Friday, November 29, 2019

Amway Japan free essay sample

Amway Japan Limited Executive Summary In 1996 Amway Japan Limited (AJL) was the leader in direct selling market, and the most successful company within the entire Amway group. In the first half of  1997, AJL experienced a net sales decline of 11. 6% and net income to 27. 6% from the first half of the previous year. The Japanese economy and declining value of  the Yen relative to the U. S. Dollar has decreased AJL’s sales volume and profit margin. The Japanese government recently passed laws that confused AJL’s distributors and discouraged potential consumers from buying certain product lines. Furthermore, AJL suffers from a negative public image with over 70% of their customer base having either a neutral or negative opinion of the company. In order to rebuild growth in the second half of 1997 and achieve AJL’s long-term sales goal of ? 300 billion by FY2000, the following strategies must be implemented. AJL must strengthen the overall Amway brand image in Japan by promoting high quality products with a competitively fair price. We will write a custom essay sample on Amway Japan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition, AJL needs to target their public-relations campaigns to specific groups by promoting individual products and product lines to build upon their brand equity. AJL will undertake a focused extensive distributor training program which emphasizes distributor ethics, techniques on building correspondent down-line relations, and a greater understanding of Japan’s door-to-door sales laws and regulations. AJL will improve  the internal marketing strategy by extending target-marketing initiatives toward specific demographic distributor groups to add upon their success with the Artistry cosmetic brands. AJL will successfully capture their momentum to reach their target revenue goals by implementing the solutions offered above.

Monday, November 25, 2019

I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay Example

I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay Example I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay Working capital measures how much in liquid assets a company has available to build its business. The number can be positive or negative, depending on how much debt the company is carrying. In general, companies that have a lot of working capital will be more successful since they can expand and improve their operations. Companies with negative working capital may lack the funds necessary for growth. Working capital is a critical aspect of business operation, without adequate working capital a business may not be able to reach success or the aim of the business, for example, if MS don’t have enough working capital to found employees’ wages then the employees may decide to quit and this will slow down productivity which in turn will cause the business to stop functioning. Also if MS don’t have enough capital then they may not be able to pay their suppliers and their suppliers may decide not to supply them with goods anymore which may have an effect on the company’s market share, because customers will choose to go to rival companies instead. The key components of working capitals are current asset and current liability. To find the working capital of a business we use the formula: CURRENT ASSETS- CURRENT LIABILITIES= WORKING CAPITAL Based on this formula the working capital of MS at the end of 2010 2011 financial year can be calculated as; 2010  £1,153.80 – 2,210.20 = (1056.40) 2011 1,641.7 – 1,890.5 = (248.80) Both figures from MS working capital show a negative figure, this means that currently the company is unable to meet its short-term liabilities with its current assets. However, comparing these two years there has been a decrease of  £807.60 from 2010 to 2011 which is a good thing because this shows that MS are taken up strategies to improve its working capitals. Current assets are cash or assets owed buy a business that will be turned into cash within one year, examples of current assets are; Trade receivables (Debtors): debtors are money owed to a business by its clients or customers. This is a current asset because customers that purchase goods on credit are usually required to pay the amount owed within a year, so due to this reason they become an asset to a business. Trade receivables are shown on the balance sheet under the current asset section. Inventories (Stock): inventories are products or merchandise owed by a business that has not yet been sold. These are current assets because as part of the normal trading activities of a business, inventory will be expected to be sold off within a year to generate income. There are two types of inventory, opening inventory and closing inventory. Opening inventory is the stock held at the start of each financial year and closing stock are the total amount of stock left at the end of the financial year and this is recorded in the balance sheet as a current asset. Prepaid: these are expenses that have been paid for in advance but services or products have not yet been used. Example of prepaid expenses is insurance and business rates. Other examples of current assets are bank balances and cash in the till. Current liabilities: these are debts owed by a business that need to be repaid within one year. Examples of current liabilities might include; Trade payables (creditors): creditors are people usually suppliers that a business owe money to. Creditors are current liabilities because suppliers will usually request you to pay back the amount owed within one year. If trade creditors are not paid on time it may affect the reputation of the business because suppliers wouldn’t want to sell gods to you on credit as they know there will be chances of late repayment. Short term loan: this type of loan is borrowed from a bank and is scheduled to be repaid in less than a year. Accrued expenses: these are expense that has been incurred, but not yet paid for. Example of accrued expenses may be interests that has been accrued on loans that has not yet been paid for and also taxes that has been accrued but not yet paid for. Other examples of current liabilities are bank overdraft, this is when an individual or a company withdrawals more money from their account than they owe. This is a current liability because bank overdrafts are supposed to be paid within a short period of time. Marks Spencer uses short term finances such as overdrafts and bank loans to fund their working capital. Overdraft may usually be used to cover utility bills, and short term bank loans may be used to pay wages. Also they use trade creditors as a short term finance to purchase goods on credit from their suppliers. The use of short term finance for the day to day running of the business is a better source compared to long term source because resources such as stock will be used soon and there will be no point incurring more charges on it if you were to get a long term loan instead of acquiring it from trade creditors. In this part of my work, I am going to identify and explain the key ratios, using the information I gathered from MS annual report. Ratio is the term applied to a variety of calculations used to compare the results of a business over time or to compare the results of two or more business in the same business sector. Ratios enable changes in important aspects of a business’s performance to be pin pointed and quantified. The calculations of ratios enables trends to be highlighted and also ratios are particularly important to the owners, managers and stake holders of businesses as they will be keen to assess the performance and rivals will be interested too. I will be using five(5) key ratios namely current ratio, acid test ratio, debtor collection periods, credit payment period and stock turnover to compare the results of MS business over 2010 and 2011 financial year. Current ratio: this is also known as the working capital ratio, it is used to compare current assets to current liabilities the formula for working out the current ratio is, CURRENT ASSETS / CURRENT LIABILITIES. Current ratios are always expressed as ‘something’:1. The ideal current ratio is 2:1 which means that for each  £1 owed the business can cover with current assets 2 times. Even though a high current ratio can be a good thing, it is possible for it to be classed as a wasteful of resources, because the business is holding money in that could be put to good use such as expanding the business. Current ratio 2010 2011 ( £1153.80/ £2210.20)= 0.5220 ( £1641.70/ £1890.50)= 0.8684 Current ratio= 0.5:1 Current ratio: 0.9:1 MS current ratio has increased from 0.5:1 to 0.9:1 this means that liquidity has gone up and for every  £1 owed MS can cover with current assets of 0.9 times. Compared to the ideal ratio which is 2:1, the current 2011 ratio is still not good enough and this may imply that the business will find it difficult its debts since the business is operating with inadequate levels of working capital. Acid test ratio: this is similar to current ratio because it measures liquid assets in relation to current liabilities and also the amount of liquid assets available to pay the debts of the business. The differences between current ratio and acid ratio is that, current ratio looks at liquidity and cash flow issues further ahead than acid ratio because acid ratio is a more immediate measure of liquidity. The formula for finding acid test ratio is; (Current assets – stock)/ Current liabilities Acid test ratio is also written in the form ‘something’: 1, the ideal acid ratio is 1:1 meaning that for every  £1 a business owes it has  £1 of current assets less stock to cover this debt. Stock is removed to give an indication of the cash the business has in relation to its liability. 2010 2011 (1,153.8 685.3)/2210.2 = 0.212 (1641.7-613.2)/1890.5= 0.54403 Acid test ratio = 0.21: 1 Acid ratio = 0.54:1 MS has been able to increase its acid ratio from 0.21:1 in 2010 to 0.54:1 in 2011, yet still this is not close to the ideal ratio and this suggests that the business has nearly twice as many liabilities as it has cash to pay for those liabilities and this might put the firm under pressure. Stock turnover – this compares the average stock to the total cost of stock sold during a year. Average stock is calculated by adding the two years stock and then dividing it by 2. Stock turnover is very important to MS since stock is involved in their normal trading activities. The stock turnover will indicates how quickly stocks are being sold. If the rate is increasing, it can mean that the business is selling more stock or perhaps the average stock held is being reduced. However, if the stock is decreasing, this could mean that the business is selling less stock or the business is holding more average stock. The formula for finding stock turnover is; (Cost of sales / Average stock) = number of times per year Average stock= (685.3+613.2)/2 =649.25 2010 2011 (6015.6/649.25)= 9.265 (5918.9/649.25)=9.117 Number of times per year= 9.23 times Number of times per year= 9.12 times Based on the calculation, the resulting stock turnover ratio was equal to a little more than 9 in both years. This means that MS reduces and replenishes its stock nine times per year to satisfy consumer demand for its products. The goal of any retailer such as MS is to have a high inventory ratio, since its always better to sell inventory in the shortest amount of time possible. The longer a company holds on to inventory, the more expenses it incurs to store it, which ultimately reduces profits. Moreover, when theres low stock turnover, it indicates that the company is failing to accurately project what the demand is for the products it sells. Debtor collection periods -this is the average amount of days for collection period. It is used to measure the business’ efficiency in collecting payment. If the debtors collection period is increasing this tells you that the debtors are taken longer to pay than previously. Formula for calculating the debtor collection period: (Trade debtors x 365)/sales turnover = number of days 2010 2011 (250.3 x 365)/9740.3=9.38 (613.2 x 365)/9536.6=23.46 Number of days = 10days Number of days= 24days There has been an increase in of 14 days in the debtors’ collection period from 2010 to 2011 and this could be a weakness to MS because it could imply that credit control is not being as carefully managed as previously and this could lead to an increase in bad debt, bad debt is when debtors are not able to pay for their amount owed, this is treated as an expense in the business income statement. Creditor payment period: this measures the number of days taken on an average to pay for credit purchases. Since MS deals with lots of stock one of their sources of finance form purchasing goods on credit, if the credit payment increases this shows that the business is taking longer to pay creditors than previously. This change can either be a weakness to the business because it could mean that that the business is exceeding the credit period allowed by suppliers and as a result suppliers may discontinue offering credit facilities. On the other hand it can become a strength because it will improve the cash flow of the business. If the creditors’ collection period is decreasing this means that the company is taking less time to pay creditors. The change in the creditors’ payment period can be interpreted as a strength because the credit control is being more carefully managed and that difficulties with suppliers over exceeding credit limit will no longer occur but it can also be a weakness because the business is now paying suppliers earlier than necessary, resulting in negative impact on cash flow. Formula for calculating creditor payments period; (Creditors x 365) / Purchases = number of days 2010 2011 (1347.60 x 365)/6015.6= 81.77 (1153.8 x 365)/5918.1= 71.16 Number of days= 82days Number of days=71 days Since these figures are decreasing, it shows that MS are taken less number of days to repay their suppliers. However, if the credit payment period between MS and their supplier is 30 days then the business will have to ensure that their debt are repaid more quickly to build up trust between them and the suppliers. In order to maintain the capital structure, the MS has decided to adjust the number of dividends paid to shareholders, return capital to shareholders, issue new shares or sell assets to reduce debt. But if the credit payment period is more than 71 days, e.g. 100 days instead, then MS can wait for some more days to repay their debt as this will can help them get a positive cash flow and will attract investors into the business. Comparing the changes in debtors collecting period and creditors collecting period over the 2 years period shows that MS take longer time to pay their suppliers but it takes shorter time for them to receive payments from their debtors. The reason behind this could be that, since MS is not really a wholesale company they don’t give out lots of credit purchases to their customers but they purchase most of their stock on credit which thereby explains the huge difference between the creditors and debtors collecting period. To be able to manage working capital, there are certain tools in which a business can use. Usually making sure that the business has enough money to pay the bill when they arrive may be good practice however it is important to take into consideration of other tools as it will help you to manage your business more effectively. The following are ways in which a business can use to manage working capital; Credit control: these are practices used by businesses that extend credit to customers for the purpose of financing purchases of goods or services offered by the business. The purpose of these practices is to identify whether a customer is a good credit risk, and to monitor existing customer lines of credit for consistent repayment. As MS don’t give out a huge amount of their stock on credit because they are retailers they still use credit control to assess the few people they sell goods to on credit as this will avoid any bad debt from occurring. From the calculation of the debtors collection period, it is clear that MS debtors are taken longer days to pay than in the previous years, and this could cause cash to be tied up in debtors and MS may not be able to pay for their own debt. To be able to decrease the number of debtors, MS can offer a discount to their credit customers, such as 5% discount if payments are made 14 days earlier rather than the agreed credit collection p eriod. Also MS should make sure that they are paying a close attention on their debtors and if they spot out any late payments, they should send a reminder to their debtor. Stock control: is essential in MS because the more stock it holds the greater the amount of money that is tied up and this can have a significant effect on company profits. There are different types of costs that occur when stocks are held in a business for so long, these costs are; Opportunity cost, this is when capital has been tied up in stock, in this situation a business earns a zero financial return, meaning that no money is raised by holding stock in. Storage and handling, if lots of stocks are held for so long in MS it will have an impact in the warehousing space, and extra capital will be wasted on the controlling of these stock, lighting heating and labour. Spoilage, since MS deals with perishable goods like food, there will be a high risk of these perishable items to get expired. Usually stock will have to be insured against fire damages or theft, and keeping a higher amount of stock in the business it means that the business will have to pay more money on insurance to cover all the stocks available in the moment. Theft and shrinkage, when there is lots of stock held in a business it becomes a target for theft by staff and others. Due to this reason MS has put in a careful strategy called the â€Å"Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology†. This RFID uses microchips to wirelessly transmit serial numbers to a reading device wirelessly, allowing goods to be tracked electronically along the supply chain from warehouse to point of sale. Stuart Senior, IT director at MS, said the company wanted to use the technology to ensure 100% product availability, allowing managers to fill stores with as many different types of merchandise as possible. With automatic tracking of stock we can get a perfect picture of the goods we have on the sales floor and in the warehouse, he said. If we can improve data accuracy, we can replenish accurately. Another way I would suggest MS to use to controls its stock is to use â€Å"just-in-time approach† on perishable food. The just in time approach is when orders for delivery are made and ready to be sold to the customers straight away, this will help MS reduce the amount of money wasted on Debt factoring: this is when a third party usually a bank is given the authority to collect a business’ debts in exchange for a percentage of the original debt. Using debt factoring will be particularly important to MS as this will help them improve on their cash flow and wouldn’t have to wait till their debtors are ready to settle payments. Currently MS are not using debt factoring, but I would recommend they use it as this will help them decrease the number of debtors’ collection period and hopefully use the money to obtain new stock or to pay off their creditors. Cash budgets: cash budget is an estimate of future cash income and cash expenditures. Creating a cash budget helps MS to ensure that there is always sufficient cash available to allow the normal trading activities of the business to take place. It will also highlight time when MS have excess cash and this allows the management team in the business to arrange short-term investment of those surplus cash in order to gain maximum return. Lastly cash budgets high light when the business have cash deficits and this allows the management team of MS to arrange short-term alternative sources of finance which can be bank overdraft, arrangement of extended period of credit, or reducing the agreement on the time limits for existing long term debt collection periods. Even though creating cash budget helps MS in the management of its working capital, there is still some limitations, because; 1. If the data included in the cash budget is inaccurate then the cash budget will be of little use. 2. Budget might become an overriding goal and this could lead to a misuse of resources or incorrect decisions been made. 3. If budget are made compulsory instead of negotiated, staff members may become demotivated. 4. If budgeted plans are easily achieved this will make the departments appear to be more efficient than they really are and this will lead to underperformance. In conclusion, the analysis of working capital efficiency of Marks Spencer is showing instability in the business. Stock holding period is around on the same level in 2011 as it was in 2010. MS has increased in its debtor collection period in 2011, which is showing their weak position to collect their receivables early. The business can improve its debtors’ collection period by using the credit control ideas I talked about previously. Since MS is a retail shop, for the companies working capital to increase we have to look at the main operating activities to be able to solve the issues the company is facing at the moment. MS sales have falling from 9,740.3 million in 2010 to 9,536.6 million in 2011 and this reduction in sale will give a bad impact of MS to all its stake holders. It is important for MS to increase the number of sales as this will help their working capital to increase too, to do this the business will have to invest in exciting clothing that are in fashion and also look at their marketing strategy to see if they could include discounts sales or give cash discounts to its customers. Even though MS is doing quite well in its food department it can look in improving even better by comparing their marketing strategies to their competitors such as Tesco and Sainsbury and incorporate the strategy they find helpful from its competitors into their own business. From the creditors payment period ratio figure we could tell that MS takes longer time to repay their creditors, and the reason behind this is that the business has got more than 2000 direct suppliers of finished products. 1500 suppliers are supplying clothing, footwear, beauty and home products and rest 500 provide food products. Keeping the record of 2000 suppliers is not easy and in future complex supplying chain could create problem for MS. MS could improve on this issue by probably looking to find suppliers that could offer more than one products at a cheaper price to the company and this will help to reduce the number of suppliers they have and hopefully be able to keep track of their creditors payment period. In 2011 the acid ratio test which measures the liquidity of the business has fallen below 1 and it is 0.54, this is very unhealthy for MS because it means that for every  £1 liability they owe they have just 0.54p to cover it, for MS to improve on its liquidity, it needs to reduce its expenses that are incurred through rent, payment of indirect labour and professional fees and also the amount of money spent on advertisement. Also if the business has any assets that are unproductive they could sell it and the money gain would help increase their current assets figure. To add up MS can improve profitability by looking at stocks that could be charged at a higher a price or they might want to reduce the price of certain stocks as this will attract more customers. MS can also improve in its stock turnover by targeting at different age groups, because currently the shop has an image of selling clothes that are targeted to people over their 30’s and in the current market of retail clothing it is known that people below the ages of 30 spend lots of money of clothing. The company could focus on buying and selling products that sell consistently, because there are some products that might sit in the shelf for so long and this will cost cash to be tied up in the stock.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Intercultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intercultural Communication - Essay Example What I have learned during the course on intercultural communication is that in today’s world of growing contacts in every part has resulted in effective communication among the people of different languages and cultures. In this present scenario, communication has got to be as positive as possible without any possibilities of breakdowns and misunderstandings. I believe that research on the characteristics of languages and similarities and differences in cultures will provide a definite outcome (Nasreen, â€Å"Some Views about Intercultural Communication†). The above pictures show the eating styles of two different cultures: the Western and the Arabic. In the Arabic countries, people dine in a different style than that of the people in England. In Arab countries, a carpet is first put on the floor where the people wish to dine. Then cushions are set on the carpet for the people to sit on. Instead of cushions, at times small stools are used for the purpose of sitting. Then placing the plates, glasses, cups and dishes on the carpet, they start dining (Fairfax Country Public School, â€Å"Arabic Upper Levels > Scientific and Creative Advancement†). In England, people eat in continental style where knives are placed in the right side and fork in the left. Moreover, there are number of eating etiquettes that they follow while dining in England. These etiquettes are taken as a rule of eating in England and the people put much emphasis to the table manners during dining (Barrow, â€Å"Acceptable Behaviour in England†). During our semester, I came across students of various cultures and groups and developed friendship with them in due course of time. When we used to have dinner in any of our Arabic friends’ place, we used to dine in the floor in their traditional manner. The dining style of my English friends was not new as this was considered as the standard style in the world. By

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Socioculture Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Socioculture - Research Paper Example During the â€Å"Trail of Tears† towards the end of the 1830s, many Native American Cherokees were forced to shift from their homes to Oklahoma; nearly 20% of their total population did not survive this migration. This coupled with the onset of diseases and the rise of colonization ensured that the number of Cherokees dwindled and today, only a fraction of their population remains. Although, with the recent modernization and modern policy implementations, their population has spread to many different areas of America from eastern America, which is where they had concentrated themselves as a result of the â€Å"Trail of Tears†. The southwestern part of America is one of the most fascinating places, geographically, of Cherokee settlement. This area is agriculturally intensive and houses Cherokees in small settlements which are characteristic of the area’s overall culture. Native Cherokee Indians from the Northwestern Coast were famous for making totem poles and oth er handicrafts. Many of the tribesmen and tribeswomen belonging to this area were employed in boat making, wood carving, lumbering and other similar activities. Initially, the Native Cherokee Indians held a lot of power and status in America. This was because, as a group they had the largest land holdings. But the status of the Native Cherokee Indians deteriorated once the white men set foot on their land and slowly started taking over; first they took their land and eventually the power that came with its possession. The negative effects of the white people taking over and assuming the power position have not faded from the face of the Cherokee nation; there still remains in their reservations a high level of unemployment and resultant poverty. Progress towards development is being made; however, the past of the Cherokee people will always have an imprint on their prospective future (Ballas, n.d). The Cherokees have very strong and vibrant religious beliefs and practices and related

Monday, November 18, 2019

Quality and Environmental Management Systems Report Essay

Quality and Environmental Management Systems Report - Essay Example 241), and both in turn will enhance customer loyalty. Studies prove that quality is the most vital element to gain customer loyalty (Dora et al 2013). From an organisational perceptive, QMS ensures the effective utilization of available resources so that it can deliver the product/service at optimum price. The term, ‘resources’ in this regard refers to raw-materials, human resources, technology, information etc. It is advisable for Timmerhus UK Ltd to set up a comprehensive system that involves Quality Management System (QMS) and Environmental Management System (EMS) in order to address the current business issues. Studies indicate that ISOÂ  certified companies have already improved their project performance (Din et al 2011), (Olaru et al 2010). It is clear from the case study that the firm has been facing problems with delivery, product quality, supply chain, income management, and many more. This indicates that the firm has not been utilising any of its resources in a proper way. Continuous improvement is the basic element of quality management. ... It begins with identifying an opportunity and plan for change (plan), and in the second phase, the plan is implemented on a small scale (Do). Then the result of the program is assessed to determine if it brought a positive difference (Check). Finally, the plan is implemented on a wider scale if the result was satisfactory (Act). Other methods include Six Sigma, Taguchi Methods, Statistical Process Control, Lean Method etc. However, in the given case, the firm does not currently have any quality management system, and it is only a mid-size growing firm. The Lean System of quality management, which involves Just-in-time (JIT) management, Supply chain and process considerations, and the Kanban System seems relevant to the context. Toyota Production System (TPS) is one of the trendiest Lean Manufacturing Systems which is mainly based on four principles. They are; 1) all works including sequence, timing, and outcome must be completely specified, 2) every customer-supplier connection must be direct, 3) pathway for every service and product must be simple and direct, and 4) any improvement to the system must be made in accordance with the scientific method, under the guidance of a teacher, at the lowest possible organisational level (Slide: Lean System). Timmerhus must follow (TPS) system of management in order to meet its objectives in the long run. The firm’s current business involves projects, engineering customer-specific products, delivering finished products or spare parts, and providing industrial services. Hence, following a Lean System is more applicable, for ‘Lean’ is a combination of lightness and liveliness, and it offers several alternative control methods at the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

What Is Talent Management?

What Is Talent Management? Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the study There has been a paradigm shift in the business environment across the world which has led to a growing demand of more efficient and phenomenal results from the scheduled operations and routine activities. This applies primarily to the field of human resource management which stands accountable for the acquisition, development, utilization and retention of the human capital. The present, as is evident, is immensely competitive, be it in terms of sourcing activities, investor relations, technological advancement or simply the workforce. The human resource managers are now faced with the double-edged sword of identifying, selecting and nurturing potential talent and also to formulate and implement pertinent strategies that can effectively contribute towards the achievement of organizational objectives. Hence, the biggest challenge that comes across the human resource panels is to get a hold of limited and thinning pool of skilled accessible candidates to replace important employees whe n they leave, hugely emphasizing the difficulty to attract, develop, motivate and retain the best employees in an organization. Authors, academicians and business experts alike maintain different views and opinions regarding the meaning of â€Å"talent†. Talent can be anything that predisposes an individual to success in a position or organization (Jason Lauritsen, 2010). The author further supports this view by stressing that talent is situational. A person can be advantageous because of his natural ability in one scenario but not necessarily in others. This means that in order to be successful that person has to be placed in a right role within an organization so that his abilities and capacities can manifest as talent to drive the success of the business. Another view maintains that talent can allegedly be a potential trait, a symptom of inherent ability, a foreshadowing of future greatness, or a way of describing an individuals early achievements or performance merits (Downey Greg, 2009). Whilst at the same time paradoxically, talent can be understood as the reason why some experts are more capable than others; unlike a concept like jeito, (a Brazilian term for knack), talent is more often than not generally very much task specific or specialized, even while a talented person is believed to be often quite versatile. Talent is specifically opposed to hard work or determination, implying that skill is primarily a mix of natural talent and hard work, in various proportions and quantum. Likely, talent is very much an idea or a skill that some people learn faster, more effortlessly, and with greater effect. In certain ways, talent can be thought of as a multiplier, enabling a person to achieve more out of formative experiences and activit ies. Keeping such ideas in mind, in the business purview, â€Å"talent management† is the process of matching capabilities with commitments (Donald H Taylor, 2007). This describes the aim of the entire talent management process. It underscores that talent management rather than being aimed at an individual focuses on the entire organization so as to ensure that the firm is able to achieve its set targets for both, the present and the future. The encompassed assumption here is that capability is based on an organizations sole source of value and competitive advantage in a developed economy: its human capital. â€Å"Talent management† comprises identifying a persons innate skills, traits, individuality and fitting him into the right work profile; every individual possesses unique talent that matches an exacting job profile and any other position will lead to discomfort (Salma Aliakabar, 2004). It therefore falls under the Management, specifically the HR Division, to situate candidates with discretion and prudence simply because a wrong fit can result in additional hiring, re-training and all such wasteful activities. â€Å"Talent management† is a complex assortment of associated HR processes that delivers an easy elementary benefit for any business (SHRM, 2009). Talent Management can be easily considered to be advantageous and important to both the organization and the workforce. The organization gains from: improved productivity and potential; an enhanced association between a persons efforts and business goals; commitment of esteemed workforce; reduced employee turnover rate; Better bench strength and an improved fit between individuals work and skills. Employees gain from: Enhanced motivation and dedication; career growth; increased awareness about and involvement in companys goals; Continued inspiration and job satisfaction. Analyst research has established that companies employing talent management strategies and solutions display superior performance than their direct competitors and the market in broad (SHRM Survey, 2009). About 83% of the large enterprises view integrated talent management as mission critical and upto 73% of HR professionals believe that talent management impacts the financial performance positively (Softscape Global HR Survey, 2009). As per the Talent Pulse Survey, (2005) about 1,400 HR professionals worldwide believed the attraction and retention of high-caliber employees as the most critical issue. These issues were further underscored by the fact that 54% of the respondents agree that talent issues have an influence on overall productivity and that there is a clear linkage between talent management and industry performance. HRVote, Human Resources magazines online voting forum reported that 44% of the respondents implied talent management and succession planning was a considerabl e challenge. According to an IDC study U.S. HR BPO 2005 Vendor Analysis: The Evolving Landscape, 37% of U.S. HR outsourcing expenses in 2004 was on HR and talent management services. Several taxing workforce problems confront HR, counting: Increased competition for skilled personnel. Imminent retirement of the â€Å"baby boomer† generation workers. Reduced levels of employee commitment. Realization of the high cost of the employee turnover. Onerous demands of managing global human capital. Necessity of succession planning. Outsourcing and off shoring practices. This necessitates novel thinking and a new charge to achieve success in an industry. These elements, coupled with the requirement to align workers directly with business goals, compel HR to progress from policy formation, cost diminution, process competence and risk management to lashing a fresh talent frame of mind in the organization. Therefore, talent management is an ongoing process that provides the optimal personnel for a particular business. Under this role, HR performs as the strategic enabler and a catalyst of talent management processes that empower the managers and workforce whilst developing business value. Taleos graphical representation stresses upon the mandate of talent management to be responsive to the organizational goals and accordingly be the driving force behind the business performance. Herein, talent management is denoted as a circular and not a linear, module of activities. In the present scenario, workforce expenditure is the prevalent category of pay out for most organizations. Automation and analysis of the recruitment and hiring processes of a firm delivers the abrupt labor force visibility and insights that are needed to notably perk up the bottom line. Performance management contributes towards the ongoing processes and activities to sustain a vast workforce. The future prospect of talent management is encompassed in the solutions planned from the scratch to provide for the business-centric operations on an integrated talent management platform. Decisions about talent management figure the competencies that companies have and their eventual achievement and from the perception of people, such decisions establish the path and pace of careers. In India currently, it may be difficult to visualize the crisis of possessing too much talent, but the first slump in the financial system, or even in a fragment of the economy will make things stand apart. Such mismatches are most definitely included in the primary problems that organizations and many large employers face. Over the precedent generation, companies specifically, seem to have jumped from surpluses of talent to shortfalls to surpluses and back to such a cycle. The challenge evident in front of the employers is to follow much more strongly the requirements for talent to evade both the shortfalls and oversupplies. Talent management is not an end in itself. It is not about fostering the growth of employees or charting succession plans. Neither is it about gaining definite benchmarks like a four percent employee turnover rate, having the most qualified and skilled personnel, or any such strategic outcome. The objective of talent management is the quite more general but valuable task of serving the business achieve its general objectives. And in the business world, that objective is to be profitable; be it in the short run or the long. What we need to attend to going onward is to ensure how to craft investments in growth affordable and fraction of that challenge embodies employee retention, making it probable to at least retain workers long enough to recover the training investments made in them. Problem Statement â€Å"Intense competition in the emerging Indian IT market has made talent retention and its management a challenge and therefore, questions the role of strategic talent management in being able to address such issues and being effective in an organizations overall effectiveness.† Talent Management has gained its fair share of fame in being effective in attracting, retaining and managing talented individuals. The Indian IT industry is marked with the following: The increased globalization has fuelled the growth as well as competition of the IT industry in India which is characterized by issues of talent retention. In spite of rising demand for talent, talent management has not yet completely arrived in India, making it all the more crucial in the current chaotic times and its effectiveness in the Indian scenario. Development of talent pools remains to be a sore issue with the HR professionals employed in the Indian IT sector. To summarize the above headings, the issue is the talent retention of skilled individuals in the Indian IT industry that leads to increased costs to an organization. The HR professionals have to engage in brainstorming activities in order to unearth ways to attract, retain and manage talents which are considered to be the biggest asset of a company today. Also, the talent management practices and their implementation in the Indian IT industry context have been far from satisfactory and add to the woes of a highly competitive market. Moreover, maintenance of talent pools so as to support succession planning and measures to integrate talent retention, employee commitment and employee involvement all stress the need to address the issue of talent management with a strategic bend. Aims and Objectives of the Study The aim of the study is to understand the importance of talent management in the current corporate scenario by collecting relevant information and enabling a better understanding of the strategic HR processes that a company can employ in order to manage and retain its key people. Aim â€Å"To understand the impaxt of a good talent management program on an organizations overall effectiveness, particularly in the case of Indian IT industry, in order to enable it to manage and retain its key resources; and gaining an understanding of the talent retention and employee involvement functions.† Objectives The objectives of the study are: To gain an understanding about talent management and its relevance to the current corporate scenario To explore the importance of talent management in the organizations overall success To study the role of strategic planning, employee retention and employee commitment in talent management To understand and evaluate the challenges faced in managing talent in the organizations today To study the role of talent management in prolonged employee satisfaction To explore the importance of talent management in the Indian IT industry and the significance of maintaining a talent pipeline for companies in the Indian IT sector To study the key drivers that lead to employee commitment crucial for a talent management system to be effective Significance of the study (to be edited upon the completion of the study) The implications of this research aim at exploring the relevance of talent management programs to the Indian IT indutry. It will assist the corporate in understanding the effectivess of framing such programs so as to be able to effeciently manage and retain its key players. Through implementation of talent management practices, the organizations efficiency is likely to increase, developing a proficient pool of skilled and talented employees which can be leveraged as a competitive strategy; making the corporate more competent to challenges in the industry. The research tests an employee commitment level to his/her organization and also aims at identifying the key drivers/attributes that propel employee commitement level in an Indian IT setting. The significance of the results mark that talent management programs are not only crucial and effective, but also cost-efficient, by maintaining a consistent pool of skilled employees tehreby reducing on the hiring, training and firing costs. In the present financial crisis effective workforce is the only difference that can make an organization carry its operations smoothly. Successful implementation of such talent management programs is of remarkable significance for the business. The research solution furthers the adoption of healthy talent management processes and its various functions to create significance for the business in achieving its ultimate goal of operational efficiency, cost control and profitability. Limitations of the study The study is subject to several limitations, some of which are highlighted as under: The study is confined to the specific organizations of the India IT sector. The finding of the study, therefore, cannot be generalized for the entire Indian scenario as a whole. Sample size, being small, is not completely representative of all the employees, employers and the HR people engaged in the Indian IT sector. All this might have affected the reliability of the results to some extent. Time as well as financial constraints are also one of the limitations of the study. Organization of the paper Chapter 2 Review of Literature 2.1 Meaning and Definition of Talent Management According to several authors, an all-encompassing definition of talent management is difficult to pin down. Lewis and Heckman (2006) pointed out that identifying an exact meaning of talent management is complicated owing to both the confusion regarding the definition of terms used and the various deviations in assumptions made by the writers who consider the issue. Lewis and Heckman further support their view by noting that the terms succession management, talent strategy and human resource planning are more often than not used interchangeably, all of which form an integral part of talent management functions. They believe that there is no clear view existing on talent management and none at all that can be considered as sufficiently strategic. As is evident, there are several approaches to talent management. One such approach identifies talent management with the traditional HR practices for instance recruitment, selection, training and performance management, among various other things (Cheese et al., 2008). This approach cannot be considered new as the traditional HR practices are becoming more decisive to a business success and hence, it is gradually getting imperative to associate such practices with the talents needed by the firms. Another varying approach towards talent management is firmly linked with the notion of HR planning, succession planning and strategic HR management (Rothwell Kazanas, 2004). These authors underscore and emphasize the strategic significance of talent management, whereas others stress upon the talent pools required for the succession planning. But this literature fall short in advancing the theory or practice of HR (Lewis Heckman, 2006). A third approach towards talent management caps on a rather general view by identifying talent management with concerns like leadership (Barner, 2006), talent pools (Michaels et al., 2001), an individuals potential (Smilansky, 2006), the development of talent (Fulmer Bleak, 2008) and the attraction and retention of personnel (Rueff Stringer, 2006). Understandably, none of the above-mentioned approaches to talent management is able to clearly define the concept of talent management or to highlight the ways of managing talent through comprehensive understanding of HR planning and practices. The third approach fails in being persuasive owing to its lack of focus and the plethora of topics covered under one head. Moreover, all these approaches overlook the strategic significance of talent management and hence, fall short of linking it with the overall business strategy thereby limiting the potential and scope of talent management and perceiving it as another HR domain. Another view deals with the task of talent management, â€Å"Talent Management is the recruitment, development and retention of individuals who consistently deliver superior performance.† (Tony Davis, 2007). The author further defines a talent management strategy as â€Å"a structured and corporate approach to the recruitment, retention and development of talented individuals within the organization.† The intent of a talent management strategy remains to ensure the employment of such personnel that will consistently deliver superior performance. The writer maintains that a talent management strategy is not an overtly intellectual concept as it is evident that highly skilled employees are expected to disproportionately contribute to an organizations successful achievement of goals and hence, become an invaluable asset in the process. The author inevitably agrees that it is a challenge to manage and retain a talented workforce and hence, terms it as a strategic issue whic h involves its own fair share of planning and execution. As per AndrÃÆ' ©s Hatum (2010), â€Å"Talent Management is a strategic activity aligned with the firms business strategy that aims to attract, develop and retain talented employees at each level of the organization.† Therefore, the talent management process is linked to an organizations business and strategic-planning processes. This approach emphasizes upon the most important aspect of talent management: the employees. The author further aligns talent management with the resource-based theory of the business which maintains that sustainable competitive advantage is in possession of the companies that nurtures resources that are valuable, rare and difficult to imitate. Talent Management is but a tool to generate and maintain such resources through its human capital. With such a view, the author has conveniently delineated the focus of talent management on the talent at the organizational level and not at the individual employee level. This definition therefore clearly defines how talent management can be used to develop an organizations talent structure by attracting, developing and training people. Such a talent structure can most definitely be the source of a sustainable competitive advantage in the current scenario. Talent Management is â€Å"a holistic approach to optimizing human capital, which enables an organization to drive short- and long-term results by building culture, engagement, capability, and capacity through integrated talent acquisition, development, and deployment processes that are aligned to business goals.†, (ASTD Research, 2009). The view focuses upon the consequences of employing talent management practices in the immediate as well as the distant future. Also, it supports talent management as being able to result in building and organizational culture that encompasses the essence of the work environment of a company. The definition also stresses upon the ability of employing talent management to enhance both the capacity and capability of individuals by appropriately matching them with the right job profile suiting their personalities. Furthermore, all such modules pertaining to talent management are to be designed keeping in view the ultimate goals of an organization thereby aligning it with the entire business strategy. Derek Stockley, (2011) defines talent management as, â€Å"A conscious, deliberate approach undertaken to attract, develop and retain people with the aptitude and abilities to meet current and future organizational needs.† He further states that â€Å"Talent management involves individual and organizational development in response to a changing and complex operating environment. It includes the creation and maintenance of a supportive, people oriented organization culture.† Derek aptly emphasizes upon the dynamic role of talent management in an ever-changing business atmosphere. The view aims at the function of talent management that leads to the development of healthy organizational culture within a business that considers the involvement of employees at a more active level. This view besides being consistent with others also, adds a new dimension to the scope of talent management thereby widening the applicability and functionality of the same. Another view maintains that â€Å"Talent Management is an oxymoron† (Davies Kourdi, 2010). The authors hold that linking talent to ‘management, a term that best describes planning, organizing, leading, directing, facilitating, and controlling a business; is absurd as talent is believed its own special ability and personal capacity for achievement. According to the writers, talent management was used first in early 1990s by an IT software firm that wanted to market a new employee database, hence, the view that talent management can be best believed to work with data and not with human capital and their potential. There are clearly several opinionated ideas of different authors on talent management. Whilst some associate it with the routine HR activity and processes and consider it as an extension to the faculty of human resource planning, others define such role as meager to the scope of talent management. They believe that limiting talent management to a specific domain is very much being unassuming and therefore, a proper sense is manifested in the term only when it is viewed as being appreciably strategically skewed. Under this dimension, the role of talent management can be considered as being fruitful in the present and the immediate future and both in the short-run and the long-run as well. 2.2 Importance of Talent Management in organizational success â€Å"Talent Management has become the lifeblood of organizations. It is often seen as a primary reason for organizational success and failure and the key source of competitive advantage.† (Silzer Dowell, 2010). The authors mutually agree that the business environment since the 1990s has been witness to several groundbreaking changes such as falling trade barriers and globalization of businesses worldwide. Such an expansion has led to increased demand for global talent which is needed to support these initiatives (Sloan, Hazucha Van Katwyk, 2003). This has further resulted in immense competition for the talent on a global scale (Michaels et al., 2001). Therefore, the ever-increasing demand for talent globally along with the widening scarcity of exceptional talent has made the organization realize both the importance and benefit of talent management practices. According to Ringo et al., (2008) as companies seek to overcome challenges coupled with globalization, changing workforce demographics and the emergence of new business models, they are looking forward to their employees as the critical source of differentiation in the market. The authors firmly believe in talent management practices and consent that investment in the same leads to an organization outperforming its peers. They also found through their research that high performing firms are more likely to invest in the talent management processes. They maintain that all organizations put into practice some form of talent management, without it they would be not capable to function. But at the same time, those that invest in an integrated set of talent management capabilities closely associated with their business strategy have a leg up against the competition. â€Å"No organization in todays economic climate can afford to invest in talent management practices without a demonstrable and significant return on investment† (Ringo et al., (2008). Organizations that are able outpace their competitors in attraction; development and retention of the best talent have a several distinct advantages: considerably lower costs, invariably higher productivity, consistently better quality, more satisfied and loyal customers, and increased financial performance (Schiemann, 2011). All such merits determine the critical path to on organizations success thereby chalking down talent management as the key driver in the entire phenomenon. Talent management, beyond any confusion, is crucial to organizational success. It can be easily considered equally important for innovation, customer satisfaction, profitability and new product development of the company (Management Study Guide, 2011). Talent and leadership continue to be inadequate. Fewer qualified personnel and leaders intend to join the workforce to replace aging workers who are on the verge of retirement. Moreover, talent management practices of the 20th century need to be relooked and worked upon to keep pace with the actuality of a rapidly varying 21st century business environment (ADP, 2010). Silzer Dowell (2010) further maintain that there are several other such factors that have contributed invariably to the growing importance of talent management in an organization: There is a widely increasing demand for talented leaders and individuals with growth of the emerging markets in the developing countries. There is an acute realization of shrinking pool of skilled, talented and experienced workforce, especially in USA, Europe and Japan. Besides, increasing complexity of global business and the emerging requirement for talented individuals that can effectively adapt to the changing business atmosphere further advocates the role of talent management in organization success. The growing need that specific organizational capabilities are needed for developing a sustainable competitive advantage in a highly competitive market and a rising call for recruitment and retention of highly skilled workers with specialized competence to build upon the future capabilities. And most importantly, the increased difficulty in retention of crucial talent as a result of a shift to a self-managed professional careers where skilled personnel aggressively pursue their careers and advancement by switching over different companies and geographic boundaries. Also, talent management has led to containment of internal costs of hiring, training and firing by focusing upon centralized shared services, outsourced functions and continual investment in the state-of-art HR practices of talent management that seeks internal hiring and retention. Talent management adds up to a number of significant human resources and management inventiveness (Derek Stockley, 2011). Organizations that properly make a decision to manage their talent (i.e. human capital) embark on a strategic analysis of their contemporary HR processes. This is to make certain that a synchronized, performance oriented approach is implemented. According to Derek Stockley (2011), most often than not, organizations adopting a talent management approach should focus on co-coordinating and incorporating, in order for it to be beneficial: Recruitment Under this the organization has to ensure that the right people are attracted to the right jobs matching their attitude and personality which will lead to â€Å"best job fit†. Retention Under which the focus lays on the development and implementation of such practices that reward and support employees. Employee development It is concerned with ensuring that incessant informal and formal learning and development continues within a firm. Leadership and high potential employee development This involves particular development programs for fostering the growth of existing and future leaders. Performance management This module primarily deals with specific processes that cultivate and sustain performance, including feedback and measurement mechanisms. Workforce planning The organization here undergoes planning for business and general variations, including the older workforce and current or future skills shortages. Culture This particularly deals with the development of a positive, progressive and high performance way of operating the processes and activities. A vital step is to recognize the personnel or workers, the people and positions that are significant to the business. It is not necessary that they need be senior personnel. Many companies lost a substantial amount of organizational knowledge in the downsizing exercises during recession a couple of years ago. The impact of the loss was not realized immediately. However, with time it became apparent to many firms their mistake, when the organizations were at a loss of people with the knowledge and skills to either anticipate or solve problems that arose. Therefore, talent management processes ensure the avoidance of such blunders by recognizing and assorting talented individuals in such a format that their real potential is unleashed and the organizations stand to gain from this. Derek further maintains that the current deliberations about skill shortages and the ageing population are also hugely forcing the organizations to focus on the talent management issue. At most of the times it becomes improbable to recruit and develop new individuals to look after the operational needs. Therefore, as a solution most of the leading firms often decide to develop and foster their own personnel, instead of making an attempt to hire highly skilled individuals. The author believes that every organization should implement talent management principles and approaches. The varied views on the importance of talent management in the organizational success all converge on a single theme that it is critical for the successful achievement of business goal and more so, in the competitive times such as these. They clearly throw light on the advantages and benefits that a firm can accrue from the efficient implementation of talent management processes and can bolster the business as well as its corporate culture. 2.3 Role of strategic planning, employee retention and employee commitment in talent management Strategic Planning The talent management approach should be strategically driven in order to be successful and effective (Silzer, Israel, Dowell, 2009). It then becomes the focus of achieving the business and talent strategy. The planning of talent management has to be done strategically in Discourse Community Analysis Draft: Die-Hard Sports Fans Discourse Community Analysis Draft: Die-Hard Sports Fans In one way or another, we have all been members of a discourse community at some point in our life. So, what is a discourse community? A discourse community is defined as a group of people involved in and communicating about a particular topic, issue, or in a particular field (Mohrenne). They share the same common goals and aspirations. It can be anything from the organizations you participate in at school, to the choir you sing with at school or church, and/or the groups or organizations you engage in at work or at home on a daily basis. According to Robert Mohrenne, John Swales suggests that a discourse community can be characterized by six distinguishing characteristics 1) a broadly agreed upon set of common public goals, 2) mechanisms of intercommunication among its members, 3) participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback, 4) one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims, 5) some specific lexis, and 6) a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise (Mohrenne). A good example of a discourse community are die-hard sports fans. Die-hard sports fans fit the description of being a discourse community because they all have the common goals of wanting to see their team dominate other teams and displaying their loyalty for their team year after year. They faithfully follow their team throughout the entire year by supporting them through the good and bad times. Die-hard fans also watch every game, know specific stats about every player on the team, and know the language and signs players and referees use on every play. Die-hard fans do not care for fans who only ride the wave of the team when they are on a winning streak. They typically call these kind of fans bandwagoners because they are not passionate or committed to the overall goals of the community. In actuality, it is somewhat hard to call yourself a die-hard fan around true die-hard fans because they tend to question the loyalty of new comers especially if they know that the person supported other teams in the past. According to my dad, Mark Jefferson, a die-hard Pittsburg Steelers fan, a die-hard fan has a ride-or-die type of attitude for their team even if theyre having an 0 -14 season. He stated that he would never jump on another teams side regardless of how bad his team is doing because he knows their potential as a team and the skills of their players. In other words, die-hard fans can clearly distinguish bandwagoners from true die-hard fans based on interest level and knowledge of the team. Die-hard sports fans also use their own language to communicate with each other during games. For example, when die-hard sports fans are preparing for and/or watching their team play, they use social media and other forms of communication to communicate their respect and admiration for their team. They might text, call, tweet, post images on Instagram, or send messages on Facebook to express their thoughts and feelings about plays, calls that referees make, or their dislike for the opposing team. They also use these methods of communication to stay in touch with each other throughout the game they are watching and throughout the season. When a die-hard fan communicates with another die-hard fan, he or she will use the language of their community. They are typically loud, uses a lot of profanity, and are very aggressive. The language die-hard sports fans use to communicate is powerful because they have the ability to bring out the best in their team and other fans and in some instance s their language can upset fans from other teams. Along with using their own language within this discourse community, die-hard fans also have a specific lexis they use to show their undying loyalty and devotion to their team. For example, they wear team jerseys and other team paraphernalia to show their support all year long. Regardless if theyre sitting at a stadium in 20-degree weather, in the comforts of their home screaming at the television, or just going to pick up items from the grocery store, die-hard fans make sure others know that they are passionate about their team. Furthermore, this public display of loyalty also gives them the opportunity to dialog and form bonds with other die-hard fans regardless if they know the person or not. In conclusion, I think die-hard sports fans is a great example of a discourse community. Its members are commonly interested in their team defeating other teams. The members have an unexplainable passion for the team (s) and/or sport (s) they support season-after-season despite their wins or losses. This type of passion for sports is what distinguishes a new fan from a fan who has supported their team for years. They have a way of communicating with one another that is unlike any other form of communication when watching sports. As a member of a family of sports fanatics (especially football), I have seen and heard the enthusiasm on the faces and in the voices of several members from this discourse community. With that being said, I understand why being a die-hard sports fan can be considered a discourse community. Works Cited Jefferson, Mark. Personal interview. 8 March 2017. Mohrenne, Robert. English 1102-Composition II. University of Central Florida, Aug. 2013, https://webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/984277/pages/what-is-a-discourse-community. Accessed 10 March 2017.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

ozone layer :: essays papers

ozone layer Summary of Learning of the Ozone Experience On the 16th of September 1987, negotiators meeting in Montreal finalized a landmark in international environmental diplomacy: the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Successful Conclusion of the negotiations in Montreal was widely hailed at the time as a historic even. As the protocol was the most ambitious attempt ever to combat environmental degradation on a global scale. In the 10 years since that meeting in Montreal, the accord has set in motion myriad actions by national governments, international organizations, scientists, private enterprises, and individual consumers. The results are clear: by 1995, global production of the most significant ozone-depleting substance (ODS) the chlorine, containing chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) was down 76 percent from its peak in 1988. But three is a substantial lag between the time when emissions begin to decline and the point at which the ozone layer begins to recover, as it takes years for CFCs and other ozone-depleting compounds to reach the stratosphere, and some last for centuries once there. Yet it is clear that the Montreal Protocol ushered in a new era of environmental diplomacy. Although in some ways the ozone story is an inspiration, in other respects it is a cautionary tale. Since it’s beginning, the ozone experience has been characterized by a path breaking partnership between scientist and international policymakers. When CFCs were invented in the late twenties, they were viewed as wonder chemicals nontoxic, nonflammable, non-corrosive, and stable. The seeds of the Montreal Protocol were sown in 1974, when chemist Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland at the University of California at Irvine published a landmark article in Nature. It hypothesized that the stability CFCs, while an asset for industrial applications, might prove deadly for the ozone layer. Yet the scientific process was initially slow to yield clear answers. Indeed, models in the early eighties suggested that CFCs would cause less severe ozone depletion than Molina and Rowland had initially hypothesized. Fortunately, the scientific collaboration initiated years earlier began to bear fruit. Two months after the Vienna agreement was reached, a scientific bombshell provided a much-needed jolt to protocol negotiations just then getting under way. The findings took the world by surprise: no such precipitous decline had been predicted by any atmosphere models. Ten years after the historic Montreal signing ceremony, the response to the protocol around the world has been substantial indeed.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Marvin

Use Case Narratives (UCN) I. Identification Summary Title: Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Account in Metro Bank Summary: This use case narrates the steps to acquire a new ATM account in service of Metro Bank. Actors: 1. Customer – Person to acquire an ATM account. 2. Teller – Verify and approve the requirements of the Customer 3. Metro Bank Banking System – register Customers Information to the data base Creation Date: March 14 2013Date of Update: Version: v1. 0Person in Charge: Elias Maglalang & Marvin Luzon II. Flow of Events Preconditions: 1.The Teller is Identified by the Metro Bank Banking System and gaining authorization to register a new Customer Data into the data base 2. The Customer must have the required documents (2 government issued IDs, Proof of Billing and Depository Money) to apply for a new ATM account. PostConditions: 1. Customer Information recorded in the Metro Bank Banking System’s Data Base. 2. Monetary Assets acquired by the teller. 3. Customer Receives the ATM card including a piece of paper containing instruction regarding changing of pin number. 4. Customer signs the logbook for proof of receiving the ATM. Main Success Scenario: 1.Customer arrives at the bank and approaches the new account section. 2. Teller provides customer with documents to be filled up. 3. Customer submits filled up documents along with requirements. 4. Teller accesses the Metro Bank banking system. 5. Teller records documents and piles up all the requirements. 6. Teller processes the filing of the documents. 7. Teller receives the Monetary Assets of the customer. 8. Customer receives ATM including the instruction regarding changing of pin number. 9. Customer signs the logbook for proof of receiving the ATM. 10. Use case successfully ends III. Alternative Sequences IV. Error Sequences

Saturday, November 9, 2019

COLD WAR

COLD WAR When World War II in Europe finally came to an end on May 7, 1945, a new war was just beginning. The Cold War: denoting the open yet restricted rivalry that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, a war fought on political, economic, and propaganda fronts, with limited recourse to weapons, largely because of fear of a nuclear holocaust. This term, The Cold War, was first used by presidential advisor Bernard Baruch during a congressional debate in 1947. Intelligence operations dominating this war have been conducted by the Soviet State Security Service (KGB) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), representing the two power blocs, East and West respectively, that arose from the aftermath of World War II. Both have conducted a variety of operations from large scale military intervention and subversion to covert spying and surveillance missions. They have known success and failure. The Bay of Pigs debacle was soon followed! by Kennedy's deft handling of the Cuban missile crisis. The decisions he made were helped immeasurably by intelligence gathered from reconnaissance photos of the high altitude plane U-2. In understanding these agencies today I will show you how these agencies came about, discuss past and present operations, and talk about some of their tools of the trade. Origin of the CIA and KGB The CIA was a direct result of American intelligence operations during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized the need to coordinate intelligence to protect the interests of the United States. In 1941, he appointed William J. Donovan to the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) with headquarters in London. Four departments made up the OSS: Support, Secretariat, Planning, and Overseas Missions. Each of these departments directed an array of sections known as 'operation groups'. This organization had fallen into the disfavor of many involved in the federal ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Developing a Sociological Imagination †Sociology Essay

Developing a Sociological Imagination – Sociology Essay Free Online Research Papers Developing a Sociological Imagination Sociology Essay Introduction -‘The sociological imagination’ is a term used by sociologist C. Wright Mills to identify the concern that sociology has with determining the connections between individual behaviour and the forces which have shaped it. (Van Krieken, Smith, Habibis, McDonald, Haralambos and Holborn, 2000: 5) In an attempt to demonstrate the creative development of a sociological imagination, the Ibrahim Warde article ‘Work: the new cult?’ (2002:59): how individuals are effected by work, or more specifically, the current trends of work culture and the effects this has on individuals, will be explored by using the critical thought processes identified by Mills and by addressing the key questions suggested by Evan Willis (1995:16-22), being what is happening, why is it happening?, what are the consequences?, how do we know? and how could it be otherwise? Body * What is happening? Using United States workers as an example, Warde testifies that they work harder than their counterparts anywhere in the industrial world’. In what appears to be a direct correlation, the US is experiencing ‘great prosperity and a substantial rise in productivity’. (2002:59) Perhaps in an attempt to re-create past securities and in response to levels of profitability and employee satisfaction, workplaces are striving to become lifestyle friendly by creating fun workplaces to fulfil physical, psychological and emotional needs of employees by creating workplaces that allow employees to continue working ever increasing hours. (Warde, 2002). *Why? Reasons stated by Warde in his article for individuals working these increased hours are so they are able to afford things they feel they should have because wages are not keeping up with lifestyle wants and needs. Companies are looking for ways to boost employee morale in times of economic instability, to increase profits and improve productivity, to compensate for not increasing wages or benefits in the traditional way and are able to justify these reasons by creating an ethos of ‘building the future and changing the world’. (2002:59) * What are the consequences? What we are left with are hard working individuals that have no time for family or leisure- creating dysfunctional relationships and low morale and companies that encourage separation of their employees from the community (Warde, 2002) and who, in creating these ‘corporate campus’ societies, appear to then have the right to expect more from employees. * How could it be otherwise? What then, are ways as a society that we can improve this situation? What are the impacts of working long hours on families and relationships? For individuals, options might be job sharing or accepting that lifestyle choices are sometimes out of reach. In this vein, perhaps if there was a shift in consumer purchasing, then lifestyle ‘needs’ might be forced to become more affordable. Individuals placing more importance on relationships and family instead of work may also be an important step forward. Companies could look at relocating costs spent creating and maintaining corporate campus’ and put this back into wages and/or benefits or using rewards and recognition for the employees standard of work as opposed to the amount of time that they work. Companies may need to take the view that a way to boost morale and improve productivity may mean employing more people to spread the workload and not glorifying overwork so as to alleviate pressure on employees. Conclusion Where then does this leave the individual? In a society where job security is decreasing and being a part of a highly rated ‘fun’ workplace that meets all of a persons needs is seen as a privilege, has the creation of these workplaces alleviated pressure on the individual or created more? What are the consequences on family and society? Is it possible to live without high price consumer goods and the biggest house on the street? What are the future implications for a society that believes that three cars, a boat and a holiday house will make them happy – even if they never get to enjoy any of it because they’re in the office? * Main points summarised very briefly * The broader implications and significance of the topic, and * brief comment on future possibilities/recommendations/strategies Research Papers on Developing a Sociological Imagination - Sociology EssayTwilight of the UAWMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneThree Concepts of PsychodynamicCapital PunishmentComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaDefinition of Export Quotas

Monday, November 4, 2019

Research Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Study Analysis - Essay Example The sampling procedure was systematic. Participants were identified based on previous research and reflections. The sources were invited to participate after being informed about the nature of the study. The theme of the research was recognized as multidimensional. This is the reason why different sets of questionnaires were designed - all focusing on relevant and diverse aspects of the teaching experience in order to comprehensively describe and address the research problem. While there were no face-to-face interviews, observations or focus group discussion, a total of five questionnaire models were used to gather and evaluate experiences. These are the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI), Negative Mood Regulation (NMR), COPE, Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators Survey, and Brief Symptoms Inventory. They were designed to measure variables in areas of stress, burnout, coping, negative mood and distress. While the study involved no open-ended question either, the survey questions provided were all designed to reveal highly detailed personal experiences and quantify them. For instance, respondents were asked to rate their responses to items such as Did you feel lonely?" or "Did you feel ke yed up". These questions were asked after situations were provided, which is consistent with the phenomenological technique of describing experiences, as a crucial element in data gathering and interpretation. The researchers established their research paradigm by introducing epistemological and axiological assumptions. This was achieved when assumptions about stress, burnout and coping strategies were provided. For example, teachers were specifically identified as the subject of the research because they were assumed to have more difficult work tasks and, hence, would be more prone to stress and burnout. This was also highlighted with the fact that the data was gathered from self-report questionnaires. What this

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Schubert Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Schubert - Research Paper Example After that he taught in his father’s school for few years but he never forgot his first love –that is music. During the time he was involved in teaching, he also composed several songs and two symphonies. He also gave music to his first written song â€Å"Gretchen am Spinnrade†, which later on became a masterpiece (Anderson, 2003). Wong (2011), in his writing analyzes the work of Schubert that enrich the world music. In his study, he pointed out his composition Trauerwalzer (or Sehnsuchtswalzer). Out of Schubert’s 36 waltzes compositions in Op. 9, this composition was the only one with a name assigned to it. This tune was common for all in Vienna and around since 1820. The original date of composition of this song was unknown but according to him the tentative year was 1816, when Schubert was 19 years old and not even famous.by, 1820 the composition got enough attention and very soon several renowned composers started to make a different version of this. A ccording to Wong, in the 19th century, a different name was associated with waltz†Beethoven†. In 1826, Trauerwalzer was mixed with another waltz composition and published as â€Å"Le Desir† and it was attributed to Beethoven. In his review, he described Schubert’s Op. 9 sets of composition as â€Å"little genii† , those† weave a web of fragrant airy threads†. ... (1999) in his study related to Schubert’s work, discussed the depth in his music.According to his analysis, the length of the music composed by Schubert did not sound boring as the compositions were translated into a sense of expectation and space . This space was there in his every creation from every angle. According to him the spaces in his music were subjective and imaginary, that makes his work more interesting. In his composition, sudden and minute changes in key, gave the impression like instant transformation into another realm. The intensity and the rapidness , which were associated with those changes make his work even more relaxed mood. According to Burnham,the themes of Schubert’s compositions were apparitions of truth. In his opinion, the power of any artist to capture their own image along with the feeling, when any composting like the same was already existing was a hard thing to do, but Schubert’s composition was able to do that easily. He did not make any changes to the composition which were already there, but adding something new to it like harmonic shock light up the composition every repeated time. The original value of his composition was not only confined to its growth or development, but it is the material itself which makes it so special (Burnham, 1999, p.2). According to Song (2012), the compositions of Schubert’s , mainly the piano compositions, were too long, with less formal coherence, and unpianistic. According to him, due to the above mentioned points his work was ineffective for any public gathering. In his writing, he mentioned Schubert’s work as potpourri and consist of random arrangement of some beautiful themes without being interconnected. In his writing he quoted â€Å"The survival of the theme as the theme is guaranteed by