Amazon.com Site

Recently, Amazon. com has enjoyed amazing sales and market share growth. However, Amazon. com is still running under an operating loss. This report will examine the historical strengths and weaknesses of Amazon. com, as well as the current opportunities and threats. The current strategic plan includes expanding into either online auctions or B2B exchanges. It is believed that Amazon. com’s many partnerships, as well as its technical expertise with online web platforms, would make it an instant leader in online auctions and B2B exchanges. After examining these metrics, I have come to the conclusion that Amazon.com should focus on: 1. Increasing its international market share, possibly into the Middle East and China. 2. Increasing market share in current markets in North America and Europe. 3. Delay entrance into online auctions and B2B exchanges until Amazon. com shows a consistent profit and those profits can sustain the large expense of setting up a new business model. Evalua tion of Current Objectives and Current Strategy Amazon. com has always had an objective to sacrifice short-term profits for building long-term growth, market share, and increased shareholder value.Now, Amazon. com is concerned with developing an effective differentiating enterprise-wide strategy, all the while maintaining the desire for expansion. This includes the possibility of moving into online auctions, competing with eBay, and B2B exchanges, optimizing the partnerships Amazon. com already has. Current Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths: †¢ Amazon. com has shown record sales and has reduced its operating loss dramatically and consistently increased market share and expanded product offerings. †¢ Amazon.com has a reputation for being one of the first businesses online and embracing the idea of taking orders through a website – first-mover advantage. †¢ Amazon. com has no physical stores. This creates low overhead which means a bigger profit margin on increa sed sales. †¢ Amazon. com collects payments immediately and floats vendor payments 30-40 days, which generates a large working capital. †¢ Amazon. com has contracts and alliances with many suppliers. †¢ Amazon. com has a large and loyal customer base. †¢ Amazon. com has an online shopping platform that is the envy of the retail shopping world. †¢ Amazon.com has partnerships with other retail companies to cross-sell products. Weaknesses: †¢ Investment in other online companies resulted in a loss of close to $135 million. With the current economy, similar losses could be felt again. †¢ Amazon. com is still maintaining an operating loss. †¢ Shareholder pressure to show a profit is great. Analysis of Current Environmental Threats and Opportunities Threats: †¢ Increased competition. †¢ Overall poor economic environment. †¢ Possible repeal of the sales tax exemption. Opportunities: †¢ Leverage the large customer base in expansion into new market segments.†¢ Use experience of expansion into foreign markets to further expansion into the Middle East and China, with large computer-savvy populations. †¢ Use well-known and easy-to-use platform to expand base of suppliers that use Amazon. com’s website offerings for their own online presence. Stakeholder Analysis †¢ Government agencies are interested in Amazon. com because of its wide reach. Being an international organization and crossing state lines within the United States, Amazon. com’s increase in sales could yield high profits to the countries and states in the form of taxes and permits.International government would also be concerned with an American presence and the affect that has on the people. †¢ Labor unions do not have much of a stake in what happens to Amazon. com because it has very few employees and all of the positions are traditionally not union jobs. †¢ Competing organizations are definitely interested in A mazon. com’s performance. Amazon. com has developed so many partnerships that it is difficult to increase market share and almost impossible to enter the market. If they were to expand into online auctions or B2B exchanges, Amazon.com’s reach may drastically cut into the market share of its competitors. †¢ Employees would be affected by Amazon. com’s performance because of stock options and the viability of the company. †¢ Suppliers would be concerned with Amazon. com offering competitive products at a lower price, similar to Amazon. com’s concern when they set up zStores. They would also be concerned with Amazon. com offering products that are competitive on the same site. †¢ Customers would benefit from an increase in availability of the products they desire on a platform that is well-known, safe, easy, and custom-tailored to meet their needs.†¢ Civic groups may be more interested in the Amazon. com as more products will be more avai lable to the population. †¢ Public interest groups may take a greater interest in Amazon. com in a similar manner to the civic groups. They would also be interested in the working conditions of Amazon. com’s partners. †¢ Stockholders will most definitely be affected by any change in Amazon. com. Being so close to showing a profit rather than an operating loss, shareholders are interested in increasing sales, decreasing cost, and increasing market share. Identifying Current Problems†¢ The first alternative (online auction) encourages email marketing (spam) and television marketing (which has proven not to be cost effective in the past). †¢ Setting up a separate online auction takes the risk of diluting the image of the overall organization. Amazon. com is known for quality, and auctions are known for deep discount shopping. It also goes against the mission of creating one giant organization all under one brand. †¢ Competing with eBay on pricing structu res sets up a price war, which minimizes the draw of Amazon. com’s quality and customer service. †¢ Setting up a B2B exchange could cause a conflict of interest for Amazon.com between existing partners and potential ones, stifling the availability of suppliers available in the exchange. †¢ Creating a B2B exchange that is not specialized waters down some of the impact. Coupled with competition from other exchanges, it could compromise Amazon. com’s existing partnerships. Alternative Strategies †¢ Focusing on maintaining market share in existing markets. †¢ Not expanding into other markets until Amazon. com is showing a healthy profit and is able to finance the expansion with profits. †¢ Expand into other countries, developing even more of a presence, perhaps in the Middle East and China. RecommendationsMy recommendation would be for Amazon. com to focus its finances and energy on increasing its existing market share. Expansion has worked for Ama zon. com all along, but I am concerned that it is becoming too large of a giant, potentially spreading too thin. If Amazon. com focused its efforts on expanding into other markets, like the Middle East and China, doing what it does best, and increasing market share in existing markets, it could show a profit for a while. Then, after the auction industry has settled down, Amazon. com could present itself as a fresh new alternative to the tired, worn-out ways of the likes of eBay and Covisint.

The Soldier X

In â€Å"Soldier X,† by Don Wulffson, lies a boy who was drafted into the German army at age 15. His birth name was Erik Brandt, but after his second battle in Russia, he switched his clothes with a Russian Soldier to stay alive. When he entered the enemy lines, he was known to others as Aleksandr Dukhanov, serial number K487944. Two Hundred Twentieth Armored Division. But, he hated being called that. So, Nikolai Mikhailovich, his friend (the injured man who lost both of his legs and was the patient right next to X), came up with a new name for him. X. He meets nurses named Tamara, Katrina, and Zoya. There was a mental patient, who pretended to be the hospital's only guard was named, Sergio. When the Germans attack the hospital's town, all the patients, doctors, and nurses try to escape to another field hospital. But, as the trucks left, Katrina was shot. X, Tamara, Zoya, and Sergio were knocked out of the truck. They ran. But, Zoya died along the way. Then, later on, Sergio was shot by a German. X and Tamara, continued on their journey, making friends and making enemies. The journey they take is their only way to find their freedoms. First, does war bring out the best in some people and the worst in others? Yes, war does bring out the best in people. When a bomb might've exploded a building, some people might run in and see if there is anybody still alive and help them. But, that doesn't mean war doesn't bring the worst in people either. People react to war in different ways. Some might react the right way and become better people then they were before. Or they might react in the wrong way and become a horrible person then they were before. When in war, soldiers might fight for the right thing and some might fight for the wrong thing. Some soldiers might fight for what they love. Their families and friends or the people who love them back. Or they fight for themselves. Not thinking of others in any way. Sometimes people could change for the better. Or sometimes people could change for the worse. In â€Å"Soldier X†, when Tamara and X were injured from escaping the hospital attack, they walked for days. They went up to a house and the father wouldn't help them, but their daughter gave bread and apples to them. Then when the got to a town Klatovy, Czechoslovakia, a car went by. They asked for help and the lady named, Elena Novak let them stay in her home until her hometown was attacked by the Russians and the Germans. She gave the food, water and a place to sleep. A quote to support my thinking is, â€Å"Tamara got to her feet. She was bone-thin, pale, and wheezing. ‘You're ill,† said the women in her sort of lilting German. I leaned forward, down to the open window. ‘Please help us,' I said. ‘We are so tired and hungry and we can't think straight anymore.' ‘Who are you?' ‘We are from a medical unit,' I answered. ‘I don't know where any of the others are. I think most of them are dead.' Little blue eyes in a big pink face looked us over. Gear shifted raggedly. ‘Well, we can't have you dead, too!' she said. ‘Come, come. Get in the car.' We got in.† (p.176-p.177) Even though there was a war going on around Elena Novak's home, she still gave others a home as well. Even though she didn't know X or Tamara, she still knew that it was the right thing to do. The right thing to do was help them. In the beginning of the book, after X and the other German soldiers were defeated by the Russians, Russian soldiers would go and stab either the dead or wounded of the enemy. Making sure that the Germans were dead. A quote from the book to support my thinking, â€Å"I heard someone pleading in German—then another shot. I belly-crawled a half meter and peered out. What I saw sickened me and terrified me. A Russian officer was methodically seeking out the German wounded and shooting them. A lumbering oaf of a foot soldier, using a bayonet, was dispatching other Germans. He seemed to be enjoying what he was doing. And many of those he was bayoneting looked already dead; he was just making sure.† (p. 74)When X was in the hospital, X met a blurring friend named Nikolai. Nikolai later lost both of his legs. He was like the father X never had. When X left the hospital, he left his father-figure behind. X also met two nurses who were his friends. Katrina and Zoya. They were the ones who let Tamara stay in their house. When they were killed, those were the pieces of Tamara that she could never forget. Sergio, the pretend guard of the hospital made it out of the Hospital attack but was killed by a German during their journey. Even though in his mind he was gone, he still had good intentions in helping X and Tamara survive. Elena, who gave them a place to call home for a few days was the person who really made the impact on their journey. If X and Tamara hadn't met Elena, they probably wouldn't have completed their journey to their freedoms. But, they also met a blurring enemy. Before they met Elena, they needed food and water. So, when they were in line.

Why Cigarette Smoking Should Be Banned

Cigarette smoking should be banned. Cigarette smoking is a dangerous habit that not only affects the user in a negative physical and psychological way but also endangers others around them. Would you play Russian roulette – A deadly game of chance involving a revolver and a single bullet– and then force others around you to participate? Cigarette smoking has detrimental effects on both the user and innocent bystanders effectively initiating a game of Russian roulette. Considering the dangers of cigarettes, banning them could potentially protect society from their dangerous effects.The physical effects of smoking are quite frightening and include a wide variety of diseases. These include but are not limited to: cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and a wide variety of cancers. A common outcome of the more serious tobacco related diseases is death. It is noted on the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website that ‘More deaths are caused each year by tobacco than all deaths caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined. (CDC – Fact Sheet – Tobacco-Related Mortality – Smoking & Tobacco Use, 2011) With all this evidence pointing to the physical dangers of cigarettes, why then do people continue choosing to engage in this behavior? Perhaps the psychological effects of cigarettes can account for the continuation of their use. Cigarettes can have not only a stimulating effect, but also a perceived calming effect and can also induce feelings of euphoria. Nicotine in tobacco causes these perceived effects and feelings.Nicotine is a psychoactive drug found in tobacco products, and it is this chemical that causes users to develop a dependency on cigarettes. One particular cause for alarm is taken from the CDC website. ‘Research suggests that nicotine may be as addictive as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol. ’ (CDC – Fact Shee t – Smoking Cessation – Smoking & Tobacco Use. 14 Nov. 2011) With this in mind, we now start to understand the psychological dangers of smoking cigarettes. The addiction compels the user to continue smoking.Having looked at the physical and psychological effects of smoking on the users, let us now take a look at how detrimental cigarette smoking is to non-smokers. Cigarette smoking is extremely dangerous to non smokers. Secondhand smoke is a mixture of side stream smoke — smoke from the end of a lighted cigarette—and mainstream smoke—smoke exhaled by a smoker. This secondhand smoke contains 250 known harmful chemicals of which 60 are known to cause cancer. This dangerous concoction of chemicals in the smoke puts those that have chosen not to smoke in harm’s way.According to the website of the American Cancer Society, each year, second hand smoke is responsible for ‘an estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease’, â€Å"About 340 0 lung cancer deaths’, and ‘Between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in children’. (â€Å"Secondhand Smoke. â€Å", 14 Nov. 2011) The list carries on, but we can now see how cigarette smoking not only affects smokers, but non smokers too. As detrimental as cigarettes are to everyone’s health, there are still those that claim it is their right to be able to smoke.Opponents of cigarette banning claim that it is their civil right to choose to smoke and that society does not have the right to dictate what people do to their bodies, regardless of whether it is unhealthy for them or not. They claim that if the government bans cigarettes on the basis that it is harmful to one’s health, then they may as well ban other things that pose a health risk, like â€Å"junk food†. The problem with this argument is that while eating junk food does pose a health risk to the person eating it, there is no immediate health risk to the peopl e around them.Even governments have started to recognize the dangers of cigarettes by allocating smoke free zones where smoking is not allowed. Even though this is a step in the right direction, it still does not keep everyone safe from the dangers of cigarette smoking. By examining the all the information, it is easy to see that cigarette smoking is particularly dangerous on both physical and psychological levels while also needlessly endangering non-smokers. Could the banning of cigarettes potentially wrestle the revolver from the hands of the smoker and finally put an end to this dangerous game of Russian roulette?

Disaster Simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disaster Simulation - Essay Example Emergency guides advice that one should have enough resources to take care of him for at least 72 hours after the beginning of a disaster. In addition, one should prepare for his travel in case he receives an evacuation order. This involves ensuring that the gas tank is full and all items needed are in the car. It is also important to ensure that all family members are well prepared for the disaster. For instance, one should ensure that all the important documents of family members such as passports and birth certificates could be easily retrieved when the family leaves the house. Keeping the documents in fireproof box can be helpful. In addition, one should ensure that he communicates well with all family members about the escape routes and other disaster preparation strategies. Communicating to them about the warning signs of the expected disaster is vital. Other modes of communication such as radios and television also help one to prepare effectively for the disasters (Gow & Paton , 2008). Nurses have an important role to play if a disaster occurs in a work place. They should be aware of the specific disaster response plans in their hospitals. During a disaster, patients’ safety especially those in critical conditions should be the top priority in hospital. One of the nurses’ roles during a disaster in their place of work includes ambulating patients to a safer location. They should also ensure that the patients’ beds are placed in windowless areas. The situation prevents patients from being injured by broken windows during a disaster. If it is difficult to move the beds to areas that do not have windows nurses should ensure that the window blinds and drapes are closed. It is also important to protect them from debris by giving them more pillows and blankets. Additionally, nurses should ensure that all hallways are open so that patients’ needs are

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 28

Business law - Essay Example McDonald (McDonald 840) suggests that to fulfill fiduciary responsibilities in providing investment advice, one must (a) put the client’s interests first, (b) act in utmost good faith, (c) provide full and fair disclosure of all material facts, (d) not mislead clients, and (e) divulge all conflicts of interest to clients (McDonald 840). This article recommends the film Inside Job as an effective teaching tool for illustrating the ethical issues that surrounded the global financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent economic downturn (McDonald 840). The study discusses issues such as the revolving door, conflicts of interest, fiduciary duty, executive compensation, and financial regulation. The presentation of each ethical issue comprises suggested questions, background information, and guides to specific sections of the film. An overview of the film is provided as well (McDonald 840). Whether the investment firms that sold CDOs had a fiduciary duty has been the focus of both congressional hearings and legal proceedings. This section of the film focuses largely on the activities of Goldman Sachs and whether its representatives violated the concept of fiduciary duty in selling CDOs to their clients (McDonald 840). In addition to selling CDOs that Goldman Sachs obviously believed were of suspect quality, the firm took positions from which it would clearly benefit given a collapse in the CDO market. Goldman Sachs executives argued that they were simply satisfying the brokerage or market-making function by facilitating the buying of CDOs and did not have a fiduciary responsibility (McDonald 840). . Whereas the film clearly blames Goldman Sachs for failing to protect its clients’ interests, this situation is not trivial. Legendary investor McDonald (McDonald 840) notes that, while a broker has a definite responsibility not to lie, he or she does not owe

Hart-Devlin Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hart-Devlin Debate - Essay Example However, the law is not against the private lives of people and the activities they undertake in private. Therefore, a law cannot be imposed that interferes with the private lives of people. The report by the committee sparked a reaction from Patrick Devlin. Devlin in his discussion on â€Å"the enforcement of morals† argued that criminal law is not only meant to protect individuals but the entire society. Therefore, if people are engaged in activities that are against the society norms should be criminated. He further argued that criminal law should not only protect criminal activities that directly affect people, but rather should protect society from adverse effects imposed by individuals both in public and in private (Cane 22). Herbert Hart reacted against the argument of Devlin in a radio broadcast. Hart argued with regard to the â€Å"harm principle† by J. S Mills. He argued that the only reason in which power can be correctly exercised over any individual in soci ety against his will is, to ensure no harm imposed to others by the individual (Cane 23). An argumentative debate between the two individuals ensued, both of them believing their side of the argument to be reasonable. Devlin argued that the society supposed to be united by legal and moral conducts. Therefore, any actions that jeopardizes society’s norms should be criminated (Cane 24). The society supposed to impose its morality so that cultural values and believes can be maintained. Hart argued against this argument claiming that Devlin did not provide factual evidence of his arguments. Hart claimed that society norms are widely used; therefore, using them to deny a group of people to conduct their private activities is not respecting the morals of individuals. Some contributions made regarding the subject of law and morals of society (Cane 25). Therefore, in order to establish a valid argument of the case standards ought to be set and difference between harm and moral standa rds should be established. In addition, a relationship between law and morality should also be discussed in details. The debate sparked by the report established by wolfenden committee. The committee was established to put in consideration the law governing prostitution and male homosexual behavior. Nonetheless, the debate that ensued concentrated on the subject of sexual conduct and morals. The committee was discussing the issue of criminal activities with regard to homosexuality. The debate concentrated on criminal law and did not put in consideration other forms of law (Cane 26). The society plays a significant role to play with regard to ensuring the community and the country at large behave accordingly. According to Devlin, the actions of individuals can affect the outlook of the entire society. Therefore, when lawmakers are developing laws they should put into consideration a person’s liberty (Cane 27). In addition, technological advancement is changing overtime; theref ore, it is reasonable enough for the society to come to terms with the changes. Devlin’s view After the committee published its report, Devlin was quick to respond to the report through a public lecture. Devlin argued that morals and laws should go hand in hand. Behavior of an individual does not only affect the individual alone but the entire society (Cane 28). Therefore, legalizing homosexuality is offensive to the society as it goes against the moral standards of the society. the society’s cultural values should be protected by the law. Devlin’s argument meant to protect the society through the

Recruitment of Employees in the Field of Property Market of Hong Kong Research Proposal

Recruitment of Employees in the Field of Property Market of Hong Kong - Research Proposal Example The growth in the world economy has created opportunities for many people around the world thus reducing the gap between higher and middle class. Increase in earning capabilities gave rise to spending capabilities resulting in the real estate boom which was also the cause of latest economic recession during 2008. The boom in real estate was seen all over the world which pumped the stock market prices of many companies involved and manufacturing products required for construction. The strengthening economic relations with the Mainland have maintained Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center and a regional business hub. The overall residential property market staged a strong rebound in 2009 and is continuing in 2010 (Hong Kong Property Market Report 2010). In view of the economic strengthening of Hong Kong, it is necessary that human resource is managed effectively. It is evident from the report that property market is booming once again after the looming recessio n and the boom also creates employment opportunities. Human resource management is important in property market because efficient employees need to be recruited and appointed in a suitable position so as to gain the competitive edge over the rivals and at the same time it is also necessary to retain the employees by implementing various promotional schemes. The 2007 credit crisis engulfed the whole world into its ambit badly affecting the real estate boom. However, the recent report by Global Property Guide (1) in its Mid-2010 Property Recommendation mentioned that the world’s property markets are recovering slowly and steadily. According to the Global Property Guide’s survey, it is revealed from the official housing price statistics that 19 out of 36 countries experienced house price increase during the year to end Q1 2010.  Ã‚  

The Persuasive Research Paper (You have the liberty of choosing the

The Persuasive (You have the liberty of choosing the specific topic) - Research Paper Example For the past many years, the internet has enhanced the capabilities of a common person to attain information on an international level. As the World Wide Web industry flourishes and broadens almost daily, new problems of censorship and free will of expression are mounting. Issues like the revelation of pornography to kids as well as the restricting the content to students have arisen huge controversies. Yet, these issues are just a handful of problems with the content accessible over the World Wide Web (Crystal 90). With the advent immense penetration of internet among the people, the potential of its material increases quickly, at an irrepressible rate. Why out of control? Because in a few cases there no censorship to that can be placed on the world wide web, what can sighted on the internet, and who can see what is uploaded on the internet. Hence, with the increasing number of users, the material uploaded on the internet grows too. Various people utilize the internet for various purposes without any worries, since they have the authority to. However, should everyone have access to these privileges? With all these masses employing the internet, shouldn’t there be a censorship of the content? The answer to these queries is debatable. For numerous reasons, there is no rigid determination of which consent is right, whether internet censorship is right or wrong   (Deibert 300). However, it is quite intricate to take unpretentious measures in this sensitive matter of internet censorship. Few people may think that specific content on the internet, which might be considered as indecent, are in fact beneficial to mature minds. Although younger audience is not prepared to attain access to such material that may cause immorality, however mature minds do not come across the same dilemma. Although, they may be prohibited from achieving what they require from the internet because of the possible presence of state

Management and Organisation individual report Essay - 2

Management and Organisation individual report - Essay Example These two are derived from the set textbook by Mullins, Essentials of organisational behavior, 3rd Edition. Further, competitive advantage will also be explicated with inputs of strategy and structure on the management process, and lastly, a conclusion will be drawn as the researcher’s overall perception regarding the nature of management and the integration of strategy and structure. Management is the method consists of modelling and supporting of a particular ambience wherein entities are effectively working together in one purpose (Koontz & Weihrich, 2008, p. 5). The management of activities is usually held by a manager or a supervisor to ensure the effectiveness of operations. The management of it is integrated with strategies, following the organisational structure of the organisation. As defined by James Brian Quinn (1980, p. 3), strategy is the model that incorporates an entity’s principal aims, policies, and series of operations into a coherent entirety (quoted in John & Gilles, 1997, p.176). Strategy is usually long term in nature as compared to tactics that are also formulated to achieve a specific goal but in a short period of time. Organisational structure pertains to the formal flow of organisational knowledge, precise sectioning of various business operations, and the model of frameworks to assure the effectiveness and efficiency of business activities across different units (Daft, 2010, p. 90). This includes precise organisational levels, concise departments, and optimum system to achieve the highest degree of efficiency towards job performance. The disposition of management is derived from the notion that what it is inculcated in the minds of the managers that are required to be understood (Stewart, 1984, p. 324). In specific terms, the nature of management can be depicted as the things that managers should do in order to create an effective strategy. Another notion in understanding the disposition of management depicts the certain

Part1. Physical items Essay Example for Free

Part1. Physical items Essay Goods: Physical items produced by business organizations. Operations Management: the management of systems or processes that create goods and/or provide services Process: One or more actions that transform inputs into outputs Services: activities that provide some combination of time, location, form, and psychological value System: a set of interrelated parts that must work together. Technology: the application of scientific discoveries to the development and improvement of goods and services Operations management requires: both knowledge of the facts and how to interpret that info in order to produce and deliver Requires constant improvement: due to competition in the marketplace and advances in technology Good process design is: customer driven. What questions What type of process is best suited that will fulfill our customers needs What is the goal in selecting a supplier? To find the best product available for the best price you can The global market enables the operations manager: the flecibility to choose the most cost effective supplier Honda’s relationship with their suppliers is based on: trust Why did Hillrich Bradsby implement ERP system?: to simplify their processes When do hillrich bradsbey start their production process?: when an order is entered into the system What was the purpose of Disney’s Fast Pass?: remove the need to wait in line by using a virtual queue Measuring is an important method. Monitoring the consistency and repeatability of a process is called: statistical process control What technique does Gortac use to support continuous improvement: in manufacturing, try to be more efficient, improving quality: continuous improvement: record the days productivity numbers and compare – daily production meetings. How did ABTCO increase capacity without adding space or investing capital? : using fundamentals of operations mgmt., reorganized the manuf process to improve quality and efficiency. Closed lines producing unfrofitable products and started idle lines to fill shortages, as a result, their siding unit increased prod capacity w out adding space or capital expense.

Foxmeyer Case Study Analysis Information Technology Essay

Foxmeyer Case Study Analysis Information Technology Essay FoxMeyer worked on idea of installing an ERP system to process the million order requests company received each day. ERP system will manage the packaging and routing of pharmaceuticals from various vendors to thousands of hospitals, clinics, drug stores, and other stakeholders. To pursue with the installation, Company hired Andersen Consulting and other consultants to help with the installation. Together with ERP, FoxMeyer decided to install a new warehouse-automation system, increasing the complexity of its plan. FoxMeyer bought the software from well experienced vendor. These systems were designed to automatically pick more than 80% of outgoing orders from shelves in warehouses. Ans1a. FoxMeyer pharmaceuticals had certain critical issues in the change management because of poor planning and not putting on extra efforts in implementation of ERP system. There were certain issues involved with employees with implementation for two systems in a huge scale which resulted them threatened over there job assurance. At FoxMeyer, reports revealed senior management was highly committed in the starting phase but also some users were not as committed. There was some morale problem among the warehouse employees as the projects Pinnacle warehouse automation integration threatened their jobs. The closing of three warehouses and the transition to the first automated warehouse as disaster. Sabotage done by the employees was huge loss to company. Disgruntled workers damaged inventories, orders were not filed and also there were huge mistakes occurred since a new system struggled with the high level of volumes. A total, amount of around $34million worth of inventory were lost as sabotage. Ans1b. Change Management is one of the critical steps an organization has to take while implementing an ERP system. Since one the major problem arises in the FoxMeyer was the loss of confidence among employees in their job security. One of the main contributing factors to this loss in the FoxMeyer case is the automation of processes and main contributor being the computerization of tasks. Implementing change without prior planning or proper strategy in FoxMeyer not only created disaster but also chaos and unrest among workers. Being the Boss of FoxMeyer, I would suggest following strategies in ERP implementation: Communication Strategy: Management in FoxMeyer should be assigned to discuss future strategies- to ensure a thorough approach. This Strategy will include preparing project plan, project progress report and trainings for employees. FoxMeyer presented the case of one-end communication where Management were seen forcing their decision to workers which created chaos and workers were not committed to change. Having proper communications from both side had resulted in better cooperation and motivation for employees. Impact analysis: This is a method thoroughly determined the current system and analysis how the ERP system will affect the Human Resource and business environment. FoxMeyer workers were not provided information with the reason for change and nor was consulted for the willingness of ERP system implementation. Business processes needs to be systematically documented especially for the area which may be affected by new system. Information will be documented is job description and job history which will construct organises comparison on how the real business processes may vary from what has been documented. This analysis will help FoxMeyer to analyse how significantly the ERP system may affect the system, which will be the most affected by the implementation and what raining might be required to ensure the smoothness for the implementation of new system. Skills analysis: Major issues during ERP implementation is training. AS the FoxMeyer workers were not trained properly for the new system, which resulted in poor order processing, inventory lost and greater chaos. This also killed the interests of workers towards change and made them less committed. This strategy will help FoxMeyer to analyse, who needs training to pursue jobs purposes, to find out that needs to be trained and what skills company need to developed. FoxMeyer will pick up and train staff from internal departments accordingly and train them to work with new system. Ans2a. FoxMeyer Project of implementing ERP system hoped to save $40 million annually and project cost estimated to be $65 million and also with complete installation ERP system and Automation system was another $18 million. Ans 2b. The Project lead to Bankruptcy for FoxMeyer. FoxMeyer had a budget of $65 million for implementation of SAP but the final implementation bill was more that $100million. Extra cost also includes  £34million loss of uncollectable shipping an inventory costs. Other costs that FoxMeyer paid was loss of customers, market reputation, Loss of employees, structure and Loss in Share values. Ans2c. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system covers the techniques and concepts employed for the integrated management of businesses as a whole from the viewpoint of effective use of management resources, to improve the efficiency of an enterprise. They have many advantages both direct and indirect. The direct advantages include improved efficiency, information integration for better decision making, faster response time to customer queries etc. The indirect benefits include better corporate image, improved customer goodwill, customer satisfaction, and so on. (Sourced from: http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/a-recipe-and-ingredients-for-erp-failure-124383.html) FoxMeyer advocate ERP solutions as a part of their strategic development plan which would help to re-engineer their business processes in order to accomplish long-term goals. Actual cost for organisations does not only include installation cost, human cost and licensing cost. There are other costs with the implementation of ERP which as following. These costs are hard to measure but are way higher than actual costs. Project Costs: FoxMeyer had perception that continued perception will produces large payoffs i.e. the company expected a saving of $40 million annually. Psychological Costs: the consultants had prior records and history of success which encourages organisations to continue the project and generate high expectation with project, resulting uneven investments. FoxMeyer had more like this with what it could chew but embarking on a fast track project with unskilled staff. Social Costs: The consulting company did not externally justify projected. De-escalating the project through abandonment would have meant bad publicity. Organisation Costs: Organizations pay huge losses over delay in projects or lack of usage techniques which results undue investments without any outputs. Lack of change management might also result in order to control the increasing costs of operations and staff issues. Managers must realize other opportunity cost involve in the ERS system implication for example cash outflows which might result in better outputs in investing in other areas. Ans3. FoxMeyer had researched and analysed ageing population of America which presented grounds to expand their business and opportunity to grow bigger. Ans3a. FoxMeyer signed the contract to supply University Health System Consortium (UHC) Ans3b. FoxMeyer expected a growth in business due to an aging population and anticipated a growth in the pharmaceutical Industry. FoxMeyers long-term goals were to lower their operating expenses, manage the inventory more efficiently, gain greater share by expanding market and sales. FoxMeyer after developing and implementing new ERS system wanted to enhance more operations and efficiency and generate more order processing systems. Ans4. Risks involved in the project Implementation in Fox Mayer: Technical Risk: High technology always requires extensive capital for development. In Addition high technology needs research and development. It needs extensive testing which takes more time and funding. FoxMeyer tried implementing software with a big bang theory without extensive research or trials. Organisational Size: FoxMeyer being $5 billion Company working as wholesale distributor and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals product. Company extensively implemented EPR system thought-out its organization as whole instead trying and monitoring success in particular department or area. This resulted in sudden change in business operations and giving employees more tough time with their job without extensive training and skill assessment. Technical Novelty: SAP system employed by FoxMeyer was presented with high performance and saving company with a $40million per year on its operational costs. Though the technologies were new and have not been implied or tested anywhere in pharmaceuticals. FoxMeyer made a quick decision without reviewing or proper analysis of SAP which later on created havocs and problems for FoxMeyer after implementation. Even the SAP software was not compatible with current hardware and systems used by FoxMeyer. Company even forget to analyse the efficiency of usage in future of large orders since it has plans of expansion. Technical Expertise: SAP was new technology for FoxMeyer workers and they lack necessary skills to operate the businesses using new technology. SAP was introduced with big bang theory to the workers without proper training and skills assessment. Ans5a. FoxMeyer used a theory called big Bang Adoptions theory. This theory describes the adoption type of the instant changeover, when everybody with new systems moves to the fully functioning new systems on given date. Ans5b. FoxMeyer project Risks of customer mandate which relies on commitment from both top management and users. Although senior management commitment was high, reports reveal that some users were not as committed. There was a morale problem among workers especially in warehouse employees as they got threatened with three warehouse closures because of automation of warehouse. With the Big bang adoption theory, FoxMeyer changed all the EPR systems with SAP and also introduced new software for warehouse automation without any prior information to the workers. Workers were threatened by this approach and also felt lack of commitment from FoxMeyer as the company did not informed, revealed its future plans considering its workforce. Ans6. It can be arguable and quite out of understanding, when a FoxMeyer give allegation to SAP that the bankruptcy is because of the failure of their ERP system. After all how can a software package alone bring a large company down, which already had around 15000 satisfied users around the world? Thus, I believe the companys management are the reasons for their demise. On Contrary their can be various point that can be established over the demise of FoxMeyer. I would briefly discuss certain points which I Believe is relevant and to conclude who is responsible for the project failure leading to bankruptcy: Drawbacks of ERP system used by FoxMeyer: Implementation complexity Problems with business Strategy and Competitive advantage Over Budgets and Late projects Integration Problem Organisational Change and resistance to change Having analysed case I felt the demise was firstly architect by FoxMeyer management. Though even highly committed to this approach but they lack understanding of the consequences of implementation. Company had planned and had well established long term goals. But the vision is not effective unless it is strategically planned and implied. FoxMeyer management relied heavily on the outer sources of consultancies and software without researching any other alternatives or even checking any compatibility with its operations and system hardware. Project implementation was introduced with a big bang approach without even conducting certain trials or effective planning. There were so many risks involved with the project implication. However, I would not like to blame FoxMeyer for their poor planning; SAP and Anderson Consulting are too responsible for the failure. It can be argued that SAP had made false promises to the FoxMeyer highlighting that SAP is capable of high level order processing for FoxMeyer current system and is compatible with current Business operations and hardware. SAP being very complex software with complex functioning and with certain disability of integration of operation among different departments. Also, With Anderson Consultancy, Company was promised to provide all services, skills and training by consultancy. Which made the FoxMeyer relied heavily on the Consulting services and resisted to developed their skills or implement any change by them selves. Failure of services lead to chaos in FoxMeyer, resulting extensive loses in terms of customers, workers and productivity. Ans 7. Critical points among SAP and FoxMeyer: FoxMeyer had expectation with SAP, so much that it started building contracts with other companies like UHC considering high and efficient operations in future. Which resulted a heavy workload in computing of order processings when SAP was still being implemented and servers or hardware were not much compatible with such a work load. SAP too presented that hardware are compatible and SAP can be installed and will provide better techniques of order processing. However system failed to process 10000 audits per night where as previous ERP system could process up to 4000o orders each nights. SAP was much inexperienced into foray of high distribution technology and the system was not able to handle large volume of orders. The automation control too had constant bugs and FoxMeyer had to deploy hundreds of workers to work around the issues. The whole operations between the combined issues snowballed. Thus giving errors in order processing, inventory losses, resentment among workers etc. Which resulted in heavy loses of money, production, market reputation and brand. According to my Opinion, SAP wasnt efficient to such a high distribution and order processing ERP which resulted in failure of all operations and leading FoxMeyer to bankruptcy and even to there demise.

Why Dont You Dance Essay -- English Literature Raymond Carver

Why don't you dance The story is set in suburban America in the 1970'es. The main character, who remains nameless throughout the whole story, hast just moved his whole bedroom out into the street, lamps plugged in and all. The time is backed by the appliances - the boy turns on the TV set and makes minor adjustments, and you get the feeling, that he is turning the knobs to get a sharp picture. Also, in the seventies, everybody had a TV but it was still, as it is today, a rather big expense. The characters are: The man (the main character), the girl and the boy, who is the only character in our story to be called by his name, Jack. The man is middle-aged. In the beginning of the story, he brings out a lot of things from his home, and most of them are gifts. The nature of the things, suggests that they are wedding presents (a box of silverware, a record player, a muslin cloth). These are typically things you would get a couple of newly-weds for their shared home. Something has happened to his wife leading the man to put his life and sorrow of his lost wife on dis...

Isengard Biography :: essays research papers

ISENGARD Biography Isengard was formed during October 2002 by the two guitarists Ramy Sidky and Wael Sameh †¦Their aim was to create and develop artful and innovative melodic music . After a short period of time , the bassist Abdalla , who had been jamming with the guitarist Ramy Sidky for a long time , joined the band . Then an intensive seek for a drummer and a vocalist took place by the band members until the drummer Ahmed Abdelsalam joined the band . Knowing that power metal vocalists are rare species! The vocalist Yehia Khamees joined the band after a long search for one †¦ The band was completed then , and started working on some covers for Iron Maiden , Iced Earth and Manowar (these great bands are our heroes and teachers!) . No originals were done at this period . After nearly a month , the drummer Abdelsalam left the band as he was totally uninterested in this music . The band then had to look for another drummer quickly , as we were in a stage of growth †¦During this time , Foad Ahmed was appointed as an organizer for the band . This period was a period of inactivity for the band , as the band stopped jamming and rehearsing for a long time , especially when the bassist Abdalla left the band . That period was so bad for the band and the rest of the band members (Ramy Sidky , Wael Sameh , Yehia Khamees and Foad Ahmed) started looking for a bassist and a drummer . Many bassists and drummers were tried during this period and none of them was fixed in the band line-up †¦At that time , no new covers were done and the band was in a state of inactivity and just concentrated on getting a bassist and a drummer . Continuous search took place , until the drummer Moataz Rashad , who had also been jamming with the guitarist Ramy Sidky for a long time , was added to the band . After a very short period of time , the bassist Tarek , who played in Nemesis , joined the band †¦ This created a sort of ambition and enthusiasm for the band members , which lead to intensive

Essay --

Yike Cao PHIL 100 Dr. Hass 10/8/2013 3. For what reasons did Socrates refuse to escape from prison? Do you agree or disagree with his decision? Defend your answer. In 399BC Socrates was sentenced to death on account of corrupting the youth of Athens. By this, the authorities claimed that he was teaching the youth to question what was commonly taught to them about religion, gods and goddesses. This was coming at the end of the Peloponnesian War, which was believed to have been a mark of Athena’s (patron Goddess of Athens) fury at her people. The people at the time believed that Socrates’ teachings would only have angered her further and so they arrested Socrates and eventually sentenced him to death. In this essay, I will explain the reasons why Socrates refused to escape from prison, and why I think he should not have accepted the death penalty. After reading Plato’s The Trial and Death of Socrates, it seems that Socrates was given a choice of punishment, but he refuses to take the charges seriously and claimed he was not afraid of death and thus was forced to drink hemlock. Socrates accepted his punishment saying that no one knows what death is like, it may be better than this life and that in death his soul could be free amongst other great souls and he could continue his questioning and search for knowledge there. Socrates claims that he is right to submit to his punishment. One reason he gives is that although he has this escape route, there would not be a great deal of point. He would be unable to continue his search for knowledge in Thessaly as, firstly, he may face the same charges for corrupting youth there or the Athenian authorities could easily find him there. He thought that people would be more interested in how ... ...you have the opportunity to continue living (even if your life is not going to be the same as it was before), and that life should be the most important and sacred thing. Therefore, under the eyes of the law he was right to submit to his punishment but it seems wrong to me that he chose death when he could have chosen life. Even though many people may argue that Socrates should not have escaped; Socrates was an old man and would have died anyway. He would rather become a martyr who highlights the problems with Athenian democracy than seem like a coward and escape. In another word, Socrates’ sacrifice was necessary in order to highlight the injustices of society at that point in time. But I still believe that Socrates should have at least fought for his life and not just submitted so readily to his punishment. The end result could still be the same, or even better.

River Road Community

We re all going to have to learn how to walk again. After a nuclear holocaust devastates the country of the United States, the people of the River Road Community have to work through adversity and strive for the survival of every family. Households have to do without the things they would usually have taken for granted. They have to bond together to fight the trials of learning to walk. Frank s quote demonstrates his understanding of the task ahead of them as they start to learn to live again. They would have to begin by crawling before they can once more stand-up on both feet. Frank s quote is manifested throughout the story by the observed changes in the lifestyle of the community, the ways in which the diminishment of supplies are dealt with, and how the loss of community members forces others to take on new roles. After the nuclear holocaust, the lifestyle of the River Road community changed drastically. Before The Day, many residents of the community were wastrels. These rejects of society lived each day to eat, drink, and sleep. They lacked the drive to succeed in everyday life. After the bomb drop, everything changed. These blots on modern society crawled out of their shells in order to contribute something to a struggling society. They worked hard on construction and other things that would help the community. This strenuous work gave these once slobs a new outlook on life as well as the regular exercise they lacked. But, this sudden increase in work was not the only variable playing a role on them. After the bomb, anarchy broke out among community and surrounding towns. Highwaymen robbed the innocent, and people were taken advantage of. They had to start over. Randy gained leadership for the community. The next part was to gain control. He and other community members formulated a plan in which to regain control. Once it was obtained, laws were made that would govern the growing community. The government had started all over again. Another lifestyle serve was in the economy. The US currency no longer had value. With no gold to back up the paper money, it was worthless (except as toilet paper). Instead, the River Road community relied on the barter system. Trades were made for the items that were needed. If one person needed a spoon, they could trade some honey for it. Because of the nuclear holocaust, the lifestyle of the River Road community changed. Another way in which the community had to learn how to walk again, arose from the lack of supplies. Before The Day, many residents live on a diet of beer and nuts. After the bomb incident, many of the foods found in the pre-bombed world were no longer available. During chapter 666, the food supply runs terribly low. Helen and Lib create a new salad using leaves and other greenery found around the house. This new salad would never have been attempted had it not been for the lack of food due to the holocaust. The nutritional value of this green salad, compared to the beer and nuts, shows a positive improvement in nutritional content of their diet. Another loss came as a result of the loss of running water after the nuclear holocaust. Not long after the water was cut off the tub supplies and other rations of water, which had been stored up, were running out. The community had to limit its use of water and cut back on things that on a pre-bomb day would have seemed natural (like flushing the toilet or taking a bath). The community adapted the Artesian water to use as their source for water. This water was not as nice as the purified water they had previously had, but it was water none-the-less. The harnessing of this water required the help of many. LALALAALA. Also, when medical supplies ran low, things had to be improvised. With just the aid of a billiard table, steak knives, darning needles, hair curlers, and nylon line, Dan operated on Ben Franklin, removing his appendix. This is just one example where things had to be invented due to a lack of supplies. They also decided to use hypnotism as a form of anesthesia. Dan could speak a few sentences, and they would fall into malleable trance. He would then be able to operate without the patient feeling the procedure. Another example of the River Road community having to learn to walk again would be with food preservation. Without the use of refrigerators and other systems for keeping food fresh, there was a great need for salt. The salt could be used to preserve most meats. An animal could be slaughtered, and part eaten for a meal. The remaining portions of the animal could be salted and kept for a while. Towards the end of July, Randy noticed the salt supplies running dangerously low. He and many other members of the community had to set sail in search of a source for salt. They did return triumphantly with many bags of salt. These are all ways in which the community has adapted to a loss of supplies and had to work through the adversity and learn to walk again. The last way in which the River Road community had to learn to walk again was how the loss of community members forces the others to take on new jobs. When the towns were bombed, many skilled people were lost. Jobs needed to be filled and the residents of the River Road community rose to the challenge. Helen served as the barber for the group, cutting everyone s hair. Randy was the leader. He took control of the group and returned order to an anarchical society. Dan took over as the full time doctor, and Lib took over most of the cooking. Many Frank s quote, we re all going to have to learn how to walk again†¦, is manifested throughout the story by the observed changes in the lifestyle of the community, the ways in which the diminishment of supplies are dealt with, and how the loss of community members forces others to take on new roles. The great disaster affected everyone, and everyone pulled together to strive through the hard times. The community, crippled by the nuclear blast, regained strength and managed to walk again. The road there was filled with hardship and pain, but the path made them stronger. The River Road Community survived the nuclear holocaust, even though they had to learn how to walk all over again.

Economic Recession in Ireland 2007-2012

â€Å"Ireland’s Great Recession. † The Irish Economy, 2007-2012. The title of this essay, â€Å"Ireland’s great recession,† refers to the Irish economy from 2007-2012. From my research into this essay, I found that the Irish economy of this period could be referred to as â€Å"The Great Depression. † There are parallel similarities to the Irish economy now as experienced in America in the 1920’s. This essay will examine what a recession is, why Ireland is in a recession, the effects and face of the recession, and my own personal views on the crisis.Not a day goes by when you don’t hear stories of â€Å"doom and gloom† in relation to Ireland’s economic state of affairs. Everybody you talk to has someone belonging to them or knows someone who has had to emigrate. Australia has replaced America as the land of hope and dreams, as thousands flock our shores in search of a better life. Within the country recession has not only resulted in mass emigration. Internally people are struggling to repay their mortgages because of the housing collapse. Wages have been cut and taxes have been increased. Disposable income for many a non-entity.Ireland was the first EU country to declare itself officially in recession in August 2008. We are the second EU country to have a structural adjustment programme imposed by the IMF/ECB/EU, known as ‘the Troika’. The turnaround of the Irish economy has been dramatic – from one with the highest levels of GDP and employment growth to among those with the highest unemployment, emigration and debt levels across the EU – in the space of just a few short years. The recession has affected everybody, young and old. We are in a time where we have to cut spending in order to meet our EU obligations.The financial crisis that sparked the recession and collapse of our banking system is the most serious problem that we face. The Calm before the Storm- The Celtic T iger Years(1995-2007) â€Å"The Celtic Tiger† was a term used to describe the boom years which our economy went through from around 1995-2007. UK economist Kevin Gardiner coined the term â€Å"Celtic Tiger†, comparing Ireland's unexpected economic take-off to the Asian tiger economies. Many believe the foundations of the Celtic Tiger were laid in the 1990’s in a Dublin pub called Nesbitts.It was here that politicians, economists and civil servants met to discuss future government policies. It was agreed that the government of the day should cut taxes, lower interest rates, reduce import duties which would encourage foreign investment. It was later referred to as the â€Å"Doheny & Nesbitt School of Economics. † Our generous corporation tax of 12. 5% enticed foreign investment into the country. The fact that Ireland was a member of the European Union since 1973 helped enormously. The EU pumped vast amounts of money into infrastructure and grants especially in the agricultural sector.It meant a single currency and free trade within the EU. Ireland had an open economy where trade was promoted and thrived, especially in the area of exports. Ireland has a workforce that is highly educated and attracted further investment especially from high-tech and pharmaceutical industries. As the economy started to grow so did immigration into the country, as there was lots of work particularly in the construction industry. There was a surge in demand for housing and as a result this triggered the housing boom. Banks were encouraging customers to borrow as there were low interest rates.Property prices began to rise and many people sought property as a form of investment not just as a home. Property developers became millionaires over night as a result of the property boom. People in Ireland began living lavish lifestyles and in a lot of cases had lost the run of themselves. Collapse of the World Financial Market On the 15th of September, 2008 Lehman Brothers, one of America Largest Investment Banks in the USA, declared itself bankrupt. Major panic broke out on the inter-bank loan market as a result.As share prices declined, many large and well established investment and commercial banks in the United States and Europe suffered huge losses and even faced bankruptcy, resulting in massive financial assistance. Ireland is a very small fish in a big pond. Ireland is an open economy and our banks, like our businesses, trade with other banks. Irish Banks borrowed huge sums of money on credit from foreign banks. Our main source of repayment was taxes through our construction industry. What resulted was a domino effect; when one major bank fell the others in turn throughout America and the EU started to fall.Governments stepped in pumping billions into their banks to save them. The collapse of the world financial markets triggered the recession but some countries suffered a lot worse than others. Ireland is one of those countries, becau se Ireland borrowed beyond their means but mainly to support the purchase of private property. Recessionary Times A recession is a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters: (oxford Dictionary) GDP is made up of private consumption, government spending, investments and exports-imports.A recession is typically accompanied by a drop in the stock market, an increase in unemployment, and a decline in the housing market. It is also a term that people refer to when there is on-going hardships that people face in their daily lives. In recessionary times people have little disposable income and money is more often spent on necessity items like food and clothing, whereas luxury goods are beyond reach for many. Banks The crash of our banking system was the biggest cause of our country going into recession. Our banks lent recklessly when times were good.Loans were given to people without consideration. People within the banking system were paid bonuses the more they lent. Most people seeking these loans did not meet international regulations. The banks misguided thousands of ordinary people by giving these loans for enormous amounts, knowing that they realistically could not afford repayments. During the Celtic Tiger period of growth, capital to finance Ireland’s boom was raised in the interbank market, typically on a three-month basis, but with repayment not expected until two or three years later.When Irish property values went into decline and the freezing-up of the world's interbank market in 2007, it was certain by the start of 2008 that the Irish banking system would have great difficulty in financing its day-to-day operations. This trading difficulty, and inadequate supervision by the regulatory body, led to a series of government interventions, starting with a Bank guarantee in September 2008. It is nearly four years since the fateful night o f September 29th/30th 2008 when the Irish government guaranteed the key financial liabilities of our biggest banks.That decision has dominated national politics since then. For the economic and political consequences of that decision are immense. Since 2008, Irish taxpayers have invested â‚ ¬64. 1 billion into our banks. In addition to that direct investment, we have also indirectly invested a further â‚ ¬6 billion through NAMA (National Account Management Agency). That was the estimate given by the Controller and Auditor General, in May this year. He reported that NAMA had paid Irish banks â‚ ¬32 billion for loans that were, in fact, worth only â‚ ¬26 billion. In total then, we have already pumped â‚ ¬70. billion into our ailing banks. That’s the equivalent of â‚ ¬46,700 for every person working full-time. It’s a second mortgage that we didn’t want and can barely afford. And we mightn’t be finished yet in terms of how much money we have to pump into the banks. As of December last, the balance sheets of the three main Irish banks (AIB, Bank of Ireland and Irish Life & Permanent) showed a book value of their loans of â‚ ¬218 billion. But the banks’ own aggregate estimate of the fair value of those loans was only â‚ ¬181 billion, some â‚ ¬37 billion below their balance sheet carrying value.That suggests further heavy loan losses to come. Construction Industry During the boom years, demand for housing increased. It increased as a result of many factors: population growth, investments, tax breaks and low interest rates. As a result of this demand there was a rapid growth in housing and house prices began to soar. â€Å"The TSB/ESRI Index reveals that national prices increased at an average pace of almost 15% per annum between the years of 1997-2006, resulting in a cumulative increase of 240% over this period. † (class notes) Ireland tried to grow its economy inward through construction.It did so but there was too much emphasis put on construction. There was far too many people employed in the construction sector and there was an over reliance on construction industry alone to grow our economy. â€Å"Around 330,000 jobs have been lost since employment peaked in 2007, with the construction industry accounting for more than half of this total. † (class notes) Inflation of Egos Whether you are a banker, builder or bus driver it seemed that everyone had a second car and second home during the Celtic Tiger years.Having a little place in the sun seemed the norm. However thunder storms have emerged since the recession. People were running up massive debts in a society gone mad. People were borrowing beyond their means with banks only too happy to oblige. While people must be responsible for the choices they make, perhaps the banks, the so called experts in finance should have been more responsible. Everybody jumped on the band wagon; some builders built houses too quickly, c heaply and not following safety regulations. Priory Hall) Tradesmen were demanding and receiving vast sums of money for their work. According to Ronan Lyons an Economist in Oxford University, a recession becomes a depression when you have a fall in GDP by more than 10%. He has compared both job losses in the USA in the 1920’s to that of Ireland now. The results are striking. As the graph below shows, Ireland’s situation closely resembles the Great Depression. (Lyons ,2012) Irish GDP has fallen recording a peak to trough fall of 12. 4% (Class Notes) ConclusionAs I said earlier Ireland is a small fish in a big pond. The majority of people like to point the finger at the last government as I would, but not as strongly as others. Our last Government had a part to play. However there was a world-wide recession and we would have suffered economically as a result as every country has within the EU. I believe however that our last government could have done some of the followi ng; regulate the banks so they would not lend recklessly, re invests elsewhere in the economy for growth when times were good.There was an over reliance on construction to feed the economy. They could have increased interest rates to bring down inflation therefore slowing the economy. The government could have closed Anglo Irish Bank- Anglo is mainly a commercial bank with little customers in Ireland. This would have saved Irish taxpayers in the region of 30 billion euros. Our current government promised not to make the same mistakes of our previous government in their pre-election manifestos.They now tell us they are locked by the terms of the EU/IMF bailout. Can our government not re-negotiate a deal? Can they not tell Europe that further cuts cannot be put in place if we are to see growth in our economy in the long term? Germany only in the last couple of years repaid there debt after the Second World War. Ireland unlike many of its European counterparts is meeting the terms of t he agreement. We keep hearing how good a nation we are and that we are a success story, and the measures that we are taking in reducing debt.We are receiving a pat on the back from our German friends, but is this a pat on the back, or a further shove into the quick sand that we are already standing in? Is it a sign of success that young Irish people are emigrating, that the dole queues are getting longer? It is a success that the people of Ireland will be in debt for years to come? Recently Enda Kenny was on the cover of Time magazine under the caption â€Å"Celtic Comeback†. Great people like Einstein have also graced the cover of this famous magazine. So too has BART SIMPSON†¦

Compulsory School Age Essay

â€Å"Any young person without a high school diploma is at a severe disadvantage in our high-tech labor market, with its accompanying demands for advanced education. We can’t prepare students for the 21st century who aren’t in school. Increasing graduation rates requires a continuum of strategies that engage students, including ensuring their presence in the classroom.† The above-mentioned quote by National Education Association (NEA) President Dennis Van Roekel sizes up the situation crisply. Although critics contend that students inclined to dropping out of school will quit school anyway and education is a responsibility of local and state governments and raising the compulsory school age will have little effect, research indicates there are benefits in raising the national compulsory school attendance age to 18. Current Problem Compulsory school attendance refers to the minimum and maximum age required by each state for students to be enrolled in and attending public schools or some comparable education program as defined by law. The good news is student in the United States are graduating from high school at a rate better than any time since 1976; the bad news is about 20 percent still drop out, most of whom are minorities. The figures are from the National Center for Education Statistics’ report, â€Å"Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2009-2010.† Dropouts face extremely bleak economic and social prospects. Compared to high school graduates, they are less likely find a job and earn a living wage, and more likely to be poor and to suffer from a variety of adverse health outcomes. The statistics are sobering. Both in the short-term, when dropouts first leave school, and in the long-term, over their entire working lives, dropouts are severely disadvantaged relative to students who complete high (Rumberger, p. 88, 2011). Dropouts are almost twice as likely to be poor—in 2009, 25 percent of high school dropouts had incomes below the poverty level compared to 14 percent for high school graduates with no college (Rumberger, p. 92, 2011). The economic disadvantages of not completing high school have grown more sizeable over time as the availability of low-skilled jobs has  declined. The median annual earnings of full-time, full-year dropouts were 15 percent less than high school completers in 1980, but increased to 21 percent by 2008 (Rumberger, p. 93, 2011). In recent years, the drop-out rate in US schools, currently estimated at over 20% overall and overrepresented among low income, Black, and Latino and other minority students, has gained a great deal of attention, because of its im pact on the students and on the communities in which they live. There are some dynamics that fuel these inordinate rates for minorities. By raising the compulsory school attendance age and providing supports for struggling students, 25 percent of likely dropouts remained in school because of compulsory schooling laws (â€Å"Raising the Compulsory School Attendance Age,† National Association of Secondary School Principals. May 2010.) To remain in school, students must devote their time and attention to their schoolwork and their school activities. They must also get along with their teachers and fellow students. But some students engage in a number of behaviors in and out of school that increase their risk of dropping out. These behaviors include misbehaving in school, delinquent behavior outside of school, drug and alcohol use, and sexual activity and teen childbearing. The research literature finds that engaging in any of these behaviors increases the risk of dropping out of school ( Sanchez p. 172). Potential dropouts will not get the specialized help if they dropout because they were not required to stay in school until the age of 18. Dropouts are generally unprepared to contribute to society and are a burden on the nation’s economy. Lower local, state, and national tax revenues are the most obvious consequence of higher dropout rates; even when dropouts are employed, they earn significantly lower wages than do graduates. State and local economies suffer further when they have less-educated populaces, as they find it more difficult to attract new business investment. Simultaneously, these entities must spend more on social programs when their populations have lower educational levels. The nation’s economy and competitive standing also suffer when there are high dropout rates. Among developed countries, the United States ranks twenty-first in high school graduation rates and fifteenth in college attainment rates among twenty-five- to thirty-four-year-olds. Dropouts represent a tremendous loss of human potential and productivity, and they significantly reduce the nation’s ability to compete in an increasingly global economy. Furthermore, recent estimates project that the future domestic workforce demands will require higher levels of education among U.S. workers. However, without significant improvements in the high school and postsecondary completion rates, the nation is on track to fall short by up to 3 million postsecondary degrees by 2018 (Junn, p. 7). Critics Those contending that raising the compulsory school attendance age would be useless are mistaken. Research indicates that approximately 25% of potential dropouts remain in school because of compulsory school laws. Compulsory school attendance laws provide for the direct enforcement and policing of school attendance. In addition, overall enrollment rates among 16 year olds are lower in states that allow them to drop out when they turn 16. Philip Oreopoulos, in two separate studies using information gathered by various surveys analyzed the issue of implementing compulsory attendance laws (Oreopoulos-2005, p. 12). Using additional information from countries like England and Ireland, he concluded that students who are compelled to complete at least one more year of school will earn 12 percent more than those who choose to drop out earlier (Oreopoulos-2005, p. 13). In the second study specifically concerning that increasing the drop out age (above 16) increases an individual’s scho oling by .12 to .16 years, thus better preparing them for the labor force. In his study he also observed a decrease of 1.2 and 2.1 percentage points in the overall dropout rate. As with some of the other studies, he concluded that the policy does not affect the rates; other factors such as funding and alternative measures must be put into place (Oreopoulos-December 2005, p. 17). Critics also argue that education is primarily a State and local responsibility. While this is established by the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution, the United States has a fundamental responsibility to promote policies nationally that effect all of its citizens. The dropout rate is alarming and could pose national security issues. An independent task force launched by the Council on Foreign Relations (2013) is warning the U.S. education system is barreling toward â€Å"a national security crisis.† The report highlights a Defense Department statistic that 75% of American youth don’t qualify for the armed forces because of a lack of a high school diploma, obesity or a criminal record. The disproportionate number of minority groups with high dropout  rates could be further investigated by the office of Civil Rights (OCR). Why are so many minorities leaving school? We live in a highly mobile society with people constantly moving from state to state. This mobility will result in different compulsory school attendance ages in different states. In 1980, Congress established the Department of Education (DOE), as a Cabinet level agency. Today, the DOE operates programs that touch on every area and level of education. The official mission of the Doe is to â€Å"†¦.promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.† Raising the national compulsory school age to 18 would carry out this mission perfectly. It is difficult to determine how many students would choose to pursue a higher education or technical training, once they graduate, it is extra difficult to reasonably argue tha t they should be allowed to give up on school. Faced with the reality of trying to get a job and raise a family, most students who dropped out wished they had remained in school. The facts are well documented—the economic consequences of dropping out are dramatic (John M. Bridgeland, John J. DiIulio, Jr.and Ryan Streeter argue: Their concerns are merited – the economic consequences of dropping out are dramatic. In the United States, high school graduates earn 43 percent more than individuals without a high school diploma, and college graduates earn more than 150 percent – one and a half times – more. Median earnings for people who have not graduated from high school are currently a mere $415 per week. Research has shown a 10 percent rise in earnings for people who simply stay in school one year longer. Over their lifetimes, female high school dropouts earn between $120,000 and $244,000 less than female graduates, and males $117,000 to $322,000 less than male graduates. College graduates earn between $800,000 and $1,387,000 more over their lifetimes than high school dropouts. Not only are earnings prospects bleak for dropouts who have jobs, but the prospect of having a job at all is not guaranteed: dropouts are much more likely to be unemployed. The unemployment rate among individuals who have not graduated from high school is 65 percent higher than it is for graduates and three times higher than it is for college graduates. Clearly, dropping out of high school is often equivalent to choosing a life of financial hardship. It also places a burden upon society as a whole. Annual public health costs for dropouts have been estimated at $58 billion, and  approximately $10 billion could be saved each year in public assistance if all our students graduated from high school. (p. 10) In their overview and survey of research on the importance of compulsory school ages (Hoor & Reynolds p 3-4) find that raising the age is an important component of confronting the dropout problem. In their study, â€Å"Understanding and Addressing the Issue of the High School Dropout Age,† the authors find evidence that raising the compulsory school age is gaining support across the United States in part because doing so helps reduce dropout numbers. The paper also provides a sampling of evidence-based interventions that help reduce the dropout rate. Solutions There is no simple way to nationally raise the compulsory school attendance age to 18 years. Just raising the age to 18 is not enough. It will take cooperation from many sectors to realize this needed policy change. Evaluating past reform efforts and the existing more recent research literature on implementation will provide information needed for developing more successful programs in the future. Though all states will benefit from raising the age to 18, states have varied factors they must consider and must do what fits for that state. Making schools and schools districts accountable for implementing and maintaining the national compulsory school attendance age of 18 is a great start. Thankfully, No Child Left Behind is is being left behind. However, a fair, consistent and reliable means of effectively addressing dropouts must be developed. The school environment itself determines whether at-risk students succeed. Students who are supported, motivated, and encouraged by their teach ers, who regard their teachers as caring, and who receive guidance from their teachers usually like school. In contrast, dropouts often report leaving school because they did not get along with their teachers or classmates. Smaller class sizes or counseling and guidance programs for struggling students are ways to improve how students perceive their teacher support networks. (Oreopoulos, Philip 2006 p. 31). Making funding available to hire and train teachers and providing smaller classes will help ease these issues. Providing other school-appropriate proven resources will also help. Currently, many school districts expel or suspend students for long periods of time, but are still  able to receive FTE (Full-time equivalent workload of a student) funding for much of the time period the student is not in school. They are not providing services, but they get the money whether the student is in school or not. This must stop. Otherwise, schools have no monetary incentive to keep students in school. School-based approaches as standalone programs are unlikely to solve the dropout crisis without providing adequate support to families and communities. In particular, even widespread school reform that raised the persistently lowest-achieving schools to even average achievement levels will unlikely raise the graduation rate sufficiently and at best eliminate about one-third of the achievement gap differences between racial and socioeconomic groups. Therefore, to improve graduation rates and to close gaps in graduation will require interventions in two other arenas: families and communities (Rumberger p. 274). Making families and communities more responsible by empowering them will go a long way. Family involvement is one of the most important contributors to school completion and success. The most accurate predictor of a student’s school achievement is the extent to which his/her family encourages learning. Success is more likely if the family communicates high, yet reasonable, expectations for the student’s education and future career and becomes involved in his/her education (Schargel & Smink, p. 99, 177). Although t he research explicitly confirms the positive and long-lasting effects of parent, family, and community involvement on student learning, this data is often overlooked in local, state, and national discussions about raising student achievement and closing achievement gaps (Berliner, p. 975). As much as the nation should be alarmed by the scope and gravity of America’s dropout problem, we should also be encouraged by the leadership that states across the country are demonstrating to address it. The District of Columbia and 17 other states already require students to be in school until they are 18. The pessimists will exclaim that changing the compulsory graduation age to 18 will not stop those determined to quit school from quitting and the responsibility of school laws should be left to states, however, there is a compelling body of research that indicates benefits to raising the compulsory age of school attendance to 18 nationally. Works Cited Allan, Kenneth. A Primer in Social and Sociological Theory: Toward a Sociology of Citizenship. Los Angeles: SAGE/Pine Forge, 2011. Print. David, Berliner C. â€Å"Our Impoverished View of Educational Reform.† Teacher’s College Record 108.6 (2006): 949-975. Print. â€Å"Despite Interventions, No-Show Students Drop Out : NPR.† NPR.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. Junn, Jane. â€Å"The Political Costs of Unequal Education.† Department of Political Science & Eagleton Institute of Politics Rutgers University (2005): 14. Web. 24 Oct. 2005. Nakamura, David, and Scott Wilson. â€Å"Middle Class is Under Threat.† Washington Post [Washington] 12 Jan. 2012: 1. Print. Roderick, Melissa R. The Path to Dropping Out: Evidence for Intervention. Westport, Conn: Auburn House, 1993. Print. Rumberger, Russell W. Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can Be Done About It. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print. Rushton, Rosie, and Kathryn Lamb. Staying Cool, Surviving School: Secondary School Strategies. Puffin, 1995. Print. Sidlow, Edward, and Beth Henschen. Govt: Student Edition. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2013. Print. Smink, Jay, and Franklin P. Schargel. Helping Students Graduate: A Strategic Approach to Dropout Prevention. Larchmont, N.Y: Eye On Education, 2004. Print.

How Is Poverty Constructed as a Social Problem in the UK Today Essay

The term ‘social problem’ refers to certain problems that are socially recognised by society and are felt to threaten certain values cherished by the public. This essay will investigate the different types of poverty that occur in the U. K and will explore the sociological arguments as to how poverty links with social problems such as social exclusion, gender discrimination in the work place, lone-parenting and disability and look at how these problems are perceived in today’s society. Poverty is an ever increasing issue in the UK and is perceived as a major social problem due to the consequences that it brings with it . The term ‘social problem’ refers to specific problems in our society which are sociologically recognised. These problems are socially constructed and can be distinguished when certain values that are cherished by the public are felt threatened by a particular event that is happening in society and can be thought of to threaten the stability of a community or society as the public already know it. Firstly, this essay will explore the different types of poverty that exist in the UK. Secondly, it will explore why poverty exists and explain the reasons as to why certain people are affected by poverty and how this links with structure and agency. In conclusion, this essay will emphasise the main arguments as to why poverty is constructed as a social problem in today’s society. When exploring the different types of poverty that commonly exist in the UK, it can be categorised into two main groups, absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute definitions of poverty are usually seen to have logic to them based around the topic of subsistence; what is needed to sustain our lives’ (Alcock, 2006:66). Anyone who is below the subsistence level is said to be suffering from absolute poverty. The term ‘poverty’ gives the connotations of deprivation, hardship, shortage and scarcity etc; however the word ‘absolute’ emphasises the extent of poverty that one is living in. Absolute poverty refers to people who do not have access to the day to day resources that are needed to meet their subsistence levels in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example sufferers of this type of poverty are known to be lacking the essential, basic needs such as a clean water supply, a good food source, shelter, sanitation, clothing and a good income are absent in peoples’ lives who are suffering from this type of poverty. However, subsistence level is what we need to sustain our life, and differs on time and place. Thus introducing the idea that different people need different things in different places according to different circumstances (Alcock, 2006:67). Research has shown that sociologist Rowntree, developed an idea to determine levels of poverty. He established a basic diet theory from the judgement of nutritionists to act as a subsistence definition of poverty which showed that people were living in poverty to very different extents. This theory adopted the definition of ‘Relative Poverty’ which is a more cultural and social definition due to the changes in poverty overtime. Relative poverty can be seen as a comparison between the standard of living between other members of society who are living in poverty to different levels. The main idea being suggested with relative poverty is that some needs are not related in any way to the maintenance of physical health (Kane, 2003:51). For example, a person may have the basic needs to sustain a healthy life such as food, water, shelter, sanitation and some sort of income; but they also possess such things which are not directly related to ‘the maintenance of physical health’ such as a television, radio, newspapers, books, alcohol and tobacco, or even means of transport. When considering relative poverty, it is essential to look at what becomes the ‘essential needs’ for a person as time changes, standards of life improve and peoples’ expectations grow. In support of this, an excellent way of understanding poverty can be seen as a ‘comparison between the standard of living of those who are poor and those who are not, or by the distinction between the merely existing and the living’ (Alcock,2006). Poverty is seen as a social problem as the issues that derive around it affect our society as a whole. Poverty exists in the U. K for a number of reasons, however it has been found that there is not one solitary answer as to why it exists and many people have diverse opinions on the subject matter. However, discarding the different definitions or descriptions of poverty, academics and policy makers do agree that poverty is a social problem and is seen as an unacceptable state of affairs (Alcock:2006:4). Poverty exists due to many reasons including unemployment, crime, low income, the amount of education and skill, social inequality and exclusion, gender, age, disability and ethnicity and when put into perspective these issues can be linked with structure and agency. Social exclusion is an individual and collective problem that examines the topic of how living standards recognize not only what a person or family have but also what they do. Thus portraying the idea social exclusion can be significant in representing whether or not an individual is suffering from poverty or not, as social exclusion prevents them from participating in specific common and popular social groups thus reinforcing the idea that social exclusion depends crucially on independent agency. ‘Social exclusion is a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas have a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime and family breakdown’ (Ridge, 2008:46). This is a good example of how poverty is constructed as a social problem as if one is living in relative poverty, and cannot seek employment and is welfare dependent living off benefits, then the individual will be socially excluded in that they may not be able to afford to join certain social clubs, or get to remote public services and in general the issue of discrimination will stop people from joining certain activities and entering certain areas. ‘Social exclusion is a problem for society if there are those who are unable to take part in social relations, including in a democracy, political participation and involvement’ (Ridge, 2008:47). Women are more prone to live in low income circumstances than men, hence introducing the social problem of gender discrimination. Women have been discriminated in the workplace over time in that they are paid less than men in specific jobs and are not seen to be ‘suited’ to particular jobs, especially in the manufacturing and trade industries. Marxist feminist Margaret Benston believed that women were oppressed by capitalism in that they were treated almost as a back-up, or secondary option of cheap labour that enabled profits to be kept up. ‘In 1994, 6. 1 million women were in low-paid jobs and on average women’s full-time gross weekly pay was 72 percent of that of men’(Kane, 2003:115). The public representation of the ‘typical single parent’ can be rather distorted, however research has shown that the majority or lone-parents who are likely to suffer from poverty, are women. ‘Women’s retirement income is boosted significantly by having a partner with a history of well-paid work, but women who have had children and are separated or divorced face very high risks of pension poverty’(Ridge,2008:138). This piece of evidence shows that if the women has separated from her partner then she is likely to face poverty in bringing up their children alone and this in itself is subject to cause many other social problems. Raising a family as a single mother, whilst suffering from relative poverty can, in some cases, lead to related social problems such as crime, alcohol and drug misuse, vandalism, discrimination, unemployment and suicide. If a child is brought up in a household which lacks the basic needs to sustain a healthy life, then they may be pulled into a more anti-social lifestyle, which in turn could lead to unemployment for them when they get older and resorting to sleeping rough on the streets, and thus increasing the number of homeless people in our society. Similarly, discrimination towards disabled people is a common problem in today’s society determined by individualism. Disabled people are more likely to suffer from poverty than those without a disability. The poverty rate for adults with disabilities is 30%, twice that for adults without a disability’ (Ridge, 2008:244). This can be illustrated by the fact that disabled people are confronted with a lot of discrimination in their lifetime, especially when seeking employment. Hence why a lot of disabled people are unemployed and living in poverty. Recent studies highlighted the additional costs for a disabled person to meet their needs and it was found that even when a disabled person is receiving the maximum benefit levels, those suffering with a disability are given approximately ? 00 a week less than the weekly amount required for them to ensure a minimum standard of living (Ridge,2008:245). Consequently, this is because not only do people with disabilities have a low income, their living costs are much higher due to the expenditure needed on special equipment, utilities and food. Throughout this essay, I have explored the different types of poverty that are commonly found in our society and have highlighted some of the main reasons as to why poverty is constructed as a social problem in the U. K today and by whom it is affected by. For problems to become socially recognised they need to have an impact on society in a way that certain values cherished by the public are felt to be threatened. By examining the issues of social exclusion, gender, lone parenting and disability we can conclude that these issues are definitely seen problems in our society. It becomes evident that the subject of discrimination links into all these issues, and thus emphasising that poverty is distinguished as a social problem in the U. K, and although the extent of these problems changes over time and place, it will most likely be a recurring problem in our society for entirety.

Activties - Training and career Dev Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Activties - Training and career Dev - Essay Example The company tries to build strong communication with its customers, to get a better insight of their needs, and then formulates a technical team to work on it (Caterpillar). The business of the Caterpillar has a wide range, covering from mining equipments to electric power generators. Its core business is to provide mining solutions and to make the mining process easier and safer. Its manufacturing unit is a diverse one, which produces a number of equipments, mostly related to mining. These includes, drills, mining tractors, paving, backhoe and several other instruments, used in the mining and drilling process. Moreover, it manufactures gas and diesel high power generators, along with integrated systems panels, for petroleum and marine industries (Caterpillar). 2. Some of the core characteristics of the Caterpillar’s culture are, to work with zest and sincerity to deliver the best services to their customers. For this, a Worldwide Code of Conduct has been published, and the en tire staff follows that code. This helps in being connected with the suppliers, stakeholders and the customers, so to work as one big team (Caterpillar). Caterpillar also gives much importance to the personality and nature of the candidates, who wish to work for it. This is the reason that all the employees of it are passionate and loves their job. This helps in achieving optimum result from each employee, helping the company grow and progress.