Metrovox free essay sample

Based on the risk factors associated with the Bugabyte and the Bugabyte Lite, which product do you think Grunwald and Vogel will recommend as the best candidate for assembly outsourcing? To decide which product, either Bugabyte or Bugabyte Lite, is the best candidate, Metrovox has to identify its core competencies and to outsource non-core activities. I personally think Grunwald and Vogel will recommend Bugabyte Lite for assembly outsourcing while Bugabyte to be kept assembling in-house and not to pass out to others to perform. Bugabyte Lite has been on market for over six years with the same quality but a new look. It has a well established assembly process and product testing. This helps Metrovox to outsource its Bugabyte Lite because Metrovox can easily establish production standards and testing guidelines in its requirement documents for outsourcers to follow. It also helps Metrovox to establish performance indices to access quality control. So, those outsourcers have a higher chance of meeting Metrovox’s high quality product expectations. We will write a custom essay sample on Metrovox or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By contrast, the Bugabyte is still relatively new on the market and just recently Metrovox has included several new stages in their assembly stage. Communication to those Bugabyte outsourcers to comply with the new production stages standards may not be easy initially and so Metrovox may sacrifice the high Bugabyte product quality as usual. Indeed, there is also a significant amount of proprietary information that is used in Bugabyte circuit board testing. This means that releasing this proprietary information to the Bugabyte outsourcers for testing must pose a significant threat on Metrovox because outsourcing Bugabyte assembly line means releasing Bugabyte design and specification details to some third-parties and may ultimately lead to Bugabyte imitation’ opportunities. On the one hand, Metrovox would want to highlight the Bugabyte handheld video devices. On the other hand, outsourcing Bugabyte assembly line is not compatible with Metrovox’s strategy as Metrovox relies on product differentiation and high quality control to assure its market position and competitive advantage. However, outsourcing Bugabyte Lite assembly line will not pose similar problems and it seems a wiser strategy to pursue as mentioned above. 2. Based on Grunwald and Vogel’s decision, what will be the benefits and disadvantages of outsourcing the assembly function? In the case of Metrovox, benefits of outsourcing the Bugabyte Lite assembly function include improving customer service and focusing only on core competencies of Bugabyte’s assembling and testing. The key problem, as it was mentioned, is â€Å"due to the recent development of the video capable Bugabyte, Metrovox is experiencing increasing production delays. † Outsourcing Bugabyte Lite would help Metrovox to allocate sufficient key resources on developing Bugabyte, in line with Metrovox’s strategy on product differentiation. At the same time, outsourcing Bugabyte Lite will reduce the burden of Metrovox’s resources on the assembly process as it is not viewed as an aspect that contributes to the product’s competitive advantage. This helps Metrovox to deliver Metrovox products, both Bugabyte and Bugabyte Lite, on time and to reduce the late delivery rate. Nevertheless, outsourcing the Bugabyte Lite may mean loss of company control on the production and the testing procedures. This may lead to unsatisfied Bugabyte Lite product quality and delay product delivery as well. However, as mentioned above, Metrovox can establish production standards, testing guidelines, and performance indices to communicate Metrovox’s high expectations to its suppliers and to monitor the Bugabyte Lite product quality. Also, before outsourcing the Bugabyte Lite, Metrovox must check out each supplier’s assembly and testing capabilities, quality level and associated risks. At the same time, Metrovox must gather enough information to ensure that those suppliers can deliver the Bugabyte Lite devices on time, as it is one of the main reason that Metrovox would want to reduce its own late delivery rate. In the event that Metrovox can outsource the assembly of the circuit boards to an existing supplier, discuss the key contract issues Metrovox will need to consider with their supplier. Some of the key contract issues are of the following: (1) the quality and volume of the goods being purchased, clearly calculated price of the goods and the currency being used, and the discounts availability as volumes increase; (2) the payment terms, including the payment method and documentation, the payment due, the time frame payment that must be made,  and the discounts availability for accelerated payments. The delivery terms, including the delivery method and destination, the delivery dates or expected arrival dates, the expectation for the condition of the good, the transfer of ownership and risk of loss and damage as determined by Incoterms, the type of logistics costs related to imports and transportation are covered in the price, and the responsibilities of paying for the packing, cargo insurance and customs duties; (4) the fulfillment of the standard import and export documentation and regulations when shipping the goods internationally; and (5) the remedies, force majeure, hardship, termination clause and penalty clause if circumstances go beyond one part’s control and make it unreasonably difficult to fulfill. 4. What inventory management strategy should Grunwald and Vogel recommend Metrovox adopt to ensure efficiencies throughout their entire supply chain? Inventory management is crucial to the Metrovox’s success to meet its customer demand. However, currently Metrovox cannot reasonably predict future demand and the annual demand for the Bugabyte in the first year of release is 300 percent over forecasted demands. Also currently Metrovox is experiencing 30 percent late delivery rate. The key solution I personally think is to help Metrovox to enhance its inventory management efficiency and to maintain optimum inventory levels so to manage and handle customer demand fluctuations. To enhance Metrovox’s inventory management efficiency, applying the latest inventory tracking technology like barcodes and RFID tagging will help Metrovox to note down inventory items on a regular basis and movement of items out of inventory in its warehouses. To help to maintain Metrovox’s optimum inventory levels, establishing Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) system with Metrovox’s key suppliers in which the inventory is monitored, managed, and planned by the suppliers on behalf of Metrovox will help those suppliers better response to the Metrovox’s immediate inventory needs because those suppliers will be able to schedule deliveries more efficiently. At the same time, the quick response strategy can be used by Metrovox to maintain (or to reduce) optimum inventory levels. Based on the strategy, Metrovox will collaborate with its key retailers to access to the point of sales data generated at checkouts. Then Metrovox is able to manage inventory more properly and reduce the lead times because Metrovox can develop more accurate customer demand forecasts.

The Lanyard by Billy Collins

The Lanyard by Billy Collins Free Online Research Papers Dictionary.com defines popularity as â€Å"the favor of the general public or of a particular group of people†. From that definition Billy Collins can be considered immensely popular. He is so popular that colleges are using his poetry as summer assignments to not only stimulate the mind but can also tickle a person’s funny bone. He is a genius without a doubt but if I were to base his entire popularity based on the poem â€Å"The Lanyard†, I would say he is a failure. Is the poem clever? Absolutely. In my opinion however, most individuals would not be able to grasp the subtleties that he creates in the poem â€Å"The Lanyard†. Although I understood his small ironic truths about life like how his mother gave him life and in return he gives her a lanyard, I could not see myself going to see him live or paying to get a copy of his works. Although this may sound harsh, I find Billy Collin’s humor dry as well as too â€Å"smarty† for me to enjoy. Billy Collins reminds me of the actor Woody Allen, someone I simply cannot enjoy listening to or watching. Like Billy Collins, Woody Allen in his play â€Å"Don’t Drink the Water† also uses subtle jokes and dry humor that to me simply are â€Å"not funny†. Billy Collins small jabs at life’s quirks can be funny to some but from what I have noticed from the general consensus of students around me, he isn’t â€Å"popular† in the sense of the definition. The poem â€Å"The Lanyard† is very clever and it peaked some interest in me but I could not fully grasp all of Mr. Collin’s ideas. This is how I feel about Billy Collins and the poem â€Å"The Lanyard†. Research Papers on "The Lanyard" by Billy CollinsMind TravelWhere Wild and West MeetThe Spring and AutumnThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeHip-Hop is ArtThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice

Federal Rules of Evidence Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Federal Rules of Evidence - Article Example The two police handcuffs and the gun were illegally in the accused hands; there was no other explanation behind such possession of such items other than to cause malice and harm. Therefore, by the mere position of the police assortment, the accused had the intent to commit a crime, which could most likely be explained to be a kidnap. Moreover, the cruel treatment of the victim at the hands of the defendant could be reliable evidence to portray the accused to have had no other intention other than to kill Ms. Woodward. Wallace (2013) explains that circumstantial evidence does not need to prove anything by itself, but has the power to point to the right direction, by proving something related to the question at hand. Consequently, the ill-treatment of Ms. Woodward in the case points to the direction of intention to commit murder or grievous harm to the victim. The accused had handcuffed the victim, placed her at the back of the vehicle in an inhuman treatment. Moreover, when the victim inquired the intention behind the defendant’s actions after realizing he was not a police and tried to escape, the accused rained blows on her head several times and covered her face. The victim was dizzy from the received blows. After opening the door finally, the defendant did not stop driving but continued while the victim tumbled on the ground heavily. These incidents lead to the conclusion that the defendant was indeed preparing to commit murder or grievous harm, similar to the case of the 24-year-old Imette st. Guillen.

Maslow and behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Maslow and behaviour - Essay Example Once these are met, then they provide a foundation for attaining a higher level of motivation that are based on the basic ones. For instance, after an individual achieves his or her safety and physiological needs, then they would be more inclined into belonging and finding acceptance among their peers and other groups that they identify with. Contrary to the mode of study done by Freud and B.F Skinner, Maslow opted to study successful and accomplished individuals such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and Fredrick Douglas. Walking through any institution of higher learning such as a college would open ones eye to the striking difference in the students of any one institution. Some of the glaring difference is evident in the health, confidence, and living conditions. However, it is apparent that all the students have needs. Therefore, it is necessary for individuals needs to be identified so that they can be met. This is why initial diagnostic assessment is so important. It is also essential to assess whatever has been put in place to check its suitability for purpose. Regular tracking and monitoring will enable the effectiveness to be measured and any necessary adjustments to be done. Deficiency needs are the first four levels of needs within the hierarchy. These needs must be satisfied before the person is motivated to be able to move to the higher levels. Once a deficiency need has been met the drive or desire to meet that need lessons. For example, you were hungry and could not concentrate on your lesson. You would feel quite differently once you had eaten and would be able to re-engage with your lesson. Having a small group i.e., eight students enables me to work closely with each and develop strong home-college links allowing me to notice if there are deficiency issues and respond accordingly. For example by helping families to access benefits so that they can pay

Small Group Reading and Math Intervention Essay

Small Group Reading and Math Intervention - Essay Example Since each learner or group of learners is unique, it is important that intervention solutions that specifically meet the objectives and needs of each group of learners or each student are designed. It is only through meticulous program designing, planning, implementation, and teacher placement and training that a learning intervention may prove effective on at-risk learners, especially for technical subjects such as math (Angelillo, 2003). Additionally, sound intervention management, student assessments, and reporting are equally important in improving learners’ performances in math. This paper explores small-group reading as a method of assisting â€Å"at-risk† math learners in the 3-8 grades. Small Group Reading Intervention for Math Among the interventions for math preferred by quite a number of instructors are reading interventions, mathematics interventions, and Algebra readiness. In reading interventions, small groups are often formed to help learners who are str uggling to improve in their math to muster the necessary skills required for the subject. Consequently, math labs and/or the small groups are formed and used to build weak learners’ confidence in the fundamental concepts of math. ... The achievement gap between the weak learners and the general class is thus bridged as the additional instruction given to this special group above the core math teaching helps them obtain the lacking skills and confidence. Small group reading for math has been found to be particularly effective and beneficial for grades 3–8. Among the core elements of small group reading for math are flexible grouping, small-group reading sequence, appropriate texts, and teaching for understanding (Metsisto, 2001). Elements of Small Group Reading for Math To improve the performance and confidence of the â€Å"at-risk† group in a math class, small-group reading, which refers to an intervention in which instructors support, teach, and guide students on their math instructional level before, during, and after reading is always recommended. The first step in small-group reading for math is the assessment of learners’ instructional levels by instructors. There are several methods of carrying out such an assessment including teacher observation and constant evaluations such as unofficial reading records. By forming small flexible groups, instructors are better placed to match learners’ math needs and abilities with the most appropriate reading resources/materials and partners (Metsisto, 2001). Further, small reading groups assist teachers to observe each learner’s reading behaviors, model-specific reading behaviors and reading strategies. It is then recommended that each group should consist of between two and six learners with the same level of reading abilities, instructional level, and math abilities. The teacher’s role then becomes assisting math

Financial Statement Analysis A.G. Barr

Financial Statement Analysis A.G. Barr Financial Statement Analysis Introduction A.G. Barr p.l.c. is based in United Kingdom it maufacture, distribute, and sell soft drinks. A.G. Barr. operates in carbonates and water. Company has a wide range of brand’s which includes IRN-BRU, Rubicon, Barr Brands, KA, Strathmore, Simply, Tizer, D’N’B, St. Clement’s, Findlays and Abbott’s. Company also has some partnership brands which includes Orangina, Rockstar and Snapple. The manufacturing area located in United Kingdom. Findlays Limited, subsidairy of A.G. Barr P.l.c., is engaged in Rubicon Drinks Limted and natural mineral water as well as the manufacture and distribution of soft drinks. Schweppes International Limited is also a franchise partner of A.G. Barr p.l.c in United Kingdom, authorized for manufactures and sells Orangina. It also has collaboration with Rockstar Inc. in the United States to sell and distribution of energy drink, Rockstar brand in Ireland and United Kingdom. The following pie-chart represent market share of soft dr inks and low calorie drinks. They strategy have developed in a way to deliever long term growth in value and focusing on core brands and markets, brand portfolio, route to market, partnerships, efficient operations, people development, sustainablity and responsibility. Financial Review The business performance throughout 2013 of A.G. BARR has perform well in U.K soft drinks market especially in second half of the financial year with double digit growth rate. The economic conditions in the core market segments survied difficulties in 2012, as well as the increasing cost of promotion effect margins. A.G.BARR growth rate for volume and revenue increased more rapidly then the market in carbonates ans still segments. The overall growth of softdrinks experienced carbonates growth rate of 3.8% in value but decreases in terms of volume, showed growth of 1.9% with avolume declining 1%. In 2013 A.G. BARR carbonates volume increased by 6.0% and revenue increased by 7.1%. On the other hand stills also performed better with a growth of 4.3% in revenue and 4.1% in volume. In addition to delievering a growth higher then the market and much of the build program associated with their new production and storage facility at Crossley Road, Milton Keynes. The Milton Keynes site is an i mportant asset for future business developments. Adverse whether condition in 2012 impacted soft drinks category according to Nielsen research, reflects 0.7% decline while to volume grew by approximately 3%. Conumer participation in the carbonates category has remained at high level supported by price-driven promotions across the main brands. Ratios analysis over the last 3 years Profit Margin: According to the financial statements ended January 2013, Company declared a profit after tax of  £ 25.564 million which represent 10.76% of its sales. Current year revenue grew by approximately 7% from prior year and 3.42% on the basis of average growth rate from the last three year. Profit before tax and exceptional item in 2013 increased by 4.3% but profit margin was slightly reduced in 2013 as compare to 2012, due to higher cost of goods. In 2012, observed as a climate of continued economic uncertainty and increasing cost. Despite these challenges companys profit before tax and exceptional item increased by 6.2% from 2011. In 2011, Profit before tax increased by 13.3% from 2010. In 2011 AG Barr observed 10.4% growth in revenue as compare to 7% in UK soft drink market. Current ratio: measure the financial stability of a company to pay its current liability. According to the financial statement, in 2013 current ratio represent 1.31(in times) thus company has enough to pay its financial obligation. Current ratio in 2012 represent 1.46 (in times) which shows that company financial stability in 2012 is better among 2011 and 2013. Quick ratio: measures the financial stability after deducting inventories and prepaid expense because they cannot be easily converted into cash at fair value. Quick ratio show clearer picture then current ratio, the company’s financial stability in 2012 of having 1.043(in times) as compare to average 0.9 (in times) in the rest of year. Working capital: is defined as the financial ability of a company to pay its short term obligation. Working Capital is an important factor used to measure its financial health. Working Capital Management is the strategy of a company to maintain efficient levels of both asset and liabilities to improve their earnings. It is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. It involves management of inventories, cash, accounts payable and account receivable. Working capital is required to support the day to day business operation it is treated as life blood for smooth and effective business operations. Working capital in 2013 and 2011 is less as compare to the 2012. In 2012 company has  £ 20.934 millions more than its liabilities. Thus in 2012 company has managed their day to day operations effectively. Dividend: A.G. Barr’s efficient performance through the year enabled them to distribute per share dividend. In 2012 company’s profitability reflected in its dividend, declared  £ 25.96 per share, which is high through the rest of years. Inventory turnover ratio: measures the number of times the company sold its inventory throughout the year. AG Barr have inventory turnover of 6.51(in times) in year 2013 which means that company has 1.84 month of supply of inventory on hand. In 2012 and 2011, company has 2.02 (in times) and 2.05 (in times) months of supply of inventory on hand. ROE ROA: Return on equity in 2013 is greater then return on asset by 12.55% across the year it means that company is utilizing its asset perfectly as well as optimizing its debt effectively. It also shows that management is generating good result from shareholders’ investment. Account receivable turnover: Account receivable shows credit policy of a company according to which average time allow to customer to pay their debt. In 2013, 12.64 days took to recover their credit sales. Among the three year, in 2012 company was recovering their sales quickly at the rate of 7.70 days as compare to the rest of years. Operating Risk: can be defined as the more the proportion of fixed cost and lower variable cost is said to be high operating leverage. A ratio which is commonly used to determine the effect of operating leverage at given level on the firm’s potential earning is calculated by dividing, % change in EBIT by % change in Sales. Financial Risk: is the use to debt in it is calculated by dividing % change in EPS by % change in EBIT. Financial risk is not dependent on sales because whether a company has high or low sales it has to pay fix interest. By calculating financial leverage of AG BARR it appears that only 1% change in EBIT, Earning per share would change by 0.93. Preparation of financial statement: Financial statements of A.G. BARR p.l.c. have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRS’) as adopted by the European Union. They have been prepared under the historical cost accounting rules except for the derivative financial instruments and the assets of the Group pension scheme which are stated at fair value and the liabilities of the Group pension scheme which are valued using the projected unit credit method. FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THEIR IMPACT Financial market is a market where an individual and corporation can trade financial securities, commodities. This table shows classification of market and instrument through which corporations can raise funds. Raising funds from equity market may lead the investor to think that the company financial flexibility is weak, and they are unable to get funds from banks or other sources. Stock issue leads to decreased earnings per share. Raising capital from foreign investor involves two main risks which are relevant for foreign investor. They include economic risk and political risk. Economic risk is less in countries with strong and stable economy situation. On the other hand political risk is linked with the economic stability of a country. Political decision and policies plays an important role in an economy. Political risk also called sovereign risk, the ability of a company to pay its foreign financial obligation. Risk is defined as uncertainty. The indication of risk and reward guide the investor that it would have a possibility to loss some or whole of its investment, an investor may experience bullish trend on his investment. Risk and return are directly correlated. The more you take risk, the more the likely return is, because investor demands additional return for additional risk. In finance this relationship is known as the security market line. Common stock and corporate bonds are two asset classes. Corporate bond is a debt instrument and common stock is equity. Corporate bonds and, TFCs are issued by a corporation and sold to investors. Government bonds are less risky then corporate bonds. Common stock is riskier then corporate bond because if an organization goes bankrupt, common stock holders get last priority until debt holders and preferred stock holder have received their assets. But common stock holders have the possibility to earn greater or lower return as compare to stable return on corporate bonds. As far as A G BARR, capital structure for the last two years shows that debt weight-age of the total asset was 42.64% and 50.44% in 2012 and 2013 respectively. So the company has raised fund through debt in order to meet the financial need of company. One of the major benefits by using debt financing is tax advantage and borrowing has a fixed return to stock holder. It has positive impact on the firm but because company failed to control its operating expenses, net profit in 2013 is less than 2012. Future Prospects A.G. BARR has observed a healthy performance in a marketplace impacted by the mixture of very poor summer weather conditions and the continuing economic challenges faced by consumer goods companies, especially raw material cost pressures and unpredictable consumer demand. Looking ahead it is doubtful that these challenges will significantly change, however they remain carefully confident that the combination of our established operating model, continued focus on efficiency, building brand equity, sound balance sheet and ability for growth prospect leave them well placed to continue to build on this performance. In the year ahead, they expect some decrease in the pace of input cost inflation which we expect to be at a low single digit level. Current market pricing for PET is down year on year, fruit pulp costs are lower but the cost of sugar remains persistently high Conclusion A.G. BARR has delivered strong financial performance in challenging year markets. Their products continue to respond well to equity investors. They have driven strong growth in revenue and volume and have continued to increase market share across the soft drinks market. Product and supply chain innovation enabled numbers of consumers to their brands. They are further investing in assets, acquiring additional capacity that enables them to grow according to consumer demands and in line with the market pace. Following a challenging 2011, last financial year survived with strong in terms of operational performance. Last year reported growth in products availability and customer service has improved and cost managed effectively. During 2012 the potential merger received overwhelming shareholder support. In 2013, financials reported profit before tax increased to  £ 35.0 million, showed 4.3% increase from the previous years. Earnings per share increased during the year by 10.9%. Their ba lance sheet measures have improved, showed net assets of  £130.6 million, during the year company also generated free cash flow to the firm of  £ 22.0 million. A.G. BARR p.l.c. group brands, as well as their franchise brand Rock star, showed 8.6% growth. This performance is above as compare to the market reflects that they continued opportunities to develop availability, innovation and distribution among their brands. Their geographical growth rates grew by 4%, and investment except U.K. grew by 12%, showing both important long term growth opportunities and comparably important share from their brands. References A.G. BARR p.l.c. Annual report 2013 pages 70 124 http://www.agbarr.co.uk/pdf/Final Results Announcement January 2013.pdf [Accessed: 12th May 2014] A.G. BARR p.l.c. Annual report 2012 pages 62 – 94 http://www.agbarr.co.uk/pdf/Final results announcement January 2012.pdf [Accessed: 12th May 2014]

Music Censorship Essays -- essays research papers fc

Things are heating up in America. People are protesting outside of the movie theaters, concerts, and book and record stores of this great nation everywhere. What is all the fuss about? Censorship, Government officials, and raving mad protesters alike have been trying to stop the expressive creativity in everything from rap music to Mark Twain. Censorship in music is a topic that has brought about much controversy in the past two decades. There have been many different arguments on the topic, however the question still remains as if it should be censored or it should not be censored. In Paul Blanshard’s book The Right To Read: The Battle Against Censorship, he speaks of censorship as a negative boundary on society. Blanshard argues that people have been given the right to express themselves fully and censorship is incorrect on the basis of the first constitutional right. Martha Bayles, in her article â€Å" The Perverse in the Popular,† discusses a characteristic of society that she calls ‘perverse modernism’, which refers to the public’s attraction to the evils or negatives of society. ‘Perverse modernism’ will cause censorship of controversial music to be unsuccessful. There are several concerns and issues with artistic expression through music, however censorship of the controversial music will not resolve any problems and it will only create more problems. The current state of society would not allow music censorship to be successful. ‘Perverse modernism’, which refers to the public’s attraction to the evils or negatives of society, is a characteristic that has become a standard of today’s society. This characteristic is not something that emerged recently but it has grown slowly through time. For hundreds of years, society has been exposed to negative material through literature, television, or music. People have developed an interest in material that is forbidden. There is a need for people to fulfill their curiosity with knowledge of all material, good or bad. Jeffery Goldstein explains, Violent entertainment did not suddenly arrive on the scene, and it is not likely to depart it any time soon. People become acclimated to the arousal generated by violent images, but they have a continuing need for excitement. Does this mean that we shall have to accept ever-increasing violence and terror for entertainment purposes? It would appear to be... ... Works Cited Anderson, Craig A. et al. â€Å" The Influence of Media on the Youth † Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 4.3 (1999): 81-110 Bayles, Martha. â€Å" The Perverse in the Popular.† Wilson Quarterly 25 (Summer 2001): 40-47.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blanshard, Paul. The Right To Read: The Battle Against Censorship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boston: The Beacon Press, 1955   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Goldstein, Jeffrey. â€Å" The Attractions of Violent Entertainment.† Media Psychology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.3 (1999): 271. Huff, Darrell. Homepage. 2004. http://www.effectivemeetings.com/productivity/communication/statmanipulation.asp Levendosky, Charles. â€Å" President Bush: Make Those Protestors Disappear. † Humanist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  64.1 (Jan/Feb2004): 4 Shemitz, Jon. Homepage. June 30, 1994 - June 1, 1997 http://www.midnightbeach.com/jon/US-Constitution.htm Smith, Valerie. Home page. April 19, 2004. http://www.fradical.com/Canadian_copycat_incidents.htm Music Censorship 201:U5 Research in the Disciplines Final Draft Word count: 3,253 F. Nika Hedges Spring 2004

International HRM

International HARM International HRS management refers to an extension of HRS that relates to having people working overseas. HRS professionals are going to have to consider how to best provide policies, practices and services to a diverse set of employees located in potentially very different locations and operating environments.The differences between IHRAM and HARM involve: involves working with an organizational structure that is more complex there are a greater number of more diverse stakeholders groups to take account of there is a rater Involvement In people's private lives because of the expatriation element Diversity Is necessary In terms of management style greater number of external influences and risks to understand and manage Regardless of the type of organization, policies, practices and HRS systems must be compatible and effective across the world, and need to balance the needs, wants and desires of all the various groups of employees, whilst remaining cost- effective. It should take Into account the following. Range of Manpower approaches: Ethnocentric: WHQL management dispatched, Polytechnic: Local management; global; Right Person in right job. The International Dimension: Contextual impact of Globalization; International effectiveness of Organizations and the global nature of Labor Markets. Cultural Orientations: Nationality Is important in HARM because of its effect on human behaviors and the consequent constraints on management action. Understanding cultural diversity Is crucial to managing an international organization effectively.Hefted defines 4 distinguishing factors of national culture: Individualism: Power Distance: uncertainty, avoidance and masculinity: Time Orientation: Hypotheses work is interesting in that it demonstrates that cultures among a people remains persistently divergent despite convergence in areas such as technology and economic systems. Trampers is a researcher who has looked at different dimensions of cultures. GLOBE Examines practices and values at industrial organization and societal level. National Business Systems Institutional variation Is another major determinant of differences between the prevalent approaches to HARM found In different countries. A widely advanced view Is hat the following factors have a major influence on how HRS is practiced on a day-to- day basis.Local Laws Enforcement Mechanisms Government and Policy Making Collective Bargaining Labor Markets National Training Policy/Agencies Pension Arrangement Social Security Systems Marathoner et al 2010, highlights the need for the recognition of diversity, culture and national business systems which can be achieved through: Strategic management of corporate Identify, vision, mission and values Line managers need to mange the Capture the benefits of diversity, leverage tacit knowledge Acknowledge local market knowledge Apply best practice across the group with global programs Cross cultural management development is critical. Em ployees working internationally need to be able to work effectively in the country and culture where they are placed. This requires any potential assignee to have a high level of self-awareness of their own assumptions and sensitivities. To operate effectively their must examine their own culture and understand how this will impact on their Judgments and their perceptions of the behaviors of others from different cultural backgrounds.

Occupational Analysis Inventory Essays

Occupational Analysis Inventory Essays Occupational Analysis Inventory Essay Occupational Analysis Inventory Essay Occupational Analysis Inventory. Mohammed Adnan Waseem. Course Title: Advances in HRD Supervisor: Prof. Dr Syed Tahir Hijazi. What is Job Analysis? Acquiring information about the jobs in the organization is much important especially for Human Resource department. A job is a schedule of tasks, duties and responsibilities that can be performed by a jobholder. Job analysis is to study these schedules of activities to find out tasks, duties and responsibilities needed for each job. So we can say that, process of collecting and organizing knowledge about a specific job and its requirements is called job analysis For job analysis, questionnaires are basic requirement. There are different types of questionnaires being used to carry out job analysis procedure. One of them is Occupational Analysis Inventory, which is discussed in detail in coming lines. Occupational Analysis Inventory: The Occupational Analysis Inventory contains 617 descriptions of work activities and conditions also called work elements† on the basis of which occupations are rated. In some references number of elements is 622. ) The OAI work elements were produced within the broad framework of an information processing paradigm. It is a useful tool for collecting highly specific and related information about a job. The OAI reveals following five major categories: (1) Information Received, (2) Mental Activities, (3) Work Behavior, (4) Work Goals, (5) Work environment. These major categories a re further subdivided regarding to selected conceptual framework pertaining to the human behavior and work requirements. Model for the Occupational Analysis Inventory: AIl respondents have to rate each job element by selecting from four ratings given below: (1) part-of-job, (2) extent, (3) application, (4) a special scale designed for the element. Uses: OAI has a very vast use, from Army to industry, etc. The OAI has been used to gather information on 1,400 (approximately) jobs selected to represent five major occupational categories. To cope with the changing nature of the organizational activities, occupational analysis and classification system keeps an eye on the characteristics of the person performing the job, the context in which he or she is performing it and what output is being produced by him/her in the presence of (maybe) unstable environmental, economic, demographic and technological conditions. Implications for the Army: As other private and public organizations, Army is also experiencing changes in the nature of work. It is considered that these changes can create pressure in the structure and content of soldier’s duties. To meet these challenges OAI is considered very useful technique. Results: There are almost four main points that are emerging from OAI. Three relates to increasing heterogeneity of employers, jobs, and the workplace environment, and the fourth focuses on the need for an orderly approach to understanding work dynamics. First, the workforce is becoming more diverse with respect to demographics; these dynamics appear to have resulted in greater heterogeneity within traditional occupational categories. Second, the differentiation among jobs and departments is becoming another threatening issue. Third the work structure issue appears to be increasing, and these decisions are interdependent. The fourth and final theme emerges from this interdependency. Limitations: Results obtained by Occupational Analysis Inventory have been moderate not so much reliable. According to some analysts, their level is almost lower than other used methods (e. g. PAQ , WPS etc. ). Why do Occupational Analysis? There are three reasons that why we use OAI: . It is an appropriate way which guarantees highly competitive recruiting, hiring, classifying, training, promoting and out-placing your most valuable resource (your workforce); 2. Its an easy way to train and retain the best qualified people; 3. It is a more flexible on the item inventories (tasks, competencies, knowledge-skill-abilities, etc. ) Comparison with other Methods: If we compare it with Fleishman Job Analysis Survey, F-JAS model is a system to describe jobs from the point of view of necessary capacities. While OAI was designed to yield more specific job information relating to all elements of job, not only necessary capacities. If we compare it with Functional Job Analysis, FJAS requires specific additional skills or others that may not be as necessary as originally thought for conducting the survey. In this way it becomes specific task not a general purpose. While in OAI, there is no limitation of this type. If we compare it with MOSAIC, MOSAIC uses (almost) close ended questions, which limits its results. Because questionnaires at this level should be a mixture of both (open ended and close ended). Another negative of MOSAIC is that, it takes 151 job elements rated in terms of importance for effective job performance, while OAI uses 617 job elements. If we compare it with Position Analysis Questionnaire, PAQ does not describe the tasks, technologies, or duties of jobs. It just measures job characteristics and relates them to human characteristics. While OAI describes the occupation in much details. If we compare it with Work Profiling System, WPS is only computer-administered on-site at a company. It just measures ability and personality attributes, while leaving others.

Medical Article Essays - Biology, Medicine, Stem Cells, Anatomy

Medical Article Essays - Biology, Medicine, Stem Cells, Anatomy Medical Article December 21, 1999 The Hope, and Hype, of Cord Blood By DENISE GRADY Should parents pay a blood bank to store the blood from their newborn baby's umbilical cord and placenta, in case that child or another family member ever needs it to treat cancer or leukemia? Expectant parents are being urged to do so by companies that have sprung up during the past few years to sell cord-blood banking as a form of biological insurance against such dreaded diseases. The pitch is based on reports in medical journals, such as a major study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing that cord blood can sometimes be used in place of a bone marrow transplant. Like bone marrow, cord blood is rich in stem cells, which can churn out many different types of cells to rebuild a patient's blood supply and immune system after high doses of radiation and chemotherapy. And a patient's own cord blood, or that from a relative, is more likely than cord blood from an unrelated donor to be a good tissue match and to be accepted by the recipient's body. Some experts in bone-marrow transplantation and blood banking frown on the cord-blood business, arguing that people are being frightened into wasting money on a service they will probably never need. Moreover, private companies are growing in tandem with public banks, and some scientists worry that private banking will limit public access to cord blood. They are concerned because the cord blood in private banks remains the property of the donor family and is not available to patients seeking a compatible donor. But the companies say that however remote the possibility that the blood will be needed, people who choose to bank their own cord blood have a right to do so. In most cases their cord blood would be thrown away in the delivery room if they did not pay to bank it. There are only a few cord-blood banks in the United States, and most hospitals do not have specially trained staff members to collect the blood. Like bone marrow, cord blood must be matched to the recipient by tests for six inherited traits that determine an individual's tissue type. Cord blood does not have to be as precisely matched as bone marrow, but still, the closer the match, the better the odds of success. The weaker the match, the more likely it is that the recipient's body will reject the transplant, or the transplant will attack the recipient's tissues, in a life-threatening reaction called graft versus host disease. The companies that freeze cord blood and bank it point out that a person's own cord blood is a perfect match, and a sibling's cord blood a more likely match than a specimen from a stranger. And so, the argument goes, the best way to protect an entire family from the unthinkable is to save the newborns' cord blood. Promotional literature for one company, Cord Blood Registry, in San Bruno, Calif., emphasizes that people with cancer in the family may have a special interest in cord-blood banking, along with those who have the hardest time finding matches, which includes members of racial minorities, especially families in which the parents are of different races. According to a spokeswoman, Scoti Kaesshaefer, the company reaches parents-to-be by promoting itself to doctors, nurses and childbirth educators, and by leaving information at hospitals. Among the promotional materials the company provided to the New York Times were copies of articles from other newspapers suggesting that cancer among children is on the rise. The company also has a Web site and an 800 number with a recorded greeting that instructs callers to have their credit cards ready. The idea of saving one's own cord blood seems to be catching on. Cord Blood Registry, which describes itself as the largest private cord-blood banking firm in the United States, has stored 10,000 samples during the past three years: 1,500 in 1995, 3,000 in 1996 and 6,000 in 1997. The company charges an initial fee of $1,200 to collect a sample and freeze it, and then $95 a year to keep it stored in liquid nitrogen at the blood bank at the University of Arizona. Customers include people with perfectly healthy children, who just want extra peace of mind, as well as some families who have lost a child to leukemia or another disease and fear for the health of their other children. In its three

Russian Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Russian Economy - Essay Example However, as to how oil prices influenced Russia's GDP growth, measures have to be limited to indicators with the share of the oil industry in the overall GDP, specifically on the value added of the sector as measured by trade margins, and finally extrapolate on how these influenced the other sectors that make up Russia's GDP. Some manifestations of the Dutch disease, defined as the negative growth impact on domestic industries due to inflationary pressures on domestic spending brought by the high exchange rate of the Russian currency, have been observed in the 1990s. The ruble which traded on the average at about 540 rubles to the dollar in 2006, started to recover its value in 2004, reached just before 1998 when it traded 400 rubles to the dollar. In 1998, the ruble was devalued to 220 rubles to a dollar and economists observed that it influenced the high growth rates recorded in manufacturing industries, machinery, metallurgy, chemicals and textiles until 2001. The negative effects of the competitiveness of oil exports and the way it affected the ruble, has revealed the vulnerability of Russian industries which was just making its transition from being centrally planned and managed by the State to being market-led where the reflection of real prices and costs would have to take precedence. This vulnera bility has in a way roused Russian authorities to make the necessary changes in its macroeconomic policies - not just in the energy sector which for better or for worse, would take a big part in the economic future of the country, but also in the field of fiscal policy and public spending, to attract the necessary investments and uplift the standard of living of citizens that would boost consumer spending. GDP and oil prices One estimate of the actual contribution of the oil sector (which includes gas) was placed at a high of 18.9% in 2002, due to the sharp increase in oil prices and its volume of value added to exports. This is the largest increase since 1999 among the economic sectors. The value of total trade margins of oil and gas almost doubled by 2000 to 997.3 billion rubles from just 552.3 billion rubles in 1999. While it slowed by down to 942.7 billion rubles in 2001, trade margins of the sector again was up to 1.15 trillion rubles in 2002. However one comprehensive study on the influence of high oil prices on Russia's GDP growth by Shinichiro Tabata, analyzed the contribution of the oil and gas sector (under industry) included not just under goods production (manufacturing), but also under trade (already mentioned above in the analysis of trade margins) as well as under taxes (net taxes on products). He noted that during the period of the recovery from the financial crisis in 1998, the industrial sector's contribution which includes oil and gas, "was remarkable". The trade sector has become the largest contributor to Russia's GDP growth since 2002. Since some values on trade margins and taxes of oil and gas were not yet available for the years after 2002, the analysis of the contribution of oil and gas sectors would have to be confined only until the period of 2002. The total contribution of oil and gas to the growth of GDP grew from 0.3 in 1999 (when GDP grew by 6.3%) and hit a high of 2.2% in 2000 (when GDP was clocked at 10%). When

Critically Assess the UN Response to the Crisis in Darfur Essay

Critically Assess the UN Response to the Crisis in Darfur - Essay Example However, there was an observation that the Sudan government failed to defuse and prosecute the Arab mercenaries. According to De Waal (2005), the UN considered engaging in the crisis by observing that the condition presented violated Article VII of the U.N Charter. Therefore, in the year 2004, the UN resolved to address the Darfur crisis. The UN designed a multifaceted response to the crisis with the sole aim of curbing the situation. Therefore, this paper critically examines the UN response on the Darfur crisis. The State of the Darfur Conflict Sudan has constantly struggled with the civil wars presented by the Arab-Christians conflicts. The Arabs who comprise the overriding group have exploited the southerners. These conflicts became grave in the year 2003 with emergence of â€Å"Sudan Liberation Army† (SLA) and â€Å"Justice Equality Movement† (JEM). These two groups attacked the government since the Arabs who promoted oppression of the blacks (De Waal 2005) dominate d the governance process. The Sudan government retaliated by executing attacks against the civilians in the South. Subsequently, there emerged an Arabic based group called Janjaweed, which furthered the attacks. Investigations provide that the Sudan government financed Janjaweed activities; however, administrators have maintained that the group is illegal (Moore & Pubantz 2008). Initially, UN ventured in the Darfur crisis by chairing a peace agreement between the Sudan government and SLA in the year 2003. However, the partisans to the peace agreement installed by the UN challenged the process and failed to follow it comprehensively. Consequently, conflicts progressed as characterized by deaths and destruction of property. Hopper (2010), observes that Janjaweed’s activities led to death of about 30 000 blacks in Sudan. Importantly, the conflict has led to eviction of over a million Africans from their lands. The UN observed that the crises had presented a pathetic condition in the ground with its policy makers claiming that more than two million Sudanese need care. According to Mamdani (2009), the UN policy makers observed that the Darfur case clustered among the worst global humanitarian crises hence the body observed that there was need of executing the necessary response. The UN initiated instituted investigative bodies that found stern violation of the human rights (Hopper 2010). This was against the policies of the â€Å"International Covenant on Civil and Political Right† (ICCPR) and â€Å"International Criminal Court† (ICC) to which the Sudan government holds the membership. Therefore, the UN could successfully challenge the government’s activities legally (Steidle & Wallace 2007). Consequently, the UN subscribed actively to the Darfur activities. There is a concern among some UN policy makers that the Darfur situation demands a declaration that quantifies as a genocide case; however, this continues to elicit debates (Totten a nd Markusen 2006). The UN and Darfur Situation The UN engaged in the Darfur conflicts initially due to the disinclination of Sudan government in countering the crisis. Humanitarian advocates who observed that the concern needed critical attention raised the matter to the UN panel in the year 2003. The UN’s humanitarian docket claimed that situation poses a serious humanity concern since by then the crisis had displaced about 600, 000 people (Hagan & Rymond-Richmond