Different Things That Can Affect the Rights of an Individual

UNIT 10 Task 2. 1 List 4 different things that can affect the rights of an individual (2. 1) Explain how the things you have listed could affect the rights of an individual (2. 1) 1. Murder- murder is really a serious factor that really affects all the rights of an individual, because taking one’s life is taking also all of his rights. As what it is written by the Law, every individual has the right to live. 2. Slavery and Forced Labour- slavery still exists nowadays, particularly this forced labour where an individual is working without any payment and in an unlimited hour.Individuals are working to have a source of income, to subsidize everyday’s needs like foods and money. Blood and sweats of individuals are the greatest sacrifice of an individual in order to live and to face the hardships of living. 3. Respect and Privacy- invasion of privacy is taking away one’s freedom. Disrespecting an individual is degrading one’s rights. Privacy is very important thing owned by an individual, it is like a treasure that should be kept carefully and must be respected by the others.Others should respect others’ privacy as they respect their own because having each own privacy is having a smuch secured freedom. 4. Discrimination- discriminating makes an individual thinks unworthy of himself. It sometimes forces an individual to commit suicide that caused him to death. Death is the end of life, the end of an individual’s rights. Task 2. 2 Produce a booklet that explains how we should respect the rights of others in the workplace. We can demonstrate respect with simple, yet powerful actions. These ideas will help us avoid needless, insensitive, unmeant disrespect, too. Treat people with courtesy, politeness, and kindness. * Encourage coworkers to express opinions and ideas. * Listen to what others have to say before expressing your viewpoint. Never speak over, but in, or cut off another person. * Don’t think of yourself only, we should think of others too. * Use people’s ideas to change or improve work. Let employees know you used their idea, or, better yet, encourage the person with the idea to implement the idea. * Never insult people, name call, disparage or put down people or their ideas. Do not nit-pick, constantly criticize over little things, belittle, judge, demeanor patronize. A series of seemingly trivial actions, added up over time, constitutes bullying. * Never ever covet your co-workers’ belongings; it is also a way of respecting them. * Treat people the same no matter their race, religion, gender, size, age, or country of origin. Implement policies and procedures consistently so people feel that they are treated fairly and equally. Treating people differently can constitute harassment or a hostile work environment. * Include all coworkers in meetings, discussions, training, and events.While not every person can participate in every activity, do not marginalize, exclude or leav e any one person out. Provide an equal opportunity for employees to participate in committees, task forces, or continuous improvement teams. Solicit volunteers and try to involve every volunteer. * Praise much more frequently than you criticize. Encourage praise and recognition from employee to employee as well as from the supervisor. * Be always a humble co-worker for others. * Don’t show poker acts towards your co-workers. Respecting others is respecting you too. We should respect others for them to respect us too.

Reflection on Non Violence Civil Rights Actions

Martin Luther King preferred to achieve Civil Rights for African Americans through non-violent actions. He believed violence would only lead to more problems and conflicts as whites would want to find a way to get revenge for the problems caused by African Americans. Martin Luther King displays success through his non-violent action with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott is a prime example of a non-violent boycott. Rosa Parks, a member of the NAACP, decides to not give up her seat to a white man when the bus runs out of seats.After violating the bus rules, Parks was arrested. As a result, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. African Americans across Montgomery, Alabama, stopped using bus services in order to damage the business financially. According to the Article â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. , Remembers the Montgomery Boycott,† Martin Luther King believed if the protest was done â€Å"courageously, and yet with dignity,† the â€Å"walls of segregati on [would] finally [be] battered by the forces of justice. By boycotting the bus, the company lost a tremendous amount of money because it lost many of its customers. Eventually, as a result, the bus company had to desegregate the buses and begin seating in a â€Å"first-come, first-served† basis. This economic win by Martin Luther King showed that violence is not always needed to solve problems. Even in the Deep South, the â€Å"Cradle of Confederacy† can be transformed into â€Å"Montgomery, the cradle of freedom and justice† through nonviolent actions.Martin Luther King made an Economic change by sparking a boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. He began a change in the way Civil Rights were going to be achieved for African Americans. Instead of getting their equality through violence and possibly another civil war, African Americans damaged segregated businesses through boycotts making non-violent action more effective.

Perceptions of health risk and smoking habit in young people

Young people are also more likely to start mocking If their friends or family are smokers. The present study Is a quantitative research with young adult smokers (at the xx Learning Centre) based on focus group discussions where a range of smoking-related topics were covered. 2. Sample The sample in this study included 6 males and 4 females, aged between 13 and 17 years, 7 smokers and 2 non-smokers. Of this group of adolescents only 2 parents are non-smokers.My aim was to maximize variation in our sample to include young men and women, smokers and non-smokers, and different age categories. My discourse analytic perspective here concentrates on talk between speakers and allows me to highlight how meanings around smoking and health are worked up. Debated and disputed in the group. Informed consent was obtained from each participant prior to the Focus group interview (Appendix A and B). The focus group took place in the â€Å"Unanimous† Learning Centre.For anonymity reasons the na me of the participants have been changed. 3. Procedure In this study we used two focus groups of five participants each. Focus groups mimic ‘natural' peer groups, so that the data will likely be authentic, rich and Informative. Focus groups have long been used In social science research, Including psychology (Crossly, 2000; Wilkinson, 2003), and can be particularly useful in identifying both diverse individual accounts and prevailing social factors which influence and constrain actions.In the context of young people and smoking, focus group research allows us to gain access to the multiplicity of perspectives presented and will also illuminate how accounts are constructed and negotiated within peer groups. Participants were given a number of prompts about their views on smoking, such as Please tell me why you believe you started smoking' and ‘Please tell me what role you believe smoking/not smoking plays in your life'. Participants were encouraged to discuss these views among themselves, with minimal input from the facilitator.The discussion, which lasted around forty minute for each group, was recorded and then transcribed verbatim. 4. Analysis Health was generally not cited as a major concern for our young people, and was not participants seemed much more concerned with the financial burden engendered by smoking. When the topic of health risks was brought up, there was a general tendency o downplay or discount these. Moreover, it was claimed that smoking could function effectively as a form of stress relief, even when the stress is engendered by exposure to smoking-related health scares, either in the media or within families.The two discursive patterns are formulated as follows: ‘ Everything is bad for you now: Contesting smoking-related health risks ‘It does make you feel better': Smoking as stress-relief 4. 1 . ‘Everything is bad for you now: Contesting smoking-related health risks Contesting smoking-related health risks ario so strategies were deployed which endured the health risks linked to smoking as exaggerated, a ploy which clearly works to rationalist and uphold current smoking – a way of misusing the self from the specter of illness and mortality.For example, other mundane practices are cited which involve risk, and life itself is presented as saturated with risk: Nicola – Mimi like to think yourself that you're not going to get cancer, I mean, they're saying that cancer is caused by all these different things 0 1 mean who's to say that smoking is definitely the worst one? † In this excerpt there is some recognition of risk but then other organogenesis are alluded to and the dedicated link between smoking and cancer is undermined (Whoso to say? ).Thus, smoking is construed as nothing special, Just one of any number of possible causes of cancer (so many things'), and therefore not worthy of disproportionate attention. E. Generalizes the notion of risk – ‘everything is bad for you now – so that living per SE becomes inured with risk, something that affects ‘everyone'. Note the extreme case formulations which litter this extract: ‘ all these different things'; ‘So, smoking is part of life and is practiced with care. Facilitator: So, are health concerns an issue? Simon: Well, yeah.Not really, I suppose, because sometimes you feel like crap because your lungs are hurting, because you've been caning it all weekend, but you think, well you might give up smoking, give up drinking, give up anything – and then get knocked down by a bus, but 0 if you're going to stop everything that you enjoy, well what's the point of living forever? You know what I mean? Aaron: But don't you, sometimes you Just think Well, what's the point of it? You're Just breathing in horrible smoke into your body Simon: It's like what's the point of drinking? It's fun!The health risks of smoking are conceded, with reference to current, minor symptom s. However, smoking is likened to other pleasurable activities (e. G. ‘drinking') and anything/'everything you enjoy so that living is defined in terms of enjoyment over risk, the emphasis is on fun' and not denying oneself gratification – even if it means a shorter life-span or inhaling ‘horrible smoke'. Bob: A guy, a guy I went to school with was cross country champion for our county, and he used to smoke like twenty a day [laughs] He used to smoke loads of weed and that, and he used to run for ages [laughs] (.You see someone like that, it's Just like, whoa! So, citing cases, where smoking has not impeded sporting performance, undermines claims about the deleterious health consequences of smoking and helps Justify continued smoking. The case of the cross-country champion cited by Bob is also interesting because impressive, and further contesting the connection between smoking and not being healthy. Lucas I knew somebody who used to smoke ten a day when they were about eighty-odd and have a glass of brandy every day 0 and when they got put in a nursing home they took it all off her and within weeks she were dead.Tara: It's like alcoholics, isn't it? If alcoholics stopped drinking they do seem to die. In this extract, the dangers of stopping smoking are emphasizes, thereby inverting the ‘normalizing about taking up or continuing smoking. Facilitator: What are the health worries you might have about smoking? Bob: Cancer David: None, ‘coos I know a guy that lived until he was 23 and Just dropped dead. He didn't smoke and didn't drink. You know, the way I see it, you only live once – you might as well do it, haven't you.Here Bobby's immediate response concerning health fears is not taken up as the others proceed to reject this pre-occupation. David immediately invokes the case of a non-smoker who died suddenly as a means of challenging the link between smoking and ill-health. The randomness of life then becomes a key theme, w hich again works to rationalist current smoking. As one participant put it: ‘it Just shows that you're having a good time, you know, drinking and having a cigarette, and it Just kind of ties in together' (Kate).Here, smoking (and drinking) is inextricably tied to enjoyment, an automatic indicator of ‘good times'. 4. 2. ‘It does make you feel better': Smoking as stress-relief A very predominant theme cross all discussions was the benefits of smoking in terms of stress relief, arising from various sources: Tara: It does make you feel better when you've been sat there and you've Just been in class, and you Just think ‘Oh, I'm going to go for a bag, and you go down and you have it, it does give you some kind of buzz, because it does definitely chill you out a bit, doesn't it.Rachel: It gives me a couple of minutes and just chills me out, like if something that had upset me, like my family, Vie been thrown out of my house and that's the reason why I started smokin g a lot more because of more stress and stuff. I do think that having a cigarette makes me relax a bit. Tara: At the moment I don't want to [stop smoking] because I do see smoking as helping me chill out a bit – I mean, if I didn't I'd be a tiger! Rachel: Vie actually been told by my doctor not to stop smoking – he says its got anger management, it calms me down.Both participants point to the grim consequences of not smoking I. E. Uncontaminated irritability. Earache's claim is warranted with reference to an authoritative source (a medic), which is culturally garnished with expertise. Rachel: Yes, that's the reason I first started smoking again, because I'd stopped smoking for so Eng and my dad gave up smoking, and my dad's been smoking since he was twelve, and he stopped for six month and then he had a heart attack.You would expect that to make me think ‘Right, need to stop smoking, or whatever, but straight away I went ‘Mum, give us a bag, because I hones tly didn't know what to do and I needed something to concentrate on – it gives you something to think about other than what's going on around you. In summary, smoking is popularly constructed as a positive resource in times of stress, whether provoked by , arguments with friends and family, school, and paradoxically , exposure to smoking-related disease within families. 5.Conclusions smokers since, from the focus groups shows that smoking is understood as a rational choice (rather than, say, addiction) conferring benefits (stress relief, enjoyment). This finding is in line with other research on ‘alternative rationalities' (Crossly, 2000) with adult smokers. However we should take in consideration that the qualitative research literature on smoking deploys a range of methods while in this study we analyze the young people smoking practices within a social (focus group) context.Smoking is explicitly linked to pleasure and relaxation (often tied to drinking contexts †“ see also Johnson et al. , 2000). Our participants also link other lifestyle practices to risk and they see life itself as a risk where preoccupation with smoking-related or any other problems is deemed excessive and paralyzing. To some extent, it is fair to say that our sample construed risky smoking as necessary to cope with their family/friends/ environment pressure. Overall our analysis points to the various ways in which the young smokers skillfully deflect the concerns of a health-conscious culture.It gaslights how, in a period of increasing pressure on smokers to quit, the young people in our focus group have created a series of complex and creative accounts to defend and preserve what is clearly perceived as an important social practice. Surely our young smokers are expressing ‘unrealistic optimism' (Weinstein, 1984), that is ‘inaccurate' perceptions of risk and susceptibility in relation to smoking and illness. For example some participants claimed that major health problems have not yet appeared (e. G. Current health is emphasizes) and that illness can be avoided by individual action (I. E. Tinting smoking in the near future). By contrast, psychosocial research, which conceptualizes smokers' talk, helps us to appreciate how smoking is rationalized within relevant social groups (in this case young adults in educational settings), as well as highlighting the creativity and sophistication of lay accounts. In turn, attention to the grounded discourse of smokers may well help inform more effective health promotion interventions (Crossly, 2000). To build on the current analysis, future work could include ‘street' interviews with young smokers in the public places where smoking is popularly practiced (e. Designated smoking areas at university, in pubs). This ‘live' context might prove especially illuminating in terms of the discourses reproduced with respect to how smoking is defended while people are engaged in the act of smoking . As well, it would be informative to examine patterns of naturally occurring conversation between young adult smokers where they gather. Such research would complement our focus group study by determining when and how health is introduced as a concern by younger people themselves and examining how such concerns are negotiated.

Qatar Airways Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Qatar Airways Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example Brand Management as a marketing strategy was started by Procter & Gamble. It seeks to increase the perceived value of the product or service to the customer, and effect a corresponding increase in sales. A good brand name should be-- legally protectable, easy to pronounce, easy to remember, easy to recognize; attract attention, suggest product or service benefits or suggest usage, suggest the company or product/service image, and distinguish the positioning of the product or service relative to the competition. (Wikipedia)In this age of globalization, Nation Branding has become a strategic marketing approach for many industries including the airline's industry.The inventor of Nation Branding in its modern form is Singapore's, Lee Kuan Yew. He defined what Singapore was, promoted it worldwide, and introduced a set of values and discipline for Singapore's citizens, using advertisements to help educate the population. Nation Branding is practiced by many states, including the United Sta tes and the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, and most Western European countries. Developing economies also use Nation Branding to create more favorable conditions for foreign direct investment, tourism, trade and diplomatic relations with other countries. Almost majority of international airlines use Nation Branding, such as— British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Siberia Airlines, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Philippine Airlines, Saudi Air, Gulf Air among others. Nations have become brands when for decades, researchers have studied â€Å"country of origin.† When there are two products labeled â€Å"Made in Mexico† and â€Å"Made in Japan,† consumers will consistently choose the â€Å"Made in Japan† product.. In 1998, a British marketing consultant named Simon Anholt took this concept a step further. He wrote an article in a trade journal, arguing that places and nations themselves are brands. Anholt received numerous calls from officials around the world seeking his services. In the world of nation branding, flags become logos, national anthems advertising jingles. When customers buy a pair of Calvin Klein jeans they are not just buying a few pounds of denim, they are buying the Calvin Klein experience. Simon Anholt said nation branding works the same way. (Weiner, 2006) According to Anhold, countries have reputations and

A striking feature of weak states is that they face very few Essay

A striking feature of weak states is that they face very few challenges from the people living in them. Why do weak states persist - Essay Example Research and analysis revel that the major contributor of weak states’ persistence is international support and assistance. Political scientists’ perception about the concept of state relies on Max Weber’s definition which entitles state as a corporate group that: holds a certain jurisdiction; practices continuous organization; maintains monopoly of power over territory and its population, in addition to all activities in its jurisdiction. The concept is primarily based on empirical and de facto aspects of statehood. The test for Weber’s state is the claim to monopoly of force in its jurisdiction. It implies that if an internal or external group or organization gets the hold and monopolistic control of a certain jurisdiction, it becomes a state. When there are several groups contesting for the same territory, and none can get control over and practice monopolistic force, Weber attributes this situation as â€Å"statelessness† (qtd. in Jackson and Carl 2-3). According to Weber’s empirical approach to statehood, many African states can be disqualified from the status of being a state because they don’t practice monopoly of force over their territorial jurisdiction. Rivals to the national government effectively established monopoly in some of the cases. Absence of continuous control of a permanent political organization and anarchy exist in these states. Regardless of the lacking governmental control, anarchy, and uncertainty, these states persist as members of international society of states. If we consider that the empirical statehood led to the persistence of state, some of the African states must disqualify. However, they persist and none of the claimant governments who practiced de facto control could establish new states in the particular area (Jackson and Carl 3). States definition that is based on juridical attributes of statehood is Ian Brownlie’s. He defines state as a legal person authorized by international law.

Debriefing Report for VoIP2.biz, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Debriefing Report for VoIP2.biz, Inc - Essay Example The voice communication often remained on the plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).In business market, voice communication is still important to the business and remained 10 to 20 times the size of internet communication. Most business spends money every month on the legacy telephony technology. The company should therefore have some POTS for these businesses. They can also switch some of the many POTS to VolP services.Ordinarilly, the market for VolP typically measured in terms of how many POTS lines are available. VolP should allow the integration of organizations many locations including the remote workers into a single communication costs and expand functionality by combining voice and data into one network and by bringing advanced features that are not currently available to most small and midsize business customers. They need to replace all the POTS Telephone circuits with internet connections and utilize open source voice applications and commodity intercircuits.Smaller versions of PBX systems should be introduced to manage voice communication and optimizing the utilization of carrier services, reducing company monthly expenses. The company should also utilize HSC services such as DSC to reduce costs by outsourcing central engineering and equipment

Was the Iraq War worth the human and material costs suffered by the Essay

Was the Iraq War worth the human and material costs suffered by the Allied coalition and Iraqi people - Essay Example The aforementioned suffered high costs various ways including social cost, economic cost, security cost and human cost, the most devastating of all being the human cost – it is literally breathtaking (Wallis, 2010). According to a 2004 study by the ‘Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy In Focus’, between the commencement of war in March 2003 and September 22 the following year, 1,175 coalition forces lost their lives, comprising 1,040 United States’ military. Other deaths include those of contractors, civilian workers as well as missionaries, with their total estimates ranging from 50 to 90 lost lives, thirty-six of which were identified as Americans. This is in addition to uncalled for life termination of thirty innocent international Journalists, with eight of them being U.S. media companies’ workers (Antiwar.com, 2004). The study also revealed that following the U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation in Iraq, by June 16, 2004, deaths o f Iraqi civilians ranged between 9,436 and 11,317, with an estimate of 40,000 Iraqis sustaining severe injuries. This is in addition to approximately 4,895 Iraqi insurgents and soldiers who were killed during ‘major combat’ operations. There has also been a great health concern on the effects of using depleted uranium weaponry in Iraq.

Managing Resourcing Strategy assignment-2 Case Study

Managing Resourcing Strategy assignment-2 - Case Study Example ource management increases a company’s competitive advantages within the global markets as compared with other similar businesses that failed to establish a reliable HR department. Considering the importance of human resources, this study will discuss strategies related to HR planning, flexibility, and recruitment. As part of going through the main discussion, cases of UK and international companies will be used as an example on how HR strategies are applied when controlling organizational behavior in times of economic recession. Considering that the significant role human resources in a business organization, the importance of HR planning increases especially in times of economic recession. In line with this, HR managers should carefully plan on how to build organizational behavior and culture that is open to change. By doing so, HR manager can easily control the possibility of internal conflicts caused by resistance-to-change (Sweringa and Wierdsma 1992, p. 9). In line with this, offering work flexibility during economic recession is a good HR strategy since the use of competitive HR approach can save the company a large sum of unnecessary operational expenses. By choosing the best work flexibility options, HR managers can maximize the work performance of its full-time and part-time employees. Recruiting a wrong person to do a particular task within a business organization can be very costly. For this reason, a careful HR planning should also be applied when the HR manager needs to recruit additional manpower. One of the prerequisite of having a group of highly competitive employees is to analyze a particular job description such as the skills and personal traits the needs to be fulfilled by the applicants (Nelson 1997, p, 40). Likewise, HR manager should carefully assess the applicant’s skills and past experiences in performing the demands of the available job position. The importance of equal opportunity in UK is highly recognized by employees. In

What changes in the variables would be necessary in your valuation to Essay

What changes in the variables would be necessary in your valuation to best approximate the market valuation - Essay Example Part A – Fundamental Valuation Growth Rate of Dividends- Wal-Mart1 Estimated Value Growth Rate = 12.55% Discount Rate = 12.50% D0 = $1.21 D1 = 1.21 + 1.21 * 12.55% = $ 1.361 P0 = D1 / K-G = 1.361 / 12.50% - 12.55% = 1.361 / 0.05 = $ 27.22 Estimated Value = $ 27.22 Current Market Value = $ 52.082 What changes in the variables would be necessary in your valuation to best approximate the market valuation? It is possible that the actual market value of a share may differ from its calculated value as different variables may be perceived differently by each investor. It is also important to understand that each investor has different perceptions about the risks and rewards and therefore there can be some differences in the two sets of prices. In order to best approximate the valuation with the market valuation, it is important to adjust the discount rate. The discount rate given in this case study is 12.5% which seems to be higher given the overall risk profile and fundamentals of W al-Mart. It is therefore important that the discount rate is adjusted in order to approximate two values with each other. Lower required rate of return therefore outlines that the investors have more confidence in the fundamentals of the firm therefore they will be requiring lower rate of returns because the overall level of risk will be low. Part-B Relative Valuation The above calculations are made based on the assumption that the growth rate required will be 7%. 4) It is important to note that the assessment of the stock regarding under or over valuation is always performed by comparing the current market value with the assessed value. Considering the current market value of the stock, it seems that the stock is relatively undervalued and the investors can actually be advised for buying or hold. The current market price of the stock is approximately $53 per share whereas the value of the stock computed through PE ratio model suggests that the fair value of the stock is $59 suggest ing that the stock is relatively under-valued. It is therefore important that those investors who are already holding the stock shall hold their positions and wait for the price to further increase before they can actually sell the stock and profit from the position. 5) Based on the fundamentals of the stock as well as the successful track record of Wal-Mart as one of the leading firms in the world, I would invest into the firm. Though the firm is working in the retail sector with low profit margins however, given the successful history of delivering results, I as an investor would invest into this stock. It is also important to understand that based on the computations made above suggests that the fair value of the stock is higher than the current value of the stock therefore there is a cushion of approximately $6 per share if invested now and sold at the fair value

Marketing process and planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing process and planning - Essay Example However, due to a variety of other games, Anki drive will be affected by the elasticity of demand. The prices are likely to go down since there are many competitors in the market. The product will only be limited to the Apple users in the UK. This might affect the market share of the product if there are only few people who use the Apple gadgets. In addition, considering the Apple products are expensive, they might limit the usage Anki Drive. Anki Drive would have had a bigger market share if it would have been launched in other smart phones apart from Apple phones. On the other hand, there will be a high competition from other games that can use all type of smart phones, which will be likely to beat Anki Drive in the market share. Anki Drive has a particular segment in the market. Being a car racing game, most youths will prefer the game because most of them love cars. However, the game can only be supported by Apple iOS devices. Therefore, only the iPhone and iPad users will have access to the game. Most youths in the current generation prefer to use these devices because of their unique features and the improved technology. This is the reason the company decided to chose these devices for Anki Drive. The UK and the US has a lot of youths who are gamers. Thus, the market was segmented mostly for these youths where it will provide a unique and entertaining way to play games. Youths will always show interest in new pattern of games, and that is why Anki Drive is in the market (KOTLER, 2013).   As said earlier, Anki Drive is mostly targeted to the youths and the users of Apple products. Thus, the company is going to use concentrated marketing strategy in marketing this video game. In a concentrated marketing strategy, a company targets only one major group of customers to deliver its products. Having explored the market trends for other games, youths were

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Marks and Spencer - Essay Example These principles revolve around the responsibilities of firm towards their stakeholders, customers and employee. With these principles different suggestions are provided, discussing that what extra should be included by the Hermes in its Principles. The paper ends with a brief description on conclusion. Marks and Spencer is the famous British retail chain with 760 stores working in more than 30 countries. This retail chain is the most iconic and recognized chain in the world whose 520 stores are serving only in United Kingdom. This store chain is famous as it is the largest clothing retailer and is consider being multi-billion pound food retailer. Recently the store introduces the homes wares including different wares for furniture's and other products. It was the tail of 1998 when this store consider to be the first British store who make pre-tax profit of one billion pounds but later it went into some crisis but by 2007 it start growing economically and showing high profit margins to their investors. According to Emilio Barucci , (2003) Financial management policies are the one that are used by the firm to know that how they should finance their business, what should they provide the shareholders in return, what would be their cost structure and how they should manage their capital structure. This may include various structures that are taken in consideration to know that either the firm is acquiring better financial management system in the firm. Hermes is famous for its principles specially taking shareholders in consideration. Below Marks and Spencer financial management policies are seek by the researcher to know that either they are in accordance with Hermes principles or not. Financial Management Policies of the store Agency theory Thomas E. Copeland, John Fred Weston, Kuldeep Shastri, (2005) argued that agency theory of the firm includes the profit sharing, efficiency wages and performance measures. The agency theory of marks and Spencer is in accordance with the principles of Hermes. Today 290000 shareholders are present with marks and Spencer and the reason is that they are provided with effective return on their investments. Taking full care of the employee's, the employee's are provided with 500 pound bonus provided to each single employee on their performance. This bonus providing enhances the loyalty of the employees. When taking profit sharing in consideration than the firm ensures the stakeholders that they will be provided with maximum profits, and the reason is that they want to keep their stakeholders with them at long-term basis. The firm is providing efficient end results with the food retail shops as these are earning highest. Moreover, the firm has launched the performance measuring system to kn ow that what they can do more to increase the market performance of the firm. The agency theory of the Marks and Spencer is in accordance with Hermes but the only thing that they lack is efficient performance measures. According to Jean-Pierre Danthine, John B. Donaldson, (2005)the performance measure of the employees and their policies must be used to now that what are their actual performance. Marks and Spencer is dealing with more than 700 retail stores and thus measuring each employee performance would be difficult, but by

Audio Surveillance Essay Example for Free

Audio Surveillance Essay Audio Surveillance is implemented with the use of a tape recorder. This method is only effective when one is sure of the origin of the attack and may be used to gather information about a particular activity taking place or how it took place. Telephone conversations may also be recorded to provide security. Models that may be used could include High Tech voice recorders, Tube mike, radio mikes and so on. The modern ESS (Electronic Switching System) is also available to tap into people’s phone lines without having to visit the location physically. Phone Tapping and Encryption Phone tapping is normally used for the protection of national security and prevention of serious crimes. When a phone is tapped, it is possible to listen to conversations from both sides of the telephone. Voice and Word Pattern Recognition In this method of surveillance, an organization uses a central computer to monitor conversations that contain voice patterns and key words that an agency is interested in. This technology involves digital sampling of speech, acoustic signal processing and special analysis. Transmitter Location Transmitter location is used anytime a telephone or mobile phone is involved in an investigation and is used to detect the location of the user. This can be achieved by triangulation and some other innovative methods. E-mail at Workplace Personal messages sent via an organization’s e-mails are not private. Reading employee’s emails may help to alert organizations about possible terrorist activities or sabotage that may be going on within the organization. Electronic Databases Databases containing information about residents within a particular area, biometrics. directories, voter registration records and many other databases present within an organization can help to provide relevant information on terrorism. The Internet Many organizations, individuals and so on, have access to the internet and are able to share information via this global network. Websites that offer social networking features should be continuously checked for possible terrorist correspondence. Challenges of Surveillance Technology Privacy is one of the major issues being faced by operators of businesses and organizations across the world. Surveillance Technologies pose a threat to them because people are unsure of how far vendors are willing to go to sell their products without risking confidential data. This constitutes a threat to commercial businesses (Bogonikolos). Privacy is a big issue and a significant constraint in the deployment of surveillance systems because most people see it as a right that they possess. Privacy has a lot of dimensions and some of the dimensions include: Privacy of the person, personal behaviour, personal communications, data and so on (Bogonikolos). The future of Surveillance Technology In recent times, almost all information is exchanged through electronic means, i. e. via telephone, email and so for this reason, wiretapping capabilities are being incorporated into surveillance systems (Bogonikolos). A continuous education strategy may help to achieve an online data and privacy protection strategy. Global e-commerce has changed the way trade is being conducted all over the world. This had led to the increased complexity of Surveillance Technologies. Enhanced wiretapping capabilities are being incorporated into surveillance technologies and so electronic commerce is getting more and more attention. New technologies for analyzing large amounts of data such as credit card information, online transactions can also help to identify unusual purchasing patterns and relationships (Bogonikolos). Conclusion To operate successfully online and protect countries from attack, we need to assure people that their data is safe and protected from misuse such as unauthorized access, alteration, total loss, and misappropriation (Bogonikolos). After all has been said and done, it can be argued that technology has both negative and positive sides to it. When used for the benefit of society, technology can be seen as a positive contribution to society but when it is used by miscreants to cause havoc to innocent people and unsuspecting organizations, it becomes a disadvantage. The fact remains that it is difficult, if not impossible to stop the misuse of technology but one thing that can help us all is to continually keep ahead of the terrorists by conducting research on state-of the art technologies and inventing new media and surveillance technologies that can help to combat the evils of terrorism. Works Cited Bogonikolos, Nikos. Development of Surveillance Technology and Risk of Abuse of Economic Information. Interim Study. 1999.

Balanced scorecard is strategic planning

Balanced scorecard is strategic planning INTRODUCTION Balanced scorecard is strategic planning and management system used for business and industry, government, non profit organizations worldwide. it is used for business activities like vision and strategy of organization to improve internal and external communication to monitor organizations performance against goals. Balanced scorecard is designed by Drs. Robert Kaplan and David Norton for performance measurement in their series of articles in Harvard Business review. It is designed for executives and managers to get balanced view of organizational performance. In early balanced scorecard was only used for simple performance measurement system. The new system transforms an organizations strategic plan from attractive document into marching orders for organizations on a daily basis. The balanced scorecard system is totally works on:- -Companys Mission Companys Strategic Plan -The financial status of organization The level of expertise in the organization. -Customer satisfaction level. In the past, the organizational growth was measured in financial measures only, which were not adequate to measure the performance. However, to look into future with great value, companies must have to invest through customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology and innovation. The balanced scorecard has emerged as a effective tool in the process to allow organizations to implement different strategies successfully. Organizations all around the globe has benefited by balanced scorecard like increased financial returns, employee alignment in with overall growth, improved collaboration and focus on strategy. BALANCED SCORECARD PERSPECTIVES Balanced scorecard divided into mainly four perspectives. Learning and Growth Perspective The Business Process Perspective The Customer Perspective The Financial Perspective VISION AND STRATEGY LEARNING AND GROWTH FINANCIAL CUSTOMER INTERNAL BUSINESS PROCESSES BALANCED SCORECARD PERSPECTIVES 1. LEARNING AND GROWTH PERSPECTIVE:- This perspective mainly includes training and growth of employee potential as well as their practical skills. Now days, there is a rapid changes in new Technologies, so the employee must be in the continuous learning mode, so that they can learn new technologies and apply it. In this perspective, it is searched that, is there correct level of expertise for the job? Employee turnover ratio analyzed in this perspective, so that job satisfaction among the employees can be measured and corrective action can be taken. The learning and growth perspective concentrate on learning rather than training, because it includes tutors and mentors in the organization so that there will be easy flow of communication and problems can be solved within organization. 2. THE BUSINESS PROCESS PERSPECTIVE:- This perspective consists of internal business processes. By using this perspective managers can know that how well their business is running, whether its products meet to customer needs and demands or not. The process alignment is checked that it is right department. The process should carefully design to meet standards of product that meets customer requirements. 3. THE CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE:- In recent studies, it has been seen that customer satisfaction and customer focus are important for success of any business. If customer is not satisfied then they will find any other supplier who satisfies their needs. These will surely the failure of the business that doesnt meet to the customer needs. Delivery performance, quality performance, customer satisfaction, customer percentage in market and customer retention rate are some of the important aspects of customer perspective. 4. FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE:- Financial perspective is very important to measure success of any company. When financial objectives reached, only then organization can exist successfully in the long run. This perspective expressed in the terms of budget and target achievements. This perspective focuses on the quarterly or yearly financial results, return on investment, cash flow, etc. Q. 1. Why change and how balanced scorecard approach different? The business environment in now days is very competitive in terms of product quality, market share, customer satisfaction and volatile than ever been. In order to survive in the market, organizations need to be far more efficient in the use of their resources, should understand needs of their customers, should organize their internal system and procedure, and have employees who have a far level of interpersonal skills than in the past. The financial system was mainly backward looking, focusing upon reporting achievements rather than upon the attainment and pursuit of objectives. The financial system was paying attention to fulfill short term objectives rather to fulfill long term objectives. This system need to in corporate data capture and analysis of non-financial measures, such as customer profiles, customer satisfaction, employee performance, employee satisfaction, product quality, service quality, organizational transformation and development. So, organizations need to think beyond the historical perspective of their traditional financial reporting systems. The financial system has limitations because of considering limited factors. To improve performance evaluation, there was a need to change old financial system with the more balanced and which bridges strengths of the traditional financial measures of past performance with the benefits of measuring factors that impact upon or drive future performance. Q.2) Discuss in general terms the information which would be required by a manager to implement this approach to measuring performance. The balanced scorecard approach is mainly consists of four approaches: financial, customer, internal processes and learning and growth. The balanced scorecard focuses mainly towards common goal. The process of developing balanced scorecard gives an organization a clear picture of future and path to reach there. To implement balanced scorecard, manager need to implement its four perspectives and also needs information of its key elements as follows:- Financial perspective: Financial objectives are used to represent long term goals of organization. In this perspective of balanced scorecard, a manager need to identify financial objectives of an organization and develop measures that indicate how successful the organization achieving those objectives. In this aspect of balanced scorecard, manager needs information of following measures: return capital employed return on net assets Bad debts of company Account receivables Gearing rate. Customer perspective: The customer perspective is designed to measure how well the company is meeting the demands of customers and market. The major goal of an organization is to supply for the demands of customers. In todays environment company must provide a quality product, and also timely delivery, and customer service following the sale. There are some more information which also to be considered like, The very important price of the product Customer satisfaction Customer retention Increasing customer base Delivery times Rate of goods returned by customers Customer relationship. The Internal business processes perspective: This perspective focuses mainly on internal processes to deliver the goals of customers and shareholders. This aspect works within the company. The information needs is related to: Quality control rejection rate Production lead times Level of production capacity utilization. Learning and growth perspective: This perspective identifies human relations and works to improve the Skills of employees, infrastructure and innovation. Employees are very important part of the organization and key to innovation. re Sources must be allocated to educate them on the processes of company and mission of company. This education should be coupled with the motivation. This starts with autonomy to employee so that they can suggest changes in organization. The manager should know information of this aspect: Employee capabilities Information system capabilities Level of spending per head on employee training Employee absenteeism rate Staff turnover rate Range of products This information is very important to implement the balanced scorecard approach within the organization. By having this information, manager can implement this approach in the organization to measure performance. Q.3) Comment on three specific examples of performance measures which could be used in service industry. 1. Balanced scorecard in the Hotel industry: The balanced scorecard derives its name primarily from the way it provides a structured focus upon the main organizational performance dimensions: the financial, customer, internal processes and learning and growth. Balanced scorecard thinks far beyond the traditional financial system, so that hotel appears the appropriate setting for implementation of the balanced scorecard. The first step in developing a balanced involves is determining a mission or vision. A vision outlines the purpose of an organization. After vision, we need to determine what strategy will be employed to achieve the mission. After strategy we need to translate this strategy into specific strategic objectives. If the strategic objective of staff is to be regarded among most friendly, appropriate performance measures could include: hours s pent to train staff on politeness and friendly customer engagement, customer survey ratings with respect to perceived friendliness of staff. As strategic objectives and performance measures would need to be developed for each of four balanced scorecards key perspectives. a] Financial perspective in hotel: The financial perspective contains strategic objectives that are developed from shareholders perspective. Kaplan and Norton suggest these objectives can be developed by answering the question: To succeed financially, how should we appear to our shareholders! Once these objectives have been developed, a set of financial measures generated. The financial measures includes departmental cost, cost of providing a room night, hotel profit, profit of market segment, revenue per available room, share price, revenue growth compared to budget, sales mix, operating profit compared to prior year, ROI, etc. b] Customer perspective: This comprises strategic objectives that are developed by customer point of view. To achieve our objectives, how should we appear to our customers! Once these objectives developed, a set of customer related performance measures can be developed. This includes: customer loyalty, proportion of returning customers, customer complaints, customer profitability, new customer acquisition, market segmentation, market share etc. These factors are considered while measurement of customer related performance. c] Internal process perspective: This perspective concerns the development of process related objectives that are consistent with achieving financial and customer objectives. These objectives can be developed by responding to question, to achieve our internal objective which types of processes should we undertake! A set of performance related measures are: customer billing errors, time taken to check-in, restaurant service errors, workplace safety, customer database availability, internal control practices, etc. d] Learning and growth perspective: This perspective concerns the development of organizational capability goals that are consistent with achieving financial and customer objectives. Possible learning and growth measures includes: training investment per employee, absenteeism, employee motivation index, employee satisfaction, personal growth of staff, internal promotion levels, staff retention, staff empowerment, frequency of training, etc. The balanced scorecards group-wide application has greatly increased opportunities to use the achievements of best practice hotels. Balanced scorecard provides focused approach towards the common objectives of a hotel. By using above all performance measures, we can use balanced scorecard successfully in the hotel. Refrence online book:- Accounting essentials for hospitality managers by Mr. Chris Guilding 2) Balanced scorecard in the Insurance sector:- Now days insurance sector is very competitive industry among the service industries. There are different types of insurance like car insurance, general insurance, medical insurance, etc. this sector is totally customer oriented sector and totally depends upon needs of customers. The performance Measurement of this sector by balanced scorecard is consists of measurement of its four perspectives. The mission and strategy of an insurance company is determined by board of director of company. After the strategy, the objectives and targets are set by management for the particular period of time. Then the company operates to fulfill those objectives. The measures of the insurance sector according to four perspectives are as follows: 1. Financial perspective:- The major financial perspective in the insurance sector is the share holders perspective because share holders are the important part to provide capital for the business. The measures contain cost of employees, incentives as percentage of salary, annual salary, increase in training cost, the cost per insurance, total profit earned, operating costs, total sales, share price, Etc. 2. Customer perspective:- Customer perspective focuses totally towards customer satisfaction and customer retention. Customer is leading indicator in the insurance sector, if he satisfied then only company can earn profit. The customer perspectives measures are number of referrals generated from the customers, number of customer focused products developed, decrease in customer complaints, and percentage of upgraded policies, etc. 3. Internal process perspective: This perspective works totally on developing internal processes to meet customer needs and demands, so that customer can be satisfied with the service. It improves on negative aspects of the internal system and try to improve it. The possible measures can be percentage of renewed policies to the number of policies sold, number of sales targets achieved, percentage of decrease in employee turn over, types of insurance policies generated. 4. Learning and growth perspective:- This perspective works on the employee development and corporate cultural attitudes related to both company and self improvement. It works on improving sales efficiency of the sales force. The possible measures comes under this perspective can be number of training sessions, number of brain storming sessions, number of motivational sessions, number of quality feedback from the employees, etc. 3) Balanced scorecard in the banking industry:- Balanced scorecard received a wide range of use and promotion by global business organizations and some international banks have successfully implemented this approach to measure and increase their performance. In response to different problems faced by the global banking industry like the recession of the year 2008, balanced scorecard research helps to solve those problems effectively and results in the profit. In the rapid innovation and development of financial sectors, the banking industry facing intense competition. The measures of banking Industries according to the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard are as follows:- 1. Financial perspective:- Balanced scorecard is not only indicator of appraisal system but also strategic management tool. The balanced scorecard breaks the traditional financial measurement system. It adds future value to the financial measures. The measures of the financial perspective can be improvement of product quality, time to complete orders, productivity, new product development, customer satisfaction into increased sales, reduction in operating cost, economic value, added bank profits, the per capital profit, net interest income, marketing cost, income ratio, office expenses, labor costs, loan, etc. 2. Customer perspective:- Due to intense competition, customer has become very important aspect of the banking industry. Attracting customers towards bank is very important so that the strategy of the bank should be customer focused. The possible measures of bank performance according to customer perspective can be: Market share, customer retention rate, rate of new customer, customer satisfaction, customer profitability level, customer complaints, etc. 3. Internal processes perspective:- In order to retain target customers and to meet the requirements of shareholders about financial returns, managers need to focus on customer satisfaction and improve internal processes and establish measurable indicators. In this perspective balanced scorecard not only paying attention to a simple process to improve but also confirms request of customers and shareholders as a starting point to satisfy both customers and shareholders. Measures are: product and service innovation, new product and service revenue, the new loan rate and increasing rate, the number of internal regulations, responsibility of accidents, etc. 4. Learning and growth perspective:- It includes an investment which the organization must be carried out to achieve long term performance in the future, like ability of employees, organization information system, employee satisfaction, staff violation rate, pass rate of status examination, professional development program, staff training sessions, etc. These are measures of a bank for performance measurement on the basis of the balanced scorecard approach. We can evaluate the performance of the bank by using these measures. Refrence: www.academypublisher.com REFRENCES:- www.google.com ( google books ) Magna Cara College online Library University of Wales online library Frank Wood and Alan Sangster Business Accounting 2 Chris Guilding Accounting essentials for Hospitality Managers www.magnacartacollge.org (moodle) www.academypublisher.com ( article)

Moral and Social Responsibility Practices in Small Business

Moral and Social Responsibility Practices in Small Business There are so many kind of people within different country in the world. Some people will only care about themself and unscrupulously to complete their target and some people will care about the country future. This kind of selfish people will destroy our country’s economy. So, ethical and social responsibility is so important to our country. From a conceptual framework, the impact seems to ethical and social responsibility approach to financial and non-financial performance of SMEs (small and medium-size entreprises) in Malaysia. Ethical business practices and social responsibility is seen as a strong reason to build a multi-ethnic community in harmony between Malaysias business dealings turn may affect the overall performance of SMEs in the key. In Malaysia, there was so many different kind of business. In different business interests, ethics and social responsibility practices of different cultural perspectives and unique historical skills and understanding of the industrys business environment can provide a wealth of perceptual framework. Although it was reported that there is a minimum distance of cultural between Malays, Chinese and Indians, but it may face a variety of challengers in the business environment, awareness of ethics and socially responsibility. So we can envisaged that this study can provide a deeper knowledge and understanding of the cultural different between the entrepreneur in Malaysia for the greeting values, ethics and socially responsibility practices and promote a better understanding of personal values that held in Malaysia. According (Noor Hazlina Admad, Azlan Amran and Hasliza Abdul Halim 2012) the study, for the introduction, that was influence the behavior of existing entrepreneurs on business ethics and national culture of a prolific discussion. There was some scholars seeking to move beyond national cultures suggest focusing on more fine-grained variations within a nation. In Malaysia, the intercultural differences provide an important reflection on the existence and range of values and beliefs within a nation. Certainly, it was cautioned that may be linguistic, regional, tribal, ethic or caste cleavages within nations that may sometimes make national data non-representative for the nation. It is believed that there still exist some values among the three major racial groups which was Malay, Chinese and Indian. These three major racial groups can be markedly from different dominant culture, especially in business practices. This is because the ethnic divisions tend to be reinforced by religious, cu ltural, linguistic and economic divisions in Malaysia. The reason is the ways of thinking of people are behavior, personal, cultural values entrepreneurs may also affect the business environment in the moral and social responsibility practices prevalent cognitive. After that, there are three important reasons as to why these practices in smaller firms should be examined more closely. Firstly, there is a large disparity in the number of studies of ethical and social responsibility issues between large firms and small firms. There was work on ethics and social responsibility has been largely concentrated on large firms particularly in the context of Malaysia until now. Secondly, small businesses have a strong interrelated community in which it operates. Typically, they deal with who live in the local are mark that ethical and socially responsible business behavior is an important factor for creating a customers harmony business-customer relationship in the local community. Thirdly, there is increasing number of people awareness on ethics and social responsibility, thus leading to social disapproval is considered bad ethics or corporate irresponsibility. For the â€Å"good ethic is good for business† notion, this means that if we want our business stay longer and stronger, the ethical behavior is the reason. If we ignore the ethic, it would have an adverse impact on our own business. According (Noor Hazlina Admad, Azlan Amran and Hasliza Abdul Halim 2012) study by Corruption Perception Index (2009) reported that it was reported that Malaysia was ranked 56th of the 180 countries studied that the way behind other Asian countries. This means that Malaysia is just a medium country in Asian. Although the CPI report is not limited to small business, but this is a general ethical standards reflected between the people in this country. Regard to the social responsibility, there was reported that the Council of Small Business Organization of Australia had received a sample of 9000 revealed show that a strong socially responsible behaviors especially in terms of providing support for the local community. â€Å"There was a genuine enthusiasm for the notion of corporate social responsibility which was viewed as duty†, this is the result found out of the Australian. This was happening among the SMEs in Australia. On the contrary, it was noted that in regard to the mora l sense of corporate social responsibility and smaller still relatively lacking in Malaysia. This is because the focus on such issues in Malaysia is often directed to large firms compared to smaller firms. Nevertheless, for the question of ethics and social responsibility, small businesses may be due to larger peers and different characteristics of these companies from nature to a certain extent. Small firms are, by nature, independent and self-managed. Presumably, the main aspects of morality will revolve around personal values, the owners themselves, and not bound by the ethical code of conduct as a large companys belief. ‘Multitasking’ is another key criterion of small businesses. Besides that, the variety of tasks facing small business owners can make them less time to consider ethics in the daily management. In addition, according to the notice what constitute personal and business ethics are probably closer in situations where the owner is also the manager in a business. Relatively speaking, recession has greater impact on small firms compared to larger ones, making business survival one of the top agenda among smaller firms. It means that ethic and social responsibility will make the small business survive in the challengers. Because of these limitations faced with small business owners, it is vital, so be careful to check the moral and social responsibility to consider to what extent is suitable for small businesses. In surmise, the purpose of this paper is to address these issues for examples, ethics and social responsibility in SMEs by advancing a conceptual framework that links the personal value of SME owner-managers, the ethical and socially responsi ble practices, and business performance. Followed by a conceptual framework beginning of this article, some propositions are formulated in the discussion of the relevant literature, and during use. Then, subsequent data collection methods will be used to sample and measure presents brief details. Finally, this paper summarizes the discussion of research and its impact. On the other hand, Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country that contains 27 million people. That have the three largest ethnic in our country, it is Malays, Chinese and Indian. Malaysia also has many smaller ethnic in the country. Because of this multi-ethnic composition of communities, many people believe that Malaysians have different cultural values, even though there is evidence that similar cultural value orientation. Malaysians generally share examples of collectivism and relationships. The only difference found among the three races was in terms of religiosity, with Malays holding religious beliefs to be far more important than their Chinese and Indian counterparts. However, people think different communities and ethical groups within a country, with their diverse business interests, different cultural perspectives and unique history of the skills and industry to understand the ethical and social responsibility practices in the business environment of the rich perceptual framework. It was a contention that personal or cultural values held by individuals may lead to different views on what is considered to be right or wrong, moral or immoral, and social responsibility, or otherwise. Interestingly, an investigation of cultural values in Malaysia using the right cultural values suggests that Malays, Chinese and Indians share similar cultural values. However, the increased pressure from economic development could result in changes in term of cultural values. Therefore, even if there are reported that the minimum distance between the cultures of Malays, Chinese and India, is likely to be a different business environment facing challenger cognitive moral and social responsibility on a certain bearing. Since the SMEs in Malaysia are labor-intensive, they will create employment opportunities. Secondly, SMEs enhance regional development and create more equitable income distribution due to their location and ongoing expansion throughout the broader community. Thirdly, SMEs play a vital complementary role in relation to larger firms. In many cases, large firms depend on SMEs as suppliers and distributors. For example, many SMEs in Malaysia supply component parts, tools, and equipment to larger manufacturing firms. Large firms also rely on SMEs for the distribution of their products to the consumer. Fourthly, SMEs serve as a training ground for developing the skills of workers and entrepreneurs. Finally, the presence of SMEs curbs the monopoly power of larger firms and provides the structure of the economy with greater flexibility. Thus, a country can strengthen SMEs and to ensure its success in reducing its vulnerability to financial crises. To promote the harmonious business and societal relationship, we should suggests to the word â€Å"ethics is not a luxury of advanced economies; it is an indispensable means to foster economic development†. Therefore, in developing economies to understand their daily business activities, such as the importance of the structure, especially in the context of Malaysia, small business is crucial. There may here also gives information about the entrepreneurs personal values may affect the moral and social responsibility practices cross-cultural variation. As a large company code of ethical conduct of business ethics research has been the center of attention. With a view that ethical practices should be the guiding principle for all businesses, large or small, researchers have begun to investigate the small business ethics gaining momentum. A study found that the interests of small businesses in the UK has experienced around the stakeholders, the protection of knowledge and informat ion, legal and moral obligations, as well as issues of personal and business decisions conflict is a moral issue. It is also uses a dilemma to determined that small business owners have faced, including the maximization of profits, life priority, enlightened self-interest and social priorities of the four problems. When the concept was first developed more than twenty years ago, companies are finding it difficult to operate their business practices, because it requires sacrifice to be carried out in the financial level. However, recently, the organizations leaders have begun to recognize the importance of social responsibility in business. Specifically, they found that small businesses have expressed their willingness to make arrangements to meet the requirements of social responsibility, especially their customers, their employees and the public. Through the lens of business, ethics and social responsibility practices are considered in the long run, help the economy entrepreneurs. In a rapidly changing and unpredictable environment, socially responsible behavior, to help businesses get the support from various external stakeholders groups. Such behavior, to provide them with some protection from unforeseen problems they face. It is also important to note that an organizations image and reputat ion may be in good moral behavior shaping public effects. Taken together, the benefits of ethical and socially responsible practices enable competitive advantage to be attained as a firm distinguishes itself from its competitors. Apart from a business perspective, entrepreneurs show such subtle gesture is considered to be the mechanism to promote the harmonious business and social relationships. In particular, it can enhance trust, cooperation, and taking into account that people can understand why other people behave the way they tolerates each other in three different ethnic groups. The three elements are intrinsically important because they are core characteristics that positively affect the emotional and interpersonal aspects of the work and life relationships. Because of this moral and social responsibility survey should get more attention and make the people think that important of it. The foregoing discussion is a strong link between the imaginary moral and social practice, results of operations, relations harmonious society, indicating the stakeholder theory, both from tool and normative perspective. The instrumental stakeholder theory methods treat the interests of maximizing the wealth of the company by means of stakeholder interests meet to achieve, whereas the fundamental assumption of normative approach to stakeholder theory suggests that â€Å"a company should behave in a socially responsible manner because it is morally correct to do so†. Based on this underpinning theory, conceptual framework is advanced for further investigation. Personal values of the SME entrepreneurs from the three main races in Malaysia are treated as the independent variable. Perceived role of ethics and social responsibility as well as ethical and socially responsible practices in business are mediating variables. The dependent variable is business performance in the context of SME. From this paper (Noor Hazlina Admad, Azlan Amran and Hasliza Abdul Halim 2012) ,we can make a stage to solve this problem. Firstly, in practice, we should provide between Malaysian entrepreneurs on values, ethics and social responsibility in a better understanding of cross-cultural differences. Secondly, we should promote a better understanding of the interaction of the three individual values in business practices and ethnic groups held in Malaysia. Then, we need to find the SME entrepreneurs consider important ethical and social responsibility practices. For the fourth point, we need to make sure that if this practice ethical and social responsibility does affect results of operations for example financial and non-financial. After that, fifth point is benefit of society, it will promote a harmonious business and taking into account the related parties of this study will inspire the similarities and differences between them, the strong ground of public relations in a multiracial soc iety. In conclusion, the value of this study lies in its efforts to provide moral and social responsibility practices and informed understanding of small businesses, especially in the environment of Malaysia. Determine the signal such noble approach because of its strong interaction with employees, customers and the local community about this approach, especially an important message is ubiquitous in small businesses. Ethical and social responsibility considerations are considered critical in view of harmony business enterprise, customer business relationships and community business could enhance the companys performance and to a greater extent, promoted the establishment of trust, respect for community solidarity and integrity. Importantly, this study will alert was similar and look at ethics and social responsibility in a manner different from each ethnic community and entrepreneurs, especially in Malaysia. The awareness of ethical business practices among smaller firms could also furnis h a healthier economy as they make up more than 80% of all establishments in most countries. Above all, business practitioners should realize that ethics, social responsibility and profit making can go hand in hand; they are not conflicting agendas. Therefore, the challenge of entrepreneurship education and policy-makers face is to recognize the unique aspects of these practices of SMEs, rather than through the lens of large companies the problem of moral and social responsibility corporate policy but as for creating competitive advantage for small businesses. Training programs that could portray the relationships among strategic planning, ethics, and social responsibility of the entrepreneurs is of great value. Finally, ethical is important to our country, it is because ethical and social responsibility can make our economy become better or badly. So all people in Malaysia need to unite and always help each other even not same ethnic to make our country become a stronger country an d increase our economy in future.

Edna O’Brien’s Country Girls Trilogy :: Country Girls Trilogy

Edna O’Brien’s Country Girls Trilogy   Ã‚  Ã‚   In all honesty, I chose to read The Country Girls Trilogy by Edna O’Brien because it was the only text that I could get my hands on. After reading it though, I’m glad I had the luck of choosing it. I realized, while reading the trilogy, that throughout my course of study, I have not read very many female authors. I may have read a few short stories along the way, but most books that I have read for classes and for pleasure have been written by men. I saw the difference in writing styles as I read the first paragraph of the book and immediately liked the change of pace and detail-oriented style. I also found that I really connected with the main characters, Caithleen and Baba, whose real name is Bridget. I found it interesting that I invested such interest in two characters whose personalities are so different from my own. Caithleen was the narrator in the first two books, and I found that I connected with her most because of her details and innocence. The t rilogy represents three phases of these women’s lives from their girlhood, to losing loves and the trials of marriage. Through it all, their interesting friendship changes according to the events in their lives until a sad and untimely end. I’m not sure that that I would want a friendship like Caithleen and Baba’s, but at least that had each other in the end, when the rest of the world seemed to have forgotten them. The excerpt in Colm Toibin’s anthology, The Penguin book of Irish Fiction, is from the first book in O’Brien’s trilogy called The Country Girls. For purposes of this paper, I will discuss the excerpt itself, and then the rest of the first book of O’Brien’s trilogy.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Excerpt from The Country Girls was taken from chapter fourteen. In this passage, Baba and Caithleen have just moved to Dublin to live on their own. They moved into a boarding house run by a German couple and the girls feel as if they are finally living their lives. Baba is in search of a rich man to take care of her so that she no longer has to deal with the little people in life. She drags Caithleen, who goes by Cait, to dances and bars in hopes of finding whatever she can get.

The Time Machine and Mrs. Warrens Profession as Socialist Manifesto Es

The Time Machine and Mrs. Warren's Profession as Socialist Manifesto  Ã‚   The industrial revolution was the period of greatest economic and technological growth in modern society. Starting in Europe and spreading to the world, multiple countries experienced a new definition of efficiency and productivity. Although the growth was certainly profound, many people questioned the methods with which it was achieved and the society created from its ideals. In particular, two British Authors, H.G. Wells in The Time Machine and George Bernard Shaw in Mrs. Warren's Profession provide critiques of capitalism and industrialization. Both members of the Fabian society present pictures of a seemingly content world, which, when examined, reveal the degeneration of modern society, Shaw looking from the present, Wells from the future. Through portrayals of ostensibly prosperous worlds and the conflicts that arise between characters with differing views, both literary works successfully show the disadvantages of the new economic system and predict its destructive consequence s in the present and the future. Unlike their revolutionary communist counterparts, Fabians advocated gradual reform of the capitalist regime by working within the system. Through both emotional and logical appeal, Fabians attempted to sway the public towards greater policies of human rights and equity, creating the basis for modern leftist parties, such as the British Labour party or the democrats of the United States. Shaw and Wells, two of the founders of the party, appeal to the people through both morals and entertainment value in order to powerfully convey the Fabian cause. The Time Machine applies a vision of a disturbing, advanced world to current society, warn... ... change society, as in The Time Machine, or is just entering the social arena, as in Mrs. Warren's Profession, it is obvious what the fair and moral choice is in both literary works. No matter how they approach it, both literary works provide compelling arguments against social stratification and industrialization, providing only undesirable choices for the audience unless society can overhaul itself. The two stories provide similar critiques of any system promoting class conflicts and exploitation. However different, both present a scene of a seemingly content world, a scene that is shattered when viewed from a closer level. When applied to modern society, both present the view that although the growth of industrialization is undeniable, it is questionable as to whether society truly reached a more desirable end, given the consequences that stem from our progress.

Inner City

1. Financial Ratios— †¢Liquidity Ratio: measure the availability of cash to pay debt. Current Ratio = Current assets/ Current Liabilities 262,515/ 285,030= 0. 92 There is a problem meeting its short term obligations The best way to improve this ratio and better position the business to cover its short-term obligations is to better manage current liabilities (accounts payables).Generate more profit (cash) out of each sale by increasing profit (as long as it is competitive within the industry), reducing costs of goods sold (making the product with less cost or providing services with less costs) or finding efficiencies throughout the operating cycle. †¢Asset Management Ratio: indicate how successfully a company is utilizing its assets to generate revenues. Inventory Turnover= COGS/ Average inventory 1,428,730/ 18,660= 76. 57 Indicate a shortage or inadequate inventory levels, which may lead to a loss in business.Average days to sell the inventory= 365 days/ inventory t urnover ratio 365/ 76. 57= 4. 8 Measure of the number of times inventory is sold or used in a time period (a year). A low turnover rate might point to overstocking, obsolescence, or deficiencies in the product line or marketing effort. On the other hand, a high turnover rate might indicate inadequate inventory levels, which can lead to a loss in business, as the inventory is too low (stock shortages). Receivables Turnover= Sales/ Accounts Receivable 1,784,080/ 242,320= 7. 36 A low ratio implies the company should re-assess its credit policies in order o ensure the timely collection of imparted credit that is not earning interest for the firm. Days Receivable= 365/ Receivables Turnover 365/7. 36= 49. 6= 50 The receivables turnover ratio is used to calculate how well a company is managing their receivables. Total assets turnover= Net Sales Revenue/ Average Total Assets 1,784,080/ 294,565= 6. 06 Measures the efficiency of a Co. use of its assets in generating sales revenue. Companies w ith low profit margins tend to have high asset turnover, while those with high profit margins have low asset turnover. Debt Management Ratio: measure the firm's use of Financial Leverage and ability to avoid financial distress in the long run. The use of debt can improve returns to stockholders in good years and increase their losses in bad years. Debt Ratio= Total Liabilities (Total Debt)/ Total Assets (285,030+ 15,000)/ 294,565= 1. 02 All assets are financed by creditors and some losses are covered by creditors. Indicates the proportion of a company's debt to its total assets. It shows how much the company relies on debt to finance assets. The higher the ratio, the greater the risk associated with the firm's operation.A low debt ratio indicates conservative financing with an opportunity to borrow in the future at no significant risk. †¢Profitability Ratio: represents the % of total sales that Co. retains after incurring the direct costs (variable costs) associated with produc ing the goods sold. Return on Assets= Net Income/ Average Assets 17,610/ 294,565= 5. 98% Indicates that the company is asset heavy. Net Profit Margin= Net Income/ Sales Revenue 17,610/ 1,784,080= 0. 987% A high percentage of each dollar generated by the company in revenue is actual profit Gross Profit Margin= 1,784,080-1,428,730)/ 1,784,080= . 20% Indicates that gross margin isn’t large enough to cover other expenses beyond cost of goods sold. Purpose of margins is to determine the value of incremental sales, and to guide pricing and promotion decision. Understanding and monitoring gross margins can help business owners avoid pricing problems, losing money on sales, and ultimately stay in business. Helps avoid offering prices that are too low or have costs that are too high to ultimately make a profit. 2. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats— †¢Strengths: Fast Service/ delivery- supplied paint to contractors within 24 hours, -Steady growth in its mark et, -Competitive price, -Cheap rent/ low overhead costs- gives a competitive advantage, -Cheap employee wages- nonunion organization, -Low production costs- low cost and high quality paint, -Excess capacity †¢Weaknesses: -Unorganized- operating with no management or financial controls, -Lack of consistent and reliable inventory control system, -No customer record (manual count): wastes too much time, -No office space, no billing records, no shipping information -Undesirable ocation and building is in poor condition: old plant, and old equipment (dusty, dirty environment) -No sales personnel, -No computer, no database, -Inexperienced/ unskilled employees, -Lack of delegation and employee empowerment -Narrow product line, -Bad cash flow: insufficient financial resources to fund any changes, -Culture, -Lack of customer confidence: customer perception as a company that negotiates price and unreliable to fill large orders. -Lag between time when they are paying their suppliers and e mployees versus time it takes to collect receivables from customers (30-60 days) †¢Opportunities: Expand product range: go after different segments, -Purchasing a computer to organize data and reduce needless paperwork, -Increase market share by taking large orders, -Hiring professional salesmen to ensure consistent growth and accountants/ consultants to identify problems and solutions: Lower cost of goods sold, lower expenses due to Walsh’s salary, and lower bad debt. †¢Threats: -Market is in slow growth- housing market and overall economy, -High bargaining power of suppliers -High threat of substitutes: larger Co are more reliable Threat of new entrants,low entry barriers in paint manufacturing industry -Rumors that company is in difficult financial straits- unable to pay suppliers and owes a lot for payment on previous taxes, -No audit has been performed= IRS penalties: Wash did not include his income taxes in his income statement; he owes $38,510 in taxes. 3. Re commendations— Within 30 Days: †¢Pay his taxes before he gets audited †¢Collect bad debt from clients †¢Hire personnel to assist in various tasks -Salesmen and accounting managers †¢Grow business and solve current financial problems Within 90 Days: Inner City Paint should keep records of inventory, finances, billing info. -They should invest in a computer and keep all records in a database to automatically calculate changes. †¢Take a cut in high salaries †¢Find and research new suppliers -To be able to provide timely delivery for large orders †¢Minimize COGS Beyond 90 Days: †¢Buy more equipment and trucks †¢Improve management skills and create policies †¢Earn business of larger clients †¢Manage business and growth of the company and to be able to acquire companies in the future that help attaining a larger market share.

Air Operated Four Wheeler

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4Ãâ€"4 (â€Å"four by four†) is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drive train that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously. While many people associate the term with off-road vehicles, powering all four wheels provides better control in normal road cars on many surfaces, and is an important part of rally racing. In abbreviations such as 4Ãâ€"4, the first figure is the number of wheels; the second is the number of powered wheels. 4Ãâ€"2 mearns a four-wheel vehicle in which engine power is transmitted to only two wheels the front two in front-wheel drive or the rear two in rear-wheel drive. The main objective of our project is to perform to introduce the advance technology in the field of automobile.Here the four wheeler is carry out for the purpose of changing the gears using with the help of air power. Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living mearns of transport. Most often they are manufactured ( e. g. bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft), although some other mearns of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks. Vehicles may be propelled or pulled by animals, for instance, a chariot, a stagecoach, a mule-drawn barge, or an ox-cart. However, animals on their own, though used as a mearns of transport, are not called vehicles, but rather beasts of burden or draft animals.This distinction includes humans carrying another human, for example a child or a disabled person. A rickshaw is a vehicle that may carry a human and be powered by a human, but it is the mechanical form or cart that is powered by the human that is labeled as the vehicle. For some human-powered vehicles the human providing the power is labeled as a driver. Vehicles that do not travel on land often are called craft, such as watercraft, sailcraft, aircraft, hovercraft, and spacecraft Land vehicles are classified broadly by what is used to apply steering and drive forces against the ground: wheeled, tracked, railed, or skied. The true inventor of four-wheel drive is not really known; the history of such was not well recorded.In 1893, before the establishment of a modern automotive industry in Britain, English engineer Joeseph Bramah Diplock patented a four wheel drive system for a traction engine, including four-wheel steering and three differentials, which was subsequently built. The development also incorporated Bramagh's Pedrail wheel system in what was one of the first four-wheel drive automobiles to display an intentional ability to travel on challenging road surfaces. It stemmed from Bramagh's previous idea of developing an engine that would reduce the amount of damage to public roads. Ferdinand Porsche designed and built a four-wheel driven Electric vehicle for the k. u. k.Hofwagenfabrik Ludwig Lohner & Co. at Vienna in 1899, presented to the public during the 1900 World Exhibition a t Paris. The vehicle was powered by an electric hub motor at each wheel, a design later used by NASA in the lunar rover. Although clumsily heavy, the vehicle proved a powerful sprinter and record-breaker in the hands of its owner E. W. Hart. Due to its unusual status the so-called Lohner-Porsche is not widely credited as the first four-wheel driven automobile. The first four-wheel drive car, as well as hill-climb racer, with internal combustion engine, the Spyker 60 H. P. , was presented in 1903 by Dutch brothers Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker of Amsterdam.

Isolation in The Metamorphosis Essay

Franz Kafka’s short story â€Å"The Metamorphosis† centers on the theme of isolation. In the lead character’s transformation he experiences a deep isolation towards society now. What this isolation leads to is to a series of events, that cause Gregor’s isolation to grow. Eventually isolation leads to Gregor’s death. Isolation and its after effects are the central themes involved in the â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † Isolation is the state of an individual being separated from other individuals. Isolation involves both the mental state of an individual and the physical state of the individual. Further isolation also involves the individual’s belief versus societies’ believes. This paper will argue that Gregor’s transformation into a bug is a symbolic representation of one’s difficulty in accepting the isolation reality. The notion of the isolation is first realized in the author’s work in section . The reader can see that Gregor’s isolation started before the transformation occurred when Gregor mentions â€Å"That’s all I’d have to try with my boss; I’d be fired on the spot. Anyway, who knows if that wouldn’t be a very good thing for me. If I didn’t hold back for my parents’ sake, I would have quit long ago. † It is at this point that the reader realizes that Samsa was mentally isolated from the society he lived in before the transformation occurred. Gregor had wished to be free from work long before his transformation occurred, but society expected Gregor to work and to provide food for his family, something that Gregor didn’t want. Gregor’s isolation before the metamorphosis occurred was that he wanted freedom and society wanted him to work. By Gregor showing different believes than the rest of the society the reader realizes that Gregor was somehow already a loner even before the transformation occurred. The notion isolation also affects Gregor in section III. Some readers believe that Gregor Samsa’s experience is centered on Morality and Ethics. These people believe that Gregor is treated different because he is no longer a human in a physical state. However this notion limits the whole picture of why Gregor is treated differently. Gregor’s isolation towards society is true picture why he is treated differently. If the other notion of morality and ethics were to be chosen many aspects of â€Å"the Metamorphosis† would be lost. These lost would be would be the ability of the reader to see how isolation has both affected Gregor inside and outside. My notion of â€Å"the Metamorphosis† portrays events in the past that show Gregor’s isolation were morality and ethics notion lacks of. Many notions in the past have been presented to try to present what Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis really portrayed.

Stairway to Heaven Analysis

Stairway to Heaven† is a song that appears to have a little bit of everything that one would look for in music. Although it is greatly varied with many tempos and rhythms, it still produces a sound that people find enjoyable and among the most popular. As mentioned before, â€Å"Stairway to Heaven† can be divided into a number of sections. The first section lasts for about the first two minutes of the song. In this section, the dynamic Is piano-like and the tempo is quite slow, ranging from largo to adagio.An acoustic guitar plays a phrase that Is repeated and continued as lead anger Robert Plant begins his vocals about fifty seconds Into the song. An electric guitar then changes the tune which Is repeated In a strophic form manner and also with an adagio tempo. In total, this slow-moving section lasts for about four minutes. The second section of the song begins with the introduction of drums to accompany the electric guitar and vocals. This section is faster than the f irst, having a moderator tempo.The previous tune is still played albeit with some variation and a more lively sound. This includes the vocals, which also move faster with the instruments and sing a variation of the first section's vocals. There is still a strophic form contained in the second section, although the chorus is represented by the instruments rather than singing. About five and a half minutes into the song, the rhythm and melody of the song changes again. This next section contains no vocals, only the sounds of electric guitar and drums.A guitar solo played In an allegretto-allegro form dominates the section, which Is somewhat syncopated In the first half. The second half of the section is more organized. With a rondo form presented as BACKED and played by two electric guitars. In addition, the dynamic has dramatically changed from the beginning; it is no longer a soft rhythm but more similar to a mezzo forte dynamic. The final section of the song brings back vocals and a much faster tempo than the previous sections.The guitar now plays a hard rock phrase that repeats itself in the background of the vocals. The guitar and vocals go back and forth in ABA form for about forty seconds. Then, in the closing seconds of the song, one guitar plays a flowing phrase while another accompanies It with Its win tune until the last line of the song Is sung In a slow and soft tempo. The song Is composed of several forms. One Is strophic form; while not having a textual chorus, the song contains an Instrumental phrase that acts like a chorus in the first half of the song.There are also many rhythm for more than a couple of minutes. For all the sections of the song, there is polyphony among the vocals and instruments. Robert Plant sings his lines as if they were independent of the guitars, only being consistent with the pace but not the withy or pitches. The sections of the song, though vastly different, tend to transition to each other very well. The guitar is res ponsible for providing a bridge to each section, quietly changing the tempo and tune in between sections.The song is entirely in duple meter. This is easier to tell in the first couple sections of the song, where the guitar plays one quarter note after another in an adagio tempo. It is also in major form, especially the last sections. Although the first half of the song is slow and soft, it would still be insider to be in major mode based on the definition of the major key in the Western world. The beat of the song is hardly present in the first half because of the soft notes of the acoustic and electric guitar.However, as the transition from acoustic to hard rock is made, the beat's presence is greatly felt during the guitar solo and the last section of the song. Guitar and drums are the dominant instruments used in the song. It contains both acoustic and electric guitar, not often seen in songs from the sass-ass. The drums are only present in the second half of he song, and its in troduction signaled the transition from alternative to rock. The acoustic guitar is played during the intro to set up the rhythm for the song and is continued during the first vocal lines.This paves the way for the electric guitar to play a different tune with the same quiet feel. Then, during the second section, it gets faster and begins to sound more like a rock song. As it goes on, it changes tempo and rhythm and is eventually played fast and with passion. In addition, one is able to determine which notes the guitar will play as it is more organized than the earlier parts of the song where it was playing all different notes with different pitches and tempo.

Reflective Report for a Group Presentation

[pic] Reflective Report Introduction After finishing the presentation and looking back on the effort we've made as a 4-member team, I can clearly see that we had a lot of strengths but also a lot of weaknesses as a team. The result of what we have achieved is that our presentation was one of the best. My experience at the University of Greenwich so far I've been a student in University of Greenwich since October, and I can honestly say that I am more than pleased with the lessons I've attended. The majority of the teachers are highly educated, so that gives us the opportunity to learn more things through the experience they have and as Albert Einstein said †The only source of knowledge is experience†. I think since studying at the University of Greenwich of all my expectations have been met through the material our teachers provide us. Generally, the high standard of all the courses makes me try more and more and gives me motivation, forgetting the difficulties I face. I feel very comfortable being with my other colleagues and since I am a student of the University I became very social and the good knowledge of the English language gives me an advantage that other students don't have. The advantage of working as a group Thinking back on the experience of our group exercise I can hopefully say that I met my expectations fair enough. Unfortunately, we faced a problem with the presentation so we couldn't show some pictures of what we were describing. Working with the other 3 colleagues, taught me cooperation with other people, something that all of us will definitely meet through our ‘’working life’’. It was very beneficial to work as a team because as Ken Blanchard said †None of us is as smart as all of us†. That means that one mind is better than one and the teamwork provides more ideas that an individual person. So, the result of our presentation came from the feedback we received from the other colleagues, who were very satisfied with our work. A problem we had as a team was that it was sometimes difficult to arrange the time we could meet to finish the presentation. That thing was caused by the different schedules everyone had, which is acceptable. Conclusion Ending my reflective report, it is clear that working with other colleagues, makes me improve my working skills as a result of knowing the difficulties I will probably face in a real working environment. It is known that this exercise will also help me during the first year, since i would have more experience than before in other presentations more difficult than this one. References 1) †The only source of knowledge is experience. † Albert Einstein / March 14th 1879 – April 18th 1955 / theoretical physicist 2) †None of us is as smart as all of us. † Ken Blanchard / born May 6th 1939 / American author and management expert