Should Companies Have the Right to Monitor Employees’ E-Mails and Phone Conversations?

Should Companies Have The Right To Monitor Employees’ E-mails And Phone Conversations? Employees watch out when using communication, whether e-mail or phone, at work, you never know who may be listening. Should companies have the right to monitor employees’ e-mails and phone conversation? Most studies believe that they, employers, do have the right to monitor the e-mail and phone conversations of their employees, as long as they are notified of the fact. There is a tremendous amount of literature on this issue but it all seems to lean towards the right of the employers. The most notable law enacted law that allows employee monitoring was in 1986. It was the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (it. ojp. gov). Although the actual service providers are not allowed to monitor communications it does allow employees to monitor communications. Most cases brought to court by employees have a tendency to be decided with the employer, reiterating the employer’s right to monitor communications. There was a federal bill in 1993 to 1995 that would have made it illegal for employers to monitor employee communication without first notifying them (privacyrights. rg). But, it failed; it didn’t even have enough weight to come up for a vote. In the growing tide of worker sexual harassment cases via e-mail, and inappropriate subject matter being exchanged via e-mail, between employees, employers have more issues than ever that they need to protect themselves from litigation for. In a case involving the e-mail monitoring of an employee (Smith vs. Pi llsbury Co. ), the employee was actually dismissed, due to the fact that he sent an e-mail to another worker stating that â€Å"kill the backstabbing bastards† referring to members of sales (Perritt). E-mail and Internet monitoring of employees is stated to be increasing more every year. At the time that the law allowing it was enacted, 1986, approximately thirty-six percent of employees were monitoring e-mail and Internet of employees. It is estimated now that more than half of all employers monitor their employees e-mail and Internet communication. In essence, these electronic pieces of equipment belong to the employers and the employees are only using them for the express purpose of the work being done. Misuse of e-mails or even web browsing, reflects poorly upon the company and its productivity and leaves the company open to litigation. Take into consideration the numerous charges in the news of police that have been dismissed for pornography found upon their computers. This is a very graphic example of misuse of electronic equipment. Not to mention the potential for this same inappropriate material being sent to other employees via e-mail. It is believed that more than two-thirds of employers in 2007 were monitoring e-mails and web browsing. That number was predicted to increase every year and it is believed that more than half of all employers do so now, or have software that does it for them. Imagine for instance the employee that spends hours on the phone chatting with buddies instead of doing the required work. This translates to profit lost through this inappropriate time spent on the phone. It is not necessarily lawful for the employer to monitor personal phone calls (Watkins vs. L. M. Berry & Co), but they are allowed to, even though there are restrictions upon employers monitoring personal phone calls (Manning, Rita C). In the issue of employers monitoring employee phone calls—that are not customer calls—federal law allows for employers to do this, unannounced, with the exception of personal phone calls. But in the area of personal calls they do have options that make it lawful, especially if they warn against personal calls beforehand. Although, when they are monitoring calls of employees with clients they are required to disclose that they are to the clients, they must state that they are possibly monitoring this phone call. Some would argue that the monitoring of e-mail sent from work, especially personal e-mails, is inappropriate. The same people would argue against monitoring of web browsing of employees. They believe that just because someone becomes your employee doesn’t mean they give up all their privacy rights. In one instance, it was argued that if an employee wrote a note to a friend with a work pencil and paper would this make it applicable to monitoring by the employer, as it was written with their pencil and paper. This is what employers are arguing when they state that they an employee is using their electronics, so therefore monitoring is applicable. Still others would argue that privacy in the workplace is a moral matter (Michael J. Meyer, SCU Professor). â€Å"they are entitled to respect, which requires attention to their privacy. If a boss were to monitor every conversation or move, most of us would think of such an environment as more like a prison then a humane workplace. † But in the case of phone calls or e-mails some would believe that (William Parent, â€Å"Privacy and Morality and the Law†) here should be put in place criteria for determining which invasion of privacy is justifiable. William Parent proposes that the employer should apply six questions to review whether their act of monitoring is allowable or not and that this would offer guidance. But most would agree that while it is legal for employers to monitor, it does not make it right. Realistically, most worke rs are at work sometimes more than forty hours per week. So if they take the time to make a personal phone call during that huge length of time, should they really expose themselves to possible dismissal? Then there are those employers that are unafraid to state that they are against losing their employee trust by means of monitoring. Scott Paddock, manager of PC Brokers stated, â€Å"†¦if I spent time monitoring their web usage, I would be just as guilty of wasting time as my behavior implies they are. † (Everyday Surveillance: Vigilance and Visibility in Postmodern Life). Numerous reports of trust are noted in reports that have debated the issue of employer’s rights to monitor phone conversations. Rita C. Manning of Journal of Business Ethics was quoted as saying, â€Å"What is missing in these communities is trust†. But trust notwithstanding, due to the recent and well publicized news on inappropriate communication practices in the workplace through viewing of pornography, sending pornography via e-mail, and receipt of pornography, monitoring is showing itself to be a needed commodity for employers. Should employees have the right to monitor employees’ phone and e-mail? Yes, they should, unfortunately. The possibility of misuse—evident from recent news reports—gives them the right to protect themselves from any possible future litigation. There are valid arguments for and against the workplace monitoring of employee e-mails and phone calls. Those that are for it, tend to feel that because workers are on company time and using company property, they should be subject to monitoring while using these resources. Those that don’t agree with this view believe that a person’s right to privacy does not end at the workplace. They believe that wherever a person is, they have the right to privacy.

Analysis of Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish”

Esther Zamora Jon Schneiderman ENC1102-09 03/12/2013 Analysis of Elizabeth Bishop’s â€Å"The Fish† All battered and scarred from many years of trials, Grandma always has a smile on her face. Grandpa died when she was still young, her three sons have also died, and only her two daughters remain. In spite of these difficulties in her life, she manages to be happy and accepting of what life has tossed her way. An older person has scars from life and doesn’t have the strength to fight for it. The elderly have gone through many trials and afflictions that life has tossed at them.With age, they have gained wisdom and understanding through these hardships. Life has a tendency to cruelly throw darts at humanity without any kind of reservation or remorse. In Elisabeth Bishop’s â€Å"The Fish,† the narrator is the fisher woman. Upon catching a tremendous fish and analyzing it carefully, she is reminded of her life. She notices the fish is not fighting to sta y alive. He just hung there, still, and ready to die. This reminds her of her own life. She is now faced with the memory of the many scars that life has brought her.She’s not willing to fight as she once did. Age has really taken a toll on her, demanding her once youthful strength. The author speaks of the fish saying, â€Å"He hung a grunting weight, battered and vulnerable and homely† (7-9). The fisher woman found a similarity with her life and the fish’s life. She made a distinct connection between her life and this small creature. Older and more experienced, the fisher woman is reminded of her past afflictions. Now old and gray which are signs of aging, as the fish’s lips that give away his age.The lips are an important sign because the hooks and lines they have in their mouth demonstrates their experience. The fish in the poem declares â€Å"hung five pieces of fish- line† (51), showing how many times the fish had previously been caught and re leased again. Each line represents the many endeavors the fish had accomplished by conquering those hooks. As with people who overcome adversity and scars inhabit their life, the fish also has scars that remain as an indication of previous struggles. Wisdom and understanding is gained as things in life happen.For the fish, he gains wisdom and understanding each time he escaped a net or a line which is shown by his scars. A person gains wisdom and understanding with the trials they are faced with and that age has brought them. These are reminders to people as well as for fish. A person may have loved ones who have passed away, or possibly experienced some kind of trauma. All these tribulations serve for gaining wisdom and understanding in life. In conclusion, the fisher woman, by looking and observing the fish closely, is reminded of all the previous trials she had in her life.The scars in his lips, the â€Å"five-haired beard of wisdom† (62) helps her think of herself. She no tices the rainbow of colors reflecting from the oil on the boat, reminding her of the fish’s accomplishments. Even though the fish is small, it somehow provokes a sense of relation with herself. She relates these attributes of the fish with maturity, adversity, trials, wisdom, and understanding. She encounters a close identification with the fish. Filled by this emotional connection and compassion for the fish, she let him go.

Adolf Hitler- Outline

HAUWA HARUNA A00013111 Ethics and leadership (PHIL 300) 6th JUNE 2012 My Leader: Outline Background of Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was born on the 20th of April 1889 in a small town in Austria called Brannua. He was raised in a broken home and was abused by his father while growing up. Hitler was known to have a keen interest in art and actually applied to an art school in Vienna but was turned down. He later began a career in the military as a messenger to deliver instructions to generals behind enemy lines and return with feed back to commanders.During his time as a corporal, Hitler received awards for bravery several times and was also given the highest military honor in Germany known as the â€Å"iron cross†. After the war, Hitler returned to Germany to begin his rise to power. Thesis Statement Hitler though a very controversial character was able to bring about a lot of prosperity in Germany through his ideals experienced its largest growth sprout, but he is not remembered for any of his positive achievements but his crimes against humanity.Method * Critically examining general accepted leadership qualities in comparison to those displayed by Hitler. * Highlighting key strong points as well as flaws in his leadership style * Gardners Leadership trait model Stamina, Vitality Eagerness to accept responsibility Intelligence, task competence, Understanding follower’s needs Interpersonal skills Capacity to motivate Need for achievement and Self-confidenceFirst Sub-topic Hitler as a master of strategy Second Sub-topic Adolf’s achievements Third Sub-topic Positive contradictions in his leadership style Fourth Sub-topic Negative contradictions in his approach to leading Germany Conclusion Website Links http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/adolf-hitler. htm http://www. nsba. org/sbot/toolkit/LeadQual. html http://www. johndclare. net/Weimar7. htm

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 73

Summary - Essay Example Serious and violent felonies are exclusively listed in state regulations. Violent offenses comprise of murder, burglary of a home in which a dangerous or deadly weapon is used, rape plus other sex offenses. Severe offenses comprise of the same offenses defined as violent offenses, but also take in other crimes such as burglary of a home and assault with an intention to commit a murder or robbery. This regulation also punishes habitual offenders (Walker 1). The law of imposing longer jail sentences for habitual offenders than first-time offenders who commit a similar crime. This is because Judges also take into consideration previous offenses before sentencing. Nevertheless, there is a more up to date history of mandatory prison sentences for habitual offenders. For instance, New York has a law, Persistent Felony Offender, which dates back to 19th century (Walker 2). Such sentences were, however, not obligatory in all cases, and judges had much more caution than before as to what term of imprisonment may be imposed. The three strikes law, however, works. Take a state like California for instance. Violent crimes, especially murder, have gone down in the Los Angeles area, plus other areas of the southland (Garvey 1). Homicide count in Los Angeles in the year 2010 was 297. This was less than a third of the 1992 homicides that were 1000 (Garvey 1). However, this might only be a correlation and not underlying, as violent crime has also gone down in other parts of California where the three strikes rule is not obligatory. It should also be renowned that punishments for murder are exceptionally harsh. Murder results in tremendously long sentences, life sentences without the likelihood of parole or even a death penalty (Garvey 1). Even though, it is a first conviction, murder still overshadows any curb effect of the three strikes law. Nevertheless, there is some proof that offenders on their last strike are more anxious to flee

Plurilingualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Plurilingualism - Essay Example As per the council records, German Language is the most widely spoken mother tongue while English, French, and Italian follow in this order. English is the most spoken foreign language with French and German following it. About 56% of european union citizens can hold a conversation in one language apart from their mother tongue. (Eurobarometer 243) Since the setting up of EU, there has been more close relationships between member countries in all the spheres such a economic, trade, education etc. The different cultures and languages in different countries is causing problems in day-to-day routine functioning as people are unable to freely disuss issues. This has necessitated the need for people who are able to understand more than one language. Plurilingualism, therefore can also be defined as the wide range of attempts to stabilize multilingual societies by fostering high levels of individual plurilingual competence. This approach places focus on Language teaching and learning, This also encompasses all categories of linguistic rights, legislation, policies, that affect the relationships between different communities. In this context, the Council of Europe, which closely monitors the linguistic and cultural environment in the continent, is now focusing on the language teaching and learning process. It has decided to encourage the concept of plurilingualism such that people of European union are able to freely mingle with each other. This basically is not only the need to converse in more than one language but the need to understand and appreciate cultures or ideas different from one's own. It now becomes a much broader concept dealing with the understanding of different cultures and languages. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, drawn up by Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe is a document that sets out to popularize plurilingualism. (Council of Europe, 1996) The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, or CEFR, was put together by the Council of Europe as the main part of the project "Language Learning for European Citizenship" between 1989 and 1996. It is aimed to provide a method of assessing and teaching which applies to all languages in Europe. Thus because of plurilingualism, an individual person's experience of language in its cultural contexts expands and he builds up a communicative skill to which all knowledge and experience of language contributes. Thus a person can easily achieve effective communication with different people understanding different languages. This language policy fosters the capacity to coexist. The pluricultural education enables th e citizens to accept differences between different cultures, establish constructive relations with others, solve conflicts by nonviolent means, take on responsibilities, participate in decision-making and use mechanisms to protect people's rights. Since language is the most important social and cultural mark of identity, the education for plurilingualism and pluriculturalism promotes tolerance of other's viewpoint and remove the obstacles that hinder people's active participation in an increasingly globalized world. The knowledge and use of other languages other than one's mother tongue can be our safeguard in the fight

Human Resource Strategies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resource Strategies - Case Study Example It has Discount Stores, Supercenters (for one-stop shopping), and Neighborhood Markets (convenience stores). It also operates Sam's Club, America's leading members-only warehouse club (Our Retail Divisions 2007). Being the leader not just in a particular industry but to the whole business world as a whole in terms of revenues is a result of effective policies, plans, and strategies against its competitors. In case of Wal-Mart, their competitive advantage lies on how well and effective they make their principles into reality. Wal-Mart considers its corporate culture as one of the keys for its outstanding success. Walton was able instill his inspiring and motivating beliefs and principles that is being abided and taken by heart by his employees then, until now. Wal-Mart has retained the culture based on tested principles for a successful business and life (The Wal-Mart Culture 2007). The cornerstones by which Wal-Mart stands on are its Three Basic Beliefs. These three main thrust play an important role in decision making and other activities the company does. They are also the standards by which the accomplishments and performances of individual personnel or of the entire organization is measured. Respect the Individual - Wal-Mart believes that they are a group of dedicated, hardworking and ordinary individuals who are united "to make extraordinary things." Being an organization as such is no easy task. One of the essentials of making this happen goal happen is to treat each individual member within and outside the organization with respect and dignity. Service to our Customers - The retail giant knows that they are nothing without their customers. Because of this the company strives to ensure that each of the hard-earned dollar spent by their customers to their service is compensated accordingly by offering quality merchandise at the lowest price while providing outstanding service to them. Strive for Excellence - Wal-Mart's amazing success is a product of innovative and trailblazing ideas and goals that stretch their horizons further. For Walton, it is not enough that Wal-Mart offers low prices or high quality. He believed that striving for excellence by incorporating fresh and innovative ideas that will get them ahead of the pack. Accomplishing a feat is not enough. Complacency is never attained at Wal-Mart as the company takes each accomplishment as a stepping stone for another success. Sustainable improvement is what Walton wants for his organization (Three Basic Beliefs 2007). Sam's Rules for Building Businesses Perhaps still unsatisfied with the brevity of his three basic beliefs, Walton elaborated ten rules that would rev up his business steps higher. Together with the three basic beliefs, he had revealed much of his secrets before his death in April 1992. Commit to your business - The unwavering passion for making the business a phenomenal success is what Walton instilled in the minds and the hearts of his employees. For him the love for work and the desire to excel in it is needed in this fiercely competitive world. Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners. - For Walton encouraging his associates to hold a stake in a company is important for them to accompany Wal-Mart in pursuing their dreams. By offering them discounted

The factors restraining investment in the oil and gas industry Dissertation

The factors restraining investment in the oil and gas industry - Dissertation Example Investment is an important source of capital for growth in the developing countries. It provides a package of new technologies, management techniques, finance and market access for the production of goods and services; and thus contributes significantly to raise the productivity in the host countries in attaining their overall economic growth. An investment is been determined by balance, opportunity, and risk, which are relative concepts, especially with respect to Exploration activities. Opportunity involved in finding commercial quantities of oil and gas, the intensive capital required for undertaking exploration and production result in significant business risks. In many developing countries, the transformation from an agricultural and resource based economy to the export-led economy has contributed to higher energy consumption. Although they are oil & gas reserves located in those countries; very few had sufficient financial resources for the upstream investments, especially for the development of oil & gas exploration and production. Government can promote investment opportunity by adopting a proactive approach to selecting foreign partner towards improving entry procedure moreover, reducing red tape in oil and gas sector operation. However, many countries had granted development rights to foreign Companies, which have adequate capital, technology, and expertise; still some foreign Companies are not investing in those countries for many reasons.

Book ReviewBrief ReportSocial Systems Analysis Essay

Book ReviewBrief ReportSocial Systems Analysis - Essay Example Kotlowitz is believed to have asked their mother for permission to write about her boys and their family and surroundings. Allowing him to do so, the mother had famously said that there were no children in the Henry Horner Homes meaning that the brutal living conditions prevailing there had robbed the youngsters of their innocence. Alex Kotlowitz's hard hitting tale of the Rivers family exposes Chicago's underbelly and laying bare the harsh truth of the extreme poverty, hopelessness, racial discrimination, violence and insecurity of life that defines the world of the ghetto people. Inadequate schools, welfare dependence, governmental apathy, unemployment as well as lack of skills, drug wars and so on all play a major role in the plight of American inner-city life. The book chronicles the breakdown of the entire community where pain and sorrow is such a constant it is not acknowledged. Where young children harden early having attended more funerals than feasts and needing to run home from school to try and avoid being killed in crossfire and so live another day. Thus in another poignant quote, Lafeyette only 10 years old, observes matter-of-factly that if (not when) he grows up he would like to be a bus driver. In spite of all the seemingly hopeless, directionless confusion, the author believes things can still be turned round and tries to do his bit for the two boys by funding their education. However, this is just a drop in the ocean and drastic measures are required to ensure children are not deprived of their childhood. At another level of analysis, the Rivers family, central to Kotlowitz's story of the 'projects' lends itself to an investigation of the social system that seems to be the norm in areas like Horners Homes. It meets the requirement of Parsons'(Parsons, T. 1951, p5 as cited in Andrew Roberts) definition of a social system that says: A social system consists in a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other in a situation which has at least a physical or environmental aspect, actors who are motivated in terms of a tendency to the "optimization of gratification" and whose relation to their situations, including each other, is defined and mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and shared symbols." However, this social system fails to hold together when Parsons' AGIL model required for the 'orderly smoothly functioning society is applied to it. For a social system to survive Parson identified four basic needs also called social system needs or functional needs. In other words to strive towards social equilibrium or a smoothly functioning society, any social system would need to have as goals the following: Adaptation, Goal-attainment, Integration and Latency or pattern maintenance Adaptation: This refers to adaptation of a society to its eco-system. This requires a mechanism to allocate resources and in a social system would be directed by the economy. Goal-attainment: To use resources to achieve certain ends, social systems usually rely on political institutions to help achieve the goals. Integration: To maintain internal order, to ensure values are maintained and symbolized, social systems follow various religions. Integration also maintains a solidarity that

Wikis International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wikis International Business - Assignment Example However, the runaway corruption in these countries complicates the operation of the multinational companies. This situation gives rise to the problem of bribery that intertwines with corruption. It is almost impossible to mention bribery without thinking of corruption. The corruption that arises out of bribery erodes the economic and social lives of people and businesses. It is important to fight corruption because it discourages investor confidence that lowers the economic growth of a country. A weak economy puts a heavy burden on people by lowering their living standards. Corruption in these developing countries has adversely affected the ethics of international business. Bribery in international business usually takes place in big tendering processes and contracts. The Rolls-Royce case is an example of such a deal where a company pays significant amounts in bribery to secure a lucrative deal. Many companies have resorted to illegal means of obtaining contracts due to the stiff competition in the international market. Corruption has become a legitimate cost of doing business with countries that require infrastructure or are rich in natural resources. Countries such as Nigeria and Brazil have an abundance of natural resources yet at the same time still require infrastructural development. These companies’ primary goal is to make profits, and they are, therefore, willing to do anything to beat their competitors and stay in business. However, there are a few measures that the MNEs can implement to put a stop to the scourge of bribery. Multinational companies often pay hefty bribes to corrupt officials who are immune from judicial processes in these emerging markets. It, therefore, demands collective action on the part of these companies in order to change the dynamics of this corrupt game. They should further form a partnership with the civil society. Intermediaries are the ones that conduct most transactions for MNEs working abroad. The

Current Event- Foxconn Essay Example for Free

Current Event- Foxconn Essay Having a business in the electronic industry is difficult because this industry is very competitive. To stay at the same level as other competitors or rise above, companies have to be more innovative and efficient. Companies are often under pressure to find the lowest-cost providers, and typically are free to look globally. This is where outsourcing and offshoring comes into effect, along with the difficulty in finding balance in the corporation when dealing with different societies and their culture. In order to stay at the same level as other companies or rise above, Apple Inc. outsourced and offshored its jobs to many countries. This article shows that Apple, being a multination corporation (MNC), has a blend of polycentric and regio-centric predisposition management strategies, dealing with human rights and labor practices. Apple at first made management decisions that were tailored to suit the culture, in this case, China; however, over the years, Apple has been scrutinized for their human rights and labor practices due to offshoring and outsourcing of jobs. In 2010 there were numerous amounts of suicides that occurred within the factories that Apple outsourced its jobs to. These suicides were due to bad working and living conditions, which stemmed from 60 hour work weeks, low pay, abuse on the job and countless other reasons. Since Apple subcontracted their business to other companies, in this case Foxconn in China, Foxconn can manage their facility the way they want to, to a certain extent. There are many reasons as to why there have been many suicides at these overseas factories. However, one major contributing factor to the numerous suicides is the abuse that workers deal with. It has been reported that managers of Foxconn have been known to abuse workers for mistakes or missing deadlines. According to Trompeanaars’ cultural dimensions, this abuse could be due to China being a particularistic culture, in which conflicts can arise when doing business with another country which has a universalistic culture. And this is where the obligations of Apple being a MNC comes into play. Does Apple adopt the regulations of the U.S. or those in China? It seems to me that Apple decides to do some of both. Since Apple has many suppliers in different countries, it is only fitting to believe that Apple is changing its’ management decisions, concentrating on human rights and labor practices, towards region-centric strategies for profitability and public acceptance. Some of the more difficult to understand or solve ethical problems occur as corporations do business in other societies where ethical standards differ from those at home. This article also ties into corporate social responsibility (CSR). As a response to the many suicides in 2010, Apple created the Supplier Responsibility Progress Report to help drive the change that needed to occur in the ethical aspect of the company. This report consisted of: driving change, empowering employees, protecting foreign contract workers, preventing underage labor, monitoring compliance (through audits), responding to suicides, holding suppliers accountable, and moving forward. To further enhance the company’s CSR, in March, Apple and its Foxconn supplier reached an agreement to increase wages from 16 to 25 percent, and to improve working conditions for the 1.2 million workers assembling Apple products. Since Apple Inc has outsourced and offshored the business to other companies, it continues to deal with ethical issues the most. Although Apple has created and implemented policies to bring more balance between the different societies and cultures, there will still be issues because there is no universally adopted standard for what is acceptable behavior. However, since Apple is considered a top leader in the electronic industry, implementation of improved labor practices and human rights can help other western companies to bring about change; as well as how they do business in not only China, but other countries where there are difficulties in dealing with different societies and cultures.

Democratic Unionist Party: History and Ideology

Democratic Unionist Party: History and Ideology James Montgomery Part A Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. As well as being the largest party in Northern Ireland, they are also currently holding eight seats at Westminster and 38 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It also has one seat in the European Parliament, where its MEP, Diane Dodds, sits as a Non-Inscrit. History of the Democratic Unionist Party The party was established in 1971 by Ian Paisley and Desmond Boal and other members of the Protestant Unionist Party. Since its foundation it has won seats at local council, province, national and European level. It won eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly of 1973-1974, where it opposed the formation of a power-sharing executive made up of unionists and nationalists following the Sunningdale Agreement. The establishment of this political party arguably stemmed from insecurities of the Protestant working class. The Ulster Unionist Party and the DUP took increasingly divergent stances in multiparty talks in the mid-1990s, and the DUP boycotted the talks when Sinn Fà ©in was admitted in 1997. The product of the talks, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement) on steps leading to a new power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, was rejected by the DUP, which denounced the new Northern Ireland Assembly as a dilution of British sovereignty and objected to the inclusion of Sinn Fà ©in in the assembly and the new executive body (the Northern Ireland Executive Committee) and to the release of paramilitary prisoners. Paisley was then elected as one of Northern Irelands three European Parliament members at the first elections in 1979 and retained that seat in every European election until 2004. In 2004 Paisley was replaced as the DUP MEP by Jim Allister, who resigned from the party in 2007 while retaining his seat. It has long been the principal rival to the other major unionist party, the Ulster Unionist Party (known for a time in the 1970s and 1980s as the Official Unionist Party (OUP) to distinguish it from the then multitude of other unionist parties, some set up by deposed former leaders). However, the DUPs main rivals are currently Sinn Fà ©in. Ideology The DUP describes itself as â€Å"right wing in the sense of being strong on the constitution,† but â€Å"to the left on social policies,† though it has regularly adopted conservative positions on most social issues. Its constituency spans rural communities in Northern Ireland and inner-city working-class areas and includes some deeply religious groups, a fact that reflects the fundamentalism and anti-Catholicism of the party’s leader. The DUP staunchly supports union with Britain. Citing the territorial claims in the Irish constitution, which the party viewed as illegal and a threat to the security and religious freedom of Protestants in Northern Ireland, the DUP traditionally avoided all contact with the Irish government. In the early 21st century, however, the party moderated its stance on a number of issues, most notably its long-time opposition to Sinn Fà ©in’s participation in any power-sharing institution. Democratic Unionist Party Policies Housing The case for investment in housing is a compelling one. House building has a hugely positive impact upon the local economy, creating and sustaining jobs not just in the construction sector, but also in professional services and retail. A safe, secure and warm home also produces health and educational benefits. The DUP say they would seek to: â€Å"Examine how a single regulator for the whole housing sector could be created† I actually disagree with this policy as I believe multiple regulators would be rather more successful and fortuitous in the long term. I don’t see any benefits from having just a single regulating group for this sector. Wouldn’t the roles and responsibilities be better carried out and completed if they were given to individual specialists? â€Å"Seek to extend the programme of installing carbon monoxide monitors in social homes† As recent building regulations in Northern Ireland dictate, all new homes must be built with carbon monoxide alarms, due to the large number of fatalities that the poisonous gas is causing, especially in Northern Ireland. The DUP have made this a policy of theirs which will either stricken the regulations or expand them, ensuring every household with in â€Å"x† number of years has at least one. This policy could only be seen as a positive and really a necessity. â€Å"Engage with telecommunications companies with a view to developing a roll out programme to provide affordable broadband access in social housing† â€Å"Assist first time buyers including through a graduate home loan scheme for those with degrees in subjects crucial to improving our economy such as STEM, finance and business† Environment The DUP’s environmental policy places emphasis on promoting renewable energy, reducing pollution and preserving the Province’s countryside and wildlife. As well as the DUP saying they plan for Northern Ireland to reach a carbon neutral state they also mention that that their ministers would seek to: Aim to secure 40% of our energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, assisting small scale renewable energy generation, ensuring simplified processes to secure approval for renewable projects, publishing a Northern Ireland Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy and seeking to establish the Province as a renewable manufacturing hub â€Å"Support Research and Development in renewable and low carbon technologies† â€Å"Increase the number of schools involved in the Eco-Schools programme† â€Å"Promote low energy lighting and fittings in public buildings† Planning The DUP aims to improve quality of life across the Province through measures that will empower communities to help themselves, assist the most disadvantaged people whilst also in the process of regenerating urban areas. They also point out that just one poorly maintained property can drag an entire estate or area down so they claim that they will explore means for agencies to carry out any necessary work and be compensated retrospectively when individuals persistently fail to maintain acceptable standards. They also plan on: Working with housing associations to scope out the potential to enhance their role in developing affordable housing and regenerating communities, whilst seeking to achieve optimum efficiency through consolidation and procurement Economic The last Programme for Government prioritised the economy. The DUP say that they will pursue the same approach over the current Assembly term, as they seek to assist the Province to emerge strongly from the recession. The DUP also say that they will have the economy and employment as two of their key priorities for the incoming four years, as they claim they will focus on: â€Å"Seek to increase exports by 50% over the next decade by supporting first-time exporters and assisting companies to diversify into new markets† â€Å"Seek to increase exports by 50% over the next decade by supporting first-time exporters and assisting companies to diversify into new markets† â€Å"Encourage firms from the Far East and elsewhere to locate European bases in Northern Ireland† â€Å"Offer student loan relief for individuals who commit to working in the Province for ten years† â€Å"Maximise benefits from the significant capital investment in tourism, particularly in 2012 with the Titanic and Ulster Covenant anniversaries and the opening of a new Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre, and Londonderry’s Year as the UK’s City of Culture in 2013†

The Modern Tragic Hero Of Gatsby English Literature Essay

The Modern Tragic Hero Of Gatsby English Literature Essay In the novel The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is a tragic hero because he displays the fundamental characteristics of modern tragic hero. He is a common man, he contains the characteristics of a tragic flaw, and he eventually has a tragic fall. Although at first glance Gatsby might not seem to be the everyday man, in reality he actually is. At one point Gatsbys past is being examined and his parents are described as shiftless and unsuccessful farm people which shows the readers that he came from humble roots and was just like everyone else (Fitzgerald 95). He was not born into wealth and privilege and did not have any special background that gave him an advantage over others. Another instance in which Gatsby is portrayed as the average man is when Nick is discussing Gatsbys past and he says, So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent(Fitzgerald 95). This shows that the persona that Gatsby has created for himself is that of any average, immature boy. As the novel progresses further you find Nick recounting Gatsbys past and describing him as being a penniless young man which again shows the reader that Gatsby is really just the common man with a big dream (Fitzgerald 141 ). This statement helps take away some of the disguise of wealth and overwhelming power, and brings him into a more human perspective. Gatsbys tragic flaw is that his view of the world is obstructed by his own naive idealism. It is very clear to the reader that Gatsby is idealistic when, while Nick is over at Gatsbys house, he reflects on Daisys and Gatsbys relationship and he notes, There must have been momentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ when Daisy tumbled short of his dreamsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ because of the colossal vitality of his illusion(Fitzgerald 92). This shows that even Nick, his best friend and the one that sticks up for Gatsby the most, sees that Gatsby perceives Daisy to be ideal and perfect. Gatsby does not see things as they really are and expects them to play out exactly as he thinks they will. An example of this is when Nick is talking to Gatsby after a party and he tells Gatsby that he cant repeat the past, and Gatsby responds, Cant repeat the past?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Why of course you can!' (Fitzgerald 106). This delusion, that he can repeat the past and redo everything, blinds Gatsby to what is going on right in fr ont of him. It seems as though he does not realize how absurd the idea of obtaining Daisy love is. Gatsbys idealism also blinds him to how Daisy really acts and what her personality is like. An example of this can be seen in the imagery of the novel. Throughout the novel white is used as imagery for pure and innocent, while yellow represents corruption. A daisy has white petals and a yellow center. This imagery relates because it shows how Gatsby perceives Daisy. All he sees is a beautiful, loving woman who loves him back and he cannot see past his own idealistic view of the perfect Daisy to the corrupt, shallow, money-loving Daisy. Another example of Gatsbys overwhelming idealism is his own self perception. Gatsby thinks as long as he surrounds himself with riches and the wealthy, that people will accept him and he can erase his former self; Gatsby the poor farm boy. This shows how he is idealistic because no matter what a person does, the former self will always be there. Later in the novel when Nick is reflecting on Gatsbys idea of Daisy he notes, He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: I never loved you.' (Fitzgerald 105). This idea is not a realistic expectation because Daisy is already married and has a family to take care of; also her religion prevents her from getting a divorce and marrying him. All these are factors block Gatsby from obtaining his ideal dream, but he seems to be blind to them. Although Gatsbys physical fall starts near the end of novel, his spiritual fall arguably begins before you even meet him. In the middle of the novel you hear about Gatsbys past and how he was a poor average man, but he was honest and worked hard. As the novel progresses you hear about his relationship with Daisy and how it ended because he was not wealthy enough. He needed to become wealthy so that Daisy would marry him. To obtain this wealth Gatsby started to participate in dishonest and illegal deeds such as bootlegging. This shows a fall spiritually because he goes against his morals and values. Closer to the end of the novel, after Daisy kills Myrtle in car accident, you learn that Gatsby will take the blame for Myrtles death. Although this is a show of love for Daisy, it is eventually what leads him to his physical downfall. Throughout the novel you are shown images of Gatsby surrounded by all kinds of wealthy and high class people, and it seems as though he has many friends. Ho wever, at Gatsbys funeral at the very end of the novel when Gatsby is shot and killed, there is no one there except for a select few. This image is used very well because it shows how the mighty have fallen. The one person everyone thought had it all, in reality has nothing; no money, no love and no friends. Gatsby is a perfect example of a modern tragic hero because he has an eventual tragic fall, he displays certain characteristic that shows that he has tragic flaw and if you look beyond his wealth, you will see that he was just common man with a big dream.

tom ford :: essays research papers

TOM FORD Born in Texas in 1962, Tom Ford went on to become arguably the most influential designer of the last decade. Having initially trained as an actor, he studied interior architecture at Parsons School of Design until 1986, and went on to take positions at Perry Ellis and Cathy Hardwick, before joining Gucci in 1990. Ford was hired by Gucci's then creative director Dawn Mello as chief women's ready-to-wear designer, and later appointed design director. When, in 1994, Gucci was acquired by a Bahrain-based investment firm called Investcorp, Ford was promoted to creative director and moved to Milan with his partner, journalist Richard Buckley. In his first year at the helm, he was credited with putting the glamour back into fashion introducing Halston-style velvet hipsters, skinny satin shirts and car-finish metallic patent boots. In 1995, he brought in French stylist Carine Roitfeld and photographer Mario Testino to create a series of new, modern ad campaigns for the company. By 1999, the house, which had been almost bankrupt when Ford joined, was valued at about $4.3 billion. "We didn't even have a photocopier at one stage," he admits. "We didn't have any paper." In 2000, Ford was named Best International Designer at the first VH1/Vogue Awards in New York. After Gucci bought a controlling stake in Yves Saint Laurent, Ford was appointed creative director of YSL, too, and communications director of the house's ready-to-wear business, while continuing to design for Gucci. A mighty challenge certainly, but Ford was adamant he could keep the two labels distinct. "Historically, [Gucci] is Sophia Loren. Yves Saint Laurent is Catherine Deneuve. They're both sexy," he told British Vogue in February 2001. "It's just that Gucci is a little more obvious than Saint Laurent. The YSL woman might tie her boyfriend up and drip hot wax on him before they have sex, for instance. The Gucci woman is just going to have sex." Ford believes that he owes his success not to talent, but to his energy. He admits to sleeping just two or three hours per night, keeping post-it notes beside the bed in case he wakes up with an idea. "There are many more talented designers than me," he once told an audience at the V&A in London. "But I have a lot of drive and won't let it go." He also credits his "mainstream" appeal. "I'm lucky, I have mass-market tastes," he says. "When I say I like a shoe, generally thousands of people will like it.

Thoreau vs. Hawthorne :: comparison compare contrast essays

Thoreau vs. Hawthorne Personal Lives Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 and died there peacefully on May 6, 1862. He was described by Hawthorne as "ugly as sin." He loved nature, and his constant preoccupation was exploring the woods and ponds making detailed observations of plants and creatures. Henry led a singular life, never marrying, and marching to his own drummer, as he put it. From 1845 to 1847, he lived alone in a small cabin he built by Walden Pond near Concord. He described this unique experiment in natural living in "Walden" criticizing those who "lead lives of quiet desperation" with all the trappings of customary society. His personal independence and straightforward manner was harsh to some people, and he gained very little recognition during his lifetime. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, to a family that had been prominent in the area since colonial times. Hawthorne was very handsome and never had problems with looks. When Nathaniel was four, his father died on a voyage in Surinam. Hawthorne was extremely concerned with traditional values. From 1836 to 1844, the Boston-centered Transcendentalist movement, led by Ralph Waldo Emerson, was an important force in New England intellectual circles. The Transcendentalists believed that human existence transcended the sensory realm, and rejected formalism in favor of individual responsibility. The Scarlet Letter shows some Transcendentalist influence, including a belief in individual choice and consequence, and an emphasis on symbolism. Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne are different and alike in many ways. Thoreau was a man that never married and believes each man should "march to his own drum" or go his own pace. Nathaniel Hawthorne on the other hand, was married very quickly. Thoreau was described "as ugly as sin with a long nose and queer mouth." Hawthorne was handsome on the outside, but depressed on the inside. Hawthorne was a Dark Romantic, while Thoreau was a Transcendentalist. Dominant Traits Henry David Thoreau's dominant trait was being a Transcendentalist. Transcendentalism is the belief asserting the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends the experimental and scientific and is knowable through instinct.

The Story of the Good Brahman

The Story of the Good Brahmas Based on my basic knowledge about Indian society, Brahmins hold the highest status in Indian's caste system. I perceive that the story will be similar to bible stories like, the good shepherd. However, what I encountered in reading the selection is a Brahmas, specifically, a confused Brahmas who Is not happy with his life. The Brahmas who Is a philosopher himself, constantly questions his existence, his essence, and his wit.He had all the luxuries, the wealth, and three beautiful wives but he is not happy with all f those. On the first look, he is much blessed compared to his neighbor who is very poor and imprudent. But his neighbor, the old woman is happy with her life. There goes the story of the old woman, who has nothing. She has no wealth, no knowledge, and no problem. She Just had enough faith In Vishnu and the Ganges River to wash herself every day. It seems that the old woman Is contented with her life even though she can see the glamorous living of her Brahmas neighbor.When the Brahmas was asked if he wanted to give up his wealth and knowledge for him to be happy, he effused as he doesn't want to be in the same condition as the old woman. He thought and believes that being means one has to be imbecile. After hours of reflection and re-reading of the selection, I realized that the story doesn't go around the story of the Brahmas but of both him and the old lady. I think that the title of the story Is inappropriate because It Is not all about the Brahmas himself. He Is not even a â€Å"good† Brahmas for me.I don't see any reason why the author should call him a good Brahmas. Yes, he is honest with himself and does not deceive anyone. But with all the blessings in his life, he doesn't know how to be contented. In the class discussion, the real reason why the old woman is much happier than the Brahmas was revealed. The reason was Ignorance. It served as a prison, a box for the old woman from questioning everything. She Is confined with her poor life without asking why she Is poor while the Brahmas Is rich. She decides to be Ignorant and be content with what she has.This box of ignorance made the old woman happy as she is not aware of what is happening in the society. This made her contented. Because of her ignorance, the woman is in Nirvana. On the other hand, the old witty Philosopher, have so much wealth but so much problem in his life. He is not contented with his life. Because of his wide knowledge, he also has more questions which could only give him problems In his life. If I were to choose whether to be the Brahmas or the old woman, I prefer to be the old woman in the case that she has peace of mind in her heart. But will not criticize or hate the Brahmas.I truly believe that we can be a pappy creature and at the same time reason out. Why would I be bothered and be problematic by the things that I cannot change and the things that I might never know? Also, If there's a means on changing my state by working hard, then I won't give up. I enjoy talking about many things with my friends. There are a lot of things that opinions and beliefs. Reasoning out doesn't mean that we have to be unhappy. It is a matter of perspective and each of us has a different level of contentment. For me, the greatest pursuit of all mankind is happiness.

My Favourite Lecturer

Each lecturer has its own style, techniques and strategy to the lesson. Also different students prefer different types of lecturers and as the saying is â€Å"there is no disputing about tastes†. However it is obvious that lecturer who uses right techniques of teaching will be popular with majority of students and vice versa also true. Every person during his life was in a huge number of lectures, starting from school lessons and ending with scientific seminars. Some of them make bright impression and a person will remember them for a long time. I am not exception and I have my favorite lecturers.One of them is Mister X. He was taught me physics only during 9th grade but I still remember how enthusiastically attended his lectures. I never liked physics before his lectures, because I didn’t like a lot of formulas which you should remember and I think that using only them you can solve the problems. Lectures were also boring. Monotonous voice of teacher and a lot of naked facts about some topic were only things which I got at the end of each lectures. Mister X was my teacher but topic of this essay is â€Å"My favorite lecturer† and unfortunately I will not write about his practical lessons.As I wrote in previous paragraph I presented physics as the science about naked facts and formulas. But from Mister X’s lectures I started understand origins of those things and from that point they didn’t seems to me like naked facts or formulas. I understand that everything complex in physics based on fundamental simple phenomena. After his lectures I haven’t to remember formulas I can derive them by myself. It was wonderful for me because I never like remember and I started to think that remembering without understanding bases of something is not best way to gain new knowledge.Yes, it takes less time than looking inside of something, but also you remember them only for short period of time. Second difference of his lectures was way of explaining lectures. It was not monotonous voice, carefully written formulas in blackboard or synopsis from book. He distinctly highlights key points, gives examples from real life and visualizes a lot of things. His pictured cars were different in every lecture. He can draw a little car, write â€Å"Zhiguli† at the bottom and say: â€Å"Teacher from school drives car with velocity 50km/h†.Next he can draw a big car, write â€Å"Ferrari† and say: â€Å"Son of some office-holder drives Ferrari with velocity 120km/h† and gave information about physical problem itself. It was very funny for class and immediately attracts attention of all students. I described only some of his techniques used during lectures. He had full arsenal techniques and he can easily create a great atmosphere in the classroom. Of course I cannot convey atmosphere of the lesson here, but believe me it was fascinating and memorable.

Extensive Notes: Role of Operations Management

Business Studies Notes Role of operation management: Strategic role of operations management- Operations refer to the business processes that involve transformation or, more generally, ‘production’. Applies both to the manufacturing and services sector. Turning raw materials and resources into outputs of finished goods or products. Qantas operations are strategically important because most organizational activity comprises the day to day activities within the operation function. * Cost leadership- Cost leadership involves aiming to have the lowest costs or to be the most price-competitive in the market.Qantas; Economies of scale, these are minimizations of cost because of the size of the business. Standardization, the more variations Qantas’ services like the types and frequency of the routes the higher production cost per unit. Technology, the adoption and application of advances in technology directly impact on production costs, reduction in labour costs. Waste, minimizing waste will deliver the lowest production costs, excess production, underutilization of labour or equipment, faulty or defective production and excess inventory. Goods/service differentiation- this approach does not mean competing on cost but by adding features to differentiate its products or service from its competitors. Qantas, Australia’s largest airline offering the most comprehensive domestic and international coverage. City flyer express service means that there are flights every 30 minutes in peak periods between the major capital cities in Australia. Also 76 international destinations. Qantas budget airline Jet star.Goods and services in different industries- manufacturing- standardized or customized products, perishable or non-perishable products, intermediate goods service- standardized (fast food) or customized (doctors, legal services etc. ) or even self-service. Interdependence with other key business functions- human resources, finance and marketing –exist because of and to support the operations function. However, operations cannot succeed with out their contribution to and direct participation in the transformation of inputs into the final outputs.Qantas recruitment- for everyone from pilots to baggage handlers and cleaners. Training and development- newer planes need to retrain pilots, maintenance crews and cabin staff to effectively integrate the new craft. Retained staff- invested heavily in training pilots and maintenance staff to the high level required in this industry, so they want to retain them. Influences Globalization; refers to the removal of barriers of trade between nations, creating new market opportunities.Characterized by integration between national economies, transfer of capital, labour, financial resources and technology. Qantas- launching new airlines in Asia, cost minimization to be more internationally competitive Technology: innovation of devices. Communication, keeping up with competitors, supp ly chain management, quality expectations. Qantas- newer planes, newer operational processes, more training required Quality expectations- how well designed, made and functional goods are, and the overall degree of competence with which service are organized and delivered.Qantas- new generation check in, new Q bad tags, newer planes, specially designed menus Cost-based completion; recognizes that prices cannot keep increasing and reducing cost is a way to maximize profits when revenues are fixed. Qantas- outsourcing, reform to HR practices employing more labour saving techniques, online bookings Government policies; political decisions affect the businesses rules and regulations, which in turn, directly affect the management of various key business functions.Qantas- more resources devoted to compliance Legal regulation; the regulations that shape business practices and procedures must be followed at the risk of penalty, hence the term compliance. Environmental sustainability; enviro nmental sustainability means that business operations should shaped around practices that consume resources today without compromising access to those resources for future generations. Qantas- purchasing new, environmentally sensitive aircraft, recycling, fuel conservationCorporate social responsibility; (CSR) is an important influence on business and its integrates financial social and environmental goals. Qantas- health surveillance program, energy and water conservation, recycling. * The difference between legal compliance and ethical responsibility; legal compliance refers to business abiding by the word of the law, where as ethical responsibility encompasses a much broader integration of social community and environmental concerns * Environmental sustainability and social responsibly:. Businesses are being asked to take increasing responsibility for the protection of the environment.The Earth is a fragile system, and needs high levels of support and informed intervention so tha t it may sustain itself. Qantas cultural diversity, reconciliation action plan is a program, which focuses on employing indigenous Australia’s. Also new aircraft now being delivered use less fuel per passenger. Social responsibility is good business — customers eventually find out which businesses are acting responsibly and which are not. Customers can react and stop buying a business’s product if they learn that the business is exploiting employees, accepting bribes or polluting the environment.Operations processes Inputs; labour, Energy, raw materials, machinery and technology (capital equipment) * Transformed resources: materials, information and customers. Are those inputs that are changed or converted in the operations process. The operations processes transform them. Transformed resources are also considered the resources that give the operations process its purpose or goal * Materials: Are the basic elements used in the production process and consist of t wo types: raw materials and intermediate goods. Raw: normally substances in their natural state such as mineral ore, timber oil and water. Qantas is the expensive fuel they use. * Intermediate good: which are goods manufactured and used in further manufacturing or processing. Qantas: examples are the food and ingredients for their catering services, stationary and computers * Information: is the knowledge gained from research, investigation and instruction, which result in an increase in understanding. The value of information lies mainly in its ability to influence behavior or decision-making.Qantas: in individual bookings (information) made by the customers are analyzed and transformed into decision as to which aircraft to use, which services are to offer. * Customers: Customers are generally thought of as being relevant to outputs, not inputs. Customers become transformed resources when their choices shape inputs. Qantas: customers are transformed by having their location changed from their starting point to the new destination. * Transforming resources (human resource, facilities): which are those inputs that carry out the transformation process.They enable the change and value adding to occur * Human resources: These are the people who assemble the inputs, operate and maintain the machinery and equipment used in the processes, fulfill the sales function, distribute the output and deal with the customers. Qantas this means everyone from cleaners and baggage handlers to the pilots and sales managers. * Facilities (capital): refer to the plant (factory or office) and machinery used in the operations processes.Major decisions include the design layout of the facilities, the number of facilities to be used, their location and their capacity. Qantas this includes the terminal buildings and their contents, maintenance facilities, spare parts holdings, aircraft, and even computers and motor vehicles. * Transformation processes: The main concept of operations proc esses is transformation, which is the conversion of inputs (resources) into outputs (goods or services). * The influence of volume, variation in demand and visibility (customer contact) * Volume: Volume refers to how much of a product is made.Volume flexibility refers to how quickly the transformation process can adjust to increases or decreases in demand. Standardized products. * Variety: The influence of variety on transformation processes is: the greater the variety made, the more the operations process needs to allow for variation. * Variation in demand: a variation in demand can impact significantly on transformation resources. An increase in demand will require increased inputs from suppliers, increased human resources, increased energy use and increased use of machinery and technology.Predicting demand. Qantas, experiences a predictable major increase in demand for school holidays and special events. * Visibility: Customer contact may be direct or indirect. Direct contact tak es the form of customer feedback given through surveys, interviews, warranty claims, letters, Indirect feedback comes through a review of sales data that gives an indication of customer preferences and market share data, through an observation of peoples’ decision-making processes and through consumer reviews.Because businesses seek to maximize sales, customer contact is essential and ultimately shapes the transformation processes. Qantas is high visibility because there is customer contact throughout the whole process. * Sequencing and scheduling: Sequencing and scheduling are two very important aspects that assist with structuring and ordering the transformation processes. Sequencing refers to the order in which activities in the operations process occur. Scheduling refers to the length of time activities take within the operations process.Qantas: flight schedule that a customer sees shows departure and arrival times. It also includes making sure that each flight has crews. (pilots, cabin, catering) * Grantt Charts: The Gantt chart outlines the activities that need to be performed, the order in which they should be performed and how long each activity is expected to take * Critical path analysis: The Critical Path Analysis (CPA) is a scheduling method or technique that shows what tasks need to be done, how long they take and what order is necessary to complete those tasks. Technology, task design and process layout: Qantas: a major business expense for Qantas is the terminal, hanger and maintenance space is which the operations process takes place. Optimum process layout at Qantas is where machines and equipment are grouped together by function. This enables Qantas to utilise space and labour efficiently and eliminate bottlenecks. * Technology: technology is the application of science or knowledge that enables people to do new things or perform established tasks in new and better ways.Qantas: has facilitated increase productivity, very often by direct ly replacing human capital. Examples include online check in, online booking, and electronic bag tags. * Task design: Task design involves classifying job activities in ways that make it easy for an employee to successfully perform and complete the task. Qantas: the break down of the full transformation process into the individual tasks to be preformed. * Process layout: The process layout is the arrangement of machines such that the machines and equipment are grouped together by the function (or process) they perform. Monitoring, controlling and improvement: Monitoring and control lead to improvements when there is a focus on quality and standards. Qantas involve detecting and discrepancy between planned and actual activity, taking corrective action and intervening to impose new plans if necessary. * Monitoring: Monitoring is the process of measuring actual performance against planned performance. Monitoring involves the measuring of all aspects of operations, from supply chain man agement and the use of inputs, through to transformation processes and outputs. Controlling: Control occurs when KPIs are assessed against predetermined targets and corrective action is taken if required. This means controlling compares what was intended to happen with what has actually occurred. * Improvement: Improvement refers to systematic reduction of inefficiencies and wastage, poor work processes and the elimination of any bottlenecks. A bottleneck is an aspect of the transformation process that slows down the overall processing speed or creates an impediment leading to a backlog of incompletely processed products. Outputs: Essentially outputs are the result of a business’s efforts — the final good or service that is delivered or provided to the consumer * Customer service: f a customer expresses dissatisfaction with a product on account of it being defective, not meeting quality expectations, finds wait times/lead times too long or returns the product or makes a warranty claim, then the operations processes need review. Qantas: meets the needs of customers. Also has adopted the ‘net promoter score’ as a key measuring of customer service.Qantas closed loop feedback program enables direct feedback from its 1100 frequent flyers. * Warranties: Warranty claims are made against goods that have defects arising from an issue in transformation. Although a small proportion of warranty claims are false, the number of claims made against a business on a particular product line or product range will give an indication of problems in the processing. Operations strategies: * Performances objectives: Performance objectives are goals that relate to particular aspects of the transformation processes.These objectives or targets will be set so that the business becomes more efficient, productive and profitable. * Quality: consumer expectations, which are used to inform the production standards applied by the business often determines Quality. Qu ality of design, conformance, service. Qantas: means consistently producing its services to customer expectations, doing things right. Includes, clean and tidy aircraft, staff are courteous, helpful and friendly and their website is user friendly. * Speed: Speed refers to the time it takes for the production and the operations processes to respond to changes in market demand.Speed requires that changes in input levels and processing times can be made in response to demand. Qantas: customer asking for their service and getting it. Things to increase speed of service are booking flights on line, on-line check in, check in kiosks and Q bag tags. * Dependability: dependability, as a performance objective, refers to how consistent and reliable a business’s products are. Dependability, in respect of goods, refers to how long the products are useful before they fail. Dependability refers to consistency of service standards and reliability.Qantas: time departures and arrivals, Qantas has outperformed its rivals in these statistics its dependability has been seriously eroded in recent years because of mechanical failures, and industrial disputes. * Flexibility: flexibility refers to how quickly operations processes can adjust to changes in the market. Time and flexibility are related; the quicker the processing time the greater the likelihood that processes can be adjusted quickly. Qantas: ability to respond to changes in market demand, either by changing the products offered, changing the mix of products, changing the volume of product or by changing the delivery times.Jet Star is Qantas’ response to the competition of low cost airlines. * Customization: Customization refers to creation of individualized products to meet the specific needs of the customers. Services are generally customized, although aspects of services can be standardized as seen in the fast-food sector. Customization means giving Qantas customers more options by varying the product in minor ways. It varies its products by offering jet start and a more no frills alternative and offering different classes of seating. Cost: Cost as a performance objective refers to the minimization of expenses such that operations processes are conducted as cheaply as possible. Qantas has interest in keeping their cost as low as is compatible with the levels of quality, speed, dependability and flexibility that their customers require. * Supple chain management: Supply chain management (SCM) involves integrating and managing the flow of supplies throughout the inputs, transformation processes (throughput and value adding) and outputs to best meet the needs of customers.Supply chain management refers to controlling the flow of supplies though Qantas’ whole operations process from sourcing the raw materials like fuel to final delivery to and service of the service. Increased transaction speed and increased customer satisfaction. Inventory is a major expense in the operations pr ocess. Raw materials such as fuel must be sourced and purchased, they must be stored and be available, they must be moved and they must be transformed. * Global sourcing: modern operations involve increasing levels of global sourcing –obtaining suppliers with out being constrained to local sources.There are some risks involved because of changing exchange rates and coming under laws and customs, which apply in other countries. Qantas has employed some pilots in New Zealand and some cabin staff in Asia at lower wages that paid in Australian and has some engine maintenance carried out in Malaysia on a cost benefit basis. * E-commerce: This is simply buying and selling on the internet. This technology has had a major impact on SCM. It has replaced time consuming and costly manual processes of the past.It provides for real time information on Quantity, Quality, availability, source and price of all goods and services to be instantly accessible from a range of suppliers local and international. * Logistics: this is the task of ensuring tat Qantas has al the Physical inputs in the quantities needed in the right place at the right time (e. g. pilots, cabin crew, baggage handling, maintenance and catering) for the operations process (fights) to take place undisrupted and hence at optimum efficiency. * Outsourcing: Outsourcing involves the use of external providers to perform business activities.The theory behind outsourcing is that when an external provider that specializes in a particular business function performs a service, it will do so at a lower cost and with a greater effectiveness than the same task done within the business hierarchy. * Advantages of outsourcing for Qantas: * Saving capital outlay-factory space and machinery are provided by another business at their expense * Saving in labour-staff management and expenses are born by the other business * Increased dependability- more than one external supplier can be accessed, thus ensuring security of supply. Saving in cost- the other business can provide the input at a lower price than it can be done in-house. * Access to higher level skills- the other business contains skills that do not exist in-house * Increased flexibility- variations in demand are managed by other business * Saving in management- having set up contracts, management can concentrate only on the tasks it does perform in-house. * Disadvantages of outsourcing for Qantas: * Dependency-the operations process is now dependent on another party for supply of inputs; failures in that external supply chain can cause major internal disruption and expense. Loss of control and security- there can be loss in control of standards and vulnerability to proprietary and patent data and information accessible by the supplier * Quality- control is no longer exercised over the inputs used by the outsourced supplier * False economy- outsourced inputs can become more expensive over time so constant review of the decision is warrante d * Cost- the one-off expense of redundancies to staff no longer required is an offset to the savings from outsourcing. Technology: Technology in the operations function may be classified according to whether it applies to and improves inputs, transformations processes and outputs; or whether it makes the managerial and administrative functions smoother. * Leading edge: Leading edge technology is the technology that is the most advanced or innovative at any point in time. Operations managers can distinguish their operations processes by utilizing the best available technologies. This can help businesses to create products more quickly and to higher standards, with less waste, and also help a business to operate more effectively. Established technology: Established technology is the technology that has been developed and widely used, and is simply accepted without question. Such technologies include the use of computers and various software packages in managing business operations an d functions. Established technologies are functionally sound and help to establish basic standards for productivity and speed. Qantas was one of a number of airlines who placed advance orders for the new airbus A380, but they opted to make sure they were NOT the airline to receive the very First one. Inventory management: inventory refers to the raw materials, work in progress (unfinished goods still undergoing the transformation process) and finished goods held by the business at a point in time. The extent of these holdings is an important operational strategic decision, because they represent significant capital outlay (cost), which is yet to yield revenue. To hold excess quantities adds additional cost on production, but to hold too little can result in disruption to production and loss of sales because customer demand cannot be met.This is more of an issue for manufacturing businesses than for Qantas because they do not ‘store’ product to meet customer demand like a manufacturing one does. Inventory management is the system that manages the ordering, storage and recovery of the material inputs used in production. * Quality management: Quality management refers to those processes that a business undertakes to ensure consistency, reliability, safety and fitness of purpose of product. In operations, quality management includes quality controls at each stage of processing.Qantas has marketed as a high quality, perfect safety record, full service airline and commanded premium fares; at the other end of the spectrum is jet star which has traded quality for price and markets as a no frill low cost airline. * Quality control: programmed inspections are carried out at key stages of Qantas’ service (on a continuing basis) to ensure the process is meeting specified standards. If not, then management intervenes and corrective action is taken to bring the process back within standards.It attempts to solve the root cause of Quality problems at Qanta s * Quality assurance: the minimum level of satisfactory quality at all stages of the process is continually monitored at Qantas by actual measurement and comparison against pre-determined standards. It attempts to broaden the organizational responsibility for quality at Qantas. * Quality improvement: Maintaining competitive advantage is not only a matter of maintaining quality of output; the aim must be to improve quality over time by reducing error, and finding better ways of performing the tasks leading to lower cost or higher quality at the same cost.All staff are invited to participate with suggestions and ideas. It also involves Qantas’ customers and suppliers. It attempts to make quality both central and strategic within Qantas. * Overcoming resistance the change. : All businesses are subject to change from the external environment. Legislative and regulatory changes, changes in economic conditions, social changes over time and technological breakthroughs all impact on the business and shape its operations.Moreover, change can also come from within the business through the initiative of staff or the application of technology and a focus on innovation. * Financial costs: One major cause of a resistance to change from managers and business owners is that of financial costs. The main financial costs associated with change include the:, cost of purchasing new equipment, cost of redundancies, costs of retraining employees, costs associated with structural reorganisation of the business, including changes to plant and equipment layouts. Purchasing new equipment: Qantas plan to spend $US 22 billion in new technology and equipment between 2011 and 2018. * Redundancy costs: to implement staff reductions incurs mandatory redundancy payments to the workers retrenched. The alternative to redundancies is to rely on attrition and recruit casual and part time workers. * Retraining costs: significant change incurs retraining expenditure. The adoption of the new reservation system, introduction of new business class, annual security training and engineering and maintenance for are aircraft. Plant layout cost: acquiring new aircraft requires re-organization of maintenance operations to seek increased capacity and efficiency. Jetstar is replacing Boeing 717s with airbus A380s so a new heavy maintenance base becomes necessary because the existing one cannot accommodate the larger planes. The A380 also requires refurbishment of the Qantas Jet base. * Inertia: the unenthusiastic response of some managers, some staff and even some of the owners is an impediment to change and will be evident and will have to be overcome.

Home School vs. Public Eduaction Essay

Do home schooled children receive proper education? Will my child learn as much at home as he/she would in a public education system? Can we afford to get nine years into our child’s education to look into other options? Many parents find themselves asking these questions when it comes to the best learning environment for their child. There are several aspects you should consider when choosing between public education and home schooling your child. The three main things to take into consideration are the environment and costs, the academic/curriculum outline, and the social benefactors of each educational program. Public school is offered to all children free of charge, funded by taxation to help ensure that society is educated. Public education takes place in a school house setting. Teachers educate around 25 students per classroom. Parents are responsible for purchasing school supplies and materials such as pencils, paper, folders, crayons, tissue, etc. Public education offers your child free transportation on the school bus, as well as breakfast and lunch provided by the government. Homeschooling was made legal in 1993. Home school is the education of children at home. The â€Å"teachers† are in most cases the child’s parents. Children who home school learn in the comfort of their own home, generally around other siblings who are being home-schooled. In most cases, the home â€Å"classroom† environment has less distractions than public school. Parents are responsible for all educational expenses such as materials, teaching seminars, teacher study/answer guides, meals, e tc. Home-school can get expensive. Darla Jones, a mother who home-schools her children, says â€Å"Our cost for curriculum alone is $1,200.00 per child per year, but of course that is the Abeka DVD program. It is expensive. Then you add in breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home†¦no free or reduced meals.† Academic outline and core curriculum are important when choosing which education program is best for your child. Public school is divided into three levels for success; elementary school, middle school, and high school. Public school involves testing and standards by the government and they base their core curriculum on the standardized tests. The core curriculum for  public school students focus on reading, writing, and mathematics, with elective options such as art, music, etc. â€Å"There are some good and bad to both public education and home school. It all depends on the parents/children. Some children need homeschooling because with the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† act, they may fall through the cracks in the public school system, and whether they learn or not, some will be moved up in grades. Some public schools have so many children that they cannot give enough attention to every student. I don’t believe you learn only about the real world through homeschoolin g. If parents are doing their job and teaching their kids instead of leaving it all up to the teachers, children would be well rounded whether home-schooled or in public school.†, says public preschool teacher, Heather Coffee. The curriculum for home-school is generally designed by the child’s parent, with several subjects to choose from. Home-school mother, Angie Shelton states, â€Å"A parent can be resourceful and creative to keep costs to a minimum, especially if they reuse books from friends or family. There is no help with curriculum from the public school. Home-schoolers are not restricted by what they can or cannot teach, and there is a wide variety of curriculum for home-schoolers to choose from.† Parents can teach the same curriculum subjects as public school, along with an array of subjects like logical reasoning, geography, agriculture, art appreciation, Spanish, consumer math, keyboarding, family sciences, speech, and music appreciation. A concern that many parents share is the social benefactors of both, public and home school. Public school enables your child to learn in a classroom with other children from the neighborhood/city. Your child will gain social skills and communication skills by interacting with teachers and other students. Students who attend public school are offered after school programs like basketball, football, soccer, baseball, and track; and clubs like FFA, FCLA, FCA, FHA, and FBLA. Children are exposed to bullying, assault, theft, and violence when enrolled in public schools. Some argue that children in home-school lack in social skills. However, research shows that being home-schooled do not affect the child’s socialization skills, or lack thereof. Home-schooled children have several activities that they can participate in such as church, youth group, community activities, and any  child who is enrolled in home-school is allowed to play on any athletic sports team in the public schoo l. They also interact with their siblings while at home. All of these activities enable the child to build socialization skills. Other benefits to home-school education is that it gives the family the opportunity to build a strong family bond, there are less safety issues, and your child is not exposed to the influences of their peers, as they are in public school. Home-school graduate, Nick Shelton says, â€Å"I was home-schooled most of my life. I went to public school in the 9th grade and I had to re-learn everything. Even though I passed with A’s and B’s, I feel like public school was a joke. I have as much as or more social skills and life skills of any public school student. Many public school students (not all) my age are so far behind in life skills that they act as if they are still in high school.† In my opinion, there is not a significant difference in the child’s ability to gain social skills and confidence in either learning environment. Based upon the research I have done and the interviews that I have conducted, I believe that both public and home-school are exceptional educational environments for a child. However, I believe home-school benefits your child’s education more than public education. I believe parents should have the right to chose which option is best for their child. There is a lot of controversy on this topic, as everyone has their own opinion and each child has their own educational needs. Before enrolling your child in an educational program, take a moment to examine each programs environment and costs, the academic outline, and how much your child will benefit in each environment.

Definition of terrorism (international, state and religious) Research Paper

Definition of terrorism (international, state and religious) - Research Paper Example This research generally discusses the delicate issue of terrorism. In the introduction, a brief background is given about its origin and the general understanding that people have about terrorism. In the essay the actual meaning of terrorism is given to try and shed light on the different misconceptions that people have. The essay continues to unfold the different kinds of terrorism that exist, that is; international, religious, and state terrorism, giving the differences and similarities that exist between them. The researcher also goes deeper to give the different groups that are classified in each kind such as Al-Qaeda and many more others. At the end of this research, the researcher has given a conclusion about terrorism terming it as a complicated and delicate issue that is really causing mass destruction of property and lives. The researcher has called to all leaders and citizens to look for ways to reduce terrorism. Keywords: Terrorism, International Terrorism, State Terrorism , Religious Terrorism Introduction Many people have only heard about terrorism, but do not have a clear understanding of the real meaning of the word. Since the attacks of the Pentagon and World Trade Centre most people have started having a concern on terrorism and possible solutions to terrorist activities. There are some misconceptions that different people have when it comes to terrorism. People should understand that such activities like, killing another person, killing lots of people, or wrecking properties is not terrorism. These are just some few ways that terrorists use to conduct their terrorist activities. Terrorism is not limited to a certain type of behavior or a particular method (Malisow, 2008). The Origin of the Word Terrorist The term terrorism originated after the American Revolution. After this revolution, the people of France decided to follow suit. So they started their own rebellion, but once the government was overthrown, the rebels had a problem amongst thems elves. There emerged different groups among the rebels that wanted different things. There are those who wanted France to remain as it was before, and there were those who wanted to some changes to be introduced. So there was this group named Jacobins in this revolution, the Jacobins saw that the rebels were getting out of hand and decided to tame these groups, so they introduced the Reign of Terror in September 1793. This reign was established to ensure that the people in France followed the new government’s rules and regulations. Anyone who went contrary to that was arrested, beaten, or even killed (Malisow, 2008). What is Terrorism? The term terrorism refers to the act of scaring someone into doing something they wouldn’t do out of their own free will. Terrorism has been used very much in the modern times politics. For example, if a politician wants to be re-elected back to his position without opposition, he or she might threaten his or her opponents by either beat ing or killing some, as a way of scaring the rest to conform. The terrorists’ main goal is usually to affect the government and change how a nation’s affairs are run by scaring the people of that particular country. A good example is the Somalia government where the terrorists had taken over the administration of the government (Malisow, 2008). For terrorists to achieve their goal, there must be the following: The terrorist must have a political goal. This because through politics, they are able to interact with different groups. Politics involves the interaction of different groups of people and does not deal with an individual, so it will be so easy for a terrorist to gain ground (Malisow, 2008). A terrorist must use force. An act is not considered as an act of terrorism if it uses non-violent means. It must involve hurting someone or threatening to hurt someone (Malisow, 2008). Terrorist use their victims to serve as examples. By hurting or threatening to

Ethics Theories Table Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Theories Table - Essay Example An employee entrusted with funds by his or her corporation is dutybound to account for these funds and remit the balance, if any. Even though this honesty may deprive him of certain material comforts, i.e., the extra money if unremitted could have bought him or her a new car, duty-based ethics prescribes that he or she should return the money. The classic goal-based theory is utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham presented one of the earliest fully developed systems of utilitarianism. Two features of his theory are noteworty. First, Bentham proposed that we tally the consequences of each action we perform and thereby determine on a case by case basis whether an action is morally right or wrong. This aspect of Bentham's theory is known as act-utilitiarianism. Second, Bentham also proposed that we tally the pleasure and pain which results from our actions. For Bentham, pleasure and pain are the only consequences that matter in determining whether our conduct is moral. This aspect of Bentham's theory is known as hedonistic utilitarianism. An employee should strive to get a promotion at all costs as this will benefit him, even at the expense of co-employees and even if there would be a violation of a moral duty in the process. For example, the moral duty to give credit where credit is due after a successful project. The most influe

Financial instruments and markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial instruments and markets - Essay Example This paper computed the above ratios with a view to assessing the capital of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG). According to1, these ratios are used to measure the entitys capital structure, and they show the extent to which the business has borrowed to finance its assets and other resource acquisitions for it to efficiently carry out its normal operations. From Table 1 above, the debt to total equity ratio of Fortescue Metals Group improved in 2014 as $1 of equity had $1.99 of debt from $2.90 in 2013. This was largely attributable to the fall in the amount of the total debt from $15,578M in 2013 to $15,111M in 2014, as well as an increase in the equity from $5,289M in 2013 to $7,583M in 2014. This implies that the capital structure of Fortescue Metals Group improved as it increased the proportion of the equity fund in financing its assets and operations and reduced the debt amount. This improvement was also evidenced in its debt ratio, which indicated that for every $1 of asset financing , the debt amount was $0.67 in 2013 from $0.75 in 2013. Further results showed that Fortescue Metals Group’s debt servicing capacity improved in 2014, compared to 2013. The firms times interest cover increased to 6.25 times from 5.15 times, indicating that the company had no difficulties in generating enough cash flows to pay its interest expenses and even increased in 2014. This paper went further ahead to establish the liquidity position of Fortescue Metals Group using liquidity ratios, which measure an entitys ability to meet its short-term maturing obligations as and when they fall due.

History of the English Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of the English Language - Essay Example did not take place overnight since the language developed over hundreds of years with influences from many different languages therefore it has interesting origins. The English language began to form with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain in the fourth century. The three tribes were the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes and came from the northern areas of Germany. The Celtic language speakers of Britain were repelled by the invaders to areas of Wales and Scotland (Wells, 1982). At the same time, the language of the Angles tribe became the predominant language of the region from which the words England and English are taken (English Club, 2006). The language developed into what we know as ‘Old English’. This language would be difficult if not impossible for us to understand since there would be many more modifications to the language before it would develop into modern English. Even so, many of the words we use in English today have their roots in Old English. For instance words like Strong and Water come from Old English even though they are in common use today (Wells, 1982). In 1066, the same tribes were conquered by William the Conqueror who came from the area of Normandy which is in modern day France. He and his forces spoke a version of French which was used in the royal court while the lower classes spoke English with a mixture of French words. This version of English came to be known as Middle English and was used by Chaucer to write his Canterbury tales. It is difficult for modern speakers of English to understand or read this language but it does show how French words came to be accepted in English use (English Club, 2006). Modern English as we see it today has two distinct periods of development, the first is the early period which lasted from 1500-1800 where changes were made in pronunciation, character use and many more words were added to English. With the coming of the Renaissance, words from classical languages found

The Kornilov Affair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Kornilov Affair - Essay Example Kornilov was respected by his troops as an outstanding officer, but his politics did not go much further than loving his country. He was never Kerensky’s first choice as Commander in Chief but he had wide support and had to be taken into account. The only problem was that it was clear from the beginning that there were tensions between Kerensky and Kornilov about the direction the Russian army should take. And there were tensions about the direction of the Russia as it was under threat both externally and internally and had to make big decisions. Things came to a head, as Richard Pipes writes, when Kerensky procrastinated in implementing the military reforms that Kornilov had made a condition of assuming command . . . Kornilov requested permission to meet with the cabinet. The meeting took place on August 3. While he was giving an overview of the situation at the front, Kerensky leaned over [to Kornilov] and asked him in a whisper to exercise caution . . . This incident shattered Kornilov’s faith in the Provisional Government, for it convinced him that there were ministers in the cabinet capable of betraying military secrets to the enemy.1 Within a short amount of time, following some decisive military preparations, Kornilov began to be seen by some in Russia as a rival to power for Kerensky. Kerensky began to get more and more agitated, ignoring the Bolshevik problem in order to focus on securing his own hold on power. What followed was Kerensky’s effort to destroy Kornilov—and the result was the rise of the Bolsheviks. A ridiculous exchange of messages pitted the two men against each other, each completely misunderstanding what the other intended. Kerensky thought Kornilov was plotting to seize dictatorial control, Kornilov thought Kerensky was offering it to him. His unfounded suspicion confirmed, Kerensky fired the popular Kornilov, who had