Economic Impact of Affordable Care Act Essay

Impact of the Affordable Care Act† The current healthcare system over burdens the economy and is far too costly in comparison to the health benefits it delivers. The United States spends about 50 percent more on healthcare than any other developed country (as a fraction of our total national economy) and we get less for it on what matters. The human capital required to obtain these services leaves many Americans doing without or not receiving the medical treatment required. The Affordable Care Act may be the most controversial legislation in the modern era. It is marketed as healthcare expansion to about thirty million more Americans. The ACA is also designed to do away with some of the unfair elements of the current system. Health insurers currently are able to deny people coverage for â€Å"pre-existing conditions† which makes out of pocket costs out of reach for most Americans. As with any piece of federal lawmaking, the ACA was the product of political compromise among parties and interests. (Turner) However, the ACA should help to improve the GDP in the long run. In the short term period, the increase in economic security for American families will also mean an increase in consumer spending. Many uninsured consumers are forced to set aside money in low interest liquid accounts to make sure they have enough to cover unexpected medical costs. With the security provided by health insurance, they can free that money up for consumption that is much more valuable to them. When the federal government expanded Medicaid in the 1990s, the newly insured significantly increased their spending on consumer goods. (Brodwin) More purchases of consumer goods will provide short-run stimulation to the economy and more hiring. Opponents of the act have countered this theory saying it will freeze hiring in some industries. Some employers may resist hiring new workers, at least partly to avoid the high costs of the law’s mandated health coverage. The health law will require all employers with more than 50 workers to provide health insurance or pay a fine of $2,000 to $3,000 per worker every year. (Yoo) These added costs could result in companies losing the money needed to grow their businesses and hire new workers. It is feared that small business, usually the nation’s most robust job creators, will be hit hardest and many say the requirement would wipe out their profits. It is alleged that the â€Å"slow down† in hiring has already begin in  anticipation of the ACA. The total cost for healthcare in the US is around 16 percent of Gross Domestic Product, known as GDP. What we pay to doctors and insurance companies directly are included in this, as well as what we pay indirectly to Medicare and other programs. 16 cents of every dollar spent on groceries or clothes that will go to he althcare. This is very high in comparison to most other developed countries that pay between 9-12 percent of GDP. The difference in GDP is almost 5 percent, which works out to be more than half the annual federal deficit. The biggest fear associated to the Affordable Care Act is likely about the financing and â€Å"job-killing taxes†. There are three primary sources that the law applies new taxes to. The first is on parts of the health care industry like medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and insurance. (Turner) These areas that are receiving a new tax are being asked to â€Å"kick back† some of the newly created revenue resulted from an increase in paying customers provided by the law. These sectors should benefit on net in a large way. The second is an extension of the Medicare tax on the wealthiest Americans, those with incomes above $250,000 per year. The impact of tax changes on the highest income taxpayers will avoid some of those taxes by re-categorizing their incomes in ways that minimize taxes. There is nothing that suggests that the upper class will actually work less, invest less, or do anything which reduces their â€Å"real contribution† to the economy. The third major tax provision is a â€Å"free rider penalty† of $2000 to $3000 (per employee) on medium and large businesses that fail to provide workers with affordable coverage, forcing those workers to get subsidized insurance via the new insurance exchanges. This will indeed impose a new financial burden on businesses that, unlike competitors, do not pay their fair share of health insurance costs. But the overall impact is likely to be very small. Only 2. 6 percent of businesses will pay this assessment, and the revenue raised will amount to 1. 4 percent of existing spending on health insurance in the U. S. and only 0. 1 percent of wages. ( Turner) The ACA should raise employment numbers for the medical industry in the short run, more than any partial offsets from new taxes on that sector. The ACA should improve the functioning of our labor market in the medium run, by allowing workers to move to the positions in which they are most productive and satisfied without fear of job lock or losing health benefits. The â€Å"economic slowdown† from taxes on the upper class or the small equity payments imposed on employers should be minimal. In the long run there is a good chance the economy will improve by controlling health care cost. The choice between protecting our most vulnerable citizens and improving our economy is a false one. The ACA should do both. Works Cited Brodwin, David. â€Å"How the Affordable Care Act Helps the U. S. Economy. † US News. U. S. News & World Report, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 03 Mar. 2013. Turner, Grace M. â€Å"Pro&Con: Affordable Care Act Will Impose New Burdens on Consumers, Businesses. † SouthCoastToday. com. N. p. , 02 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2013. Yoo, Saerom. â€Å"Mid-Valley Social Services. † MidValley Social Services Economic Effect of Medicaid Expansion under Affordable Care Act Comments. N. p. , 07 Feb. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2013.

“La Grande Odalisque” and Manet’s “Olympia” Essay

This essay is comparing paintings of reclining female nudes thru the history of art. – Ingres’ â€Å"La Grande Odalisque† and Manet’s â€Å"Olympia† a Comparison The reclining female nude has been a recurring image in the history of European art. Each artist through time approaches the subject in a different, individualized way. An earlier example of the reclining nude is Giorgione’s â€Å"Sleeping Venus,† created around 1510(see fig. 1). His nude is painted using the clair obscur method with soft, blurred lines, making her fair skin fade slowly into the dark background. Her eyes are closed, giving an aura of innocence, because she is unaware of being observed. Also, Giorgione seems to be experimenting with background in the painting. When examining the painting as a whole, one does not simply see the reclining figure, but the diverse and unusual background also attracts the eye. The fact that the background is open is a certain indication of classical influence on this Renaissance artist. Later, in 1796, Goya began his version of the reclining nude, â€Å"The Nude Maja†(see fig. 2). This painting was ahead of its time, in the respect that the Spanish society was not ready to view this â€Å"obscene† image. She was considered obscene because of her provocative position of frontal nudity, and because this is the first time a nude has been painted in awareness of the painter; her gaze is focused outward. About thirty years later, in 1814, Ingres paints â€Å"La Grande Odalisque†(see fig. 3). She, like Goya’s â€Å"Maja† was rejected at first by society, but for different reasons. She was not rejected because she was â€Å"obscene,† but because her body was an unnatural shape; her long back does not seem proportional to her small head. One critic of Ingres said, â€Å"She has three vertebrae too many!† Ingres’ nude is also looking out from the painting with awareness, as Goya’s â€Å"Maja† did. However, there was not as much objection to the lack of innocence demonstrated here. Her awareness may have been less of an impact  on Ingres’ society because the body of â€Å"La Grande Odalisque† is painted more modestly; it is facing in, away from the viewer. It was also more accepted in Ingres’ society because it was painted after the shock of Goya’s work. The advancement of time has given Europe a chance to broaden its perspectives, and become more open-minded regarding the strict rules of painting nudes. If Ingres’ style in â€Å"La Grande Odalisque† is examined, one can definitely see classical influence playing a large part. The classical influence is most clear through the solid delineation of the figure. There are no blurred or choppy lines. Classical influence is also shown through the way Ingres paints his nude with very smooth, invisible brush strokes. The skin and textures of fabric seem so real, they are practically photographic. She is painted indoors, but the black background behind the blue curtain denotes openness, as seen in classical works. Even though these obvious classical influences exist, Ingres did not follow the classical masters exactly as other Neo-Classical artists did. The figures’ slight deformation does not coincide with the classical challenge to create the perfect body. Why did Ingres reject the classical style when he shaped the body of his nude? Some critics felt that because of her unusual shape, Ingres must have been following the Mannerists, who with their unnatural ways of painting rejected the normal classic figure. However, it is also believed that Ingres elongated the back and outstretched arm to create a more sensual and erotic shape. His painting may also be considered romantic in subject matter, even though his style is Neo-Classical. Almost fifty years after Ingres painted â€Å"La Grande Odalisque,† Manet created â€Å"Olympia†(see fig. 4). Olympia could be considered the most unconventional nude up to this point. She was painted in 1863, and again, society rejected the reclining figure. Olympia was the first of the nudes to give the viewer the sense of a real person, rather than an idealized figure. This realistic, unconventional portrayal caught the world by surpass. Olympia’s pale skin is totally unattractive when compared with the smooth, well-shadowed skin of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"La Grande Odalisque.† Manet’s figure seems two-dimensional, whereas Ingres’ nude is three-dimensional. This is attributed to the fact that Manet, being reluctant to follow the trends before him, â€Å"refused to create three-dimensionality through modeling forms with lines or gradations of color.† â€Å"Olympia† is proof of this refusal; her body almost seems like a cardboard cut-out. Another notable difference between â€Å"Olympia† and the other nudes is her gaze. She looks out at the viewer, just like â€Å"La Grande Odalisque† and â€Å"The Nude Maja,† but where these nudes had very seductive, enjoyable gazes, Olympia’s stare is very honest and frank. She looks out at the viewer with little interest, and she has no modesty whatsoever. This small change in gaze may seem insignificant, but upon examining the various nudes, one can see that it makes a dramatic difference. Manet’s nude, with her uncaring look, has a modernized feeling to it; it clearly demonstrates how Manet got the title, â€Å"The Father of Modern Art.† Throughout the time span of the four paintings mentioned here, it is obvious that the 19th century was indeed the one most revolutionary for new thought and innovation. Ingres’ work at the beginning of that century has not quite reached that point of change, but Manet’s work in the middle of the century reflects a totally new era of change. His art helped the Victorian society to realize that the roller coaster ride into the twentieth century was to be one of exciting, liberal thought. Even today, the reclining nude is being recreated in a very fascinating way(see fig. 5). By a simple comparison of these four works, it is easy to trace the history of art from its classical stage, to the modern art it is today.

Costco case Analysis Essay

1. What is Costco’s business model? Is the company’s business model appealing? Why or why not? Costco’s business model is focused on producing high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover by offering members low prices on a limited selection of national name brands and select private-label products in a wide range variety. Costco is focused in low-cost strategy is concentrated on a narrow buy segment and out competing rivals by having lower costs, therefore being able serve a niche consumers at a lower price. (Gamble, John and Thompson, Arthur (2009). Costco’s business model is appealing because they are able to continually sell to a niche market. This niche market has annual income which ranges from $75,000 to $100,000 or more a year. By offering the best products possible at lower price, they are able to have these members return. Presently there are 47,679,000 card holders which include Executive members, Business member, Primary cardholders and Add-on cardholders. Whereas Costco has offered the most popular products in order to have a rapid turn-over. Cost co has proven that there business strategy has worked by continually producing higher net sale. 2. What are the chief elements of Costco’s strategy? How good is the strategy? Strategy is the organization’s pre selected that means to achieve its goals or objectives, while keeping in view current and future external conditions. Costco’s strategy’s elements are low prices, limited product lines and selection and treasure hunt shopping environment. Costco’s is following cost leadership strategy which is good because on this base they can compete with their competitors. By limited product lines and limited selection they are offering limited 4000 items which are less as compared to its competitors. Costco’s is adopted market development strategy by capturing new markets for existing products. Also it provides such product at low prices to its members which they believe will not be available in next visit. This works as an incentive and members try to take maximum advantage and therefore Costco’s sales volume increases. At Costco’s warehouse products are not offered in every size. The strategy they followed is th at by offering every size their efficiency will decrease therefore it is said intelligent loss of sales. 3. Do you think Jim Sinegal has been an effective CEO? What grades would you give him in leading the process of crafting and executing Costco’s strategy? What support can you offer for  these grades? Refer to figure 2.1 in Chapter in developing your answers. Jim Sinegal is an effective CEO after gone through the case study. There are various reasons which show that Mr. Jim Sinegal was responsible to lead the path of strategy effectively. First, Jim Sinegal had made a transparent and well defined planned path for the Costco to follow. He was the only person in the company for the preparation of business model and appreciated over the growth of the strategy of the company. He had know how skills and created an environment to offer treasure hunt in the stores and maintain low prices and helps in promoting large volume of store traffic that helped in building quick turnover of inventory. He was responsible for driving the ability of the company to achieve yearly sales nearly to $130 million per store. According to the case study Sinegal had performed excellent job in the execution of the strategy process at Costco. He performed three functions in the company as producer, knowledgeable critic and director. He went to stores for investigation for checking out the performance of store managers and asked various questions from them, about the performance of stores and told them to do more work on their weak areas. In this case, when Sinegal found answers to his questions less than expected than he told store managers to do more research and come back with sufficient information. 4. What core values or business principle has Jim Sinegal stressed at Costco? The main business principle activity of Costco is to provide high value to users by offering global and local tag products at low prices, also it integrates its employees in a very nicely way. Jim Sinegal wanted to say that these two principal activities reflected in working environment of Costco which makes them profitable throughout the world as compared to other conventional wholesalers and merchandisers. 5. (in the event you have covered Chapter 3) What is competition like in the North America wholesale club industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest and why? Use the information in Figures 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 (and the related discussions in Chapter 3) to do a complete five-forces analysis of competition in the North American wholesale club industry. The wholesale club industry has evolved into a common oligopoly just as other major industries have. The â€Å"big three† of this industry are Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s. A five forces analysis will be examined in regards to the wholesale club industry. Force one, barriers to entry; the three companies  are at an advantage because of the difficulty of new firms entering the industry. They accomplish economies of scale and scope due to the size and volume of their sales by buying and selling more goods on a larger scale with lower costs. It would take a considerable amount of time for a new entrant to achieve the benefits of economies of scale. The capital requirements are large due to the construction of buildings and acquisition of land and licenses. Only companies with an established distribution network would have a fair chance of entering the industry. Force two, the threat of substitutes, is not a factor because the service they offer is not offered by other outside competitors. Force three, the bargaining power of buyers, is the strongest force working in the favor of the industry. This is so because buyers cannot negotiate the price. The main reason customers come to wholesale clubs is they are attracted by the already low prices and value of buying in bulk. Force four, the bargaining power of suppliers could come into play if a more favorable opportunity presents itself in the general retail industry. Wholesale clubs offer only a percentage of the products that a general retailer does. A key strategy of Costco is aimed squarely at selling top-quality merchandise at prices consistently below what other wholesalers or retailers charge. Force fifth, rivalry among existing players, is not a major factor. Costco, the runaway leader presently, offers the â€Å"treasure hunt† deals where extreme bargains are offered for short, unannounced periods of time. This creates buzz amongst customers by enticing them to return on a consistent basis to explore what â€Å"treasures† are available. BJ’s sets itself apart by being the only club among the three to accept manufacturer’s coupons. They also are the only club to accept all four major credit cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, at all locations. They also offer a broader assortment of items as compared to Sam’s and Costco. 6. Base on the data in case Exhibits 1 and 4, is Costco’s financial performance superior to that at Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale? 7. Does the data in case Exhibit Exhibit 2 indicate that Costco’s expansion outside the U.S. is financially successful? Why or why not? 8. How well is Costco performing from a strategic perspective? Does Costco enjoy a competitive advantage over Sam’s Club? Over BJ’S Whole sale? If so, what is the nature of its competitive advantage? Does Costco have a winning strategy? Why or why not? Costco has been playing very successful in the wholesaling industry as it can be seen from its business strategies. First of all, for the purpose of supporting the Costco’s business model of generating high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover, Costco members are given a limited selection of nationally branded and select private label products in a wide range of merchandise categories. Then Costco combine its rapid inventory turnover with the operating efficiencies to run the business profitably at significant lower gross margins than traditional wholesales, mass merchandisers, supermarkets and supercenters. As a result, Costco takes advantages of its high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover to obtain the benefits of early payment discounts from merchandise vendors due to the high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover allow Costco to generate enough cash in account. Secondly, the pricing strategy of Costco is key factors to support the low price business strategy which is to cap the margins on branded name merchandise at 14 percent so that its members can buy with low price. Thirdly, Costco focus to offer limited selection that is about 4000 items with fast selling models, sizes and colors, and target the small businesses for its commercial and professional models selling. Furthermore, advertising and sales campaigns are not being used frequently by Costco for the marketing strategy and the company only launches campaigns for new warehouse openings. In addition, Costco also use direct mail to prospective new members occasionally and direct mail programs promoting selected merchandise to members regularly. Opening more new warehouses, building an ever larger and fiercely loyal membership base and employing well executed merchandising techniques to encourage members to shopping more frequently with big trip are the main central growth strategy of Costco. Moreover, online shopping is another alternative that Costco offered to members so as to make their shopping more convenient rather than switch to competitors. In addition, Majority of merchandise is owned by Costco, and the company also builds direct buying relationships with many producers of national brand name merchandise and manufacturers and this result in the available of flexible alternatives of suppliers for Costco in anytime to  have sufficient of stocked merchandise. Also, Costco’s membership base and member demographics contains powerful buying ability as it mainly target the individual customers with minimum income of $75000 and 30 percent of the targeted customers earn more than $100000 annually. For the purpose of executing Costco’s strategy successfully, the company offer biannual bonuses and full spectrum of benefits for its employees. More important, the promoting opportunities will consider the insiders first based on the company policy. Other factors that determine the success of Costco also include the business philosophy, values and code of ethics such as obey the law and governmental regulations, take of members, take of employees, respect suppliers and business partners, and reward the shareholders. Costco is beating both Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale in net sales and market share. However, Sam’s Club has launched an aggressive campaign to increase its market share. 9. Are Costco’s prices too low? Why or why not? Yes, because the gross profit margin falls into the normal range for this industry. However, it should be trending upward and as you can see it is actually decreasing slightly. If this trend continues, steps will need to be taken to correct the problem. Another probability indicator, return on stockholder equity indicates that the company has a problem. Average returns are around 12%, which Costco was nearing in 2004 and 2005. In2006, the company experienced a sharp decline which is causing for concern. Investigate this decline. It could be due to low profits after taxes. If the pricing is too low, this can happen. Currently, Sinegal, admittedly, tries to sell products at the lowest price possible for longevity. However, if the investors in the firm are not making appropriate returns for the risk, they will invest elsewhere. The current ratio figure is in the average range but on the decline. The debt to equity shows a strong balance sheet and low levels of debt. It is trending downward. The inventory turnover rate is slightly higher than average, indicating that Costco is outperforming competitors in moving product. Also cause for concern is the fact that the working capital is shrinking. This might indicate the inability to expand without a loan. 10. What do you think of Costco’s compensation practices? Does it surprise you that Costco employees apparently are rather  well-compensated? Costco’s compensation and benefits are higher than those at walmart. Salaried employees in Costco warehouses could earn anywhere from $30000 to $125000 anually. Costco employees enjoyed a benefit package that included the following points. Health and dental care plans. A dependant care reimbursement plan. Confidential professional counseling services. Company paid long term disability coverage equal to 60%,of earning for workers that were out for more than 180 days on a non-worker’s compensationleave of absence. Generous life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. An employee stock purchase plan. 11. What recommendations would you make to Costco top management regarding how best to sustain the company’s growth and improve its financial performance? Costco is a company that have some criticism, such as people has to wait for a long time to pay their products. However costco doeS not have big problems that desperately need to be fixed. So it should stand in the same course using the present strategy. I think Costco has the capacity to continue investing in new stores and grow sales. It can also expand sales by introducing new products line, like furniture. The company has the financial resources to keep growing its business and open more warehouse locations

Compare and contrast managing employment relations with and without Essay

Compare and contrast managing employment relations with and without trade unions - Essay Example Several employee employer surveys over the years have allowed for this nation to be put to test in real life workplace situation (Blanpain & Dimitrova, 2010). It is a fact that workers will perceive the management-employee relations based on practices and even structures that that underpin the relations between the management plus the workers on the individual bases and at large. Not to be forgotten also is the employee’s individual experiences at work as well as their reference frames. It is an obvious thing the opinions of the management-employee relations will vary across the hierarchy at the work place (Bendix, 2001). Managers and especially HR mangers will be less likely to be in criticism of the system as opposed to other employees. This varying opinion may also be caused by the fact that employee needs may differ from those of the managers. A differing opinion may also be as a result of the fact that the management operates on different reference frames, hence working on different information than the employees. As case in point, it is not unusual for a manager to interpret grumbling employees as a form of blowing off steam. While it may be in some cases true that they are letting off steam it is not always the case so there is a need for a mediator to unite the two (Fleming, 2004). It may be hypothesized that unions a perpetually in a bid to obtain higher wages for their members than they would ordinarily be offered were they absent. Some may also argue that trade unions result in the employers losing out to the employees when it comes to share of profits to the disadvantage of the firms. If this line of thought is followed then there is high chances for conflict to araise between the firms and the trade unions. Should the firms resist the trade unions, then the unions would be forced to mobilize workers leading to strong

Comparing And Contrasting The Different Types Of Love Found In Plato's Essay

Comparing And Contrasting The Different Types Of Love Found In Plato's Symposium And St. Augustine's Confessions - Essay Example Regarding our main topic of focus, love is neither an abstract nor a concrete emotion or feeling. In our daily lives, we usually and constantly refer to the word love innumerable times simply because of our unfamiliarity with its meaning. In all those instances whereby we apply the term love, we mean different things though unawares. In most cases, however, we mean that the referee is something or someone that we desire and would profoundly prefer looking after or caring for. Everything can be a subject to loving by another both abstract and concrete. However, concrete things objects that have no emotions cannot love. The love of an individual towards someone or something therefore encompasses an extremely broad nature and has to be succinctly espoused. The study outlined below encompasses both the similarities and also the dissimilarities between the two philosophers in terms of what their views are regarding the critical issue of love (St Augustine 373). Plato derives his views and definitions for love from the evaluation of other peoples’ personal conveniences regarding love. This kind of love is referred to as common love, merely for sexual satisfaction. He defines heavenly love as a profound feeling or elated emotion that emanates from the soul and characterized by a no-conditional liking and passion between mostly a man and a man. This kind of love is made possible by a connection to the heavenly God. This love is deeply rooted beyond the soul and is indispensable. Common love is referred to as immoral and vulgar since it is aimed at satisfying the participants sexually over a short period of time. This love comes from the profound and strongly rooted physical attraction. This kind of love is not right and is not supported by the two philosophers. St. Augustine gives the same kind of types of love and expounds on the instances in almost a similar way as Plato (Sheffield et al 1). In both their assessments, they perceive the female gender as inferio r to the men excluding the goddesses. This elicits a similarity between the two scholars’ views on the nature and types of love (St Augustine 373). Both Plato and Augustine come to terms that there is a greater version of love than the concrete and physically expressed love. This kind of love is enlightened and formless. Both men and women aim at receiving that enlightenment but in entirely diverse ways. Augustine slightly differs with Plato regarding the actions and activities inculcated in the love relationship. This is sexual contact between people who love each other. Plato argues that sexual intercourse is a path to achievement of the higher love that everyone aims to obtain and which brings about enlightenment. Augustine, on the other side argues that the action of sexual intercourse only brings about tradeoffs towards the achievement of such enlightenment to the higher reality. He perceives and strongly believes that expression of physical love is not a stepping stone but rather a barrier to attainment of spirituality. This is due to the fact that he had previously experienced situations regarding the same issue at hand. He considered romantic or common love as purely sacrilegious and non credible since he had actually gone through in his early ages. Plato argues that in the initial stage of love, the amans’

Basic Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Basic Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example The document is also one that makes the instructions that it gives very clear. One of the greatest advantages of this document is the fact that it provides instructions in simple language that can be understood and accessed by a large number of people. This is a testimony to the intent of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Another of the advantages of the document is the fact that it organizes the information that it gives in a cogent and coherent manner. This can be seen in the framework that the booklet follows when making the content clear. Apart from this, the booklet also provides telephone numbers that can help solve the doubts that anybody may have regarding the use and disposal of the substance in question. This framework is used for very substance and is easy to read. It also provides all the information that a person would require for the purpose of dealing with the substance in question. There is however, a glitch in this booklet and the way in which it is written. The most easily accessible version (the one that is found online), is one that does not have any color to it, in the metaphoric sense. This is to say that while the elements are arranged cogently, the rest of the visual elements are not arranged in an exciting manner and is thus not eye-catching. However, in defense of the document, one may say that the process of prevention of accidents due to hazardous materials that are a part of people’s everyday lives may not require the most glamorous packaging that one is able to find. The booklet makes situations clear to the reader and makes it a very handy guide for the disasters that are likely to strike a person in her or his daily life. The document is a very usable one. This owes a lot to the handy introduction and the table of contents. Both these features enable an understanding of the uses that the document can be put

L.A. Exile Writers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

L.A. Exile Writers - Essay Example In addition to being one of the foremost crime novelists of the 20th century, Raymond Chandler is also recognized as one of the greatest writers of Los Angeles. In articulating Los Angeles it’s clear that Chandler assumes a sort of outsider status. Rather than romanticizing the various daily on-goings there is almost a sense of condescension in his tone. For instance, he writes â€Å"an evening with the sports page, the blatting of the radio, the whining of their spoiled children and the gabble of their silly wives† (Chandler). It’s clear that rather than romanticizing the movie star nature of Los Angeles, Chandler is attempting to present it in a more gritty light, with a self-conscious flavor. In other instances, Chandler attempts to depict the behind the scenes reality of the city, demonstrating producers that speak of the nature of the movie business in cynical terms. In all its an engaging portrait of the city that eschews romanticized notions of celebrity p arties and Hollywood for a grittier and realistic edge. A lot of how Chandler does this is by showing off the people who did not make it into the Hollywood and Los Angeles dream as well as those who did. Although his novel The Little Sister, already quoted above, is about the disappearance of an airline engineer, there are parts of it which deal specifically with some of the studios. In chapter 19, Marlowe goes to a movie production studio and notes that the entrance area has bulletproof glass. He mentions that he â€Å"never heard of anybody shooting his way into the picture business,† and a woman behind him laughs and says she wishes that was all it took (Chandler). In this short section, Chandler has deftly managed to point out the paranoia of the rich Hollywood types, as well as showing that for every bullet proof glass protected studio there are many people who do not make it into them. In this way he successfully deflates the image that Los

Religious Approaches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Business Analysis-chipotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Analysis-chipotle - Essay Example Many of the restaurants owned by the company are located within the large cities where they can easily reach the target clients. Since the target clients are the numerous city dwellers, a large population can be reached. Locations for the various restaurants are normally strategic and within a short reach from various sources of clients. The restaurant at stone town shopping centre is located near a shopping mall and those visiting the mall can easily access the restaurant; hence a great number of the visitors are enticed to get into the restaurant. Additionally, close proximity to public utilities like parking lots ensures that the business clients are able to reach the outlets easily (chipotle.com, 2014). The establishment has over 1600 outlets, which all operate under a single name of chipotle. The company is estimated to have employed about 45000 people working across the various outlets of the organisation in different countries and locations. The fundamental purpose for the existence of the business remains provision of food that is of good quality and value adding to the consumers. The restaurants serve food made using organic ingredients and naturally raised meat. The purpose of providing good quality food is clearly stated in the mission statement of the fast food chain; Food with integrity (chipotle.com, 2014). The organisation has endured a rapid expansion over a short period of time to reach the current number of outlets. Food in the restaurants is normally served in a fast food model that is utilised in ensuring the organisation serves as many customers as possible within the shortest possible time. The type of menu available normally includes food items that could be considered to be snacks under normal setting. The foods have, however, been enhanced with nutritional value to ensure that they meet the expectations of the organization and the customers as well (Seljak, 2009). The food cost for

Macroeconomic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macroeconomic - Essay Example The volatility in the expenditures made by the consumers can be explained by the volatility in the terms of trade. The economy of Australia can be characterized by less volatile terms of trade after the period of 1980s. It can be judged that economic growth shares close association with terms of trade. An economy moving along the growth curve is expected to witness terms of trade while the economy under the growth curve will face the declining terms of trade line. Question a The global prices of the exports as well as the imports and the goods basket offered to the consumers are the two prime components that make up the terms of trade. Australia can be treated to be the country that has the potential to affect the world prices of the goods. The terms of trade can also get influenced by the geographic boundary of an economy. Coal is abundant in the country and therefore Australia engages itself in coal export (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2011). A rise in the prices of coa l relatively to the prices of the other ICT goods will shed the effect in rising the terms of trade. The exchange rate of the economy and the terms of trade are closely associated. The nominal exchange rate got reduced being the resultant of financial crisis of 1990s. The influences with the geographical boundaries can play a part in volatility of import prices but the prices of the exports are influenced only by changes in world prices of the goods. In the short time period the fall of imports are steeper than the price of exports. The unstable growth in productivity in the sectors of tradable or non tradable goods played a part in boosting the exchange rate. The phase after the 1980s led to rapid productivity growth in the sectors of finance as well as insurance. The inflows of capital paved the way for strengthening of the U.S. dollar and this can be accounted to be the second factor. In the short run the exchange rate remained lower than the market rate. The economic growth rema ined at more or less at relatively stable state as the volatility in terms of trade played a major role. The less volatility in the terms of trade also contributed in keeping the rate of inflation at a lower level. In the initial phases of the new millennium the terms of trade began to rise. Over the last decade and a half Australia shifted from exporting price impulsive properties towards exports of goods whose price can be anticipated. Australia now engages itself in exporting the rural goods. It offers a wide variety of goods for export and experts are of the opinion that the export of the rural goods is an effective strategy for the country as exports of such goods can be assumed to capture a proportion of foreign market (Australian Government Productivity Commission, 2012). Therefore foreign capital will plight in into the country. The exports of the rural goods have taken the steep rising curve over the course of time and the exports of the goods comprises of vegetables and da iry products. Question b The terms of trade is influenced by the factors that are summarized below. The fluctuation in the levels of demand on the global platform The shocks in the market of commodities Globalization shock The fluctuations in the levels of demand on the global arena and the shocks on the commodity markets plays their part in raising the prices of the

The Strategic Importance of the Battle of Fort Donelson Research Paper

The Strategic Importance of the Battle of Fort Donelson - Research Paper Example John Thayer became the leader of the Nebraska regiment. The regiment spent time in Missouri with General John Fremont in preparation for the war. The regiment marched directly through St. Louis where it was reported that several people thronged by the road to witness their hero. In December, the troops were under a constabulary duty to defend their state. The State had experienced some defeats earlier in August and this had caused many fears to the State. To defend them, the State waged a tactical guerilla war and bushwalking to counter their enemies. Major General Sterling Price had managed to confide all the southern in Missouri State with the aid of union forces (Cooling 2003). This force joined another union under the control of Major Brig and Gen. John Pope who struggled to restore peace and order in the northern part. As a trial, the Nebraska participated in a skirmish at Shawnee mound on the Black River. The union managed to capture other hundreds of confederates and the warmo ngers were appreciated for their efforts. By this time, the troupe now was ready for the campaign in 1862. In January 1862, Gen. Ulysses Grant commanded a garrison at Kentucky and convinced the commander of Missouri Gen. Henry Halleck that they were to break the western defense force in order to conquer that State. In this regard, first Donelson, which was near River Tennessee were the weakest and most attractive link between Mississippi and Cumberland Gap. Grant won the support from Andrew Foote and the two launched a strong army, which were determined to win this confederate and bring it under their control. Grant had fears that his troop had few men and thus he had to strengthen his army before he made any move (Palagruto 2010). He used two methods to reinforce his troops as he first stripped his department and eliminated any regiment that could arise as opponent to his mission and secondly, Hallenick made orders that could forward the zealous and untested the Nebraska in order t o test the strength of Nebraska. The Nebraskans boarded a train to St. Louis while the regiment group opted for a steamer train to transport them to join Grant’s troop. Several groups started to arrive at fort Henry and Grant immediately ordered these boats to move further to Cumberland where they could carry out their operations. This was meant to reinforce grant’s operations in fort Donelson. The heavy February rains in the area dismantled transportation along the rivers and at the same time Grant’s troop were facing opposition from stubborn defenders at fort Donelson. The port was not easily conquered as it had several creeks, heavy woods, ravines, and the current floods. The Tennessean fighters were out to defend their land and they managed to guard their guard (Palagruto, 2010). The confederates understood that Tennessee, Mississippi, and Cumberland River were the vital targets by the rebel forces. Thus, they could not allow them to access this area for it linked the North and the South. In addition, the rivers were a major means of transport between the two states that is the South and the North. The Southerners struggled all their best to defend these rivers as the North could easily attack them. The confederate prepared well by constructing Fort Henry along River Tennessee and fort Donelson along river Cumberland to act as protection against their enemies. The two ports

Strategic Formulation Essay Example for Free

Strategic Formulation Essay Strategic formulation refers to the process of choosing the most appropriate course of action for the realization of organizational goals and objectives and thereby achieving the organizational vision. * Role of hrm in strategy formulation: * Administrative linkages: Focussed on the functions of day-to-day activities. * One- way linkage: Plan is informed to the HRM function after the planing is done by the strategic business planning function. * Two- way linkage: Allows for consideration of human resource during the strategy formulation process. * Integrative linkage: Is based on continuing interaction. Strategic HRM is about how the employment relationships for all employees can be managed in such a way as to contribute optimally to the organizations goal achievement. Fundamental Process Consideration The process by which strategies come to be realized is not only through formal HR policies or written directions: strategy realization can also come from actions by managers and others. Since actions provoke reactions (acceptance, confrontation, negotiation etc) these reactions are also part of the strategy process. Characteristics Of the process The strategy formation process is complex, and excessively rationalistic models that advocate formalistic linkages between strategic planning and HR planning are not particularly helpful to our understanding of it. Business strategy may be an important influence on HR strategy but it is only one of several factors. Implicit (if not explicit) in the mix of factors that influence the shape of HR strategies is a set of historical compromises and trade-offs from stakeholders. Look more:  strategic management essay Strategic option and choices The choice of practices that an employer pursues is heavily contingent on a number of factors at the organizational level, including their own business and production strategies, support of HR policies, and cooperative labour  relations. Choices should relate to but also anticipate the critical needs of the business. They should be founded on detailed analysis and study, not just wishful thinking, and should incorporate the experienced and collective judgement of top management about the organizational requirements, while also taking into account the needs of line managers and employees generally. Making the link The link must be judgemental, but it could still be fairly rigorous. Conceptually, the approach would be to develop a matrix, which for each of the key elements of business strategy identifies the associated key elements of HR strategy. Even if the approach cannot be as rigorous as this, the principle of considering each key area of business strategy and, reciprocally, the HR implications provides a basis for integration. Overcoming the barriers To overcome these barriers it is necessary to: 1) conduct a rigorous preliminary analysis of needs and requirements; 2) formulate the strategy; 3) enlist support for the strategy; 4) assess barriers; 5) prepare action plans; 6) project-manage implementation; and 7) follow up and evaluate progress so that remedial action can be taken as necessary. Implementing HR strategies Getting strategies into action is not easy. . It must be emphasized that HR strategies are not just programmes, policies, or plans concerning HR issues that the HR department happens to feel are important. Piecemeal initiatives do not constitute strategy. http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-business-essays/porters-five-forces-model.php http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Porter_five_forces_analysis_for_Tata_Steel

Analysing The Religious Views On Euthanasia Philosophy Essay

Analysing The Religious Views On Euthanasia Philosophy Essay When it comes to religious point of views on issues, euthanasia is one of the most controversial moral topics of all time. Euthanasia comes from the Greek word ÃŽÂ µÃƒ ¡Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± meaning good death. Euthanasia can be defined as the practice of ending a life in a technique that reduces pain and suffering ( Eike-Henner 11). Religions such as the Roman Catholics and Orthodox Judaism oppose euthanasia on the grounds that it invades Gods territory of life and death. Life is considered a gift from God and should only be taken back by God. There are different forms of euthanasia: voluntary/involuntary and active/passive. Active euthanasia is the inducement of death by taking specific steps such overdose of painkillers or sleeping pills. Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, is the discontinuation of medical treatment in a terminal case so as to allow the patient have a natural death. Voluntary euthanasia is killing a person for the purpose of relieving pain from terminal or incurable illness or injury with their consent. Finally, involuntary euthanasia is killing a person for the purpose of relieving suffering without first obtaining the persons consent. This paper will examine the ethical views of the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox Jews on the act of euthanasia. The Roman Catholic teachings have a precise definition for euthanasia. Pope John Paul II describes it as an act or omission which of itself or by intention causes death, with the purpose of eliminating all suffering (Evangelium vitae [Ev], 1995, n. 65). The Church teaches that it is morally unacceptable and constitutes it as a murderous act, which is contrary to what they call the dignity of a person. Namely that every individual is born with dignity, and they are an estimable value. They value the human life, because a person indeed is priceless, for they are created by God. Euthanasia is an act that denies respect of God, the creator. Even if a person is acting on good faith, nothing changes the nature of what euthanasia is; at the very base euthanasia is an act of murder. When it comes to physicians assisted suicide the Roman Catholics describe it as a grave sin against God, because it suggests that a person is in charge of their body instead of God the creator. Physicians assiste d suicide can be defined as a doctor or medical staff person prescribes a lethal amount of medication with the intent of assisting a person commit suicide (John 151). The patient then takes the dose or turns the switch. Since preserving life is the greatest good for Catholics, they believe that the 5th commandment in the Old Testament of the Bible says it all Thou shall not kill (John 14). They believe this applies to killing oneself or killing someone else who has asked to die such as a terminally ill patient. No human being has the authority to make life and death decisions. Killing denies the victim something that he or she values greatly, continued life or a future. Moreover, since continued life is necessary for pursuing future endeavors, killing brings the suppression of all of these plans. Therefore, Catholics believe that doctor assisted-suicide deprives an individual of a future that they potentially couldve had. In the case of sustaining life, it is said that one is obligated to use ordinary means, but one is not always obligated to use extraordinary means. The term ordinary means refers to all medicines, treatments, and operations, which offer a reasonable hope of benefit for the patient and which can be obtained and used without excessive expense, pain, or other inconvenience. By contrast, extraordinary means refers toall medicines, treatments, and operations which cannot be obtained or used without excessive expense, pain or other inconvenience, or which, if used, would not offer a reasonable hope of benefit. (John 30). These two concepts are derived from the general distinctions between avoiding evil and doing good. Thus, the duty to preserve life is a duty to do good which has reasonable limits, whereas euthanasia or mercy killing is evil and hence must be avoided. The Catholic position is a firm no to active euthanasia, but passive euthanasia could be acceptable in certain limited case s. For example, a therapy which was only prolonging death in a hopeless case and is morally acceptable, since the ultimate purpose is not suicide or euthanasia, but rather, an act whose moral object may be precisely described as allowing the patient to die for legitimate reasons. According to Roman Catholics, everything happens for a reason, by trying to control life or death, we would be interfering with Gods will. The sanctity of life principle, which rests on the human persons unique relationship with God, is the basis of the Churchs honoring of human life as a basic value. Under this principle, direct intervention to end the life of a patient in a terminal condition would not be condoned. This negative position also follows from the religious principle of divine sovereignty, the idea that God has the right over life and death, and the end of human life is not subject to a persons free judgment (Eike-Henner 32). Catholics believe that the end of life is a very spiritual time, and euthanasia happens to interrupt this spiritual moment. As stated in the bible So God made man to his own image, to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27). (Eike-Henner 37). Saying that God made man to his own image, does not mean that human beings look like God, but rather human beings have distinct capacity for rational existence that permits them to see what is good and want what is good. As people flourish these capabilities, they live a life that is equivalent to Gods life of love. The Roman Catholic Church affirms mans basic unity and his living in this world for God and for others. More than simply living in this world, the Church affirms life as a participation in the life of God in such a way that earthly life makes it possible and prepares one for participation in eternal life. Everyone faces death in its inevitability, a reality occurring only once. Catholics however, believe that death, like birth and life, is part of the same hu man condition. One is born in order to live and eventually die, having made the very best one could of all three conditions in one continuing totality. Death comes at the end of life so that one may go forward and meet in fullness having completed that life. Judaism is, in its essence, a life affirming faith. And Thou Shall live by them Gods Commandments, (Leviticus 18:5) is the central imperative of Torah. Orthodox Judaism is one of the modern Jewish movements who believe that both the Written and Oral Torah are divine and represents the word of God. (John 37) When it comes to the topic of euthanasia, Orthodox Jews believe that man is charged with preserving, dignifying and hallowing his life. But he is not given the absolute title over his life and body, only its caretaker, for life is a gift from God, to whom the individual is responsible for its preservation. My God, the soul with which Thou hast endowed me is pure. Thou hast created it. Thou hast formed it. Thou has breathed it into meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦So long as there is soul within me, I give thanks before Thee, Lord my God. (John 99) Man is never called upon to determine whether life is worth living. According to Orthodox Jews life is a gift of infinite value. Since infinity is, by definition indivisible, it clearly makes no moral difference whether one shortens life by many years or by a few minutes, or he was old and physically or mentally disabled. In such cases, suicide is no less culpable than murder. When it comes to physician assisted suicide, one aspect needs to be taken into consideration, The Hippocratic Oath. The physician derives his ethical warrant from the Hippocratic Oath, which on one hand, requires that he desist from supplying deadly medicine to his patients for the purpose of hastening their demise, or even from offering advice which may lead to suicide, and on the other, that he relieves suffering. The discontinuation of artificial life supporting therapy is determined by the halakhic status (Jewish Law) of the terminally ill patient. A person who is regarded as having no chance of survival beyond 12 months, in spite of the application of all unknown therapeutic techniques is called a treifah (Eike-Henner 87). Therefore, regarded as a living being, and its ephemeral life has full halakhic value. However, if one kills a treifah is guilty of murder. However, if death is imminent, in consequence of loss of a vital organ or massive arterial bleeding it is termed a nevei la me-hayyim (Eike-Henner 87) and is not considered as already dead, because recovery is possible in exceptional cases. The final phase for terminally ill patients is called goses, (Eike-Henner 88) which is the inability to swallow own saliva. According to Judaism it is generally held that most patients in this condition cannot recover and that death will come within 3 days. If thats the case, then, the physician may discontinue medication for the existing condition and does not need to initiate treatment of an unrelated and possibly fatal complication. In all cases, nutriments as well as painkillers should be supplied. Among rabbinic ethicists, Rav Moshe Feinstein holds that when a patient is gripped by unbearable pain and suffering, nature should be allowed to take its course. Thus when a patient is on a respirator and the machine is temporarily removed for servicing, if the patient shows no sign of life the machine need not be restored (John 87). However, Orthodox Jews do allow f or the termination of artificial means of the patient if such means does not enhance the patients state and are the only things keeping the patient alive. It is also acceptable to take strong painkillers, even it they hasten death, as long as the drug is not the cause of death and the intention is to alleviate pain and not to cause death. Orthodox Jews do recognize the pain and suffering a patient experiences and the effect it has on the family, however, the Jewish faith has always responded against the termination of a persons life, even in the most severe cases when it may become evident to them that life is meaningless. Roman Catholics and Orthodox Jews have similar ethical views when it comes to the termination of ones life. They believe that suffering is used to purify ones soul, and God has the only right over a persons body. Dr. Kavorkian also known as Dr. Death is an American pathologist that performed assisted suicide in 1990s. From an Orthodox Jews perspective, Dr. Kavorkian is known as a murderer, because under the Jewish law, any form of active euthanasia is strictly prohibited and condemned as plain murder. Murder is one of the 3 fundamental sins prohibited by the Torah, and anyone who kills a person is guilty to the death penalty as a common murder. Similarly, the Roman Catholics disapprove physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, on the grounds that it invades Gods property and to assist some in committing suicide is to commit murder, which goes against Gods unequivocal commandment Thou Shall not Kill. Euthanasia is one of the most controversial topics facing religions. The Bible and the Torah both state that human life is the property of God, and as humans we are only caretakers of that property, and have no consent of destroying something that does not belong to us. Every human life is valuable, regardless of their age, sex, or race. Catholics and Orthodox Jews would state that anybody who insists that they have the choice to terminate their life is denying the truth of their intrinsic relationship with God. People should not ask for euthanasia because no one knows the significance of each human being, for every human life is priceless

War on Drugs is War on Democracy Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Top

The voters of California succeeded in passing a proposition to legalize the medicinal use of marijuana as prescribed by doctors. The passing of Proposition 215 seemed to symbolize a promising trend toward knowledge of the substance. However, after reading an article by Eric Schlosser in the April issue of Atlantic Monthly, I have been shocked with the reality of what is occurring elsewhere. Many of us are aware of the idiocy of our legal system treating marijuana offenders worse than violent criminals. I doubt, however, that many Americans are truly conscious of how some peoples' lives have been shattered because of current practices in the so-called "drug war." Now, about 15 years since its beginning, the "war on drugs" has become a war on personal freedom and toes the line of authoritarianism. On the brink of the 21st century, this is not a good sign for preserving our future, nor that of democracy. In 1989, a small business owner and Vietnam veteran, Douglas Lamar Gray, who had only petty crimes on his record was sentenced to life in prison without parole after buying one pound of weed for himself and friends. He made the purchase from a convicted felon working as an informant for a local Alabama task force. Gray's wife, left with a 2-year-old son and no source of income, unsuccessfully attempted suicide. The informant was paid $100. Life sentences for non-violent marijuana offenses exist in 15 states . In Montana, the sentence can be imposed for growing a single plant or selling a single joint. But such martial law is not nearly as horrific as that on the federal level. Stiff federal policies against drugs arose in 1982 under President Reagan. The largest leap forward came in 1986 with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act w... ...king away privileges, which laws like the Anti-Drug Abuse Act do not. (FREEDOM is not a privilege; It is an inalienable right!) I see no choice but for further solutions to embrace the decriminalization of marijuana. I shall not debate the ethics of casual use of the drug. I will merely state that it has never been linked as the sole cause of a single death and no long-term detrimental effects beyond depression have ever been proved. Furthermore, no proof has been found that law enforcement discourages use. (For evidence of the contrary one need only take the examples of the Netherlands and Sweden.) The facilitating of phenomenal business profits among dealers and state and federal organizations, pooled with deprivation of citizens' constitutional rights, is the evil which must be targeted and struck down. This is only made possible when marijuana is legalized.

Mixing Music and Politics Essay -- Pop Music Politics

Many have thought the entertainment world should be separate from the world of politics. Some celebrities go on to be involved in politics, such as Ronald Reagan and Sonny Bono, but rarely does an entertainer command a large sphere of influence in the world of entertainment and politics simultaneously. While entertainers can move the masses, their voice is usually discarded among politicians. In addition to this, many have highlighted the negative influence of the entertainment industry, and particularly rock music, on American culture. Often, it is seen as a corrupting force that leads people astray. For many people, rock and roll seems to highlight all that is wrong with American popular culture. These critics fail to take note of the potential that rock stars have for positively affecting their world. Bono, of U2, is an example of an entertainer that breaks the rule. Since the early days of U2, Bono has believed in, and pushed for, political change. He has used his status as a pop culture icon to fight poverty and other issues that pose a threat to the stability and livelihood of many of the worlds' citizens. He has proven that rock stars can transcend the cultural baggage that is normally attached to them, and positively impact reality. Bono is an entertainer who has the ability to both move the masses and, at the same time, play an active and effective role in fostering positive humanitarian change. In recent years, the press has been filled with negative images of rock stars. Nearly every major news magazine has run articles that speak to the negative effects of pop music in regards to racism, violence, and sex. Pop musicians, such as Two Live Crew and Judas Priest have been placed on trial for explicit lyrics.... ...umph of Vulgarity: Rock Music in the Mirror of Romanticism. New York: Oxford, 1987. Pettifor, Ann. "Jubilee: Supporting Economic Justice Campaigns Worldwide." rev. 1 Dec. 2002. 2 Dec 2002 <www.Jubilee2000uk.org>. Rompalske, Dorothy. "Rock Star to the Rescue." Biography Oct 2002: 56-61. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 November 2002. Waddel, Ray. "Uw on Career High with Elevation Tour." Billboard 23 Jun 2001: 97. Wicke, Peter. Rock Music: Culture, Aesthetics and Sociology. New York: Cambridge, 1990. Wroe, Martin. "U2.com" Rev. 21 Nov. 2002. 23 Nov. 2002 <WWW.U2.com>. Wurtzel, E. "Me2." The New Yorker 17 Feb 1992: 75. "U2." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie. New York: Grove, 2001. "U2's Spiritual Journey Defies Categorization." Christian Century 13 Feb 2002: 12-18.

Nuclear Power :: Papers

Nuclear Power Entering the twenty-first century, six billion people inhabit the earth. A number that is expected to double in a hundred and twenty years, yet only 4% of that world population live in the United States. Even though the United States has only 4% of the population of the world, it still uses 25% of the world’s resources. Coal and oil are a major energy provider around the world, particularly in the US. Countries without these abundances have turned to nuclear energy, due to its supreme effectiveness. Nuclear energy produces more energy per unit weight than coal and oil, releases no pollutants into the atmosphere, and is less cancer causing than the burning of coal and oil. Yet nuclear power has been attacked in the US since the day that it was instituted as being a non-safe and environmentally non-friendly form of energy. Right now the United States does not have to worry about running out of fossil fuels for a long time, even though they generate 51.7% of the US’s power , and power almost all forms of modern transportation. But what happens down the road, when all of the natural resources are gone? In many countries, such as France, nuclear power is accepted and welcome. Why is this not the same way in the US? The media and all forms of entertainment have misconstrued the facts of nuclear energy. The word unsafe is synonymous with nuclear power in this country, but time has shown that there is so reason for this feeling. Americans do not hold the facts on this issue. They have the unwarranted fears of a mass and free speaking culture. Nuclear energy is safe, clean, and effective. The voice that is heard among the people is that nuclear energy is unsafe to the environment. There should be no debate about the environmental concerns of nuclear power. If there is anything that makes nuclear power unpractical it is government spending. Nuclear power is the cleanest form of power for a rapidly increasing world population. Nuclear reactors produce electri city by the fission of uranium, not the burning of fossil fuels. Nuclear power does not emit sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate soot, or greenhouse gases. In countries around the world nuclear energy is the largest source of emission-free electrical generation. Making one million kilowatt-hours of electricity in a natural gas power plant produces 550 tons of carbon dioxide. Producing the same amount in an oil-fired plant makes 850 tons of carbon dioxide and 1,110 in a coal plant.

Adoption of HRM Essay

The Strategic Choice model created by Kochan, Katz and Mckersie originated from economics and organisational behaviour is closely associated with human resource management, while the Labour Process approach evolved from Marx’s theoretical works has traits that is closely associated with personnel / industrial relations. From two diverse perspectives, the two models both have indications that they support an adoption for human resource management, provided that personnel / industrial relations is seen as apart of and giving rise to human resource management. Kochan, Katz and McKersie developed their theory of the Strategic Choice model from previous works of Dunlop’s System Theory. The two models had strong emphasis on employment relations being strongly influenced by environmental forces which include: economic forces; technology advancement; political forces; legal and social forces; management’s values, beliefs and philosophies; the outcomes of previous organisational decisions; the distribution of power and structure within the organisation i.e. central or decentralised hierarchy; and the unions’ and government agencies’ values and strategies in creating policies and legislations. Level Employers Unions Governments Long-Term Business Strategies Political Strategies Macroeconomic Strategy and Investment Strategies Representation strategies and social policies Policy Making Organising strategies Collective Personnel policies Collective Bargaining Labour law and Bargaining Negotiation Strategies Strategies administration and Personnel policy Workplace and Worker Participation Contract administration Labour standards Individual/ Job design and Work Worker Participation Worker participation organization Organization Job design and worker Individual rights relationships. participation. (Kochan, Katz and McKersie, 1986, p 17.) The majority of environmental forces influencing employment relations can be explained by three groups: employers, unions and the government which in essence is the three actors from Dunlop’s System Model. In relation to KKM’s Strategic Choice, the three tier model explains why and how the three actors interact and hence explaining the environmental forces. There are three levels of decision making: macro, industrial relations system and the workplace. In the perspective of employers, the top level is where the creation of business strategies and goals for it to be competitive are developed to maximise the value of the organisation. This is usually achieved by satisfying the demands of the environmental forces or eliminating any problems reducing their chances of achieving their goals. The middle level is a representation of the industrial relations where policies and negotiations between all three actors occur. As for the bottom, the policies created in the middle level are implemented upon employees and other parties included in the policies. Thus through this model, it demonstrates that decisions made at the top level will inevitably affect those at the bottom level i.e. policies made at the top level will have some sort of representation in lower level policies. The notion of strategic choice is based on the assumption that the three actors have alternatives and options in the decisions chosen that will inevitably impact on the employment relations and the direction that these will take. Not only does the organisation can make decisions that would affect itself, but also the choices and decisions made on the part of labour, management, and government affect the course and structure of industrial relations systems. Legislations made by the government can restrict or either enhances an organisation’s ability to be competitive, and an example of this is tariffs imposed in countries to protect the internal markets from overseas markets. The Labour Process approach was first theorised by Karl Marx. The theory was not a static, universal theory but a historical theory that was revised in the light of historical change. Such scholars as: Harry Braverman, Stephen Marglin, Stanley Aronowitz, Andre Gorz and Katherine Stone have all created their own theories encompassing Marx’s theory during their times, and hence the many different interpretations of the Labour Process (Gartman 1978, p. 1). In general the core notion of Labour Process is concerned in converting potential into actual labour. An example of this is how to organise and structure employees such that the organisation can make full use of their skills. Though this sounds simple in theory, there is an organisational dilemma in how to reconcile the potential inconsistency between individual needs and interests of different organisational stakeholders on the one hand, and the collective purpose of the organisation on the other. Increase control by the employer over the employees seems to be one solution to the inconsistency of interests and needs. The workplace thus becomes a competition between employees individually and collectively seeking to protect and expand their own interests and needs, but also at the same time trying to resist management’s attempts to control. These activities are closely aligned with actions of industrial relations: conflict of interests that would result in tension and conflict between parties. This approach of increase control was supported by Taylorist approach. Braverman added his thoughts that another form of reconciling the differences was to: de-skill the employees to minimise time lost on context switching; simplify the structure of labour divisions; lower labour cost since the occupation becomes less sophisticated hence maximising output. (Gartman 1978, p. 5) In essence the labour process sees conflict as a fundamental and central dynamic in organisational life that can be used to explain the actual i.e. observed instances of workplace conflict, control, and profit distribution. This can be seen by large organisations performing â€Å"restructuring† of itself in terms of labour management to reduce cost of production (banking sector and motoring industry). Prevention of conflict is not considered in a labour process approach, hence ruling out the requirement of employers to nurture the moral and ethics of employees. Guidelines and procedures are strictly followed, which these features are clear characteristics of industrial relations approach. â€Å"In recent years the distinctions between industrial relations and human resource management have blurred, as the resolution of industrial conflicts has been decentralised and as national policy increased its interests in issues like training and labour productivity, once left to workplace management.† (Gardner & Palmer 1997, p. 7) Human resource management is a managerial perspective, with an aim to establish an integrated series of personnel policies consistent with organisation strategy, thus ensuring the quality of working life, high commitment and performance from employees, and organisational effectiveness and competitive advantage: the management of organisational goals and labour. Thus meaning that industrial relations is another component of human resource management, which allows the comparison and contrasting of Kochan, Katz and McKersie’s Strategic Choice approach, Marxist Labour Process approach to be made possible. One major common approach that there is between the two models is that there is some form of upward movement in opinions and interests by the employees. In the case of strategic choice approach collective bargaining is utilised whereas unions is made use of for the labour process approach to express employees’ interests and needs. As for industrial relations, negotiation is its prized management skill between employer and employee. Both human resource management and the strategic choice approach create their policies based on the interests of the organisation and employees with a slightly more emphasis upon the organisation goals. From the three tier model, policies are made at the top level in the interests of the organisation just as human resource management places the organisation’s ‘customer’ first (Fells 1989, p. 486). Labour process approach is primarily focused upon conflicts and has a less of an emphasis upon organisational strategies. As previously stated the labour process is closely associated with industrial relations, which can also be seen in the middle level in the three tier model in terms of strategic choice approach. For human resource management, industrial relations is melded into its strategies in the form of pre-emptive actions upon conflicts i.e. the managerial task is seen as a nurturing employees’ moral and ethics. Labour process approach can also be viewed as hard human resource management as the employees are seen as any other resources of production by controlling and managing them, while cultivation of employees’ moral and needs is neglected. Soft human resource management is represented by the strategic choice approach as employees are seen as ‘human’ resources that are valuable to the organisation to make full use of. Policies made in the middle level of the three tier model are in consideration of both in the best interests of employees and the organisation itself. Human resource management in recent times has become more strategic; it increasingly scraps developmental aspects and places more focus upon financial aspects. De-skilling of employees has been more emphasised upon more than the structure and organisation of labour, which is quite on the contrary upon the goals of labour process approach where de-skilling of an occupational positions. De-skilling has the effect of either removing or lowering the skill level required from those performing the job and in some cases it will also reduce the price of labour. In conclusion, Kochan, Katz and McKersie’s Strategic Choice approach and the Labour Process approach provide explanations for the adoption of Human Resource Management, since it is more contingent management strategy than Personnel / Industrial relations. Evidence of this is clearly seen in today’s evolving workplace where large organisations include human resource management in its decision making and is no longer neglected as a lower priority department. In addition, both models: strategic choice approach and labour process, have had many radical perspectives added to the theory in the past until recently very little change has been made meaning the end to the two models and the rise of human resource management. As human resource develops, initiatives come and go whereas the focus of financial mechanisms increase and become more sophisticated. References: Bratton J. and Gould J. 1988, Human Resource Management – Theory and Practice Braverman, H. 1974, Labor and monopoly capital: the degradation of work in the twentieth century Clark, I ‘The Budgetary and Financial Basis of HRM in the Large Corporation’, Internet Source: http://panoptic.csustan.edu/cpa99/html/clark.html Fells, R. 1989, The employment relationship, control and strategic choice in the study of industrial relations Gardner, M. & Palmer, G. 1997, Employment Relations: Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management in Australia Gartman. D. 1978, Marx and the Labour Process: An Interpretation Huczynski, A. & Buchanan, D. Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory Text Kitay, J. 1997 The Labour Process: Still Stuck? Still a Perspective? Still Useful? Kochan, T., Katz H. & McKersie J. 1986, The Transformation of American Industrial Relations

Porters Five Forces Us Airlines Industry Case Study Essay

The year 2011 was another(prenominal) dismal integrity for US airways in terms of fiscal performance. Despite an amplification in both passenger come and revenues for the year, pelf were guttle on 2010. In total, US airlines take a shited net profits of about $0.4 billion, representing a net shore of less than 1%. The dire financial state of the industry was underlined by AMR (the kindle of American air hoses) entering Chapter 11 failure in November 2011. This ended AMRs dominating record of being the only one of the major legacy airlines to have avoided bankruptcy. In 2005, Delta, United, Northwest, and US Airways had all fi led for bankruptcy protection. The early months of 2012 offered little hope of improvement. Airline revenues were up by 8.2% during the first nates of 2012 compared to the same quarter of 2011. However, as a result of higher cost, net income was down by 73.6% net margins had deteriorated from 3.2% to 5.2%. 1 The woes of the US airline industry during the 21st blow were typically attributed to the triple-whammy of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the high cost of crude oil, and the 2008 financial crash. Certainly, each of these was a powerful force in boosting costs and depressing demand. Yet, the financial problems of the US airline industry predated these events. Even during the generally roaring 1990s, the US airline industry had been just profitable. Outside the US, the state of the airline transmission line was little better. The IATA, the worldwide association of airlines, showed that the spheric airline industry had consistently failed to earn returns that covered its cost of capital

Information Systems

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New products, services, and business models 3.Customer and supplier intimacy 4. amend decision making 5. Competitive advan tage 6. survival of the fittest Information systems are the basis of conducting business. In twenty-first century, in many companies, survival and even humans without extensive use of IT is unimaginable, and IT plays a critical intention in rising productivity. Although information technology has hold out a daily, when organization have complementary changes in , it hindquarters provide the basis for new product, service, and slipway of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage. ) discern the esoterically perspective on information systems.Optimal organizational death penalty achieved by together optimizing both social and expert systems used in turnout screwing succor them to avoid purely technological approach. So it can produce their product ofttimes more better. fountainhead 4 a) Define business process and bring out the character they play in organizations. Business process which is a use computers logic to substitute rung to handle rela ted set of activities Business processes are the slipway in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, knowledge to produce their valuable product or service.Business processes have four different areas. 1 . For the manufacturing and exertion area include product assembling, quality checking, and producing bills of materials. 2. For the gross gross revenue and marketing area. Business processes include identifying customers, making customers informed of the product, and selling the product. 3. For finance and accounting, business processes includes paying creditors, creating monetary statements, and managing cash accounts. 4. 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One of the more popular topics that I have been asked how the information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. In my point of views I think they have major three ways in which information technology has brought about a huge change in the way in which people conduct business in different parts of the military personnel. One of the al to the highest degree important problem is time So the advantages of development technology is that time constraints are eliminated.Since updated information can be provided to the supply and existing or electric potential drop customers at remote locations on a concrete mime basis and more business can be done. Company can save over very often more money because they dont have to pay for their rung to travel to meet either customers or other executives. Meetings held through the Internet are as safe(p) as the traditional ones. In fact, companies also strike their customers in the meetings so that the products can be intentional according to their needs.Since information from all parts of the world can collect and merged with the inventory management system of the company, the process of accepting orders and supplying the materials has beseem far more perfect. If the time taken surrounded by invoicing and shipment can decrease, customers will bind to much mor e comfortable. As more and more people start using the Internet for business and personalised reasons, if companies dont adapt themselves and use the upcoming technologies, they will demarcation line to fall behind. Today customers expect goods and services to be available 24 hours, seven days a week.E-commerce is a mode of business where the product is exchange through the website of the company. This means that people do not have to step out of their homes to make purchases. run but not the least whether you are a business to business or business to nonuser concern, you should make use of information technology to maximize promptly b) line the characteristics of a digital firm. A digital firm is a firm which nearly all of the organizations major business relationships with customer, supplier, and employee are digitally enabled.Axis business processes are accomplished through digital networks spanning the constitutional organization or linking multiple organizations. Busine ss processes imply to the set of logically related tasks and behaviors that organizations develop over time to produce specific business results and the droll manner in which these activities are organized and coordinated. digital firms involve both time shifting and quadriceps femoris shifting. Time shifting refers to business being conducted continuously, quite a than in narrow work day time bands of 9 a. M. To 5 p. M.Space shifting means that work takes place in a global workshop, as well as within national. indecisions 2 a) lean and describe the organization, management, and technology dimensions of information systems. 1 . agreement The organization dimension of information systems concerns issues like the hierarchy of organization, culture, processes of business, functional specialties and political interest groups. 2. Management The management dimension of information systems concerns issues like furrow attitudes, stave training, and management behavior. 3.Technology The technology dimension composes of computer software, hardware, entropy management technology and networking technology. B) Distinguish between information and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy. info vs.. Information Data which is a move of fond fact representing events occurring in the organization before the organization have been organized and arranged into a form that people can use and understand. Information which is a info that have been came a form that is important and useful to human being. Information systems literacy vs.. Imputer literacy Information literacy is more care for create information useful to an organization and its staff, on the other hand computer literacy satisfied the simple use of computer. As technology uses interruption beyond traditional computer, information literacy enables staff and organization to gain an edge over their competition. head teacher 3 a) List and describe six reasons wherefore info rmation systems are so important for business today. six-spot reasons about information systems are so important for business today include 1. Operational righteousness 2. New products, services, and business models 3.Customer and supplier intimacy 4. improve decision making 5. Competitive advantage 6. selection Information systems are the basis of conducting business. In twenty-first century, in many companies, survival and even beingness without extensive use of IT is unimaginable, and IT plays a critical mathematical function in rising productivity. Although information technology has accommodate a daily, when organization have complementary changes in , it can provide the basis for new product, service, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage. ) Describe the esoterically perspective on information systems.Optimal organizational action achieved by together optimizing both social and expert systems used in drudgery can servicing the m to avoid purely technological approach. So it can produce their product much more better. Question 4 a) Define business process and describe the role they play in organizations. Business process which is a use computers logic to substitute staff to handle related set of activities Business processes are the ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, knowledge to produce their valuable product or service.Business processes have four different areas. 1 . For the manufacturing and production area include product assembling, quality checking, and producing bills of materials. 2. For the sales and marketing area. Business processes include identifying customers, making customers alive(predicate) of the product, and selling the product. 3. For finance and accounting, business processes includes paying creditors, creating financial statements, and managing cash accounts. 4. For human resources, business processes include hiring employees, evaluating Job perfo rmance of employees, and enrolling employees in benefits plans. Describe the relationship between information systems and business processes. Between information systems and business processes, their relationship is they can substitute each other. whatsoever in management, finance, sales or marketing etc Question 5 a) Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today. Teamwork can raise productivity. Teamwork requires each team member to work together while allowing their individual interests to become a subordinate concern. As a result, team members focus on the goal at hand and contribute their knowledge, resources and skills to reaching the goal.Information SystemsDescribe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate ND their products and services. One of the more popular topics that I have been asked how the information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. In my point of views I think they have major three ways in which information technology has brought about a huge change in the way in which people conduct business in different parts of the world. One of the most important problem is time So the advantages of using technology is that time constraints are eliminated.Since updated information can be provided to the staff and existing or potential customers at remote locations on a really mime basis and more business can be done. Company can save much more money because they dont have to pay for their staff to travel to meet either customers or other executives. Meetings held through the Internet are as good as the traditional ones. In fact, companies also involve their customers in the meetings so that the products can be designed according to their needs.Since information from all parts of the world can collect and merged with the inventory management system of the company, the process of accepting orders and supplying the materials has become far more perfect. If the time taken between invoicing and shipment can decrease, customers will bind to much more satisfied. As more and more people start using the Internet for business and personal reasons, if companies dont adapt themselves and use the upcoming technologies, they will backfire to fall behind. Today customers expect goods and services to be available 24 hours, seven days a week.E-commerce is a mode of business where the product is change through the website of the company. This means that people do not have to step out of their homes to make purchases. stick up but not the least whether you are a business to business or business to nonuser concern, you should make use of information technology to maximize promptly b) Describe the characteristics of a digital firm. A digital firm is a firm which nearly all of the organizations major business relationships with customer, supplier, and employee are digitally enabled.Axis business processes are accomplished throug h digital networks spanning the full organization or linking multiple organizations. Business processes refer to the set of logically related tasks and behaviors that organizations develop over time to produce specific business results and the unmatched manner in which these activities are organized and coordinated. digital firms involve both time shifting and plaza shifting. Time shifting refers to business being conducted continuously, quite an than in narrow work day time bands of 9 a. M. To 5 p. M.Space shifting means that work takes place in a global workshop, as well as within national. Questions 2 a) List and describe the organization, management, and technology dimensions of information systems. 1 . makeup The organization dimension of information systems concerns issues like the hierarchy of organization, culture, processes of business, functional specialties and political interest groups. 2. Management The management dimension of information systems concerns issues li ke Job attitudes, staff training, and management behavior. 3.Technology The technology dimension composes of computer software, hardware, data management technology and networking technology. B) Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy. Data vs.. Information Data which is a move of earthy fact representing events occurring in the organization before the organization have been organized and arranged into a form that people can use and understand. Information which is a data that have been came a form that is important and useful to human being. Information systems literacy vs.. Imputer literacy Information literacy is more care for create information useful to an organization and its staff, on the other hand computer literacy satisfied the simple use of computer. As technology uses permeate beyond traditional computer, information literacy enables staff and organization to gain an edge over their competition. Question 3 a) List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today. sextet reasons about information systems are so important for business today include 1. Operational worthiness 2. New products, services, and business models 3.Customer and supplier intimacy 4. improve decision making 5. Competitive advantage 6. pick Information systems are the basis of conducting business. In twenty-first century, in many companies, survival and even cosmea without extensive use of IT is unimaginable, and IT plays a critical role in rising productivity. Although information technology has become a daily, when organization have complementary changes in , it can provide the basis for new product, service, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage. ) Describe the esoterically perspective on information systems.Optimal organizational performance achieved by together optimizing both social and technical foul systems used in production can facilitate them to avoid purely technological approach. So it can produce their product much more better. Question 4 a) Define business process and describe the role they play in organizations. Business process which is a use computers logic to substitute staff to handle related set of activities Business processes are the ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, knowledge to produce their valuable product or service.Business processes have four different areas. 1 . For the manufacturing and production area include product assembling, quality checking, and producing bills of materials. 2. For the sales and marketing area. Business processes include identifying customers, making customers aware of the product, and selling the product. 3. For finance and accounting, business processes includes paying creditors, creating financial statements, and managing cash accounts. 4. For human resources, business processes include hiring employees, evaluating Job performance of employees, and enrolling employees in benefits plans. Describe the relationship between information systems and business processes. Between information systems and business processes, their relationship is they can substitute each other. some(prenominal) in management, finance, sales or marketing etc Question 5 a) Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today. Teamwork can raise productivity. Teamwork requires each team member to work together while allowing their individual interests to become a subordinate concern. As a result, team members focus on the goal at hand and contribute their knowledge, resources and skills to reaching the goal.