Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Contribution of Motivation in Reducing Employee Turnover in the Essay

Contribution of Motivation in Reducing Employee Turnover in the Banking Sector - Essay Example In turn employees expect fair pay, good working conditions, proper tools and equipments, secure career, fair treatment, advancement training, power, as well as involvement in making decisions amongst many other needs (Nandanwar, Surnis, and Nandanwar, 2010: p9). Expectations from both employees and employers vary with organization and individual thus the burden experienced by top management in ensuring that there is no conflict of the interests and needs. Addressing employees’ expectations requires understanding of employee motivation. Employee motivation is one aspect of human resource management with its main function being uplifting the morale and spirit of work amongst employees (Sara, Katharina, and Sverke, 2009: p4). Uplifted spirit and morale enhance meeting of set targets, objectives, aims, goals, and standards while at the same time following established rules and regulations. Notably, employee motivation reduces movement in an out of an organization (Wilson and Madse n, 2008). In fact, employee motivation enhances retention of individuals within a firm hence reduction of employee turnover, which has so far proved to be very costly in terms of time and other resources. Banking industry is a very sensitive sector as it deals with customers’ money and other valuables. ... Within this proposal, research aims and objectives coupled with an overview of the literature to be used in the final dissertation is provided. Moreover, this dissertation proposal outlines the proposed research plan, which will include overall research strategy, underlying assumptions, research methodology, critical discussions, and conclusions. Aims of the Study Based on the above introduction, the major aims of the proposed dissertation are improvement-related. Particularly, these aims can be listed in the following chronological list. i. Identifying various aspects of employee motivation. ii. Identifying factors resulting into differential employee needs hence motivation. iii. Finding out relationship between motivation and employee turnover in the banking sector iv. Identifying how motivation reduces employee turnover in banking sector Objectives of the Study i) To identify the role of motivation in reducing employee turnover in the banking sector ii) To understand how motivatio n reduces employee turnover in the banking sector Research Questions i) How are employees in the banking sector motivated? ii) What determines employees’ motivation in the banking sector? iii) How do employees respond to motivation in the banking sector? iv) How does motivation contribute to reducing employee turnover in banking sector? v) Is motivation the major factor in reducing employee turnover in the banking sector? Chapter 2: Overview of the literature According to Rynes, Gerhart, and Minette (2004: p1), contrary to expectations of some employers contemporary employees do not place much emphasis on financial rewards. As a result, many employers have found motivation of employees very difficult despite reviewing of their financial rewards upwards (Emery and Oertel, 2006: p2). It

Monday, October 28, 2019

Theory still have value Essay Example for Free

Theory still have value Essay Jean Piaget (1896 1980) was a constructivist theorist. He saw children as constructing their own world, playing an active part in their own development. Children are intrinsically motivated to interact with their environment and so learn about the world they live in. Piagets insight opened up a new window into the inner working mind and as a result he carried out some remarkable studies on children that had a powerful influence on theories of child thought. This essay is going to explain the main features and principles of the Piagetian theory, how Piaget has influenced education and relate the Piagetian theory to two challenging perspectives, social constructivism and connectionist modelling. Piaget saw children as constructing their own world, playing an active part in their own development, which was the bulk of his work but also believed that social context was an important feature as well. Children are intrinsically motivated to interact with their environment and so learn about the world they live in. Piaget believed that children had the ability to adapt to their environment and saw intelligence as an evolutionary process. Piaget alleged childrens thinking goes through changes at each of four stages (sensori motor, concrete operations and formal operations) of development until they can think and reason as an adult. The stages represent qualitatively different ways of thinking, are universal, and children go through each stage in the same order. According to Piaget each stage must be completed before they can move into the next one and involving increasing levels of organisation and increasingly logical underlying structures. Piaget stated that the lower stages never disappear; they become integrated into the new stage (hierarchic integration) (Inhelder and Piaget, 1958). Children themselves, through their actions on the environment, interacting with there biologically determined level of maturation, bring about the cognitive changes, which result in adult thinking. The stages theory is open to criticism as they are too rigid and neglects individual differences such as memory span, motivation etc. Piaget also underestimated the age at which children could do things. This maybe because he failed to distinguish between competence and performance. Piagets studies tested performance and then he assumed that a child who failed simply lacked the underlying cognitive structures that he believed were needed to succeed on that task. Subsequent research suggests that a child may have these competencies earlier than Piaget suggested. However, simply to focus on age limits is to miss the central point of Piagets theory that universal, qualitative, biologically regulated cognitive changes occur during development. This is supported by cross-cultural research that has replicated Piagets findings (Smith et al, 1998). A positive aspect is that Piagets view of children as active constructors of their own cognitive world had considerable educational implications, with its emphasis on discovery learning, sensitivity to childrens readiness to learn, and acceptance of individual differences. Piagets main features suggest that the role of the teacher is to allow children to engage with their environment in an active way and have appropriate experiences at appropriate times so as to foster their natural capacity to learn. (Gupta and Richardson, 1995 p8) These experiences will only be effective if full account is taken of the childrens level of understanding. As a result Piagets psychological research has provided evidence for the Plowden report and some teachers have applied Piagets theory to their teaching methods in relation to the importance of active learning, qualitative differences between child and adult thinking, and the influence of environmental experience on development. Piagets theory is immensely rich, deep and quite often very difficult; as such it resists encapsulation. However, it is possible to draw out certain themes. Piaget clearly distinguishes between development and learning, believing the former to be a spontaneous, structured whole, in contrast to the provoked, limited nature of the latter. Piaget argued that there are four main factors in the development of one set of structures from another: maturation, experience, social transmission and equilibration. Piaget devised a number of ingenious tests of thought to illustrate this style of thinking and to study how children developed the ability to realise that there are things that do not change even when there are perceptual transformations. (Light and Oates, 1990 pg 101). He illustrated his concepts of egocentricism by using a three mountains task and conservation tasks. These studies came to the following conclusions that children are: 1) unable to conserve, 2) They are unable to reserve mental operations and 3) they are perceptually egocentric. When discussing Piagets experiments ecological validity needs to be taken into account. Piaget used his own children as participants and the clinical interview method also casts doubts. Another criticism relates to the concept of biological maturation or readiness. If the development of cognitive structures is related to maturity, then practice should not improve performance. In other words, if a person is not biologically ready to move on to the next stage then no amount of practice should get them there. However, there is evidence to suggest that practice can make a difference (Danner and Day 1977). Piaget did not deny the role of experience. He used the concept of horizontal decalage to explain why it is that not all aspects of the same stage appear at the same time; for example, the ability to conserve number and volume may not appear at the same time, but one after the other. He suggested that uneven cognitive performance is probably due to different learning experiences. A third criticism relates to the role of language and social factors. Piaget did not feel that language influenced cognitive development. To incorporate these two elements researchers have extended Piagets experiments. Margaret Donaldson (1978, as cited by Lights and Oates, p 114) argued that the real problem with the Piagetian tasks is that they are testing diembedded thinking on the part of the child; they are asking the child to solve problems unrelated to the childs own knowledge and experience. A change in materials used will enable children to perform better on some tasks than on others.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

cutting :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION Suyemoto and MacDonald (1995) reported that the incidence of self-mutilation occurred in adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 35 at an estimated 1,800 individuals out of 100,000. The incidence among inpatient adolescents was an estimated 40%. Self-mutilation has been most commonly seen as a diagnostic indicator for Borderline Personality Disorder, a characteristic of Stereotypic Movement Disorder (associated with autism and mental retardation) and attributed to Factitious Disorders. However, practitioners have more recently observed self-harming behavior among those individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, multiple personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and most recently, with adolescents and young adults. The increased observance of these behaviors has left many mental health professionals calling for self-mutilation to have its own diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manua l of Mental Disorders (Zila & Kiselica, 2001). The phenomenon is often difficult to define and easily misunderstood. DEFINITION OF SELF-MUTILATION Several definitions of this phenomenon exist. In fact, researchers and mental health professionals have not agreed upon one term to identify the behavior. Self-harm, self-injury, and self-mutilation are often used interchangeably. Some researchers have categorized self-mutilation as a form of self-injury. Self-injury is characterized as any sort of self-harm that involves inflicting injury or pain on one's own body. In addition to self-mutilation, examples of self-injury include: hair pulling, picking the skin, excessive or dangerous use of mind-altering substances such as alcohol, and eating disorders. Favazza and Rosenthal (1993) identify pathological self-mutilation as the deliberate alteration or destruction of body tissue without conscious suicidal intent. A common example of self-mutilating behavior is cutting the skin with a knife or razor until pain is felt or blood has been drawn. Burning the skin with an iron, or more commonly with the ignited end of a cigarette, is also a form of self-mutilation. Self-mutilating behavior does exist within a variety of populations. For the purpose of accurate identification, three different types of self-mutilation have been identified: 1. superficial or moderate; 2. stereotypic; and 3. major. Superficial or moderate self-mutilation is seen in individuals diagnosed with personality disorders (i.e. borderline personality disorder). Stereotypic self-mutilation is often associated with mentally delayed individuals. Major self-mutilation, more rarely documented than the two previously mentioned categories, involves the amputation of the limbs or genitals. This category is most commonly associated with pathology (Favazza & Rosenthal, 1993). The remaining portion of this digest will focus on superficial or moderate self-mutilation.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Acc 561 Week 2 Wiley Plus Assignment E13-5, E13-6, E13-9

E13-5| | The comparative balance sheets of Nike, Inc. are presented here. | NIKE INC. | Comparative Balance Sheets| May 31| ————————————————- ($ in millions)| Assets| 2007| 2006| Current assets| $8,076| $7,346| Property, plant, and equipment (net)| 1,678| 1,658| Other assets| ————————————————- 934| ————————————————- 866| Total assets| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| |   |   | Liabilities and Stockholders' Equi ty| | | Current liabilities| $2,584| $2,612| Long-term liabilities| 1,079| 973| Stockholders' equity| ————————————————- 7,025| ————————————————- 6,285| Total liabilities and stockholders' equity| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| | | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the horizontal analysis of the balance sheet data for Nike using 2006 as a base. (If amount decreases, use either a negative sign preceding the number, e. g. 45 or parenthesis, e. g. (45). Round all percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. ) NIKE, INC. | Cond ensed Balance Sheet| December 31| ————————————————- ($ in millions)| |   |   | Increase or (Decrease)| | 2007| 2006| Amount| Percentage| Assets|   |   |   |   | Current assets| $8,076| $7,346| $ 730 | 9. 9 %| Property, plant and equipment (net)| 1,678| 1,658| 20 | 1. 2 %| Other assets| ————————————————- 934| ————————————————- 866| ————————————————- 8 | ————————————————- 7. 9 %| Total assets| ———â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| ————————————————- $ 818 | ————————————————- 8. 3 %| |   |   |   |   | Liabilities and stockholders' equity| | | | | Current liabilities| $2,584| $2,612| $ -28 | -1. 1 %| Long-term liabilities| 1,079| 973| 106 | 10. 9 %| Total stockholders' equity| ————————————————- 7,025| ————————————————- ,28 5| ————————————————- 740 | ————————————————- 11. 8 %| Total liabilities & stockholders' equity| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- $9,870| ————————————————- $ 818 | ————————————————- 8. 3 %| | | | | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the vertical analysis of the balance sheet data for Nike for 2007. (Round all of the percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. NIKE, INC. | Condensed Balance Sheet| ————————————————- May 31, 2007| | $ (in millions)| Percent | Assets|   |   | Current assets| $8,076| 75. 6 %| Property, plant and equipment (net)| 1,678| 15. 7 %| Other assets| ————————————————- 934| ————————————————- 8. 7 %| Total assets| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- 100. 0 %| |   |   | Liabilities and stockholders' equity| | | Current liabilities| $2,584| 24. 2 %| Long-term liabilities| 1,079| 10. 1 %| Stockholders' equity| ————————————————- 7,025| ————————————————- 65. 7 %| Total liabilities and stockholder's equity| ————————————————- $10,688| ————————————————- 100. 0 %| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ————————————————- Top of FormBottom of Form| E13-6| | Here are the comparative income statements of Winfrey Corporation. | WINFREY CORPORATION| Comparative Income Statements| —à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ For the Years Ended December 31| | 2010| 2009| Net sales| $598,000| $520,000| Cost of goods sold| ————————————————- 477,000| ————————————————- 450,000| Gross profit| $121,000| $70,000| Operating expenses| ————————————————- 80,000| ————————————————- 45,000| Net income| ————————————————- $41,000| ——†”—————————————- $25,000| | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the horizontal analysis of the income statement data for Winfrey Corporation using 2009 as a base. (Round all percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. ) WINFREY CORPORATION| Condensed Income Statements| ————————————————- For the Years Ended December 31| | | | Increase or (Decrease)| | | | ————————————————- During 2010| | ————————————————- 2010| ————————————————- 2009| —â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Amount | ————————————————- Percentage | Net sales| $598,000| $520,000| $ 78,000 | 15. 0 %| Cost of goods sold | ————————————————- 477,000| ————————————————- 450,000| ————————————————- 27,000 | 6. 0 %| Gross profit| 121,000| 70,000| 51,000 | 72. 9 %| Operating expenses| ————————————————- 80,000| ————————————————- 45,000| â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- 35,000 | 77. 8 %| Net income| ————————————————- $41,000| ————————————————- $25,000| ————————————————- $ 16,000 | 64. 0 %| | | | | | | | | | | | Correct. | |   | Complete the vertical analysis of the income statement data for Winfrey Corporation for both years. (Round all percentages to 1 decimal place, e. g. 12. 5. ) WINFREY CORPORATION| Condensed Income Statements| ————————————————- For the Years Ended December 31| | ————————————————- 010| —à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- 2009| | ————————————————- $| ————————————————- Percent| ————————————————- $| ————————————————- Percent| Net sales| $598,000| 100. 0 %| $520,000| 100. 0 %| Cost of goods sold| ————————————————- 477,000| ——————————————â €”—- 79. 8 %| ————————————————- 450,000| ————————————————- 86. 5 %| Gross profit| 121,000| 20. %| 70,000| 13. 5 %| Operating expenses| ————————————————- 80,000| ————————————————- 13. 4 %| ————————————————- 45,000| ————————————————- 8. 7 %| Net income| ———————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- $41,000| ————————————————- 6. 8 %| ————————————————- $25,000| ————————————————- 4. 8 %| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ————————————————- Top of FormBottom of Form| | E13-9| | Armada Company has these comparative balance sheet data: ARMADA COMPANY| Balance Sheets| ————————————————- December 31| | 2010| 2009| Cash| $25,000| $30,000| Receivables (net)| 65,000| 60,000| Inventories| 60,000| 50,000| Plant assets (net)| ————————————————- 200,000| ————————————————- 180,000| | ————————————————- $350,000| ————————————————- $320,000| |   |   | Accounts payable| $50,000| $60,000| Mortgage payable (15%)| 100,000| 100,000| Common stock, $10 par| 140,000| 120,000| Retained earnings| ————————————————- 60,000| ————————————————- 40,000| | ————————————————- $350,000| ————————————————- $320,000| Additional information for 2010: 1. | Net income was $25,000. | 2. | Sales on account were $375,000. Sales returns and allowances amounted to $25,000. | 3. | Cost of goods sold was $198,000. | 4. | Net cash provided by operating activities was $48,000. | 5. | Capital expenditures were $25,000, and cash dividends were $18,000. Compute the following ratios at December 31, 2010. ( Round to 3 decimal places, e. g. 2. 515. ) Current|    3. 00 :1| Receivables turnover|    5. 6 times| Average collection period|    65. 2 days| Inventory turnover|    3. 6 times| Days in inventory|    101. 4 days| Cash debt coverage|    . 31 times| Current cash debt coverage |    . 87 times| Free cash flow | | | | | | Current ratio| =| ————————————————- $150,000| =| 3. 000 :1| | | $50,000| | | Receivables turnover| =| ————————————————- $350,000| =| 5. 600 times| | | $62,500(1)| | | (1) ($65,000 + $60,000) ? Average collection period = 365 days ? 5. 600 = 65. 179 days Inventory turnover| =| ————————————————- $198,000| =| 3. 600 times| | | $ 55,000(2)| | | (2) ($60,000 + $50,000) ? 2 Days in inventory = 365 days ? 3. 600 = 101. 389 days Cash debt coverage ratio| =| ————————————————- $48,000| =| 0. 310 times | | | ($160,000 + $150,000) ? 2 | | | Current cash debt coverage ratio| =| ————————————————- $48,000| =| 0. 873 times | | | ($60,000 + $50,000) ? 2| | | Free cash flow = $48,000 – $25,000 – $18,000 = $5,000

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Wys in Which Steinbeck Presents Conflict in George’s Relationship with Lennie

‘Of Mice and Men’ is written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The novel is set in the 1930s during the great depression in California. The two protagonist characters, George and Lennie are farm workers who have a dream of one-day owning their own ranch. They find work in a ranch near Soledad which means loneliness in Spanish, after escaping from Weed because of George’s incident. They are met by different characters on the farm that all have a dream. In this story, the characters are lonely because although they are all together they all feel very much on their own. George and Lennie do not see themselves as lonely as the other characters because they have each other and a dream to go away one day together. In the novel there are two main characters, Lennie and George who are friends. ‘They had walked in single file down the path and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders. From the first sight of Lennie and George, a dynamic in their relationship is established. Though the men are outwardly of the same class (wearing identical clothes and carrying identical gear), one still walks behind the other. George is, of course, the leader, but it seems he doesn’t value himself as necessarily superior to Lennie; they’re both in it together. Lennie is a simple chap who has the mind of a child; George feels a need to look after Lennie and so takes on the role of a protective parent. While this thing going on George often gets frustrated with him because he has to look after him all the time and he doesn’t have time for himself. On this George says: ‘Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want. God a ‘mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, and no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. ’ Steinbeck goes to great length to create very different personas for the two men even making the two different physically. In the later part of the text George says ‘If I was your relative I’d shoot myself. ’ This shows that George doesn’t really care for Lennie and he just wants an easy life as a migrant worker. At this time, The Great Depression, workers had to keep a job to keep them alive, so it was important to get the destination. Lennie at this time is being frustratingly slow therefore George is getting angry. The word ‘relative’ in this context means that George doesn’t want the responsibility of Lennie because he can live a lot easier without the burden. However as they only had each other George was reluctant to leave Lennie and travel alone, even though there were frequent conflicts between them. The context of the novel fits well with the scene when George is shouting at Lennie, after losing another job. Lennie has just been fired because he was accused of sexually assaulting women, when actually he didn’t. George knows this and stuck up for Lennie, resulting in Lennie being fired too. ‘I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me every job I get’. Here George loses his temper with Lennie, because once again they have been fired from their jobs, it causes conflict between the two. ‘I got you! ’ is a cruel and unnecessary thing to say, here George is insulting that his whole problem in life and the main reason for this upset is of the fact that he is having to put up with Lennie, it shows how much conflict and hurt was caused was caused in the 1930s, because the lack of money and food, all added up pressure, and resulted in mean outbursts like this. George seems to be of two minds when it comes to Lennie. He complains constantly that if he did not have Lennie he would be done with a huge responsibility. He could go to town, drink when he wanted, have a girlfriend, shoot pool, and in general have a life. Tired of constantly reminding Lennie things he should remember, George gets quickly angry when Lennie forgets to get the firewood, for example and instead goes after the dead mouse. On the other hand George’s anger is quickly under control and he blames himself for scolding Lennie. Steinbeck makes it clear that, despite his complaining and frustration, George looks out for Lennie and genuinely cares for him. The fact that George has repeated his instructions many times, the fact that he scolds Lennine for doing things (like petting the dead mouse or drinking the untested water) that could hurt him, and most importantly, the fact that George retails the story of their shared dream indicate the close relationship the two men have. In fact, George acts as a parent towards Lennie. He treats Lennie as one would treat a child, he laughs a great deal at Lennie’s words, and because he knows how much Lennie likes soft things, he promises to try to get Lennie a puppy and let him take care for the rabbits when they finally get their own ranch. LENNIE ‘I was only foolin’, George. I don’t want no ketchup. I wouldn’t eat no ketchup if it were right here beside me. ’ GEORGE ‘ If it was here, you could have some’ LENNIE ‘But I wouldn’t eat none, George. I’d leave it all for you. You could cover you beans with it and I wouldn’t touch none of it. ’ After George’s mean outburst about how much better off he’d be without Lennie, Lennie is the one who makes the first move to apologize for being a jerk. Even after this awful fight, the men’s friendship has a simple and remarkable erectness. George grudgingly knows he’s wrong and in fact he really loves his friend, and even though Lennie can’t express it in a terribly complex way, he loves George back.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Big Sleep essays

The Big Sleep essays In Raymond Chandlers novel The Big Sleep the main character, Phillip Marlowe, is a private investigator hired by the Sternwoods to solve a blackmail conspiracy. He is successful in his crime solving, but in his success, Marlowe raises many mysteries or questions. The crimes that he solves raise a moral and ethical debate on how far he should go to protect the Sternwoods or whether he should obey every law exactly. Marlowe is hired to stop the blackmailing that is happening to Carmen, the daughter of General Sternwood. It is safe to say that he accomplishes this very well. In doing so, he stumbles on Carmen in A.G. Geigers house. Normally this would be a big deal, but Geiger is dead. Also, the pictures that he took of Carmen are missing. Marlowe describes the scene when he thinks, No plateholder. I took hold of his limp chilling hand and rolled him a little. No plateholder. I didnt like this development. (38). Marlowe takes to the tasks of solving this murder and the blackmail. He finds out that Joe Brody has the pictures. In thinking of his clients first, Marlowe goes to Brodys apartment. He manages to get the pictures back right before Brody gets shot, dead on the spot. Marlowe chases after the killer and finds out that it is Carol Lundgren, Geigers special friend. Marlowe makes Carol go with him to Geigers house to find out the whole story. After learning everything from Car ol, Marlowe takes him to the D.A. and tells him about everything that has happened. He gives the D.A. all the evidence he has, except for the couple of personal matters. I intend to keep on leaving them out (110). Thus ends the sleuthing of Phillip Marlowe temporarily. As stated in the opening paragraph, Marlowe solves the crimes but he opens up a mystery. The mystery is whether or not Marlowe is ethical in protecting the Sternwoods. Marlowe is ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Minerals and vitamins essays

Minerals and vitamins essays There are two different minerals and two different vitamins that tend to be inadequate in my diet and therefore are associated with and are risks to my BMI. One mineral that tends to be a risk to my BMI since I dont have enough of it is, Calcium. Calcium is the most common mineral in the human body. About 99% of the calcium in the body is found in bones and teeth, while the other 1% is found in the blood and soft tissue. Calcium levels in the blood and fluid surrounding the cells (extracellular fluid) must be maintained within a very narrow concentration range for normal physiological functioning. The physiological functions of calcium are so vital to survival that the body will demineralize bone to maintain normal blood calcium levels when calcium intake is inadequate. Thus, adequate dietary calcium is a critical factor in maintaining a healthy skeleton. Calcium is a major structural element in bones and teeth. Calcium concentrations in the blood and fluid that surrounds cells are tightly controlled in order to preserve normal physiological functioning. A low blood calcium level usually implies abnormal parathyroid function, and is rar ely due to low dietary calcium intake since the skeleton provides a large reserve of calcium for maintaining normal blood levels. Other causes of abnormally low blood calcium levels include chronic kidney failure, vitamin D deficiency, and low blood magnesium levels that occur mainly in cases of severe alcoholism. A chronically low calcium intake in growing individuals may prevent the attainment of optimal peak bone mass. Once peak bone mass is achieved, inadequate calcium intake may contribute to accelerated bone loss and ultimately the development of osteoporosis. A male individual my age which is, 18 years old, should have an adequate consumption for calcium of 1,300 mg/day. It was discovered that increased calcium intake was more strongly associated with decreased colorectal cancer risk in t...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Nuremberg Laws of 1935

The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 On September 15, 1935, the Nazi government passed two new racial laws at their annual NSDAP Reich Party Congress in Nuremberg, Germany. These two laws (the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law to Protect German Blood and Honor) became collectively known as the Nuremberg Laws. These laws took German citizenship away from Jews and outlawed both marriage and sex between Jews and non-Jews. Unlike historical antisemitism, the Nuremberg Laws defined Jewishness by heredity (race) rather than by practice (religion). Early Antisemitic Legislation On April 7, 1933, the first major piece of antisemitic legislation in Nazi Germany was passed; it was entitled the â€Å"Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service.† The law served to bar Jews and other non-Aryans from participating in various organizations and professions in the civil service. Additional laws during April 1933 targeted Jewish students at public schools and universities and those who worked in the legal and medical professions. Between 1933 and 1935, many more pieces of antisemitic legislation were passed at both the local and national levels. The Nuremberg Laws At their annual Nazi Party rally in the southern German city of Nuremberg, the Nazis announced on September 15, 1935, the creation of the Nuremberg Laws, which codified the racial theories espoused by the party ideology. The Nuremberg Laws were actually a set of two laws: the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor. Reich Citizenship Law There were two major components to the Reich Citizenship Law. The first component stated that: Anyone who enjoys the protection of the Reich is considered to be a subject of it and is therefore obligated to the Reich.Nationality is determined by the Reich and state nationality laws. The second component explained how citizenship would henceforth be determined. It stated: A citizen of the Reich must be of German blood or Germanic origin and must prove by his/her conduct that they are suited to be a loyal German citizen.Citizenship may only be conferred with an official certificate of Reich citizenshipOnly Reich citizens may receive full political rights By taking away their citizenship, the Nazis had legally pushed Jews to the fringe of society. This was a crucial step in enabling the Nazis to strip Jews of their basic civil rights and liberties. Remaining German citizens were hesitant to object for fear of being accused of being disloyal to the German government as decreed under the Reich Citizenship Law. The Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor The second law announced on September 15 was motivated by the Nazi’s desire to ensure the existence of a â€Å"pure† German nation for eternity. A major component of the law was that those with â€Å"German-related blood† were not allowed to marry Jews or have sexual relations with them. Marriages that had occurred prior to the passage of this law would remain in effect; however, German citizens were encouraged to divorce their existing Jewish partners. Only a few chose to do so. Additionally, under this law, Jews were not permitted to employ house servants of German blood who were under the age of 45. The premise behind this section of the law was centered around the fact that women under this age were still able to bear children and thus, were at risk to be seduced by Jewish males in the household. Finally, under the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor, Jews were forbidden to display the flag of the Third Reich or the traditional German flag. They were only permitted to display â€Å"Jewish colors† and the law promised the protection of the German government in demonstrating this right. November 14 Decree On November 14, the first decree to the Reich Citizenship Law was added. The decree specified exactly who would be considered Jewish from that point forward. Jews were placed into one of three categories: Full Jews: those who practiced Judaism or those who had at least 3 Jewish grandparents, regardless of religious practice.First Class Mischlinge (half Jewish): those who had 2 Jewish grandparents, did not practice Judaism and did not have a Jewish spouse.Second Class Mischlinge (one-fourth Jewish): those who had 1 Jewish grandparent and did not practice Judaism. This was a major change from historical antisemitism in that Jews would be legally defined not simply by their religion but also by their race. Many individuals who were life-long Christians found themselves suddenly labeled as Jews under this law. Those who were labeled as â€Å"Full Jews† and â€Å"First Class Mischlinge† were persecuted in mass numbers during the Holocaust. Individuals who were labeled as â€Å"Second Class Mischlinge† stood a greater chance of staying out of harm’s way, particularly in Western and Central Europe, as long as they did not draw undue attention to themselves. Extension of Antisemitic Policies As the Nazis spread into Europe, the Nuremberg Laws followed. In April 1938, after a pseudo-election, Nazi Germany annexed Austria. That fall, they marched into the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. The following spring, on March 15, they overtook the remainder of Czechoslovakia. On September 1, 1939, the Nazi invasion of Poland led to the beginning of World War II and further expansion of Nazi policies throughout Europe. The Holocaust The Nuremberg Laws would ultimately lead to the identification of millions of Jews throughout Nazi-occupied Europe. Over six million of those identified would perish in concentration and death camps, at the hands of the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing squads) in Eastern Europe and through other acts of violence. Millions of others would survive but first endured a fight for their lives at the hands of their Nazi tormentors. The events of this era would become known as the Holocaust.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Difficult Phrase Position Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Difficult Phrase Position Paper - Essay Example tians who overreact on the cases of immorality by interpreting the phrase their own way making it say more than what it was originally intended to say. A number of commentators who have written about 1 Timothy 3:2 have concluded that the phrase means that it is not a must for an elder to be married. They contend that the phrase simply tries to say that if a man is married, then he should be faithful to his spouse and exhibit marital fidelity and not be polygamous, a man of many women. The reason why marriage is not a must for one to be a church leader is argued from Paul’s point of view. Paul was neither married nor did he have children so he would not insert a qualification that would exclude him. It is noted that Paul spoke of the advantages of his own single state in 1 Corinthians 7:8,Paul expresses that celibacy is the most optimal state in which an individual is able to serve the Lord. The main idea here is that a man does not qualify as a husband of one wife because he has no wife, to be a man of one wife one has to have a wife. Personally the marriage view should be eliminated as it places an undue emphasis on a candi date’s married status while the text is more concerned with on a person’s character. The marriage issue lacks enough scholarly support its claims. This first understanding as meaning married to the church simply communicates that a man must be completely dedicated to the work of the church in order to qualify as an elder. In this view, the word wife is seen as the church or wife of Christ. In Eph 5:23) the church is alluded to as Christ’s bride. In Lange’s commentary Oosterzee refers to this position though it is often doubted because of his Roman Catholic origin. According to Kent, the view was an obvious endeavour to protect the Romish doctrine of celibacy for the priests. Being married to the church makes it irrelevant to marry a literal wife. Thus 1 Timothy 3:2 cannot be used to make the priests get married. The view was also

Friday, October 18, 2019

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Research Paper - 4

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Research Paper Example Currently, Nokia focuses on developing telecommunications infrastructures on a large scale, provision of online mapping services, and the development of mobile communication technologies (Slater, 2004). Nokia also played a great role in contributing to the development of the mobile phone industry in the early years of 2000 (Park, 2014). The company played a role in developing GSM standards, and for a considerable period of time, Nokia was one of the largest producers and sellers of mobile phone products, in the world. Nokia also entered the Smartphone industry, and this is through its platform referred to as Symbian. However, the dominance of this company, in the Smartphone industry was challenged by the emergence of Apples. This is through the production of its Android devices, and its iPhones. Furthermore, because of stiff competition from companies such as Samsung, Alcatel, etc, the market share of Nokia was beginning to fall, and it experienced a series of losses (Park, 2014). Microsoft on the other had is an American company, that specializes in the development of computer software. The headquarters of Nokia is in Redmond, the state of Washington. The company is able to develop, manufacture and sale personal computer gadgets, consumer electronics, and computer software (Slater, 2004). However, because of stiff competition from Apples, the company has also experienced a reduction in its market shares. Because of this stiff competition emanating from Apples, Nokia sought a strategic partner, who could help it, in the development of electronic and computer gadgets, that could help it achieve a competitive advantage over Apples and other companies such as Samsung. In the year 2011, Microsoft was able to enter into a pact with Nokia. Park (2014) explains that the method which Microsoft used in entering into a partnership with Nokia was through an acquisition. In 2013, the chief executive of Microsoft was

Research proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Research Proposal Example By implication, Saudi Arabia can be said to be faced with an alarming healthcare workers to patient ratio. There are several factors that have been attributed to the current trend in literature. One such factor that the researcher found to be particularly striking was high employee turnover in the healthcare sector (Bunton & Macdonald, 2002). This means that the rate at which healthcare facilities in the country lose employees, particularly to other professions is high. Even in situations where change of work is within the same profession, Tones & Tilford (2001) posits that this could have its associated problems of inconsistency with professional practice. Sadly, the Madinah Cardiac Centre is no exception in the problem of high employee turnover. Having identified the problem of high employee turnover at the Madinah Cardiac Centre, the researcher aims to use the proposed study to find the best management approaches and interventions that can be used in solving the problem. The aim of the study will be pursued through some specific objectives which have been listed below. The achievement of the individual specific objectives will lead to the overall achievement of the research aim. The objectives set help to build both theoretical and practical significance for the study. By achieving the first two objectives, the researcher will use the research as a conceptual and theoretical basis on the concepts and phenomena of cultural metaphor and social system approach. As noted by Bunton & Macdonald (2002), the modern healthcare organization is one that is multicultural from the perspective of both service providers and service users. In the light of this, it is very important that theories and conceptual frameworks on culture such as cultural metaphor and social system approach will be well understood by healthcare managers in the context of their individual organizations. The third and four objectives also offer

Thursday, October 17, 2019

American History - The the continent of America is a new beginning for Research Paper - 1

American History - The the continent of America is a new beginning for a better life of justice, liberty and freedom - Research Paper Example Every person has the right of justice in this world. All are equal in the eyes of law. According to the past history of England, An agreement was signed by the British government. The agreement had given right of justice to all the people living in England. There was a practice of implementing different laws in various parts of England. The law implementation difference caused great differences between the people. The perception of difference of color, birth place, and class was enhanced. The society in England argued that difference in implementation of law has violated the right of justice for them. The people of England presented their arguments that they were not satisfied with difference of implementation of law. The law should be implemented on all in a same manner so that the right of justice would be available for all people in England. It was decided by the council of Army that all laws would be implemented for general public. There would not be any discrimination of charter , degree, birth or place. There would be no exemption for anyone to be exempted from the implication of law. The exemption would create differences and society will be divided. All the cities of England are bound to implement the laws which are considered to be implemented in other cities. Powerful people should also bring in the ordinary course of dealing and there would not be any discrimination regarding to Law (Foner). The people living in the society have different religions. The principle of mankind gives a teaching of respect of all religion. The respect would inspire the people to live with brotherhood. The past history shows the hatred among people with respect to religion. The people often speak about others without any reason. It was common in the state that Hutchinson was continuously speaking out against the Clergy by defective logics. They were trying to degrade Clergy. It was observed by the

Enterprise systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Enterprise systems - Essay Example Advanced analytics Furthermore, due to the development of enterprise systems and its functionalities, all the market analyst and correspondents join together to give new names for enterprise systems. The names that are suggested mainly are â€Å"enterprise commerce management† or â€Å"ERP II† (Fingar, Kumar and Sharma). 2 Purchasing Concepts and Organization in SAP The purchasing process in SAP starts with the warehouse sub process. If we take an example of Reynolds Corporation the process of purchase requisition is created and moves forward to another sub process called as purchasing. The purchasing sub process establishes and transmits the purchase order. The purchase order is than received by the warehouse sub process of Reynolds Corporation that initiates the function called as material receivables. Moreover, after this function, the purchasing process enters in the accounting function of Reynolds Corporation. Likewise, the accounting function received the invoice and sends the payment (Stewart 2005). Reynolds Corporation position to gather the profit from information flows that are present inside and outside the firms. This can be done by integrating bonus procedures along with a main financial system. On the contrary, some of the organizations are deploying enterprise systems functionalities as no company ever reported to completely finish implementing enterprise systems procedures (Becker et al. ). ... For Reynolds Corporation, the below mentioned values must be operational: Integrate enterprise systems is combined and synchronized along with the organizations significant data and procedures. This is done to utilize the system to connect with the procedures related to the organization and customers. Optimize best enterprise systems software’s are normalizing to give high performance and compete with the organizations significant procedures and strategies. The term â€Å"Informate† is used when the information is transformed into work in any organization. The transformation of data as mentioned in enterprise systems is done by information that is rich in context and information that allow analysis of business and facilitates decision-makers to numerous work forces. If we are talking about enterprise systems, many organizations do not implement it to its optimal level. Likewise, by constructing the rare technical components of Reynolds Corporation, it can only provide a limited value. Relatively, the research highlights the significant advantages not only for Reynolds Corporation that is in process of processing the raw components and entitles itself for the ownership to meet the distinctive vision of the organization. After placing the preconditions of cost and time, the prediction of the model that demonstrates the perceived value from enterprise systems for Reynolds Corporation emphasis on three main features that are mentioned below: 2.1 Integrate On the value scheme of integration, enterprise systems were originally formed. An enterprise system certainly recommends the assurance of incorporation through centralizing information that is operational in a habitation from where it will be

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

American History - The the continent of America is a new beginning for Research Paper - 1

American History - The the continent of America is a new beginning for a better life of justice, liberty and freedom - Research Paper Example Every person has the right of justice in this world. All are equal in the eyes of law. According to the past history of England, An agreement was signed by the British government. The agreement had given right of justice to all the people living in England. There was a practice of implementing different laws in various parts of England. The law implementation difference caused great differences between the people. The perception of difference of color, birth place, and class was enhanced. The society in England argued that difference in implementation of law has violated the right of justice for them. The people of England presented their arguments that they were not satisfied with difference of implementation of law. The law should be implemented on all in a same manner so that the right of justice would be available for all people in England. It was decided by the council of Army that all laws would be implemented for general public. There would not be any discrimination of charter , degree, birth or place. There would be no exemption for anyone to be exempted from the implication of law. The exemption would create differences and society will be divided. All the cities of England are bound to implement the laws which are considered to be implemented in other cities. Powerful people should also bring in the ordinary course of dealing and there would not be any discrimination regarding to Law (Foner). The people living in the society have different religions. The principle of mankind gives a teaching of respect of all religion. The respect would inspire the people to live with brotherhood. The past history shows the hatred among people with respect to religion. The people often speak about others without any reason. It was common in the state that Hutchinson was continuously speaking out against the Clergy by defective logics. They were trying to degrade Clergy. It was observed by the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Bahrain History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bahrain History - Essay Example During the country’s expansion period, it first experimented with municipality as a means of keeping up with burgeoning educational, social and economic demands symbolized by the rapid pace the country was expanding. Its implementation helped the country manage these aspects and it is with this introduction that this paper will look at the Bahrain municipal council in relation to its municipality by law, its municipality restoration dates, number of councils, objective of the councils, structure of the council, and the duties of its members. Municipality councils or anything of its kind did not exist in the Bahrain state before 1919. The real reason as to why the municipality was set up by the Bahrain State was mainly to serve and aid its citizens in different sectors of their lives. In addition, it was meant to help them strategize or organize their daily lives, mainly in the year 1337 during the months of Do-Aloqdah. This corresponded with 1919 July when the Bahrain government established the Bahrain municipality that is based in Manama and in the entire Arabian world or Arabian area. It was considered as the first of such establishments and this made it unique. As modernization begun in Bahrain, an order was issued in accordance to this progress on 20/1/1920 and the above-described municipality became the first official department of its kind set up in Manama. Moreover, it was passed into law starting the municipality process in the Bahrain history. In 1339, the municipality council was established corresponding to t hat of 1920 as the first administrative structure in the country. It had a modest budget and the council was established as the first developed administrative body in Bahrain to manage the country’s affairs (Seddon 1). The first dignitary to preside over the Bahrain municipal council was the late Isa Alkhalifa. This is until the end of 1920 when he succeeded his highness. During this period, the municipality council members increased

Monday, October 14, 2019

High School and Graduation Essay Example for Free

High School and Graduation Essay Time gets closer to the day we move our tassels from senior to graduate. Graduation steps on the back of our heels like the annoying freshman running late for class. It acts as if it is going to creep up on us, but we all know it will be here soon. It tip-toes in the back of our minds. Graduation: a day of freedom, maturity, and proof that nobody is any better than another. â€Å"There are many different ways of following through†¦ Sometimes it’s about going there, not getting there. Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. â€Å" –Drake. This quote says a lot. He actually spoke at a graduation, and told that graduation class this same thing. This quote reaches out to me because I know my journey will be a rough journey. Becoming the person I want to be after high school is a journey all its own. I hope I get to where I want to be. Even if I do not, I have learned. Although graduation is only a few months away, I am getting nervous. I am nervous. But graduation day will be the day I go from high school student to adult. Age is just a number. Intelligence proves adulthood. I am proud to say I am looking forward to graduation day. I am looking forward to becoming an adult. I am looking forward to taking that next step in my life. I want the rest of my class to be as ready and nervous as I am because I will not feel alone. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Every senior all around the United States is put in this position. We all do the same thing. We all walk onto that stage, shake hands, smile, wait for a picture and walk off with our high school diplomas in hand. Adults and older siblings did not lie when they told me that my four years of high school will be the best four years of my life. I have had an amazing four years. I have lost friends, gained friends, met some amazing people, and even met some people that I did not want to meet. I got put in positions I was not sure I was mature enough to handle. I handled them though. I got forced to make choices I did not know I needed to make on my own, but I made them and I know I made the right ones because of the person I am today. I am already ready to walk on that stage and smile. Smile big for those who made choices that caused them to not be able to walk with me. I smile for the  people who have tried to bring me down in life so far. And most of all I smile for myself, I smile because I made it. I made it to this graduation day; a day full of freedom, maturity, and proof that nobody is any better than me.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Marketing Analysis of BQ | SWOT

Marketing Analysis of BQ | SWOT Introduction A strategy is developed by a consideration of the resources of the organisation in relation to its environment, the prime purpose being to add value Dobson (2004). According to Stredwick (2008), Strategic analysis is concerned with the strategic position of the organisation. It consists of the organisations values, culture, resources and its environment. It tackles the following questions: what are the key characteristics of the organisation, what changes are going on in the environment, and how will these affect the organisation and its activities. In addition, a detailed internal and external environmental analysis including an assessment of culture enables the organisation to make a strategic choice and also help in the strategic implementation. Therefore, the report will use different tools such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis in relation to Michael Porter five forces analysis to highlight where BQ (UK) is, and the environment it operates in, is strategically and where it could be in the future and the nature of competition. It looks at internal factors, the strengths and weaknesses of BQ, and external factors, the opportunities and threats facing the business. Besides, PESTLE (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Legal and Environmental) analysis is another tool to be used to analyse the macro external environment. Johnson (1992) Cultural web will also be used for the assessment of BQ culture. BQ Profile BQ was the first national DIY retailer and has been in the DIY business for more than 30 years. Richard Block and David Quayle (BQ) wanted to bring value, longer opening hours and a broader product range to everyone. In the 1980s it bought the Scottish DIY chain Dodge City and eventually became part of the Kingfisher Group. Today, BQ is the UKs leading DIY and garden centre retailer and its stores offer approximately 40,000 inspirational home improvement and garden products for the homemaker, occasional to serious DIY and trade professionals. Swot Analysis of BQ UK Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis is a tool of environmental scanning aimed at analysing both the internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external environment (i.e. opportunities and threats) to see whether the organisation can seize new opportunities given its strengths and face new threats despite its weaknesses. Thus, a SWOT analysis is a well-rounded analysis which goes well beyond the internal environment. Strengths Leading brand and good reputation BQ is the number one leading brand in the UK and is twice the size of its competitor. It has a market size of  £31bn as regard to the size of repair, maintenance and improvement market. Being the number one position in the UK market, BQ has a major strength as they are ahead of their rivals. Furthermore, BQs reputation is strong and popular which means people view it with respect and believe in it, for example, BQ is supporting Prince Charles in his Preserve the Rainforest. Increased market share BQ has a market share of 14% where it employs 22,602 employees and has 321 stores in the UK (http://www.kingfisher.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=33 accessed [19/10/10]. Thus, BQ will continue to grow in the home improvement and garden sector. Their increased market share is a key to their success as it boosts reputation, profit and the value of the organisation. Constantly creating new, differentiated, Innovative and wide range of Products BQ offer around 40,000 products in stores. BQ also has its strong own-label such as BQ car boot protector, BQ Foot pump and so on. BQ has innovative, well displayed products and they are also continuing with their renewal programme which includes updating product ranges such as launching their first fair-trade products and designing more eco-products. Thus, BQs innovation keeps it a front-runner in the home improvement and garden centre as it is regularly re-launching and designing new products. Hence, having a product differentiation strategy makes BQ at a better competitive advantage. Sites BQ has some good positions and new opening opportunities. BQ has 321 stores in the UK. They also encourage more eco stores such as their eco flagship store is located in New Malden and boasts innovative developments such as 108 underground bore holes, 100 metres deep which heat and cool the store with energy from the earth. Moreover, for the first year 2010/11 half progress, three large and 1 medium stores revamp (kingfisher strategy progress, March 2010). Thus, this is a strength which shows the overall performance of the BQ. Adding value to the organisation Adopting Michael Porter (1985) value chain concept through all its primary and supporting activities, BQ Delivering Value programme of self-help initiatives is working well, meaning now it generates significantly higher profits and cash flow from its operations and a much better return on capital for its shareholders [www.kingfisher.com]. Technological strengths BQ have embraced technological advancement in their business. For example, it has their own website where customers can shop on line namely, www.diy.com, thus facilitating e-commerce. In addition, BQ intranet facility also helps in improving its internal communication system where policy and procedures of the company can be accessed to all employees. Furthermore, on the 4th august 2010, BQ has launched its first iDIY APPS which makes it easier for customers to get the job done by having BQ experts available for them whenever needed. It is new at apple store and free to download for I phone and I pad users. Moreover, a range of green technologies have incorporated into new stores at BQ. Good customer relationship management More than three million customers come at BQ (UK) doors every week. Thus, BQ has an extensive customer base, which is a major strength regarding sales and profit. Besides, BQ retain their customers by giving them the opportunity to create, design their own product according to their taste. BQ offer different types of discount for regular shoppers which also help in customer retention such as the diamond card which offer 10 % discount off to the over 60s every Wednesday off selected purchases or products, Trade Discount Card which also offers discounts for trade customers and Corporate Gift Cards which receive discounts for bulk spending. Effective Human Resource Practices BQ has been awarded again for the fourth year running the Gallup best workplace award. Besides, on the 22nd June 2010, BQ UK also scoops the top award at institute of internal communications [www.kingfisher.com]. BQ UK is also recognised for its constant emphasis on employee training in order to improve customer satisfaction. For example, 15 500 employees of BQ UK have completed a Retail Skills Level 2 NVQ or Home Improvement Knowledge Qualification awarded by City Guilds. BQ has a very experienced workforce which drives the organisation with knowledge and expertise. In general, we can therefore comment that BQ UK concentrate on the soft side of human resource management. They invest in people through good communications, teaming and training. A participative management style BQ has an organic or flatter organisational structure which reflects its culture. Employees are empowered and have freedom of expressing new ideas. Thus, BQ unlocks the potential of its employees. At BQ, they have been busy laying the foundations for future growth. For example, they recently launched a Dragons Den-style panel to help them filter new innovative and creative ideas from staff which is called the Innovation Den. This, therefore, encourages a culture of entrepreneurship and empowerment. Financial resources BQ has improved their financial performance; this can be proved by the key performance indicators such as the operating margin which has increased from 2.8% in 08/09 to 4.9% in 09/10. Thus, the rigorous focus on generating improved cash flow from operations, reducing the investment in working capital, whilst tightening controls over capital expenditure, has yielded a significant reduction in financial net debt [www.kingfisher.com ] Effective waste and recycling management Reducing waste help to improve efficiency of organisation, thus, so far BQ has 48 % less carbon emitted from waste. They have tried to manage their production in a systematic way through the use of technology. They encourage customers to return old products and packaging for recycling. Low threat of new entrance (one element of Porters five forces analysis) Being the market leader, having a market size of  £31bn, concentrating on product differentiation; economies of scale; having cost advantages; having high capital requirements and being part of kingfisher, the third largest home improvement retailer in the world, BQ, has low threat of new competitors. Bargaining power of suppliers: one element of Porters five forces analysis BQ maintain strong relationship with their suppliers, for instance, ensuring that their suppliers provide them with eco-friendly products. Thus, the bargaining power of their suppliers is low, which makes BQ having a competitive advantage. Weaknesses As per kingfisher business review, august 2010, BQ like to like sales has increased on seasonal products such as garden products; however, one weakness will be that sales of garden product will be reduced due to winter weather which will discourage customers to invest in their gardens. BQ website, diy.com, has a poor e-commerce ratings as they were ranked bottom overall, with customer scans of 50%. In addition, the site got only two star ratings for price and product out of five stars. Furthermore, they also have delivery issues; from over packaging and delays to time slots which shows how BQ is wasting both its time and resources and also reveals their inability to adapt quickly to change. Opportunities BQ is to expand its offer in to the trade market, with the triumphant trial of Trade Point stores in nine of its large UK branches. As customer tastes keep changing, for example many people prefer to use eco-friendly products, thus an opportunity will be to broaden BQs customer by offering several trials of new or expanded product categories. Thus, this will expand the product/service lines by BQ which could help them to raise sales and increase their product portfolio. In addition, products which are cash generators and are at the maturity stage on the product life cycle can finance the rising star at the growth stage and even the question mark that are at the introduction phase. To open more eco-stores, thus, meeting the companys aim of being a sustainable business. Integrate advanced ICT (information communication technology) in business process to improve efficiency and effectiveness such as having an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Reinforce its web design to facilitate effectiveness e-commerce. Redesigned and reduced the size of packaging on a number of lighting products, removing significant amounts of plastic and polystyrene. This will help in handling waste appropriately. Further international growth. BQ has several stores in the UK and Ireland. It also operates in china. BQ has a number of highly skilled staff, which is an opportunity for them to explore as expertise of their staff can help B Q to bring the business forward. Threats Industry Rivalry (one element of Porter five forces analysis) Focus (DIY) Limited; Wickes and Homebase Limited are the top UK industry rivalry. Homebase limited is the second market leader in home improvement and garden centre retailer in the UK. Homebase with its sister company Argos (750 stores) booming rapidly, shows a recorded sales figure of  £1.57 billion 2009/10 and profit margin was  £41.2 million 2009/10 (www.homebase.co.uk). Although, BQ are going to open some Trade points, Homebase has already a robust supply chain partnership with Argos. Being the first one to introduce loyalty cards, Homebase have an advantage in retaining customers. Homebase allow customers to collect and redeem nectar points. Even BQ has a system of processing nectar points, but this is available only on their website, even though, points are spent, not collected. In addition, Homebase is also recognised for choice, style and customer service across the wider home enhancement market. In addition, according to the Observer (31st October 2010, by Zoo Wood), analysts verdict stated that Homebase is planning to buy Focus (DIY) limited, if the acquisition is confirmed, BQ would be facing big competitive challenges, and may even lose its number one market position in the UK. Thus, the nature of competition where BQ operates is fierce. Tax increases can place additional financial burdens on BQ Changes in the way consumers shop and spend and other changing consumer patterns could be a threat to BQs performance For example, during the recession, many customers buying behaviour pattern changes, most likely, they will not spend money in home improvement or garden products. In addition, wallpapers colour paint can also be changed according to the colour fashion trend. BQ could be threatened by the high bargaining power of customers that they can influence BQ pricing strategies. BQ is susceptible to slowing UK housing market. For example, in the UK, sales declined by 2.6% to  £4.3bn in March 2009, as the recession hit consumers upgrading their homes. In addition, Kingfisher state that UK home improvement market has fallen down which will not only affect the sales, but will also affect the companys profitability and performance. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7965018.stm accessed [19/10/10]. Ultimately, when strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are identified, BQ implement the three strategies which can be formulated: a) matching strategies: match strengths with opportunities; b) conversion strategies: converting threats into opportunities and/or weaknesses into strengths; c) creative strategies: they can also be creative and try to identify hidden strengths. PESTLE Analysis of BQ PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, legal issues and Environmental) analysis is used as a tool to analyse the external macro environment. It deals with those six factors that affect the organisation. Although the items in a PESTLE analysis rely on past events and experience, the analysis can be used as a forecast of the future. Besides, Kotler (1998) claims that PESTLE analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market development or decline, business position, prospective and direction for operations Political Factors Employment legislation According to Balchin (1994), For employment legislations, the government supports retailers to provide a mix of job opportunities from flexible, lower-paid and locally-based jobs to highly-skilled, higher-paid and centrally-located jobs. BQ has a flexible workforce of 60%; BQ does provide work for a diverse of people, such as students; people aged 45 plus; and under 25. In addition, increasing the retirement age up to 66 year old by 2020 will make BQ to review its HR policies to formulate new strategies. Besides, due to the increase of tax (VAT 20%), BQ price strategies need to be reviewed. However, BQ has requested to the government and European Commission to reduce the VAT to 5% on energy saving products to make it affordable to all www.diy.com . BQ is working in partnership with the government to promote sustainable growth For example, BQ is helping the Government Launch of the Green Loan Pilot Scheme where BQ is partnering the London Borough of Sutton in an experiment of the governments new (PAYS) Pay as You Save Scheme www.crp-news.com . Besides, BQ is helping the government to provide security equipment at reasonable prices and as affordable as possible to secure 45,000 homes. Government also offers BQ with vouchers to help in preventing burglary (National Security). Thus, having a good relationship with the government may help BQ in the future, such as having tax breaks, good public relations and strengthen their reputation. Economic Factors Economic factors are of concern to BQ, as they are likely to influence demand, costs, prices and profits. One of the most significant factors of the economy is high unemployment levels which have mainly increased due to the recession. The recession causing an increase in unemployment has decreased the effective demand for many goods, adversely affecting the demand required to produce such goods. For example, in 2008 the UK home improvement market declined by around 4% as the economic environment worsened, impacting consumer spending. BQ was badly affected by the weak housing market, that have made them concentrate on different marketing strategies of how to attract; retain or acquire the customers. BQ GDP (Gross Domestic Product) estimates for 2010 is 1.5 % This really shows the contribution BQ has made to boost the economy by producing its product within the countrys border. A positive GDP also indicates an avenue for economic growth which leads to higher living standards and greater prosperity for individuals. It also supports businesses to be profitable, which creates employment and income. Increase interest rates by 4% in 2011 and an increase in inflation rates will affect both BQ and the consumers. Therefore, the economy is likely to experience falls in consumption and investment. Social Factors Shifts in values, culture and lifestyle Norms, values and paradigms form the socio-cultural environment. They have impact on corporate strategies. For example, there has been a shift of lifestyle where nowadays people are more concerned of the environment issues occurring, such as the Green House Effect, the widening gap of the ozone layer, and so on, thus, they are more prone to consume eco-friendly products which help in maintaining a sustainable environment. Thus, to adapt with this socio-cultural shift, has pushed BQ towards the being responsible to the environment and support ethical behaviour. For example, they have designed new eco products and open new eco stores by using green technologies, such as QUEST environmental management system. In addition, BQ social responsibility which can reflect upon its culture, are divided into four section: Their diversity strategy (value of respect for people), Environmental impact (life cycle and make up of products); Ethical (how and where to buy our products) and Community (their better neighbourhood approach). Demographic changes Demographic changes such as the ageing population and an increase in female workers have made BQ to review its employment policy, for example, this made them concentrate on benefits offered to older workforce. In addition, having an ageing population has also influenced BQ in developing different marketing strategies to retain older customers such as the diamond discount card which offer 10 % discount off to the over 60s. Source: Hogarth, T. and Michael C. Barth (1991) Moreover, families are nowadays having fewer children, and having an ageing population, will result in a shortage of skilled labours in the market. Thus, this had led to the recent introduction of legislations such as the entrepreneurs visa, point-based systems and working visa. Therefore, BQ should acknowledged these changes and review its employment policy accordingly. Education In order to promote children skills, BQ has launched its nationwide job done initiative by teaching children DIY skills as a curriculum for the future. In addition, to educate both women and men about the use of DIY tools, BQ has introduced its IDIY apps. Technological Factors Technology is a major micro environmental factor which has influenced the development of BQ products and services. The new technologies benefit both customers and the company: customer satisfaction increases as products are readily available, services can become more personalised and shopping more convenient (Data monitor Report, 2003). BQ utilises the following technologies: New tracking technology: BQ is using TaqMan operation campaign technology Decorating card technology Variety use of low carbon technologies including solar panels and ground source heat pumps for New Malden eco store. And, in the future, solar system can be used in most homes as a replacement for gas and electric heating. BQ joined SEDEX- a web-based system that provides a membership based data exchange where it provides them with greater visibility at all levels of their supply chain. Legal Factors Many government legislations and policies have a direct influence on the performance of BQ. For instance, Kingfisher retail board ensures that BQ adopt the code of practice to guarantee ethical business practices among its employees, suppliers, contractors and investors. For example, BQ has an anti-bribery and corruption policies and procedures in the light of the new UK Bribery Act 2010. The existence of powerful competitors with reputable brands generates a threat of intense price wars and robust requirements for product differentiation. The governments policies for monopoly controls and reduction of buyers power can limit entry to this sector with such controls as license requirements and limits on access to raw materials (Mintel Report, 2004; Myers, 2004). Thus to device politically correct pricing policies, BQ set reasonable prices for its products. Environmental Factors In 2003, there has been greater pressure on many companies and managers to recognise their responsibility to society, and act in a way which benefits society overall (Lindgreen and Hingley, 2003). Thus, in 2008, BQ signed a three year partnership with BioRegional to move towards becoming a One Planet Living business in order to reduce its impact on the worlds resources. BQ is awarded chain-of-custody certification for both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC). In addition, Graiser and Scott (2004) state that in 2003 the government has planned to introduce a new strategy for sustainable consumption and production to minimise waste reduce consumption of resources and minimise environmental damage. Thus, this has pushed BQ in developing strategies such as making use of a new supplier measurement system call QUality-Ethics-SafeTy (QUEST) to ensure that the green policy is respected in accordance to the sustainability standards. However, BQ commitment is that they will force all timber products to be source certified, and also developed enforcing principles to engage its environmental campaign on suppliers. In this circumstance, question can be asked about power relations between BQ and suppliers: could other companies do what BQ is doing? Do BQ have that much power which it holds over its supply base? According to New (2003), he states that BQ does not have that power to change the way the supplier operates as green purchasing policies would vary between firms context. Assessment of BQ Culture According to CWL Hill G R Jones (2001), an organisational culture is the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organisation and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organisation. Cultural Onion What is right and proper? What the organisation should seek to achieve? The basic assumptions of the group The way we do things around hereCulture can be compared to an onion with three layers. Figure : Cultural Onion; source: Trompenaars Hampden-Turner (1997) Cultural Web One of the most commonly used ways of making sense of an organisations culture is to use the cultural web (Johnson, 1992). It is a schematic representation of the elements of an organisations culture in such a way that we can see how each element influences the paradigm. The cultural web theory is also a useful analysis for management as it represents the fundamental assumptions related to political, symbolic and structural aspect of the organisation. Figure : cultural web. Source: Johnson (1992) Cultural web theory application is an effective tool in assessing the cultural environment for BQ. As mention before, the cultural onion contains layers of norms, values, and paradigm and also the ways of doing business within and outside the company. Hence, the concept of cultural web is the demonstration of these actions taken for granted for understanding how they associate and influence the strategy (Veliyath and Fitzgerald, 2000; Johnson and Scholes, 2003). It is also used to bridge the gap between actual and desired culture through adaption of future strategies. Culture can be examined through the interpretations of how the organisation behaves, including, rituals, stories, structures, routines and systems. This shows the clues about the taken-for-granted assumptions (Paradigm). BQ has a very friendly, welcoming and supporting approach in the routine ways that shows how staffs behave towards each other, and towards those outside the company that can make up the way people do things. The control systems and measurements are continually under the management review to display the competence of the staff and bosses decisions. For instance, control systems on its quality of service, its strong environmental supply chain system, and the behavioural control of its staffs by having a good HR policy. The rituals of the organisations life are, corporate gatherings, the special events which BQ stresses what is mostly important and reinforce the way things are done. Symbols represent different basics such as Titles, Logos, uniforms or the type of language and expressions commonly used which becomes a shorthand image of the nature of the organization. BQ has already a recognised eye catching Orange colour as its logo as well as its uniforms. The brand and the logo signify a lot to people inside and outside the organisation. Nevertheless, BQ is recognised for using similar orange colour logo and store layout from the American giant DIY retailer, Home Depot, thus, the question is how innovative and unique is BQ as regard to its logo and brand positioning? What will happen to BQ if Home Depot comes into UK market? Power Structures are the core assumptions that contribute to the paradigm and are likely to be made by the most powerful management groupings in the organisation. And, as for BQ, its power relies in the environmental and ethics department, how to make people more committed to the environment and as well as to develop their core values. Continuous meetings and communication at every level of the organisations hierarchy signify a strong internal environment and a flat (organic) organisational structure. Conclusion The report entails a detailed environmental analysis of BQ including an assessment of culture. BQ had adopted influential identities by making their DIY model into a virus and outlaying it out into the culture via a range of channels: cultural sponsorship, consumer experience, political controversy, and brand extensions. The report has used mainly SWOT and PESTLE to conduct the environmental analysis. Although they are powerful tool for analysis, they do have some limitations. For example, they are only good for the person who makes it. For instance, in SWOT analysis strength can be seen as a weakness by another person. Thus, it lacks of validity and reliability. However, conducting an environmental analysis will help to formulate generic strategies for the company to have a competitive advantage. Furthermore, the industry life cycle can also be viewed as an extension of PESTLE analysis as it is a way of showing how certain PESTLE factors influence the development of an industry over time. For example, it was the changes of PESTLE factors that caused BQ to move from growth to maturity and back again. Besides, due to a dynamic environment, strategy formulation should be viewed as a route to continuous learning. The excellence of a formulated strategy and the speed of its implementation will hence depend on the quality of BQs intellectual and behavioural learning processes.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay --

Related to this Management Project numerous specialized academic articles and literature has been read to gain profound insight and comprehensive knowledge about the field of research as well as elucidate theoretical facts of this project. In addition, relevant literature was collected to build a theoretical foundation to answer the Research questions stated above. Controlling Nowadays ‘Controlling’ is a frequently used phrase in any business and is a derivation of ‘to (be in) control’ (Oxford University Press, 2014). Especially these days with a quickly changing, rough business environment it is of crucial importance to monitor and audit companies’ internal processes. The basic management function of ‘Controlling’ is to (1) establish benchmarks or standards, (2) compare actual performance against them, and (3) take corrective action, if required (Oxford University Press, 2014). According to the University of Louisiana (2008), Controls are any actions taken by the management to increase the likelihood that established goals and objectives are achieved. Internal Control Within hospitality operations managers need accurate and always current information, provided by management accounting systems, to be able to carry out their duties effectively. These information will be used by the executives to implement new procedures and for decision making to enhance the efficiency of operations, to safeguard assets, to drive sales as well as maximizing the profitability of the business (Chibili, 2010). The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, called AICPA, has defined ‘Internal Controls’ as, â€Å"Internal control comprises the plan of organization and all of the coordinate methods adopted within a business to safeguard its asset... ...well as regulations of an organization (Chibili, 2010). Control activities can be of different types. They are classified as directive, preventative or detective. Directive controls are those designed to establish desired outcomes; preventative controls are designed to prevent errors, irregularities or undesirable events from occurring; and detective controls are those designed to detect and correct undesirable events which have occurred. Directive control activities These are activities designed to guide a business towards appointed desired outcomes. For the most part directive controls are shaped in the form of written procedures, guidelines, policies, laws and regulations. (State University of New York - New Paltz, 2005) Furthermore internal training seminars, meetings as well as job descriptions outline a directive control force. (University of Louisina, 2008)

Friday, October 11, 2019

Ethical Reflection Paper Essay

Take the Ethics Awareness Inventory and Ethical Choices in the Workplace assessments to assess your values. Write a paper of no more than 700 words in which you do the following: Explain the role of ethics and social responsibility in developing a strategic plan, considering stakeholder needs. Explain how your ethical perspective has evolved throughout the program. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment. General Questions – General General Questions STR 581 Week 1-6 Everything Included (All Assignments, All DQ’s) + 6 sets of Finals Version 4 Strategic Planning Implementation If you do well in a subject, use your skill to earn money! Tutoring fellow students and others in the community can end up paying pretty well. Advertise what you can teach on bulletin boards around your dorm on in your student center. Many tutors also find it helpful to advertise online. This paperwork comprises STR 581 Week 1 Assignment – Ethical Reflection Paper Take the Ethics Awareness Inventory and Ethical Choices in the Workplace assessments to assess your values. Write a paper of no more than 700 words in which you do the following: Explain the role of ethics and social responsibility in developing a  strategic plan, considering stakeholder needs. Explain how your ethical perspective has evolved throughout the program. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment. General Questions – General General Questions STR 581 Week 1-6 Everything Included (All Assignments, All DQ’s) + 6 sets of Finals Version 4 Strategic Planning Implementation †¦ Get complete A+ tutorial here – https://bitly.com/1wyRS8p If you do well in a subject, use your skill to earn money! Tutoring fellow students and others in the community can end up paying pretty well. Advertise what you can teach on bulletin boards around your dorm on in your student center. Many tutors also find it helpful to advertise online. General Questions – General General Questions STR 581 Week 1-6 Everything Included (All Assignments, All DQ’s) + 6 sets of Finals Version 4 Strategic Planning Implementation

Thursday, October 10, 2019

No Cell Phones for Kids

NO CELL PHONES FOR KIDS Cell phone is considered as an important thing in human life nowadays. We no longer rely on public phones that once we did. The cell phones users are not only people that come from the working class, but also children. Is cell phone really that important? There are a lot of disadvantages of using mobile phones which involves children from age six until thirteen. Some people might think that kids should have cell phones. However, I do believe that kids should not have cell phones.Health, financial and social issues are among of the topics that related with the disadvantages of using cell phones for children. Cell phones can be a distraction and used for bullying. Cell phones can be an easy method for cheating is true, too. Also, cell phones can result in sleep deprivation. Spending a lot of time for using cell phones can result in poor grades. Additionally, Phone use can hamper family interaction. Children’s health affected from the use of cell phones be cause it contains magnetic waves.Cell phones contain magnetic waves which is dangerous to human especially young children who immune system does not enough develop yet. They might suffer a severe disease such as brain cancer. Compare to the adult, the children have the potential to be affected is higher. Thus, the use of cell phones affected the children health. Also, it takes time away from children to go out and run with their friends. They prefer to play games or talk to each other by texting rather than to play outside.Another issue that related with cell phones is financial. When the parents let their children to use cell phone from the early age, they tend to get distracted and use it without any limitation. Children will not consider the amount that have to pay when they use the cell phone. Moreover, they tend to follow the latest style of cell phones. They will want to buy the latest cell phones’ design or buy the cell phone’ gadgets, without even considering t he amounts they have wasted.Therefore, cell phones have caused bad effect for financial. The most affected is children social style in terms of friendship and love. In friendship, they are likely to procrastinate when they started to text their friend. They will chit chat until the wee hours in the morning and left their school work. What make it worst is when the fall in their relationship. They will start to bring their phone everywhere and text their partner whenever they can. This irritating symptom will make their academic grades go down and