Sports Marketing Synthesis - 1127 Words

The ultimate goal of marketing is to become a household name, meaning that a product should be well known to everyone. Sports marketing has the same goal, except the product is associated with sports such as sports clothing, teams, or sports drinks. In an article titled â€Å"Career and Professional Development: Sports Marketing,† contributors describe the general classification of a sports marketer. The article explains that a sports marketer generally stays at the same level throughout his/her career due to its high satisfaction. Alexandru Mihai writes in his article â€Å"The Strategic Sport Marketing Planning Process† that there are certain steps a sports marketer needs to take in order to have success. A few of these steps include†¦show more content†¦This article continues to explain that once a sports marketer creates a product and advertises it on a small scale, â€Å"Sports marketers get ahead by gradually representing bigger, more important and more prestigious sports teams, companies, associations, and athletes.† In other words, sports marketers need to have a plan of action to promote their product on a larger scale over time. Also, sports marketers spend much of their planning on the aspect of promotion. Mihai verifies that the category of promotion serves to prove that the product is desirable through advertising, sales, sponsorship and public relations. If a sports marketer follows these planning steps, his/her work will lead to a successful product with a large margin of profit. New employees in the career of sports marketing lead by example from some of the most successful products such as the Red Bull energy drink and Skullcandy products. The most efficient way to be successful is to promote products with several sponsors. For example, everyone knows what Red Bull is, a sports drink known for its burst of energy right when we need it. The company has had great success taking a new approach on sponsorship. Conway argues in his article â€Å"A Sports Marketing Success Story† that â€Å"Red Bull wants to own teams and events. The company has a huge focus on brand management and ownership allows it to completely control how its brandShow MoreRelatedNike Background966 Words   |  4 Pages1959. Bowerman desire for better quality shoes clearly influenced Knight operating in their search for a marketing strategy. Between them, the seed of the most influential sporting company grew. The story is this: to get his MBA at Stanford in the 60s, Knight took classes with Frank Shallenberger. The semester-long project was to create a small business, including a marketing plan. 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When Should The United States Use Its Military - 1494 Words

When should the United States use its military? One of the biggest controversies facing America today is war. The US has been involved in many wars and violent conflicts throughout our history. To politicians, it may seem like using our military is an easy solution for problems here and in other countries. However, it does not come without consequences, including the obvious one;loss of lives. Even if the United States wins the conflict they have inserted themselves in, it cannot be forgotten about how much of an impact it can have on our own people, more so than the lives of the people we are against. If the US is going to send its men and women to kill other men and women, they need to assure that it is for the well being of the†¦show more content†¦Long absences can very often lead to complications in marriages and in relationships with children. Soldiers can miss very important moments because of a war, such as holidays and birthdays. The parent who is not at war also has to take on all of the responsibilities for hom e, children, and finance while their significant other is deployed. In addition to this, the parent who is left behind often finds themselves dealing with a change in behavior from their children, which is very likely a result from their other parent’s long absence. Many returning veterans blame the complications in their lives after their life in the military on their time deployed. It may seem insignificant, but this is a big reason why military force has an impact on the everyday lives of Americans who do not even serve for a military branch. The Government is under a lot of pressure when it comes to controlling the military. This is a responsibility that nobody should take lightly. While there are many drawbacks to using our military forces, sometimes it is not only justified, but necessary. America should always try to establish peace first, but, always have the military as a last resort option. Our military is very capable of helping other countries, and saving lives while doing it. â€Å"Some countries indeed cannot defend themselves in a way that we could, so many countries do require our help when it comes to fighting off

Statistics homework Free Essays

Consider the percent change in housing values over a five-year period for regions of the United States, as shown In the following table. Draw a box plot. Percent change In housing values over five years for U. We will write a custom essay sample on Statistics homework or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. Regions. Region Percent Change Percent Change New England Region 54. 5% West 29. 5 North Central 38. 3% pacific Middle Atlantic 35. 3 48. 9 East North Central 33. 6 East South Central 26. 0 Mountain West South Central 32. 0 South Atlantic 34. 2 4. Two events are mutually exclusive, one with probability 0. 38 and the other with arability 0. 54. A. Find the probability that the first event happens given that the second event happens. O b. Find the probability of the union of these two events. 0. 38+0. 54=0. 92 5. Your store is interested in learning more about customers’ purchasing patterns and how they relate to the frequency of store visits. The probability that a customer’s visit will result In a purchase Is 0. 35. The probability that a customer has been to the store wealth the past month Is 0. 20. Of those who did not buy anything, 12% had been there within the past month. A. Find the probability of making a purchase given that the customer had been to the store within the past month. O. 1 b. What percent of customers are frequent shoppers, defined as making a purchase and having been to the store within the past month? O. 122 6. Keep Cool Pity Ltd manufactures window alarm-conditioners In both a deluxe model and a standard model. An auditor engaged in a compliance audit of the firm is validating the sales account for April. She has collected 200 invoices for the month, some of which were sent to wholesalers and the remainder to retailers. Of the 140 retail invoices, 28 are for the standard model. Of the wholesale invoices, 24 are for the standard model. If the auditor selects one invoice at random, find the following probabilities: a. The Invoice selected Is for the deluxe model. 0. 74 invoice selected is either a wholesale invoice or an invoice for the standard model. 0. 44 d. Is ‘invoice for deluxe model’ independent of Wholesale invoice? No Model Wholesale Total Deluxe Standard 24 148 52 Otto 200 Retail 112 28 140 7. The finance director of a hardware wholesaler has asked the accountant to ring all customers five days before their account payments are due, as a means of reducing the number of late payments. How to cite Statistics homework, Papers

Statistics homework Free Essays

Consider the percent change in housing values over a five-year period for regions of the United States, as shown In the following table. Draw a box plot. Percent change In housing values over five years for U. We will write a custom essay sample on Statistics homework or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. Regions. Region Percent Change Percent Change New England Region 54. 5% West 29. 5 North Central 38. 3% pacific Middle Atlantic 35. 3 48. 9 East North Central 33. 6 East South Central 26. 0 Mountain West South Central 32. 0 South Atlantic 34. 2 4. Two events are mutually exclusive, one with probability 0. 38 and the other with arability 0. 54. A. Find the probability that the first event happens given that the second event happens. O b. Find the probability of the union of these two events. 0. 38+0. 54=0. 92 5. Your store is interested in learning more about customers’ purchasing patterns and how they relate to the frequency of store visits. The probability that a customer’s visit will result In a purchase Is 0. 35. The probability that a customer has been to the store wealth the past month Is 0. 20. Of those who did not buy anything, 12% had been there within the past month. A. Find the probability of making a purchase given that the customer had been to the store within the past month. O. 1 b. What percent of customers are frequent shoppers, defined as making a purchase and having been to the store within the past month? O. 122 6. Keep Cool Pity Ltd manufactures window alarm-conditioners In both a deluxe model and a standard model. An auditor engaged in a compliance audit of the firm is validating the sales account for April. She has collected 200 invoices for the month, some of which were sent to wholesalers and the remainder to retailers. Of the 140 retail invoices, 28 are for the standard model. Of the wholesale invoices, 24 are for the standard model. If the auditor selects one invoice at random, find the following probabilities: a. The Invoice selected Is for the deluxe model. 0. 74 invoice selected is either a wholesale invoice or an invoice for the standard model. 0. 44 d. Is ‘invoice for deluxe model’ independent of Wholesale invoice? No Model Wholesale Total Deluxe Standard 24 148 52 Otto 200 Retail 112 28 140 7. The finance director of a hardware wholesaler has asked the accountant to ring all customers five days before their account payments are due, as a means of reducing the number of late payments. How to cite Statistics homework, Papers

Harlem Renaissance Essay Example For Students

Harlem Renaissance Essay Jonathan Villagers The Harlem Renaissance: An era of Social Change Thesis: The sasss Harlem Renaissance was an era that provided an opportunity of literary and artistic advancement for African Americans. The movement also reached social thought of sociology, and philosophy. Writers like Longboats Hughes and Counted Culled promoted social equality through obscure themes and morals expressed in their writings. With its origins in Harlem, New York the renaissance affected the United States through literature, drama, music, visual art, and dance. At this time African Americans began to form themselves an identity and individual ultra for progress. Argument l: Problems that led to the Harlem Renaissance: During this time period the American government was making political changes to the constitution. Creating and enacting laws that promoted social welfare and public awareness. Some of these key political changes were: the 13th (Abolition of slavery), 14th (Citizenship status and rights), and the 1 5th amendment (Right to vote without racial discrimination) to the constitution. Harlem was the place to be for any African American who wanted to get out of the life of discrimination they had, and have a new life filled with freedom of expression. Training in the arts was provided in Harlem; for instance being trained artistically, musically and also being trained to express their literary talents as well. All of these components gave birth to what is known as the Harlem Renaissance. In addition, the Harlem Renaissance wasnt only a rebellious movement against the whites at the mime, it was also a literary movement, a literary movement that kicked off in a dinner on March 21, 1924. Various types of writers, either white or black united in this historical dinner. Organizations such as the National Urban League and the Advancement of Colored People were responsible for publishing Journals of what it was like being black in a white dominated world (McDougal Little Literature, Grade 11, pig. 830); these Journals were written by Counted Culled, Zorn Neal Hurst and Longboats Hughes. These writers also expressed what it was like being called the new negro, well educated African Americans with strong racial pride. As a matter of fact, strings were pulled so that the anthology of The New Negro could be published in 1925. Another writer like Jean Toomey was more driven in exploring his own identity rather than African American themselves. Even though these writers had different points of views towards the Harlem Renaissance they all shared the same honor and pride for who they were, the New Negroes -? well educated African Americans with throng racial pride. Regardless of all the progress the members of the Harlem Renaissance had gained, it all came to an end when the economy dropped because of the Great Depression. Due to the pitiful economy, the writers of this time had to go elsewhere to find other Jobs that would be able to sustain their families. Even though this happened and the Harlem Renaissance came to an end, this was Just the beginning for African American writers everywhere. In conclusion, the Harlem Renaissance was not only a historical movement that World War I began and the Great Depression ended. It wasnt Just a way for artist and writers to rebel against the whites. It was more than that. It was a way a way of individual expression, and finally being able to have honor and pride of where they came from and who they were. Although the Harlem Renaissance only lasted a little more than 20 years, it was an end to that particular movement but the beginning of African American writers standing up for their culture and heritage trough music, art and writing all around the world.

The phenomenon of consumerism

Today sociologists and historians actively discuss the development of the phenomenon of consumerism in the modern society with paying much attention to its positive and negative aspects. Consumerism is one of the main features according to which it is possible to characterize the contemporary society in the developed countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The phenomenon of consumerism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It has a long history of its development, and different periods had various impacts on the formation of the customers’ behavior and the progress of the social phenomenon. The World War II era provided the society with possibilities to transform the attitude to the traditional aspects of consumerism. Women and African Americans became the influential figures which could regulate and change the peculiarities of the social consumption. The peculiarities of consumerism during the World War II era developed depending on the fact that in the new situation women became the major consumers on whom the whole market was oriented, and they could influence the market’s price policy, and African Americans acquired the right to reduce the discrimination with expanding their possibilities as consumers. These two social categories changed their consumer roles being affected by the alternations in the consumer economy and culture during the wartime. The economy during World War II was transformed in order to contribute to the war issues. The consumer economy of the World War II period affected women in such a way they changed their social roles and began to work in the war industry because of the significant demand for workers. They also worked as clerks and in service industries. However, women traditionally were considered as the audience on which the market of goods and services was oriented. During the war women had to change their shopping habits because of the total shor tages within the market (Cohen 66). The main task was to purchase effectively according to the peculiarities of the situation when the prices were rather high, and the variety and availability of goods were limited.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Women, as mothers and homemakers, tried to find the most economically advantageous solutions in order to meet the demands of their families. Meat, sugar, and butter shortages made them change the home menu and search for some scarce products. Moreover, definite services were not acceptable and women had to refuse the usage of such service as, for instance, laundry. Much attention was paid to recycling at home and expanding the possibilities to satisfy the family’s needs with minimal resources. Thus, the changes in the national economy influenced the changes provided by women in their domestic economy. The peculiarities of co nsumerism as the social notion of the World War II period influenced the development of the women’s movements against the growth of the prices and even led to their controlling role within the market. In spite of the fact women was traditionally considered as housewives who were not interested in the aspects of the policy, economy, and social life, they began to take the leading positions in controlling the development of the markets during the wartime. This shift was affected by the whole situation of the development of society during the war. Social positions of women were changed by the necessity to become the laborers at the wartime, and this fact contributed to the shift in their awareness of the peculiarities of consumerism. It was necessary to control the prices and prevent their growth. That is why women established the organizations and ruled the movements the main task of which was to protest high prices and control the situation in the market (Cohen 84). Women had no obvious rights to influence any political issues and their opinions were not discussed. Nevertheless, the role of women as consumers was evident, and now they could affect the development of this aspect of the social and economic life with concentrating on the expansion of their liberties (Cohen 84). That is why the actions of women were directed toward changing the situation according to their definite visions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The phenomenon of consumerism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If the role of women as active consumers was emphasized by the history of the social development, the positions of African Americans in society were unclear during the wartime. The discrimination of African Americans in relation to many aspects of the social life was the controversial question for the American society. This discrimination was also reflected in the character of providing the prices for the â €Å"whites† and â€Å"blacks†. The accents on the higher prices and worse conditions and goods for African Americans were put according to the peculiarities of consumerism before the war. The changes in social roles and the aspects of economy gave the chance to realize the intentions of African Americans to take the social positions equal to the positions of the â€Å"whites†. Thus, many African Americans received the opportunity to get the job positions which were earlier occupied by the â€Å"whites† because of the fact the most of white men served as soldiers and because of the lack of workers and the general job availability in different industries. In the situation of the war African Americans got the opportunity to share the shift in the positions experienced by women (Cohen 65). The actions of women in providing their visions of the situation with the growth of prices were rather active. Now it was impossible to increase prices higher than the defi nite established level, and this fact made marketers to preserve the equal prices for all the categories of the population in spite of their ethnic peculiarities. The period of World War II contributed to the development of the notion of the ‘citizen consumer’ as opposite to the notion of ‘purchaser consumer’. The citizen consumer directs his or her actions toward gaining the conditions suitable for the whole nation but not only for him or her as a person.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, the citizen consumer acts not only within the definite market but he is also involved in discussing the consumer issues in the larger economic and political context (Cohen 63). From this point of view, those women who led the consumer movements and conducted the boycotts in order to prevent the growth of prices and significant changes in the policy of consumption can be considered as citizen consumers because the results of their activities affected the whole development of the phenomenon of consumerism during the World War II period. The concept of the citizen customer is also connected with the progress of the women’s ‘customary responsibility’. Thus, women used all their energies and powers in order to turn â€Å"a customary responsibility into a new political opportunity† (Cohen 83). The peculiarities of the women’s lives during the wartime when they were responsible for households, purchases, and laboring were also associated with the nec essity to economize, to plan the budget according to the new economic issues, and with experiencing significant shortages within the markets. In this situation women did all the possible in order to preserve the freedom to consume in spite of the lack of the goods and services’ availability and price changes. Those roles which were played by women as consumers opened the perspectives to influence the public policy and realize the opportunity to establish the definite norms of the progress of consumerism during the World War II period. â€Å"Suddenly tasks that had been viewed as private and domestic were brought into the civic arena and granted new political importance† (Cohen 67). Customary responsibility as the first step to realizing the political opportunity affected the main features in regulating the products distribution, price policy, and the standards of the markets. World War II had a lot of impacts on the development of the American society including the shi fts in the social positions of such categories of the population as women and African Americans and the progress of the phenomenon of consumerism. During the wartime, women had to act not only as housewives but also as the active members of the society and laborers. In this situation their role as consumers became more significant because the peculiarities of the market development were oriented on women as the potential customers or the target audience of the definite products and services. In spite of the fact women experienced a lot of difficulties in functioning within the society under the influence of the new conditions, they acquire the opportunity to realize their ambitions and affect the real situation acting in the field of the market and concentrating on the consumer issues. Women reached the results in regulating the price policy with the help of providing the protests and boycotts against the growth of the prices. Moreover, not only women began to take the active positi ons in the society. African Americans also got the opportunity to reduce the discrimination them as consumers in the field of the American economy. That is why it is possible to note that the notion of ‘citizen consumer’ became the characteristic one for determining the positions of the definite social classes in realizing the economic relations during the period of World War II. Works Cited Cohen, Lizabeth. A Consumers’ Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America. USA: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2008. Print. This essay on The phenomenon of consumerism was written and submitted by user Ingrid Mccray to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Intertextual Response

â€Å"War leaves mental as well as physical scars.† Discuss the truth of this statement using evidence from No Pretty Pictures, short stories, extracts (from Night and other text) and poetry. When something drastic happens in your life it always leaves an impact on your memories. This has happened to those who have lived through wars, not only memories but also mental and physical scars. Some of those who have endured wars first hand and have suffered with scars both mental and physical left by war have recorded their experiences in autobiographies and poems. In ‘Losses’ Randall Jarrell, shares with the reader the losses and pain he suffered while he was at war and the pain he suffered after the war also. Although he survived he writes, â€Å"It was not dying: everybody died. It was not dying: we had died before.† He describes the death of others whom he cared for or knew and the destruction of his surroundings. Something inside him died, he was never the same after seeing massive damage inflicted on everything and he expresses this. In the last verse of ‘Losses’, he says, ‘It was not dying- no, not ever dying; But in the night I died I dreamed that I was dead, And the cities said to me: ‘Why are you dying? We are satisfied if you are’; but why did I die?’ Jarrell shares with the audience a taste of what was going on inside his head and sharing with the reader that dying doesn’t mean death of the body, but he is dying in such a way that his soul and personality was becoming different from before the war. He was killing people and his friends are being killed. He thought eventually everything around him will turn to dust, and was afraid he would lose his sanity and the person he used to be, thus leaving him mental scars from trauma caused by war and physical scars inflicted by war. This was also the case with Elie Wiesel the author of Night. He describes many incidents, which were so intense that it... Free Essays on Intertextual Response Free Essays on Intertextual Response â€Å"War leaves mental as well as physical scars.† Discuss the truth of this statement using evidence from No Pretty Pictures, short stories, extracts (from Night and other text) and poetry. When something drastic happens in your life it always leaves an impact on your memories. This has happened to those who have lived through wars, not only memories but also mental and physical scars. Some of those who have endured wars first hand and have suffered with scars both mental and physical left by war have recorded their experiences in autobiographies and poems. In ‘Losses’ Randall Jarrell, shares with the reader the losses and pain he suffered while he was at war and the pain he suffered after the war also. Although he survived he writes, â€Å"It was not dying: everybody died. It was not dying: we had died before.† He describes the death of others whom he cared for or knew and the destruction of his surroundings. Something inside him died, he was never the same after seeing massive damage inflicted on everything and he expresses this. In the last verse of ‘Losses’, he says, ‘It was not dying- no, not ever dying; But in the night I died I dreamed that I was dead, And the cities said to me: ‘Why are you dying? We are satisfied if you are’; but why did I die?’ Jarrell shares with the audience a taste of what was going on inside his head and sharing with the reader that dying doesn’t mean death of the body, but he is dying in such a way that his soul and personality was becoming different from before the war. He was killing people and his friends are being killed. He thought eventually everything around him will turn to dust, and was afraid he would lose his sanity and the person he used to be, thus leaving him mental scars from trauma caused by war and physical scars inflicted by war. This was also the case with Elie Wiesel the author of Night. He describes many incidents, which were so intense that it...

The Development Of Children's Thinking Related To Mathematics Research Paper

The Development Of Children's Thinking Related To Mathematics - Research Paper Example Specifically addressing the cultural disparities, rather than focusing on elements of irrelevant ethnicity or dismissing merely because of socio-economic issues will help to find solutions for the problem as it is restructured for the reasons that these disparities occur, rather than unrelated assumptions (Bodovski & Farkas, 2007). When specifically researched, the disparities due to ethnic diversities, especially between Caucasians and African Americans, the differences can be measured because of the experiences that African American students have in classrooms where they are treated as if they will not learn the information, leaving them in a position where they are not encouraged, are not given adequate attention, nor expected to achieve. The disparities that are observed among children when demographic information is used in regard to ethnicity shows a wide achievement gap between Caucasians and Asians when compared to children who are African American and Latino. Culture, on the other hand, is far more influential than any other aspect of a child's life on how they will approach their education. Research, it appears, has been focused on the wrong criteria for interpreting the data. New information that has been observed for the reasons why children of different ethnicities have different levels of achievement relies on the experiences that children have within their own cultures in regard to learning in combination with the experiences that they have with learning opportunities within the school systems.

Damages recoverable electronic funds transfer transactions under UK Dissertation

Damages recoverable electronic funds transfer transactions under UK Law - Dissertation Example To create a process that is safe for the customers, and well protected from losses arising from a lack of adequate legal remedial processes, is of utmost importance for a successful banking operation, which by its very nature of handling large amounts of money, comes under ‘high-risk’ business practice. Such high risks associated with banks comprised mainly of credit-interest risks, law related issues, and liquidity risks. With the start of the internet banking or the electronic funds transfer system has further increased these risks while creating some additional new ones, which may arise from the banks trying to circumvent regulatory and supervisory norms, in order to expand their customer reach. Other risks of a legal nature include the ambiguities on various legal processes and requirements that vary from country to country. 3 Though there are laws that specifically address the issue of frauds and other legal problems within internet banking and funds transfer, not m uch attention has been given to the area of remedies. In this era of high-end technology, it is necessary to review and re-examine various remedial processes like damage claims and injunction, within the electronic funds transfer transaction process. Discussion Banking system and electronic funds transfer under the English law: Under the English law, 'banking business' 4 is seen as comprising of two main basic features: â€Å"acceptance of money from and collection of cheques for their customers and placing them to the customer’s credit, and honouring cheques drawn on the bank by its customers and debiting customers' account accordingly.†5 The term 'banking' has been framed differently within the English legislation, and is covered under Banking Act 1979, the Banking Act 1987 and, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 also referred to as FSMA 2000.6 In the context of modern banking system through the internet, â€Å"electronic banking† or â€Å"e-bankingà ¢â‚¬  is defined as banking operations conducted by authorised banks (or their official representatives), from a remote location through tools that function under the bank's direct management or through outsourced agents. Thus, e-banking encompasses an entire set of process through which a customer can transfer funds electronically, without having to visit a bank physically, and these processes also includes services where the customers can access their accounts, conduct business transaction, receive necessary information on different financial services and products all the Internet (fig 1). In UK, all electronic modes of payments/transactions come under the jurisdiction of the â€Å"law of contract and agency and the customs and usages of banking.† 7 Fig 1: Various processes and available services as seen within e banking.8 As

International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Law - Essay Example The threat does not come from a charging cavalry but from a small group of individuals, specifically armed civilians, clandestinely operating to undermine an entire country or its economy. There is no declaration of war. The enemy simply launches an attack from within where majority of the casualties are innocent civilians. This is the era of unconventional warfare. Unlike war and belligerency which are governed by specific set of rules under the United Nations conventions and treaties, there exist no specific rules in international law that apply to unconventional conflicts.1 Unlike terrorists, the community of nations adheres to laws that govern the conduct of war, including but not limited to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Hague Conventions, and the 1977 Protocols to the Geneva Conventions. These basic laws are then complemented and supplemented by the human rights conventions and treaties. The absence of specific rules that apply to unconventional conflicts like terrorism gi ve rise to the debate as to whether or not unconventional conflicts can be legally regulated without conferring legal rights to terrorists. I submit to resolve the issue at hand in the negative. No, unconventional conflicts cannot be legally regulated without conferring legal rights to terrorists. ... Rumsfeld. The court ruled that Hamdan is entitled to the rights set forth in the common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions.2 In particular, these conventions are: first, the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field; second, the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea; third, the Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War; and fourth, the Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.3 While the first three conventions govern the conduct of war between armed combatants and all those directly involved in the armed conflict, the last convention provides regulations as to how these combatants should conduct themselves with regard to unarmed civilians.4 The Geneva Conventions specifically declared under Article 2 thereof that â€Å"the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them. The Convention shall also apply to all cases of partial or total occupation of the territory of a High Contracting Party, even if the said occupation meets with no armed resistance.† Moreover it bears stressing that the conventions also provide in Article 3 thereof that, â€Å"Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any

Motivation in Human Resource Management

Motivation in Human Resource Management In the fierce era of competition, organizations nowadays are more emphasizing on the management of Human Resources (Robert. L, 2008). Motivation; a key strategy in Human Resource Management has helped practitioners largely enough to subject the term Motivation for a discussion. Steers, Mowday and Shapiro (2004), asserted that employee motivation plays a vital role in the management field; both theoretically and practically. It is said that one of the important functions of human resource manager is to ensure job commitment at the workplace, which can only be achieved through motivation (Petcharak, 2002). According to Mishra and Gupta (2009) the world of work has changed significantly due to globalization over the past few years and organizations are being assessed against international standards and best practices. Consequently the emphasis upon people has increased. Conferring to the authors, since organization has to produce its outcomes through its employees, there is emphasis on motivation and concern for people through assessment, regular feedback, ongoing support and experience based initiatives. Motivation is important because of its significance as a determinant of performance and its intangible nature (Mishra and Gupta 2009). Generally if workers are demotivated, organizations are unlikely to operate affectively in achieving their goals and success; supported by Khan (2010), who points out that workplace dissatisfaction, usually leads to poor performance of employees and hence affect the performance of the organization as well. Therefore the concept of motivation is very important as motivated employees can help make an organization competitively more value added, hence profitable and highly motivated employees serve as the competitive advantage for any company because their performance allow an organization to well accomplish its goals (Danish and Usman, 2010). Based on these reasoning, this paper shall include analytical and empirical studies to reveal the discrepancies and feasibility aspect of the domain, as Rai (2004) put forward; motivation is crucial for good performance and therefore it is increasingly important to study what motivates employees for better performance. This section offers a review of literature, which explores the concepts, types and theories of motivation. Motivation Motivation is defined as a human psychological characteristic that add to a persons degree of commitment. It is the management process of in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uencing employees behavior. (Badu, 2005, p.38) Conversely, Bartol and Martin (1998) relate motivation to the force that stimulates behavior, provide direction to behavior, and underlies the tendency to prevail. In other words individuals must be sufficiently stimulated and energetic, must have a clear focus on what is to be achieved, and must be willing to commit their energy for a long period of time to realize their aim in order to achieve goals. However, other than motivation being a force that stimulates behavior, Vroom (1964) emphasized on the voluntary actions. Supported by Steers et al. (2004), Vroom (1964) defined motivation as a process governing choice made by personsamong alternative forms of voluntary activity. Similarly Kreitner and Kinicki (2004) assumed that motivation incorporate those psychological processes that create the arousal, direction and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal oriented. Quite differently from the other definitions, Locke and Latham (2004) identified that motivation influence peoples acquisition of skills and the extent to which they use their ability. According to the authors the concept of motivation refers to internal factors that impel action and to external factors that can act as inducements to action. The three aspects of action that motivation can affect are direction (choice), intensity (effort), and duration (persistence). Motivation can affect both the acquisition of peoples skills and abilities; and also the extent to which they utilize their skills and abilities (Locke and Latham 2004, p.388). In a nut shell, different authors have put forward the concept of motivation differently. Nonetheless, these definitions have three common aspects, that is, they are all principally related with factors or events that stimulate, channel, and prolong human behavior over time (Steers, Mowday and Shapiro, 2004). Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation Following Lakhani and Wolf (2005), Lakhani and Von Hippel (2003) and Lemer and Tirole (2004), the current scholarly thinking favors a framework that considers two components of motivation given by intrinsic and extrinsic components. Accordingly, Lawler (1969) has defined intrinsic motivation as the degree to which feelings of esteem, growth, and competence are expected to result from successful task performance. This view bounds intrinsic motivation to an expectancy approach and expectancy theory which clearly indicates that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations summate (Porter Lawler, 1968). Moreover, according to Amabile et al. (1993) Individuals are said to be intrinsically motivated when they seek, interest, satisfaction of curiosity, self expression, or personal challenge in the work. On the other hand individuals are said to be extrinsically motivated when they engaged in the work to gain some goal that is part of the work itself. As per to the author this definition of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is based on the individual perception of the individual perception of task and his or her reasons for engaging in it. Moreover, Amabile et al. further argued that intrinsic motivators arise from an individuals feelings with regards to the activity and they are necessary to adhere to the work itself. Conversely, extrinsic motivators although they may be dependent on the work, they are not logically an inherent part of the work. Extrinsic motivators refer to anything, coming from an outside source that designate to control work performance and include examples such as promised reward, critical feedback, deadlines, surveillance or specifications on how to do the work. Furthermore, in line with the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, De Charms (1968) suggest that external rewards might undermine intrinsic motivation. He further proposed that mans primary motivation is to be effective in developing changes in his environment and individuals seek for personal causation. According to the author because of the desire to be the origin of his behavior, man keeps struggling against the constraint of external forces. Thus, De Charms hypothesized that when a man perceives his behavior as originating from his own choice, he will value that behavior and its results but when he perceives his behavior as originating from external forces, that behavior and its results, even though identical in other respects to behavior of his own choosing, will be devalued. De Charms (1968) further argued that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation may interact, rather than summate that is the introduction of extrinsic rewards for the behaviors that was intrinsically rew arding may decrease rather than enhance the overall motivation. The introduction of an extrinsic reward put the individual in a dependent position relative to the source of the reward. The locus of causality for his behavior changes from self to the external reward and thus the individuals perception of self-control, free choice, and commitment deteriorate and hence do his motivation. De Charms (1968) also anticipated an interaction between the intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions given if rewards are withheld. The motivation to perform a task undertaken originally in order to obtain an extrinsic reward may increase if the reward is subsequently withdrawn. This inexplicable effect develops because of the liberation of the individuals intrinsic motivation following the reduction of extrinsic controls over his behavior. In addition Frey (1997) note that high intrinsic work motivation evolving from work which is interesting involves the trust and loyalty of personal relationships and is participatory. However, under certain circumstances, intrinsic motivation can be diminished, or crowded-out by external interventions like monitoring or pay-for-performance incentive schemes. This was also supported by Frey and Jegen (2001) who reviewed the literature on intrinsic motivations and found that the evidence does suggest that incentives sometimes do crowd-out intrinsic motivations. Besides, Frey (1997) suggests that the important matter is whether the external intervention is in the form of a command or a reward. Commands are most controlling in the sense that they seize self-determination from the agent, while rewards might still allow autonomy of action. The maximization of employees motivation to attain the organizations goals can only be obtained through a complete understanding of motivation theories (Reid 2002). There is a wide variety of theoretical frameworks that have been developed in the attempts to explain the issues related to motivation. Stoner, Edward and Daniel (1995) has described two different views on motivation theory, given by the earliest views and the contemporary approach which can further be subdivided into content and process theories. Theories of Motivation The earliest views of motivation One of the earliest views of motivation is Frederick W Taylor et al. (1911) scientific management theory. Taylor (1911) with regards to employee motivation proposed a paternalistic approach to managing employees which is based on a combination of job training, performance related pay system, improved employee selection techniques, and job redesign, including the introduction of ergonomics. According to Taylor (1911), workers are economic men and in order to motivate them, workers should be paid higher wages. The author also argued that the higher is the wage rate, the higher will be the level motivation and productivity. Furthermore, Taylor points out that many payment methods were ineffective, as they did not reward efficiency and he believed that a differential piece-work incentive system should be replaced with a piece rate incentive system (Wren, 2005). In other words workers should be paid according to the number of units produced in order to motivate them to work. On the other hand in line with building on the concept of motivation Elton Mayo (1953) came up with the Human Relations approach whereby the emphasis is laid on non-economic motivators. According to Elton Mayo (1953), if objectives of organizations are to be met, it must attempt to understand, respect and consider the emotions, sense of recognition and satisfaction that is the non-monetary needs of workers. He believed that employees are not just concern with money but also they need to have their social needs to be met in order to be motivated to work. He is of view that workers enjoy interactions and managers should treat them as people who have worthwhile opinions. Furthermore, McGregor (1960) postulates Theory X and Theory Y which is based on assumptions about people and work. According to this theory, there are two types of assumption made with regards to employees whereby theory X assumes that employees are lazy and therefore theory X suggests that in order to motivate employees a more autocratic style of management is required. On the other hand theory Y assumes that workers enjoy work, committed to objectives of the organization and will apply self control and self directed in the pursuit of organizational objectives and therefore does not require external control. Content theories of motivation Content theories tend to focus on individual needs and attempt to explain the factors within a person that stimulate and stop behavior, in other words they focus on identifying factors that motivate people (Reid, 2002). According to Bassett-Jones and Lloyd (2005), content theory assume a more complex interaction between both internal and external factors, and explored the circumstances in which individuals react to different types of internal and external stimuli. The most well known content theory of motivation is the hierarchy of needs which has been put forward by Abraham Maslow (1943). According to Maslow, people are motivated by five types of needs and in order to motivate people to work more productively there is a need to offer them opportunity to satisfy those needs. He proposed that basic needs are organized in a hierarchy of prepotency and probability of appearance (Wahba and Bridwell, 1973). These needs include physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem and self-actualization. Maslow argued that once a lower order need is fulfilled, the next level of needs in the hierarchy comes into play that is once employees satisfy the lower order needs they will next consider the next level of needs. The author further argued that unfulfilled lower needs dominate ones thinking and behavior until they are satisfied (Berl et al. 1984). However this theory has also been criticized to a large extent, for example Wahba and Bridwell (1973) argued that based on the ten factor analytic studies that have attempted to test Malows theory; there is no clear evidence that human needs are classified into five different categories, or that these categories are organized in a special hierarchy. The authors contradict Malows proposition and points out that, none of the studies has shown all of Maslows five need categories as independent factors (p. 516), for example some studies have showed that the self-actualization needs may emerge as an independent category. They also argued that studies have also proved the issue of need deprivation and the domination of behavior to be different from that suggested by Maslow. Moreover results have also proved that either self-actualization or security are the least satisfied needs and social needs are the most satisfied. Therefore the degree of satisfaction of other needs varies greatly that is it is difficult to determine their general pattern and these trends are not the same as proposed by Maslow (Wahba and Bridwell, 1973). Conversely, Alderfer (1972) in the attempt to address the short comings of Malows theory proposed an alternative to Maslows theory which he termed as the ERG theory and postulate a three level hierarchy. Alderfer grouped Maslows five categories of needs into three categories given by Existence, Relatedness and Growth. According to the author, people are motivated by these three groups of core needs and he asserted that as one level of need is satisfied another takes over but if a need is not satisfied on a continuous basis, the individual may decide to give such a need a low priority. Nonetheless, while Maslow and Alderfer presented the concept of motivation in a hierarchy, McClelland (1961, 1971), ignored the concept of hierarchy and put forward a theory known as the acquired need theory that emphasize on three types of needs namely, need for affiliation, need for achievement and need for power. McClelland is of view that individuals experiences are acquired through life experiences that is they are learned. According to this theory individuals possess several needs, and when these needs are activated they serve to motivate behavior and this is to the contrary of Maslows proposition of a continuous progression throughout the hierarchy of needs (Steers et al. 2004). Moreover, also put differently Herzberg et al. (1959) sought to understand how work activities and the nature of an employees job influence motivation and performance. They proposed a theory that involves what they termed as motivators and hygiene factors and argued that motivation factors tend to increase job satisfaction while hygiene factors tend to decrease job satisfaction. According to Herzberg the most crucial difference between the motivators and the hygiene factors is that the motivator factors involve psychological growth while the hygiene factors involve physical and psychological pain avoidance. The authors examined motivators and hygiene factors in the workplace and proposed that where job satisfaction was high there would be corresponding high motivation. Herzberg (1959) further argued that work motivation is influenced to a large extent by the degree to which a job is intrinsically challenging and provides opportunities for recognition and reinforcement. However despite that Herbergs theory has been widely accepted by managers (e.g Latham 2007, Miner 2005, Steers and Porter 1983), this theory has been criticized by many authors. For example Reid (2002) argued that the work of Herzberg is an examination of job satisfaction rather than motivation of employees. Reid also argued that no matter how much emphasis is laid on factors that are intrinsically rewarding, if hygiene factors such as low pay is not addressed, their full effect cannot be felt. Moreover, also Brenner et al. (1971) contradict Herzberg proposition that motivation factors increase job satisfaction and hygiene factors leads to job dissatisfaction and points out that his study and others indicated that the employees received job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction from both the motivating and the hygiene factors. Similarly Locke (1976) assessed Herzberg two factor theory and argued that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction result from different causes. Locke also argued that the two-factor theory is inconsistent in classifying factors of satisfaction. Process theories of motivation Along with the content theories, there are also different process theories. According to Viorel et al. (2009) the content theories emphasize on specific factors that motivate workers with regards to certain necessities and aspirations, while the process theories emphasize on the processes and the psychological forces that have an impact on motivation. They start from the premise that motivation starts with the desire to do something. The process or cognitive theories are more useful to the managers compared to the content theories because they provide more realistic principles with regards to the motivation techniques (Viorel et al. 2009). Vroom (1964), in the interest to study motivation developed an alternative to the content theories which is known as the expectancy theory. Vroom suggest that there are three mental components that are considered as instigating and directing behavior and these are referred to as Valence, Instrumentality, and Expectancy. He argued that employees rationally analyze different on-the-job work behaviors and then choose those behaviors which they believe will lead to their most valued work-related rewards and outcomes for example promotion. Moreover, Porter and Lawler (1968) expanded Vrooms work to identify the role of individual differences for example employee abilities and skills and the role clarity in relating job effort to actual job performance. Porter and Lawler also explained the relationship between performance and satisfaction. They argued that this relationship is mediated by the extent and quality of the rewards that employees receive in return for their job performance. In addition to expectancy theory Adams (1963), developed the equity theory to clarify how employees respond cognitively and behaviorally with regards to unfairness in the workplace. Adams suggested that employees develop beliefs about what constitutes a fair and equitable return for their job performance and contributions therefore employees always compare their efforts and the associated rewards with that of other employees and in case there is a situation whereby there is an element of injustice or unfairness there is an imbalance that is a perception of inequity will result. The author is therefore of view that when perception of inequity occurs the employee will get engaged in activities in order to reduce the inequity that is the negative feelings of dissatisfaction will motivate the individual to do effort to redress the inequity. On the other hand, quite differently Latham and Locke (1979) came up with the goal setting theory. According to Latham (2004), the underlying premise of the goal setting theory is that ones conscious goals affect what one achieves (p. 126). The author argued that this is because a goal is said to be the objective or aim of an action and having a specific goal result to improved performance. Employees with specific hard goals tend to perform better compared to those with vague goals and that a goal is a standard for assessing an individuals performance. Moreover, Latham also suggested that to the extent that the goal is met or exceeded, satisfaction increases; and conversely, to the extent that performance falls short of the goal, ones satisfaction decreases (p. 126). While content theories have tended to focus on needs of people and process theories have focused on factors motivating people, Adair (2006) have brought some new issues in the field of employee motivation and developed a new theory of motivation known as the Fifty-Fifty rule. Unlike the authors of content and process theories, Adair is of view that motivation lies both within an individual as well as external to the individual. According to the author, 50 percent of motivation lies within a person and fifty percent lies outside the person however Adair points out that this theory does not assert for the exactly fifty-fifty proportion in the equation but it only emphasized on the idea that a considerable part of motivation lies within a person while a considerable part lies outside and beyond its control. Through these theories, it can be said that work motivation has been characterized by dimensions such as interesting job, ability to perform, recognition, adequate pay, and feedback on performance (Dwivedula and Bredillet, 2010). However according to Meyer et al. (2004) it is also very important to consider differences in the psychological states, or mindsets that can accompany motivation. Therefore, Meyer et al. (2004) argued that motivation theories developed in other areas of psychology render a convincing case that motivation is multidimensional. Opponent-Process Theory and Adaptation-Level Theory The opponent process theory, proposed by Solomon and Corbit (1973, 1974), explain that there are pairs of emotions that play in opposing pairs and when one of these emotions is experienced, the other is temporarily suppressed, however when one emotion is activated the opposite one is also activated. The author argued that the theory accounts for the existence of psychological mechanisms for the automatic or autonomic control of affect, such that repeated pleasures lose a lot of their pleasantness and make one potentially capable of new sources of suffering; in the same vein, repeated aversive events lose a lot of their unpleasantness and make one potentially capable of new sources of pleasure (Solomon 1980, p.709). According to Bowling et al. (2005) proponents for this theory provide for a specific way in which job satisfaction is influenced by both the person and the environment. This theory is said to be a complementary explanation for job satisfaction stability that can be integra ted with the argument of dispositional and with adaptation-level theory (Bowling et al. 2005). Bowling et al. (2005) argued that the adaptation-level theory (Helson, 1948, 1964a, 1964b), offers one potential explanation for the temporal stability of job satisfaction (p. 1046). Bowling explained that the theory postulates that someones evaluation of an outcome is said to be a function of previous experiences outcomes. For example, an employee who has worked for years without a pay raise would be expected to respond positively to even a small pay increase because this change in pay would be different from that individuals adaptation level, however the positive response would be temporary as the persons adaptation level would eventually change as the experience of the pay increase is integrated into the employees adaptation level (Bowling et al. 2005). Self-Regulatory Theory Moreover quite differently, Higgins (1997, 1998) proposed the regulatory focus theory that draw important differences in the processes through which individuals approach pleasure and avoid pain. Huggins proposed that individuals have two types of motivational systems given by a system that regulates rewards (promotion focus) and one that regulates punishments (prevention focus). According to the author people who operate primarily within the promotion focus are concerned with accomplishments, are sensible towards the existence or absence of rewards, adopt a goal attainment strategy, are more creative and are more willing to take risks. However, people who operate within the prevention focus tend to be more concerned with duties and responsibilities and are more sensitive to the existence or absence of punishments. Moreover the regulatory focus is ascertained both by situational and chronic factors (Higgins, 1997, 1998). Job Characteristic Model (JCM) On the other hand Hackman and Oldhams (1976) proposed the Job Characteristic Model (JCM) and identified five core job characteristics namely: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. According to the authors the core job characteristics are three determinants of the critical psychological states namely skill variety, task identity and task significance which contribute to experienced meaningfulness; autonomy to experienced responsibility; and feedback to knowledge of results. The critical psychological states in turn are projected collectively as promoting job satisfaction, internal work motivation, performance and reduced absence and labor turnover. The model assumes that autonomy and feedback are more important than the other work characteristics and people with higher growth need strength will respond more positively to enriched jobs than others (Parker et al. 2001). Activation theory Besides, quite similar to the JCM, Anderson (1976, 1983) came up with the activation theory whereby he argued that the strongest motivating factor is the work itself however over time as the worker get used with the environment and learns the responses required in the repetitive task there may be a fall in the activation level or job stimulation. It is important to highlight that over time all work tends to become repetitive after the job has been practiced and therefore a wide range of dysfunctional and non-task activities must be pursued to offset the fall in the job stimulation level (Milbourn 1984). Moreover according to Milbourn (1984), if dysfunctional activities are addressed, managers can consider enriching jobs through job redesign to reduce monotony at work in order to maintain job stimulation. Motivational practices in Organizational environment According to Islam and Ismail (2008) the theories mentioned continue to offer the foundation for organization and managerial development practices to a large extent. Along with the above theories, during the last decade, based on employees motivation many empirical studies have been carried out (Islam and Ismail, 2008). For example, Milliken (1996) has accounted for way the Eastman Chemical Company motivate and retain its employees and according to the author the ways or incentives adopted were job security, performance-based appraisal system, extrinsic recognition through employee suggestion system, providing performance feedback and the provision of training in problem solving, etc. In addition Kovach (1995) has described the ranking of ten motivational factors made by the employees and their immediate supervisors and Kovach has found that to a large extent the rankings made by the supervisors differed to those made by the employees. He pointed out that managers make mistakes by th inking that what will motivate them will also be the same for the employees. On the other hand Bent et al. (1999) carried out research in small food manufacturing businesses whereby respondents were asked to complete, using a five-point Likert scale about how they felt motivated and then how satisfied they were with their jobs and the authors found that the degree of positive motivation was high. According to Bent et al. (1999) the employees were either very or moderately motivated with their jobs, however it was important to note that no respondents stated that they were either very motivated or very dissatisfied with their job. The authors also argued that issues which are associated with individual management style include lack of appreciation from management to feel for the work of employees and that there was also poor communication contributing to low job satisfaction and this contrasts with the identification by employees, of the motivating or satisfying qualities of a good management style. Moreover, another issue raised by the employees was that of t raining and this was both in terms of effective training contributing positively to job motivation and in terms of poor or lack of training which caused demotivation (Bent et al. 1999). Furthermore VAITKUVIENÄ- (2010) conducted research in two Swedish manufacturing companies given by, the company Frilight AB which manufactures yachts, boats and lightning equipment for camps, and the company Enitor Plast AB which manufactures different types of plastic parts. The author reported that the workers were found satisfied with the working conditions, training of staffs and career opportunities. The author argued that the Swedish employees were motivated and that the employees do not avoid responsibilities and follow directions. VAITKUVIENÄ- (2010) also found that almost all employees are stimulated with the organizing of recreational tours, holidays and events. According to the author more than half of employees in the Sweden manufacturing companies are stimulated through gifts on various occasions (birthdays, holidays), free meals at work, health insurance coverage, work, clothes, equipment, travels for the company employees, days off, recognition and good working conditions and therefore the author pointed out that the employees of the manufacturing companies consider non-financial motivation tools to be more important. Eventually, Dwivedula and Bredillet (2010), in line with the authors Cummings and Blumberg (1987) pointed out that studies from the manufacturing sector emphasize on the importance of providing autonomy, and skill variety to the employees which are otherwise absent. On the other hand Adler (1991) observed and concluded that manufacturing firms rely on job rotation, and voluntary job switching to motivate the employees. Moreover, Galia (2008) supported by Dwivedula and Bredillet (2010) reported that more recently it has been observed that, in a survey of 5000 manufacturing  ¬Ã‚ rms by SESSI (Industrial Statistics Department of the French Ministry of Economics, Finance, and Industry), practices such as autonomy at work, incentives to promote creativity have been widely adopted in order to motivate the workers.

edgar allan poe Essay -- essays research papers

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of two poor touring actors, Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Jr. The Poes traveled around to many different theaters, playing many different roles. While his mother was a well-known actor, his father was not, and was usually drunk during performances. David Poe abandoned his family when Edgar was about two and the rest of the Poe family left for Richmond, Virginia. Edgar’s mother died of tuberculosis there in Richmond. Edgar was only three at the time but apparently he remembered the traumatizing event later in life. After his mother’s death, John and Frances Allan took Edgar in. John Allan was a wealthy merchant. Allan changed Edgar Poe’s name to Edgar Allan Poe when he was baptized but never legally adopted him. John Allan sent Poe to all the best schools. John Allan’s company went bankrupt and he thought his family would have to live an austere lifestyle. Fortune found the Allan’s in 1825 when John’s uncle died and left the family $200,000. John Allan could now afford to send Edgar to the University of Virginia. While there, Edgar began drinking and gambling. This is also where he began writing poems. In 1827, Poe left the University and went to Baltimore. He was hoping to publish the poems that he had written but nobody would buy them. Poe was without any income so he joined the Army. He gained the rank of sergeant major in just two years and wrote in his spare time....

The “High Court Ruling Only Tweaks Sarbanes-Oxley Act” Article

ARTICLE SYNOPSISThe â€Å"High Court Ruling Only Tweaks Sarbanes-Oxley Act† article is about the Supreme Court ruling in Free Enterprise Fund vs. PCAOB indicating that Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) will remain â€Å"fully operative as a law† with the exception to remove members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Prior to the SOX Act, the removal of member was said to violate the appointments clause of the Constitution. In addition to discussing the ruling, the following will explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley act affects ethical decisions in today’s business and the criminal penalties that it provides.ETHICAL DECISIONThe process of making decisions consists of ethical attribute that include integrity, transparency, and accountability. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has the effect of ensuring investor confidence through the existence of regulatory provisions effective in enhancing ethical standards. In the case of Free Enterprise Fund v. PCAOB shows the extent to which the issue of separation of powers is upheld. The main argument in the case was the excess power granted to the board as it was appointed by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) other than the president.This means that the board had regulatory non-restricted power by the executive. According to the ruling, PCAOB has the power to continue overseeing public company audits with the intention of protecting investors interest (Jaeger, 2010). This is a major development as it relates to ensuring that proper measures supports the scope of executives ensuring that proper decisions are effective in protecting the interests of investors. The court’s ruling indicated that PCAOB board members will be removed from office by SEC at will other than for good cause (Jaeger, 2010).However, other programs of PCAOB remain unaffected by the decision of the court. It is important to note that the enactment of the SOX Act is a major development that has ensured integrity in decision-making proce ss essential in protecting the integrity of investors. As a result of maintaining proper books of accounts and ensuring proper internal controls are in place, the SOX Act ensures ethical decisions are made enhancing the integrity and transparency. Ultimately, the impact of the SOX Act is to protect the interest of investors through prevention of accounting frauds.CRIMINAL PENALTIES The SOXAct provides for various criminal penalties under certain sections. Section 802 of the SOX Act provides criminal penalties for influencing the United States agency investigation, which is also known as proper administration. The criminal penalty punishes any person who knowingly falsifies information or document with the intention of obstructing a particular investigation. An individual can be put in jail if found guilty of this criminal offense for a period not exceeding 20 years.Another criminal penalty under the SOX Act is retaliation against whistleblowers (Jaeger, 2010). This relates to any pe rson who takes harmful action against another person with the intention to retaliate. A fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years can be placed if a person is found guilty for this criminal offense. Section 906 of the SOX Act provides for criminal penalties for CEO or CFO financial statement certification. According to this section, any corporate officer who fails to certify financial reports is liable for a jail term not exceeding 20 years.

Andy Warhol essays

Andy Warhol essays When envisioning in your mind what Pop Art precisely is, there is no artist that could provide a more lucid example of this other than Andy Warhol. Through the use of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and films, Warhol transformed the standard of modern art by making more vibrant and lively features. His nonconforming style attracted much of society that included many celebrities. Using many techniques such as isolation, repetition and colour placement, Warhol brought to the world of art his views on materialism, politics, economics and the media. Warhol's works were meant to be taken at face value, for nothing more than what they portrayed on the surface. Much of his life can be visualized through his extensive time capsule located in the Andy Warhol Museum. Everything he thought to be interesting and valuable was gathered together and set in containers so that that his own human experiences could be captured in time for the general public to view. In my own experience of viewing the time capsule, I noticed that there were many prominent themes in ea ch individual vitrine that represented some segment of Warhol's life and ideas. In the first vitrine, it was apparent that the theme was politics and entertainment of the era, which were obviously very important matters to him. These matters were important to him because he always wanted to keep up to date with cultural trends so that he could reflect them in his art pieces. This vitrine contained items such as publications of the 1960's, magazines that promoted sexual openness, and photographs of Marilyn Monroe, a definite icon of the era. The second vitrine displayed many items that pertained to the production of Warhol's films. Some contents include a letter from Rick Clayton (a man who sat in for a Warhol screen test), postcards, letters, a marriage invitation, and pornography. These items relating to his films were noteworthy because they reflect some the most sign...

Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn

Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn Known  for:  radical sentiments. She was a Christian socialist, a pacifist, an anti-vivisectionist, a vegetarian, and worked for womens suffrage, for prison reform, against lynching, against the death penalty, and against child labor. Occupation: poet, writerDates: 1876 - April 4, 1959Also known as: Sarah N. Cleghorn, Sarah Cleghorn Biography Robert Frost famously pointed out that the people of Vermont were taken care of by three great ladies. And one of these is wise and a novelist, one is mystic and an essayist and the third is saintly and a poet. Frost referred to Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Zephine Humphrey, and Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn. He also said of Cleghorn, To a saint and a reformer like Sarah Cleghorn the great importance is not to get hold of both ends, but of the right end. She has to be partisan. Born in Virginia in a hotel where her New England parents were visiting, Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn grew up in Wisconsin and Minnesota until she was nine. When her mother died, she and her sister moved to Vermont, where  aunts raised them. She lived most of her years in Manchester, Vermont. Cleghorn was educated at a seminary in Manchester, Vermont, and studied at Radcliffe College, but she could not afford to continue. Her circle of poet and writer friends included Dorothy Canfield Fisher and Robert Frost. She is considered part of the American Naturalists. She called her earlier poems sunbonnets poems which characterized country life and her later poems burning poems poems that pointed to social injustices. She was profoundly influenced by reading of an incident in the South, the burning alive of a Negro by his white neighbors. She was also disturbed by how little attention this incident drew. At 35, she joined the Socialist Party, though she later said that she had begun to do some cogitating on labor issues at age 16. She worked briefly in the Brookwood Labor School. On a visit to South Carolina, she was inspired by seeing a factory mill, with child laborers, next to a golf course, to write her best-remembered verse.   She oritinally submitted it as just this quatrain; it is part of a larger work,  Through the Needles Eye, 1916: The golf links lie so near the millThat almost every dayThe laboring children can look outAnd see the men at play. In middle age, she moved to New York to find work not too successfully. Over the years, forty of her poems were published in Atlantic Monthly. In 1937, she served briefly on the faculty of Wellesley College, as a substitute for Edith Hamilton, and she also substituted for a year at Vassar, both times in the English departments. She moved to Philadelphia in 1943, where she continued her activism, defending peace during the Cold War as an old Quaker. Sarah Cleghorn died in Philadelphia in 1959. Family Mother: Sarah Chestnut HawleyFather: John Dalton Cleghorn Education educated at homeBurr and Burton Seminary, of ManchesterRadcliffe, 1895-1906 Books A Turnpike Lady (novel), 1907.Hillsboro People (poems), 1915.Fellow Captains with Dorothy Canfield Fisher, 1916.The Spinsters (novel), 1916.Portraits and Protests (poems), 1917.Ballad of Eugene Debs, 1928.Miss Ross Girls , 1931.Ballad of Tuzulutlan, 1932.Ballad of Joseph and Damien, 1934.Threescore (autobiography), 1936. Robert Frost wrote the introduction.Peace and Freedom (poems), 1945

Managing Hospitals by Physicians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing Hospitals by Physicians - Essay Example Moreover, in turn, hospitals are reliant on these physicians as a recommendation foundation for patient volume. This arrangement of the health care system is a very old tradition which has only presently illustrated the signs of transforming with the uprising of hospitalist physicians. It is more referred to as a strange economic relationship for the reason that the physicians seek advantage in financial terms from the use of hospitals but do not put up with the unswerving liability for the economic health of these institutions (Final Report, 2008). The rock-strewn nuptial between physicians and hospitals is barely a novel occurrence. The stringency between the notion of the hospitals as a 'doctor's work-place', pertinent to medical regulation, and the hospital as an autonomous corporation with its own locus of control and an array of operations has buffed and diminished for a major part of the twentieth century (Stevens, 1989). Commencing with the regulation of workmen's compensation funds by innovating hospital administrators and accusations by physicians that hospitals were bartering their charitable services for a benefit, the thrash about for independence, regulation, respect, authority and money has furthered at a swift pace. Physicians who were trained and preserved as the trend-setters of all medical practice, construed to with the growing portion of the nation's health care dough flowing straight away to the hospitals and not to them. In turn, a novel strain of the non-physician hospital administrators who were trained to regulate their institutions as a business, construed to the physicians as indignant of 'lay' control and the rules as well as regulations essential to regulate a subtle and efficacious venture. With negligible irony, an administrator remarked that 'doctors, for the reason that they are doctors, are hard to accommodate into the hospital organization' (St. Luke's Health Initiatives, 2005). And hence, it has vanished. There have been many periods of cooperation, chiefly, in the face of a professed common rival such as third party payers and tyrannical government control and payment systems, but by and large, the provider community of the hospitals and physicians has maintained itself as a debatable creed for much of the twentieth century. Even though, the routine dealings of physicians and hospitals were apparently cordial in superficial terms, there was frequent smouldering distrust, hostility, antipathy and even detestation between the two communes. The objective of physicians ha s always been the regulation of the scope of independent, private practice with minimum restraints between themselves and their patients. The philosophies of the hospital medical personnel, the authoritative model of the physician-hospital connection, were based on utmost physician

Drucker's Management Style in Industry Application Assignment

Drucker's Management Style in Industry Application - Assignment Example This means that managing without a goal can never guarantee the achievement of results. Managers are therefore admonished to at every point in time, set specific, time-bound and measurable goals that are realistic to achieve. Organises – Because managers work with different people with different talents, they must be on top of the distribution of roles to different people (Thompson and McHugh, 2009). This is what organisation is all about. Motivates and communicates – In the delivery of their duties, motivating subordinates will always ensure that managers spark up an inner will for performance to take place (Arnold, J. et al, 2005). Communication will also ensure that there is adequate understanding of policies and workplace ideas. Measures – There should be yardsticks that should measure the achievement of goals set by managers. It is only when there is a measure that can be evaluation of achievements and failures. Develop people – Though managers will a lways have a task to perform, the major task should be seen as the development of people through distribution of right roles (Bailey, 1983). This is because it is only when people are developed that tasks becomes competed because tasks are always completed by the people. 1.12 Drucker’s Management by Objective framework In order that managers will not at any point in time be too focused on their tasks and forget the actual underlying objectives for which the tasks are being performed, Drucker (1989) came out with the framework of managing by objectives, which came to be known as MBO. The major emphasis that the framework draws is that goal setting is always an important aspect of management. Goal setting is important to management implementation because it sets the tone for the kind of planning that needs to be done and the levels of inputs needed to achieve the set goals (Clegg, Hardy & Nord, 1996). As part of the framework, the need to make team work an important focus of su ccess is treated. This is because managers indeed cannot know what each member on the team is doing but once clear objectives are assigned to each member, managers can be assured that members on the team will work around their objectives to bring about the achievement of set goals (Drucker, 1989). 1.2 Advantages of Drucker’s method to the Fashion Industry The management models, put forth by Drucker, more importantly the five point operation in management has several advantages when applied in the modern day fashion industry. Using Adidas, which is a German multinational corporation as an example, there are a number of ways that the management of the company can be said to have benefited from the application of the five point operation management proposed by Drucker (1989). In this regard, Mr. Herbert Hainer, who is the chairman of Adidas, can be used as a model and example. As far as the setting of objectives is concerned, Adidas is one company that has been praised by analys ts and experts in the management literature as having specific objectives for each day of the company’s existence (Scott, 2013). This is because in line with what Drucker proposes; Mr. Hainer ensures that the company does not only operate on long term goals but on short to medium term objectives that are always crafted around various departments and

Book Review on a Non-Fictoion book related to violence Essay

Book Review on a Non-Fictoion book related to violence - Essay Example David Crowe made a serious attempt to collect information on all aspects of Oskar Schindler’s life, be it family, business, or political and what evolved is the description of this controversial character not by subjective emotions but backed by documents. Crowe did prodigious research, reading everything, speaking to everyone, examining each document, actively collecting historical records, and in the end came to gather more information about Oskar than Oskar himself might be aware of. While exploring individual life of Oskar, the historian also gave vivid description of the wider political and economic environment under which he worked. The historian remains in touch with the Spielberg’s masterpiece and Keneally’s touching novel and gave inputs, which were not hitherto presented by them due to their limitations as historian. Crowe aptly performs the role of a historian with his readers on this personality, informing them not only of the story but also of source s of each measured judgment. David Crowe went into depth into each and every aspect of the shaping up of a character of Oskar based on as many official and personal documents which he can gather actively by various sources, hitherto unpublished. It is a book, which in the process of presenting the biography of a personality also gives numerous account of the social, economic, and political environment of the Germany during the period of Holocaust. The book is an attempt to synchronize the life history or rather various emotions through which Oskar underwent to the circumstances surrounding him. This book is a definitive treatise on Oskar Schindler, who despite all his shortcomings, underwent a transformation and became the single largest German rescuer of Jews. David Crowe has studiously and meticulously presented the saga or plight of a man, who started by being targeted only with himself but ended up becoming a messiah for many Jews in true term. It is a must for

Theme Park Technology Essay Example for Free

Theme Park Technology Essay Introduction New technologies that theme parks utilize or may consider using in the future can help manage crowds, improve child safety, and create thrilling attractions. Theme parks must decide which technologies it should adapt in order to attract the most consumers and increase consumer spending. Innovative technologies improve consumer safety and enhance customer satisfaction. Technologies used in theme parks today include smart phone applications, fast passes or flash passes, RFID tracking systems, 4D attractions, and LED powered wheels. If a theme park considers adapting any of these technologies, it must decide if the technology meets customer needs and if the benefits outweigh the costs. Crowd Control: Theme parks implement measures to control crowds so that certain areas of the parks are not overcrowded while other areas of the park do not have large crowds. Crowd control measures include the use of surveillance cameras, monitoring ride occupancy rates, issuing fast passes for people to come back to rides later in the day and not have to wait in line, and smart phone applications. Theme park technologies that assist with foot traffic flow also enhance customer satisfaction and safety. Surveillance Cameras Disney takes the lead in theme park crowd control. Disney’s Magic Kingdom has a security epicenter underneath Cinderella’s Castle which is equipped with surveillance cameras, video screens, digital park maps, and computer programs to pinpoint where there are traffic backups or problems with rides. Employees monitor to see where crowds are the largest and deploy parades to divert traffic and lead guests to areas of the park that are less crowded. (Brooks) Surveillance cameras also help employees monitor and track suspicious persons, which helps keep parks safe. If parks did not have surveillance cameras, there would need to be a lot more security personal stationed around the park and monitoring the park on foot. Ride Occupancy Theme parks monitor crowd control by ensuring that all seats on rides are filled. If seats are left empty, it takes longer for visitors to get through the lines. Shorter wait times equal happier visitors, and shorter wait times provide visitors with the opportunity to spend more time at restaurants and gift shops which generate more revenue for the parks. FASTPASS ® / Flash Pass FASTPASS ® is a ride scheduling system invented by Disney which allows guests to visit an attraction and receive a ticket to come back to the ride at a later time and not wait in a long line. Attractions that utilize the FASTPASS ® system have the time displayed for when guests can come back without waiting in line. Guests insert their park ticket into the FASTPASS ® machine, and they receive ticket with the time when they can come back to the attraction and not wait in a long line. Disney does not charge guests to use FASTPASS ® machines, but other theme parks do charge for similar services. Many people are willing to spend the extra money in order to avoid long lines at popular attractions. (Disney FASTPASS Service) Theme parks also help manage crowds by displaying estimated wait times for rides. If the wait is too long for a ride, people will go to other rides throughout the park and come back later. Other parks, such as Six Flags Theme Parks , have versions of fast passes that allow visitors to wait in shorter lines, schedule when they will go on rides electronically, and to ride the same ride twice in a row without waiting in line a second time. Six Flags Theme Park visitors can purchase Flash Passes and schedule when they will go on the ride via an electronic scheduling system. Six Flags Flash Passes are more advanced than Disney’s Fast Pass since visitors can schedule when they will go on rides electronically from anywhere in the park instead of having to go to each attraction they want to ride and receiving a time to come back when they turn in a FASTPASS ® ticket. (Flash Pass: Six Flags Magic Mountain) Six Flags allows visitors to purchase Regular, Gold or Platinum Flash Passes which have greater reductions in wait times. The Regular Flash Pass provides guests with a limited number of Flash Passes that allow them to wait in a shorter line. The Gold and Platinum Flash Passes allow visitors to electronically schedule when they will visit an attraction. Visitors are given an electronic device called a Q-Bot, which guests use to check electronically schedule when they will be able to visit the ride without waiting in line. (Q-Bot) The Platinum Fast Pass provides the added benefit of being able to go on the same ride twice in a row without getting off and waiting in line again. Flash Passes bring in additional revenue to parks and prices vary depending on the park. For example, Flash Passes range from $31 $86 per person at Six Flags Over Georgia and $41 to $99 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. (Flash Pass: Six Flags Magic Mountain) and (Flash Pass: Six Flags Over Georgia) Mobile Magic APP Theme Parks are innovative and have technologies that help them learn about customer preferences while making consumers’ experiences at the park more enjoyable. Walt Disney World has a mobile application for Verizon Wireless customers called Mobile Magic. Mobile Magic allows customers to view line wait times, make restaurant reservations, play games while waiting in line, view the weather forecast and events taking place in the park, and find Disney characters for children to get autographs. Disney receives information from Mobile Magic users that allows them to analyze which restaurants and rides are the most popular and can help Disney gain insights as to how to make consumers experiences at its parks more enjoyable. (Mobile Magic Application) Child Safety: RFID Tracking System. Theme parks such as Dollywood, Legoland, and Wannado use RFID bracelets to keep track of guests and to protect lost children. RFID bracelets transmit a signal to computer system which keeps track of each person’s location. If a child wearing a RFID bracelet becomes separated from his parents, then the parents send a text message to guest services stating, â€Å"help. † Parents receive a text message in response with the location of the lost child and directions to get to the child’s location. If a lost child gets too close to park exits, authorities are contacted to ensure the child does not exit the park. (Sturgen) RFID bracelets provide increased safety for children, and they allow groups of people to locate each easily if they are separated. The bracelets also track and store information about what foods people eat, what rides they visit first or most frequently, and what items they purchase. The information helps theme park management tailor the parks to best meet consumer preferences. Some guests may view the RFID bracelets as an invasion of privacy, but others feel that the benefits outweigh the risks. (Sturgen) At Wannado and Dollywood, the RFID technology is taken a step further than at Legoland. Visitors are provided with a bracelet containing a RFID tag. Then, groups of visitors register their names in the SafeTzone Real-Time Locating System which links each group’s bracelets together electronically. Visitors can then track the location of people in their group by scanning their bracelet at SafeTzone kiosks. (Sullivan) According to the New York Times article, â€Å"Disney Tackles Major Theme Park Problems: Lines,† Disney may start to use bracelets and take the technology one step further. Bracelets would store consumer credit card information so park guests can purchase items with the swipe of the bracelet. Also, the bracelets would store information such as the customer’s name, when they last visited the restaurant, how frequently they visit the restaurant, and the customer’s preferences. This technology would lead theme parks to be the best in class in customer satisfaction. However, it may not appeal to some people who may view it as an invasion of privacy and like there is someone watching over them at all times. Ride Technology: â€Å"4D† Attractions Theme parks have implemented a new level of technology to make attractions seem like they are in 4D. For example, Dollywood has a Polar Express ride during the winter that combines a 3D movie with seats that move like you are actually riding the Polar Express train, different smells and temperatures and other effects to make 3D movie scenes seem more realistic. (â€Å"Dollywood’s Polar Express Creates 4D Viewer Experience†) Islands of Adventure also employs â€Å"4D† technology with its Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. Visitors watch a 3D movie screen while riding on magic benches that drop, lean back, spin, twist, and turn to make it feel as if visitors are flying through the world of Harry Potter. (â€Å"The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universals Islands of Adventure†) Kuka Robot Group developed the magic benches which are also known as Robocoasters. (â€Å"Kuka Arm†) Theme Park Technology Summary: Theme parks utilize leading edge technologies to improve customer safety, better understand customer preferences, and make customers’ experiences at the park more enjoyable. RFID bracelets improve customer safety and provide parks with information about customer preferences. Investment in RFID technology would pay for itself, because many parents would be willing to pay extra to rent bracelets in order to keep traffic of their children and people in their group. Traffic flow and ride wait times are improved through video surveillance, ensuring each ride is at maximum occupancy, fast passes, wait times posted by each ride, and wait times and park information transmitted to people’s smart phones via applications like Disney’s Mobile Magic. Disney was able to create a smart phone application in conjunction with Verizon wireless by charging customers to purchase the application. Customers are happier when there are shorter wait times and the park is not as crowded. Theme parks improve customer satisfaction through the use of â€Å"4D† technology on rides. Theme parks work to improve business by utilizing and developing new technologies. Theme park technology constantly evolves. In addition to the technologies mentioned above, Maurer Rides is in the testing stages of LED-powered wheels for roller coasters. The wheels are powered by light emitting diodes (LEDs) and â€Å"rotation of the wheels creates a ‘generator principle’ with the rotating movement being converted into energy, and thus light. The key benefit is that, apart from saving power, no batteries or excessive wiring is needed. † (Theme Park Post Amusement Theme Parks Industry Business News) The LED wheel lights will show up during the day and night and create an interesting visual effect. Maurer plans to install the first ‘firewheels’, which can travel up to 80 mph, at a theme park in Germany. If this technology works, it may be adapted by other theme parks since it creates visual appeal and uses less energy. (Theme Park Post Amusement Theme Parks Industry Business News) The most important technologies for theme parks improve customer satisfaction and the likelihood that guests will return to the parks again or recommend the parks to other people. 4D Technology, RFID tracking bracelets, Flash Passes, and smart phone applications are leading edge technologies for theme parks that accomplish the task of improving customer satisfaction. Technology is constantly evolving, and theme parks are destined to invent more advanced technologies that improve business operations and customers’ experiences. Works Cited Barnes, Brooks. Disney Tackles Major Theme Park Problem: Lines. The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 28 Dec. 2010. Web. 22 May 2011. . Disney FASTPASS Service. Walt Disney World Resort. Disney. Web. 30 May 2011. . Dollywoods Polar Express Creates 4D Viewer Experience Amusement Parks. Amusement Park Industry-Theme Park Business Directory Amusement Park. Blooloop, 18 Feb. 2009. Web. 31 May 2011. . Flash Pass: Six Flags Magic Mountain. Six Flags. Web. 30 May 2011. . Flash Pass: Six Flags Over Georgia. Six Flags. Web. 30 May 2011. . Kuka Arm. Harry Potter Wizarding World Theme Park in Orlando, Florida. Web. 31 May 2011. . Mobile Magic Application | Verizon Wireless | Disney Parks. Mobile Magic | Disney Parks. Web. 22 May 2011. . Q-Bot. Web log post. Theme Park Review. 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 30 May 2011. . Satchell, Arlene. Wannado City Moves up Closing to Jan. 2 Sun Sentinel. Featured Articles From The Sun Sentinel. The Sun Sentinel, 21 Dec. 2010. Web. 22 May 2011. . Sturgeon, Will. RFID Chips on Kids Makes Legoland Safer | Protecting Your ID | Silicon. com. Silicon. com | Technology Strategy for CIOs and Business Executives. Silicon. com, 24 June 2004. Web. 24 May 2011. . Sullivan, Laurie. How RFID Will Help Mommy Find Johnny InformationWeek. InformationWeek | Business Technology News, Reviews and Blogs. Information Week, 15 Sept. 2004. Web. 22 May 2011. . Theme Park Post Amusement Theme Parks Industry Business News. Web. 22 May 2011. .