Frankenstein Essays (779 words) - Frankenstein,

Frankenstein Frankenstein Morality. It has been questioned by people, honored by people and revered since the beginning of time. Yet even today not one person can say what is morally right. It is a matter of opinion. It was Dr.Victor Frankenstein's opinion that it was alright to create a "monster". Frankenstein's creation needed a companion. Knowing that his first creation was evil should the doctor make a second? With the knowledge at hand, to Dr.Frankenstein, it is not at all morally correct to bring another monster into the world. Looking at this probelm with his family in mind, the doctor begins his work on the second monster. The first monster threatened Frankenstein and even his family. The monster angrily said to Frankenstein, "I can make you so wretched." (pg. 162) Trying to scare Frankenstein for not creating his mate the monster resorted to threats. If the good doctor does create a companion for his first creation he may be e ndangering others. "The miserable monster whom I had created," (pg.152) says Victor upon looking back at his work. If there is another monster there will be twice the power and possibly twice the evil, which could hurt or kill his family. When and if Frankenstein commits the moral sin of creating another monster he may be rid of both monsters forever. "With the companion you bestow I will quit the neighbourhood of man,"(pg 142) promises the morally corrupt monster to the doctor upon the completion of his partner. When the doctor, if and when he, finished his first creation's mate there is a chance that the monsters will not keep their promise and stay in Europe envoking fear into townfolk. The good doctor, trying to act morally, destroys the monster for the good of the world. The monsters can potentially take over whatever they please. "A race of devils would be propegated,"(pg. 163) thinks Frankenstein to himself in his study. The monsters, if powerful enough, could possibly take o ver Europe. Frankenstein realizes that he can not possibly doom the world to benefit himself. "Shall I, in coold blood, set loose upon the earth a daemon.."(pg. 162) argues Frankenstein with his creation. It is not morally right for one person to unleash such a terror on the world to benefit only himself and his family. Frankenstein will not let any example change his mind on the point that the monster is and will always be morally corupt. Continuing on his point that the monster was too evil to duplicate, Frankenstein says, "Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness; but they confirm me in determination of not creating you a companion in vice."( pg. 163) Frankenstein will not sacrifice his morallity because of persuation from a monster. Although beholding the threat of death and misery Frankenstein held his ground and did not sacrifice his moral. When and if Frankenstein creates another monster he can not feel as if he has done the morally right thing. From creating the monster Frankenstein will some how be making people other than himself unhappy. " I consent to your demand, on your solem oath to quite Europe forever, and every other place in the neighbourhood of man,"(pg. 143) says Frankenstein as he sees the power that the two could possibly possess. The good doctor sees that with his own hands he could possibly scar the world forever. The doctor wants, if anyone, himself to be unhappy instead of all of man kind. "Begone! I do break my promise," (pg. 162) states the doctor angrily. Not thinking about himself but the world unselfishly breaks his promise to the monster. Possessing such a great mind the doctor is able to realize that a greater evil will be realesed upon the earth then upon himself. "Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness,"(pg. 162) says the doctor as he argues his point with his creation. The doctor sees that a greater and more horrible result can come from him making the second monster than not. With the knowle dge at hand, to Dr.Frankenstein, it is not at all morally correct to bring another monster into the world. On the one hand if the second monster

Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter, PESTEL) on Hewlett Packard The WritePass Journal

Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter, PESTEL) on Hewlett Packard 1. Introduction Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter, PESTEL) on Hewlett Packard 1. Introduction1.1.(i)   PESTEL Analysis1.1 (ii)   Porter’s Five Forces Analysis1.2.   Opportunities And Threats1.2. (i)   Opportunities1.2. (ii)   Threats2.1. Internal AnalysisValue Chain Analysis:Inbound LogisticsOperationsOutbound LogisticsMarketing and SalesServices2.1 (i) Strengths2.1 (ii) Weaknesses3. Key Strategic Issues3. (i)   2002 deal to acquire Compaq3. (ii) No Defined Smartphone Strategy4. Relevant Frameworks4. (i) With reference to Ansoff’s growth strategies, HP used â€Å"product development† strategy in acquiring Palm.4. (ii) Alternative Option5. (a) Key HP stakeholders5. (b) Implementation of HP’s acquisition strategyRelated 1. Introduction Hewlett Packard (HP) is a multinational information technology corporation headquarterd in Palo Alto, California, USA. This report examines the external and internal factors that have influenced   HP defining their strategic and competitive position. Evaluation of the company’s strategic choices is presented. The models of Porter’s five forces, Ansoff Matrix, SWOT and PESTEL are used in the analysis. 1.1.(i)   PESTEL Analysis Political:   The political analysis of HP pertaining to government controls and rules in the effort of HP to keep up with the Environmental and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Codes and in terms of decency, quality and environmental concerns. Economical:   HP mainly relies on revenue from its printing hardware, financial investments, investments in small and medium enterprises and internet solutions for its maintenance. Social:   HP has the local US consumer base well captured but it seems that there is very little to be done here in terms of attracting the upcoming young generation of IT zealot and unless there is a stress upon updating the models of its hardware for printing and PC’s to catch up with the hype created by HP and Intel who unveil new models almost every other month. Technological:   HP went â€Å"cyber† almost a decade ago, which is fairly recent in comparison to its 70 year long market presence (HP, 2009). In fact the turning point of HP’s luck came in 1998 when HP’s corporate software and support division and corporate systems division was amalgamated and Ann Livermore took over to run this new Enterprise Computing Solutions Organisation (ECSO), with an investment of $15 billion and an employee base of 44,000 employees (Moore and Snyder, 2000). Environmental:   HP’s operations are subject to regulations under federal, state, local and foreign laws concerning the environment, including laws addressing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, and the cleanup of contaminated sites. Legal: Patent Reform Legislation – As one of the largest patent holders in U.S, HP is on average granted four patents every day. HP is a constant target of frivolous patent lawsuits. These lawsuits force HP to divert resources away from innovation and product development, leading to reduced economic benefits from invention (HP, 2009).    1.1 (ii)   Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Threat of Entry:   Threats of entry in this case is moderate. There is low brand loyalty of existing firms. Consumers usually compare the prices with different brands when they decide to purchase PCs. They think that every PC has the same price and has the same function no matter what brand it is, which means low product differentiation. There is medium capital requirements, no government regulations and low economies of scale in manufacturing. There is low investment for independent stores. Decreasing profitability indicates that there is a threat of new entrants Threat of Substitutes:   Threat of substitute products is low. HP believes in standards-based technology, which represents the opportunity to decide in the item of much preferance. HP tries to eliminate barriers by continuous updating processes and presenting new products to remain in the top of the industry. The Power of Buyers: Bargaining power of buyers is high. Consumers are very price sensitive because they like to buy cheap and high quality products. If they see a hardware or software or PC with similar functions but different brands and price, they will tend to buy a cheaper one. The buyer power for HP can be low since product demand is high, this means that the company has power to control the amount of production and also its products price. On the other hand, customers have lots of substitutes. Moreover there is not a huge difference between products which are produced in the market. The Power of Suppliers:   HP bargaining power of suppliers is high. There are large number of suppliers for every component parts of the PC, for example, one can make a PC by using component parts from different suppliers, including hard disk, DVD drive, monitor, etc. Microsoft and Intel have tremendous bargaining power against the PC manufacturers. There are high switching costs. Competitive Rivalry:   Rivalry is high. For instance, price, when one company acts to protect its position by lowering the price of PCs, it will affect other companies. This means all other firms may want to lower their price in order to attract the customers. There is also decreasing profitability. Since the firms sell their PCs in a low price, they will make less profit. 1.2.   Opportunities And Threats 1.2. (i)   Opportunities Expanding presence in cloud computing market – In July 2008, HP along with Intel Corporation and Yahoo, created a global multi-data centre,   open source test bed for cloud computing research and education. The goal of the project was to promote collaboration among industry, academy and governments by removing the financial and logistical barriers. In 2009, HP announced HP Cloud Assure, a new SaaS offering designed to assist businesses to safely and effectively adopt cloud-based services. The increasing demand for cloud computing is likely to create demand for HP’s solutions in coming years. The global spending on cloud computing is forecast to cross a value of over $40 billion by 2012. Expanding portfolio of imaging and printing solutions – HP has made several strategic acquisitions and introduced new products in the imaging solutions segment in recent times. Its imaging solutions strategy entails the commercial markets, from print services solutions to new growth opportunities in commercial printing. HP has launched several retail photo printing solutions and services that provide consumers the tools to personalise their photos and publish customised creative output. 1.2. (ii)   Threats Projected decreases in the IT markets – Forecasters predict a decrease in the worldwide demand for various IT products offered by HP. The economic slowdown has negatively affected many market segments, including information technology. HP has experienced this decline not only in the U.S. but also in its global markets. Hyper-competitive Environment – Although HP recently overtook Dell in sales, the latter remains a formidable competitor, as are other companies such as Toshiba, Lenova Group and Aver. It competes in terms of price, quality, brand, technology, reputation, distribution and range of products, among other factors. In some regions, the company faces competition from local companies and from generally-branded or white box manufacturers. 2.1. Internal Analysis Comparative Analysis – The three dominant producers (competitors) in the PC industry are HP, Dell and IBM. HP has always been a leader in this industry and in all aspects of technology. Through its merger with Compaq, HP has created an even bigger market share to compete with Dell’s PC division. As far as research and development, HP is always at the head of the game. HP has created and patented some of the leading products in technology development, such as touch screen monitors. HP still receives royalties today, from that invention. All three companies agree that employee learning is a very important aspect of their organisations. Each of the companies spends a substantial amount of money on educating and rewarding employees. HP and IBM have similar strategies for learning. When it comes to sales, Dell is at the top of the market. With regards to IT services, IBM is a far more profitable company than either HP or Dell. Organisations willing to spend money on research and development, like HP and IBM, will likely be here in years to come because they are not just relying on PCs to make a profit. Dell will likely have to get involved in producing other products in order to stay on top of the market. Resources: HP has 324,600 employees worldwide while servicing more than one billion customers in 170 countries on six continents (HP annual report, 2010). It has three main business divisions namely: HP Enterprise Business – is the largest business segment of HP accounting for 36% of HP’s 2007 revenue, providing servers, storage, software and information technology services that enable enterprise and midmarket business customers to manage their current IT environments and transform them into a business enabler. HP Enterprise Business has three sub-divisions namely HP Personal Systems Group, HP Imaging and Printing Group and HP Financial Services. HP Labs – is the exploratory and advanced research group for HP with some 600 researchers in seven locations throughout the world HP Software Division – is the Enterprise software division of information technology company. From September 2005 through 2010, HP purchased a total of 15 software companies as part of a publicized, deliberate strategy to augment its software offerings for large business customers (HP, 2010). HP also has subsidiaries namely, 3Com, 3PAR, Compaq, Palm, Inc, ProCurve, Snapfish and VoodooPC. Finance: HP’s posted net revenue in 2010 was $126.3 billion, in 2009, net revenue was $115 billion, with approximately $40 billion coming from services. In 2006, the intense competition between HP and IBM tipped in HP’s favour, with HP posting revenue of $91.7 billion, compared to $91.4 billion for IBM, the gap between the companies widened to $21 billion in 2009. In 2007, HP’s revenue was $104 billion, making HP the first IT company in history to report revenues exceeding $100 billion. In 2008, HP retained its global leadership position in inkjet, laser, large format and multi-function printers market and its leadership position in the hardware industry. The financial position of HP as of October 2010 is as follows: (HP,2010) US$ billion Operating Income    11.479 Net Income   Ã‚  Ã‚   8.761 Total Assets 124.503 Total Equity    40.781 Value Chain Analysis: Inbound Logistics Building products to order, maximise manufacturing effeciencies by producing high volume of basic product configurations Configuring products to order – for customer customization JIT to minimise inventory Purchase supplies from multiple vendors Operations Utilizes its own manufacturing capacity as well as origional design manufacturers and contract manufacturers for cost efficiencies HP is the largest customer for most of their suppliers – best terms and prices Outbound Logistics HP uses external partners for its outbound logistical needs Marketing and Sales HP has a number various types of partners including retailers, VARs, distribution partners, OEMs, system intergrators and independent software vendors Services HP Services competes in IT support services, consulting, intergration and outsourcing services. Products : HP has successful lines of printers, scanners, digital cameras, calculators, PDAs, servers, workstation computers and computers for home and small business use. HP not only supplies hardware and software but also a full range of services to design, implement and support IT infrastructure (HP, 2010). Culture: HP founders, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard developed a unique management style that came to be known as â€Å"The HP Way†. The HP Way focuses on employee satisfaction as the source of company success. Some of the by-products of the HP Way include flex time and open communication between managers and employees.    2.1 (i) Strengths Prominent Brand Name Recognition: HP has launched a branding initiative called, â€Å"One Voice,† in order to better intergrate its line of consumer electronics and computer hardware products. The project resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings by automating package design creation. In 2009 the company moved up from the 12th to the 11th most recognisable brand (Interbrand.com). Successful Strategic Acquisitions: HP’s major mergers and acquisitions in recent past include Compaq Computer Corporation in 2002, Mercury Interactive in 2006 and Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) in 2008. In Nov 2009, HP announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire 3Com, a provider of computer network equipment for $2.7 billion. Strong Market Position: HP can boast of a 30% global server market. Its domination of the global printer market is evidenced by its 40% market share. In 2008 HP took a major step in strengthening its position in the IT services market by acquiring EDS. 2.1 (ii) Weaknesses Weak Market Segment Intergration: HP’s portfolio of offerings lack significant software product or manage consulting services when compared to major competitors, for instance, IBM and Accenture are establishing management consulting divisions so as to provide more comprehensive and intergrated range of services. 3. Key Strategic Issues 3. (i)   2002 deal to acquire Compaq While the merger went smoothly, it didn’t solve too many of HP’s strategic challenges. The Compaq merger helped HP vault to no. 1 in storage and no. 2 in servers while becoming stronger in technology services. In the fourth quarter, the corporate unit’s sales rose a surprising 10%. Still HP was struggling with profitability at the same time IBM and other competitors were reaping strong profits. Even with HP’s top line gains, the margins and profits declined. Also, combining the market shares of HP and Compaq was designed to create a market leader that could slow Dell’s advance, but Dell had blown past HP in market share and had widened its lead to 18.3% of the market, versus HP’s 15.7%. HP had also fallen short of its 3% operating margin goal, reporting margins of less than 1% for 2004. This merger meant a lot of people lost their jobs. 3. (ii) No Defined Smartphone Strategy While the HP company directors had confirmed their interest in smartphones, nothing had been communicated about its strategy, even, if previously, projects existed which were looking to combine hardware and mobile services in a harmonious fashion. Always enterprise oriented, HP completely missed the uptake of smartphones by general public, allowing market leadership to be taken by a smaller player. In the first quarter of 2010, latest financial results indicated that this business unit was losing money at a fast rate, generating only $25million compared to $57million, the same period in 2009 (NYT, Feb 2010). There was a dilemma whether to continue with the smartphone market. 4. Relevant Frameworks 4. (i) With reference to Ansoff’s growth strategies, HP used â€Å"product development† strategy in acquiring Palm. Suitability: HP had already acquired the iPaq line of smartphones in 2001 when it bought Compaq Computer although there had been a decline in profits. Before the acquisition, HP had no legitimate play in the vital smartphone space, so this strategy is suitable. The deal would give HP access to Palm’s homegrown software that could run phones, as well as other types of devices like computer-tablets. It was an opportunity not to be missed. Feasibility: HP has all it takes in terms of finance, technology and skills, to make the acquisition profitable. This came at the right time as both companies were struggling and therefore needed a big fix. Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices. Product development is therefore a feasible strategy. Acceptability: The strategy is acceptable but with some risks of â€Å"new strategic capabilities† and â€Å"project management risk†. Both companies were failing in the smartphone industry therefore there was no guarantee that when the two companies come together, there will be any improvement, especially since Palm chief executive was to stay on. Product development also involves heavy investments which could be a risk in case the project fails. 4. (ii) Alternative Option In order to deal with its key strategic issues HP could possibly have adopted â€Å"market penetration† strategy. Suitability: This was going to be a suitable strategy, as in the case of compaq, market penetration would have meant hq would gain compaq’s customers. It would have worked well also for the smartphone industry. All that HP was going to do is attracting non-users of HP products and convincing current clients to use more of their products through promotions and advertising. Feasibility: Market penetration is the least risky way for any company to grow, also, penetration pricing involves the setting of lower rather than higher prices in order to achieve a large, if not dominant market share so this makes it a feasible strategy. Acceptability: It is however not such an acceptable option as there might be a likelihood of competing suppliers following suit by reducing their prices also, thus nullifying any advantage of reduced prices. The other potential disadvantage is the impact of reduced price on the image of offering, particularly where buyers associate price with quality. 5. (a) Key HP stakeholders Stakeholders have different interests in supporting or opposing a particular strategy (Johnson et al., 2008) and this is best illustrated below:                                                                                  Stakeholder power vs level of interest   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Adopted from Johnson et al., 2008) Key players are those where their reaction towards the organisation’s projects and initiatives must be given primary consideration. Shareholders exercise their ultimate control over HP and how it is managed, for example, having a say on how the management is paid. Recently, (March, 2011), investors expressed how unhappy they were on pay packages for top managers , saying they are paid a lot of money and claiming it’s a waste. By voting against these pay packages, the board approved the change (Inquirer, March 2011). Managers are key players in the sense that for any company to succeed, it needs management that is driven and ambitious. In 2007, HP produced a report called â€Å"The Seven Habits of Ambitious Companies†, briefly laying down that its managers have big ideas, stay focused, build momentum, put people first, encourage communication, manage innovation and listen to their conscience (HP, 2007). With all these habits, the company is bound to thrive for the best and stay at the top. Employees are equally important as they are integral to the success of the business. The talent, expertise and skills of employees drives everything from how HP innovates its products and manage its supply chain to how they connect with customers and collaborate with partners (HP, 2010). Consumers may, for example, exert pressure on sales managers to represent their interests within the company, so in a way they can also be regarded as key. 5. (b) Implementation of HP’s acquisition strategy A stream of acquisitions have strengthened HP position in the software business (alcrastore.com). Key stakeholders have the power to influence HP’s implementation of its acquisition strategy. This can be done in different ways: Involvement in strategic implementation: This is through exercising discretion. Shareholders have to vote for or against any acquisition meaning the power is in shareholders hands as they are the ones who ultimately decide if any acquisition is to succeed or not. Control of strategic resources: Management is responsible for the allocation of resources to implement the policies and plans, projects and programs. For instance when HP acquired Compaq, there were job losses so its vital for management to take this into consideration. There has to be a balance between the longer term needs of the future and the short term imperatives of the present.. Hierachy (formal power): This is management’s role through decision making. They have to make sure that the acquisition is suitable, feasible or acceptable. If after such considerations, the strategy does not meet the interests of HP then management have the power not to implement such strategy. Control of human environment: The board of directors play a vital role in negotiating HP acquisitions. They are the ones who eventually seal the deal financially so it is vital that the share price is right. Possession of knowledge and skills (competitive advantage): Expert knowledge that forms the organisation’s core competencies is equally influential. It is the core competencies of an organisation that differentiates it from its peers and competitors. For instance, in the case of HP acquisition of Palm, there were other companies who had shown interest. Potential buyouts from companies like HTC and Lenovo ultimately fell through but HP had an advantage over its competitors – the global strengths. Since HP is such a global company, it has gained significant skills and knowledge hence making it more attractive.

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 2

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example Therefore, every organization or business should anticipate to be tangled in a merger or acquisition at some point in time. This is basically true for businesses or people living in America, where deal practices outpaces the rest of the world in terms of volume and size. This research aims at discussing various issues concerning merging, acquisition, and international strategies. Cisco Corporation acquires organizations that provide eye-catching technologies, goods, or market prospects and this has been a major growth strategy for this company. To assist merge this corporations quickly, constantly, and slight disruption, Cisco has developed cross efficient groups, distinct mutual philosophies, as well as developed value procedures. This well-organized method to integration permits Cisco the capability to attain speedily the value anticipated from the acquisition, among other benefits. Cisco consumers can learn from Cisco`s real world involvements in this part to assist upkeep the sam e enterprises requirements (Satu, 2012). Acquiring other organizations is a vital strategy for Cisco Corporation to quickly provide new products, reach fresh markets, as well as increase income. Cisco has acquired over one hundred and twenty organizations ranging from small startups to large, well-developed companies including WebEx. As it is noted, it is not easy to merge workers, goods, services, functions, as well as procedures of acquired organizations. With several acquisitions taking place every year, it became apparent that Cisco could not approach the amalgamation effort in an unplanned way, with diverse individual and activities affianced every time. Rather, acquisition incorporation required to become a standard way of carrying out business for Cisco workers. Cisco required an integration approach that would be dependable across the organization, repeatable for every new acquisition, and adjustable as Cisco start to obtain large originations with various functional strictu res. Cisco employed the strategy of standardization in order to determine whether or not this unification was a wise choice. Research shows that with Cisco`s standards for the IT substructure and components, it can implement its incorporation strategy much calmer because everybody knows what to do. All it has to do is to work on recognizing and determining the exclusions to the strategy, and that is a vast change for its capability to finish the incorporation rapidly and effortlessly. The strategy of standardization Cisco used in determining if the corporation is the best choice is a good strategy. This is because this strategy enables it to merge the new organizations in every of the organization`s major operational areas such as, information technology. Given the number of organizations that Cisco has acquired, it would have taken too much time to analyze every acquisition, collect Information technology necessities, submit an integration plan for approval to an IT supremacy group , and every time reinvent the several other duties involved in an incorporation. The manager of Cisco declared that they wanted to have a proactive strategy to incorporating

Can ethics constrain and improve politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Can ethics constrain and improve politics - Essay Example hics of democracy argues that the greatest divide in ethics comes between action centred views, practical ethics, ethics of character and being ethical. What he referred to in simple terms was that the moral uprightness should be as a means of doing or being good. As an answer to this critical question philosophers used the question of; what was the centre of moral discourse, evaluation of morality and justification of one’s morality. He further on went to quiz what the primary concern was or end of a moral activity. Dewey in his book refers to democracy as a moral upright which is a clear opposite from his moral thought.Dewey’s ethics is as a resource for tackling difficult questions regarding the justification of democracy from his radical view of democracy. In Dewey’s ethics we find specific virtues, relationships and experiences. He went ahead to (Dewey, 2008). Dewey feels that one should advocate individualism in their political administration of public affairs with a little consideration for honour and self-esteem. He further argues that politicians in their administrative roles should consider what benefits them most then the society. He further feels that morality can be but instead advocates for the reflexive morality by observing and understanding the circumstances surrounding a course of action. (Dewey, 2008) Charles R. Beitz in his book â€Å"Political theory and international relations† feels that changes in international relations have led have a clear exhibition to his political theory. He further states that Nations are not interested in promoting human welfare. Since nations are longer as self-sufficient, its global image no longer gives an accurate picture of the morality inside a state (Beitz 2008). In the book the key concept of politics by Andrew Heywood, it can be observed that Realism as a political theory in which he finds a man as egocentric hence using egoism to define human nature. On the Liberal theory, Heywood believes man is a

Mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mind - Essay Example I certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author of this study. The main content of the study which has been presented contains work that has not previously been reported anywhere. This written report is for an assignment about software for collaborative work and phenomenological analysis. The assignment is divided into two activities. Activity 1 deals with the evaluation of the software Timbuktu, which is a remote control and secure encrypted connection software that is used for network management on large and distributed networks. Activity 2 of the assignment presents a brief discussion about phenomenological analysis under the Activity 2 for this part. The software Timbuktu is desktop-to-desktop remote control software for use with computers that have the Windows or the Macintosh operating systems. This software is useful for large distributed networks in which hundreds of computers are linked together over a network that has a substantial spatial spread. Because of the spatial spread, it is likely to be difficult for network maintenance or administrative staff to traverse substantial distances to troubleshoot computers or to load files onto the machines. Timbuktu makes it possible for remote computers to be manipulated through network interconnection with a local computer. This is a great help when very many computers have to be looked after, but it must be noted that at the time of writing, Timbuktu is not available specifically for the Vista operating system, although it is likely that the capability of Vista to run legacy software systems will permit Timbuktu to be used on machines with this operating system. Complimentary media can be considered as being a communications media which is capable of replacing the established or the traditional or which is capable of providing support for

Roles and Responsibilities: Health and Social Care Provider

Roles and Responsibilities: Health and Social Care Provider Introduction In this assignment, I am going to explain how one health or social care provider has contributed in national provision and describe three roles within the NHS and explain their responsibilities and possible career pathways. West Cumberland Hospital is one of two acute hospitals in Cumbria, serving around 140,000 residents of West Cumbria. The hospital is located on the outskirts of Whitehaven, in Hensingham, and also provides Diagnosis/screening, care for long-term conditions, Rehabilitation for illness/injury, 24 hour Accident and Emergency, CHOC, a consultant-led maternity unit, special care baby unit, an outpatients service and a range of specialist clinical services. In 2015, a  £90 million new building was added to West Cumberland Hospital, the building contains advanced surgical theatres and the new buildings interior and services are all modernised. The new modern build makes the hospital look more pleasing and attractive. However, issues and complaints have occurred regarding centralising consultant-led maternity services in Carlisle and women in labour may have to travel to Cumberland Infirmary, this is due to a shortage of childrens doctors, states the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, and some kind of change is essential. The Hospital offers free National Health Service Treatment. Local GPs refer patients to outpatient clinics for specialist treatment and advice. Care Quality Commission (CQC) are independent regulators who make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage them to improve. Their inspection in 2015 on Whitehaven hospital concluded that the hospital required improvement and so was placed in special measures (CQC 2016). West Cumberland Hospital is manged by North Cumbria University Hospital Trust which is an acute hospital trust committed to providing a high standard of care to a population of around 320,000 from Carlisle, Allerdale, Eden, Copeland and parts of the Dumfries and Galloway and Northumberland. Services, such as paediatrics and AE, are provided from West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle. The trust also supports a wide range of diagnostic and clinical services which are located in nine community hospitals across North Cumbria. The trust became a university Hospital in September 2008. Within the NHS, there are large variety of positions which all require different specialist skills and training. Each job in health and social care settings is important in contributing to providing the best quality care for service users. Roles, responsibilities and career pathways of a Doctor. Medical doctors examine, diagnose and treat patients who have been referred to the hospital by GPs or other healthcare professionals. Doctors apply their specialist medical knowledge and skills to the contribution of prevention and management of disease. After five years of medical school, a junior doctor will do a minimum of four years further training to qualify as a general practitioner (GP), or a further eight years to qualify as a hospital consultant. Once a registrar, after one year they can become a GP, or a specialist consultant in five to six years. There are numerous responsibilities of a doctor. Doctors must undertake patients physical examinations and consultations, perform surgical operations, monitor and regulate medication of patients, plan and assess required treatments of service users, communicate daily with nurses, doctors, GPs and other healthcare professionals and they also maintain records of patients. These responsibilities require a doctor to have an ability to solve problems, work effectively under pressure and have leadership and management skills. Roles, responsibilities and career pathways of a Radiographer. The role of a Radiographer is to undertake clinical imagining diagnostic examinations using different kinds of radiation to treat injured or ill patients. They must ensure that every service user is fully aware of the procedure and remain as comfortable and relaxed as possible. You can study to become either diagnostic radiographer or therapeutic radiography at university. A diagnostic radiographer uses radiation to diagnose an injury or illness of a patient and a therapeutic radiographer uses different kinds of radiation to treat illnesses or injuries. It is important for a radiographer to have good communication skills and strong analytical skills. There are several responsibilities of a radiographer. They need to be able to assess patients and their clinical requirements to ensure they know which radiographic techniques to use. Radiographers also need to provide support and reassurance to patients, taking into account their psychological and physical needs. Taking responsibility for radiation safety is also important. A radiographer will also work alongside radiologists and surgeons by taking part in more complex radiological examinations. A diagnostic radiographer can become an advanced practitioner where they can undertake a high level of clinical responsibilities. Diagnostic radiographers also can go on to work at consultant level, where you will be able to contribute to strategic development of services. Role, responsibilities and career pathways of a paramedic. The role of a paramedic is to provide immediate response to emergency 999 and 111 calls. Paramedics are usually the first senior healthcare professionals on the scene and the level of care they provide can range from dealing with minor illnesses and injuries to life threatening conditions. There are many responsibilities of a paramedic. They must be capable of monitoring the patients condition and be able to use technical equipment, including ventilators and defibrillators to help stabilise and resuscitate patients, they must also perform surgical procedures if necessary, such as intubation (inserting a breathing tube). Paramedics will also communicate with other emergency services to ensure a suitable level of response is provided. EMTs and Paramedics are both well trained healthcare professionals. EMTs are trained to provide a basic level life support to patients such as CPR, spinal immobilization, basic airway management and bandages and splinting, an EMT is considered the entry level for emergency medical services. An EMT can become a paramedic by undertaking a foundation degree in Paramedic Science which will take around two or three years to complete. A paramedic can undertake extra training to become a specialist paramedic or take a further qualification depending on which qualifications they already hold, a specialist paramedic are advanced practitioners in dealing with emergency situations and they need to be able to understand situations quickly and stay calm in stressful situations. A specialist paramedic can take further training of three to five years to become an advanced paramedic and once an advanced practitioner, a further six years to become a consultant paramedic. Television Censorship Comparison: The US and UK Television Censorship Comparison: The US and UK Television Censorship Comparison Television Censorship: A Comparison between the United States and the United Kingdom Since television became official in the 1930s, there have always been geographical disparities regarding to what degree different countries view television content as objectionable based on moral, religious or political criteria. The process of preventing this inappropriate content from reaching audiences is known as censorship, but blocking all unacceptable material from television is seen as a violation of freedom of expression. However, although censorship is a heavily debated topic around the world, each country has its own regulations and policies that vary significantly. In this comparative analysis, I will examine the different views on censorship and inappropriate content in the United States and the United Kingdom. First I will discuss the current regulations and censorship issues in the United States, as well as programs and content that have been deemed inappropriate. Then, I will elucidate the censorship regulations in the United Kingdom, and discuss a recent television issue that sparked controversy over lackadaisical censorship policies. To finish, I will compare and contrast the two countries views on censorship, with an emphasis on why the United States and the United Kingdom have different perceptions about the degree of regulations necessary in their country. The United States In the United States, censorship and other broadcasting policy-related issues are handled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC â€Å"is an independent United States government agency, directly responsible to Congress. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC’s jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions† (â€Å"About the FCC†). In the United States, obscene, indecent and profane broadcasts are taken very seriously, and based on the severity of their context, can be punishable by law. According to the FCC, enforcement actions by means of warnings, monetary fines or revoking channel licenses can be issued after a complaint is filed and a violation is confirmed. â€Å"It is a violation of federal law to air obscene programming at any time. It is also a violation of federal law to air indecent programming or profane language during certain hours,† which includes any content between 6am and 10pm (â€Å"Obscene, Indecent, and Profane Broadcasts†). However, many people and organizations feel that the First Amendment of the Constitution, defending freedom of speech and expression, is in direct violation by the FCC’s enforcement of censorship. On the opposing side of the FCC are groups united against censorship regulations, claiming that censorship is an infringement of the First Amendment protecting freedom of speech and expression. The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) is a group of 50 non-profit organizations throughout the nation such as the American Ethical Union (AEU) and the National Communication Association (NCA) who â€Å"educate the public and policy makers about threats to free expression; mobilize them to take action to oppose censorship and assist in those efforts; facilitate communications between local activists and national organizations; and devise new educational, advocacy, and media strategies to create a more hospitable environment for free speech and artistic freedom† (â€Å"Mission Statement†). The NCAC believes that a healthy, functional democracy is defined by freedom of communication, and the inability to communicate â€Å"is fatal to moral, artistic and intellectual growth† (â€Å"Mission Statement†). All groups united against censorship believe that it represents an unreasonable amount of power and dictatorship over the minds and intellectual capacity of all people. However, the FCC has encountered many severe censorship issues in recent years concerning public broadcasts with inappropriate content. February 1, 2004 will forever be remembered not for an exciting Super Bowl game, but for Janet Jackson’s live â€Å"wardrobe malfunction† on CBS in front of millions of football fans. CBS owner Viacom was fined $550,000 for the half-time show broadcast, which the FCC declared was â€Å"in apparent violation of the broadcast indecency standard† (Lehrer). After the Janet Jackson incident occurred, the FCC began imposing greater fines for programs that show indecent, profane or obscene content (â€Å"Remote Control: Indecency Legislation Raises Fines and Fears†). In December of 2004, the FCC fined 111 television stations that broadcasted the CBS show â€Å"Without a Trace† for a record $3.6 million, which suggested that teenagers were involved in a sexual orgy. â€Å"CBS defended the ‘Without a Trace’ episode, saying the episode contained ‘an important and socially relevant storyline warning parents to exercise greater supervision of their teenage children’† (Bosman). Since then, many other television shows have been fined for indecency, which has led to the detriment of station programming because stations are worried about being charged. This string of massive fines given to inappropriate airings has led broadcasters to self-censor their programs using five-second delays; especially on entertainment, sport and sexually explicit television shows (â€Å"Remote Control: Indecency Legislation Raises Fines and Fears†). The United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) is in charge of regulating all of the private commercial channels, including iTV, Five and Channel 4. Ofcom was first established as the overseer of communications industries by the Office of Communications Act 2002, combining the responsibilities of the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Independent Television Commission, the Radio Authority, and the Director General of Communications into one regulating group (â€Å"Statutory Duties and Regulatory Principles†). Ofcom’s responsibilities include: â€Å"Ensuring the optimal use of the electro-magnetic spectrum; ensuring that a wide range of electronic communications services including high speed data services is available throughout the UK; ensuring a wide range of TV and radio services of high quality and wide appeal; maintaining plurality in the provision of broadcasting; applying adequate protection for audiences against offensive or harmful material; and applying adequate protection for audiences against unfairness or the infringement of privacy† (â€Å"Statutory Duties and Regulatory Principles†). According to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, multiple sections were established to set proper standards for television broadcasting. Two codes related to the censorship of inappropriate material are: to prevent harm to children under age 18, and to avert offensive or harmful material from being broadcasted. Section One Protecting the Under-Eighteens states: â€Å"Material that might seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of people under eighteen must not be broadcast. Children must also be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them† (â€Å"The Ofcom Broadcasting Code†). Section Two Harm and Offence asserts: â€Å"In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context. Such material may include, but is not limited to, offensive language, violence, sex, sexual violence, humiliation, distress, violation of human dignity, discriminatory treatment or language (â€Å"The Ofcom Broadcasting Code†). Freedom of expression and responsibility are considered hand in hand by the Code, which is why each programmer must obey regulations that apply to each section. Although Ofcom controls the private channels in the United Kingdom, the government-owned stations such as the BBC have their own indecency regulations. The BBC has a more relaxed policy for indecency, which is know as the Watershed policy. â€Å"From 9pm the TV watershed helps parents protect children from unsuitable material. In all but exceptional circumstances, programmes before 9pm are suitable for general audiences including children. From 9pm they are progressively suitable only for adults† (â€Å"Decency and the TV watershed†). The BBC and other public broadcasting stations in the United Kingdom rely on parent support and program warnings to prevent children from exposure to indecent, profane or obscene content, not on censorship rules and expensive fines. In the United Kingdom, the lack of universal policies and regulations on censoring inappropriate content of all television channels shows the overall laissez-faire attitude toward television censorship. In general, the United Kingdom fines programs and stations for going over television program limits or blatantly lying on television, but does not often penalize stations for showing morally, politically or religiously indecent content. However, there is extremely limited information on television programs that have been in violation of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code or BBC regulations that have been fined for airing inappropriate material. In one case, an episode of Jerry Springer The Opera was brought to court by Christian evangelists trying to prosecute Mark Thompson, the BBC’s director general. According to Stephen Green, National Director of the Christian Voice, the show on BBC2 â€Å"featured scenes depicting Christ wearing a nappy and swearing had ‘clearly crossed the blasphemy threshold’ † (Petre). However, the show was not censored on BBC2 or prosecuted for blasphemous content after being brought to court. Mark Mullins, who represents Stephen Green and the Christian Voice, said â€Å"No prosecution for blasphemy can be brought against the BBC. That is tantamount to saying that blasphemy is of little, if any, relevance in today’s society† (Petre). Compared to the United Kingdom, whose regulations allow for greater rein of freedom of speech and expression, the United States has much harsher regulations about censorship and blocking harmful content from the airwaves. Comparison The United States and the United Kingdom both deal with complaints from television viewers on a daily basis; however, the viewers in the United Kingdom complain there is not enough censorship, while the viewers in the United States feel there is too much censorship. According to mediawatch-uk, an organization that campaigns for decency and accountability in the media, they believe that television has become toxic to viewers, and no longer represents reality or enforces censorship of inappropriate material. â€Å"Violence, sex and bad language is so common on TV†¦However, Parliament has approved laws which say that programmes must meet with ‘generally accepted standards’ and that the public should be protected from ‘offensive and harmful material’.   This law is being ignored and viewers’ rights are being overridden in the quest for ratings, audience share  and controversy† (â€Å"mediawatch-uk†). Many organizations like mediawatch-uk have been established to apply greater pressure on the regulating bodies like Ofcom and BBC, convinced they have not responded sufficiently to the public concern. On the opposing side, the United States has many organizations like the NCAC that argue regulations set on American television are too severe, and do not allow for the freedom to exercise the rights guaranteed in the First Amendment. According to Stephen Rohde, a lawyer who specializes in First Amendment concerns, â€Å"It is not in the ‘public interest’ for certain prudish groups to dictate what the American people can see on television, when the material is constitutionally protected and violates no laws.   Such groups remain free to exercise their constitutional rights to publicly condemn any programming they find offensive and to press the ‘OFF’ button on the remote† (â€Å"Censorship on Television: When Crying â€Å"Indecency† Goes Too Far†). Although television has become a highly advanced medium in recent years, there are extreme differences between the enforcement of censorship regulations in the United Kingdom and the United States. Censorship is a central issue in television, but it is nearly impossible for either country to agree on what constitutes inappropriate material, and how it should be dealt with to satisfy the majority of viewers. Conclusion Both the United Kingdom and the United States would benefit from finding a balanced medium by setting strict censorship laws, while still allowing for freedom of speech and expression. During certain hours of the day, especially after 9pm, parents and their children should be highly advised that there may be inappropriate content in the television material. Therefore, censorship should be enforced while children are more likely to watch television, and more relaxed when the audience becomes more mature at night. However, because the United Kingdom has different regulatory bodies governing the public and private television channels, they should agree on certain guidelines to avoid censorship issues, as well as complaints from unsatisfied viewers. The United States should relax their policies on censorship by not broadcasting harmful programs during the day, or on channels with consistent adolescent viewers. Since the biggest concern overriding the censorship problems is obscene, profane or indecent material affecting children, their moral and religious beliefs should be taken into account when establishing regulatory principles. Around the world, countries have different views on the amount of censorship necessary to protect their audiences from harmful television. The United Kingdom and the United States are just two examples of very dissimilar regulatory systems, based on how their country feels censorship is necessary. In the end, it is the balance of appropriateness and inappropriateness, freedom of expression and freedom of censorship, that must take into account all age groups, moral views and the impact of television on its viewers. Works Cited â€Å"About the FCC.† FCC. Federal Communications Commission. 10 Dec 2007 . Bosman, Julie. â€Å"TV Stations Fined Over CBS Show Deemed to Be Indecent.† Business. 16 Mar 2006. The New York Times. 11 Dec 2007 . â€Å"Censorship on Television: When Crying â€Å"Indecency† Goes Too Far.† News. 18 Feb 2005. PEN Center USA. 13 Dec 2007 . â€Å"Decency and the TV watershed.† Reports, policies and guidelines. British Broadcasting Company. 12 Dec 2007 . Lehrer, Jim. â€Å"Television Indecency.† Online News Hour. 23 Sept 2004. Public Broadcasting Service. 11 Dec 2007 . â€Å"mediawatch-uk.† About Us. 2007. mediawatch-uk. 13 Dec 2007 . â€Å"Mission Statement.† About NCAC. National Coalition Against Censorship. 10 Dec 2007 . â€Å"Obscene, Indecent, and Profane Broadcasts.† Consumer Governmental Affairs Bureau. 24 Sept 2007. Federal Communications Commission. 10 Dec 2007 . â€Å"OfCom.† TV. Office of Communications. 10 Dec 2007 . Petre, Jonathan. â€Å"Jerry Springer ruling ‘weakens blasphemy law’.† News. 07 Dec 2007. telegraph.co.uk. 13 Dec 2007 . â€Å"Remote Control: Indecency Legislation Raises Fines and Fears.† National Coalition Against Censorship. 11 Dec 2007 . â€Å"Statutory Duties and Regulatory Principles.† About OfCom. Office of Communications. 12 Dec 2007 . â€Å"The Ofcom Broadcasting Code.† Ofcom Broadcasting Code. 25 July 2005. Office of Communications. 12 Dec 2007 .

oppositional defiant disorder :: essays research papers

According to the DSM-IV, if a child's problem behaviors do not meet the criteria for Conduct Disorder, but involve a pattern of defiant, angry, antagonistic, hostile, irritable, or vindictive behavior, Oppositional Defiant Disorder may be diagnosed. These children may blame others for their problems. Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior lasting at least six months, during which four (or more) of the following are present: Often loses temper. Often argues with adults. Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules. Often deliberately annoys people. Often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior. Is often touchy or easily annoyed by others. Is often angry and resentful. Is often spiteful or vindictive. It is important to note that a counselor or therapist will consider a diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder only if the behavior occurs more frequently than is typically observed in individuals of comparable age and developmental level. In other words, the problems and conflicts between teens and parents are as old as time itself, and some conflict is normal and inevitable. However, when the parent/child conflict becomes increasingly severe and appears to be spiraling out of control, then ODD might be considered. Also, as teens are growing and learning, they will sometimes do some very ill-advised things that can cause them problems, both legal and in school. However, if this behavior does not repeat itself and is a one-time event, then a behavior disorder is probably not present. For a diagnosis of ODD to be made, the disturbance in behavior must be causing significant problems in school, in relationships with family and friends, and in the workplace. ODD will not be diagnosed if the the therapist suspects that the teen's behaviors are being directly caused by another psychotic or mood disorder, such as bipolar disorder. oppositional defiant disorder :: essays research papers According to the DSM-IV, if a child's problem behaviors do not meet the criteria for Conduct Disorder, but involve a pattern of defiant, angry, antagonistic, hostile, irritable, or vindictive behavior, Oppositional Defiant Disorder may be diagnosed. These children may blame others for their problems. Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior lasting at least six months, during which four (or more) of the following are present: Often loses temper. Often argues with adults. Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules. Often deliberately annoys people. Often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior. Is often touchy or easily annoyed by others. Is often angry and resentful. Is often spiteful or vindictive. It is important to note that a counselor or therapist will consider a diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder only if the behavior occurs more frequently than is typically observed in individuals of comparable age and developmental level. In other words, the problems and conflicts between teens and parents are as old as time itself, and some conflict is normal and inevitable. However, when the parent/child conflict becomes increasingly severe and appears to be spiraling out of control, then ODD might be considered. Also, as teens are growing and learning, they will sometimes do some very ill-advised things that can cause them problems, both legal and in school. However, if this behavior does not repeat itself and is a one-time event, then a behavior disorder is probably not present. For a diagnosis of ODD to be made, the disturbance in behavior must be causing significant problems in school, in relationships with family and friends, and in the workplace. ODD will not be diagnosed if the the therapist suspects that the teen's behaviors are being directly caused by another psychotic or mood disorder, such as bipolar disorder.

A Rescue at U.N. Headquarters Essay

In their article, A Rescue at U. N. Headquarters, as Other Wait and Hope, Thompson and MacFarquhar illustrated the attempt of the United Nations to save the lives of those still trapped victims of the earthquake in Haiti as well as the condition of the people of Haiti whose homes had been devastated. A week after the earthquake, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, visited Haiti for the first time on Sunday (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Thompson and MacFarquhar (2010) described that day as â€Å"one of trials and triumphs for the agency†. A missing United Nations official was pulled alive after five days of being trapped in the ruins of Christopher Hotel (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). A Danish employee, Jens Kristensen, was also rescued that day. Still, the families of those who are still missing urged Mr. Ban to hasten the search, â€Å"Everywhere he went during his six-hour visit here, he was greeted by people who urged the United Nations to do more, act faster and plan more carefully (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Nieves Alvarez, a staff member, not only asked to speed up the operation but also expresses her dismay because of the obvious nationalism showed by the Chinese rescuers who left after finding some of their people’s bodies as well as American rescuers who left after sometime (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Food and shelter is also a great problem. Civilians in the food distribution site are even complaining about the scarcity of the supply. Sally Lazard, 37, said â€Å"We need more than cookies. You see where we live? We have no water, no toilets, no food†¦. If people go too long without food, they will fight for it† (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). â€Å"Water supply is so scarce that taking a bottle off someone’s desk can lead to hurtful confrontations† (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Civilians also feared of being attacked by gangs in the street and asked for protection form the United Nation staffs after the first few days of the earthquake. Reference Thompson, G. & MacFarquhar, N. (2010, January 18). A Rescue at U. N. Headquarters, as Others Wait and Hope. The New York Times.

Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US

Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US Chronology of employment laws The Clayton Act was enacted in 1914, with the intention of establishing legal protection for organized labor. There was a need to assert the position of labor in the face of antitrust legislations, and this is what the law was intended to achieve. In 1926, the Railways Act was passed. It was meant to encourage collective bargaining among employers, and prohibit discrimination against unions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Davis-Bacon Act was passed by Congress in 1931, to address the problem of wage payment in the construction industry. Its provisions required a contract for construction into which the federal government entered, to specify the minimum wage to be paid to laborers employed under that contract (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). In order to increase protection for union activities and collective b argaining, Congress passed the Norris-NaGuardia Act in 1932. The Act legalized strikes and other collective ways of dealing with labor issues, and also prohibited the enforcement of ‘yellow dog’ agreements or contracts through the courts of law. The National Industry Recovery Act was enacted in 1933, and congress intended to set standards of ‘fair competition’, by regulating regular working hours and wages (Federal Labor Laws, n.d).. The National Labor Relations Act-1935 was passed by Congress in order to regulate labor relations among employees whose activities affected interstate commerce, except those in the agricultural sector. The Act also established the NLRB, through which labor disputes would be handled, and prohibited employers from engaging in any of the prohibited unfair practices. In 1936, Congress enacted the Walsh-Healy Act, whose intention was to restrict the regular working hours, establish minimum wages and regulate the employment of childr en and ex-convicts (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). In order to introduce some limitations to the rights enjoyed by trade unions, Congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act in 1947. The Act introduced measures to delay or avert ‘emergency strikes’ and prohibited the discriminative ‘closed shop’ practices of trade unions. The Equal Pay Act was passed by congress in 1963 to prohibit the act of paying different amounts of money to male and female employees, only because they were male or female. This law was also enacted in order to protect employees from retaliation, if they filed complaints against their employers.Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Civil Rights Act of 1964, was enacted to protect the rights of individuals, and to prohibit various actions by employers that the law classified as discriminatory (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). This list is not exhaustive, and many more employment laws exist in the US. In the recent past, there has been a marked increase in the calls for equality and protection from discrimination at the work place. Legislations such as The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 all prohibit different types of discriminations. These legislative efforts have led to the reduction of discrimination at the work place, as these laws prescribe heavy penalties for the commission of prohibited acts by employers and their agents. Scenario Discrimination at the workplace on the basis of sex is prohibited by employment laws in the United States (EEOC, n.d). There are several options that an aggrieved party can pursue in order to have his/her grievance addressed. These options include; internal dispute resolution procedures at the workplace, filing a complaint with the EEOC, or litigation among others (EEOC, n.d). If an employee files a complaint against the employer, he/she is protected from retaliation by the law. Smith has a case against the company for retaliation, since the law prohibits retaliatory acts by the employer against an employee who files a complaint against it. The remedies available to a victim of retaliation include; compensatory damages for expenses or losses that he/she may have incurred as a result of the retaliatory act, and punitive damages to punish the employer especially where the act was malicious or reckless (EEOC, n.d). Before he can recover, Smith will have to prove; that he exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanisms laid down by the company before proceeding to the EEOC, and that he suffered damage or loss as a result of the retaliatory act. He will also have to establish the company’s vicarious liability for the acts of the offending party in order to recover against it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Changes in the Emp loyment Laws in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References EEOC. (n.d.). Sex-Based Discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sex.cfm Federal Labor Laws. (n.d.). Web.

Cost Management in Air Asia Essays

Cost Management in Air Asia Essays Cost Management in Air Asia Essay Cost Management in Air Asia Essay 1. 0INTRODUCTION Background, History and the Business Concept AirAsia is a brand of airlines operated by AirAsia Berhad. A Malaysian based low-fare company. AirAsia established in 1993 and start the operations on 18 November 1996 (Wikipedia, 2011) Inspired by the success of Ryanair and EasyJet as low cost carrier, Toni Fernandes saw the potential of having the same concept in Asia. Air Asia executed the cost leadership strategy with introduced ticketless travelling, one type cabin, free seating, and online booking trough internet that able slash the price into 40% 60% cheaper than regular airlines (Declanegan, 2012) Now Everyone Can Fly† described AirAsia’s value. Operational effectiveness and cost advantages created efficiency go directly to end user. Customer enjoy more surplus with price falls, and encourage more air travel among Malaysians (Khoo et all, 2005) The study purpose is to analyse how AirAsia and its strategic cost management able to operate a business in low cost yet generate a profit, and able to sustain as one of the business leader in South East Asia. 2. 0LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1What is Strategic Cost Management Cost management is a process where entities have control, monitor and manage their own cost and expenses. It covers the whole budget of the business, inflow and outflow of cash and transactions in every certain of period. This is for the entity to keep track of their business transaction, and also to estimate budgets for the future. While strategic cost management is the overall recognition of the cost relationships among the activities in the value chain, and the process of managing those cost relationships to a firm’s advantage and also known as Cost Management Theory1. 2. 2The importance of strategic cost management to the company Strategic Cost Management is one of the key business strategic planning. Dr Kalyani Srinivas C defined strategic cost management as a tool for competitive advantage and value creation that does not focus on traditional cost reduction, which entails unnecessary cost elimination. Meaney K, 2011 mentioned that cost management has purpose to ensure adequate supply of funds from the right source at the right cost, at the right time to the firm to meet its funding needs. At this point each company want to improve the profit as maximum without losing the business principle. Strategic management can be considered as one of the strategic management technique for the company to succeed in their business. 2. 3Key success factor to have good cost management in a company To have a good cost management, a company need to set a proper goal, long and short term planning. Clear target and align accountability to the target (Delloitte, 2010). Create a guide of principle was one of the critical factors of strategic cost-management-framework for the firm of foundation to achieve an effective cost management. 3. 0STRATEGIC COST MANAGEMENT FOR AIR ASIA 3. The background of Strategic Management for Air Asia (related to the concept of the business Chan, D (2000) mentioned since 1970, Asian air travel competition has been intense. The intensity has increase very significant with economic growth in Japan, China and South East Asia. When the competition in the airlines industry become hard, complex, and uneven, AirAsia need to think strategically to win the market yet able to generate profit for shareholder. With â€Å"Now Everybody Can Fly† as its tag line, AirAsia try hard to make the ticket price as low as possible to make the cost of flight affordable to lmost everybody. AirAsia also expand the fly route to most of point where Malaysia Airlines (MAS) refuse to fly. The concept of Low Cost Carrier (LCC) is based on the idea that people would fly a lot more often if they get an affordable fare. LCC make air travel the most simple, convenient and inexpensive form of transportation so that they can move maximum number of passenger at the minimum cost (DodDid, 2012) 3. 2How Air Asia Manage their cost Air Asia has several main strategies to keep the price low while price of fuel and goods keep increased. According to the official website, Air Asia managed to cut more cost in operation where regular airlines unable to do, such as : High Aircraft Utilization Air Asia only need 25 minutes to disembark and embarked passenger, include load and unload the luggage, compare to full-services-aircraft (FSC) which need minimum one hour. The minimize time spent on the ground, make Air Asia able to fly almost 12 block hours to maximise the operations. No Frills Air Asia based on the basic concept of transportation : carry passenger from point A to point B safely. Every other services like food, alcoholic beverage, and comfort kit are considered luxury and out of the main concept. Streamline Operations Air Asia make the operation as simple as possible. They only use single type of aircraft to make services persons (flight attendants, mechanic, pilot and services crews) only need to learn one type of aircraft. Compare with another airlines which has several type or aircraft, the company has to created one training department where and several maintenance and mechanic specialist according the aircraft type. Air Asia able to delete those department in the company which save a lot of cost. Basic Amenities Air Asia fly from Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) with very basic building and facilities. No special boarding gate like FSC which landed and picked up passenger from KLIA. In other country, Air Asia always landed at less busy Airport (Secondary Airport) such as Clark (Manila, Philipine instead of Ninoy Aquino) and Standstead (London, UK instead of Heathrow) to reduce tax airport for passenger. Point to point network Air Asia operate on short-haul most of the time, also do not make arrangement with another airlines or provide connecting flight to keep the operation simple and low cost. Air Asia believed with keep the operation system simple and based on basic concept of transportation would keep the cost and ticket price low enough yet still generate profit to keep the investor stay. Fig 1. Revenue per ASK, Cost per ASK and Cost per ASK exclude fuel From the fig. 1 we could see averagely for five years Available Seat Kilometre (ASK) cost without fuel is USD 0. 016 (1. cents) per kilometre seat, which is very low compared with MAS (USD 0. 07 ~ 7 cents) or Cathay Pacific (USD 0. 10 ~ 10 cents) (fig 2) while Operating cost included the fuel charges averagely USD 0. 0328 (3. 28 cents) every seat, every kilometres operated. Average from 5 years data, Air Asia operating cost around 80% from the total revenue, except in 2009 where operating cost reach 112% ( fig 3) which make the company suffer 17% loss or equal with RM -496 Million as the result of company unwinding the remaining fuel hedges and interest rates loan which taking a lot of charges. Fuel hedges had been main strategies of a big company which use large amount of oil and gas to operate their business such as manufactured and transportation. Fuel Hedges mean Air Asia has special contract with several oil and gas company to give a fix price of fuel for several period without follow any fuel fluctuation and politic situation. With Hedging the fuel, Air Asia able to press the fuel surcharge only 17% from average fuel surcharge (Unknown, 2011) theborneopost. com/2011/05/27/airasia-reduces-risk-through-fuel-hed ging/ With opening in several international destination such as Singapore, Bangladesh and India, Air Asia able to came up with clean sheet for the following years. Air Asia able to generate net profit 16% from the total revenue without change the ticket price. Average for five years, Air Asia able to generate 30% of net profit. (Karp, 2009) routesonline. com/news/24/atw/13066/airasia-suffers-128-million-2008-loss/ Profit margin is the way to compare in the net profit ratio in different entities to check the effectiveness each expenditures to generate profit. For the same line of industries, profit margin is important to compare with competitor to overtake them via pricing wars which always become a main success factor of Air Asia to gain more customers. According to Center for Aviation 2011 (CAPA) net profit margin from 2001 to forecast 2012 average are 4% from the net revenue. (CAPA, 2011) centreforaviation. com/analysis/iata-upgrades-2011-airline-industry-profit-forecast-but-warns-of-weaker-2012-59153 Air Asia in five fiscal years able to gain operates profit margin averagely 16% and nett profit margin average 19% from the net sales. It shows that on aviation industries, Air Asia consider as efficient compared with other low cost airlines company Cebu Pacific 9%, Nok Airways 6%, Tiger Airways 14% , MAS 5%, Singapore Airlines 3%, Thai Airways 9%. (CAPA, 2012) centreforaviation. com/analysis/mas-should-reconsider-lcc-strategy-as-losses-continue-while-airasia-reports-more-leading-profits-74652 Return on Shareholder Equity or ROE measures a corporations profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested . 4. 0RECOMMENDATIONS Compared with other aviation industries, Air Asia has big success to press the cost to keep try flight fare as low as possible. However the low fare price still able to generate profit with accumulation of sales volume and the effectiveness of aircraft operation which make the company still very attractive to investor and shareholder. 5. 0REFERENCES Chan, D. 2000. â€Å"Airwars in Asia: Competitive and Collaborative Strategic and Tactics in Action. â€Å"Emerald Management and Development, 19:473-488. Declanegan, 2012. AirAsia. http://declanegan. blogspot. com/2012/01/few-people-said-they-enjoyed-my-post-on. html Doddid, 2012. Business Model Low Cost Carrier Air Asia. http://doddid. com /2012/04/business-model-low-cost-carrier-air-asia/ Khoo, C. Hofman, S. Tjitrarahardja, C. Narayaswamy, R. 2005. Air Asia Strategic IT Initiative. University of Melbourne. Meaney, K. 2011, Importance of Cost Management for Business Success. On Website http://ezinearticles. com/? Importance-of-Cost-Management-for-Business-Success=5692129 ventureline. com/accounting-glossary/S/strategic-cost-management-definition/ deloitte. com/assets/Dcom-Ireland/Local%20Assets/Documents/ie_Consulting_ChangingYourTune. pdf

See assignment criteria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

See assignment criteria - Essay Example Lando Calrissian, of Alderaan Security Solutions Ltd., claims that companies must implement the latest and most advanced technologies to protect client data and that the European Union’s Electronic Signature Directive not only puts electronic signatures on equal footing with physical ones, but also assigns responsibility for the technology underpinning electronic signatures. I believe Lando Calrissian is wrong in his assessment that companies must implement the latest and most advanced technologies to protect client data, but I do agree that the Electronic Signature Directive puts electronic signatures on equal footing with physical ones and that it also assigns responsibility for the technologies that electronic signatures employ. The statement made by Lando Calrissian regarding the requirement for companies to deploy the latest and most advanced technologies to protect confidential client data is misguided. Indeed, his argument is based entirely on the premise that not only is technology infallible, but that all security breaches can be avoided. Between power and network outages, maintenance downtime and natural events, it is utterly impossible to maintain or guarantee perpetual 100% integrity of an online data warehouse due to its reliance on a distributed physical infrastructure. Moreover, with new virtual security threats emerging on a daily basis, the depreciating cost of processing power and the pervasiveness of high-speed networks, unlawfully gaining access to a secured remote computer system is only a question of skill, time and opportunity. Since The Protection of Individuals with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data and on the Free Movement of Such Data 1995 art 17 establishes that only the deployment of appropriate security instruments sufficient to maintain an adequate level of security are required, it is clear that legislation only expects companies to accomplish their due diligence in attempting to maintain the integrity of their cli ents’ confidential data. Therefore, it would probably be most responsible of companies to i) delegate their IT security to consulting firms and to ii) insure themselves against the risk of data security breaches, rather than engage in the technological rat race of unremitting software transition and constant security infrastructure turnover. I do agree with Lando Calrissian’s statement that the Electronic Signature Directive puts electronic signatures on equal footing with physical signatures. Indeed, a physical signature not only signifies consent of the signatory to the subject matter, it also provides a crude form of verifiability of the signatory’s identity. This time-honored practice is vulnerable to forgery with minimal skill and to usurpation of identity and misrepresentation of intent, since the legitimate signature of the signatory is not always readily known to the other contracting party. On the other hand, electronic signatures using paired public an d private keys as implied by the Community Framework for Electronic Signatures 1999 art 2 deliver a more robust and reliable voucher of the signatory’s identity. In fact, electronic signatures of this type require far more advanced skills to forge than physical signatures do, skills not readily accessible to most individuals. Furthermore, given the high-speed data cross-referencing infrastructure already deployed whereby the identity of a signatory can be rapidly validated with distant third

The Wire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

The Wire - Research Paper Example The â€Å"Dickensian aspect† as an aspect in the series, The Wire is a writing from the previous weeks of the current situation and issue of the series. It is extracted for season 1-4/episode 6 of the series and it majorly dwells on an explanation as to the mystery behind the survival of Omar in the three stories that falls from the three main actors of the series, Snoop, Chris and Michael. It further goes ahead to give an explanation on the bizarre around the interference on the tap of Marlo’s cell phone. In the series, this aspect plays a critical part to the future development of the series and this informs my choice to discuss it as the subject of this paper ("The Dickensian Aspect" | The Wire | TV Club | TV | The A.V. Club."). In the first instance, Omar is involved in the crew by Marlo a group which is involved in providing a way of bringing together a scene; the scene later becomes the most fatal injury to a man who is future oriented. Snoop goes ahead to do an inquiry as a concerned individual about the resultant aforementioned injury to Omar a situation which would have resulted to their own doubts even in the case where Omar was actually at the hospitals leave alone now that he is not there and that it is a mere stage managed scenario. The actor, Omar as it turns out is hidden under the noses of the individuals purporting to be looking for the supposed injured Omar. Since Omar fell and his legs got shattered, he finds himself inside janitor’s closet of the same building from which he leapt and this enables the character to hide away from the view of the majority or public. From the episode in the week before this setting a spider man shit is reported to have vanished to avoid keeping up with O mar’s legendary act. This is a highly commendable act as less of the times do we witness such forms of acts taking place in the real world settings. Even though there is more to what we just saw,