Fiasco Report - WorldCom - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1720 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Fiasco Report WorldCom The team members do not have any relationship with WorldCom Overview of WorldCom (WC) WC started its journey as a small company known as Long Distance Discount Services (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“LDDSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ) in 1983, based in Clinton, Mississippi. In 1985 LDDS selected Bernard Ebbers, one of the major investors of the company, to be its CEO. The company went public as a corporation in 1989 after merging with Advantage Companies Inc. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Fiasco Report WorldCom" essay for you Create order The company name was changed to LDDS WorldCom in 1995 and MCI WorldCom in 1998. During the 1990s, the firm acquired a number of telecommunications firms that helped it to grow from $154 million in 1990 to $39.2 billion in 2001, placing it 42nd among Fortune 500 companies[i]. Significant acquisitions included the 1998 takeover of MCI, which made it the second largest U.S. long distance carrier, and the purchases of UUNet, CompuServe, and America Onlineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s data network, which put WC among the leading operators of Internet infrastructure. In 2001 the company had an employee base of 85,000 workers with a presence in more than 70 countries. From the outside, WC appeared to be a strong leader of growth. In reality, the appearance was nothing more than a perception. On June 25, 2002, the company revealed that it had been involved in fraudulent reporting of its numbers by stating a $3 billion profit when in fact it was a half-a-billion dollar loss. After an investigation w as conducted, a total of $11 billion in misstatements was revealed[ii]. As a result investors in WC have suffered major losses: the market value of the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s common stock plunged from about $150 billion in January 2000 to less than $150 million as of July 1, 2002[iii]. WorldComà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Product Market Focus Initially, it was a provider of long distance phone services to businesses and residents. Later the company diversified its business to internet service and solution, Data and IP Services, IT Solutions and Hosting, Networks management, Premises Equipment (PE), Security, Voice, VoIP, and Wireless network to reach a customer base of 20 million. However, increase in the number of services and the products are mainly attributed to the new acquisitions and mergers with new companies. During the pick of the business, WC provided mission-critical communications services for thousands of businesses around the world, owned and operated a global IP (In ternet Protocol) backbone that provided connectivity in more than 2,600 cities and in more than 100 countries. In 2001 it carried a significant amount of the worlds Internet traffic, specifically 50% of total worldwide e-mails and 50% of US Internet traffic. It also owned and operated 75 data centers on five different continents. Merger and Strategy was the key for WorldCom growth strategy Throughout its journey since the inception WC choose merger and acquisition strategy for its growth. The company evolved into the second largest long distance telephone company in the United States and one of the largest companies handling worldwide Internet data traffic through the successful completion of 65 acquisitions. [iv] Between 1991 and 1997, WC spent almost $60 billion in the acquisition of many of these companies and accumulated $41 billion in debt[v]. Two of these acquisitions were particularly significant. The MFS Communications acquisition enabled WC to obtain UUNet, a major su pplier of Internet services to business, and MCI Communications, thus providing them one of the largest providers of business and consumer telephone service. By 1997, WCs stock price grew from pennies per share to over $60 a share[vi]. During those days of the internet boom, WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s strategy seemed to be perfect to everyone and investment banks, analysts and brokers recommended WC as a strong buyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  to investors. The analystsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ recommendations, coupled with the continued rise of the stock market, made WC a very demanding and desirable stock to the investors. The top management explored this advantage (high stock price) to use WC stock as the vehicle to continue to purchase additional companies. The acquisition of MFS Communications and MCI Communications were, perhaps, the most significant in the long list of WC acquisitions. With the acquisition of MFS Communications and its UUNet unit, WC suddenly had an investment story to offer about the value of combining long distance, local service and data communications.[vii] In late 1997, WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer of $35 billion for the acquisition of MCI was 1.8 times more than the nearest offer made by British Telecommunications Corporation ($19 billion). MCI took WCs deal making WC a truly significant global telecommunications company[viii]. Issues affecting WordComà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Growth Strategy WC growth strategy was solely focused on mergers and acquisitions, not product development, innovation and customer satisfaction. It engaged in nearly 70 merger and acquisition deals in less than five years but did not focus on integrating organizational culture, structure and appropriate management control mechanisms. As a result, it was observed that by the early 2000s, the revenue of the company was diminishing. Furthermore, it was facing an emerging problem in 1990s of oversupply in telecommunications as the industry rushed to build fibre optic networks and o ther infrastructure based on overly optimistic Internet growth projections. WC and other telecommunications firms had experienced reduced demand as the internet boom ended and the economy entered recession. Their revenues had fallen short of expectations, while debt taken on to finance mergers and infrastructure investment remained. In this circumstance, the desire to conceal the bad news on company earning from the stock market investors created a powerful incentive for the top management to engage in fraudulent accounting reporting[ix]. The Management Controls Failure Fraud began at WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s corporate headquarters, in the late 1990à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s[x]. Several employees were involved, including: Bernard Ebbers CEO, Scott Sullivan CFO, David Myers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Senior VP Controller, Buford Yates, Director of General Accounting, Betty Vinson à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" employee under Yates, and Troy Normand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" employee under Yates[xi]. WC paid various fees to use or lease facilities belonging to third parties. Normally, these fees were reported as an expense on the income statement, which were filed with the other financial statements on a quarterly and annual basis. The financial statements also included commentary and guidance from WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s senior management regarding future earnings. Typically this guidance pointed toward continued positive growth in earnings. In July 2000, WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expenses as a percentage of total revenue had begun to increase above historic averages[xii]. The fees paid for leasing were the primary drivers of this increase. This resulted in a decline in the rate of growth of WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s earnings. The risk of missing investor analystsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ forecasts had increased, and with that the possibility of stock declines also increased. By October 2000, Sullivan believed that expenses as a percentage of revenue were too high to meet analystsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ exp ectations, and that expenses were higher than previous guidance statements suggested they would be[xiii]. With Ebberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s approval, Sullivan instructed Myers, and those working under him to make entries in WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s general ledger that credited (and therefore reduced) expenses, and debited reserve and capital accounts (increasing these accounts)[xiv]. This series of transactions had the effect of increasing net income. This activity continued until June 2002[xv]. During this time, WC did not disclose these transactions to their external auditing firm, Arthur Anderson. The transactions were also not reported in SEC filings[xvi]. The fraud committed at WC was uncovered by a team of internal auditors in 2002[xvii]. The discovery was brought forward to the internal audit committee and board of directors. Once the board knew, several executives at WC were either fired by the board, or resigned, and the SEC began their investigation. Research Plan Outline To efficiently and effectively conduct our research on WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s corporate scandal, we split the research into two areas: The WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fiasco itself, and an academic understanding of the control systems in place (and the ones that were missing). The first stage of the research component involves becoming familiar with the WC scandal from archives of reputable newspapers and business magazines. Secondly, we will examine the allegations brought upon WC by the SEC. We will also seek peer-reviewed academic journals for more details and insights into the incident allowing us to conduct an analysis of the role management controls played in the fiasco. In order to best understand WCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s corporate scandal, we have to be familiar with well-known frameworks to analyze fraud, corporate governance, managerial controls, and compliance. As the purpose of this research is to seek for academic standard or frameworks in the above mentioned areas, we sh ould rely on information or publications from regulators, or generally accepted principals, such as US-GAAP. We may obtain information from academic, peer- reviewed journals. This research will be conducted concurrently with the studying of the WC fiasco as it does not require any sequence and therefore, can be conducted independently. End Notes [i] Lyke, Bob Jickling, Mark, WorldCom: The Accounting Scandal CRS Report for Congress,P-2, Updated August 29,2002 [ii] Ashraf, Javiriyah, The accounting fraud at WorldCom: The causes, the Characteristics, the consequences, and the lessons learned [iii] Ibid,p-2 [iv] Eichenwald, Kurt (2002). For WorldCom, Acquisitions Were Behind its Rise and Fall, New York Times (August 8), A-1 [v] Romero, Simon, Atlas, Rava D. (2002). WorldComs Collapse: The Overview. New York Times (July 22), A-1 [vi] Browning, E. S. (1997). Is the Praise for WorldCom Too Much? Wall Street Journal (October 8), p. C-24. [vii] Eichenwald, Op. cit., p. A-3 [viii] Ibid [ix] Lyke, Op Cit. P-2 [x] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“MCI Inc.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 January 2014. Web. 2 February 2014. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCI_Inc.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  [xi] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Sullivanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. 2 March 2004. Web. 2 February 2014. https://www.justice.gov/opa/sullivan.pdf [xii] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“WorldCom Scandal: A Look Back at One of the Biggest Corporate Scandals in U.S. Historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Yahoo Voices. Yahoo Incorporated. 8 March 2007. Web. 2 February 2014. https://voices.yahoo.com/worldcom-scandal-look-back-one-biggest-225686.html [xiii] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Sullivanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. 2 March 2004. Web. 2 February 2014. https://www.justice.gov/opa/sullivan.pdf [xiv] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Worldcomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ex-boss gets 25 yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  BBC News. 13 July 2005. Web. 2 February 2014. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4680221.stm [xv] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Prepared Remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroftà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Attorney Generalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Office 2 March 2004. Web. 2 February 2014. https://www.justice.gov/archive/ag/speeches/2004/030204agweb.htm [xvi] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Sullivanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. 2 March 2004. Web. 2 February 2014. https://www.justice.gov/opa/sullivan.pdf [xvii] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“MCI Inc.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 January 2014. Web. 2 February 2014. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCI_Inc.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 

Analyze the film Blade Runner Essay Example For Students

Analyze the film Blade Runner Essay In this essay I will be analyzing the film Blade Runner, discussing the narrative techniques, representations, use of stereotypes and the genre used. I will look at the different techniques the director used to create his vision and its impact on the audience. Although the story is set in the future, Ridley Scotts Blade Runner is firmly rooted in the classic film noir genre. It has all the necessary components for this in the characters portrayed in the film. There are three female characters in the film and all of them play the part of the femme fatale of film noir to some degree. They use their sexual attractiveness and ruthless cunning to manipulate men to gain what they want or what they need to survive. Zhora (Johanna Cassidy) uses her sexual guiles to gain employment as an erotic dancer as a means to enter society and try and blend in with the humans. Her clothes could be seen as a sign of the femme fatale, while getting changed into her normal clothes after work you see her slip into a bra styled top and a coat that is completely transparent she leaves nothing to the imagination also she happily strips for a shower in front of Deckard (Harrison Ford) in order to lure him into a false sense of security. Another of the femme fatales is Pris (Daryl Hannah); she uses her sexual guiles in much the same way. She plays a scared and harmless and harmless but beautifull in order to ensnare J. F. Sebastian (William Sanderson), lulling him into a false sense of security. She cuddles him and calls him her friend so she can manipulate him and again like Zhora wears dark tight clothes that cling to her body and leave little to the imagination. The last of the femme fatales is Racheal (Sean Young); she is introduced as the perfect example of the quintessential femme fatale. Her clothes make up and hair is always pristine. She is presented as an object of desire, beautifull but slightly cold at the same time. Its not until she learns that she is a replicants that she turns her charms on Deckard in order to survive. Although she is manipulative she is easier to like and seems more innocent than the other two female characters giving you both sides of the story, the Madonna and the whore. The film noir aspect is backed up further by our hero Rick Deckard, the protagonist. He is introduced to the film in such a way that the camera gets to focus on him for a short while as he waits for a seat at a food stop. This gives the audience a chance to take him in rather than just see him appear on screen. He wears the clothes of the classic detective; the long trench coat is an obvious sign. When he is arrested you get to see the other qualities the protagonist has, he has the verbal wit of a hard boiled cop, the kind of wit they use as a security devise to help protect him in world dominated by crime, corruption and cruelty and you can see the city that he lives and works in is a dark and scary metropolis with de-humanising environments, dark gloomy and rainy with desolate buildings In the establishing of the film the mise-en-scene and non diagetic sound create a very vivid vision of the future; this shot of the film is a panorama of a dark city. The title Los Angeles, November 2019 appears telling us where and when the film takes place. The use of night and shadow emphasizes the cold and the darkness. The city is a silhouette of skyscrapers and lights against grey sky, smoke stacks shoot flames into the sky and lightning and spinners shatter the horizon. What appears next is an extreme close up of Holdens (Morgan Paull) eye filling the entire screen and reflecting the cityscape. Another shot of the city shows a pyramid at the bottom of a column of light and again Holdens eye, it shows us reflections of the city as if it was the viewers eye. While all this is going on the camera moves forward very slowly giving the viewer not on the chance to see the setting of the film but also a chance to see the type of visual effects in store for the viewer giving him/her a heightened sense of excitement and anticipation. Movie Comparison - Romeo and Juliet EssayWhile everyone else lives in squalor, he lives in a palace and is extremely confidant. You can tell this from his first seen with Deckard and Racheal. He stares strait into Deckards eyes as he talks to him, with a thoughtful but menacing smile, almost as if he is enjoying playing with him. While he talks to Deckard, using a language that is fast and precise, you get the sense that every time he speaks, the director has written so he seems to question the intelligence of whoever he is talking to and push them a little as if to see what will happen next. He is also quoted by Roy Batty to be his maker. There are some underlying plotlines in the film that help keep the viewer entertained. The blossoming love story between Deckard and Racheal blends together with the replicants fight for survival and Deckard trying to survive one last job. There is also the humanity factor to the film; a large part of the film is dedicated to a separate idea of what it is meant to be human. Ironically Deckards life is saved twice by the replicants he is employed to retire (kill), once by Racheal and in the final fight with Roy Batty. He feels sympathy for Deckard as he watches him slipping of the rooftop and realizes that he is about to die decides to save his life even though Deckard has killed his friends and tried to kill him. There is a scene when you see Batty release a white dove, symbolizing freedom, and sits down to explain to Deckard just what it is like to be a replicants, a life of great wonder with sights and memories most people will never have and finally a life wasted, ending too soon. He dies with dignity and shows more humanity than any other character in the film. Gaff also shows a sign of humanity, at the end of the film he shouts to Deckard its too bad she wont live, but then again who does. Gaff has decided to let Racheal live so she and Deckard can be together for the short time they have, he knows it wont last forever. Blade Runner is an extremely well written and directed film and would have been new and more than exciting enough to hold the audiences attention. Ridley Scott managed to create a believable vision of the future along with a story within a story. Not only that the film is so well put together that there is the possibility of further story lines within the film e.g. is Deckard a replicants, how could he love a machine if he wasnt or maybe they were all replicants, there was no real sign of life in the city, al the humans have left for off world colonies, maybe they were just left there to die while Tyrell plays with his toys or maybe even Tyrell has made replicas of himself. The possibilities are endless. The film itself was made produced before the use of digitally enhanced special effect were readily available which to my mind says that whether the viewer liked or disliked the film, Ridley Scotts accomplishments have to be recognized and applauded.

Second Language Advantages free essay sample

What are some important advantages to learning a second language and how can a second language be used By mob There are many different languages in the world, continent, and our country. Knowing a second language can give a person an edge in our multilingual world. This advantage could be used almost anywhere. These places include the work place, in a foreign province or country, and even in our schools. Today there are many jobs and occupations that either require or would benefit from a second language. Even simple every day Jobs can profit from knowing a new engage.For example grocery clerks benefit from their knowledge of a second language by being able to help customers that do not no English and need help finding what they need. Taxi drivers also need to know numerous languages to communicate with the customer and to know the destination they Intend to go. We will write a custom essay sample on Second Language Advantages or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These are only two examples of speaking a different language and there are many more. In todays modern transportation age we are able to travel to other cities, countries and continents. This does create a problem because with traveling to different entries the languages you may travel to a country that does not speak your language.Knowing another language would help you find where you want to go, how to get there, and what you need. There are many languages in the world so next time you travel research what language that country speaks and learn a little Just enough to get your point across. Finally language In the schools. In school the most common use of the second language Is to use It In class. However there are other uses Including: If you want to say something private to a teacher or friend, find out want your teachers are talking bout, and for the really talented use it to write notes to your friends Oust make sure its not a language the teacher knows). The other way to use your knowledge is to do an exchange program. It is a good way to fine true your verbal speech of the language and is a great way to travel for free. Also some universities are requiring the knowledge of a second language to enter the facility. In closing a second language is not something to laugh at or make fun of but to learn. A second language can open doors to you that were shut before. So get out there and learn.

Free Essays on An Event A Book Or Movie That Affected My Life

Is there really such a thing as an event, movie or a book that could really change or affect somebody’s life? The answer will definetly be yes! My story began five years ago from a simple blood test I had to do. Being a volleyball player like all the other athletes i had to carry with me a health ID card to every game. To publish that ID card I had to go through a series of tests to confirm that I was healthy, in which one was the blood testing. I then discovered that my blood type was rhesus O negative and that was impossible since my parents were both rhesus A positive. I knew from my biology class that a chance for a child of both parents with blood type Rhesus A to have a Rhesus O was one in a billion. Could I have been that one in a billion child? I started asking questions to my parents but the answers I was getting weren’t satisfactory. So I decided to look and find for my birth certificate. After days of research I finally found it at the private clinic I was born. Until then it was no surprise to me that my parents weren’t really my birth parents. I ‘ve been adopted at the age of one month. It my sound crazy that I wasn’t surprise but I knew that something was wrong since I got my blood test results. At that point I had to search for my birth parents! It wasn’t very hard finding them since my real parents were very near by. My godmother and my godfather! My adopted parents explained to me that due to a health problem they couldn’t have kids. My â€Å"mum† was desperate for a child so her best friend, my godmother, decided to give to her the next baby she would give birth to. And that was me! Now how my life changed? Well I decided to stay with my adopted parents since they are the ones that raised me and I have no complains about the way they have been treating me. I love them like being my biological parents. As for my real parents, they are like my second family. I c... Free Essays on An Event A Book Or Movie That Affected My Life Free Essays on An Event A Book Or Movie That Affected My Life Is there really such a thing as an event, movie or a book that could really change or affect somebody’s life? The answer will definetly be yes! My story began five years ago from a simple blood test I had to do. Being a volleyball player like all the other athletes i had to carry with me a health ID card to every game. To publish that ID card I had to go through a series of tests to confirm that I was healthy, in which one was the blood testing. I then discovered that my blood type was rhesus O negative and that was impossible since my parents were both rhesus A positive. I knew from my biology class that a chance for a child of both parents with blood type Rhesus A to have a Rhesus O was one in a billion. Could I have been that one in a billion child? I started asking questions to my parents but the answers I was getting weren’t satisfactory. So I decided to look and find for my birth certificate. After days of research I finally found it at the private clinic I was born. Until then it was no surprise to me that my parents weren’t really my birth parents. I ‘ve been adopted at the age of one month. It my sound crazy that I wasn’t surprise but I knew that something was wrong since I got my blood test results. At that point I had to search for my birth parents! It wasn’t very hard finding them since my real parents were very near by. My godmother and my godfather! My adopted parents explained to me that due to a health problem they couldn’t have kids. My â€Å"mum† was desperate for a child so her best friend, my godmother, decided to give to her the next baby she would give birth to. And that was me! Now how my life changed? Well I decided to stay with my adopted parents since they are the ones that raised me and I have no complains about the way they have been treating me. I love them like being my biological parents. As for my real parents, they are like my second family. I c...

Unitary Executive Theory and the Imperial Presidency

Unitary Executive Theory and the Imperial Presidency To what extent can presidential power be restricted by Congress? Some believe that the President holds broad power, citing this passage from Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. And from Section 3: [H]e shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States. The view that the President holds total control over the executive branch is called the unitary executive theory. The Unitary Executive Theory Under the Bush administrations interpretation of the unitary executive theory, the President has authority over members of the executive branch. He functions as a CEO or Commander-in-Chief, and his power is restricted only by the U.S. Constitution as interpreted by the Judiciary. Congress can hold the President accountable only by censure, impeachment or constitutional amendment, Legislation restricting the executive branch has no power. The Imperial Presidency Historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. wrote The Imperial Presidency  in 1973,  a groundbreaking history of presidential power centering on an extensive critique of President Richard Nixon. New editions were published in 1989, 1998 and 2004, incorporating later administrations. Although they originally had different meanings, the terms imperial presidency and unitary executive theory are now used interchangeably, although the former has more negative connotations. A Short History of the Imperial Presidency President George W. Bushs attempt to obtain increased wartime powers represented a troubling challenge to American civil liberties, but the challenge is not unprecedented: The Sedition Act of 1798 was selectively enforced by the Adams administration against newspaper writers who supported Thomas Jefferson, his challenger in the 1800 election.The very first landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in 1803,  Marbury v. Madison, established the power of the judiciary by resolving a separation-of-powers dispute between the President and Congress.President Andrew Jackson openly defied a Supreme Court ruling – the first, last and only time that any U.S. President has done so  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ in Worcester v. Georgia  in  1832.  President Abraham Lincoln took on unprecedented wartime powers and violated multiple civil liberties on a large scale during the American Civil War,  including due process rights for U.S. citizens.During the first Red Scare following World War I, President Woodrow Wilson suppressed free speech, deported immigrants on the basis of their political beliefs and ordered massive unconstitutional raids. His policies were so draconian that they inspired protesters to form the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920. During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order calling for the forced internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, as well as forced surveillance, ID cards and occasional relocation for immigrants from other perceived hostile nations.President Richard Nixon openly used executive branch law enforcement agencies to attack his political opponents and, in the case of Watergate, to actively cover up his supporters criminal activities.Presidents Reagan, H.W. Bush, and Clinton all actively pursued expanded presidential powers. One particularly stunning example was President Clintons claim that sitting presidents are immune from lawsuits, a position the Supreme Court rejected in  Clinton v. Jones  in 1997.   Independent Counsel Congress passed a number of laws restricting the power of the executive branch after Nixons imperial presidency.  Among these was the Independent Counsel Act which allows an employee of the Department of Justice, and thereby technically the executive branch, to operate outside the Presidents authority when conducting investigations of the President or other executive branch officials. The Supreme Court found the Act to be constitutional in Morrison v. Olson  in 1988.   Line-Item Veto Although the concepts of the unitary executive and the imperial presidency are most often associated with Republicans, President Bill Clinton also worked to expand presidential powers. Most notable was his successful attempt to convince Congress to pass the Line-Item Veto Act of 1996, which allows the President to selectively veto specific parts of a bill without vetoing the entire bill. The Supreme Court struck down the Act in Clinton v. City of New York in 1998.   Presidential Signing Statements The presidential signing statement is similar to the line-item veto in that it allows a President to sign a bill while also specifying which parts of the bill he actually intends to enforce. Only 75 signing statements had ever been issued until the time of the Reagan administration. President Andrew Jackson issued only one.  Presidents Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and Clinton issued a total of 247 signing statements.President George W. Bush alone issued more than 130 signing statements, which tended to be more sweeping in scope than those of his predecessors.President Barack Obama issued 30 signing statements through 2016, even though he indicated in 2007 that he disapproved of this tool and would not overuse it.   Possible Use of Torture The most controversial of President Bushs signing statements was attached to an anti-torture bill drafted by Senator John McCain (R-AZ): The executive branch shall construe (the McCain Detainee Amendment) in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary executive branch...which will assist in achieving the shared objective of the Congress and the President...of protecting the American people from further terrorist attacks.

Implications to Operations for Chryslers' Introduction of the Fiat Essay

Implications to Operations for Chryslers' Introduction of the Fiat - Essay Example Chrysler’s plants immediately began working on the new Italian models as part of the deal, and the United States treasury loaned the organization 4.7 billion dollars to begin the project. The Canadian government was also included in the contract and controls 10% of the company. Asa result, Fiat was owned up to 35% of its production, and the United Autoworkers Union owned 55%. The introduction of the Fiat 500 into the United States market was not expected to move adequate units and make a considerable effect on the 1.57 million-unit aim. The Fiat label will have its activities carried out in its individual amenities, making its novel subcompact make additional foot travel to contracts. Another implication of the merger on the operations of Chrysler is the introduction of improved models and the come back of the Fiat label in the United States, on top of new merger brands. The company plots on using up 68% more expenses on promotion and marketing the financial year. This develop ment was evident when Chrysler spent millions of dollars to come up with the longest commercial in Super-bowl history (Bennett, 2011). The renewal of Chrysler provides Fiat with a cushion for Italy’s decline and poor reputation caused by its chief executive. Marchionne's revitalization of the corporation has intensified the company’s anguish in the European markets (Bennett, 2011). In the United States, the dominating development and management assets of Chrysler group have left Fiat with old models. The position has made Italy’s biggest car producer become in need of traditionally unpredictable Chrysler profits. Chrysler might also have to report profits made prior to interest, duties and occasional items worth 1.18 billion dollars during the second half of 2011. In comparison with 629 million dollars from Fiat’s long-established activities, earnings from Ferrari and Maserati models were included in accordance with the standard approximations of six comp any analysts. Trading earnings for the United Chrysler group were consistent with Fiat’s findings from June. Such results were expected to arrive at 2.6 billion dollars by the end of the coming year. In 30 April 2009, Chrysler recorded and proclaimed a merger with Fiat, while filing for insolvency. Independently, the proclamation made the Financial Accountings Standards alter the â€Å"mark-to-market† accounting decree to offer commercial banks more discretion in reporting worth of capital. In Brazil alone, the Fiat group automobiles sustained its management status, delivering a sum of 761, 400 passenger cars and light commercial automobiles. These figures and position of the company will stand for a year-on rise of 1.6% of profits. When the market is taken as a whole market, Chrysler group merger with Fiat marketplace is developing 10.6%; FGA accomplished a 22.8% share of the year, which is a negative 1.7% of percentage points in the market share (Bennett, 2011). The revitalization at Chrysler has assisted Marchionne to triumph over financial speculators to his advantage and make a worldwide automobile group rivaling Volkswagen. The shares have decreased by 40% in the past three months. This was recorded as one of the worst performances in the Bloomberg European automobiles guides, behind France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen. The Chrysler group has been managed under three diverse leaders in the past four years,

Smoking in public places Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Smoking in public places - Essay Example According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of tobacco is the single most preventable risk to human health in the developed countries. In addition, it is one of the most vital causes of worldwide premature deaths. In the United States, many states have already banned smoking at the public places and California is one of them. In fact, the state of California has one of the strictest laws against smoking at the public places in the world. California decided to take serious steps to control the smoking in the public places in 2001. Governor Davis signed AB188 prohibiting the smoking or disposal of any "cigarette, cigar, or other tobacco-related product" within a playground or tot lot sandbox area and establishing a $100 fine for any violation. (Not Available) Smoking is prohibited in all the workplaces, including but are not limited to restaurants, bars, casinos, gambling clubs, play pits, play structures, backstops, sports fields, tennis courts, and picnics reserved places. When adults smoke in front of young children, it would not give a good impact on their amateur minds. They start feeling that smoking is a good thing and normalizes it. According to the statistics, the average starting age of an adult smoker is thirteen years old. All city laws rely on public education, signage, and voluntary compliance while providing citation authority to peace officers and, in some cases, park rangers and environmental health officers. (Board of Supervisors) Restricted Places (LA) The restricted places in the Los Angeles County are Alhambra - prohibits smoking within 100 feet of a tot lot playground or baseball field; Baldwin Park - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Compton - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Covina - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Beverly Hills - curb-to-curb, smoke-free parks; La Puente - has smoke-free policies for its parks; Long Beach - Drake park is smoke free; Los Angeles -tobacco-free zones include play areas, baseball diamonds, sport courts and areas, and permitted picnic areas; Pasadena - prohibits smoking in all parks and public golf courses; Santa Monica - curb-to-curb, smoke-free parks; San Fernando - curb-to-curb, smoke-free and tobacco or tobacco-related products parks; and West Hollywood - one pocket park is entirely smoke free. (Not Available) From the above discussion, we can conclude that the passive smoking is as dangerous as actual smoking. The passive smoking is not only the issue of the United States - it is the prevalent issue of the whole world. Every day hundreds of people are dying just because of the smoking related diseases such as lung cancer. It is believed that there is no other way except to ban smoking in the public places to reduce its lethal effects. In the United States, many states have already taken several steps to

Nietzsche and the Nazis Essay Example for Free

Nietzsche and the Nazis Essay The word Nazi has been recalled with feelings of regret, fear, horror and the threat of violent crimes throughout human history. However, nothing can conceal or change the reality of the period of Nazi Weltanschauung and its consequences for humanity and culture. It was a deep refreshment of German souls as the Aryan race and a collective movement of intellectuals, writers and social leaders in support of Christian and Protestant society against Jews. Nevertheless, the appealing eccentricity of the growing ideology among anti-Semite writers and thinkers very much attracted the attention of the Nazis. They examined the complex philosophical works of Nietzsche, Hegel, Fichte, Treitschke, and Huston Stewart Chamberlain, and ultimately concluded with the hard philosophy of Nazism, including racist, nationalistic, and anti-Semitic attitudes (Aschheim, 1992, p. 123). It was not very difficult for Nazis to find a way to utilize many intellectuals ideal systems, philosophies and literature as they proceeded in the way that led to the holocaust and racial genocide. For instance, Wagner hated Jews, thus, his operas contained myths, fighting, pagan gods, heroes and demons. As an artist, Wagner had bred the growing hunger of anti-Semitism with his art to a great extent. Besides Wagner, Huston Stewart Chamberlain, the British author who was the composer Richard Wagners son-in-law, deeply influenced Hitler with his fundamentally racist text Foundations of the 19th Century, and understanding this helps to explain why the Holocaust took place (Harms, 2001). Nonetheless, Hegel believed that the state was everything and war was a great purifier. Thus, the idea of restoring the ethical health of people was borrowed from Hegels philosophy by the Nazis. On the other hand, politicians like Georg von Schà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nerer, a German nationalist and a strong anti-Semite, and Karl Lueger, the mayor of Vienna, supported Nazi Weltanschauung from the heart by their political policies and notions. However, unlike the other cultural icons Nazis utilized, the relationship between Nietzsche and the Nazis developed in an odd, but widely effective manner. Nietzsches influence as a philosopher and a writer was apparently limited to his closest friends and some intellectuals in Austria, France and Denmark (Canada, 1997). His books were not widely read or considered by publishers. However, after becoming insane by the end of the 1890s, his fame immediately spread around Europe and he became a figure of considerable importance in German history. Macintyre states in his book The Forgotten Fatherland (as cited in Canada, 1997) that Nietzsches name started to appear in popular German journals and newspapers as well as numerous books, which collectively promoted him as the philosopher of the time, whose influence is stirring the entire cultural world. This shift in the attitude toward Nietzsche and his work was a bit because of the ideological movement from rationalism and empiricism to romanticism during the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, according to Hintons Nietzsche in German Politics and Society (as cited in Canada, 1997). Consequently, suffering the subjugation of Napoleon as well as witnessing the growing strength of the West, the German population, experiencing a sense of inferiority, attempted to assure itself of its innate superiority by glorifying its history and culture with no doubts, according to the point of view Kohn (as cited in Canada, 1997). At this point, Nietzsches mental death made him a prime target for this German myth-making project. Nietzsche and his philosophys affiliation with the Nazi movement occurred as a product of the need for raw material to build a new valid consciousness for humanity under the unity of a superior nation. Hitler and other Nazi leaders made use of Nietzschean philosophy wherever possible. In other words, Nietzsches philosophy was a blueprint for the Nazis war, and they took Nietzsches logic to drive the atheistic world view to its legitimate conclusion (Krueger, 2001). Nietzschean phrases and themes, such as lords of the earth, the will to power, herd instinct, were most often used in public speeches, and written expressions of Nazi leaders, furthermore, appeared even in Hitlers book, Mein Kampf, many times. Nietzsches open-ended philosophy gave big opportunities to Nazis as a means of support for their war. For instance, in The Will to Power, Nietzsche exclaims (as cited in DeLong, 1959): A daring and ruler race is building itself up. The aim should be to prepare a transvaluation of values for a particularly strong kind of man, most highly gifted in intellect and will. This man and the elite around him will become the lords of the earth.' Ultimately, the idea of superior German nation, the idea of superior individuals overmans, in other words as members of that nation and the idea of exerting extreme power over others that were inferior and weak, emerged as the fundamental codes of Nazi culture, and keywords for their aim. Nietzsche played a key role in the development and preservation of the cultural and ideological foundations of the Nazis (Canada, 1997). In short, in terms of political culture, with his peculiarity; Nietzsche had a significant role in German history by having an important effect on the Nazi movement. As Crane Brinton states (cited in Geib, 2001), Nietzsche called for the superman; Mussolini and Hitler answered the call. Nazis and other anti-Semites perceived Jews as scapegoats in every situation, even for their own personal failings. They never forgave the Jews for possessing spirit and money, and named them as underprivileged (Canada, 1997). This notion was very similar to the one that Nietzsche used to describe his overman in Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1967): For that man be delivered from revenge that is for me the bridge to the highest hope and a rainbow after long storms (127). At this point, it is clear that, according to the point of view of the Nazis, Nietzsches open-ended philosophy was working for them and their goal, while making Nazis ideologies concrete and reliable. The Nietzschean overman was the model of the Aryan race, which was destined to conquer other lesser races in the global struggle for racial supremacy (Canada, 1997). Nietzschean heroic idealism embodied the virtues of hardness, masculinity, leadership, courage, power, struggle, and the various other characteristics promoted by the Nazis. By introducing the overman to humanity, Nietzsche advised people to challenge themselves, not to live passively. It was a good reason for anti-Semites to take action and responsibility in the way that led toward creating a higher against reproducing a lower. Having a great willingness to be powerful in order to take possession of the life and destiny of a superior race, Nazis needed the cooperating hand and inspiration of Nietzsches philosophy, and Nietzschean themes and phrases, such as the will to power. Because Nietzsche cried out for the survival of the strongest, thus, a strong world while building his philosophy and creating the overman, at the same time, he supplied Nazis with a strong argument that they later used to reinforce their ideological system and movement. As Nietzsche exclaimed for the masters and slave morality, anti-Semites perceived themselves as the master of the world, commanding the rest as humiliated slaves. They treated people other than anti-Semites as dangerous creatures or obstacles threatening the cultural and racial superiority of the Aryan state. By exerting force on them, Nazis kept themselves safe from the misfortune and curse of declining Jews. They stepped forward in every situation that gave them the chance to realize the Nietzschean slogan: Whatever does not kill me makes me stronger. Moreover, they preferred war and courage to charity, with the illumination of the Nietzschean phrase, Ye shall love peace as a means to new wars (as cited in DeLong, 1959). They fought for years, lived dangerously and tried to become hard in terms of the Nietzschean will to power. War against the lower to attain the higher was a kind of ritual for the purpose of the Nazi movement. Besides all the inner attractive forces of Nietzsches philosophy for the Nazis, Nietzsches Sister Elizabeth (who was a radical anti-Semite), had a vital influence in the affiliation of Nietzsche and the Nazis. She interpreted everything in Nietzsches philosophy as creating a perfect accord with Nazi ideologies and values. In other words, she served Nietzsches philosophy on the ideological plates of the Nazi leaders as the main food of their meal. After the death of Nietzsche, Elizabeth took over the control of Nietzschean ideas and themes, and immediately hurled them upon the Jews with ideal appropriations she could succeed in making legitimate. For instance, as Kaufmann states, Elizabeth published new editions that incorporated her own introductions, which were intended to explain those passages that seemed antagonistic to the pro-German image of Nietzsche she was attempting to create. In many instances, Elisabeth rearranged material and included new passages in her editions of her brothers work (as cited in Canada, 2001). In short, Elizabeth reflected Nietzsche as a German patriot and a heroic warrior in the Nazi movement (Aschheim, 1992, p. 47-48). After all, Elizabeth Nietzsche became an important icon for the Nazis as both the sister and a wonderful follower of Nietzsche. Rosenbergs elaborate funeral service for Zarathustras sister was the best example of Elizabeth Nietzsches importance. On the other hand, anti-Semitism was the mainstay of the Nazi movement, and the structure of the Nazi movement was shaped completely according to the spirit of anti-Semitism. The Nazis built their education and jurisprudence system upon the basis of the Nietzschean philosophy. Heroic idealism and the will to power were the basic themes of the Nazi education system, where they perceived Nietzsche as their teacher (Aschheim, 1992, p.234). In this way, the objective of education was fairly clear: Nazis wanted to manufacture efficient, clever, and brave soldiers and leaders of tomorrows Germany. Under the direction of Rosenberg, Hitlers appointed supervisor of German educational activities, along with Bernhard Rust, the Reich Minister of Education, the Nazi educational system was inundated with Nietzschean literature. Parts from such works as Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, and The Will to Power were heavily integrated into the school system as required reading (Aschheim, 1992, p.245). Too much of Nietzschean strong, meaningful, encouraging phrases and slogans like whatever does not kill me makes me stronger or I have a why of living and can put up with any how were repeated continuously and drawn into the mainstream thought of Nazi youth. Besides the influence of Nietzschean doctrines in the education system, the jurisprudence and judgment system were inspired by Nietzsches philosophy, as well. Hans Frank, the Reich Commissioner for Justice, once commented, Both personally and objectively, it is of importance to me that Nietzsche of all people has become the mentor of German jurisprudence (as cited form Macintyre in Canada, 2001) As in the case of education, thoughts and writings of Nietzsche were altered and appropriated to the Nazis legal and judicial objectives. In terms of these, violent punishments of anti-Semites were understood as being advocated in the words of Nietzsches philosophy. For instance, having experienced life in the concentration camps of the Nazis, Dr. Victor Frankl asserted (as cited in Geib), I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some ministry or other in Berlin, but rather at the desks and in the lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers. As it is clear in the preceding quotation, the educational system based on Nietzschean doctrines was inevitably one of the main points of argument for the reasons of genocide and other violent acts committed by Nazis. Without a question, Nietzsche was perceived by the Nazis as being the intellectual and spiritual pillar of their regime (Canada, 1997). Such a creative policy gave the Nazis an intellectual justification and respectability to their ideology, while being the source of legitimization to their actions as well. Perhaps the most telling explanation of Kohn (as cited in Canada, 1997) concerning the Nazis motivation for appropriating Nietzsche, was that the former were attempting to create a mythical continuity in German history that would serve as a means for legitimizing the Nazi Weltanschauung.. As a result, with the great desire of being the biggest power not only in Germany, but also in the rest of the world, the Nazis made use of everything that would serve their purposes. And building upon a philosophical basis of a very appropriable scheme of Nietzsche, Nazis managed to draw their political culture upon vital foundations of one of the turning points of German history. Bibliography Aschheim, S. E. (1992). The Nietzsche Legacy in Germany, 1890-1990. Berkeley: University of California Press. Canada, G. (2001). Nietzsche and the Third Reich. In Nietzsche [online]. Available: http://student.vwc.edu/~phialpha/%5CGreg.html (December 8. 2001). DeLong, J. B. (1998). William L. Shirers Take On The Relationship Between Friedrich Nietzsche and The Nazis. In Nietzsche and Hitler [online]. Available: http://econ161.berkeley.edu/TCEH/Nietzsche.html (December 12, 2001) Geib, R. J. (2001) Frederick Nietzsche: Religion, Imagery and Politics [online]. Available: http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/nietzsche/nietzsche.html (December 1, 2001). Harms, W. (2001) Bernard Silberman. In University of Chicago Quantrell Award Winner Bernard Silberman [online]. Available: http://www-news.uchicago.edu/resources/quantrell/silberman.html (December 7, 2001). Krueger, D. (1997). A Review of Zachariass A Shattered Visage: The Real Face of Atheism. In That Colossal Wreck [online]. Available: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/doug_krueger/colossal.html (December 12, 2001). Nietzsche, F. W. (1967). Thus Spoke Zarathustra. New York: Heritage Press.

Girls Like Us Essay -- essays research papers

Girls Like Us   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Girls Like Us is an intimate portrayal concerning four girls who grew up all with different ethnic backgrounds and various forms of parental guidence. Anna Chau is Vietnames with strict parents and good beliefs, Lisa Bronca is a Caucasion Catholic, De'Yonna Moore is African-American with strong goals who lives with her Grandma and Raelene Cox is a young white girl who comes from a broken home with little parental guidence. Girls Like Us shows examples of structural functionism, and conflict theory, as well as symbolic interactionalism. This movie really intersted me because I actually got to see each of these girls grow up. This film also contained implications for the science of sociology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that the main point of the movie Girls Like Us was to show examples of how different lifestyles could have an impact on young girls growing up today. It actually showed these different girls at different important stages in their lives so we got to see how strong their goals were at the beginning, and how they changed with time and maturity. It showed how family history and ethnic diversity has an important role in the lives of young girls. It was a good way to show how lifestyles in general impacted each of these girls futures in so many ways. It takes four girls all with different families and different religious beliefs and asks them about their goals and lives when they are young. Then we see them again each year and it shows the changes in personality as well as in their beliefs and goals. In this movie Elements of structural functionalism were definately present. For example, each of these girls were from the same society, but all their religious a nd ethical backgrounds varied. Depending on their history and family each girl had a different view on topics like premarital sex or college goals. I feel that because Raelene's mom didn't care much about raelene or how well she did in school, neither did Raelen. This probably led her to the path of dropping out of school and teen pregnancy. Then we meet Anna Chau who tells us she would never have premarital sex because it's not allowed and she plans to someday go to college. Anna's father and her culture would be the functionalist because they stressed education and religion. Co... ...weather or notl their children succeed. Anna's story has another example of this when she says she would get in trouble for kissing a guy, although she does have premarital sex, she says she doesnt like it, doesnt like her boyfriend and feels dirty afterwards. I think this is because she was brought up thinking it was wrong and will always believe that. Lisa's mother has been divorced 3 times and then Lisa's boyfriend cheats on her and she stays with him, they talk about marraige like its nothing. I think this is because she saw her mother do ti so many times it just seemed normal like it was no big deal. Her mother did however stress school was important and Lisa has never missed a day of school and goes on to attend college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I really enjoyed the movie Girls Like Us. I liked watching these girls grow up and change their whole lives around. It showed how the science of sociology is present in everyday lives and relationships and how conflicts can change a person for the better or the worst. What a learned most from this movie was how structural functionalism really does play a major part of how we grow up no matter what our ethnic backgrounds may be.

Can illiterate Students Graduate from High School?

According to a study conducted by the U. S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, â€Å"14 percent of American adults can't read, and 19 percent of high school graduates can't read. † What’s more, the number of functionally illiterate adults is increasing by approximately two and one quarter million persons each year. Why does this condition exist? There are four primary reasons students might graduate from high school without knowing how to read.There could be additional factors such as geographical factors, individual disabilities, gender bias, inadequate facilities and poverty; however, illiteracy continues to have these four main causes: cheating on the exams, social promotion, a kind of special talent and proficiency at memorizing examinations. The first strategy to mention is cheating. As John Corcoran, a former high school and head of a multi-million dollar business but couldn’t read due to dyslexic, used to cheat on the examinati ons, explains, â€Å"I was like a cat burglar, and the jewels were the degree†(Feeney).Like Corcoran, students cheat in may ways. Some of them copy from others; some take out their textbooks or reference books to copy; some copy from small pieces of paper on which they had prepared the answer for the exams; still some use the modern communication tools such as an Iphone or Ipad. No one likes to fail, neither do illiterate students; therefore, they regard cheating as a short cuts to pass their exams to earn a high school diploma.Another way that illiterate students graduate from high school is thanks to social promotion, the practice of promoting a student to the next grade only at the end of the current school year, regardless of when or whether they learn the required knowledge. This allows them to keep them with their peers by age, protect their self-esteem and promote the students who are weak in one subject on the basis of strength in the other areas(Cooper).For instance, we didn’t have social promotion before 1992 in China, and the entrance exam was extremely challenging. The students who failed had to be held back. However, educators claimed that retention was not a cost-effective response to poor performance when compared to cheaper or more effective interventions. They also noted that retention had hard financial costs for school systems; requiring a student to repeat a grade was essentially to add one student for a year to the school system, assuming that the student did not drop out.Some parents worried that older retained students would victimize younger students. As a result, social promotion was established as a solution to help the students get the real knowledge. There was no question that the kids unable to read or write were going to the next grade directly. The third factor that illiterate students but with special talents could win pass through when comes to graduation, like John Corcoran. He learned how to take advantage of hi s talent for sports to compensate for his disability I mentioned before.Feeney discusses, in his article â€Å"The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read†, â€Å"At Texas Western College, which he attended on an athletic scholarship, Corcoran conjured up a method to avoid courses requiring reading in class and essay writing. † Typically, an increasing number of students, parents and educators pay more attention to the special talents that they learn nowadays. If you have some talents in sports, music, science or machine, you almost win a ticket to the colleges even though you aren’t able to read or write.The final factor that illiterate students graduate from high school is that these students are good at taking examinations. More specifically, they are skilled in memorizing the exam questions. In â€Å"Teenagers in Dreamland,† Robert J. Samuelson points out that increasing adolescent autonomy is resulting in reduced academic skills/ performance of students. Sc hools have to downgrade the academic standards as well as the entrance exams. Some substandard schools even just focus on preparing for the examinations.The only job for the student is to memorize all the questions. The teachers help to prepare all of the questions for the students, but we all have a responsibility to support these students to polish their skills, so they can graduate knowing how to read as well as write. According to the analysis above, there are many strategies to graduate from high schools without how to read or write in the list. These students may have a huge disadvantage. These students will be prevented from gaining the information they need to be successful.Illiterate adults don’t have the same advantages in the world. They won’t know how to negotiate contracts, interview the jobs, and may not know how to get help when they are in trouble. Therefore, schools as a part of society should do what they can to prevent students from graduating high s chool as illiterate students. I believe that education uplifts us. It is the only path which can lead us to wisdom and liberation. No matter what kind of obstacles that may lead to students graduating illiterate, the best solution for us all to be sure to prevent this problem.

Narrative and Group Essay

Objectives: R6 Authorial perspective, R13 Evaluate own reading, R18 Prose text, S&L10 Group organisation 2 3 4 5 *Ask questions *Speculate *Relate to prior reading *Inference and deduction *Visualisation *Empathy *Reread *Relate to time and place *Interpret patterns *Summarise *Interpret patterns *Interpret patterns *Ask questions *Establish relationship with author *Interpret patterns *Ask questions Group reading: pages 7–22 Group activity: narrative hooks – group card SC2 What makes an effective narrative hook? Each group shares one example of inference Narrative hooks sheet Character, inference and deduction Group reading: pages 23–38 Group activity: explicit/inferred development of character – group card SC3 Group reading: pages 39–49 Group activity: in-depth exploration of character – group card SC4 Teacher with guided group – guided card SC1 Group reading: pages 50–63 Group activity: mind-mapping of plot and links between characters – group card SC5 Group reading: pages 64–77 Group activity: in pairs, author interrogation – group card SC6 Strategy checkcard Prompts sheet Photocopies of pp. 9–44 Structure: mind-mapping, seeing patterns Identifying and tracking themes Author’s viewpoint and intentions Two pupils to give feedback on what reading strategy helped most this lesson Refer to SC5 None 6 Select one group to demonstrate. What new insights has this given into the book? Refer to SC7. Each group reports on one language feature and its effect Read pages 70–86 Access to the Internet 7 Narrative style at word, sentence and text level 8 9 10 11 *Hear a voice as Authorial voice. How is read author ‘heard’ in novel? Ask questions *Interpret patterns *Reread/reinterpret Endings and how they link Group reading: pages 94–100 *Summarise back to the beginning Group activity: endings and resolutions – *Pass judgements group card SC9 Outline expectations for group presentations. Preparation of presentations Group presentations: 10 minutes per text Group reading: rereading pages 64–70 Group activity: groups choose one plot event and explore how the language features work within this – group card SC7 Teacher with guided group – guided card SC2 Group reading: pages 87–94 Group activity: find examples of author’s voice – group card SC8 Photocopies of pp. 64–70 Each group to give an None example of a) authorial and b) narrative voice Each group to consider None what is effective about ending in their book Homework: Preparation/rehearsal Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 1 Robert Swindells Group card SC1 Objectives: R4 Versatile reading R12 Independent reading Resources: Strategy check-card As a whole group we have: †¢ established the ground rules for group and guided reading; †¢ looked at effective strategies for reading (starter activity and Strategy check-card). Now you are going to: †¢ read up to page 7. Group task 1. Discuss how you think the author ‘hooks’ or interests the reader, making them want to read on. 2. Be prepared to share your findings in the plenary. Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 2 Robert Swindells Group card SC2 Objectives: R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: Narrative hooks sheet As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you. Now you are going to: †¢ look at the narrative hooks used by the author. Whilst you are reading: †¢ think about the strategies you are using (look at the Strategy check-card); †¢ think about the evidence you may use to support your ideas. Group reading Read together pages 7–22 (see group task first! ). Group task 1. One pupil recaps on pages 1–6. 2. Divide yourselves into two groups of three and label yourselves Group A and Group B. Group A – using the Guide to guided reading prompts sheet, what have you discovered about the main character in your book? Prepare to share your findings with Group B. Group B – using the Narrative hooks sheet, which narrative hooks has the writer used to entice the reader? Prepare to share your findings with Group A. 3. Share your findings with the whole group, using supporting evidence. Why does this make an effective opening to Stone Cold? Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 3 Robert Swindells Group card SC3 Objectives: R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: Strategy check-card, Prompts sheet As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; †¢ explored narrative hooks. Now we will: †¢ explore how the characters are developing. Group reading Read pages 23–38 together. Whilst you are reading: †¢ think about the strategies you are using, especially those of inference and deduction (look at the Strategy check-card); †¢ think about the evidence you may use to support your ideas. Group task In pairs, using the Prompts sheet on Character, what have you discovered about the main character(s) in the book? What is explicitly stated and what is inferred? Be prepared to give evidence and jot down notes in your reading journal. Link’s character Evidence Explicit/Inferred Shelter’s character Evidence Explicit/Inferred Share your findings around the group and add examples that you did not have. How effective is Robert Swindells’ development of his main characters? What techniques does he use? Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 4 Robert Swindells Group card SC4 Objectives: R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: Photocopies of pp. 9–44, highlighter pens As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; †¢ explored narrative hooks; †¢ explored the developing relationships between character and place. Now you are going to: †¢ explore the characterisation in more depth. Group reading Read pages 39–49 together. Group task 1. In discussion, recap on what we have learned about Link so far. 2. Give out photocopies of pp. 39–44 a nd highlighting pens. Working in pairs, agree responsibility for highlighting one of the following areas. What is learned about: i. unters and predators (how people perceive the homeless)? ii. pain and problems (physical pain and mental strain)? iii. partnership and poverty (what Link is learning from Ginger, proof that things are getting worse and worse)? 3. Share findings with the others in the group – what can we infer and deduce about: i. how Link seems to feel about his new life? ii. whether he will be tough enough to survive? iii. what the future might hold for him? Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 5 Robert Swindells Group card SC5 Objectives: R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: None As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; †¢ explored narrative hooks; †¢ explored the developing relationships between character and place; †¢ begun to explore themes and how the characters contribute towards them. Now you are going to: †¢ continue to trace developments, including themes. Group reading Read pages 50–63 (see instructions 3 and 6 below first! ). Group task 1. One pupil to recap on the story so far, key characters and situation. 2. As a group discuss the central themes you have identified in Stone Cold so far. Make a map of them. ) 3. Up until page 56 the narrator is still heavily reliant upon Ginger to show him all the tricks he will need in order to survive. He seems surprised by people’s attitudes towards the homeless. In pairs discuss and make another mind-map in your journals on what you think Link really learns from: i. his encounter with Captain Hook and time on the boat; ii. his walk through Camden Lock market and feelings when Ginger meets his friends; iii. hearing about Doggy Bag’s way of life and thinking about his disappearance. You should try to point towards textual evidence to support your ideas. . Share findings as a whole group. Discuss the following comment from the author: ‘I am dedicated to the idea that we are all responsible for one another, and that we ought to conduct ourselves accordingly, doing no harm to any being. ’ (Robert Swindells – Introduction to Stone Cold). For discussion: i. Is it possible to live such a life in our modern times? ii. Do we have a duty to care for our poorest, weakest and most needy? Captain Hook sees such people as targets to be exploited. Is he wrong? iii. Is the treatment Link receives unfair? iv. Should he have toughed it out at home? Should he join the army? . How do you think we should solve the problems of homelessness and begging on the streets of Britain? Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 6 Robert Swindells Group card SC6 Objectives: R6 Authorial perspective R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: Access to the Internet As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; †¢ explored narrative hooks; †¢ explored the developing relationships between character and place; †¢ explored themes and how the characters contribute towards them. Now you are going to: †¢ explore the role of the author. Group reading Read pages 64–77 together. Group task The characters are not the only ones that have a voice in a story. Readers are often given a strong impression of the author, the teller of the tale, and this can influence your experience of the story. 1. In pairs, write down five questions that you would like to ask Robert Swindells about Stone Cold and his ideas in the book. One member of the group should take on the role of the author and be interviewed as the author. 2. When you have done this read the interview given by Robert Swindells about his reasons for writing at www. mystworld. com (a more detailed one can be found at www. achuka. co. uk). List the similarities and differences in your ideas about Robert Swindells with those presented in the interview. How close was your group’s impression of the author given in Stone Cold to that given in the interview? Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 7 Robert Swindells Group card SC7 Objectives: R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: Photocopies of pp. 64–70 As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; †¢ explored narrative hooks, character, setting and mood, relationships between character and place, and emerging themes. Now we will: †¢ explore the author’s narrative style. Group reading Paired rereading of pages 64–70. Group task 1. Recap on the story so far. How has Link’s situation altered? How has his character developed since arriving in London? 2. The pages you have just read could be summarised in flow chart form as follows: A) B) C) Link’s initial desperation>meeting paper seller>Link can’t sleep> The all-night caff>meeting Toya>Link’s resolution (the New Me)> Arrival of new girl>forgetting Ginger>Link’s new partner. You are going to discuss together the following questions. What techniques does the author use in these pages to: i. build up tension? ii. make us feel closer to Link? iii. show the vulnerability of those on the streets? Split yourselves into three pairs, A, B and C. Each pair will focus on its given line in the flow chart above and try to answer the questions. Focus on textual evidence to support your ideas. 3. Share your findings with the group in discussion. Homework Read pages 70–86. Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 8 Robert Swindells Group card SC8 Objectives: R6 Authorial perspective R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: None As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; †¢ explored narrative hooks, character, setting and mood, relationships between character and place, emerging themes. Now we will look at: †¢ authorial voice – ‘I am dedicated to the idea that we are all responsible for one another, and that we ought to conduct ourselves accordingly, doing no harm to any being. ’ (Robert Swindells – Introduction to Stone Cold) Group reading Read together pages 87–94. Group task Sometimes adults tell children scary stories in order to stop them doing something, i. e. the more frightened the children are, the less likely they are to go into the woods, or play by the river. In Stone Cold, Robert Swindells shows us the brutal reality of life on the streets. To make things worse, his homeless youngsters are being stalked by a serial killer. If the book is to succeed, his villain must be realistic and disturbing. 1. Do you think the author wants to scare us? Does he succeed? If so, how and why? If not, why not? 2. Discuss your ideas with a partner and then make notes on the following: i. what we learn about Link and his fears in these pages; ii. how the tension slowly builds; iii. how successful Robert Swindells is in creating a frightening villain. 3. Share your findings on these questions with others in the group. 4. Write 50 words about the character of Shelter and how you feel about him. Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 9 Robert Swindells Group card SC9 Objectives: R6 Authorial perspective R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: None As a whole group we have: †¢ revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; †¢ explored narrative hooks, character, setting and mood, relationships between character and place, emerging themes and narrative style. Now we will look at: †¢ the resolution. Group reading 1. In pairs, discuss the questions left unanswered by the story so far. Compile a list of three things you’d like to know and three things you’d like to happen by the end of the story. Record them in your books. Share your findings with the others in the group. 2. Read pages 94–100 (see task 3). Group task 1. Discuss how your ideas matched up with those of the author, Robert Swindells. 2. As a group discuss why the author chose to let Gail go off with Gavin at the end and leave Link all alone. Would a ‘happy ending’ have been more suitable? 3. Consider what the future might hold for Link. . Will he ever get off the streets? Has he got a future of any kind? ii. Was the author making a point when writing Stone Cold? iii. What might it have been? Did you enjoy the story? Why or why not? Homework Write a detailed reflection on the ending of the story and the points you made in response to question 3 in the group task. Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 4 Teaching objective(s): Robert Swindells Guided card SC1 R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: Strategy check-card Photocopies pp. 9–44 Highlighter pens Stone Cold by Robert Swindells, pages 39–44: developing relationships between character and place Teacher distributes Strategy check-card, clarifies the objectives and identifies the reading strategies to be used in this session, i. e. scanning for, identifying and summarising specific points made by the author. Model these strategies based on the first full page of the novel, with a focus on the problems at home that are described by the narrator. Give pupils photocopies of pp. 39–44 and highlighting pens. Explain that they will be asked to text-mark for certain features. Pupils read pp. 9–44 independently. Individual pupils are asked to highlight what is learned about each of the following: †¢ Punters – begging and how it makes you feel; †¢ Pain – the physical damage sleeping rough can do; †¢ Predators – the dangers faced by the homeless; †¢ Problems – the mind games played at night; †¢ Partnership – Link’s gratitude towards his pal; †¢ Poverty – proof that Link is plunging lower and lower. Ask each pupil to share their findings with the rest of the group and then ask the group to comment on the skilful way the writer uses the voice of Link to alert us to the reality of life on the streets in modern Britain. What are we meant to infer and deduce about the future Link now faces? I. e. is he tough enough to survive the life he describes so vividly? Review reading strategies used in this session and, if they are keeping them, ask pupils to make brief notes in journals to record key points brought out in reading and discussion today. Homework: Read pages 44–49. Text focus: Teaching sequence: Introduction to text: Strategy check: Independent reading and related task: Return to text: developing response Review (reading target and next steps): Evaluation: Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3 Stone Cold Lesson 7 Teaching objective(s): Robert Swindells Guided card SC2 R6 Authorial perspective R13 Evaluate own reading R18 Prose text Resources: Strategy check-card Photocopies pp. 64–70 Text focus: Stone Cold by Robert Swindells, pages 64–70: narrative style and authorial attitudes, with a focus on word, sentence and text level features Teacher clarifies objectives and asks a pupil to recap on the story so far – how has Link’s situation altered? How has his character developed since arriving in London? Distribute Strategy check-card and outline expectations for developing the specific active reading skills targeted in this session. Model aloud the skills of inference and deduction on a section of the Daily Routine Orders chapters, showing how the writer implies a sense of menace. Stress that these strategies are essential skills for engaging with, and enjoying, texts and improving as a reader. Ask pupils to explain/illustrate when they have used these strategies recently. Give pupils photocopies of pages 64–70 and ask them in pairs to consider the techniques the author has used in order to imply: †¢ a growing tension; †¢ that Link deserves the reader’s sympathy; †¢ the vulnerability of those on the streets. Ask pupils to share their initial thoughts on key features at word, sentence and text level and then text-mark onto the sheets the evidence supporting their ideas. Teaching sequence: Introduction to text: Strategy check: Independent reading and related task: Return to text – developing response Whole-group discussion (teacher leads at first and then hands over questioning to pupils). Ask pupils to focus on textual evidence to support their findings. Why has the author chosen to remove a major character from Link’s environment and bring in another at this point in the story? What will this add or take away? Focus on inference and deduction and where the story may move next. Ask pupils to update their journals, if they are keeping them, listing their discoveries and speculations resulting from today’s session. Homework: Read pages 78–86. Review (reading target and next steps): Evaluation: Key Stage 3 National Stratagy NATE  © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3

Christmas and Winter Holiday Vocabulary 100 Word List

Christmas and Winter Holiday Vocabulary 100 Word List This comprehensive Christmas  and winter holiday vocabulary word list can be used in the classroom in so many ways. Use it to inspire word walls, word searches, puzzles, Hangman and Bingo games, crafts, worksheets, story starters, creative writing word banks, and a wide variety of elementary lesson plans in almost any subject. Be sure to customize the vocabulary you choose based on the policies of your school. Some public and private schools may only allow secular references to winter holidays, while some faith-based schools may prefer not to include secular or popular mythological references to Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, or other secular holiday  characters.   Types of Word List Activities Here are some ideas for using this vocabulary list in your classroom.   Word Walls: Build vocabulary by designating one wall or part of a wall to post large print words that all students can read from their desks.   Word Search Puzzles: You can create your own word search puzzles using one of several online puzzle generators. This allows you to customize them as appropriate for your class and school policies. For example, some schools may only allow secular references to the winter holidays. Sight Word Flash Cards: Make flash cards to improve vocabulary for early elementary students and for those with learning disabilities. Building holiday vocabulary will help them with seasonal reading. Holiday words may also be more fun for them to learn and spark interest. Hangman: This is an easy use  for  Christmas words and playing this game in the classroom can be a fun, interactive break between lessons. Poem  or Story Written Word Exercise: Have students draw three or more of the words to incorporate into a poem or story. You can assign these to be turned in or shared with the class. Poems may be rhyming or not  or in the form of a limerick or haiku. You can ask for a minimum word count for written story assignments. Impromptu Speech Exercise: Have students draw one to five words to incorporate into an impromptu speech to give to the class. You can have them draw words and immediately begin a speech, or give them a few minutes to prepare. Christmas and Winter Holiday 100 Word List AdventangelsannouncementbellsBethlehemBlitzencandlescandycandy canescardscedarcelebrateceremonieschimneyChristmas cookiesChristmas treecoldCometcranberry saucecrowdsCupidDancerDasherDecemberdecorationsdollsDonnerdressingeggnogelvesfamily reunionfestivalfirFrostyfruitcakegift boxesgiftsgoodwillgreetingshamhappyholidayhollyholyiciclesjollylightslistsmerrymiraclemistletoeNew YearNoelNorth Polepageantparadespartypiepineplum puddingpoinsettiaPrancerpresentspumpkin piepunchred/greenreindeerribbonRudolphsacredsalessauceScroogeseasonsledsleigh bellssnowflakesspiritSt. Nickstandstarstickersstocking stufferssweet potatotidingstinseltogethernesstoystraditiontraffictripsturkeyvacationVixenWinterworshipwrapping paperwreathyuleyuletide

Democratic-Republican Party - Members and History

Democratic-Republican Party - Members and History The Democratic-Republican Party is the earliest political party in the United States, dating to 1792. The Democratic-Republican Party was founded by  James Madison and  Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and champion of the Bill of Rights. It eventually ceased to exist by that name following the 1824 presidential election and became known as the Democratic Party, though it shares little in common with the modern political organization with the same name. Founding of the Democratic-Republican Party Jefferson  and Madison founded the party in opposition to  the Federalist Party, which was led by  John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and John Marshall, who fought for a strong federal government and supporting policies that favored the wealthy. The primary  difference between the Democratic-Republican Party and the Federalists was Jeffersons belief in the authority of local and state governments.   Jeffersons party stood for rural agricultural interests urban commercial interests represented by Hamilton and the Federalists, wrote Dinesh DSouza in  Hillarys America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party. The Democratic-Republican Party was initially just a loosely aligned group that shared their opposition to the programs introduced in the 1790s, wrote University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato. Many of these programs, proposed by Alexander Hamilton, favored merchants, speculators, and the rich. Federalists including Hamilton favored the creation of a national bank and the power to impose taxes. Farmers in the western United States strongly opposed taxation because they worried about not being able to pay and having their land being bought up by eastern interests, Sabato wrote. Jefferson and Hamilton also clashed over the creation of a national bank; Jefferson did not believe the Constitution permitted such a move, while Hamilton believed the document was open to interpretation on the matter. Jefferson initially founded the party without the prefix; its members were initially known as Republicans. But the party eventually became known as the  Democratic-Republican Party. Jefferson initially considering calling his party the anti-Federalists but instead preferred to described its opponents as anti-Republicans, according to the late  New York Times  political columnist William Safire. Prominent Members of the Democratic-Republican Party    Four members of the Democratic-Republican Party were elected president. They are: Thomas Jefferson, who served from 1801 until 1809.James Madison, who served from 1809 until 1817.James Monroe, who served from 1817 until 1825.John Quincy Adams, who served from 1825 until 1829. Other prominent members of the Democratic-Republican Party were Speaker of the House and famed orator  Henry Clay;  Aaron Burr, a U.S. senator; George Clinton, a vice president, William H. Crawford,  a senator and Treasury secretary under Madison. End of the Democratic-Republican Party In the early 1800s, during the administration of Democratic-Republican President James Monroe, there was so  little political conflict that it became essentially a one-party commonly referred to as the Era of Good Feeling.  In the presidential election of 1824, however, that changed as several factions opened up in the Democratic-Republican Party. Four candidates ran for the White House on the Democratic-Republican ticket that year: Adams, Clay, Crawford and Jackson. The party was in clear disarray. No one secured enough electoral votes to win the presidency to the race was determine by the U.S. House of Representatives, which chose Adams in an outcome that was called the corrupt bargain. Wrote Library of Congress historian  John J. McDonough: Clay received the smallest number of votes cast and was eliminated from the race. Since none of the other candidates had received a majority of the electoral college votes, the outcome was decided by the House of Representatives. Clay used his influence to help deliver the vote of Kentuckys congressional delegation to Adams, in spite of a resolution by the Kentucky state legislature that instructed the delegation to vote for Jackson.When Clay was subsequently appointed to the first place in Adamss cabinet - secretary of state - the Jackson camp raised the cry of corrupt bargain, a charge that was to follow Clay thereafter and thwart his future presidential ambitions. In 1828, Jackson ran against Adams and won - as a member of the Democratic Party. And that was the end of the Democratic-Republicans.

Scan Rate Issue at W.M. Morrison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Scan Rate Issue at W.M. Morrison - Essay Example ced inventory management process and adoption of online business process are the examples of customer centric business operation strategies of Morrisons. However, the organization is facing critical issues in the scanning process of the consumed items. Long scanning time in the supermarket chains of Morrisons is forcing the customers to wait for so long in queue. It is quite general that each and every individual can get harassed due to these issues (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2010, p.34). These specific issues are forcing the existing customers of Morrison to switch over to another brand as the organization is finding it difficult to meet the satisfaction level of the target customers. It is true that the organization has implemented online order processing, order delivering and online payment process. But, inadequate operation management processes affected the business performance and customer service of the organization. Several leading organizations within the industry are imp lementing advanced technological processes and tools in order to enhance several business operation activities. It is important for the organizations to capitalize on the potential business opportunities to sustain in this competitive business environment. Organizations within the UK supermarket retail chain industry are trying to focus on the recent market trend and demand of the target customers. It is quite difficult for an organization to survive in this competitive industry without having skilled and experienced workforce, and highly automotive business operation process. Operation management has become highly challenging for all the organizations within this competitive retail industry as the nature of the industry is becoming highly saturated and competitive. Skills and efficiency of... It is clear from above discussion that being one of the leading organization within the UK supermarket retail chain industry, Morrisons failed to improve its efficiency in the scan rate process. It is highly important for an organization within this particular industry to ensure effective business operation management process in order to provide effective customer service. Now-a-days, people always prefer online consumption facility in daily busy schedule in order to reduce the consumption time in cost. Several potential competitors of Morrison adopted and implemented online business operation start5egy according to the growing market demand and needs of target customers. In addition to this, the organization did not understand the real reason behind the high scan rate. Inadequate strategy development process and lack of effective training for employees affected the entire workplace performance. The organization tried several things to reduce the high scan rate that frustrates the cu stomers to wait for a longer time in a queue. The operation management of the organization increased the target for each and every executive in cash department.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 45

Assignment Example A person can verify the authority of the biblical canons using internal protocols of authorization. A good example of this is Isaiahs prophecy found in Isaiah 8:16, which talks about how the Messiah would bind testimonies and seal the laws and teachings of the bible among His disciples. The proof of this is in the New Testament where the founders of the early church believed this prophecy would bind them to their death. Further authorization of biblical canons comes from the persons who wrote the books. For example, history proves that Peter started the process of canonization very early in the church history. Therefore, all his books in the bible have authority, e.g. his epistles and the fourth gospel in the bible, Mark, which he personally directed. In conclusion, authorship of the books of the bible is another best way of determining the authoritative nature of biblical canons. This leaves questionable doubts on books without direct authorship such as Jude, James, and the gospel a ccording to Matthew. Furthermore, the general acceptance of these books by the church also proves their authority (Plummer 17). Based on the principles and tools for interpreting the Bible given in and the discussion of Hebrew history, explain how you would go about â€Å"exegeting† or getting the meaning out of the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Be sure to explain briefly how the different principles might help you understand the story, and be sure to give what you believe to be the appropriate application of the text. The process of interpreting the bible follows several laid out principles. These principles help one in understanding the bible verses and relating them to their daily personal life. While exegeting the story of David and Goliath, we first have to read the entire prose. David was a shepherd who killed Goliath, the largest and the strongest warrior of the

Building and sustaining strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Building and sustaining strategy - Essay Example The mission statement is to be the best advertising company in the world 1.2 The Market Target market: The target market is small entrepreneurs in addition to large multinational companies experiencing difficulties in marketing. Marketing strategy: My plans are to capture the market through advertisement of the company that will be mainly done online. My other way of targeting the intended market is by providing good and quality services in addition to offering after sale services to the customers. The other way is by charging low prices in order to attract the customers by offering them discounts. 1.3 The Finances The first quarter of our business operation will mainly intended to break even. The second quarter is intended to start building provides. The annual intended target is $100 million dollars and this will be expected to keep increasing while the business keeps adapting to rapid changing economic demands. 2.0 Registration Details Business name: WRSX Group Trading name(s): WR SX Group Date registered: 18/12/2012 Location(s) registered: Business structure: company Licences & permits: council permits on safety, business operations, security 2.1 Business Premises Business location: The business centre will be located in Happyville. 3.0 The Business Vision Statement In the next 3 years, WRSX Group will become a recognized leader in the local and international advertisement firm in the world. Mission Statement Members will receive personalised programs to suit their individual needs at competitive market rates. Staff will have a client focus, and a thirst for continual development of knowledge and their craft. Clients will be motivated to continue to exercise through a variety of programs, with their individual characteristics taken into account. All decisions will be based upon integrity, honesty, efficiency, and a desire for high quality. Management & Ownership Names of owners: james milner, terry mclean, Diana rose, Jamie fox, ann robinson, john lesly, bri an pink. Details of management & ownership: As the owners we will run the business and share the profits and dividends according to the shares each member has contributed Key Personnel Recruitment options Selection and recruiting will be done professionally through the internet and oral interviews will be conducted after applications have been collected. The applicant will also undergo a practical interview on the gym training skills they have. Training programs Personal training of the staff will be provided in order to familiarize with the services offered and handling of the sophisticated machines and equipment Skill retention strategies Staff and employees must be licenced as professionals who can safely work in the centre. The staff must renew their licences every year to ensure professionalism is maintained. However, regular training and evaluations will be provided in order to keep the staff updated with the latest skills. Market position: The business is located strategicall y in the middle of the town Unique selling Our products are both necessity and luxurious and fulfilling customers’ needs and demands are our major motive. Growth potential: Growth is likely to increase due to the demand especially with the sudden changes in technology and innovation with regard to a lot of competition in the market 3.7 Insurance Payment types accepted: Payment of the services offered may be made via electronic money to an account on our website, in

Significance Of Recruitment And Selection Business Essay

Significance Of Recruitment And Selection Business Essay Recruitment and selection process in an organization is important in order to attract an effective workforce. This is important because it would determine the business success and would affect the whole organization operation. One of the most valuable assets in an organization is the employees. Recruitment is defined as the process of attracting individuals on a timely basis, in sufficient numbers, and with appropriate qualifications, and encouraging them to apply for jobs with an organization (Mondy Noe, 2008). There are two main stages of recruitment. Firstly, strategic planning is needed to define the objectives and goals of the organization. Next, human resource planning is needed to identify the whether there are surplus or shortage of workers or just enough workers to achieve the organizational goals. The objective of recruitment is to attain the number and quality of employees that can be chosen to help the organisation achieve its objectives and goals. It also helps to create a pool of potential employees for the organisation in order for the management to select the right applicant for the right job. Selection is the process of choosing from a group of applicants the individual best suited for a particular position and organization (Mondy Noe, 2008). The vital goal of selection is to hire the candidate who is most suitable for the job duties and the culture of the organization. Using the right selection methods and delivering them effectively is important. Human resource managers can determine effective selection tools with the job when job analysis is carefully done.( Neil Kokemuller) Proper selection of candidates can reduce the cost of training because qualified candidate can perform well and achieve organizational goals. Selection can also reduce employee problems in the organization such as labour turnover and absenteeism. 2. Content Since recruitment and selection cost are significant, there are some alternatives to solve shortage of employees. The alternatives to recruitment are outsourcing, contingent workers, professional employer organization and overtime. Outsourcing is when the organization uses an external company to perform task and function of the organisation. Contingent workers are also known as temporary workers, part-time workers and just-in-time workers. When there is not enough full-time employees to complete some task, using contingent workers is a good choice. Professional employer organisation is companies that lease out their employees to organisations for a certain period. Overtime is when employees work for extra hours to deal with a large workload that is temporary. This way organisations save money on recruiting, selecting and training new employees. 2.1 Recruiting methods Recruitment source is the place where qualified individuals are found (Mondy Noe, 2008). Recruitment method is defined as the ways in which potential employees are attracted to an organisation (Kleynhans, 2006). Internal recruiting methods are employee database, employee referrals, job posting and job bidding. Employee database is able to show the organisation whether current employees have the required qualifications for filling the vacancies. Furthermore, an employee referral is when employees mention someone who is capable and suitable for the job opening to the recruiter. Job posting is a procedure of letting employees know there is a job vacancy whereas job bidding is a procedure that employees who believe that they possess the required qualifications to apply for the vacant position. There are several external recruiting methods. The methods commonly used are media advertising, job fairs, internships and employee agencies. Media advertising is a popular method. The organisation can put up its employment needs through various advertising means such as newspaper, internet, radio and television. Other than that, job fair is a recruiting method used by employers to attract large number of applicants to one location for interviews. Internship is where students are hired by an employer for a period of time into professional or technical position that relates to their area of study and prepare them for the workforce (Internship Definition, 2008). Employee agencies are organisation that aids to recruit employees and also help individuals to find for jobs. 2.2 Selection process The first step of selection process is preliminary interview. This step is to eliminate obviously unqualified candidates. The HR manager can conduct this step via telephone, video or virtual job interview. Telephone interview is commonly used as it saves time. The next step in selection process is review of applications and r à ©sumà ©. Evaluation of the applications of employment is done by the employer to determine whether the applicant is suitable for the position. Subsequently, the organization will administer some test such as work sample, job knowledge, psychomotor abilities test, vocational interest, and personality. Work sample test is used to test the ability of an individual to perform task that represent the job itself. Job knowledge test are used to test the applicants knowledge on duties of the job applied. Psychomotor abilities test assess the strength, coordination and agility of the applicant. Vocational interest test are used to test ones satisfaction or interest on the occupation. Personality test measures trait, temperaments and characters of the applicants. Employment interview is the oral examination of candidates for employment. The employer will exchange conversation with the applicants to evaluate them. There are two types of interview; structured and unstructured. Structured interview ask about questions related to the job whereas unstructured interview ask open-ended question. There are also four methods of interviewing which are one-on-one, group, broad and multiple interviews. Following the employment interview, investigation of the applicants background and reference are done to determine the truth of information stated. Previous employment, education verification, criminal history and personal reference check are some elements to verify. Next, selection decision is conducted. This is the most crucial step in the process. Candidate with the best qualification would be recruited by the organization. Lastly, medical examination is administered to see whether the candidate is physically capable to execute the job functions. If the applicants pass the whole process successfully, they will be notified to commence work as soon as possible. 2.3 Significance of Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and selection process is important for an organization to achieve its goals. When the right people are selected, the employee will produce productive results and stay with the organisation longer hence having a low employee turnover. If selection is not carefully done, the employee may make mistake which leads to a financial loss. It also wastes the time of human resource managers to go through the recruitment and selection process again. 3. Case development 3.1 Company description The company that we have chosen for our assignment is Public Bank Bhd. This company was start up in August 1966 by its Founder and Chairman, Tan Sri Dato Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow. Public Bank is a top-tier bank in Malaysia. Public Bank Berhad is engaged in investment holding, stock-broking, provision of related financial services, management of unit trust funds and sale of trust units, underwriting of insurance. Furthermore, Public Bank also emphasises on a wide range of banking services such as commercial banking, investment banking, financing Islamic banking business and card businesses. In the market of banking services, Public Bank is the market leader in consumers banking and retail commercial lending to SMEs in Malaysia. Besides, Public Bank has about 250 branches throughout Malaysia .The company employs 90% in Malaysia which mean more than 14,000 people are employed by the company and the services that provides in each of the branches include deposit accounts, insurance plans, loans, insurance plan and as well as credit cards. In addition, it has more than 100 overseas branches in countries including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The Public Bank Group has demonstrated powerful capacity of transporting exceptionally high rates of organic growth in its core businesses. In other hand, this company perform six segments. Retail operations which concerning on transferring the products and services to all small and medium-size businesses. Second, hire purchase operations, the provision of passenger vehicle financing to all levels of customers are being concerned by hire purchase operations. Furthermore, corporate lending operations provide the financing needs of corporate customers. In addition, trading treasury related products and services is engaged in the treasury and capital market operations. Investment banking operations which provide the business needs of business customers. Last but not least, fund management operations which consist of sale of trust units and the management of unit trust funds. Besides, Public Bank`s banking and management excellence has continued to be accorded prestigious domestic and international recognition. Furthermore, its excellence performance has received several awards granted by highly reliable institution and magazines. These awards included the Best Domestic Commercial Bank in Malaysia by Asiamoney and The Asset, Best Local bank in Malaysia by FinanceAsia and Euromoney, Best Bank in Malaysia by Global Finance and the Most outstanding Annual Report Award. In other hand, Between the 40 mainly well regarded Malaysian companies, Public Bank was ranked at 2 in year 2003. The bank also won the KLSE Corporate Excellence Award for the fourth consecutive year and the inaugural Malaysian Business Corporate Governance Award in year 2003, becoming the standard bearer of good corporate governance practices in Malaysia. Human capital is the most valuable assets for Public Bank Group. The Public Bank Group is committed in generating its human capital and determine the need for a powerful performance reward system to encourage their employees to perform better by rewarding their employees. Previously, Public Bank Group still stands out as one of the strongest and successful financial services group during the global recessionary economic conditions. Besides, Public Bank Group reward the staff with higher bonus as a result of their excellent performance. The compensation make up of a basic salary of RM 2,800 per month for entry level, other benefits and caring environment for the right applicants. With increasing online purchasing, Public Bank is now providing internet banking services, PBeBank.com .The security of the internet banking was improved with an alert mechanism that is well-qualified to identifying and diminishing doubtful account activities and preventing unauthorised access. Besides, this internet banking system allows customers to make payment for regular bills. In branches, every customer service delivery is improved with special care counters for senior citizens, expectant mothers and the disabled. Moreover, in each of the branches it provide convenient one-stop assistance for customer enquiries on loans. 3.2 Company recruitment practices and implementation There are two recruitment methods; internal and external. Public Bank uses both methods but mainly on external. Internal recruitment method Promotion from within The internal recruitment source that used by Public Bank is promotion from within. In general it is a procedure that the manager has stated a promise to consider promoting current employees for an opportunity before employing applicants from outside the organization. One of the employees, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Utama Thong Yaw Hong who was the Director in June 1986 and made Chairman in October 1986, now serves as Independent Non-Executive Co-Chairman of the Board at Public Bank Bhd (Reuters). External recruitment method Online Recruiting Method Public Bank is using external recruitment sources to find qualified individuals. One of the external recruitment source that usually used by Public Bank is online recruiting. Public Bank post their job vacancy on their company website and job search engine such as jobstreet.com. Media Advertising Besides, external recruitment method that used by Public Bank to attract potential employees is media advertising. The most common media advertising that used by Public Bank to convey their employment needs is through newspaper namely in The Star Jobs section. Job fair Moreover, Public Bank also used Job fair as one of the external recruitment method. Job fair is a exposition or fair that organized by an organization for the purpose of matching job seekers and people who seek for a job. One of the job fair that Public Bank has involved is the MCTF 12( Malaysia Career and Training Fair 2012). Before the Job fair Public Bank may posted their vacancy job detail on their website. The detail included minimum qualification, previous employment, communication skill and so on. Public Bank usually will transfer their employees from one department to another department. And this could bring the benefit of providing a excellent candidates for Public Bank to fill a vacancy. 3.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of Recruiting Methods Promotion from within . Because the current employees had gone through the training that provide by company and it take the current employee much less time to become efficiency and effective to the new job because current employee is already familiar with their job, so the current employees is someone who is capable for the empty job in the company. Besides, it is economical. By using the internal recruitment source, Public Bank has eliminated the cost of advertising, interviewing, training and development since the current employee has familiar with their works. In other hand, current employees have worked for the company for a period of time. So they are able to fit in with the company culture. It is very important because it could help to achieve organization efficiency. For example, employees who can work well with their colleague improve the efficiency in productivity of the organization because a person work in a warm and good culture environment could improve the productivity of the organization. Besides, this internal recruitment practices could motivate the employees. It encourages the employees to work hard and get promoted. One of the disadvantages of promotion from within is limited choice for the company. The selection of applicants is forced to be done from a limited pool. Due to this, the quality of applicant may need to be sacrificed and resolved in applicants that have less qualification. Other than that, candidates from within do not have a new ideas. Employees from within could not bring in outside talents and skills to maintain new ideas and plans to come in. And this will not make the company grow and improve. Moreover, promotion also can be resulted in inefficiency as it only focus on the services length rather than value, and it may be a good thing for inefficient candidates as they will not need to work hard in order to prove that they are worth to stay in the organisation. Online Recruiting The advantage of e-recruiting is that it saves cost on promoting company vacancy because it is free for Public Bank since it is placed on their website. Secondly, it is also easy to place an online advertisement. HR Managers dont need an in-depth knowledge on IT since most job sites and CV database are user-friendly. By using the external recruitment source of online recruiting, it is also time-consuming because it will generate many unqualified candidates. The human resource managers will waste time trying to filter and sift out all of the unqualified candidates. When they are choosing candidates, they will become confused because there are too many candidates. Media advertising The reason that Public Bank using this method is newspaper advertising can appeal to a wider audience. Those audiences have different backgrounds, specialized knowledge and experience. Public Bank can refer to their viewpoint and try to apply in their business. It can also help to fill the vacancies fast. However, there are many disadvantages for advertising too. Advertising will waste a lot of money. It will not be cost-effective. It is also time-consuming because it will generate many unqualified candidates. The human resource managers will waste time trying to filter and sift out all of the candidates. When they are choosing candidates, they will become confused because there are too many candidates. Career Fair Through this career fair Public Bank had the chance to meet up large number of applicant in a short time. Besides, this fair allow the employers to meet their potential employee face to face, exchange information and impress them. However there are some cons on job fair too. One of the cons is during the job fair the environment may be very noisy and overcrowded. This could affect the recruiting process. Besides, it is time consuming, the employers may meet a lot of unqualified employees and it may take some time to filter the unqualified employees. 3.4 Selection Process After the recruitment process, Public Bank will undergo selection process. Selection means choosing the best individual best suited the particular position in Public Bank from a group of qualified applicants. Public Bank want to make sure that the applicants is properly matched with jobs and organization by selection process. The selection process in Public Bank is done step by step after Public bank recruited qualified people throughout the selection methods. The first process is preliminary interview. The main objective Public bank do this process is to eliminate the obviously unqualified individuals. Public bank will phone the candidates recruited to have a telephone conversation. In the conversation, the applicants will be eliminate once they are found not fulfill the qualification. Second process is review application and resumes. Qualified applicants will send their resume according to the jobs they apply. Summary of experience, education, training development must include in the resume for the process of selection. Public Bank will check for the validity and reliability of the resume in different ways such as make a phone call to the university he or she graduated, make a phone call to his or her last company to check for his or her experience and personality. The third process is having a selection test. In Public Bank, they basically will have cognitive test, job knowledge test and work sample test. Public Bank will give the applicants an IQ test form to fill up, to make sure the ability of applicants and how well he or she can perform a job. After that, Public Bank will give them job knowledge tests to measure how deep their knowledge about the position. After that, Public Bank will create a situation and require applicant to solve it based on their experience. This is the best way to test the ability of the applicant, to find out how applicants deal with the uncertainty and solve the problem with best solution. Fourth process is employment interview. Public Bank will ask the applicants come to branch to have a face-to-face interview. Basically, the interviewer will ask about occupational experience, academic achievement, interpersonal skills and how well applicants try to fit into the organization. Public Bank will uses both structured and unstructured interview. First ask applicants to introduce themselves, lists out their strength and weaknesses. After that, the interviewer will ask about the job related question. Public bank usually uses one-on-one interview method. Fifth process is pre-employment screening. Public Bank wants to determine the accuracy of information submitted by applicants. Public bank will checks applicants previous employment, education, criminal history, compensation history and credit history. The validity of information is very important; this is to make sure they hire the best workers among the applicants. Sixth process is selection decision, the most important and critical step. Interviewer will discuss with their head of department and head of human resource management to choose the person most closely conform to the open position and organization. Final process is to notify the applicant who being chosen. Public Bank will inform them as soon as possible by email and formal letter. 3.5 Advantages of the practice of Selection methods in H.R management Save time and cost When Public Bank does the preliminary interview, it helps to reduce time and effort. This method can eliminates weak candidates and send the high quality applicants for the second interview. Phone call will not cost Public Bank as much as compare to face-to-face interview and effort of interviewer. It is also a way to test for the verbal skills by having tele-conversation. If the applicants cannot perform well in tele-conversation, for sure they will also not perfom well during face-to-face interview which require higher verbal skills include body language, eye contact and movement. Increase efficiency Applicants will be given a selection tests. All the results obtain from the selection test will be standardize and uniform. Hence, it will be faster during make comparison between applicants, directly increase the efficiency of selection process. Other that, structure interview also will increase the efficiency of selection process because the question is similar for the entire applicant such as introduce yourself. By this, interviewer will have a best formal answer and determine which applicant will give the answer most close to the formal answer. Increase reliability and accuracy Public Bank will have a background and references checks after face-to-face interview with the applicants. They want to make sure that information given by applicants is not fraud and certificates and documents submitted are recognized by the issuing units. Once the issuing units confirmed the certificates and documents thus prove the applicants have the qualification with proper education background. If records are not found when refer to the issuing units, thus can eliminate the applicant to prevent organization hire the unqualified worker. Disadvantages of the practice of Selection methods in H.R management Interviewer may have bias to certain group of people Public Bank is using one-on-one interview method. This method is quite inappropriate when the interviewer is biased to certain group of people. The performance of applicants is very subjective due to the perspective of the interviewer. For example, when the interviewer believe that man will perform better in banking industry compare to woman, no matter how well the women performance during the interview or having higher education of that area, having more experience, she will still not been selected because of the point of view of the interviewer. This may cause Public Bank lose a better worker thus directly reduce competitive advantage. Time consuming Public Bank want to increase reliability and accuracy but in another hand waste time. To check for the validity of certificates and documents, the issuing units need time to proceed. While waiting for the feedback from issuing unit, applicants may search for other jobs. Once they found the information given by selected applicant is fraud, they need to select another applicant and go through this process again. Besides that, by having one-one-one interview method, it takes times to review all the applicants. As we know time is crucial because when the applicants wait for a long time and do not receive any feedback, they may search for other job opportunity.