temperature, and comes mainly from animal food products. Some examples of saturated fat are butter, lard, meat fat, solid shortening, palm oil, and coconut oil. Saturated fat tends to raise the level of cholesterol in the blood. Unsaturated fat is a fat that is liquid at room temperature a nd comes from a plant, such as olive, peanut, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, or soybean oil. Unsaturated fat does not to raise the level of LDL (‘bad') cholesterol in the blood.Trans-fatty acids are an unhealthy substance that is made through the chemical process of hydrogenation of oils. Hydrogenation solidifies liquid oils and increases the shelf life and the flavor stability of oils and foods that contain them. Trans-fatty are acids found in vegetable shortening and in some margarine, crackers, cookies, and snack foods. Trans-fatty acids are also found in many deep-fried foods. Trans-fatty acids raise the ‘bad' (LDL) cholesterol and lower the ‘good' (HDL) cholesterol levels in blood, increasing the risk of heart disease.Trans-fatty acids are also known as trans-fat. Hydrogenated fats are saturated-like fats made from plant oils and fats that have been heated and pressure-processed. Hydrogenated fats are created when oil that is largely unsaturated, such as corn oil, has hydrogen added to it, causing fat to become more solid at room temperature. Lipids include such compounds as fats, fatty acids and cholesterol. Their most prominent function is providing energy for the body. Fiber and lipids are two different kinds of carbohydrates that are very important parts ofa human's diet.Fiber is what carries fats and cholesterol out of the body. It also helps in having a healthy diet and will help in managing your weight. Fiber is considered to be in the soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is a type of fiber in which the dissolves in the water to form a gel like material. This process can help lowering cholesterol and the levels of glucose in the human digestion. Soluble ?ber is tound in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus, truits carrots, barley and psyllium. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010).Insoluble fiber cannot be bsorbed as well as dissolved in the water; in its original form, it will pass the digestive tract. Insoluble fiber has benefits in t he digestive system. Insoluble fiber offers many benefits to intestinal health, including a reduction in the risk and occurrence of colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and constipation (My Food Diary). Some good sources of insoluble fiber and they are whole wheat in bread, rice, nuts as well as some vegetables.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Network Server Administration

Course number CIS 332, Network Server Administration, lists as its main topics: installing and configuring servers, network protocols, resource and end user management, security, Active Directory, and the variety of server roles which can be implemented. My experience and certification as a Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) as well as a Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) demonstrates that I have a thorough grounding in both the theory and practice of the topics covered in this course and should receive credit for it. Installing and configuring servers was the subject of Installing, Configuring and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, which I took in 2001 in preparation for my initial Microsoft Certified Professional certification. This exam covered such topics as installing Microsoft Windows 2000 Server using both an attended installation and an unattended installation; server upgrades from Windows NT (the previous version) and troubleshooting and repairing failed installations. This exam also covered installing and configuring hardware devices and user management. Network protocols were discussed during the training for the exam Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure, which I also took in 2001. This exam covered installing, configuring, troubleshooting and administering such protocols as DNS and DHCP, TCP/IP, NWLink, and IPSec. The training covered such aspects of network protocols as remote access policies and network routing. Security was one of the topics of this exam, as well. Network security using IPSec and encryption and authentication protocols was discussed along with the network implementation details. Resource and end user management was one of the main topics of the Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment exam, which also updated my knowledge of security, networking and utilities. The exam covered such topics as user creation and modification, user and group management, Terminal Services management and implementing security and software update services. Security was covered in a number of exams, including Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure, Installing, Configuring and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Designing Security for   a Windows 2000 Network. All aspects of network security were covered in the various training sessions for these exams, including topics such as analysis of network security requirements in relation to organizational realities and requirements, design and implementation of such specifics as authentication policies, public-key infrastructures and encryption techniques, physical security, and design and implementation of security audit and assurance strategies. Also included were security considerations for all auxiliary services, such as DNS, Terminal Services, SNMP, Remote Installation Services and others. Implementation of Active Directory and knowledge of varied server roles was provided by the exam Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure. The training for this exam encompassed the design and implementation of an Active Directory forest and domain structure as well as planning a DNS strategy for client and server naming. This training also included design and implementation of a number of different server types, such as file and print servers, databases, proxy servers, Web servers, desktop management servers, applications servers and dial-in management servers. Further knowledge of Active Directory and auxiliary services was provided in the training for Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure. This training included such topics as installing, configuring and troubleshooting Active Directory and DNS, implementing Change and Configuration Management, and managing all the components of Active Directory, including moving, publishing and locating Active Directory Objects, controlling access, delegating administrative privileges for objects, performing backup and restore and maintaining security for the Active Directory server via Group Policy and the Security Configuration and Analysis tool. The topics covered in CIS 332, Network Server Administration, have been completely encompassed by my previous experience, training and certification with Microsoft Windows Server 2000, as well as updated knowledge gained by   training for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. I have been constantly increasing my skills and knowledge in this area for the past six years, using both training and work experience to gain certifications which prove that I have a complete grasp of all aspects of the subject matter included in this course. Installing and configuring servers and network protocols, troubleshooting failed installations or configurations, resource and end user management, security design and management, design and implementation of Active Directory services and implementing and administering a wide variety of network server roles are all major aspects of my training and certification experience. I feel I am fully qualified for the information covered in CIS 332, and should be granted credit for this course.

Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method with Focus on Research Proposal

Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method with Focus on Network Intrusion Detection Systems - Research Proposal Example 107). These correction techniques need to be initiated through diverse ways of detection and existing digital computation methods. Alongside these mechanisms, the following paper analyzes deviation from original forms of information that can secure any computer network (Singh and Kaur, 2007, p. 109). Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method Network intrusion detection systems are computerized systems able to reveal infringements in computer network systems (Nakkeeran, Aruldoss and Ezumalai, 2010, p. 52). Irregularity detecting systems are grounded on infringement of networks. When the networks face anomalies, the detection system creates a standard traffic paradigm. This system is used as an approach of determining deviation from original formats of data to altered ones. Under the anomaly detection, the Fuzzy Gaussian mixture and modeling strategy is employed to detect abnormalities in computer network systems. The Probability Distribution technique stood for network i nformation in multidimensional aspect gaps. The limits of this mixture are approximated to deploying fuzzy c-means of abnormalities within digitized techniques. Even though this approach is accurately tested by researchers, results have proven the mechanism more effective than other quantization techniques (Nakkeeran, Aruldoss and Ezumalai, 2010, p. 55). ... Among infringement detection methods that are automated, vector quantization in anomaly recognition might prove to be inexpensive from a capital’s perspective (Azer, El-Kassas and El-Soudani, 2006, p. 2). Therefore, vector quantization is considered most appropriate for resource limited and improvised computer network systems. Anomaly Detection systems can also employ a game approach means to perceive deviation of changed data streaming through various computer networks. Computerized detection is mainly employed to conclude future anomalies within a precise network. Game approaches focus on the prediction of any upcoming abnormalities in computer’s network systems (Azer, El-Kassas and El-Soudani, 2006, p. 6). Traffic patterns have been affiliated with the conditional possibility distribution of the nature of the anomalies in a computer network (Sobh, 2007, p. 119). Given the nature of data processing from the past, anomaly detection systems use similar distribution stat es that currently exist. This way, system updates will reinforce the protection of data and communication systems. Infringement in computer networks requires recognition of any deviation in the transformation of data from one form to another while streaming through the network. When a monitored traffic experiences anomalies, it becomes marked or labeled should there arise a possibility of extremely low levels of security encountering high levels of threat. Cases that are more preventive include technical methods that engage specification-based anomaly mechanisms (Sobh, 2007, p. 119). Legitimate system behavior faced chronic demerits that certain networks encounter and obtained from similar entry-grounded systems, whilst significantly elevated digitized assistance is needed (Portnoy,

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Capstone Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Capstone Project - Research Paper Example The foremost factor that has to be understood before representing the misstatement as a fraud is the ‘nature of misstatement’. Nature represents as to whether the misstatement has been made intentionally or unintentionally. According to the specifications within SAS No. 82, fraud is an action that is conducted intentionally and as a result of which ‘material misstatements’ occur within a firm’s financial statements (American Institute of CPAs, 2011). There are several indicators of fraud that have been represented within the SAS No. 82. These are also considered as factors of risk, few of which have been listed below. The consideration of these cases will definitely help in identifying fraud in the given five scenarios within the case. Indicators of Fraud in Relation to Financial Reporting: (a) A massive amount of compensation for the management has been stated to be in structure of bonuses. (b) The management of the firm is dominated by an only indiv idual or a very small group without allowing any role of the board of directors. (c) Involving into regular disputes with the present or previous management or auditors on issues related to auditing and accounting. (d) Limitations imposed on the auditor for improperly restricting activities related to key information and people. (e) Failure to pay the bills while there is reportedly huge earnings. (f) Transactions within related party apart from the normal courses of business. Indicators of Fraud in Relation to Assets Misappropriation: (a) Inadequacy of management supervision (b) Massive amount of cash is in hand or are processed on a regular basis (c) Inappropriate screening of the applicants for job (d) Inappropriate activities of record keeping (e) Inappropriate isolation of duties (f) Inappropriate process of approval of transactions (g) Non compliance with the time limit for presenting documents related to transaction (h) Inadequacy in controlling physical assets (i) Inappropri ate provision of compulsory vacations for the employees (Porter & Pope, 2011). The fraud indications described under SAS No. 82 can well be compared with that of the given company for identifying whether fraud is taking place or not. If it is found that the management is guilty of the above fraud indications, the SAS specifications provide that the auditor can undertake the following activities: (1) Acquire a clear and concise understanding of the accounting process being carried out within the company along with verification of journal entries along with adjustments. (2) Categorize and choose particular journal entries along with adjustments for verifying. (3) Decide on the verification timing. (4) Investigate the individuals associated with activities in relation to financial reporting and make inquiries regarding lack of appropriation in journal entries as well as adjustments. (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 2011). Effectiveness of SAS No. 82 towards Minimization of O rganization’s Fraudulent Activities After the incorporation of the standards under SAS No. 82, the various companies have started evaluating the impact of the rules to reduce frauds within the organizations. An internal analyst of financial activities can become successful through following the rules mentioned under SAS No. 82. However, there is requirement through the rules that the assessment of risk has to be conducted by an external auditor (Public Oversight Board, 2

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The role of Multinational Corporations in Developing Economies Essay

The role of Multinational Corporations in Developing Economies - Essay Example On the other hand, Maheshwari (2006, p.53) generally postulates six characteristics of a multinational corporation: (1) operates and carries direct investment to several nation-states; (2) formulates and maintains an industrial organization; (3) widely functions on the basis of globally owned assets; (4) largely transfers capital, goods, and services from home to host countries; (5) transfers resources but does not trade such resources; and (6) manages not its local subsidiaries but the nationals or people from the host country. Maheshwari (2006, p.52) notably provides several examples of MNCs such as Goodyear, Pepsi, and Nestle Corporations. These multinational corporations function and operate in numerous nation-states -- particularly those so-called Third World nations such as Indonesia -- as their host countries. Many of the MNC’s home countries are highly industrialized nations of which the United States is highly prominent. Multinational corporation fundamentally originates from a humble beginning, so to speak: firms. When firms firmly decide to become multinational corporations, there are necessary factors that they systematically fill-up or comply to. Maheshwari (2006, p.53) strongly argues that the underlying reason why certain firms become multinational corporations is because of their desire for vertical expansion. It implies that these firms wanted to substantially expand their business enterprise from production towards distribution. In setting up subsidiaries in other nation-states, these firms -- which ultimately become multinational corporations -- greatly endeavor either to accumulate raw materials from the resources of their host countries or to acquire global markets for the distribution or sale of their capital, goods, and/or services (Maheshwari, 2006). First, firms pursue an expansion business in order to acquire raw materials from the countries whose natural resources are exceedingly abundant. Normally, these firms are

Monday, August 26, 2019

(Book Proposal) Neurotheology in Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

(Book Proposal) Neurotheology in Review - Essay Example Its primary objectives are to establish comprehensive, interdisciplinary approaches to understand beliefs and to explain, interpret and predict the influences of beliefs to thought, feeling, behavior and experience. The purpose of this volume is to provide scope and definition to the new discipline of Neurotheology. Current scholarship in Neurotheology offers perspectives from Darwinian evolution and neuroscience (studies in frontal, parietal lobes and temporal lobe epilepsy), neuropsychology, genetics, cognitive science, cellular biology, chemistry, physics, mindfulness, electromagnetic field effects, and varying perspectives from psychology like conditioning, attachment and learning theories. Other perspectives on science and beliefs are developing from neuroeconomics, neuropolitics, and neuroethics while other fields of science need greater inclusion like astronomy, ecology, engineering, geology, linguistics and mathematics. Neurotheology acknowledges the complexity and diversity of human beliefs by providing a broad conceptual framework to encompass beliefs whether mystical or religious, economic or environmental, political or social, or some other. Each dimension of beliefs affords critical, creative study of the science(s), beliefs and/or belief systems involved. Both the science and beliefs intersect through a four-fold methodology that provides the basis to unpack the complexity of their relationship and intimate the relationship’s influence to human thought, feeling, behavior and experience. The proposed book â€Å"Neurotheology† attempts to summarize the complexities of this science to provide a general understanding of what neurotheology is and investigate some of the diversity of disciplines to which it is applicable. The book is primarily intended for college students but will serve also as an introductory text for anyone interested in learning more about

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Management Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Management Accounting - Assignment Example Each of the method has a different approach to evaluating the worth of an investment or project for an organization. Whereas the last three techniques focus on cash flow, the first technique (the accounting rate of return (ARR) also called return on investment (ROI) uses accounting profit during its appraisal calculation, offering a view of the general profitability of the investment project. 1. The accounting rate of return The accounting rate of return also referred to as the return on investment method calculates the estimated general profit or loss concerning an investment project and connects that profit or loss to the amount of capital injected in the project as well as the period for which that investment is required to go. The profit referred to in the appraisal process here is the one that is directly linked to the investment project and, therefore, costs or revenues made elsewhere in the business are not included. There is a minimum rate of return required for any investmen t that a business wants to undertake. This is connected to the business’s cost of capital. ... r the years of life of the investment project and dividing the total life of the investment project in years and the average investment is found by adding the investment in the first year to the remaining value at the end of life of the project and dividing by two. With these two values, we can comfortably calculate the ARR. This calculation gives the uniqueness of product as well as its drawbacks as we can see in the subsequent discussions and comparisons. The main advantages of accounting rate of return are: Accounting rate of return considers the general profitability of the investment project. The method is simple to understand as well as easy to use. The method’s end outcome is expressed in form of a percentage, permitting projects of varying sizes to be compared. The major drawback is: The method is based on the accounting profits and not the cash flows. Calculation of profit as well as capital employed is based on expenditure items, which are treated as revenue (those a ppearing on the profit & loss account) and as capital (appearing on the balance sheet). Even though there are guidelines relating to this area, this practice can be quite subjective. Various accounting policies, for instance, relating to depreciation can generate different figures of profit and capital employed, therefore permitting the profit as well as balance sheet numbers to be manipulated in some way. This is why capital projects are also appraised in terms of cash flows. Accounting rate of return method does not consider the timing of cash flows of the project. For instance, we may have two projects M, and N. Project M may result in an accounting rate of return of 19 percent whereas project N may have ARR of 17 percent. Nevertheless, investment M may be a six year investment whilst

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Hurricane Katrina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hurricane Katrina - Essay Example Brinkley consciously limited the book to the first unthinkable week. Beginning on Saturday, August 27, when it first became clear that Katrina was going to strike again in the Gulf Coast after roughing up Florida, he traces the warnings, stories, fecklessness, and missed opportunities through the hurricane's five hours f wrath and the breaching f the levees. His account continues until the following Saturday, September 3, when buses finally reached the convention center and the Superdome to evacuate those stranded. By combining his own experiences during the storm and its aftermath-Brinkley returned to the city to help in rescue efforts after evacuating his family to Houston-with hundreds f interviews with citizens, first responders, and government officials, Brinkley paints a picture alternately heartbreaking, heartwarming, and enraging. The Great Deluge opens with models f excellent planning and action by the likes f the Louisiana Society for the Prevention f Cruelty to Animals (which had its 263 sheltered pets safely moved to Houston by the evening f August 27), the Entergy Corporation (which shut down its nuclear plant once Katrina became a category 3 storm), and Louisiana parish presidents (who issued mandatory evacuation orders to their residents and efficiently obtained special help for those who needed it). Although stories such as these, along with the valiant efforts f many first responders, are welcome doses f things that went right, The Great Deluge is primarily a story f how so much went wrong. Brinkley's meticulous assembly f the facts into a detailed chronology and analysis is devastating at times to virtually everyone in an official role-from New Orleans's mayor, Ray Nagin, to Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, to the secretary f the Department f Homeland Security, Michael Chertff, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "Brownie," to the man who gave him that nickname. And Brinkley pulls no punches: "Every time the Bush administration and the state f Louisiana hesitated, lawyered-up, and read the fine print f Homeland Security procedure, an American died prematurely," he writes. Brinkley's extensive footnotes deepen the sense f reading a cohesive and objective take on a complicated event. As the disaster continues to recede from the forefront f the minds f those who have that luxury and as inevitable election year finger-pointing provides ever more spin about what happened and why, The Great Deluge could hardly be a more timely, important, and effective antidote-to complacency, to poor leadership, and to the lack f accountability. To borrow a phrase: "Brinkley, you did a heckuva job." Brinkley criticized the Bush administration for its lack f reaction during the 72 hours immediately following the hurricane, when rescue is still possible. He also criticized elected officials for caring more about what their lawyers had to say about potential lawsuits than saving those in need. Instead, many victims were evacuated by private organizations or citizens like Jimmy. There was the Cajun Navy, a

Friday, August 23, 2019

Anthropological analysis and conceptual synthesis Article

Anthropological analysis and conceptual synthesis - Article Example The society is herein described as one filled with male chauvinism, not ready to tolerate the women’s faith related stands. The saints were very firm on their maintenance of chastity and could even pray to God to make them ugly so that they could protect their chastity. For instance, St. Wilgefortis prayed for ugliness, and she was granted a man’s beard (Winston, Para 4). The male chauvinism however saw her murdered by her father. Others were like St. Lucia whose eyes were torn out for disappointing her family. These examples show that the women believed in their course and bravely stepped out of the societal norms (Winston, Para 6). From the article, it can be seen certain themes can be drawn. One of the themes is religion in which the saints are firmly rooted. The religion brings about the other theme of power whereby the males are seen to possess in plenty. They, however, misuse their power by killing the faithful females. The theme of male dominance is further shown by the linearity of mobility and recreation in which are based on social hierarchies. This is described in the Ghanam who describes the lives of brother and a sister from a low-income neighborhood in Egypt. The brother is drawn as the one dictating the mobility, suggesting male dominance (Ghannam 790-800). Summarizing Ghanam’s article, various methods supporting the solving of reconfiguration of inequalities can be explained. Farha Ghannam explains this by using the example of a brother and a sister who come from a low-income neighborhood in Egypt. Throughout the article, Ghanam describes the methods of liminality of mobility which illustrate social hierarchies. The methods include inequalities referring to mobility, class, gender and embodiment. Eyebrows." Were Some Catholic Saints Transgender? Berkeley Show Raises Eyebrows. 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Financial Ratios Analysis of IBM 2005-2006 Case Study

Financial Ratios Analysis of IBM 2005-2006 - Case Study Example There was also an inverse increase in current liability of $4,939 ($40,091 - $35,152 million) which adversely affected the company’s liquidity ratio. This decline also reflected in acid test ratio or the ability to settle obligation immediately as it also declined by 13.492. 2. Leverage ratios analysis a. Debt to-total-assets ratio (Total liabilities/total assets) 2005 2006 % of change Total debt $22,682 $22,641 Total assets 105,748 103,234 Ratio .687 .724 5.386 b. Debt-to-equity ratio 2005 2006 % of change Total debt $22,682 $22,641 Total equity 28,506 33,098 Ratio 2.195 2.621 19.40 c. Long-term debt-to-equity ratio 2005 2006 % of change Long-term debt 15,425 $13,780 Total equity 28,506 33,098 Ratio .466 .483 3.648 d. ... Changes in liability decreased minimally but still, the increase in total assets helped drive debt to asset ratio up by 5.386 %. Since debt was almost constant in 2006, debt to equity ratio significantly went up when IBM registered a profit in the previous year, where portions of the net gain were retained as equity. 3. Activity ratio analysis a. Inventory turnover 2005 2006 % of change Net Sales 91,134 91,424 Inventory 2841 2840 Ratio 32.07 32.53 .01 b. Fixed assets turnover 2005 2006 % of change Net Sales 91,340 91,424 Net fixed assets 60,087 58,574 Ratio 1.517 1.561 2.900 c. Total assets turnover 2005 2006 % of change Net Sales $91,340 $91,424 Total Assets 105,748 103,234 Ratio .862 .886 2.784 d. Average collection period Payment terms for inventory and accounts receivable financing generally range from 30 to 90 days (IBM, 2006 pg. 79). With regard to activity ratios, IBM did a good job of maintaining its level of inventory to 2841-2840 million despite the increase in sales in 200 6 ($91,424 million). It only meant that IBM has a very good internal control and monitoring of its inventory. In sum, the activity ratio of IBM increased by 2.784 % which can be mainly attributed to its ability to maintain its inventory despite the increase in sales. With regard to collection period, IBM adopts â€Å"Payment terms for inventory and accounts receivable financing generally range from 30 to 90 days† (IBM, 2006 pg. 79). 4. Profitability ratio analysis a. Gross profit margin 2005 2006 % of change Gross profit margin 36,532 38,295 Net Sales 91,134 91,424 Ratio .401 .419 4.488 b. Operating profit margin Operating profit margin 0.134 0.146 0.012 8.95522388% c. Net profit margin ratio 2005 2006 % of change Net profit after tax 79,940 94,920 Net Sales 91,340

D. Forecast for Next 12-18 months Essay Example for Free

D. Forecast for Next 12-18 months Essay The world economic outlook is bright. World GDP growth is forecast to average slightly more than 4 percent per annum during 2006-2007. Asia will continue to act as the primary engine of global growth, though activity will also be supported by continued U. S. economic expansion of almost 3 percent annually. China will continue to register robust growth of slightly more than 9 percent per annum, and output will continue to increase rapidly also in India. Japan also appears to be entering a longer phase of stable growth. The positive global environment will be reinforced by the Euro Area, where economic growth is forecast to accelerate in response to a recovery in domestic demand (The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy). The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has recently released a set of forecasts regarding the state of world economy in 2007. Below are listed some of the key points: Global growth will quicken to 5. 1 per cent this year falling back only a bit in 2007 to a still rapid 4. 7 per cent. Inflationary pressures are rising, mainly owing to higher oil prices, but the impact of rising oil prices on inflation and output is now more muted than in the past. Global imbalances remain marked and the dollar may have to fall by a further 30 per cent in order to halve the US current-account deficit. The US economy will grow by over 3 per cent a year in both 2006 and 2007, but inflationary pressures are mounting. The Japanese economic recovery has become self-sustaining and GDP will rise by 3. 1 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 6 per cent in 2007. The Euro Area will expand by around 2 per cent a year in both 2006 and 2007, and consumer price inflation will average about 2. 5 per cent in both years. The NIESR report goes on to elaborate upon the aforementioned points: Advanced countries in the OECD bloc are participating in the upswing but the main reason for the current period of exceptionally strong global growth is the long boom in China. In 2005, China represented 15. 4 per cent of global GDP on a purchasing-power parity basis, up from 3. 4 per cent in 1980. Global inflation is rising in response to higher oil prices, but much less so than in the past. New estimates suggest that a $10 permanent rise in oil prices will add 0. 2 to 0. 4 percentage points to inflation in the United States in the four years to 2009, with a somewhat smaller impact in the Euro Area, and a still smaller effect in the UK. The global upswing continues to be accompanied by major imbalances, notably the scale of the US current account deficit, which widened by 4. 5 percentage points of GDP between 1997 and 2005. Since this deterioration has mainly financed increased consumer spending rather than productive investment, financial markets may conclude that the deficit is not sustainable. It is estimated that the dollar’s value against a basket of currencies needs to fall by a further 30 per cent in order to reduce the current account deficit by 3 percentage points of GDP. The US economy will grow by 3. 6 per cent in 2006 and by 3. 1 per cent in 2007. The economy continues to be driven mainly by consumption, which will increase by 3. 3 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 9 per cent in 2007. Housing investment is slackening but business investment, stimulated by high corporate profits, will buoy growth this year and next. Inflation is picking up and the private consumption deflator will rise by 3. 0 per cent in 2006 and by 3. 3 per cent in 2007. There now appears little doubt that the Japanese recovery from the bleak period of deflation and stagnation has become self-sustaining. The economy grew by 3. 5 per cent in the year to the first quarter of 2006 . Business investment is expanding strongly and consumer spending is expected to grow by 1. 9 per cent a year in 2006 and 2007. Average earnings, which had been falling earlier in the decade, will grow by 0. 8 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 8 per cent in 2007. The outlook for the Euro Area is for higher inflation despite a fairly modest recovery. Consumer prices will rise by 2. 6 per cent in 2006 compared with 2. 2 per cent in 2005. Tighter monetary conditions together with measures in Germany to cut the budget deficit will hold back growth in consumption and GDP in the Euro Area. Consumer spending will also be restrained by sluggish growth in average earnings as the corporate sector manages to retain its increased profitability (Barrell et al, 8-31).

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Adam Smiths Contribution to Classical Political Economy

Adam Smiths Contribution to Classical Political Economy Assess the contribution of Adam Smith to the tradition of Classical Political Economy Important Assignment Related Notices Penalties: University policy requires that a penalty be deducted from the actual mark achieved for each working day the assignment is late until 0 is reached. There is a strict deadline of 11:59pm on day of submission. One grade step will be deducted for very 11:59pm deadline that is missed. Any written assessment that exceeds the stated word limit by more than 10% will receive a one grade step mark deduction. Extensions Plagiarism Information: For more information about extensions and plagiarism please refer to your One Stop Shop course. An Originality Report (OR) is generated by Turnitin every time a piece of work is submitted. The OR shows where matches have been found between the submitted document and other existing sources in the Turnitin database. Please note that all assignments will achieve a OR score due to the use of standard coversheets. C. Canvas Assignment Discussions Canvas provides a Discussion Area for each assignment. Both staff and students can leave messages in this area. Please ensure that all communication is undertaken in a professional and polite manner. Remember that: Electronic discussions do not have the benefit of the nonverbal and vocal cues that normally convey meaning in a traditional face-to-face conversation. Satire, sarcasm and â€Å"heat of the moment† feelings can come across as rudeness. Please check your tone before you post a Comment. Instant delivery of a message does not mean an instant reply. Please make an appointment within advertised office hours in the first instance to discuss any matter of assignment feedback and grading. It is College policy that staff will not be actively engaging in debate over matters of feedback and grades with individual students via Canvas’ online Speed Grader system. Assignment Grade: 100 98 93 88 85 83 78 75 73 68 65 63 58 55 53 48 45 43 38 33 28 23 18 13 8 3 0 Admin Note: Marker please a) highlight or box the grade from the above Grade Mark Steps that this assignment has achieved and b) insert the same % into the grade box in the right hand column of Canvas Speedgrader. Feedback Overview of submission (Definition of question, integration of theoretical and empirical material where appropriate, engagement with relevant themes and issues, engagement with relevant academic literature) Quality of research and analysis (Clarity and depth of argument, scope of argument, originality of approach, range of sources used, critical use of sources) Evidence of key skills (Structure, clarity of expression, proper referencing and accompanying bibliography, formatting, evidence of sustained research) Potential areas for improvement (How could a future submission be enhanced?) Assess the contribution of Adam Smith to the tradition of Classical Political Economy Introduction Adam Smith’s contribution to the tradition of classical political economy was hugely influential. This essay will discuss two of his major theories outlined in the Wealth of Nations; the division of labour and then the invisible hand, whilst briefly touching upon Smith’s view on the role of the state and the free-market. Smith was a moral philosopher from the late 18th Century and wrote; â€Å"An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations† in 1776, to critique the political-economic system of the time; mercantilism. This was an economic theory and practice that encouraged imperialism and state intervention into the allocation of scarce resources. Smith was writing at the outset of the Industrial Revolution when the world was changing. In the Wealth of Nations, Smith proposed many revolutionary economic theories including; the division of labour, the labour theory of value, the role of the state in an economy and the invisible hand among others, which he thought would build a nations’ wealth. Classical political economy is a group of theories that developed in the 17th – 19th Century to try and understand society on the basis of its economic foundation. Smith viewed political economy as a branch of science of statesmen, aimed at providing its citizens with plentiful revenue or subsistence and sufficient revenue for state for public service. It proposed to enrich both the people and the sovereign. (Smith, 2008, p. 275; Burnham, P., 2014, A). Smith believed that society should be market-based, which he believed were characterised by the three factors of production; land, labour and capital. These factors of production produce three classes within society: landowners, capital owners and labour. Each clas s receives revenue, and all are independent of each other. Smith’s main point in the Wealth of Nations was that all classes could gain from an increase in the scope of the market; anything that impedes the free-market is a problem (Burnham, P., 2014, B). Discussion One of Smith’s key theories, proposed in the Wealth of Nations, was that of the division of labour. This refers to the separation of different parts of the production process according to the worker’s ability and/or the worker’s equipment. Smith believed that the benefits were clear; it enhanced the production process leading to a more efficient use of scarce resources as well as lowering the cost of production (Smith, 2008, Book I, ch.1). Furthermore, Smith strongly believed that the division of labour greatly increased the quantity a worker and/or firm could produce. The results of dividing labour are; the increase in the skill of the worker; reduced time loss upon switching production process, and the invention of machines which aids workers and enables one man to do the work of many. By reducing the worker’s part of the production process to one, simpler operation performed solely by the worker, this increases the worker’s skill and performance. As no worker needs to change task, more time can be dedicated to the production process. The specialisation of workers would enable firms to employ machinery, thus producing more goods more efficiently compared to human capital, reducing the number of workers required to make a certain quantity of goods, and therefore reducing the cost of production (Smith, 2008, pp.15-17). In the 18th Century when The Wealth of Nations was published, factory owners adopted his principle of people specialising in particular jobs as shown in his example of the pin-maker. This principle of specialisation has continued to modern industrial occupations, such as car manufacturing. However, Smith believed that the division of labour was limited by the extent of the market. For example, if the market is so small that a worker cannot sell their produce of labour efficiently, the worker will make losses, and so, on this basis, may work in an industry for which they are not skilled in. Smith argued that division of labour will only take place when the population is large, that will create enough demand for specialised services (Smith, 2008, Book I, ch. 3). Karl Marx disagreed with Smith’s theory, as he believed that specialisation would lead to the alienation of workers as the work becomes repetitive and reduces the value of the worker from a human being to that of a machine (Marx, 1988, p.72). In addition when work becomes more specialised, less training is required for each job, and so, the individual workers become less skilled than if one worker performed the whole task (Marx, 1999, p.119). Smith also critiques the division of labour; he believed that if a worker devoted their life to performing one or a few simple operations of which the effects are similar or the same, the worker has no occasion to discover methods for removing difficulties that never occur. Smith argues that because of this, the worker would generally become as stupid and ignorant as is possible for a human to be (Smith, 2008, pp. 429 430). Another one of Smith’s most prominent ideas was the concept of the ‘Invisible Hand’ and the idea of a free-market (Smith, 2008, Book IV, ch. 2). What Smith actually meant by ‘Invisible Hand’ is still a contested idea between economists, but it is widely believed that it is a metaphor to describe the guide of the allocation of scarce resources in a free-market. A free-market is a market free from government intervention and so the market price of goods are determined by the interaction between supply and demand. Smith stated that all actors, buyers and sellers, act in their own self-interest (Burnham, P., 2014, B). Smith claimed that, due to the absence of government intervention, buyers are free to choose where to buy goods from and seller are free to choose which goods they want to supply and at what price and quantity. Smith believed that this method would benefit society as buyers, acting in their own self-interest, would buy goods from the cheapest sellers. This would mean that firms would compete against each other, trying to gain as many customers as possible to maximise their own self-interest; profit. This would lead to firms cutting their prices in order to gain buyers. In turn, the inefficient firms with higher costs and whose use of resources are inefficient, will not be able to cut their prices, so are forced out of the market. An obvious example of this is budget airlines competing against each other, Laker Airways became bankrupt in 1982 trying to compete. This inevitably leads to a more efficient use of resources, with buyers getting their goods at a cheaper price and/or higher quality; improving their utility whilst the efficient firms reap the benefits of increased profits. Smith believed that because of this, the free-market is the best way to allocate scarce resources and that indi viduals trying to maximise their utility would in turn increase the utility of society (Smith, 2006, p.316). The most obvious example of the free-market theory in practice today is America – whether or not it is successful in allocating resources efficiently or lowering prices is debatable. A common misconception is that Smith wanted no state intervention whatsoever. However, although he wanted a small state, he saw four main roles for the state to play: to uphold the rule of law, to protect society from people who are against the market, to maintain public infrastructure, and to foster â€Å"justice† (Burnham, P. 2014 B). Not everyone agrees with Smith’s theory of the invisible hand and that the free-market benefits society. The free-market does not work efficiently when externalities exist. An externality is an action of an individual that has an impact on others, which the individual does not pay for/the other individual is not compensated for, so therefore, the market price does not reflect the true cost to society (Mankiw Taylor, 2014 p. 189). Marx argued that the capital class, that is those who own the modes of production, do not work and therefore exploit the workers. He also believes that capitalists would eventually accumulate more and more capital, further exploiting the working class (Marx, 1999, Vol. 7). More recently, Joseph Stiglitz identifies that markets are too short-term driven, and are unlikely to invest in research and development, which historically has been done by the government. As well as this, Stiglitz believes that due to asymmetric information and individuals pursui ng their own personal interest, the free-market will inevitably lead to those with the information to benefit at the expense of others, therefore, markets will not be efficient (Stiglitz, 2004). This can be seen in George Akerlof’s example of a used car salesman, who has more information than the customer, and so can gain at the expense of the customer (Akerlof, 1970). Conclusion Adam Smith was immensely influential and made a huge contribution to the tradition of classical political economy. He produced the building blocks for basic liberal economics that of the free-market – and many of his theories are still used in some way today. Smith’s works influenced many prominent economically liberal academics of the 20th Century, including Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek. Smith’s theories have been adopted by governments, most notably Margaret Thatcher’s and Ronald Reegan’s, and have been adapted to suit the different situation of modern society. With hindsight, and through criticisms from prominent academics, such as Karl Marx, we now know that there are faults with some of Smith’s key theories, such as asymmetric information and externalities in a market. However, in the 18th Century, Smith’s theories were revolutionary and helped change the political-economic system of Britain from that of mercantilism to cl assical political economy. Smith’s theories also helped to kick-start Britain’s Industrial Revolution in the 18th Century, which aided Britain’s ascension to be the most powerful and wealthy country in the world (Hudson, 2011). Therefore, it could be argued that his contribution was immense and nearly two hundred and fifty years later, he continues to influence political and economic thinking. Bibliography Smith, A. (2008)An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations: A Selected Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, USA Burnham, P. (A) (2014) What is political economy-2.ppt, 08 20891 Political Economy. [online via internal VLE] University of Birmingham available at: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/7985/files/845717?module_item_id=147603 Burnham, P. (B) (2014) Economic liberalism.pptx, 08 20891 Political Economy. [online via internal VLE] University of Birmingham available at: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/7985/files/845717?module_item_id=147603 Marx, K. (1988)Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and the Communist Manifesto (Great Books in Philosophy). Prometheus Books Marx, K. (1999)Das Kapital: A Critique of Political Economy. Regnery Publishing, Inc., An Eagle Publishing Company Smith, A. (2006)The Theory of Moral Sentiments. 7 vols. United States: Waking Lion Press Mankiw, G. and Taylor, M. (2014)Economics. 3rd ed. Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Cengage Learning Stiglitz, J. (2004)The Roaring Nineties: A New History of the World’s Most Prosperous Decade. Norton, W. W. Company, Inc. Akerlof, G. (1970) The Market for â€Å"Lemons†: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism.The Quarterly Journal of Economics[online], 84 (3). Available from: http://socsci2.ucsd.edu/~aronatas/project/academic/Akerlof%20on%20Lemons.pdf Hudson, P. (2011) The Workshop of the World. BBC [online], 29 March. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/workshop_of_the_world_01.shtml [Accessed 4 December 2014]

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Shakespeares Hamlet - Claudius Essay -- GCSE English Literature Cours

Claudius of Shakespeare's Hamlet’s G. Wilson Knight in "The Embassy of Death" interprets the character of Claudius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is - strange as it may seem - a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet, and all would have been well. But, granted the presence of Hamlet - which Claudius at first genuinely desired, persuading him not to return to Wittenberg as he wished - and granted the fact of his original crime which cannot now be altered, Claudius cannot now be blamed for his later actions. They are forced on him. As King, he could scarcely be expected to do otherwise. (n. pag.) This essay, with the involvement of various literary critics, will consider Knight’s evaluation in light of others’, and will thoroughly delineate the character of King Claudius, show his place in the drama, and interpret his character. The drama opens after Hamlet has just returned from Wittenberg, England, where he has been a student. What brought him home was the news of his father’s death and his father’s brother’s quick accession to the throne of Denmark. Philip Burton in â€Å"Hamlet† discusses Claudius’ sudden rise to the Danish throne upon the death of King Hamlet I: The fact that Claudius has become king is not really surprising. Only late in the play does Hamlet complain that his uncle had "popped in between the election and my hopes." The country had been in a nervous state expecting an invasion by young Fortinbras, at the head of a lawless band of adventurers, in revenge for his father’s death at the hands of King Hamlet. A strong new king was immediat... ...Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000 http://www.bartleby.com/215/0816.html West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957. Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Hamlet - Act 5 Summary :: essays research papers

I have much to write about on this day, yet I cannot rightfully do it because I have tragically been killed. So, I will tell the story, as a spirit to the world. My life ended in a miserable way. Revenge was on my mind, as well as others. I completed the task that I had set forth to myself. I will start where I last left off.As I am walking with Horatio to the burial of Ophilia, we hear a gravedigger singing of odd things. We stop and watch him for a few moments and then when he begins to throw bones into the air, move out from our cover and inquire of his purpose. He then rambles on and on with strange wording, speaking of his call to be a gravedigger and his life existing since Hamlet Jr. was born. He continues to speak, telling me of a skull that was once Yorick. I tell him of how I had once known him and that he was one of my favorite jesters. Then, I began to carry-on about dying, and how people may be part of the wall. Then, as the funeral people begin to come in, Horatio and I move away, somewhat hidden and listen to the chitchat. The people are complaining of the unluxurious burial. Then, Laertes jumps onto the coffin and begins exclaiming that he wants to be buried next to her. I then enter, jumping onto the coffin with him and tell him of how he could never love her as much as I did. I then leave, after getting a 'load' off my chest.Horatio, still with me, listens as I tell him all the details of my trip to England, and back. I tell of rewriting the letters and being taken captive by the pirates. Then, Osric enters and after much speaking, informs of the request to a dual with Laertes. Then, when I am asked to come, I go to the dual. Laertes thinks I will lose, but I assure him that I have been working on my swordsmanship for some time.When I arrive, most of the royal people are there. I ask Laertes for my forgiveness before the dual begins and he won't except my apology until he has spoken to experts about his honor and reputation. I thank him and request for the swords and tell Laertes that he will be great, but he thinks I am making fun of him.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Libyan Head of State, Muammar al Qaddafi :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Libyan Head of State, Muammar al Qaddafi Muammar al Qaddafi is a very dangerous man. He promotes terrorism, and radical causes. He is committed against the U.S, and will help almost anyone who is also against the U.S. He is very intelligent and crafty. In 1969 he led a coup against the Libyan government. He succeeded, and became head of state. He is a devoted Muslim. Qaddafi is a person to be read about and learned about. As I mentioned above, one of his greatest successes was leading a bloodless coup against the Libyan monarchy. He became head of state. Another success is that fact that most Libyans lead good lives. All Libyans have a house or an apartment, a car, and most have televisions, phones, and recording equipment. The young people are well dressed and fed. He has survived many coup attempts against him. His face and picture are in most buildings in Libya. He always was devoted to school as a kid. He would take a long hike from the desert to school. He would come home only every Thursday, the beginning of the Muslim weekend. Then he would go back to school. He was the first in his family to be well educated. One of his first goals when he was a child was to join the Libyan army. He slowly moved up in rank. It was surprising they even let him in the army; he had a long police record. He eventually joined the King's police. This was when the idea of a coup attempt came. He did succeed. Qaddafi was born in a tent in the desert 20 miles south of the sea. This is a desolate place- burning hot in the summer, and freezing cold in the winter. Most people would consider this place to be uninhabitable. His father was at the bottom of social level in this very poor country. The name of tribe Qaddadfa means in Arabic, " Spitter or vomiter of blood." In Qaddafi's early years, in the 1940's there were tank battles in the desert and thousands of bombing raids by Germans in Libya. Besides this, in the 1920's the Italians under Mussolini had conquered Libya for the second time and had killed large numbers of women, children and old people. They trampled on copies of the Koran, threw men out of airplanes and raped and disembowelled women. So the Libyans of Qaddafi generation grew up full of

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Islam Invasion of India in 1200-1700 72103725 Essay

The historical excerpt of India draws its genesis from the Indus Valley civilization which mushroomed in the North-Western part of the sub-continent as early as 3300 towards 1700BCE. Rashid Barrack (1999). This era was popularly known for Bronze and the subsequent Iron Age. Historians concur with the fact that this is the period that triggered the massive uprising of pinnacle kingdoms otherwise known as Mahajanapadas from 700–300 BCE. Rashid Barrack (1999). The scramble and partition and economic influence were a dreaded disease on the global scale before the papacy age; this affected almost all societies in the historical context. India like other societies in history was vulnerable to the Islamic invasion. The scramble for India began one century after the death of Mohammed, during this period Arabs advanced into the deep most parts of India where they settled at the Indus valley. Most of these successive raids were affected by Mahmud who had the main objective of controlling the wealth of India. They took over the Indian home turf Delhi by 12th century. Apart from the Islamic vested interest in India, other tribes from Persia and Central Asia also were seen as potential invaders into this sub-continent. Chirac. R (2000). Immediately the Sassanids succumbed, the consequent entourage of the Caliphate’s that welded enormous power and subsequently saw to its monopolistic dominion, It gave rise to Muslim dynasties of Asian heritage, which consisted of the Turks. Chirac. R (2000) Expansion of trade One of the impeccable reasons Islam expanded to India was strictly for economic reasons. The Muslims came in contact with India through the Arab invasion on a nest of pirates near neo-Bombay. Muslims enhanced their dominance in both accumulating the economic power and enhancing religion through a comprehensive structure that fused the political power, law and religion. This was meant to safeguard their vested interest. This prompted a massive expansion of world trade far beyond in the medieval era. Free trade was vividly enhanced by Sher Shah Suri who bunned all trade tariffs. Large infrastructures were built and by (1540-1544) Grand Trunk Road was built to create a conduit between Calcutta through to Kabul. Chitendra Sonigra (1997). This was prompted by the curiosity to secure trade empires along the Arabian Sea. During this period in time many Arabs settled at the Indian ports, prompting a transcendental increase of minute Muslim communities along the Indian costal line. Communities spontaneously occupied these regions, where they were used as mercenaries by most Hindu kings that hailed from the south. Chitendra Sonigra (1997). A fundamental aspect of the Muslim period in world history was the emergence of Islamic Sharia courts capable of imposing a common commercial and legal system that extended from Morocco in the West to Mongolia in the North East and Indonesia in the South East. Critically the imposition of the common commercial strictures was meant to facilitate the ease of operation in the region as the Islam looted the economy. Chitendra Sonigra (1997). While southern India was already in trade with Arabs/Muslims, northern India found new opportunities. Islamic forces become so tactical and designed common legal framework that subjugates the Hindu kingdoms. The adoption of the Sharia laws was an integral era in the history of Islam that enhanced the imposition of trading tariffs. The Sharia incorporated business conduits that favored both the Muslims and the Kaffirs. Hadley M. (1970). The marshaled out an economic annexing stratagem by clinging on a system that was rounded between the clergy, the administrative and the mercantile classes. This system granted them ease in terms of navigating potential territories in the sub-content. The Islamic legion was clever in that they established a political embodiment that amalgamated both the law and religion in order to safeguard and dominate on the economic spheres. As a consequent, Bengal was taken over and the central India by the Delhi Sultanate, empires like the Turko-Afghan reigned from Delhi: the Mamluk ruled during 1211-1290; the Khalji ruled 12-90-1320: the Tughlaq ruled from 1320-1413 the Sayyid (1414-51) while the Lodhi ruled from 1451-1526. Hadley M. (1970). The Islamic hegemony also eyed the Southern kingdom where futile resistance was marshaled up by Vijayanagar until the tumbling down of the Sultanate Empire in 1565. Rashid Barrack (1999). This resulted into the expansion of international trade, in all spheres of the sub-continent. Chitendra Sonigra (1997). While it is evident that during this era a section of leaders were overzealous about spreading Islam and varied sections inclined to the Akbar dynasty was liberal in founding a more harmonious religion. The economic aspect was championed through the massive empire uprising such as the Mughal dynasty in 1526–1707, that domineered India for 200 years: the Mughal annexed so much wealth that made them so rich. Hadley M. (1970). The Islamic intrusion in India was categorically for economic reasons; this was achieved through the expansion of slave territories and the exploitation gun powder. After the death of Auranzeb’s death, the dominance of Muslim subsided, this was followed by the successive imperialistic and provincial hereditary powers was coupled with intrigue and force. After a short while mansabdari system gave birth to the zamindari system where aristocratic structures of government collected rents. Hadley M. (1970). Technology Expansion The expansive international trade during these wee years enhanced the transportation of industrial technology and urban ethical paradigm shift. Although the Indian sub-continent had a rich intellectual culture that was more advanced, the water-wheel technology for irrigation was imported during the Muslim period of invasion. Architectural designs such as those ones of the ceramic tiles that was dominant in Iraq and Iran was also transported by the mughal rulers. These designs gave Arabs a bargaining ground and they enhanced their economic mission under the pretext of ushering foreign technology. Hadley M. (1970). Cultural influence To enhance prolific dominance on the Indian subcontinent, the Islam had to incorporate the divide and rule philosophy that polarized the sub-continental psyche, which complicated issues majority of settled agrarian societies of India during this time. The Muslim’s however did not adopt the Indian mores and values; they instead retained their identity and fronted legal cum administrative structures that outrun the mainstream systems. The fundamental effect of Islam on the Indian culture influenced the evolution of all spheres of human endeavor; this includes language, dress, cuisine, architectural development and also the social and cultural values. The Muslim reign witnessed a magnificent urbanization of India and the spontaneous mushrooming of many cities and their urban mores. There was bit of language modification that was as a result of Muslim invasion. Since the Islam was a key player in the transatlantic trade the monetary factor was a major consideration in welding dominance in India, they however, extended their trade conduits that spread from Morocco through to Indonesia. This change of emphasis on mercantilism and trade from the more strongly centralized governance systems further clashed with the agricultural based traditional economy and also provided fuel for social and political tensions. Rashid Barrack (1999).

Friday, August 16, 2019

Bay of Pigs Invasion

The invasion at the Bay of Pigs is an event that played a significant role in histories of both the United States and Cuba. It was a United States-supported attack on the regime of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in an attempt to stop communism. The attempt proved futile; many lives were lost for an objective that was not achieved. The invasion therefore served as a lesson in American politics. Since the Second World War ended, the United States was convinced that communism was a major problem (Sierra 2). Americans believed that communism was a major threat.When Fidel Castro arrived in the United States for the American Society of Newspaper Editors in April 1959, Vice President Richard Nixon was already determined to oppose his rule (Sierra 3). Earlier that year, the Cuban revolution occurred, and President Dwight Eisenhower realized the social implications of the said revolution (Sierra 2; â€Å"Wars†). The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had formulated a plan against Castro, wh ich Eisenhower approved on March 17, 1960 (â€Å"Bay†; Sierra 3). The relationship between the United States and Cuba began to break down; the diplomatic ties between the two nations were officially cut by the U.S. government on January 3, 1961 (â€Å"Bay†; Sierra 2). Seventeen days after the Eisenhower administration ended their relations with Cuba, former Senator John F. Kennedy assumed his post in the oval office as President (Sierra 2). Before being elected as President, with the given political climate, Kennedy knew that the only way he could win the presidency was to champion anti-communism. He then became fixated with Castro. The moment he became president, he had already promised Cuban exiles that he would fervently fight communism and support any effort to topple the Castro regime (Sierra 3).The invasion was planned in such a way that Cuban exiles would overthrow the Castro administration without exposing how involved the United States was to the operation (â €Å"Bay†). There had already been speculation that the officials of the United States had been planning to attack Cuba, but this was responded to with denials (Sierra 2). However, Raul Roa, the prime minister of Cuba, confirmed that Cuban exiles were being recruited, trained and paid for their contribution in the possible attack (Sierra 3). The initial plan of attack was to land in Trinidad City in the day (Sierra 3).However, this plan had two disadvantages. First, the city was located close to the Escambray Mountains; this would be an ideal place wherein Castro's troops would retreat into after the attack. Second, Kennedy realized that this would reveal to the public the involvement of the United States in the attack. The plan was then changed; instead, the landing would be at the Bay of Pigs, which was to occur at night. The bay presented a possible air-strip located on the beach wherein the bombing raids could be managed.After the area was secured, Cuban government created by the CIA would be established; its legitimacy would immediately acknowledged by the U. S. government. The installed government would then ask for military assistance, and there would be an â€Å"intervention† (Sierra 3). In a press conference five days prior to the attack, Kennedy claimed that the United States military would not interfere with the Cuban situation. He stated that it was a struggle amongst the Cubans, not a battle between the U. S. and Cuba (Sierra 3). On April 15th, B-26 planes simultaneously bombed four airfields in Cuba (Sierra 4).These bomber planes were transformed to look like Cuban planes operated by Cuban exiles. A few days before the actual attack was launched, people from the CIA arrived in Cuba to assist the invaders. They were tasked to commit terrorist attacks like bombing bridges; it is because by doing so, it would appear that the Cuban citizens were involved in the attack. However, the truth was soon unveiled. The difference between the nose s of a Cuban and an American plane gave it away. The former was made of Plexiglas, while the latter was opaque.Meanwhile, the forces arrived on April 16th; six battalions which consisted of 1,500 men arrived on the bay (Sierra 4). While the invasion was proceeding, the leader of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev sent a letter to Kennedy (Sierra 4). The letter stated that everyone already knew about the U. S. involvement in the invasion, and that Russia would not hesitate to aid Cuba in defending itself from invaders. This prompted Kennedy to stop the air strikes (â€Å"Bay†). However, the attack on land continued; the exiles wanted to proceed to Havana in hopes of getting support from the locals.The invaders failed to reach their destination, as Castro's troops stopped them. It was on April 19th when the fighting was halted, but many people had already been killed while others have been captured. Later on, the exiles were free on ransom by the Cuban government (â€Å"Bayâ⠂¬ ). The invasion was a failure; it caused great embarrassment to Kennedy and the U. S. government (â€Å"Bay†). The failure was attributed to insufficient and erroneous planning and execution. There was lack of preparation, while the intelligence gathered was not sufficient to guarantee the success of the invasion.That is the reason why Kennedy fired several CIA officials (Sierra 6). In addition, information about the impending attack also allowed Castro and his troops to prepare. Despite the numerous setbacks, Kennedy pushed through with the attack hoping that the citizens of Cuba would support it. They never did (â€Å"Bay†). The invasion at the Bay of Pigs was intended to crush communism by overthrowing Fidel Castro. The invasion was an attempt of the United States to attack Cuba under the guise of a local political dilemma. The invasion failed, resulting in the loss of lives and the humiliation of the Free World.The event has indeed proved that a noble intention does not guarantee success. Works Cited â€Å"Bay of Pigs Invasion†. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2008. Microsoft Corporation. 11 June 2008 . Sierra, Jerry A. â€Å"Invasion at Bay of Pigs. † History of Cuba. 30 July 2007. 11 June 2008 . â€Å"Wars and Battles: Bay of Pigs Invasion. † U-S-history. com. 12 June 2008 .

Blue Ocean Study

What is Blue Ocean Strategy? by Nattida Sae-Iw MBA Student What is Blue Ocean Strategy? Let’s start with the metaphors To understand the term of Blue Ocean, imagine a market universe composed of two sorts of oceans: Red Oceans and Blue Oceans. Red Oceans represent the existing market space which is known market. Companies in red oceans are competitive-base; they are fighting each other and aim to get a bigger market share from their competitors. The world now is globalized, the competitions are fiercer than ever, they are battling on the same demand thus this is bloody competition.That’s why it’s called red oceans. Blue Oceans are new, defined as unknown market space. In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set. Blue oceans are the opportunity for highly profitable growth. The space is new, no battle so it’s clear market, that’s why this is called Blue Ocean. Productivity ManagementCreativity Managem ent Companies are always successful in the red ocean. How many companies tend to follow the right side of the diagram? Most of companies are tending to follow the left side as that’s normal practice and easier.The right side is a risk taking and companies are trying to avoid it. The red ocean is always matter and is a fact of business life. However, with exceeding demand and more competitors, companies need to go beyond competing. To grow business opportunity, the companies need to create blue oceans. Unfortunately, blue oceans are uncharted and large. Without guideline and frameworks to create blue oceans is seen to be risky. Therefore, there are some methodologies to help on how to create them. According to the article, it can be summarized that the basic structure of creating blue oceans are as follows: Focus on Future, answer yourself with these questions whether you are ready to create blue oceans. Simple questions you need to challenge you are really blue color. How Blu e is your strategy: 1. Creating new demand instead of striving to do better than competitors 2. Looking for non-customers instead of getting a bigger share of customers 3. Challenging assumptions and reconstructing industry 4. Voluntary participating self- initiated teams 5. Executing strategies while conserving time and resources †¢ Strategies Canvas – Capture both current state and also demand side of alternatives 1.Do dimension on graph: value factors that are important, what your industry focuses on. Graph the company then graph for your own 2. Look at the frameworks 3. Try to answer 4 questions (New value curve) and review what does the industry curve look like? And what does your company’s curve look like? Then apply four actions frameworks to build a winning strategy. Reduce: Which factors should be reduced well below the industry’s standard? Eliminate: Which of the factors that the industry takes for granted should be eliminated? Raise: Which factor s should be raised well above the industry’s standard?Create: Which factors should be created that the industry has never offered? Blue Ocean is not about taking risk and also not avoiding risk. It’s maximizing opportunities and minimizing risks. Blue Ocean focuses on six different risks that are associated with formulations strategy. o Search risk – How you come up with the right idea? o Planning risk – Not just let strategic tools store in document shelf. Create a big picture and make it visualized. o Scale risk – To make sure you are going out to the ocean, not just a pool and try to reach beyond existing demand. Business model risk – Get the strategic sequence right o Organizational risk – Strategy must come together with good resources. o Management risk – Motivation which is associated with people’s attitudes and behaviors. 4. Execute – After lying out the tools and frameworks in the formulation and then mot ivating people to act on and execute a blue ocean strategy. In short, Blue Ocean is about changing in what current industries believe, and create new value to serve customers, that’s called â€Å"Value Innovation†.Focusing on non-customers and find out why they are non-customers then provide high value to them and change them from non-customers to be your customers (Create and capture new demand). Besides, the creation of Blue Ocean is about driving costs structure down while driving value up for buyers. This systematic process is all about Blue Ocean point of view. ———————– Managing cost Quality Control Assets Utilization Operational Efficiency Growth/ Innovation Creativity methods New Brand Development Global Reach

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Gender Differences in Workplace Essay

In the emerging global economy, the world economic system today is much more open than it was only a decade ago. The world is fast becoming interdependent global market place. Competitiveness will be on an international basis wherein knowledge and skills of the workforce posed great challenge as it will be the key competitive weapon for the 21st century. While the global economy emerges here in the Philippines and so does stress. Stress – that can be felt by those who are in the frontline and those who are in the corporate ladder. Stress was first introduced by Walter Cannon along with the fight or flight response, and often than not one would feel changes in body temperature, the heart will beat faster and blood pressure alleviates and faster blood clotting once entered this phase. Stress is one of the factors why majority of the employees in management level become ill or at some point the reason for leaving their post. Over the past couple of decade, this has been the major concern of employers with their employees. Most of the big companies even allocate budget for the employee’s well being and prevention of such stress. Vacation leave has been around the working industry for a long time, since it will definitely help reduce stress and at some point sick leaves can be use to tend to stress. Many factors inside the company may affect sources of stress, there is the nature of work, threats in lay-offs, salary, time of work (e.g. graveyard shift), deadlines and managers themselves – well these are some of the stressors among those who are in the workforce of a company. Filipino workforce front liners has a clue on how to overcome stress, we might get a chance to see how most of the call center agents cope with stress outside of their company building by smoking cigarettes. But that is just one in so many ways on how to cope with stress. It is also notable that stress helps  an individual to perform well on a given task, the important moderator in the military context, for individual and groups, is training. Stress exposure training, in which individuals are exposed to simulated stressors and forced to perform target skills under them, can build familiarity with potential stressors, teach individuals strategies to maintain performance under stress, and contribute to over learning, task mastery, and increased self-confidence. Stress exposure training can also be effective in improving group performance under stress by teaching groups how to adapt their performance strategies to external stressors and alerting them to how other team members will be affected by stress. Groups that undergo training, tend to have better communication, teamwork and feedback strategies that help them to work together under stress (Kavanagh, 2005). Stress is an inevitable buddy in workers of fast food, BPOs and other offices -both public and private. Stress, both good and bad contribute to the efficacy and quality of service that an employee can offer. This study aims to know how stress affects those who are in the corporate ladder. Harris (2011) in behalf of American Psychological Association made a study last 2011 involving 1546 adult employees regarding work stress shows that 36% of the respondents feel stressed out with their job. And those who have high and low level of stress feel that they are less likely satisfied with their job. With this being said, we can take note that sufficient amount of stress is needed as a means of motivation. And that is what this study is all about. How stress affect both men and women who are in the corporate ladder. How they cope with a bucket of stress, and how to turn the tides to their favor. Statement of the Problem This study is conducted to determine the impact of stress among those who are in the corporate ladder in Metro Manila. Specifically, it seeks answers to the following questions;