Case Analysis: Tennant Company Essay

Lead-In/Key Issues Over Tennant Company’s (Tennant) 141 year history, they have consistently remained a producer of floor-cleaning equipment and technologies focusing their efforts in producing products for non-residential use. Since the new CEO Chris Killingstad has come to the company however, he has been dramatically changing Tennant’s value proposition with a broader emphasis encompassing â€Å"chemical-free cleaning and other technologies.† This case shows Tennant’s move beyond traditional green efforts to centralizing environmentally-friendly performance at the heart of the company’s focus, and whether this new focus provides enough benefit as a competitive advantage. The challenge now for Killingstad and Tennant is how to move forward into 2013 in terms of company focus and direction; mainly the extent to which they should diversify. Should Tennant move into residential markets with smaller units for consumers to use in-home? Should they continue to focus on the commercial side, investing instead in the market potential of their ec-H20 and irreversible electroporation technologies? Or should they enter emerging markets with low-cost alternatives to truly increase their global exposure and propagate their vision of chemical-free cleaning? Situation Analysis External Analysis In this section I will use case information and provide an analysis of the commercial cleaning industry. I am choosing to ignore the residential cleaning industry at this time as they have only begun thinking about the consumer market at the time the case was written. Also, given the push by the majority of cleaning companies to â€Å"go green† it is important to look at the entire cleaning industry rather than just the ecologically-friendly niche in order to assess the level of Tennant’s competitive advantage relative to the industry as a whole. As aforementioned, there has been a general trend towards green alternatives in the 21st century, across a large array of industries. More specifically in the commercial cleaning industry it was revealed that consumers desired more environmentally-friendly solutions, as long as there was no sacrifice to price and performance. This ties in with the industry opportunities in the Tennant SWOT analysis (appendix 2) as the innovativ e products from Tennant give them the advantage over chemical-only cleaning companies. Before I analyze Porter’s five forces with respect to Tennant, we must understand what life cycle stage the commercial cleaning industry is currently at. Since profits for Tennant have been rising, and the industry as a whole is said to have risen to 5 billion, I can conclude the industry is still in the growth stage. Now it is important to look at how the development of new technology has impacted Porter’s five forces, most specifically the bargaining power of buyers and the threat of substitute products. Since the introduction of their disruptive technologies they have greatly reduced the risk of these two forces specifically; as these types of products are not easily available elsewhere. It is through these technologies they have created a new, unique selling proposition that has become a competitive advantage for Tennant. Internal Analysis Moving away from the external environment in the cleaning industry, I will now shift attention to Tennant’s key strengths (and their underlying causes) as well as an analysis of financial information to assess their profitability and efficiency. The main source of Tennant’s relative strength in the industry comes from their innovative and patented technologies (see Appendix 2). Firm-specific strengths are resources that can become core competencies; in the case of Tennant they have already become a primary strategic advantage. Now as technological strengths are quite often a by-product of well-structured R&D within a firm, it is therefore crucial to look at in this case. Most of their initial innovative success can be attributed to the Advanced Product Development group, which although was only allocated 10% of the R&D budget they developed the most significant technologies between 2002 and 2006, namely their FaST and ReadySpace technologies. Following the success of th eir ec-H2O technology, they decided to further develop its platform outside of the corporate culture of Tennant and created the subsidiary â€Å"Orbio Technologies Group.† It was through this subsidiary that Tennant developed the split-stream technology and irreversible electroporation, both successful innovations. In all, it can be concluded that the creation of an â€Å"entrepreneurial† subsidiary was a successful management move, and combined with well coordinated R&D it allowed Tennant to develop their core competency. Now it is also important to note where their strengths and weaknesses lie with respect to their financial data and corresponding ratio analysis. Tennant’s main concerns lay in three specific ratios: operating cash flow ratio, their operating profit margin, and their solvency ratio (see Appendix 1). First their operating cash flow ratio is well below one indicating they have not generated enough cash flow during the year to pay off their short-term liabilities. Second their operating profit margin is only 6.10% and 5.76% for the past two years respectively, indicating they are not generating an ideal amount of EBIT per sales dollar earned. And third their solvency ratio is below the healthy threshold of 20% (10.67% and 9.67% for the past two years respectively) meaning they have less of an ability to fulfill debt obligations and have a heightened default risk. Now they are a little stronger in some areas; their current ratio is above a two which is ideal for most firms. Also they do have some operating leverage (although not much above a one means it is low). There is a significant gap between their gross margin and operating profit margin, indicating they are spending a large amount of their revenue on operating expenses. This is to be expected with a highly R&D intensive company like Tennant, as well as the need for high selling expenses required to differentiate from the rest of the cleaning companies. Strategic Alternatives Alternative #1 My first alternative is for Tennant Company to move into the residential, consumer market with smaller Orbio-E handheld units. In this proposed alternative they should stay away from licensing and keep production within the company. This alternative simply provides a variation of their core competency, innovative technologies, and therefore does not stray far from their already established strategic strengths. Alternative #2 The second alternative I would recommend would be the proposed base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) model in emerging markets. As suggested by the case would allow them to identify areas to improve in their legacy markets by creating low-cost products for low-income consumers in developing countries. Furthermore, this action could potentially catapult them to industry-leader status by taking their green initiative to the next level. This very likely would also cause an increase in their goodwill. Alternative #3 The final alternative I will provide with this analysis is for Tennant to continue current operations. They would focus their resources on developing their existing customer relationships with their tried and tested product line. This alternative is taking the less risky approach, by not pursuing chemical-free cleaning too quickly and waiting to assess where the industry is after a given period of time. This will help mitigate potentially detrimental effects on their existing customer base who do not feel ready to make the transition to chemical-free cleaning. Strategic Recommendation I would suggest Tennant Company move forward with my second proposed alternative, of the BOP business model venturing into emerging markets. It does carry with it more risk, and would require them to take an in-depth analytical look at the profitability of that option. However the potential benefits outweigh the perceived risk in this example for Tennant. Not only will they gain valuable insight into reducing costs associated with their production by developing a low-cost line, but this option is the most synergistic with their core vision. Chris Killingstad even states: â€Å"We owe it to the world to grow and expand as much as we can,† and this simply cannot be accomplished by avoiding emerging markets in developing countries. All-in-all, with their unique technology and highly green initiatives, Tennant Company is well-positioned for continued success in the cleaning industry.

Management Forecasts

â€Å"Management Earnings Forecasts: A Review and Framework† by D. E. Hirst, L. Koonce and S. Venkataraman explained the antecedents, characteristics and consequences interlinked with earnings forecasts. Antecedents are characteristics that are prevalent prior to the consequence such as the existing environment/firm specific characteristics; and consequence is the outcome from antecedents and characteristics. Characteristics are the choices the management has deciding on how the report will be issued. The article guides the reader giving explanations of why management decides to release earnings forecasts, interactions of the three variables and its findings and how these findings may impact one period to another. Studies have found that management may issue forecasted earnings to reduce difference of opinions and/or information with the shareholders, to avoid litigation risks when the entity needs to make bad news disclosures and when managers have equity-based compensation tied to extend their wealth. Case Summary According to the case, â€Å"Management Earnings Disclosure and Pro Forma Reporting† by Mark T. Bradshaw and Jacob Cohen states that companies too often exclude information that negatively impacts the company’s earnings per share on their pro forma reports prior to releasing the financial statements that is in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles which is based on companies who have released such reports and the response to such reporting by the regulators. According to the case, pro forma reporting was originated by the SEC to provide earnings comparability for investors for differing time periods based on a â€Å"what if† analysis, meaning, what would have happened if this transaction had occurred and what would’ve been its impact on later reporting periods (Regulation S-X 1982). However, multiple incidents have shown that companies abuse the system. Proxim and Cisco, Inc. , both released their pro forma reports prior to their financial statements being released where both of the companies excluded the research and development costs, restructuring charges, mpairment/amortization of goodwill, which resulted in an overall positive net income with net income per share, whereas the financial statements in accordance with GAAP resulted in a loss with loss per share for both of the companies. Managers who are trying to disclose bad news about the company are more likely to issue earnings forecasts in order to avoid litigations (Skinner 1994, 1997). In addition, Trump Hotels and Casino, Inc. DJT) also excluded a onetime charge while including a onetime gain of $17. 2 million, exceeding the analysts’ estimates of $0. 54 per share to $0. 63 per share on their pro forma reporting (Burns 2002). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) responded to their incautious reporting and DJT acknowledged the findings and consented to unyielding commitments if similar violations were to take place again. The DJT incident was the first time the commissions took action against abusing pro forma reporting. Financial forecast data rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s (S&P) recommended for companies to include in their operating earnings such as restructuring charges, write-downs of assets, stock-option expenses and research and development costs and furthermore S&P suggested companies to exclude from operating earnings the following four categories: 1) goodwill write-downs 2) charges for litigation 3) gains and losses on asset sales and 4) expenses related to mergers and acquisitions (Leisman and Weil 2001). Although S&P made recommendations, Proxim, Inc. , still excluded restructuring charges, research and development costs while Cisco Systems, Inc. , also excluded restructuring, stock option exercise and research and developments costs on their pro forma reports, one of the reasons might be based on the belief that stock prices will fluctuate with high volatility, for example, when Rainforest Cafe announced earnings per share that was lower than expectations the stock price plummeted by 40% on a single day (Sloan and Skinner). Although managers may want to convince the investors their company’s value by providing pro forma reports that is plausible, they may want to consider the fact that this is only short term credibility because according to Hirst et al. (1999) only when the prior forecast is accurate do they consider future forecasts. The choices aren’t clear-cut on why the management continues to release misleading pro forma reports, the incentives behind them may be bonuses tied to stock prices or on the other hand management may want to release pro forma reports that is symmetrical to financial statements to reduce the asymmetry of information between managers, analysts and shareholders (Ajinkya and Gift 1984; Verrecchia 2001). It would be best for management to issue accurate pro forma reports to maintain creditability with the shareholders and the analysts because in the long-run the investors will depend on the entity’s reports for accuracy thus creating creditability which is the fundamental foundation of any business.

Library catalog Essay

Today, libraries are intensified and triggered by many advances and rapid inventions of science and technology that are greatly affecting the library operations as a whole. The non-stop discoveries of this new technology, particularly computers, redefined the role of libraries. A library is a collection of information, sources, resources, books, and services, and the structure in which it is housed. It is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. In a more traditional sense, a library is a collection of books (â€Å"Library†, 2009). The library, more than any instrument of the society, is open to public use and the knowledge embodied in books are the foundation of a society to attain or develop more the potentialities of man which in return, will be a great factor in the progress of a nation. The library has the responsibility to upgrade its status through open access to these advances, to develop a plan of action in order to contribute and to become an effective partner especially in instruction, research and extension programs of an educational institute (Enem, 2002). From the statements above it is proven that the library has a big role not only to the students but also to the society and our country. Through the help of modern technology and information system, the library circulation system can improve. Library circulation or library lending comprises the activities around the lending of library books and other material to users of a lending library. A circulation or lending department is one of the key departments of a library (â€Å"LC†, 2009). Library circulation provides lending services and facilities for return of loaned items. Renewal of materials and payment of fines are also handled at the circulation desk. Circulation staff may provide basic search and reference services, though more in-depth questions are usually referred to reference librarians at the library reference desk. The circulation desk is in most cases staffed by library aides instead of professional librarians. The functions of the circulation desk staff may include the lending materials to library users, checking in materials returned, monitoring materials for damage and routing them to the appropriate staff for repair or replacement, troubleshooting circulation technology, i.e. library circulation software, scanners, printers, etc. , and collecting statistics on library use, i. e. patron transactions, material checkouts, etc. The two categories of Information System (IS) are the manual or traditional system and automatic or also known as Computer-Based Information System (CBIS). Before the use of CBIS, all the data are processed manually in a traditional system, where all the information are written and stored in different files. Sometimes, this process is called non-computerized system. Non-computerized is not efficient because it consumes a lot of time to find and update the information. To eliminate this problem, a new system was created which is known as computerized system or CBIS. Computer-Based Information Systems (CBIS) is composed of hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, people, and procedures that are configured to collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information (Abraham, 2009). The library of University of the Philippines Diliman was established in 1922 has grappled with four basic concerns: the book fund, staff development, library services and information technology. And in 1999 the university had opened an online public access catalog and launched the university library web. Another school that has a library system running in web based is the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in 1999. Each year, the school library acquires new resources and upgrades equipment for the use of students. As of august 2009, the library has a collection of over 122,000 book titles and more than 45,000 titles of electronic books. Using CBIS nowadays as a tool for development not only uplifts a company’s reputation, but also help fix things to the best. And also by using the intranet as a platform of the system can be a great help for improving the services of the library. An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet technologies to securely share any part of an organization’s information or operational systems with its employees. Sometimes the term refers only to the organization’s internal website, but often it is a more extensive part of the organization’s computer infrastructure and private websites are an important component and focal point of internal communication and collaboration (King, 2002). Mr. A. T. Valdes, the librarian of NPCMSTI said that the library is an instrument that is used to provide data and information needed by the student in his study by collecting books that are important in their subjects as references. He added that from the books collected and selected, they are maintained in  order to be available to the students when the need it (personal communication, April 6, 2002). In addition, there are problems encountered in the manual or traditional library system of NPCMSTI based from the study conducted by the students of NPCMSTI. These include more effort and slow inventory of books, inefficient searching of books, inefficient generation of reports, and inefficient monitoring of books. The library has more than 4000 number of books and monitoring all these books require a lot of time and effort (Carreon, Delmendo, Maala, Mendoza & Penequito, 2008). Considering the advantages brought by CBIS and the problems encountered in the existing library system of NPCMSTI, the researcher decided to propose a computerized library system for NPCMSTI. Company Background The vision of the NPCMSTI library is to be a functional media center for meritorious resources especially in Nautical Science or Marine Transportation, Marine Engineering, Computer Science, Criminology, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and Technical Vocational courses towards an excellent training development of professionals, diligent seafarers and skilled workers in the community. Its mission is to seek endeavor to provide quality service and to support the school’s educational programs, planning, research and extension services and instructional needs of the academic through stipulating bits of information comprehensively in any structure, in any part of the country, and of the whole world. Quality Objectives. The school library has the following objectives: (1) to strengthen and upgrade the library resources; (2) to upgrade library facilities and equipment;(3) to train personnel to enhance their technical skills and competitiveness; and (4) to link and network with local, national and international institutions. The library has a total of 11,832 book collections from the Degree courses to Non-Degree courses. The primary function of a library system are to facilitate the loan of books to borrowers, record receipt of returned books, and keep track of the status of books that should be returned. Reference Services. The obligation of the library is to render full assistance to readers in using the library and its contents. The librarian handles library resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, biographies, atlases, and gazetteers. Orientation. The librarian’s unique responsibility is to utilize fully his resources in making as nearly certain as possible that the best materials for the particular purpose find their way to the readers. Also, the librarian serves as the mediator between man and the graphic records that he and his previous generations have produced and that the goal of the library is to maximize the social utility of graphic records for the benefit of the society. Library Hours. The library is open with its continuous hour service, from Monday to Friday which starts from 7:30 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon. Responsibilities of the Library Staff. The Northern Philippines College for Maritime, Science and Technology Library is manned by a Librarian, Assistant Librarian, and Library assistants. The Librarian shall administer the library, direct the activities of the staff, keep financial records of the library, keep records of the replacement of books, in charge of collecting and monitoring late fees, select and purchase books, library materials and supplies, stimulate growth of library services, attend library meetings or seminars, undertake indexing, classification and cataloging books and non-book materials and maintain relations to publishers and distributors. The Assistant Librarian shall take charge in absence of the librarian, help the librarian in indexing, classifying and cataloging of books and responsible for materials like clippings, periodicals and other documents, take charge in clipping and binding press and reviews, undertake the processing of books and non-book materials from putting accession number and stamping ownership mark to shelving. The Library Assistant shall issue and retrieve books at the circulation section, do the shelving and shelf reading of books retrieved, Paste torn pages of books and periodicals, undertake filing of clippings in the vertical file, type book cards, paste pockets and date due slips in books, cover books with plastic cover, stamp on books and periodicals, and file cards in the card catalogue. Cataloging and Classification. In the cataloging and classification of the book collections, the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules is adopted and the method used to describe an item that the library acquired. Also, the Dewey Decimal Classification System, the Sears List of Subject Heading and the Cutter Number of Tables are used in the NPCMSTI library. Borrowers. The student registered in the college, faculty members, staff, administrators, alumni of the college, and scholars or researchers from other institutions or organizations with endorsement letter from their librarians can use the services of the library. Importance of the Study This study is important to the following entities: To the Community. Through the help of this study it shall uplift the community’s education of the Filipinos by improving the services of the library. To the NPCMSTI. The output of the study shall be a great aid to the people using the library in the school. By improving and implementing the computerized system, books are monitored and also the quality of service that the school renders shall be uplifted and it also helps meet the vision and mission of the school. To the Staff-in Charge. The output of the study shall help easy recording and accessing of books records. By this study, librarians can monitor the status of the book at the library if it is available or borrowed. They can easily generate book reports such as available books, borrowed books, and inventory of the books by category. From this they shall save time and effort, and they can do more output in simple way. To the Faculty. The study would be beneficial to them for faster searching of the book information. By using the computerized system, the instructor can determine the book information in which they can use as their references in their subjects that they are teaching. They can also determine the book status whether it is available or borrowed by using the search feature of the system. From this they can save more time and effort. To the Students. The study would be beneficial to them in which searching of the book information would be faster. By using the computerized system, the student can determine the book information and also the book status if it is available or borrowed by using the search feature of the system or if they know the title of the book they want to borrow, they can easily determine if that book is available at the library, from this study they can save more time and effort. To other Researchers. This shall be a reference in conducting studies related to computer on wider prospective and may also serve as a basis for further study related to computer program. To the Researcher. Through this, the researcher shall be able to determine and appreciate the impact using technology for the productivity of every individual. Statement of the Problem The main aim of the study was to design and develop a computerized library circulation system for NPCMSTI. Specifically, the project aimed to answer the following questions: 1. What are the processes involved in the existing library circulation system of NPCMSTI along the areas on: a) borrowing and returning of books and other reading materials, and b) inventory of books and other reading materials, and  report generation? 2. What system features can be incorporated in the proposed library system in terms of: a) functionalities, b) back-up and restoration facilities, and c) security and control measures? Objectives of the Study The researcher aimed to design and develop a computerized library circulation system for NPCMSTI. Specifically, the study aimed to achieve the following: 1. Identify the processes involved in the existing library circulation system of NPCMSTI along the areas on: a) borrowing and returning of books and other reading materials, and  b) inventory of books and other reading materials, and report generation. 2. To determine the system features that can be incorporated in the proposed library system in terms of: a) functionalities, b) back-up and restoration facilities, and c) security and control measures. Definition of Terms The following terms are operationally defined: Administration. This refers to the supervision of the library by full-time, professionally-trained staff under a well-defined organizational setup. Back-up. This is the capability of the system to create a copy of the database. Book Category. The classification of a books as Filipiniana or Foreign. Borrowing of books. This is the process of lending available books and reading materials at the library. Inventory of Books. The process of generating a list of books borrowed, list of books available, and list of Filipiniana books and Foreign books by course. Filipiniana. These are books and non-book materials, published in the Philippines or abroad, written by Filipinos in any dialects or in English. Foreign. These are books and non-book materials, published in the Philippines or abroad, written by foreigners in any dialects or in English. Library System Functionality Features. These are the functions that are incorporated in the system such as searching of books, and verifying of borrowed books and returned books. Library Automation. It is an innovation using the computer to enhance the operation of the library. Library Circulation. It is comprised of the activities around the lending and borrowing of library books and other material to users. Library Environment. This refers to the physical condition, site, facilities and equipment of the library. Library Resources. This refers to the library personnel, book collection, services and use of the library. Non-print. These are non-book materials in various formats and style. Readers Services. These are services provided to customer such as bibliographical instruction on the effective use of the library, abstracting, information retrieval, reader’s guidance, and indexing. Report Generation. The process of generating a report on books needed by the librarian. Restore. Capability of the system that restores backup database into the system. Returning of Books. The process of returning the borrowed book at the library by the borrower. Searching of Books. The process of searching books at the library. Security measures. These are the computer controls that the library system will adopt in-order to protect the information or data in the database. Services. These are the activities that ensures maximum access and availability of resources and satisfactory use of the Library. Staff. They are the human resource of the library that maintains the services. This includes the professionals and the non-professional staff.

Normal Distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Normal Distribution - Essay Example From the results obtained a conclusion is drawn as to whether normal distribution curves are suitable for analysing any system behavior. A normal distribution curve is one of the most commonly used statistical tools. Many natural phenomena conform to a normal distribution with most elements clustering at the centre and a few extremes on the right and the left. Normal distribution is also called Gaussian distribution or the bell shaped distribution as the resulting graph has a bell shaped nature. Data tends to cluster near the mean or the average. The bell shaped curve is a probability density function with a peak at the mean. During the study of system behavior, the random variable is used to describe the unpredictable outcome. When a survey or an experiment is carried out, the data collected is also referred to as a variable. Variables can be classified as discrete random variable or continuous random variable. Discrete random variable consists of a set of data that takes discrete values that is, the values can be counted. These values are finite and denumerable. Continuous random variables are on the other hand are not denumerable (Cary 2008). Normal distribution has been used extensively in natural and social sciences and also in the evaluation of statistical data. It great use is derived from the fact that it's a simple model that represents complex data (Feller, 1968). LITERATURE REVIEW Abraham De Moivre introduced the normal distribution in the year 1733; this was printed in his book 'the doctrine of chances' in 1738. He used the normal distribution to evaluate large binomial distribution. The normal distribution theory was later extended by Laplace in 1812 to form the theorem of De Moivre-Laplace. Laplace used normal distribution to evaluate analytical errors during his experimental work. Gauss in 1809 used the method to analyse his astronomical work while Legendre used the method in 1805. The term bell shaped distribution function was first used by Esprit Jouffret in 1872 and later the graph was referred to as the normal distribution by Charles Pierce and Francis Galton. Normal distribution has been extensively used to study scientific and natural phenomena as well as analyse statistical data. The method is however not appropriate for the study of all phenomena, instead other distribution are preferred in some cases. The other popular distributions are the binomial and poison distribution. In light of this, the researcher seeks to subject a given collected data to normal distribution and determine its practicability and adaptability in the evaluation of a given system behavior. The researcher will collect data and from this data, draw the normal distribution curve and tests it overall suitability as a statistical tool. OBJECTIVES The main objective of this study is to determine whether the normal distribution curve is the most suitable method of analysing a system behavior. In this case, the number of emails sent per day. The specific objectives are; Collect the data. Calculate the mean,

Twitter in Our Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Twitter in Our Life - Essay Example To potentially support Twitter’s relevancy toward citizen journalism, one can explore the 2012 presidential campaign between incumbent Barack Obama and new candidate Mitt Romney. On October 30, one month prior to the actual election, analysis of Twitter activity regarding both candidates identified that Romney maintained more negative tweets than his opponent, who ultimately won the election for a second term. Of Romney’s total tweet volume, 34 percent were attributed to negative discussion whilst Obama maintained a 33 percent negative tweet volume (TNS 2012). Analysis of the content of these negative tweets identified that major socio-political topics such as taxation, immorality, worry, and disaster were attributed, in higher volume, toward the loser Romney (TNS). On October 30, one day prior to the aforementioned analysis, mainstream journalism (CNN) had moderated a debate between the two candidates where the moderator inquired of Romney his stance on disaster relief in the wake of a large superstorm that ravaged the U.S. East Coast. Romney on national television indicated that the Federal government should have a limited role in disaster relief to avoid incurring more debt, calling it immoral (Taylor 2012). After these debates, the mainstream Huffington Post maintained a neutral reporting position regarding Romney’s criticisms of immorality and disaster prevailing negative tweets, suggesting that Romney also stated he would ensure adequate funding to America’s FEMA organization to provide such relief.

Security Legislations and Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Security Legislations and Standards - Essay Example Some of the well known examples of these rules and regulations comprise the Clinger Cohen Act, the GPRA (Government Performance and Results Act) and FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act). Seeing that these rules, policies, and regulations are very important for the measurement of information security, thus including them for the information security performance management is useful for the businesses (Chew, Swanson, Stine, Bartol, Brown, & Robinson, 2008). This paper discusses the various aspects of Security Legislations and Standards. Legislations and Standards Serving their Purposes Global information security management guidelines play a significant role in organizing and determining organizational information system security. In this scenario, organizations use various rules and guidelines (such as BS ISO/IEC17799: 2000, BS7799, SSE-CMM and GASPP/GAISP) in order to determine and compare how authenticated their strategies are, and how extensively they are implemented . However, it is discovered that BS ISO/IEC17799: 2000, BS7799, SSE-CMM and GASPP/GAISP were general or common in their scope; as a result they did not focus on the dissimilarities exist between organizations and the reality that their safety needs are exceptional. In addition, according to the research those security strategies were authenticated by application to extensive capability thus it was not a dominant foundation for significant global information security strategy. Thus, to cope with these limitations, it is assessed that information security management strategy should be observed as a library of policies material on information safety management for the committed companies (Siponen & Willison, 2009). In this scenario, organizational directed security standards are different in intensity of concept. In addition, they differ from slack structures for security management (for example GMITS), to a record of security essentials i.e., " perform that, don’t carry out tha t" (for instance standards like BS7799 1993, IT Protection guide 1996), that look like those in list of tasks or responsibilities (for instance "clients should implement passwords whose length is more than 8 characters) that inserted security to information system in a mark in the pack way. Furthermore, development standards also encompass a public level function, as they offer the safety â€Å"development† rank to the business (Siponen & Willison, 2009). How to enforce these Legislations and Standards? The legislation and standard of ‘good practice’ for information security is the leading influence on information security. Additionally, it ensures information security by following a company’s viewpoint, as well as offers a realistic establishment for evaluating corporate data and information systems’ security. In order to effectively implement security management standards and techniques we first need to see the nature of security issues and danger s which an organization is currently facing. In this scenario we need to assess some important security issues those need to be managed and handled through simple security solution. For the management and neutralization of serious security and privacy management aspects we need to build and implement an effective business management policy that could effectively oversee security and privacy related aspect. In this scenario, the basic aim of information security management and standard enforcement is to react against the needs of global security management associations. Another aim is to focus on developing some useful strategies for better handling and

The Secret of Success of Wal Mart Research Paper

The Secret of Success of Wal Mart - Research Paper Example Wal-Mart’s large size and high purchasing power enable the company management to access customers from all over the world and the rest of the US. It also has an incredible team of executives who form its leadership. This has equipped Wal-Mart with the management of high caliber. The Company spends its resources carefully with the aim of maximizing their margins while reducing costs. The company focuses on strategies such as every day low prices that helped it stay ahead of its competitor. More so, the company’s retailer opened new small stores, which helped it overcome its competitors such as Amazon.com and dollar stores. It faced tough competition from these companies but it managed to make profits. The function of Wal-Mart’s reward system is to attract, motivate, and retain skilled and experienced employees. Wal-Mart’s reward is effective since it guarantees fair treatment of all employees. Wal-Mart management announced in 2012 that it was going to disburse close to one million dollars in benefits and bonuses to its workers within the United States of America. This shows a monetary reward that the company is able to give its employees in order to motivate them to work hard as the company continues to come up with new products for its customers. In addition to the total monetary reward system, Wal-Mart has come up with a unique social responsibility culture. Such sense of giving back to the community has been weakened by employee turnover rate. This reward system is effective since the company helps community directly without dishing out money. In addition, as part of Wal-Mart’s employee compensation program, the company pays or offers some premium for its employees or workers. This program aims to ensure that each employee is access to cheap healthcare despite the rising costs of health care. Wal-Mart uses employee compensation based control mechanisms in allevi ating possible employer and worker opportunism.

Business Support System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Support System - Research Paper Example Marketers are able to communicate to their target market by use of appropriate, interesting and real ways that customers are elated about and also that entertain them thus persuading them to respond to the offer in the market. This way, promotional programs that are more appealing can be devised that ultimately elicit encouraging returns. This is the reason why marketers would go for augmented reality as it suits and allows smarter interaction with the immediate environment. Augmented reality has come in handy in real estate since by use of technology someone can locate a house for sale by the use of a phone. This is very practical and saves a lot of time since there is no need of searching for that information manually. Augmented reality has even some more applications in the real world. For example technology can be embraced to derive a way through which a customer can be permitted to visualize the contents of a product without having to actually open it. This will therefore motiva te customers who in turn will be tempted to try the product leading to possible impulse buying. Engineers can utilize augmented reality to have a taste of their products operation even before the actual launch something that will give room for more improvement on the product before the buyers use it. Case Study Two The general trend in the market seemed to nose dive leading to uncertainty in almost all other sectors the economy. The prevailing market conditions in 2010 triggered the downward trend of activities in the investment arena (Alison, 2008). The aspect of the debt that European held also had an immense influence on the way investors made their ultimate decision regarding their patterns of investing. The confidence of investors was also ruined by the fact that no one had the surety that Greece could be in a position to settle its debts something that everyone was looking up to. All these uncertainties led to the stagnation of the economy thus leading to the collapse of figur es of many industries that are the economic engines of the country. These events are the precedents of the flash crash that took place shortly after. The benefits of electronic trading are explicit in the market even today. These have far reaching advantages compared to brokers who are basically human. In the electronic trading for example, trading activities are done with accurate speed hence reliability and effectiveness is guaranteed. Moreover, brokers and other concerned agents tend to charge exorbitant fees to deliver on some activities something that may cripple the entire process. Therefore the electronic trading system comes in handy due to its reduced costs involved that help increase on the returns. The other hand efficiency is guaranteed by this system since buyers and sellers can be satisfactorily matched. There are some factors related to the electronic trading programs that contributed to the crash. This is a very unfortunate occurrence since a lot of utility was expec ted to be derived from these systems. There was a total imbalance and distortion of prices as their execution would be done with no regard to any price or time thus as selling continued prices dropped sharply. The effect of this is that what is there on offer to the market has to be sold aggressively to counteract bad prices that could bring huge losses. All these complicated processes frighten

Women in Media & Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women in Media & Politics - Essay Example For the last thirty years feminists have challenged conventional assumptions about the role of women in society. The revived New Right and the women's movement have been struggling to define the terms of the public debate in 'culture wars.' The political agenda has become deeply polarized by issues such as affirmative action, abortion rights, and welfare reform" (Norris 1). When we see world history then we come to know that women have served key positions in the high political offices. In western countries like Britain, USA the attitudes have definitely changed regarding women's leadership positions. In Britain, for example, a woman has held the highest office of Prime Minister as well. These Western countries not only themselves are undergoing change but they are also heavily influencing the lifestyle and work related attitude of women in developing nations. Women became heads of states and political parties in third world countries like India, Pakistan, and Srilanka, Nepal etc. "Nevertheless, women have made great improvements in representation and participation in global politics. Thirty years ago, women in the U.S., for instance, composed less than five percent of all state legislatures; in Senegal, there were no women in the National Assembly; rapists could not be prosecuted in many Latin American countries; women in France could not get a divorc e; females in Cambodia could not vote; and pigs were considered by many male peasants to be worth more than wives in Paraguay. Even though there still are obstacles to women's participation and representation, females have become more involved in politics" (Patterson 14) The changes brought about in the area of politics in particular were gradual and slow. Women had to counter a lot of bias and prejudice when they looked for high offices. Even media and fiction depicted women as subordinates rather than leaders" All these stereotypes and concepts inculcated an inferior and suppressive outlook to women and so their motivation to achieve higher goal were greatly affected. These trends still exist but things have changed and are changing. "When the news media imply that women are anomalies in high public office, the public is likely to regard them as bench warmers rather than as an integral part of government. In Senator Barbara Boxer's phrase, they are frequently depicted as "strangers in the Senate" -- and in the House and the governor's mansion. More women than ever hold high-level government positions, yet they are still portrayed by the media as novelties" (Braden 2). Women today hold prominent positions in media in the fields of journalism, movies, television and print worldwide. There are different prominent names that have contributed positively to not just media but they have also affected women in other fields like politics. Previously, the field of publishing was considered a man's world but today big publishing houses, newspapers and magazines have women holding powerful positions. Janet Robinson runs a company that owns a newspaper, The New York Times Co. that has won 90 Pulitzer Prizes. Stacey Snider of Universal Pictures is another name in the field of movies. While discussing prominent names, we cannot forget the name of Oprah Winfrey who is considered a powerful name in the media business and who has also been socially active. Women like these have become a benchmark for other women who not only

Corporate social responsibility Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 16500 words

Corporate social responsibility - Dissertation Example Organisations have recognised the importance of generating various strategies by which they could profit from their operations. One of the business initiatives recognised as increasing the financial performance of a company is the use of corporate social responsibility. Briefly, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is defined as those methods by which an organisation minimizes its negative impacts on the environment and society. To ensure the maximization of benefits arising from CSR, it is important to give consideration to employees. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted with respect to the role of the employees in ensuring CSR. In this present study, the role of the employees has been validated. True enough, corporations have acknowledged their importance and it is in this regard that they have coming up with various initiatives to promote employee engagement. However, these strategies have not been employed in the branches of the companies outside their home country, in view of their desire to reduce operational costs. This study makes use of a qualitative design to explore the topic at hand. Chapter One: Introduction Background of the study The importance of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) was first addressed during the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 (Kotler and Lee, 2005). In highlighting its importance, many have argued that to ensure their efficiency companies nowadays must also be able to give consideration to social and environmental areas. Aside from this, they are likewise mandated to deliver the results of their achievements in honest and transparent ways (Werther and Chandler, 2010). Apparently, the participants of the said summit have recognised the fact that it is through the attainment of these purposes that the efficiency of the companies is guaranteed. The development of a framework was one of the most significant contributions of this particular summit (Kotler and Lee, 2005). In the said framework, two approaches were reflected: the advocacy as regards the adoption of regulatory frameworks that makes the concept of CSR mandatory based on the behaviour of the entrepreneur (OECD, 2001). This particular approach is popular amongst developing countries and the major non-governmental organisations that were present at the said summit. As was to be expected, there were others who rather objected thereto. The business organisations that also participated in the event, and thus contributed to the development of the said framework, mentioned that compliance with the principles of CSR must be voluntary and not mandatory (Banerjee, 2007; Werther and Chandler, 2010). They also recommended the need to develop broad agreements such as the initiative of the United Nations

Atheism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Atheism - Essay Example Quoting Julian Baggini, â€Å"Atheism †¦ it is the belief that there is no God or gods† (3). For others, those words are enough to distinguish an atheist from not. However, there are still those people who would dig deeper into the topic as there are broader and more profound understandings of the subject at hand. The above mentioned meaning or understanding of atheism can be referred as a childhood analogy or comprehension. Just by the mere acknowledgement of the word atheism brings out a very negative thought and conception. Nevertheless, there are always 2 sides in a story. This is a truth in all aspects even in the world of atheism. There is always the good and the bad, the positive and the negative, one cannot exist without the other. One needs the other to exist and it goes either way (7-8). Organized religion often set standards as to what one should and should not believe. This is often where the problem or misunderstanding starts. Though there are Sunday Schools and Bible camps where scriptures are explained, it is not enough that when people say that a person should believe it then it is the truth. A person still has a right to question things that concerns them. One can even say that an atheist is more inquisitive towards their faith as they would further divulge into information that conservatives would perceive as taboo since they are questioning the existence of a higher power or divine intervention. In this concept, there is a broader and untold fact which is accompanied in their refusal to believe in God. One can assume that atheists believe in the â€Å"what can be seen† (4-5). Also according to Baggani, â€Å"This brand of physicalism asserts that the only kind of stuff is physical stuff: there are no non-physical souls, spirits, or ideas. This is a version of physicalism that many, probably most, atheists can sign up to† (5). There is a thought or question that arises with this statement. Because there are still thin gs which are intangible yet believed to true, an example of which is a thought or an idea that is still not expressed or enacted by a person. This is where Science enters the picture of spiritual belief. Two worlds are colliding within the vicinity of an atheist. In more than 2,000 years of documented principles, Science and Religion have never agreed in a singular idea. There would always be an argument between these 2 aspects. It is like what is fore mentioned, there are always 2 sides in a story. Throughout the years, there are still debates as to which is true and which is false between these 2 worlds. These debates are still on-going between their scholars even as this paper is being written. The difference between the two is that Science gives a more breathable room for scientists to explain their theories without the fear of being ex-communicated from the society or their church. Here, one can presume that Science has the broader mind between the two. Yet it does not mean tha t Science is better than Religion. This cannot be proven even in a million years. One can debate his whole life and dedicate his whole being trying to prove which is which yet in the end; there will always be questions that would end up in the vast space of blankness. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes a person believes in theories or principles being presented by both worlds yet the idea that something that starts in Science may

Complexometric Determination of Water Hardness Essay Example for Free

Complexometric Determination of Water Hardness Essay Abstract: Using complexometric method of calculating water hardness, an EDTA solution was made and calculated to be around .00209M. This EDTA solution was then used to titrate a water sample with unknown hardness. The sample used was sample #18. The hardness of the sample was calculated to be 180505 ppm. This is within normal levels for the Mesa area. Introduction: This experiment focuses on titration with EDTA. Titration is the determination of a given component in solution by addition of a liquid reagent of known strength until the endpoint is reached when the component has been consumed by reaction with the reagent. An indicator called Eriochrome Black T will enable detection when the EDTA has completely chelated the metal impurities. Chelation happens when a ligand (with more than one binding site) forms a complex with a metal ion. Ligands are complexes that form when the electron donating groups form coordinate covalent bonds through empty orbitals on the metal ion. This experiment contains Ammonium chloride buffer which is an inhalation irritant. Procedure: About 500 mL of approximately 0.004 M disodium EDTA solution needed. The solution should have between 0.7–0.8 g of Na2EDTA and dissolve in about 500Â  mL deionized water in a plastic bottle. The bottled is Sealed and shaken vigorously for a few minutes to dissolve the salt. Standardize the Na2EDTA solution using a stock calcium ion solution as the primary standard. Using a 10-mL transfer pipet to add 10.00 mL of standardized calcium ion stock solution (1.000 g CaCO3/L solution) to a 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask which will have an additional 30 ml of deionized water to this titration flask. Adding a magnetic stir-bar the solution was then stirred. about 3 mL of ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer is added to the solution. Just prior to titrating the flask, adding four drops of Eriochrome Black T indicator solution will be needed. At the endpoint, the color will change from pink to violet to blue. This will repeat two more times. Then Choose one prepared unknown water sample as provided. Record the unknown code in a notebook, then titrate this water sample with your standardized disodium EDTA solution. Transferring 25.00 mL of the prepared water sample to a 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask will be done. Then Add about 20 ml of DI water to the titration flask, which will have a magnetic stir-bar. The solution will have an added portion of 3 mL of ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer. The solution will then change color as previously examined in the first portion. This procedure will be repeated twice more. Results and Discussion: EDTA solution Initial Reading (mL) (mL) delivered 0.0mL 50.01mL 0.0mL 47.05mL 0.0mL 46.10mL The average of the mL delivered of the three results is 47.72 mL The Molarity of the EDTA solution was calculated and is shown below. Ppt: 15.99 for 50.01 mL delivered Ppt: 4.68 for 47.05 mL delivered Ppt: 11.31 for 46.10 mL delivered Unknown solution Initial Reading(mL) (mL) delivered 0.0mL 22.9mL 0.0mL 21.41mL 0.0mL 20.41mL The average of the mL delivered of the three results is 21.57 The hardness of the unknown water sample was calculated using the Molarity of the EDTA solution standardized in the first portion of the lab. The calculation is shown below. Ppt: 20.55 for 22.9 mL delivered Ppt: 2.47 for 21.41 mL delivered Ppt: 17.92 for 20.41 mL delivered The tables reveal a difference in (mL) delivered in comparing the first experiment to the unknown. The unknown must have a weaker tolerance to the indicator in which the first experiment is stronger. Conclusion: The water hardness in Mesa ranges from 12 gpg (grains per gallon) to 22 gpg (1). The Ppt of the unknown and EDTA do and don’t fall within Mesa’s range. There are some numbers that fall within the range and there are some that may fall out. Overall the data has some proof that the water hardness of the EDTA and unknown can potential match up to Mesa’s. Sources: (1) http://www.mesaaz.gov/water/hard_water.aspx

How Terrorism Has Impacted The Police Mission

How Terrorism Has Impacted The Police Mission How has terrorism impacted the police mission in the United States? What disagreements exist regarding the appropriate law enforcement behavior which fights terrorism but maintains personal liberties? The basic police mission in the United States, according to Schmalleger (2007) are to: (1) enforce and support the laws of the society of which the police are a part; (2) investigate crimes and apprehend offenders; (3) prevent crime; (4) help ensure domestic peace and tranquility; and (5) provide the community with needed enforcement-related services (p.192). For the most part, the principal basic police mission of the United States remained the same. However, as a consequence of the September 11, 2001 Islamic terrorist attacks, police took on more antiterrorism and incidents of terrorism related emergency response responsibilities. Police agencies are now dedicating more of their time and resources to training in preparation for future potential terrorist attacks and the gathering of information and the intelligence essential to prevent terrorist attacks. Also, Polices priority now is emergency response to incidents of terrorism, and it takes precedence over all other police duties. According to Delattre (2006), disagreements have surfaced since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and one of these disagreements is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how much intelligence federal agencies can and should share with state and local police since the FBI are too guarded with their information (p. 415). This means, that criminal intelligence and information must be shared across jurisdiction and between agencies all over the country because information sharing is vital to antiterrorism. Police network with the community and they are able to exchange information with the community to gather intelligence, and this information may be critical to other agencies, such as the FBI, and vice versa. It has been recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) (2008), that there are five key principles that must be formed for the basis of any effective national homeland security, and they are: Homeland security proposals must be developed in a local context, acknowledging that local, not Federal authorities have the primary responsibility for preventing, responding to, and recovering from terrorist attacks. Prevention, not just response and recovery, must be paramount in any national, state, or local security strategy. For too long, federal strategies have minimized the importance of prevention, focusing instead on response and recovery. Because of their daily efforts to combat crime and violence in their communities, state and local law enforcement officers are uniquely situated to identify, investigate, and apprehend suspected terrorists. Homeland security strategies must be coordinated nationally, not Federally. A truly successful national strategy must recognize, embrace, and value the vast diversity Among state and local law enforcement and public safety agencies. A one-size-fits-all approach will fail to secure our homeland. In summary, antiterrorism cannot be prevented by the Federal agency alone. They need assistance from the local police, state police, and other law enforcement agencies, especially from local police because they are the ones that patrol communities, guard public speeches and public events, so forth. They are more familiar in their community as far as usual goings-on. Police exchange information from the citizens and gather intelligence. Therefore, information sharing must be done nationwide between agencies. Though, information must be secure to protect citizens privacy . What role does social stigma play in police ethics? Give specific examples from reading or experiences where social stigma played a role in either furthering police corruption or reducing it. Social stigma plays a big part in policing and rules in police officers whose character is flawed. On the other hand, police officers of excellent character are not influenced by social stigma whether or not he or is supervised. Violators of the accepted norm are regarded as outsiders and are stigmatized. One good example is the New York Police department in 1993 that tolerated corruption, dishonesty, brutality, fraud and other misbehaviors of the Buddy Boys. Supporting wrongdoing by the police officers in a way of sustaining the code of silence to protect their own careers from discovery of corruption in their units and that a deep-rooted reluctance to uncover corruption is to be found in all ranks (Delatree, 2006, p.253). Reality is that police officers work in a criminal justice system that is flawed and they deal daily with the portion of the populace that are corrupt or criminals, and these are not excuses to validate police officers wrongdoing or participation in such. Law enfo rcement personnel must persist and persevere in the feat of their sworn duty. They must not allow themselves to be affected by the ethical tests and temptations in which they find themselves. Are the ethical forces behind police corruption the same as those involved in police abuses of force? The ethical forces behind police corruption are the same as police abuse of force. When police officers are sworn in, they avow to The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. Corruption and police abuse are proscribed within the boundaries of The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. Excerpts from The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics provided by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (2008) reads: As a Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities. Therefore, any violation to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, whether it be coverted or not, is unethical. Bad is bad, unethical is unethical, violation of the law is a violation of the law, no matter how you twist and turn it, no matter which angle you look at it, it is still bad, unethical and a violation. Discuss individual conscience and police assignments using specific examples. How can training prepare would be police officers for the ethical dilemmas they will face? The meaning of conscience is the the inner sense of what is right or wrong in ones conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action (Dictionary.com, 2010). A police officer, due to religious beliefs, for example, may not believe in abortion. In this case, his individual conscience means is that if he safeguards an abortion clinic, that he would be doing something against his religion and that it is wrong. In employing individuals for police positions, departments should look for evidence that the candidate is a person of conscience a person whose habits show a trustworthy sense of right and wrong and regard for the golden rule (Delattre, 2006, p.335). With a good foundation intact, training will then intend to enable people to discover what they already consider good and right, not to ask what they out to consider good and right. According to Delattre (2006), there are at least three lessons must be taught to recruits: (1) The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution explicitly denies to government the power to deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; (2) That all of us have faults; and (3) the concerns the way of life intended by the Constitution a way of life in which justice and securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity are fundamental (p.336). In summary, effective policing rely more on inborn personal characters and traits than on educational achievements or history of good credit. Training enables them to apply the good and right in an in-life scenario, in a classroom setup.

Essay --

Macey and Schneider (2008) state that extraversion, conscientiousness, trait positive affectivity, and proactivity are personality characteristics that will impact employee engagement. It is also stated that job characteristics and characteristics of the organisation are likely to be strong determinants of engagement (Macey & Schneider 2008 p.6-7). Kahn (1990) provides a graphic analogy of an antecedent to engagement and compares job characteristics to donning a costume that influences you to give the best performance (Kahn 1990). Bakker et al, explain that over the last 50 years, many studies have identified that the work environment can have a major effect on employee well-being Bakker et al also argues that high levels of job demand can reduce an employee’s wellbeing at work and result in disengagement or burnout. However, job control, management coaching, autonomy and organisational support have also been found to consistently fuel engagement and form a barrier against str ess to manage the demands of the job (Bakker & Demerouti 2006). Personal resources such as optimism, self-efficacy, resilience and hope are characteristics of an individual’s psychological state called Psychological Capital. Personal resources are seen to be positive aspects of an individual and are the contributing factors of work engagement and job resources (Xanthopoulo et al 2009) It is also argued that an individual draws upon these positive emotions when engaged (Bakker & Leiter 2010 p). Luthans & Youssef (2007)found that the PsyCap construct is related to desired outcomes such as performance and job satisfaction. PsyCap has been defined as â€Å"an individual’s positive psychological state of development and it characterised by: 1) Self Efficacy – â€Å"h... ...te† †¢ â€Å"inconsistent management style based on the attitudes of individual managers, which leads to perceptions of unfairness† †¢ low levels of advocacy, which carry the risk of creating a downward spiral of employee resentment and disengagement †¢ lack of fluidity in communications and knowledge-sharing due to rigid communication channels or cultural norms †¢ poor work–life balance due to a long-hours culture †¢ low perceptions of senior management visibility and quality of downward communication.(quote) Development Dimensions International DDI (2005) states that a manager must do five things to create a highly engaged workforce. They are: †¢ Align efforts with strategy †¢ Empower †¢ Promote and encourage teamwork and collaboration †¢ Help people grow and develop †¢ Provide support and recognition where appropriate (Development Dimensions International DDI 2005)

Essay --

Spencer Hsu Ethics in Manufacturing in China. 12/9/13 We often hear in the news how badly factory workers are treated in China. With their low wages, constant overtime, and hazardous work environments (Luk, 2013), it's simple to think that the factory owners are ruthless pigs. Even though conditions are far from perfect, western media have been attacking foreign practices for decades. American companies have mostly been trying to hide from the spotlight blaming the poor outsourced conditions on the foreign companies. The HBR case (Eccles, 2011) shows the challenges Foxconn had faced ever since news broke out about the conditions within the factory. Nevertheless, I wanted to take on the challenge in explaining China’s factory situation. I want to take a different angle about this as I personally know factory workers in China and how crucial it is to have this kind of work in their communities. China is a booming country. With annual GDP growth of over 7.4%, this is a number western countries can only dream of. Every so often there is a news report that hits the wire talking about factory conditions in China. The one that gets focused the most is Foxconn (Hon Hai). Foxconn is the largest and most dominant factory group in the world assembling electronics for global companies including Apple, HP, Dell, and many more. They are publicized as the bad guy every so often and even though they are not perfect, they have made significant improvements once word got out what they were doing to their employees. I could've easily wrote a paper about Hon Hai’s business practices and that it isn't ethical for American companies to outsource to dirt cheap labor with harsh conditions, but that would all be from the naive American eye. Opinions great... ...f a tremendous opportunity this is to that community. Local city governments all over the world fight for companies to create jobs in their district. Because of this intense competition of jobs, they will do whatever it takes to get that factory work there. In the end, the losers aren't American companies or the Chinese people in the factories, it's the original western country factory workers that had lost their jobs and now their city has changed forever. When you have millions of people overseas competing with you for your job willing to work at less than 1/10th of your salary, you better be 10x better than that person. Welcome to the new global economy. Appendix 1) Lorraine Luk (2013). Foxconn Admits to Labor Violations at Factory, WSJ. 2) Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim, Beiting Cheng (2011). Foxconn Technology Group. HBR, Prod. #: 112002-PDF-ENG

The Death of My Cat :: Personal Narrative essay about myself

The Death of My Cat This fall, in the bleak and rainy days just after Thanksgiving, two members of my family died. The first, a great aunt, passed on after lingering for years in a nursing home. Her funeral was sad in that the only mourners, other than her sister and the immediate family, were an elderly couple who once lived next door. The other death was my cat, Lady Macbeth, who died alone in a kitty hospital while my parents were away. Lady Macbeth was a remarkable cat. All cat owners think their cats are remarkable, but Lady Macbeth made a lasting impression on everyone she met, perhaps because she was never much of a cat. Lady Macbeth saw herself as a person who for some reason was treated like a cat day after day until it drove her mad. To her dying day she never stopped insisting (quite loudly) that she was NOT a cat and to please stop picking her up and making silly meowing noises and locking her in the basement with an actual cat (her sister Grimalkin). She and Grimalkin were famous largely for the adventures they had while her masters were away. There was the time she stayed the weekend at a friend's apartment and uprooted all of his potted plants. There was the toilet paper incident and the deep fat fryer incident. There was the time she managed to knock over a lazyboy recliner (I never did figure out how she did that one). Her sister usually performed the stunts, but a bewildered Lady Macbeth usually got the blame. She had, as I said, an effect on people. Those who did not like cats to begin with often used Lady Macbeth as Exhibit A. But those with a place in their heart for cats would become more and more fascinated upon each new encounter. She was always frantic, was terrified of the outdoors by day but drawn there by night, would speak directly with humans in a most un-cat-like way, and would make a beeline for any available lap, especially mine. I was very fond of Grimalkin, but still regard Lady Macbeth as my most eccentric friend. It bothered me at first that I wasn't able to make it back to Idaho before she died. What I wouldn't give for one more hour of lap time with Lady Macbeth! But then it occurred to me that I was placing undue emphasis on her final days.

All or Nothing

My doorbell was the last thing that I wanted to hear on the morning of 20th September. It was the first day that I'd had off work for months so I was hoping to stay in bed for as long as I could. The doorbell rang once more and at that point I realised that my long morning in bed was never going to happen. I jumped out of bed, the same as I did every other morning, and went to the front door to answer it. There was a postman stood at the door with a small parcel that was rectangle shaped. â€Å"Good morning†, I said to the postman. He handed me the parcel and also a clip board with a piece of paper clipped to the front for me to sign, I signed the paper and went back inside. I took the parcel into my living room which was still a mess from the night before; the coffee table in the centre of the room had an empty Vodka bottle, crisp packets, and also an empty twenty pack of cigarettes. My sofas outlined the coffee table with one either side, I sat on the one that was closest to me and opened the parcel, there was a small letter inside that said: To Victoria, A present from your dearest friend, hope you like it. Love you and miss you. Love Tom x x x. At that moment, a smile appeared on my face, I missed Tom a lot when he was away, especially when they'd been for this long, he had been away for nearly two months now, and normally I'd see him twice a week or more so it was weird for me not to have him near. He was on a business trip in London and I was still miles away from him in Bristol. I had known Tom since we'd started the same secondary school at the age of eleven, since then we've gone through college and university together too. At school we'd been close and we'd always wanted to do the same kinds of things, I was quite boyish and we used to play football after school had finished and on weekends. Our relationship just got stronger as we got older and it just never seemed to leave, even when Tom moved away for a short while with an ex-girlfriend who wanted everything her way. I took the velvet container and letter and put them onto the table in front of me, I opened the container to reveal a matching necklace and earring set, they were 18 carat gold and had one small diamond in each, the necklace was a heart at the end of a chain and the earrings were also hearts and also contained a diamond each. I grabbed my mobile phone from the kitchen side and pressed 1 on the speed dial, I placed the phone to my ear and it began to ring. â€Å"Hi!† said the voice at the other end. â€Å"Tom, its Vic†, I said, â€Å"just to say thanks for the jewellery set, it only came this morning†. â€Å"Oh†, he murmured, â€Å"you're worth it, oh and Vic's what time is it?† â€Å"About 1o'clock in the afternoon, why?† I replied. â€Å"I'm late, see ya!† was the answer I got, and then he put the phone down, I knew he was already very late. I put the phone back onto the kitchen side and began to walk towards my bathroom, and seeing as I had all day to do whatever I wanted to, I was intending to have a long relaxing bath. I went into the bathroom, and started to run a bath full of water, I put bubble bath in it, I lit the candles around the edge and my nightdress over my head and threw it into the washing pile. I spent over an hour in the bath, until the water started to go cold and I had to get out because my skin was all wrinkled. I dried myself and went through to my bedroom. Once in there, I grabbed a pair of silk French knickers out of my drawer and a long, light pink satin dress. It was meant to be really hot today according to the weather reports on telly, so I thought that I would dress appropriately as normally I would be in a suit jacket and black trousers. I threw the bed sheet over the bed, and fluffed up the pillows a little, pulled open my curtains and opened the window, ready for the day to begin. I blow-dried and straightened my hair before putting on my make-up and getting dressed. I then fed the cat and opened the rest of the curtains in the apartment. I picked up my keys and my phone from on the kitchen side and went out the front door. I went down the stairs and out to where my car was parked, it was my pride and joy, a black Lotus Elise which had taken me years to save for. I drove it out of the car park and along the street towards the shopping centre. As I approached the car park, I got my card out of my purse; I paid on the card for all of my parking tickets because I spent so much time in car parks, and keeping cash like that on me all of the time wouldn't be easy. I showed the man at the kiosk my card; he took one quick glance and then returned it to me so that I could get through. I put the pass back into my purse and headed into the main bit of the car park where I found a space next to the stairs that led down to the shops. I got out of the car and locked it; I then flung my bag over my shoulder and started to walk down the stairs. The first shop at the bottom of the stairs was Monsoon, I could see in the window, the shoes that I had bought the last time I had a day off. I went into the shop, I wasn't sure what I wanted but I knew I had to buy something special to wear to Tom's welcome home party that was being held that weekend. The dress that I bought eventually, was rose red and touched the floor, it was pure silk and cost me over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200, the slit that went up the back was huge and went all the way up to my thighs, luckily enough I had good legs so I knew I could carry it off easily. I needed a new pair of shoes to go with the dress so I carried on walking on the path through the middle of the centre until I came to River Island, I went in and bought the first pair of black, stiletto heeled shoes that I could find. I already had a purse at home that would match perfectly with my outfit and I was planning to wear the necklace and earrings that Tom had bought me. The party was being held at Tom's mum's house, as Tom's was too small to accommodate so many people. Jane was too wealthy for her own good, she had married an older man when she'd only just left Tom's dad, the man died five years ago and left everything he owned to Jane. He was lying on millions the day he died and before Jane realised it, she was too. He left his business, his home and everything in it to her, the house alone was worth over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million. The house was on 12 acres of land and had 10 bedrooms which would be well over enough space for the party. I had known Jane for as long as I had known Tom so she was like a second mother to me, being at her house was nothing new so I wasn't nervous about that, just about seeing Tom again after so long. I had spoken to him over the phone and had written letters but this was different and I was looking forward to it so much. I had to be well prepared for this so I had written myself a list of what I needed to do beforehand. Among the other things on that list was buy new dress and shoes so I ticked them off. The last thing I did before I left the shopping centre was grab a cup of coffee from O'Brien's, they made the best coffee that money could buy so I always bought one when I was on the move. I got into my car still with the polystyrene cup that was so hot that it was difficult to carry, and put my bag down on the passenger seat. I downed the last bit of coffee and threw the cup into the bin next to the car; I then put my new dress and shoes onto the back seat and drove out of the car park. By the time I had got back to my apartment, I was knackered; I parked my car in the same place that it had been in before I had gone out this morning. I then walked into the main entrance hall and up the stairs to the door of my apartment; I opened the door and pressed the button on my phone to check for messages. â€Å"No messages†, it said slowly, beeped three times as usual, then back to normal. I picked up the receiver and dialled Jane's home number, I always tried this first as it cost me less. It rang twice and then her answer machine kicked in. â€Å"The Williams residence, sorry but we can't come to the phone right now, please try our mobiles or leave a message after the tone†, the tone sounded so I began. â€Å"Jane, it's Victoria, just to say I'll be at the party, will be there as usual early to help set up, see you then if not before†, and I put down the phone. I went into the kitchen to see it gleaming, the living room had also now been cleaned and there was no rubbish on the table anymore, the cleaner had been in. I put the kettle on, picked up my post from the kitchen side, and sat down on a breakfast bar stool to open it. The remainder of the day passed as some what of a blur, I couldn't have done anything particularly exciting because I would have remembered. I only finally looked up at the clock on my living room wall at 10 p.m. and I knew that I had work in the morning so I went to bed. The two days after were the same, work which never changed from day to day, and doing the same thing every day made me more bored than anything else. I did longer hours than I should every day because I knew I had nothing to do when I got home and this made the two days go quicker. The weekend came and I knew that Tom was supposed to be coming home. I had the whole weekend off, I wasn't intending to get drunk but just to be sure I had booked the two days which meant I didn't have to go to work with a hangover. I had all day to make myself look stunning for the night ahead; it was only ten thirty in the morning so I got out of bed and put the television on in the living room. I had to be at Jane's at five o'clock to help her with any last minute things, she was having caterers in to cook all of the food and to set most of it up but she knew that I would be sure of what Tom liked. That morning I went out and had my hair cut and my nails done, I got home and showered to get rid of the access hair that was in all of my clothes. It was now gone 1 o'clock in the afternoon so I pulled a microwave meal out of the freezer and put it in for five minutes. I didn't have the time to do something proper, today was going to be quite busy for me, I still had to get ready although I was clean. After I had finished the meal, I put the dish in the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen again so it looked presentable; I only just had enough time now. I got dressed up to my waist; I didn't want to get make-up on the top of my dress so I put that part on last. I blow dried my hair and straightened it, did my make-up, put on all of my jewellery, including the necklace and earring set that Tom had sent me and then put the rest of my dress on properly. I put my shoes on and left and left at a quarter past four. When I got to Jane's, the place was deserted, there was nobody to be seen anywhere. It was quite early, and Tom wasn't due until around six. Jane came to the front door to greet me, so I parked the car and got out. I followed her through the entrance hall and into the living room which looked amazing as usual, but today the walls were covered in welcome home banners. I then joined her in the dining area situated next to the living room; the table was laid with the most beautifully presented food which I knew she hadn't cooked. A man, who turned out to be the bar manager for the night, was putting the finishing touches to the bar at the other end of the room, more bar staff would come later to help him with catering, waiters and waitresses to carry around the drinks on trays. I couldn't wait to see Tom; he was always away when I came around to see Jane, he only ever came home for a while and then he was off again to some business meeting or other. Jane noticed the earrings and the necklace and I told her that Tom had sent them to me. She complained because she said that he never sent her presents and said that he spoilt me, which was mostly true; he did always send me presents from wherever he was staying, even if it was only a t-shirt or a key ring with the name of the hotel on it. The last guest arrived at five thirty; Jane and I greeted them at the door and took their coats. Finally at ten past six a taxi pulled up at the door and out leaped Tom, as happy as ever with that same smile on his face as I had first seen so long ago. I was so glad to see him, even if at that moment it was only through the window. The door knocked and I stood behind Jane as she opened it. Tom threw his arms around his mother like a child, a finger just tapping me as his hand passed. Tom screamed my name as soon as he noticed that I was there, he then pulled me into his chest so that I could put my arms around him for the first time in ages. â€Å"Welcome home†, I squeaked, I couldn't breathe very well because he was holding me so tightly. He spent the next half an hour greeting people and thanking them for coming, and then he came back over to see me. We talked for a while about his trip and about how we both were; he looked great, although a little tired from the journey. He noticed that I had the earrings and necklace on that he had bought me and I thanked him again, he told me that I looked beautiful and I could feel myself getting embarrassed and going red. He just smiled. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Jane coming from the dining room, she winked and smiled when she saw us together, she had always thought that Tom and I should have been a couple but we had let her down after we had split up years ago. â€Å"Wanna dance?† He asked me. We stepped into the centre of the living room where Jane had made a space for everyone to dance in. He span me around, and I laughed, we danced for a while to a song which I recognised from my childhood. He kissed me as the song ended and I knew that Jane was watching us. In that moment I felt something which I hadn't felt with Tom since we were together, and then I heard a voice. I knew even before I looked that it was Jane, stood there hands on hips and giggling. â€Å"What?† Asked Tom, â€Å"it was just a friendly kiss†. I agreed with him and Jane walked away. It was now quite late, and most of the guest had left, the few that hadn't were getting coats and saying goodbye to each other. â€Å"Fancy coming back to mine for a bit?† he asked, â€Å"for coffee or something?† I answered almost immediately, â€Å"yeh, sure†. We phoned a taxi from Jane's house and got to Tom's just after midnight. He paid for the taxi and we got out. Once inside I sat on the sofa in my usual place next to the window, he got up to make coffee and I suggested wine instead. He put the two glasses down on the table and opened the bottle of wine, he poured wine into both the glasses and handed me one. We toasted â€Å"to love and all of life's other pleasures†. We talked some more about his trip and after the third glass of wine he moved closer to me, I wasn't really sure what to do. He touched my face and pulled me closer to him, we kissed, and not just a little one this time but one that lasted minutes, passion and lust filled me and I kissed back. He was caressing my hips and all up my back, he stopped the kiss just for a second and in that time I was trying to remember who I was with and what was happening. It was Tom, just Tom but for some reason it felt so right. I pulled his face back to mine so that I could kiss him again. He grabbed my hand and led me to what I knew was his bedroom. We fell to the bed still kissing passionately; he removed his jacket and his tie, and then started to undo his shirt buttons. I wanted him so badly and was so excited that I couldn't stop myself from pulling my dress over my head, shocking myself that I could be so forward. I threw it onto the floor beside the bed where the clothes he was wearing only moments before now laid. We were both now in only our underwear, I felt so calm with Tom, and I wasn't scared at all. Still kissing me, he undid the back of my bra so quickly that I didn't even notice, I had forgotten what Tom's touch felt like but now longed for him. He had taken off his boxer shorts and was now taking off my thongs, kissing and gently nibbling my breasts as he did. He started to stroke my thigh and I moved his hand up higher so that his fingers were on my clitoris, I was scratching his back and pulling him closer, begging for him to touch me more. I screamed with excitement as he slid inside me. When I woke that morning, I felt different, and then I remembered what had happened the night before. I got out of the bed still totally naked, and grabbed my clothes from the floor on the way out the door, Tom was still asleep and I didn't think that I could wake him; I just wanted to get out. When I got home I went straight into my bedroom where I cried for hours, I didn't regret the night before but I didn't want to ruin what we already had either. The phone rang beside the bed and I picked up to hear a voice which I knew was Tom's. I was crying as I answered, and Tom could tell this. He asked me what was wrong and I explained. â€Å"I want it all or nothing at all. There's nowhere left to fall when you reach the bottom, it's now or never. Is it all or are we just friends, is this how it ends, with a simple telephone call, you leave me here with nothing at all?† I sobbed. â€Å"That's what I phoned to say to you Victoria, I want you to have it all, I want us to be together properly, I'm sick of pretending that I don't love you because I do!† he answered. I told him that I loved him too, I was overpowered by shock. The next few weeks passed quickly, Jane loved the idea of us being back together again, so did all of our friends. We're planning to wed in the summer and then we want to start a family of our own. Who would have guessed that you can look love in the face for so long and not even realise that it's there. This book is a lesson for all of you, you only live once, live it to the full, don't let anything come between you and your dreams†¦

Literary Anaylisis John Donne

Terra Goodfellow Mrs. Ashmore English Dual Credit IV 14 November 2012 Literary Analysis of â€Å"Sweetest Love† by John Donne John Donne was believed to be one of the greatest poets and preachers of the 1600’s. He was very witty and educated, but also very emotional. These characteristics are very predominant in his writing (Stringer 1). This phenomenal poet, John Donne was born in the earlier part of 1572 in London. His parents were both very devout Roman Catholics, though he barely knew his father because he passed just before Donne turned four years old.Donne’s mother was from a good family and when she was involved in the Church she and her family â€Å"endured much for the Roman Catholic doctrine† (Kermode 2). In 1593, John Donne’s brother passed away, and made Donne start to question his faith. John Donne eventually became an Anglican (Jokinen 1). While staying at the Lincoln Inn, John Donne had become friends with Christopher Brooke and in 15 96 joined him on a naval expedition to Spain. He went on another expedition to the Azores in 1597. During his expedition to Azores he wrote â€Å"The Calm† (Jokinen 1).In 1598 John Donne was hired to be the secretary for Sir Thomas Egerton, who, at the time, was a very predominant government official. In 1601 John Donne secretly married Sir Thomas Egerton’s niece, Ann More. When Ann More’s father found out he was furious. John Donne had tried to apologize and even wrote him a letter, but that wasn’t enough and he had John Donne fired and eventually imprisoned (Jokinen 1). Donne had trouble supporting himself and his family for the next fourteen years. In 1615, however, John Donne became an Anglican priest.During this time, John Donne went on to receive a Doctor of Divinity degree from Cambridge University (Stringer 1). In 1616, John Donne â€Å"was appointed reader in divinity at Lincoln’s Inn, where, over the years, he both gave and received sati sfaction† (Kermode 2). After his wife’s death in 1617, John Donne celebrated her memory by writing a sonnet and giving a sermon over her. Donne’s sermons took flight, and his career flourished. Donne was such a remarkable preacher, even preached in the Royal Court for King James I. In 1621, John Donne was appointed to be a dean of St.Paul’s Cathedral and did so until his death on March 31, 1631 (Stringer 1). John Donne’s influence to write was everywhere around him. This intimate poet used almost every situation to write about. His first book of poems, Satires, was written during the time when he was struggling with his faith, and â€Å"is considered one of Donne’s most important literary efforts† (Jokinen 1). John Donne also wrote his love poems, Songs and Sonnets, at this time as well, which was close to the time when he met his wife, Ann More (Jokinen 1). During his expedition to Azores, John Donne wrote â€Å"The Calm† (Joki nen 1). Donne’s style, full of elaborate metaphors and religious symbolism, his flair for drama, his wide learning, and his quick wit soon established him as one of the greatest preachers of the Renaissance Era† (Jokinen 1). Donne used literally everything around him to paint a picture of inspiration. The inspiring poet went through a lot of rough patches in his life and the show in his writings. If one studied his work, they could tell when Donne was going through a joyous time, a loving time, a rough time, or just a mediocre time.In his brilliant writing, â€Å"we learn of his family anxieties (the death of a daughter, a son missing in action, his own departure abroad) and his remorse for past sins† (Kermode 2). Donne also wrote when his wife passed during childbirth. A major part of John Donne’s success was when he was a preacher. He was one of the most successful preachers of his time. His sermons cut deep to the core because he didn’t just prea ch at people, he talked to people. He discussed things rather than throw things in your face.Donne relied on everyday situations and morphed them into works of art. People craved this remarkable writer’s words, and they hung onto them desperately. Donne was very relatable to his audiences and I believe that is why he had so much success. He was a very talented and very intellectual man. My love, I’m not leaving because I’m tired of you. The world cannot show me a better love than you. I’m leaving because I have to. The sun has already set last night and risen today. He cannot understand how to go a shorter way because he only knows the one.But believe me; I will make faster journeys since I don’t have so far to go. How weak is a man’s power, that if his good fortune fails him he can’t live any longer, or remember anything else. But if something bad happens, and we join together with our strength and we nurture it then we will overcome it. When you sigh, you sigh not the wind, but you sigh my soul away. When you weep, sadly, my blood will dry up. It cannot be that you love me as you say if in you, in my life, waste the best of me. Let not your heart think I’m bad.Destiny will play its part and may our tears fulfill. But think that we’re really just asleep, we keep each other in hearts alive, never to be parted (Song n. p. ) In John Donne’s poem, â€Å"Sweetest Love,† John Donne is writing to his beloved wife Anne as he prepares to go on a long journey. Donne explains that he is not leaving to be cruel, or because of his wife, but because he needs to go on a journey. I would characterize the speaker as a man who loves his wife very much and wants what is best for her. He also doesn’t want her to be sad while he is gone.John Donne’s tone does not change during the poem. His tone at the beginning of the poem is comforting and gentle. There is a slight change in the third sta nza. It changes from a light, gentle tone, to a sad, slightly gloomy tone. Clearly, he loves his wife and wants to be with her, but he just isn’t able to do so. The situation of the poem is that Donne and his wife will be parted physically, but not mentally. In the first stanza, Donne uses a phrase that I really like, and I believe that it is vital to understanding the poem and the poet’s tone. The phrase says: But since that I Must die at last, ‘tis best To use myself in jest Thus by feign’d deaths to die. † (Song) Donne is saying here that the temporary parting is simply practice for when one will eventually pass. He is trying to tell Anne that she needs to act as if Donne had died, in order to make it easier if he passes before her. Another phrase I love is: â€Å"When thou sigh’st, thou sigh’st not wind, But sigh’st my soul away;† (Song) I love how personal Donne is here with his wife; by saying the he is so much a par t of her that when she breathes, she breathes his soul.In the second stanza, Donne makes an analogy between his own personal journey, and the sun’s journey. Donne makes this analogy in order to comfort his wife by explaining to her that just like the sun goes away at night; it will always come up in the morning. Donne is telling his wife that he will come back to her. The poet uses short sentences in each of the six eight-lined stanzas. The syntax of the poem puts a comforting feeling, which is how I believe the author wanted it. It reveals an optimistic state of mind. The poem’s stanzas develop and get deeper the farther you get into the poem.Donne just continues to express his love for his wife and to comfort her. The poem does contain a rhyme scheme, and that helps the poem flow. It provides elegance to the poem. The theme in this poem evidently states that no matter how far away physically you are from your loved one, you will always be there in their heart, and yo u two will â€Å"ne’er parted be† (Song). John Donne was a phenomenal writer who wrote with not just a pen, but his heart and soul. His writing is very personal and when one reads his work, that person can definitely see that in his powerful words.Donne was not just a writer or a preacher, but a person with an amazing talent to capture people with his words. Works Cited Jokinen, Anniina. â€Å"The Life of John Donne. † Luminarium. 22 June. 2006. 14 Nov. 2012. Kermode, Frank. â€Å"John Donne. † British Writers Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1979. Literature Resource Center. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Song. † N. p. poemhunter. com. web. 19 November 2012. 2012. Stringer, Gary A. â€Å"Donne, John. † World Book Advanced. World Book, 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.