PRACTICAL AND WRITTEN ASSESSMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PRACTICAL AND WRITTEN ASSESSMENT - Assignment Example 66). This paper looks at performance management system in the Fasset sector. Performance management process in this organization is a major process in any organization because it assists the management and their staff to sustain the organization when implementing their business strategies (Marr, 2012, p. 79). It is; thus, an essential section of an organization joining the managers and their staff. The system is planned to support communication and criticism between administration and staff. It creates prospects for distinctive work implementation, and work as a basis for compensating top workers. Armstrong and Baron (2003, p. 67) noted that organizations need a controlled technique of interaction between different ranks of the association. Businesses that need and encourage this reaction circle can gather information on performance and develop from the facts obtained. The entire process involves employees and their supervisors, observation procedures and individual testing techniques (Bernthal, Rogers & Smith, 2003, p. 68). It usually involves frequent interactions between the management and workers concerning the organization. These compulsory communications ensure workers have an opportunity to interact and share ideas (Boland and Fowler, 2000, p. 417). Business interior environment comprises of the components within the corporation, including present workers, administration, and particularly business background, which describes staff member’s behaviour (Bernthal et al. 2001, p. 17). Some of these factors affect the organization as a whole while others only affects the managers. Leadership styles used by managers can affect the entire organization. An organizational statement describes what the association represents and reasons why the organization exists (Brigall and Modell, 2000, p. 281). The statement explains the general purpose of the association and comprises of the qualities that

Risk assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Risk assessment - Essay Example A risk based approach has been adopted for the development of a system for managing health, safety, and environmental risks. The system has been developed by benchmarking the system against international standards such as the ISO 2001. The components of the system include general requirements, SHE policy, planning, implementation and operation, measurement analysis and improvement, and management review. This section includes resources, roles, responsibility and authority. Competence, training and awareness have been addressed. Documentation, control of documents, operational control, and emergency preparedness and response have also been included. Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) is an analytical method used to protect health and safety. The goal of PRA is to develop a method to predict concerns before they manifest in terms of loss, injury, or fatality. The calculation of risk involves mathematical representation and building model. Risk is related to the concept of safety, danger, hazard, loss, injury, death, toxicity, or peril. Risk is defined as , where ci is the consequence, and pi is the probability. Risk is expressed in terms of , average loss of life expectancy, or fatalities per 100000 persons per year (Ragheb, 2009). HSE (2007) has outlined five steps for the assessment of risks in the workplace. These include the identification of hazards; decision on who might be harmed and how; evaluation of risks and decision on precautions; recording of findings and implementation; and review of assessment and update as necessary. Sustainability in manufacturing includes product sustainability assessment, product design for sustainability, lifecycle issues in product design and manufacture, and product manufacture for societal impact. Product design and manufacture for societal impact includes personnel health, operational safety, security of personnel and systems, and work ethics. Manufacturing process should include environmentally conscious

The Impact Of Fashion

The Impact Of Fashion Fashion and Identity Long ago people started wanting to stand out from the crowd and tried be different from other people by means of changing their clothing. This was the moment when fashion first appeared. Currently, fashion is sometimes defined as a constantly changing trend. However, it is necessary to say that at present moment fashion has a deeper influence on the life of people and possess more than just trifling reasons for its existence. Fashion through clothing has become an integral part of self-realization of every person. People have been using clothing and accessories for many years to decorate the human body. From various parts of the world people present themselves in different ways and they may follow certain trends and make their own trends and trademarks. Fashion changes regularly with respect to time and location. For many centuries clothes gave out some message by those who wore it. Some trends were maintained in clothing in order to follow the cultural traditions. Fashion and style changed from each era. The major change occurred after the World War I; it shocked everyone by their own styles and morals. In the early days people used to wear clothes in such a way that the appearances of them give out the gender, age, economic class and sometimes their intentions. Fashion is a medium through which people communicate about their occupation, class and wealth. Apart from the dresses we wear there are other features for fashion like hairstyles, makeup and accessories like jewelry. People were more conserve and obligated in the past but it completely changed their life styles by cutting their hair, having tattoos and piercing their body. An important aspect of fashion is the relationship it maintains with the society, which has become more complex in the recent years. Whatever clothes we wear give out a statement to the world about us, which reveals some information about our status in the society. People were much influenced psychologically and physically by fashion and its trends. Fashion is an overlapping and interconnection of bodies which involves in promotion and production of dress and the actions performed by the individuals acting when they are dressed. Fashion clothing examines the connection between colonization and clothing material. People are spiritual and social beings, where their identity is affected by clothes in both realms. Modern tyrannies attacked the spiritual authorities of various cultures directly or indirectly by abandoning the traditional dress they need to wear and wear the clothes of modernity like party clothes of various communist moments and clothes worn by those riding the waves of fashion. Any discussion of clothing must also consider the implications of the style of clothing that is these days overwhelming all other forms of clothing: the modern Western attire. It almost abolished all distinctions among people, race or language, religion or culture or tradition.   Western dresses were developed with a certain conception of what it means to be human. Western dresses first emerged in Medieval Europe among the high classes, in a world still attached to a semblance of tradition, but, like other habits of the Western elite, it eventually became the habit of the masses, once it had become relatively affordable and readily available. There is one area where most of the part has not succumbed to the temptations of the Western mode of dress that is the clothing of women in traditional and Eastern societies. While men have almost completely abandoned their traditional dress and adopted the uniforms of the West, either of the conformist or consumerist type, women not only hold fast to their traditional clothing in their own societies, but that they choose to wear them in the progressive West, while their men are wearing suits, sneakers and jeans. Clothing does depict that a persons character can be changed or modified. It brings even honor and respect to the people. In Macbeth, the image of clothing is used to suggest that throughout the play, Macbeth tries to hide himself from his eyes and from others. Shakespeare wants to keep alive the ironical contrast between the wretched creature that Macbeth really is and the disguises he assumes to conceal that fact. Secondly, honors are thought of as garments to be worn; likewise, Macbeth is constantly represented symbolically as the wearer of robes for honor. Fashion is symbolism and all its attributes forms an outstanding base for cultural and personal identification. Identity is a necessary process of someones personality as it is a part of self-realization of a person that is required for finding a place in life. Now a days fashion is a tool for achieving harmony with the inner world and a way of revealing or concealing peculiarities. Fashion symbols are accepted as long as it does not hurt people around and when we think about fashion and identity it is necessary to remember the ethical side of the issue. Fashion and identity still remains a twofold issue which has lot of positive aspects one can enjoy and share with other people. Of course, there are many factors in the flight to and from tradition and fashion, and perhaps clothing seems a trivial matter with which to be concerned, for clothing does not fully make the identity of a person; as Dickens say in his ‘The Great Expectations. Food and shelter, is an important factor in life, the individual and the environment in which the individual lives helps to interacts with others. However, Fashion is not about utility. An accessory that is merely a piece of iconography used to express individual identity as stated by the famous Lauren Weisberger in her notable work The Devil Wears Prada. Finally to say, Fashion does impact the world largely by significantly depicting ones identity and character through clothing and other trends.

Boston Tea Party Essay -- American History Boston Tea Party Essays

Boston Tea Party When the Boston Tea Party occurred on the evening of December 16,1773, it was the culmination of many years of bad feeling between the British government and her American colonies. The controversy between the two always seemed to hinge on the taxes, which Great Britain required for the upkeep of the American colonies. Starting in 1765, the Stamp Act was intended by Parliament to provide the funds necessary to keep peace between the American settlers and the Native American population. The Stamp Act was loathed by the American colonists and later repealed by parliament. (http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/History.htm) However, the British government quickly enacted other laws designed to solve monetary problems. Each act was met with resistance. The Boston Tea Party was the final act of focused rage against a Parliamentary law. The Americans were well organized to resist new financial demands placed upon them by the British Parliament. In 1765 the secret organizations known as the Sons and the Daughters of Liberty were created to boycott British products. By early 1773 the assemblies of Massachusetts and Virginia had created the Committees of Correspondence, which were designed to communicate within the colonies any threats to American liberties. In April 1773 the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East Indian Company to undersell colonial tea merchants in the American market. The stage was set for a confrontation. (Burns, B31) In the first few months of 1773 the British East India Company found it was sitting on large stocks of tea that it could not sell in England. It was on the verge of bankruptcy, and many members of Parliament owned stock in this company. (USA, 1) The Tea Act in 1773 was an effort to save it. The Tea Act gave the company the right to export its merchandise without paying taxes. Thus, the company could undersell American merchants and monopolize the colonial tea trade. By October, the Sons of Liberty in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston threatened tea imports and pledged a tea boycott. The Tea Act was incendiary for many reasons. First, it angered colonial merchants who feared they would be replaced and bankrupt by this powerful company. Second, the company chose to give exclusive privileges to certain merchants for the sale of their tea. Third, the Tea Act revived... ...itish government. In Boston, the site of a bloody confrontation between British redcoats and Americans citizens less than 10 years before, emotions ran high. Boston was a center of agitation and finally on the night of December 16,1773, the course of world history was changed. A revolutionary event was on the horizon. As once patriot mournfully observed, â€Å"Our cause is righteous and I have no doubt of final success. But I see our generation, and perhaps out whole land, drown in blood.† (Liberty, 2) The rest is history. Works Cited: Boston Tea Party Burns, Robert E. Episodes in American History. Massachusetts: Ginn & Co., 1973. Gilbert, Philip, and Norman Graebner. A History of the American People. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1971. Hewes, George. â€Å"Boston Tea Party – Eyewitness Account†. The History Place. http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/teaparty.htm (13 Mar. 2001) â€Å"Liberty: High Tea in Boston Harbor†. PBS Online. 1997. http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle/episode1.html (13 Mar. 2001) â€Å"USA: Boston Tea Party†. Department of Humanities Computing. 1997. http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/E/teaparty/bostonxx.htm (10 Mar. 2001)

Determination of the Fundamental Electronic Charge

ELECTROLOYSIS OF WATER: DETERMINATION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ELECTRONIC CHARGE PURPOSE: The fundamental electronic charge of water will be determined. A system of collecting the formation of H2 and O2 using two inverted glass collections tubes and a 1-L beaker filled with water will be setup. An electrolyte (H2SO4) will be added to water to make it an electrical conductor. A small amount of electricity will be applied to the water (roughly 400 mA) to oxidize the oxygen and reduce the hydrogen at the same time. The molecular hydrogen and oxygen gases produced will be trapped in the separated, inverted tubes so that their volumes can be measured.In comparing the volume of gases produced, applying Dalton’s Law and the Ideal Gas Equation along with the application of the stoichiometric ratio between the electron and the gases, the fundamental electronic charge will be determined. THEORY H+ ions will join together at the cathode (the negative electrode) to produce H Atoms, and the H at oms will join to form molecules of H2 gas. At the positive electrode (the anode), H20 molecules will decompose to replace the H+ ions lost and release O2 gas. The reactions appear below. H+(aq) + 2e- —> H2(g) Reduction (at the cathode) 2H20(l) —> 4H+(aq) + O2(g) + 4e-Oxidation (at the anode) The volume of H2 and O2 will be directly proportional to the time and current applied to the system. This will provide the number of electrons consumed on a stoichiometric ratio as follows: 1 H2(g) to 2 e-Reduction (at the cathode)(1) 1 O2(g) to 4 e-Oxidation (at the anode)(2) The moles of electrons can be expressed as a rearrangement of the Ideal Gas Equation: Ne = PV/RT(3) Where P = pressure in atm, V = volume in L, R = Gas Constant of 0. 08206 atm mol-1 K-1 and T = temperature in KelvinThe actual electronic charge of water will be calculated as follows: e- = it/NeNx the stoichiometric ratio (1) or (2) above Where i = current in amps, t = time in seconds, Ne = moles of electrons passing through the circuit from equation (3) and N = Avogadro’s number. The actual electronic charge will be compared to the theoretical charge of 1. 603Ãâ€"10-19 Coulombs. 1. Convert height of the solution into mm Hg to get the hydrostatic pressure (pressure due to the liquid left in the gas collection tube): height of solution x density of solution density of mercury 2. tmospheric pressure in the room – hydrostatic pressure = Ptotal (total pressure exerted by the gas trapped in the gas collection tubes) 3. a)Ptotal (total pressure) = PH2 + PH20or Ptotal = PO2 + PH20 b) PH2 = Ptotal – PH20 c)PH2 / 760 = Patm (Pressure) 4. Ne = PV/RT 5. e- = it/NeNx the stoichiometric ratio | | Run 1| Run1| | Run 2| Run 2| | | – (cathode)| + (anode)| | – (cathode)| + (anode)| | | Tube 2| Tube 1| | Tube 2| Tube 1| | | H2| O2| | H2| O2| Run Time in seconds|   | 987. 13| 987. 13| | 1102. 82| 1102. 82| Average Current|   | 0. 303| 0. 303| | 0. 277| A| Height of S olution| Hsol mm| 400. | 325. 0 | | 81. 5 | 314. 2 | Volume of gas produced| Vgas (mL)| 40. 10 | 19. 72 | | 40. 10 | 19. 80 |   | Vgas (L)| 0. 04010 | 0. 01972 | | 0. 04010 | 0. 01980 | Temperature of solution| C| 24. 0 | 24. 0 | | 25. 6 | 25. 6 |   | Kelvin| 297. 15 | 297. 15 | | 298. 75 | 298. 75 | Vapour pressure of water | mm Hg| 22. 377 | 22. 377 | | 24. 617 | 24. 617 | Atmospheric pressure| Patm mm Hg| 770. 50 | 770. 50 | | 770. 50 | 770. 50 |   | Patm| 0. 94567 | 0. 95293 | | 0. 97354 | 0. 95103 | hhg hydrostatic pressure (mm Hg)|   | 29. 41 | 23. 90 | | 5. 99 | 23. 0 | Ptotal (mm Hg) in the tube|   | 741. 09 | 746. 60 | | 764. 51 | 747. 40 | PH2 (mm Hg)|   | 718. 71 |   | | 739. 89 |   | PO2 (mm Hg)|   |   | 724. 23 | |   | 722. 78 | | | | | | | | moles gas n (rearranged Ideal Gas Equation) Ne = PV/RT| 0. 001555 | 0. 0007707 | | 0. 001592 | 0. 0007681 | e- = it/NeN|   | 3. 194E-19| 6. 445E-19| | 3. 185E-19| 6. 604E-19| stoichiometric ratio| Final| 1. 597E-19| 1. 611E-19| | 1. 593E-19| 1. 651E-19| | theoretical| 1. 603E-19| 1. 603E-19| | 1. 603E-19| 1. 603E-19| | Difference| -6. 193E-22| 8. 166E-22| | -1. 028E-21| 4. 801E-21| | % Error| -0. 4%| 0. 5%| | -0. 6%| 3. 0%|

Haier, an international icon: Success Factors and Market Challenges Essay

Born out of Qingdao Refrigerator Factory in 1984, the Haier (pronounced â€Å"high-er†) Group is China’s largest home appliance manufacturer (Wang and Ong 2007), and the world’s fourth largest white goods manufacturer (Chen 2008). Haier was ranked first among China’s Top 10 Global Brands by the Financial Times in 2005 (Haier’s company facts 2008). It was also ranked 86th among the world’s 500 Most Influential Brands by World Brand Lab in 2006 and is the only Chinese brand to be among the top 100 for three consecutive years. (Haier’s company facts 2008). Its Chairman and CEO, Zhang Ruimin who was appointed in 1984 as the director has been credited for pulling Haier out of bankruptcy to become a global corporation (Zhang Ruimin 2006) with annual turnover of USD16.2 billion in 2006 (Haier’s company facts 2008). Zhang was ranked 26th among World’s Most Respected Business Leaders by the Financial Times in 2005 and 6th among Asia’s 25 Most Powerful People in Business by Fortune magazine in 2004Haier’s key markets are China, Europe, USA, Japan (Beebe et al 2006) and India (Mumbai 2007). It has over 240 subsidiaries and 87 trading companies, design centers and industrial parks and over 50,000 employees worldwide (Haier’s company facts 2008). HAIER’S PATH TO SUCCESSIn 1984, CEO Zhang Ruimin took over the nearly bankrupt refrigerator factory (Lin 2005, 1). Today, Haier is known as a global brand. How did it become such as a success (Lin 2005, 1)?Strong leadership, customer service, product quality, innovation, speed, pricing, positioning, localisation of design, production and sales, latecomer advantages and market entry strategy are among the top ten factors for Haier’s success. Strong LeadershipZhang Ruimin (Zhang), Chairman and CEO of Haier is described as down-to-earth and a charismatic leader who has worked his way up (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003). Zhang demonstrated out-of-the-box thinking and risk-taking when he combined traditional Chinese philosophy with modern Western management style (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003) and avoided following norms of the industry (Wu 2003). â€Å"From the OEC management model of â€Å"Never Leave Today’s Work Till Tomorrow† and â€Å"Daily Settlement Leads to Daily Improvement† to the market chain management†, Zhang’s unique management ideas have won praises and is much of a discussion topic among management specialists and top universities around the world (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003). Zhang’s aspiration for Haier to become a global brand began during the early stage he took on the factory (Liu and Li 2002, 701) With this ambition, Zhang set clear objectives and focuses in building the brand, diversifying product lines, going international and now building a global brand name in different phases (Haier’s development strategy 2008). In 2006, for the fourth consecutive year (Haier introduction 2008), Haier was ranked first for overall leadership among Chinese companies in the Wall Street Journal Asia’s annual survey of Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies (Areddy 2006). Customer ServiceHaier aims to provide excellent customer service to gain an advantage over Western rivals who can be more complacent (Business in China: Double Star Group and Haier Group succeed without the consultants 2003, 14). To achieve this, Haier developed a customer-focused culture by reducing the distance between employees and customers requiring all employees to sell products, listen to customers and understand rivals’ products on a regular basis (Denison 2001, 222). Haier also set up more than 11,000 customer service centres in 160 countries (Yi and Ye 2003, 204) hiring and training locals to provide after-sale service to local customers (Li and Chen 2007). Haier’s dedication to customer service has won the â€Å"Five Star Diamond Award† presented by the American Quality and Service Society (Haier 1996). Product QualityZhang knows that the key to survival and future development is to establish and continue to improve product quality. To drive the  importance of quality, Zhang ordered responsible workers to destroy 76 defective refrigerators (Xu et al 2006, 30-31). As a result, Haier received the first ever National Gold Medal Award in China’s refrigerator industry (Haier 1988) and ranked first in China’s Top 15 Brands by Forbes (Kim 2003). InnovationTo improve its technology knowledge and create innovative products, Haier has been increasing investment in research and development (R&D) (Duysters et al 2008, 16) establishing an extensive global R&D and design network (DiPaolo and Li 2007). Its R&D investment is significantly higher than the market average – RMB6.7 billion in 2006, equivalent to 6.2 percent of its sales (DiPaolo and Li 2007). Haier also formed alliances with leading companies such as Liebherr, Philips, Mitsubishi and Toshiba to acquire manufacturing and technological know-hows, expand product lines as well as enter foreign markets (Duysters et al 2008, 11-12). The basis of China’s advantage is low-cost labour (Zeng and Williamson 2007, 27). Haier is take advantage of the cost advantage to provide high technology, choice and customised and specialty products at low price (Zeng and Williamson 2007, 55). Using cost innovation, Haier gained brand awareness in the US by making compact refrigerators and wine chillers to the mass market (Jain, Malik and Cruickshank 2006, 21). SpeedHaier understands that the speed in bringing products to customers to satisfy their needs before rivals is important to win them over (Wu 2003). Since entering US markets, Haier has gained one-third (Lin 2005, 2) of market share in the compact refrigerators for dormitories and offices and created the market for stand-alone wine coolers (Haley and Haley 2006, 46). PricingChinese products are often viewed as low quality (Xin and Yeung 2007). Aware of the poor image of Chinese products, Haier price its products at a five per cent premium over its Korean rivals, LG and Samsung (Chinese consumer durable firms eye a bigger piece of action 2008) so that its products will be perceived as â€Å"top-of-the-line† (Gupta 2006). PositioningHaier positions itself as a premium brand and aims to develop Haier as a dependable, high-technology global leader (Gupta 2003). Haier is not targeting at different classes of consumers instead â€Å"it wants consumers to feel that Haier is closest to satisfying their needs† (Haier’s Aim: â€Å"Develop Our Brand Overseas† 2003). Localisation of Design, Production and SalesHaier set up local design, production and sales facilities, and industrial parks in US, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and employs mainly local people (Haier Press Room 2008). With localised operations, Haier is able to respond more quickly to changing customers’ needs (Young and Nie 1996, 12) and to be accepted by the local community (Haier Press Room 2008). Latecomer AdvantagesInstead of creating a new business model from scratch (Duysters et al 2008, 8), Haier, as a latecomer, has the advantage of comparing and modifying its business models against those of established rivals identifying niches, for example compact refrigerators in the US (Wu 2003) that larger rivals have overlooked (Duysters et al 2008, 8) or do not have the flexibility to adopt (Bartlett and Ghoshal 2000, 139). Market Entry StrategyHaier started exporting to tough markets such as United States (US) and Germany as Zhang (Wu 2003) believes that once it gained brand recognition in these markets, it will be easier for Haier to enter neighbouring developing countries (Liu and Li 2002, 702-703). When entering a new market, Haier introduced one product at a time. It first introduced refrigerators in the US market. Once the product becomes successful, Haier began introducing washing machines lines and other products capitalising on the brand awareness (Liu and Li 2002, 703). CHALLENGES AHEADChinese manufacturers including Haier now face increasing challenges posed by â€Å"decrease in orders from overseas markets† (Global recession hits China 2008), lack of resources, negative Chinese brand image, further margin squeeze and rising costs. Lack of R&D InfrastructureAlthough Haier increased investment in R&D, it can take years to catch up on the standard of the research in the West (Isaksen 2006). One big obstacle that marketing research firms face in China is the lack of infrastructure to carry out surveys (Isaksen 2006). Lack of Qualified Human ResourcesManagers with experience managing an international operation are scarce (Beebe et al 2006, 7). This shortage can negatively influence Haier’s global expansion (Liu and Li 2002, 703). For example, managers from the Chinese and American operations find it difficult to have productive discussions due to language barrier (Liu and Li 2002, 703). Global Brand Awareness and ImageChinese companies including Haier lack global brand awareness in developed markets in the US and Europe (Xin and Yeung 2007, 3) and suffer negative brand image of cheap, poor quality and unreliable (Swystun, Burt and Ly 2005, 3). This negative image is further weakened with the recent milk scandal (Made in China 2008: The Challenge for Chinese Brands Going Global 2008). Changing Western consumers’ perception requires years of marketing efforts (Liu and Li 2002, 704). Dominant Bargaining Power of BuyersHaier distributes its products with retail giants like Wal-Mart who have large buying power (Rosenbloom and Diane 1993, 78). These retail giants pursue mass merchandising strategies that emphasize low prices and low margins (Rosenbloom and Diane 1993, 80). With the global recession of 2008, retailers are likely to further squeeze Haier’s margins (Bhaskaran 2008, 2). Rising CostsThe increasing cost of labour, raw materials especially steel (Industry analysts forecast price rise for white goods 2008), oil as well as the strengthening of the yuan has greatly affected Haier’s margins (Roberts 2008). REFERENCES Areddy, J.T. 2006. 2006 Asia 200 Report: Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies. Wall Street Journal. http://www.wsj-asia.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Bartlett, C.A. and Ghoshal, S. 2000. Going global: Lessons from later movers. Harvard Business Review 78 (2): 132-142. EBSCOhost. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Beebe, A., Chee, H., Feng, Y.Q. and Dr Shi, D.L. 2006. Going global: Prospects and challenges for Chinese companies on the world stage. IBM Business Consulting Service. http://www-935.ibm.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Bhaskaran, M. 2008. The world in 2009: Expect both downside and upside surprises. The Edge Singapore, December 29 – January 11. Business in China: Double Star Group and Haier Group succeed without the consultants. 2003. Strategic Direction 19 (8): 12-15. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 18, 2008). Chen, S.C. 2008. Haier Forced To Raise Domestic White Goods Prices. Forbes, February 21. http://www.forbes.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin. 2003. Xinhua News Agency. Xinhua News Agency http://news.xinhuanet.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Chinese consumer durable firms eye a bigger piece of action. 2008. Indian Brand Equity Foundation, April 09. Indian Brand Equity Foundation. http://www.ibef.org/ (accessed December 17, 2008). Denison, D.R. 2001. Managing Organizational Change in Transition Economies. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed December 28, 2008). DiPaolo, P. and Li, J. 2007. A Chinese company’s route to successful innovation: Stay true to it’s strategy. Bain. http://www.bain.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Duysters, G., Jacob, J., Lemmens, C. and Hu, J.T. 2008. Internationalization and technological catching up of emerging multinationals: A case study of China’s Haier Group. Working paper, UNU-MERIT. http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Global recession hits China. 2008. China Knowledge, November 11. China Knowledge. http://www.chinaknowledge.com/ (accessed December 17, 2008)Gupta, S.D. 2003. The lowdown on Haier. Rediff.com, August 23. http://www.rediff.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Gupta, S.D. 2006. Chinese firms aim big in India. Rediff.com, April 29. Rediff.com http://www.rediff.com///money/2006/apr/29spec.htm (accessed December 16, 2008)Haier introduction. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s Achievements. 2006. Haier http://www.haier.com.pk/abouthaierAch.asp (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s Aim: â€Å"Develop Our Brand Overseas†. 2003. BusinessWeek, March 31. BusinessWeek. http://www.businessweek.com/ (accessed December 20, 2008). Haier’s company facts. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s development strategy. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haley. U.C.V. and Haley, G.T. 2006. The logic of Chinese business strategy: East versus West: part II. The Journal of Business Strategy 27 (2): 43-53. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Industry analysts forecast price rise for white goods. 2008. Xinhua News Agency, February 25. China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ (accessed December 18, 2008). Isaksen, J.E. 2006. China’s brand disadvantage. Thesis, Norges Handelshà ¸yskole. http://www.nhh.no/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Jain, V., Malik, S. and Cruickshank, J. 2006. The emerging threat of Asia’s corporate tigers Strategy & Leadership 34 (4): 19-24. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Kim. J.M. 2003. China’s Brands: China’s Best Prospects. Forbes, October 20. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/ (accessed January 2, 2009). Li, N.X. and Chen, X.Q.D. 2007. Tips for Doing Business in Third Tier Markets. China Business Feature, Jun 27. China Business Feature. http://www.cbfeature.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Lin, T.W. 2005. OEC management control system helps China Haier group achieve competitive advantage. Management Accounting Quarterly 6 (3): 1-11. EBSCOhost. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Liu, H. and Li, K.Q., 2002. Strategic implications of emerging Chinese multinationals: The Haier case study. European Management Journal, 20 (6): 699-706. Elsevier ScienceDirect. http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Made in China 2008: The Challenge for Chinese Brands Going Global. 2008. Interbrand. http://www.interbrand.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Mumbai, M. 2007. Haier Launches First Refrigerator Manufacturing and R&D Facility in India. IndiaPRwire.com, August 9. IndiaPRwire.com http://www.indiaprwire.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Pocha, J. n.d. Enter the Chinese brands. Businessworld. http://www.businessworld.in/ (accessed December 17, 2008). Roberts, D. 2008. Haier Struggles to Overcome the China Slowdown. BusinessWeek, September 5. BusinessWeek http://www.businessweek.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Rosenbloom, B. and Diane, M. 1993. Dominant buyers: Are they changing the wholesaler’s role in marketing channels. Journal of Marketing Channels 3 (1): 73-90. Informaworld. http://www.informaworld.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Swystun, J., Burt, F. and Ly, A. 2005. The Strategy for Chinese Brands: Part 1 – The Perception Challenge. Interbrand, October. Interbrand. http://www.brandchannel.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Wang, Y. and Ong, J. 2007. Overseas sales bright for Chinese appliance maker Haier. Bloomberg News, August 14. International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Wu, Y.B., 2003. China’s refrigerator magnate. McKinsey Quarterly, August. McKinsey Quarterly http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Xin, K. and Yeung, A. 2007. Go Global: The Next Challenge For Corporate China. International Institute for Management Development, November. Institute for Management Development http://www.imd.ch/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Xu, Q.R., Zhu, L., Zheng, G. and Wang. F.R. 2006. Haier’s Tao of innovation-a case study of the emerging Total Innovation Management model. The Journal of Technology Transfer 32 (1-2): 27-47. SpringerLink. http://www.springerlink.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Yi, J.J. and Ye, S.X. 2003. The Haier Way: The Making of a Chinese Business Leader and a Global Brand. Homa & Sekey Books. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Young, S.T. and Nie, W. 1996. Managing Global Operations: Cultural and Technical Success Factors. Greenwood Publishing Group. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed January 2, 2009). Zeng, M. and Williamson, P.J. 2007. Dragons at your door: How Chinese cost innovation is disrupting global competition. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing. Zhang Ruimin. 2006. China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ (accessed December 15, 2008).

Martha Stewart and Inside Trading Act essays

Martha Stewart and Inside Trading Act essays According to Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, insider trading is any manipulative or deceptive device in connection with the purchase or sale of any security." This ruling served as a deterrent for the early part of this century before the stock market became such a vital part of our lives. But as the 1960's arrived and illegal insider activity began to pick up, courts were confused by this vague definition. So judicial members were forced to interpret this idea since Congress never gave a concrete definition. As a result, two theories of insider trading liability have evolved over the past three decades through judicial and administrative interpretation: the classical theory and the misappropriation theory. The classical theory is the type of illegal activity one usually thinks of when the words "insider trading" are mentioned. The theory emerged from the 1961 SEC administrative case of Cady Roberts. This was the SEC's first attempt to regulate securities trading by corporate insiders. The ruling paved the way for the traditional way we define insider trading - "trading of a firm's stock or derivatives assets by its officers, directors and other key employees on the basis of information not available to the public." The Supreme Court officially recognized the classical theory in the 1980 case U.S. v. Chiarella. U.S. v. Chiarella was the first criminal case of insider trading. Vincent Chiarella was a printer who put together the coded packets used by companies preparing to launch a large money offer for other firms. Chiarella broke the code and bought shares of the target companies based on his knowledge of the takeover bid. He was eventually caught, and his case clarified the terms of what has come to be known as the classical theory of insider trading. However, the Supreme Court reversed his conviction on the grounds that the existing insider trading law only applied t ...

Costly Business Case Utilities Co.

Costly Business Case Utilities Co. Introduction Utilities Co. was keen on cutting 120 jobs because of the tough economic climate and escalating competition. Maree Davis, the HR Manager of the company was at the centre point of implementing the plan of cutting the workforce.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Costly Business Case: Utilities Co. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The CEO indicated that the redundancies were voluntary, but it emerged later that the plan targeted specific workers in the middle level management. The strategy of downsizing the workforce had two stages. The first stage was to make a public statement on the intention to dismiss employees and the second stage was to use targeted redundancies. However, the announcement invited attention from the press and state politicians because of industrial action to protect jobs. Similarly, the announcement led to severe work-related stress as many employees were in fear of losing their jo bs. In particular, the company received negative messages from the press and customers who were dissatisfied with service delivery at the time. As HR manager, Maree found it difficult to implement the strategy because she felt that the CEO’s decision was challenging and it was virtually impossible to identify 120 redundant jobs. Although she received voluntary redundancies from 52 employees, there was a lot of dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the CEO was relentless on implementing the layoff plan despite efforts for negations from the union and advice from HR department. Surprisingly, the targeted redundancies did not express interest in voluntary redundancy, thus triggering the need to enter the second phase of the plan.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At this point, Maree resigned from his position because she felt that the decision to lay off many older employees could lead to troubles with Human Rights Commission. Therefore, this paper analyses the case of Utilities Co. with reference to HR implications of the CEO’s announcement to lay off 120 staff. The paper also explains the OHS concerns that arose in response to the announcement, and outlines recommendations to improve OHS during layoffs. Similarly, the third section of this paper evaluates the impact of industrial action on the organisation. Finally, the recommendation section discuses an ideal organisation’s plan to communicate the layoff decision to employees and managers. HR Implications of CEO’s Announcement to Lay off Staff The CEO’s announcement emerged because of the claims that the Utilities Co. was experiencing tough economic times and increasing competition. As a result, the company wanted to get rid of underperforming staff to remain competitive in its market segment. The CEO was in an unfortunate position of determining the bette r alternative of dismissing workers. The announcement was an indication that the company was determined to downsize its workforce, but the figure was quite alarming and consequently led to shock and disorder within the company. The workers, including the HR manager, were unhappy about the announcement because it would cost them their positions in the company. In addition, the announcement implied that the company’s management was poor because it elicited some interesting facts about employment relationship within the company. First, Maree had identified that the company had few workers in some significant areas.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Costly Business Case: Utilities Co. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This meant that it was difficult to identify 120 redundant jobs despite the CEO’s suggestion that the exercise targeted underperforming middle managers. Second, the company did not relate w ell with its employees because expert staff expressed interest in voluntary redundancies, but the target group did not express interest in the process. This meant that the company was to lose its productive workforce. It is surprising how the company lacks proper procedures of communicating lay offs to its employees. In the light of the HR conflicts brought about by CEO’s announcements, it is essential to understand employment relationship in managing workplace relations. The perspectives of employment relationship help us to understand how an employee and an employer relate. Employment relationship entails managing staff for successful objectives of the organisation while taking into consideration worker’s anticipations (Chambliss, 2007). However, Utilities Co. did not consider the expectations of employees with regards to work ethics, moral, team contribution skills, motivation, and general aptitude. Furthermore, findings from studies indicate that employment relatio n is mainly open-ended, spontaneous, and an inclusion of contradictory theories about conflict, control, and regulation. The perspectives of employment relations are: utilitarianism, pluralism, and Marxism (Bateman Snell, 2009).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the pluralist view of employment relationship is a good example of explaining the situation at the company. Pluralists perceive an organisation comprising of powerful and different sub-groups, including management and trade unions. This viewpoint considers conflicts as a common aspect in organisation because the employer and employees have dissimilar interests; the CEO’s objective is to reduce the number of employees in order to cut down the company’s expenses while employees’ interest is retaining their occupations and enhancing their welfare. Kramar et al. (2011) argue that different organisations with disparate management also engage in establishing guidelines of employment. Detection and control of conflicts is imperative in determining the best approaches of problem solving. Additionally, the management’s role is to coordinate and persuade employees to harmonize the different interests rather than enforcing rules that would compromise negoti ations. Trade unions are recognized as genuine agents of employees, thus such organizations advocate for collecting bargaining which helps in dealing with conflicts. Thus, employers should accept and expect to resolve conflicts through legitimate measures of dealing with disagreements (Brewster, 2008). According to Roethlisberger (2009), pluralism derives its ideas from the point of view of Donovan Commission, which started in 1965 to assess the rising conflicts in industrial relations practices. Pluralism was important in its analysis on management: unlike the unitary approach where there are no authentic grounds for conflicts, managers in a pluralistic system should accept conflicts and seek feasible procedures of avoiding them. Thus, the first basis of pluralism is that the organisation should have industrial relations and personnel professionals who provide staffing and collective bargaining counsel to managers (Brewster, 2007). Second, external arbitrators are required to help in conflict resolution. Third, the management should recognize trade unions when analysing employee sentiments. Finally, the management should establish a good environment for collecting bargaining with union representatives. Therefore, it is apparent that successful industrial relations involvements such as collective bargaining can resolve disputes. Unlike the unitary system, the pluralist theory provides alternative solutions to conflicts, thus the management must exercise control and regulation, considering the requirements of trade unions and the state. Similarly, pluralist engage all participants in conflict resolution, thus favourable solutions are open to discussion. This follows the notion that conflicts are important in understanding the major tensions in an organisation and therefore the management should not ignore them. Furthermore, the theory advocates for divergent employee relations rules. Some organizations can decide to deal with employee organizations instead of t rade unions, while other organizations can work with trade unions to enhance employee commitment. In essence, pluralism is appropriate for a collective industrial relations system because trade unions are involved in conflict resolution (Bateman Snell, 2009). However, the major disadvantage of pluralist perspective, which the case depicts, is emphasis on rules and procedures, but it ignores other factors that affect or contribute to resolving disputes. For example, through industrial relations, organisations can formulate rules that determine the steps of resolving conflicts. However, such rules may not apply to different working environment. Likewise, the theory fails to note that the state not only considers the interests of the public, but also business interests. Dekler (2007) argue that focusing on employee interest may hinder the process of collective bargaining. Likewise, the redundancies raised equity issues within the company. The concept of equity relates to satisfaction in relation to expectations of fair and/or unfair allocation of resources in the HR perspective (Kramar, 2011). The equity issues depicted in the company are flexible work and discrimination. The communication strategy assumed by the CEO and organisational factors affected the flexibility of work. According to Boxall Baron (2004), essential communication, from Human Resource perspective, stresses the open relations between the organisation and employees. This results to goals being realized, which in turn improve the company’s performance. However, Utilities Co. did not express the need to enhance effective communication. The management communicated the lay off news without considering workers’ reactions. As a result, employees exhibited low productivity since the customers were complaining. Several factors affect work behaviour. First, people within the company have different positions, relations, and views. The relationship between individuals of various departments with regards to management level determines how they behave. Workers tend to conform to their line manager more often as compared to managers of other departments (Godard, 2010). Customers also influence the way employees perform their duties, as there exist the need to satisfy customers. In addition, organisational goals shape the way employees work. The goals of an organisation are the reason for existence. Managers direct the activities of the organisation to the attainment of goals. The goals of an organisation will determine the nature of its inputs and outputs, the series of activities to acquire the inputs, and interactions with its external environment (Decenzo Silhanek, 2002). Furthermore, culture reflects the underlying assumptions about the way of performing work; what is acceptable and not acceptable, and what actions and behaviour are encouraged and discouraged within a company. Organisational structure underlines the manner of arranging individuals and groups with re spect to the task they perform. The culture and structure of an organisation develop over time and in response to a complex set of factors affecting work behaviour. The key factors that affect the development of any corporate culture include history, primary function and technology, goals and objectives, size, location, management and staffing, and the environment (Schmidt, 2009). On the other hand, discrimination was evident through the redundancies. As outlined by Maree, the CEO targeted older employees who held managerial positions and were receiving higher wages. Such employees were mainly 50 or older, and a move to lay them off would imply that the company discriminates people according to age. Similarly, the CEO’s argument that the targeted groups were underperforming was inconsequential because the team manages and controls the organisation; laying them off would worsen the current situation. OHS Concerns in Response to the Announcement The announcement to downsize the workforce had adverse effects on staff safety, health, and welfare. Lay offs often entail major changes to work processes because there is redistribution of tasks to a smaller number of staff, alterations to job descriptions, and changes to training (White-Means Hersch, 2005; Quill, 2005). The first reaction to the announcement was shock, which led to fear and decreased productivity. In addition, the OHS team received stress-related claims from workers who expressed their stress through anxiety disorders and depression. For instance, an employee became physically violent towards colleagues. In particular, Maree experienced stress-related sickness in the process of making difficult decisions within a short time. She was in a dilemma while trying to identify 120 redundant jobs and improving understaffed areas. For example, industrial action compromised the process because the HR staff received numerous abusive messages from both the press and customers; Maree ignored the messages, b ut felt sick. Besides, the CEO gave a short notice to persuade Maree to execute the layoff plans. According to Quinlan (2007), job insecurity and bad working relations (as the ones depicted in the case) correlate with undesirable effects on worker safety and health because there are fears that arise from new informal means of communication between employees. However, the OHS team in the company was overwhelmed with complaints from distressed staff members. Similarly, some unsatisfied staff accepted the call for voluntary redundancies, which led to cutbacks in customer service areas. This indicates that the organisation was not keen on supporting staff affected by the announcement; it is surprising that the CEO was happy with the process, and he did not consider worker’s wellbeing. For instance, Maree had to support her own staff and other organisational activities because many workers were unable or reluctant to adjust to the changes in workplace conditions. In light of OHS c oncerns in the organisation, the OHS team should embark on a risk assessment of the OHS effects of the layoffs, discuss with employees and their representatives, and manage the risks without interfering with current OHS standards (Dragano, Verde, Siegrist, 2005). This is in a bid to improve OHS during layoffs. The risks stem from personal factors that affect work behaviour. The HR department should assess the factors that affect work behaviour during layoffs. Work behaviour analysis encompasses the methodical assessment of the nature and components of a well-defined job (Armstrong Baron, 2004). The OHS team should identify individual differences such as gender, marital status, and tenure because they affect work behaviour. The obvious differences between men and women affect job performance. There exist no systematic male and female differences in analytical abilities, competitive focus, problem-solving skills, and decision-making skills. Researchers believe that women are more wi lling to abide by the rule of work and men are insistent and more likely to have expectations of achievement (Johnstone, Quinlan, Walters, 2005). Another issue that seems to differ between male and female employees is the preference for job environment; women mainly prefer an organisation that caters for their wellbeing (Mullins, 2004). For instance, Maree found that some women accepted voluntary redundancies because the organisation does not respect people. Work experience through tenure also affects work behaviour. Moreover, if person stays long in a job, chances are few that he or she will quit. Thus, tenure and satisfaction are concurrently related (Moore, Grunberg, Geenberg, 2004). This explains why the old employees of Utilities Co. were reluctant in taking voluntary redundancies. In essence, the equity officer analysed the demographic profile of workers who had quit their jobs on voluntary redundancies and found that many younger staff and women had taken redundancies. Seco nd, personality tends to predict behaviour and happiness related to work. These behaviours include absenteeism, performance, and team effectiveness. Personality matters when we combine different personality, thus achieving a stronger relationship between work performance and personality. Third, what people perceive determine how they perform their work-related activities. For instance, the layoff announcement shocked workers because they knew that their jobs were insecure, and therefore they felt disappointed by the organisation. Fourth, values help individuals to determine what is good, right, or desirable. Values help in the analysis of organisational behaviour and hence managers can be able to accommodate individuals from different cultures. Since values differ across cultures, understanding such differences is helpful in predicting employee behaviour from various cultures. Finally, attitudes affect work behaviour because they reflect how employees feel about the work. Attitude i nvolves the aspects of cognition, affect and behaviour. Cognitive facet of an attitude is a belief in something; for instance, grapevine is wrong. Affective facet of attitude is the emotional or feeling part of attitude, while behavioural facet of an attitude is an intention to act in a particular way towards somebody or something (Sverke, Hellgren, Naswall, 2002). Another recommendation for Utilities Co. is to provide help documents on layoffs to explain the role of OHS team and staff in order to improve OHS. The documents should take into consideration the factors explained in the previous paragraphs because they are the ones that lead to health issues during downsizing. The Impact of Industrial Action on the Organisation The workers union responded to the layoff announcement by engaging in industrial action in order to prevent massive layoffs. The union felt that the redundancy process was unfair. As one of the steps towards industrial action, the union applied for protected ind ustrial action through the Fair Work Australia (FWA). Besides, the union though that the pending enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) was one of the major contributing factors of the redundancies. In light of the union campaign, there was keen interest from the media and national politicians because Utilities Co. was a big and formerly state owned business. This made the CEO to engage the company’s lawyers in devising plans to proceed with layoffs. The CEO defended his decisions by citing that the company wanted to stay afloat in the current economic problems. Besides, he agreed to proceed with negotiations on a new EBA because of pressure from the union. However, the ongoing industrial action surpassed the hostile meetings as it became gradually more disruptive and reduced the quality of service delivery. The company received many customer complaints and it was difficult to reach out to new customers because constant negative press was taking effect. Many HR workers receive d abusive e-mails and experiences emotional stress. However, the union did not achieve its major objective because the company proceeded to subsequent processes of cutting down its workforce. The industrial action only tainted the company’s image and facilitated the layoff process. Interestingly, the company postponed the EBA negotiations because of industrial action. In fact, the EBA meetings were not successful because the union opted for industrial action before considering the option of negotiations. The fallout of EBA negotiations meant that the company was determined to lay off employees. Although the CEO indicated that the redundancies were voluntary, the second phase of downsizing was compulsory redundancies, which targeted one third of middle management positions. The union could have opted for negotiation with the company through collective bargaining. Since there was an existing EBA, it was necessary to cite the guidelines in the agreement to avoid conflicts. In th e negotiations, the union could have cited unfair dismissal laws to persuade the company to retain workers or offer notice and full redundancy benefits (Artz, 2010). Another argument that the union could have used in the negotiation is that the company breached the Australian labour laws because the redundancies were not genuine. According to Decenzo Silhanek (2002), redundancy arises where an employer does not require a worker’s job and someone else cannot take the work. However, from the case, Maree found out that some important areas within the Utilities Co. were having few staff and it was difficult to identify 120 redundant jobs. In fact, it would be appropriate to consider the company’s action as unfair termination. This could have been a good discussion point because unfair dismissal laws is important to make sure both that employees can confront unjust termination, and to act as a guideline for employees who would layoff workers unfairly. In essence, understan ding the unfair dismissal laws could have been a significant step in ensuring safety and fairness in Utilities Co. Recommendations Maree resigned from her HR position because she was unable to work under pressure. This is evident because abuses from customers made her sick. If I were in the same position, I would not have resigned because such challenges are common in the workplace and it was a matter of executing what the company had initiated, but the process was wrong. Maree should have conducted thorough investigation of the company and communicated her findings to the CEO. However, she did not provide feasible suggestions to the CEO. For instance, Maree noticed that the company had few workers in some critical areas, but she did not explain it to the CEO. The CEO needed assurance that the company can weather the tough economic climate and increasing communication without necessarily cutting down the workforce. Maree failed to identify other significant factors that contribute t o productivity. The best approaches of increasing workplace productivity are positive management and good communication. In the place of work, managers who exercise positive means and enhance positive behaviour can achieve positive results. The managers must have broad knowledge and act as the intellectuals of the organisation. When disagreements arise within the organisation, it is the manager who advices the administrators on the approach to employ towards solving the problem amicably. Other matters that require the counsel of HR manager include appraisal, training, recruitment and incorporations (Kramar et al., 2011). As a matter of consideration, the manager understands the capacity of the organisation much more than anybody else. For instance, the manager is responsible for designing the tasks for every employee and thus he/she has to be involved when the organisation intends to hire and/or layoff staff (Dekler, 2007). Moreover, with regards to the layoff decision by the CEO, t he ideal organisation plan to communicate the decision would include good communication strategies, honesty, respect towards employees, asking feedback, ensuring commitment to employees’ safety and wellbeing. First, the organisation should share all the information regarding layoffs, citing the major reasons and implications to workers. The management should not imagine that workers understand the message at once or communicate only when all details are available. Consistent and accurate information is better in order to avoid rumours. Second, clarity of the decision to layoff workers might help them prepare, thus avoiding distractions like stress (Maertz et al., 2010). If the company does not know the exact number of redundancies, it is important to suggest a reasonable number. The company should make promises that are conceivable through exercising credibility. Third, the organisation should have guidelines that allow room for respect and dignity towards employees. For inst ance, a manager can exercise respect through giving the dismissed worker a chance to say goodbyes or letting him time to thank and/or receive thanks from colleagues. Fourth, the organisation should ask for feedback from various sources. Listening to employee’s suggestions or questions enhances organisational support to workers. The HR managers can administer questions, such as: How can we communicate better the layoff decision? Are there any major issues regarding how the layoffs are conducted? (Hershey, Blanchard, Johnson, 2008). Finally, it is important to restate the organisation’s commitment to health and welfare where possible. The organisation should focus on safety by expressing the likely effects of layoffs and the necessary reactions expected from employees to reduce the effects. For instance, a supervisor can take some time to ask each affected employee in his line of work how they are fairing with the changes. In this case, the supervisor can deal with the employees’ problems while focusing on work and enhancing safety measures. Conclusion The CEO and HR manager of Utilities Co. were in an unfortunate position of finding an appropriate strategy to lay off workers. Administering layoffs is often difficult because it involves dealing with people and factors that affect work behaviour. This paper analysed the implications of announcing layoffs, the concerns of OHS, the impact of industrial action on the organisation, and proposed an ideal organisation’s plan to communicate the layoff decision to the staff. The major HR implication of CEO’s announcement to lay off staff was that the HR department would work hard to identify redundancies within the company and consequently restructure the working environment. The announcement was received with shock from employees, and it led to decreased morale and productivity. As the HR manager, Maree was required to support her own staff and troubleshoot across the organisation in order to maintain the company’s operations. In addition, the announcement increased the OHS concerns as the news stressed many employees, and they even felt sick. As a response to the announcement, the union’s industrial action interfered with service delivery, but did not stop the company’s stand on dismissing workers. Therefore, the major recommendation for Utilities Co. is to have a feasible plan to communicate the layoff decision to the staff through the following five strategies: good communication strategies, honesty, respect towards employees, asking feedback, ensuring commitment to employees’ safety and wellbeing. 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Dekler, M 2007, ‘Healing emotional trauma in organizations: an O.D framework and case study’, Organizational Development Journal, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 49-56. Dragano, N, Verde, P Siegrist, J 2005, ‘Organisational downsizing and work stress: testing synergistic health effects in employed men and women’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vo l. 59, pp. 694-699. Godard, J 2010, ‘What is best for workers? The implications of workplace and human resource management practices revisited’, Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 466–488. Hershey, P, Blanchard, K Johnson, D 2008, Management of organizational behavior: Leading human resources, 9th edn, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Johnstone, R, Quinlan, M Walters, D 2005, ‘Statutory OHS Workplace Arrangements for the Modern Labour Market’, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol47, no. 1, pp. 93-116. Kramar, R, Bartram, T, De Cieri, H Noe, RA 2011, Human resource management: Strategy, people, performance, 4th edn, McGraw-Hill Education Australia New Zealand, Sydney. Maertz, C P, Wiley, JW, Lerouge, C Campion, MA 2010, ‘Downsizing effects on survivors: Layoffs, offshoring, and outsourcing’, Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 275–285. Moore, S, Gru nberg, L Greenberg, E 2004, ‘Repeated downsizing contact: The effects of similar and dissimilar layoff experiences on work and well-being outcomes’, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 247-257. Mullins, L 2004, Management and organizational behaviour, Pitman Publishing, London. Quill, E 2005, ‘Employer’s liability for bullying and harassment’, International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 645-666. 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Books About African American Women and Feminist Theory

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Risk Management Brochure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Management Brochure - Assignment Example The sum of murders dropped by 19% from forty seven in 2008 (Holmes, 2012). In Colorado Springs, homicide dropped from twenty three in 2008 to nineteen in 2009. In Denver, thirty of the 2009 killings – almost 80% - have been resolved, as stated by Mary Dulacki, the coordinator of records for Denver Police. It is believed that one of the factors that has contributed to the reduction in murders is the improvements in crisis or emergency medical services - doctors and paramedics are nowadays keeping individuals, who were deceasing in the past, alive. An overall view of every reported offence throughout 2014 in Colorado is shown in the above figures. The statistics has been organized to make it simpler to get both the combined total of reported offences plus the total of offences reported for every 100,000 individuals in Colorado, the data is further split into different categories (property crimes and violent crimes) to give more perception to how prevalent offence is in the region (Holmes, 2012). It is clear that the crime rate in Colorado averages 55 percent more than the remainder of Colorado while he crime rate on a nationwide scale is 48 percent more than. Also, it is apparent that the violent crime occurrence in Colorado is 17 percent greater than the average crime rate in the remainder of the country. Similarly, a crime that involves property holds 56 percent greater than the Nationwide’s average. Both figures associate with how secure businesses and residents are while conducting daily activities in Colorado region. Over the years, Colorado has had extreme issues of murder in spite of the actuality that, in several ways, society is getting more secure. The violent crime rates have decreased considerably over the last decade, and the rate of murder in 2004 is far more than that of 2014. Nationally, the murder rate in Colorado is in the center of the pack amongst states of

Staff development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Staff development - Assignment Example In the evaluation, it is more about what they have done for the organization and whether it was I line with the goals, mission and vision of the organization or not. In evaluating staff performance, the manager should allow for the employee to discuss their self-evaluation, what their needs are as well as the differences in the current and previously carried out evaluations. This allows bonding time and more communication as the interviewer and interviewee have interacted in the past hence an unstructured interview (Edenborough, 2007). In the staff selection interview, the manager takes all the charge and the staff is not allowed the open communication and personal input. This is necessary in order to create barriers and level of authority from the initial start with the employee. Managers that are too open may lead to employees that slack in performance, don’t take authority too seriously and hence leading to poor performance and manager-staff relationship in

Lawrence Ellison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lawrence Ellison - Essay Example He was born in New York City, on August 17, 1944, to an unwed Jewish mother. He was then adopted by his mother's uncle and aunt, who raised him in Chicago. His adopted mother was kind to him, but he has quite a few contradictions with his adopted father. The financial condition of the family was alright, until the Great Depression robbed his adopted father of his job, after which he took up a small job as an auditor. Lawrence Ellison went to Eugene Field Elementary School in Chicago, and then went to Sullivan High School. Even as a child, he showed great aptitude for Science and Math. He attended the University of Illinois and left it at the end of the second year, since his mother had expired then. Later, he went to the University of Chicago, where he learnt computer designing, for just one term. Later, he took up a number of jobs that helped him earn a living. In the 1970s, Ellison took up a job with Ampex Corporation. Here, he worked on a project that basically dealt with creating a database for CIA. It was called Oracle. Eventually, he started a venture on his own, with his colleagues, Robert Miner and Ed Oates, after being inspires by a paper called, 'A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks' by Edgar F. ("Ted") Codd, describing a concept Codd had developed at IBM. It was initially called Software Development Laboratories.Soon enough, they won a contract to build a relational database management system for the CIA, and thus began his career as a software entrepreneur. By completing the project ahead of schedule and using the time to develop the company, Ellison and his partners started their stride into the million dollar mark. Ever since, the company's profits doubled year after year. It soon turned into a billion dollar company, from a million dollar comp any. This was when the company got its current name, Oracle. Oracle also experienced its share of difficulties, in the aftermath of going public in 1986. Employees of Oracle overstated the value of their company. This led to losses the next financial year around. The company was also on the brink of bankruptcy. This was when Ellison decided to step in and disburse managerial powers to professionals and solely concentrated on product design. After this overhaul, the company registered more profits than before. Even in the light of the financial meltdown, Oracle has been able to sustain itself. Lawrence Ellison, for his part, has been one among the world's richest men. In fact, at one point in time, he overtook Microsoft's Bill Gates, to become the World's Richest Man. He leads a very lavish life, with a special regard and passion for yachting and water-sports. ASSETS, PHILANTHROPY AND CONTRIBUTION Lawrence Ellison, in his position as the co-founder and CEO of Oracle, has been currently named as the fourth

Discussing Censorship and the First Amendment Essay

Discussing Censorship and the First Amendment - Essay Example It shows the US president how he played with the American people's sentiments after the terrorist attack in New York and Washington by fortifying his own agenda of oil manipulation. The movie depicts what manipulative tactics he did to win the Florida primaries the last deciding factor for president ship during 2001 elections. His family's relationship with various Arabic tycoons from around the world especially the Saudi royal family, his family stake on oil cartel market, relations to US biggest enemy's family the eminent Saudi fugitive billionaire etc. The first amendment clearly states the freedom for all to do or to say whatever he/ she may wish for. While as in the land of the free as this film was due for release Disney decided not to distribute "Fahrenheit 911". Miramax studios had been told by parent company Disney that it had decided to ban distribution of the film. The reason was according to Disney executive it was that it was not in the interest of any major corporation to be dragged into a highly charged partisan political battle. Moore said that he hoped that he would have been able to put his work out to the public without having to experience the profound censorship obstacles he has seen often seem to encounter," Moore wrote in the statement on his site. "Some people may be afraid of this movie because of what it will show," Moore wrote. "But there's nothing they can do about it now because it's done, it's awesome, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll see it this summer because, after all, it is a free country." Miramax had bought the film last May when Mel Gibson's Icon Pictures backed out, triggering complaints by conservatives to Disney. Overseas distribution rights have already had been sold. "Fahrenheit 911" was one of the movies at the Cannes film festival. Now people seem to ask what the sheer motivation to prevent its release was. The film portrayed deep resentments which prevailed in US society about the motives at which the Bush administration went to war over a lousy issue of weapons of mass destruction which turned out to be false as no weapons were found while young Americans continue to die everyday leading the toll to a massive 2200 soldiers. It shows interviews of GIs and of families of the fallen who live in utter miseries and now have to live with the fact that their loved one has died for a fallen cause. It shows the deep mistrust in joining the

I wandered Lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth Assignment

I wandered Lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth - Assignment Example As an educationist and poet, he helped to introduce and forge a different genre from the mainstream usual definition and knowledge of poetry thereby introducing romance in his literature (www.cummingsstudyguides.net). It is was one of the inaugural poems in the romantic age thus qualifying it to be a romantic poem. The speaker records that he was walking around in an area where there were valleys and hills and he was lonely or alone. Equivocally, he strides up and climbs on the hill and sees a lake and noticed of the fact that there yellow daffodils moving or waving in the breeze. It is recorded by the poet that the flowers were dancing a sight which is incredible. If a reader or an observer was to compare, then one would safely assert and infer that the lake was out danced by the flowers or the daffodil, a spectacular scene to see. Tentatively, the dancing daffodils occasioned an enormity of wealth in terms of the scene would bring to him in subsequent time (www.100.best-poems.net). Intuitively, the poet drifts from being lonely or empty and started to be joyous at the amazing scene or the dancing daffodils. From that time or moment, each time he feels low or pensive he recollects the memory of joy in him or his heart. Consequently, it that the dancing daffodils brings cheers him up whenever he is in solitude or feeling empty. As a literary device, the poem employs personification in an accurate and aesthetic manner. For instance, there is characterization and personification when the poem mentions that â€Å"the daffodils danced.† In the liberal arts such as poetry this technique and style is known as characterization. When the poem mentions that the daffodils show the inward eye, it is an attempt to role play and characterize the poem or art. A reader easily notices the conciliatory tone from the poem where the poet tries to merge the human experiences with nature without much hustle. However, the mood smacks off nostalgia because it

Asset Manager Discussion Post 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Asset Manager Discussion Post 3 - Assignment Example The two questions will assist in determining the best investment plan for the customer, one that will suit his income, expenses, and the plans he has (Mentz, CWM, CAM & CTEP, 2009). Considering the client has an interest in portfolio, it is essential that he consider diversifying his investments. The move is critical because of risks of loss of investments in the future. For this case, the client will combine investments with negative or low correlations and eliminate some risks unique to a given portfolio. Another way of handling speculative risks is through insurance, which gives the investors an assurance of safety of their wealth (Godfrey, 2005). The companies work in a way that they compensate clients in cases of a loss. It is a means of ensuring financial stability and continuity of business. If the customer wishes to have a guaranteed financial safety, he should consider insuring his invested property. It, as a result, follows that risks are inevitable for all investments, which planners must plan to curb in the process of advising

I wandered Lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth Assignment

I wandered Lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth - Assignment Example As an educationist and poet, he helped to introduce and forge a different genre from the mainstream usual definition and knowledge of poetry thereby introducing romance in his literature (www.cummingsstudyguides.net). It is was one of the inaugural poems in the romantic age thus qualifying it to be a romantic poem. The speaker records that he was walking around in an area where there were valleys and hills and he was lonely or alone. Equivocally, he strides up and climbs on the hill and sees a lake and noticed of the fact that there yellow daffodils moving or waving in the breeze. It is recorded by the poet that the flowers were dancing a sight which is incredible. If a reader or an observer was to compare, then one would safely assert and infer that the lake was out danced by the flowers or the daffodil, a spectacular scene to see. Tentatively, the dancing daffodils occasioned an enormity of wealth in terms of the scene would bring to him in subsequent time (www.100.best-poems.net). Intuitively, the poet drifts from being lonely or empty and started to be joyous at the amazing scene or the dancing daffodils. From that time or moment, each time he feels low or pensive he recollects the memory of joy in him or his heart. Consequently, it that the dancing daffodils brings cheers him up whenever he is in solitude or feeling empty. As a literary device, the poem employs personification in an accurate and aesthetic manner. For instance, there is characterization and personification when the poem mentions that â€Å"the daffodils danced.† In the liberal arts such as poetry this technique and style is known as characterization. When the poem mentions that the daffodils show the inward eye, it is an attempt to role play and characterize the poem or art. A reader easily notices the conciliatory tone from the poem where the poet tries to merge the human experiences with nature without much hustle. However, the mood smacks off nostalgia because it

Asses the Contribution of Functionalism to Our Understanding Essay Example for Free

Asses the Contribution of Functionalism to Our Understanding Essay Functionalist views are based on that society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a shared culture or consensus. They believe that every part of society performs functions that help keep society running effectively. They use the example of a body to explain the way society runs as each part of our body has to work together in order for us to stay alive this is the same as society according to a functionalist. Education according to Emilie Durkheim (1903) consists of two main functions, creating social solidarity and teaching specialist skills. Social solidarity is the sense of being part of a group or society. Functionalists believe this is key to making education run accordingly as without social solidarity people would only self indulge in their own desires. Education helps to create social solidarity as it helps transmit societies culture, beliefs and values from ‘generation to generation‘keeping society running correspondingly. Schools also act in preparing children for society in real life by teaching the concepts of working together with people you do not always no. his links with working as in work you have to work coherently with people who you will not know. Specialist skills are having the necessary skills to perform their role in education to the ‘bride way’ towards working life. Education helps children prepare for this through teaching children in different a range of subjects which they will then come to specialise in the subjects they are good in which will in turn help them earn mon ey in society in later life. Education also according to functionalists gives all children an equal opportunity to develop on their own individual talents also known as meritocracy which is achieving through your own effort. Davis and Moore (1945) argue that education sorts children into their future educational roles by sorting their ‘aptitudes’ and ‘abilities’ which also links to social solidarity as to do certain jobs you need the necessary qualification and experience. However there are criticisms of functionalists and education. Melvin Tumin (1953) put forward a circular argument and criticises David and Moore by putting forward such questions as ‘how do we know what job is more important? ’ answer ‘because it’s highly Rewarded’ and why are some jobs higher rewarded than others? ’ answer ‘because they are more important’. Marxists believe that society only transmits the ideology of the ruling class therefore it disadvantages the working classes in education. One example is that Marxists prepare the working class for there jobs through education therefore it is only transmitting values of the ruling class. Also Marxists believe that the state is controlled by the ruling classes who transmit the ideology state apparatus which is that it maintains control through controlling people’s ideas, values and beliefs through religion, mass media and the education system. This criticises the functionalist view as social solidarity is meant to transmit these values and beliefs which according to Marxists are only means to control the working class. Meritocracy according to Marxists is a myth as we are controlled by the higher classes and we cannot achieve our status we ascribe our status. Another big criticism of functionalism in education is that functionalists believe that everybody at school behaves and accepts all that is taught when this is not the true case. It does not explain why some people come to fail examinations if everybody works in a general ‘consensus’. Dennis Wrong (1961) refers to this as ‘puppets in society’. The new right believe that the state fails to prepare the young for work as the state discourages choice and competition. Another disadvantage is that functionalists cannot explain under-achievement and inequality of opportunity in education. In conclusion Functionalism has a good general understanding of Education but it has quite obvious flaws as not everybody is going to get on in society so it is impossible to have a general consensus. Also the disadvantages of Functionalism in education seem to out weigh the positives therefore functionalism does not give a real positive understanding of education.

The Effects Of Globalisation On Burger King

The Effects Of Globalisation On Burger King 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Reason for choosing project topic and organisation This Research and Analysis Project is based on topic 5: The effects of globalisation on Burger King Holdings Inc (referred as Burger King, the company or BK from now onwards). Among the reasons for choosing the topic include: Globalisation is neither a very elegant word nor a very clear concept, but the term has been accepted very quickly on a global scale (Wesseling, 2009). Globalisation reflects business orientation based on the belief that the world is becoming more homogeneous and that the distinctions between national markets are not only fading but for some products, will eventually disappear (Czinkota et al., 2004). Its fast growing impact on the world certainly attracts my attention. The ACCA course I am currently pursuing has provided me with some theoretical knowledge of this topic to analyze a real life company. This assignment will certainly allow me to put my theoretical knowledge into practical experience. By conducting research on an organisation, where BK will be my subject of research it will certainly widen my horizon of knowledge on this topic. Taking into account the information gathering analytical skills like computation, extrapolation and communication for the research which will help in my future career as an accountant, I will certainly benefit from my research on this topic. In any research project, ease of obtaining information is of main concern furthermore with most time and budget constraints. BK was chosen because its annual financial report, press release and other relevant information on the company are easily accessible online at its website www.bk.com. Further updates and company activities are also available by just a click away from academic databases and the internet. Another reason for choosing the company because BK is among the most well known fast food restaurants. BK is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. Every day, over 11 million guests visit a BK somewhere in the world (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2010).The tremendous market reach along with various achievements as listed in Appendix 1 as well as the fact that I am a fan of its offerings all compelled me to choose this company. Note: Only financial statement till June 2009 is used in this research as that was the latest annual financial statement published at the point of doing my research. 1.2 Project Objective and Research Question This research project involves the evaluation of the effects of globalisation on an organisation. After much research on this topic, I realised that different people around the people have different views and perception concerning globalisation. From quantitative point of view, globalisation is defined as the intensification of economic, political, social and cultural relations across borders whereas from qualitative point of view, globalisation is defined as a process comprising a number of qualitative transformation, which are represented by technological transformation, the financial transformation, the geographical reallocation of production, the process of commodification, the polarisation of wealth, the subordination of politics to economics and the related decline of the nation state (Talani, 2004). Globalisation process, driven by rapid and largely unrestricted flows of information, ideas, cultural values, capital, goods and services and people lead to a shift towards a more integrated world economy. These processes, promoted by converging market preferences, falling trade barriers, and the integration of national economies is emerging as the norm in a growing range of economic activities, changing economic theory and practices (Jutaliaviciene et al., 2006). Globalisation has resulted in both opportunities and threats in terms of all parties involved such as suppliers, customers and competitors (Burgers et al., 1993; Courtney et al., 2001; Oxelheim et al., 1991). Thus even though there are many ways to examine the effects of globalisation but I believe Michael Porters Five Forces Model ( Barriers to Entry, Supplier Power, Customer Power, Rivalry, and Threat of Substitutes) can give a clearer picture of the industry the company operates in and steps taken by the company to stand out among all the other competitors worldwide. Therefore, the research question can be structured as What is the impact of globalisation on BK in terms of barriers to entry, supplier power, customer power, rivalry, and threat to substitutes using Porters Five Forces Model? 1.3 Overall research approach Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and business strategy development developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979 (Porter, 1979). It uses a basic five forces framework that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness of a market is based on overall industry profitability whereas an unattractive industry is where overall profitability is driven down by the combination of forces. An industry approaching pure competition would be a very unattractive industry (Porter, 1979; 1980). Porters Five Forces Model consists of 5 fundamental competitive forces: Threat of new entrants contribute to the capacity levels, affect prices and possibly reduce the profitability of existing competitors (Williams et el., 1996). Threat of substitutes exist if there are alternative products with lower prices of better performance parameters for the same purpose (Reklies, 2001). Bargaining power of customer is determined by the size and concentration of customers. Other factors are the extent to which buyers are informed and the concentration or differentiation of the competitors ( Karagiannopoulos, 2005). Bargaining power of supplier attempts to capture pressures that suppliers to the industry can exert on industry profitability. A powerful supplier can raise the companys cost through demanding higher prices for its input or delivering lower quality inputs (Rothaermel, 2008). Rivalry among existing competitors describes how intense could the competition be between existing firm in an industry. Lower returns earned by highly competitive industries due to the higher cost of competition (RapidBI., 2008). Appendix 2 gives more details on the forces and circumstances affecting the strength of each forces. The diagram below should give a better view of how the 5 forces interacts with each other. Rivalry among existing competitor Threat of new entrants Bargaining power of customer Bargaining power of supplier Threat of substitutes Diagram 1: The Five Competitive Forces that shapes strategy (Porter,1979) The effects of globalisation on BK as done with the five forces framework will help me to understand the competitive situation of the company and how competitive advantages might be achieved using the concepts and analytical techniques. As a final note, this model also promotes clear strategic thinking since Porter (1979) argues that business with no clear strategy will have no basis on which to integrate its activities and achieve consistency between its various function and units (The Antidote, 1998). In the end, could lead to reduced profitability and even failure.

Awake the Irish to the Physical Existence of Their Diabolic Environment

A Modest Proposal is a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift as a way to express the horrific conditions Irish people underwent throughout the 1700’s (McNeil, 2010). Swift describes the evil, unjust and cruel treatment Ireland experienced due to its tyrant the forceful England. He develops a persona, the fictional character, with the intention of leading the Irish towards the truth and reality of their deprivation. The persona alone is insufficient in making the narrator seem reasonable. Thus, the persona utilizes irony that serves the purpose of attacking, exposing and scorning the Irish people. Yet, in order to make cannibalism sound like a practical ironic solution the author wisely uses his wit to imply that cannibalism cannot be more savagely cruel and unethical than what the Irish are permitting their oppressor to do to them. Swift’s use of the persona, irony and wit awakens the Irish to the physical existence of their diabolic environment and convinces them that they should take action in order to cease the circumstances. Fictional persona conceals Swift’s true identity helping him portray to the readers the significance of Ireland’s problems and allowing them to see the truth and reality. The persona identifies a very intelligent, serious and concerned Irishman. He seems to be monstrous for proposing something cruel and evil very calmly as if it is a typical thing to consume the flesh of an infant. In general, the proposition to eat infants makes his proposal diabolic. He proposes: â€Å"at exactly one year old that I propose to provide for them, in such a manner as instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribu... ... and wit in order to influence the readers to approach his essay and his proposal with sincerity. However, all he really wanted the Irish to do is buy Irish goods, tax their absentees, become wiser and economical with money and be less indolent. Upon closing, his essay Swift asks the property owners to be more lenient on their people. Swift’s essay presents the Irish with a fanatical solution in order to make them realize the horrible and inhumane circumstances they underwent throughout the 1700’s. Works Cited McNeil Bertrand, Jennifer. "The Ireland of Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal." Suite101.com. 14 Nov. 2010. Web. Jan. 2012. . Swift, Jonathan. "A Modest Proposal." Masters of British Literature, Vol. A. New York: Longman, 2008. 1288-294. Print.

J.B.Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

AN INSPECTOR CALLS COMPARE THE LIVES OF EVA SIMTH AND SHEILA BIRLING â€Å"Property is that old fashioned way of thinking of a country as a thing and a collection of things on that thing.† This quote is taken directly from J.B.Priestleys late night post scripts on BBC radio in 1940, which were banned for being to critical of the governments actions, and can be used to sum up the capitalist view perfectly. I think this quote is made from the point of view of a capitalist who believes that the old-fashioned belief is to think of property as belonging the country and its people however the new belief, his belief, is that property can belong to individual people and not to the state or its people at all, and when a person owns his own property he can run it any way he sees fit. This is a belief which Priestly continually criticizes throughout his play. An Inspector Calls was written in 1945, the year the Second World War ended, but was set in 1911. The social climate of both years was of great unrest as was many areas of industry in Britain and many strikes took place all over the country much like the strike which took place in Mr. Birling’s factory. Priestley set the play in 1911 because of the onset of the First World War and he would be able to write the play with the advantage of hindsight, he could also make Mr. Birling look bad with his portentous beliefs and his promises of no war. He may have also set the play in 1911 because at this time he was 18 years old, working as a junior clerk in a wool firm and was about to gain his first insight into the differences between the social classes. The people he met at this age encouraged him to take part in their political arguments and discussions which were soon to influence his opinions and frame the values he was to later write about. These also led to him eventually attending university already politically aware at the age of 25. By writing the play 35 years after it was set, Priestley gave his audiences the advantage of hindsight. He wanted to do something about the injustices of society, and because only the middle and upper classes could afford to go to the theatre, his audiences were exactly the kind of people he was attacking. They were witnessing their own lives on stage and for them it may not have been a very pleasant thing to see. I believe that at the time only the middle and upper classes