Confermation Bias Within The Gun Control Debate - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1348 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/03/19 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Gun Control Essay Did you like this example? The physiological definition of confirmation bias by the American Psychological Association (APA) is the ability or act of ignoring, finding, manipulating, or modifying evidence and data to support your beliefs, ideas, or ideology. Dr. Raymond Richardson, a professor at Tufts University located in Medford Massachusetts, summarized in 1998 confirmation bias [as] the seeking or interpreting of evidence in ways that are partial to existing beliefs, expectations, or a hypothesis in hand (175). Confirmation bias due to the fact that is can be for good or for evil is dangerous. The impact can be minor or of extreme proportions. With confirmation bias the entire idea is a person could be doing so, with or without intent to do so. The only way to not have confirmation bias is to take the data, facts and sources. Then try to break them down to the weakest points or if the data is against the interest of the source dispersing it. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Confermation Bias Within The Gun Control Debate" essay for you Create order Confirmation bias is ever present in the conversations and laws involving the debate of Gun Control on all sides of the debate. The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV) and its sister organization the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), a left-wing anti-gun tax exempt lobbyist group founded in 1974 and headquarter in Washington, DC only seeks and interprets evidence that support the ideology guns themselves are the cause of gun violence. On the other side, the National Rifle Association (NRA) a pro-gun lobbyist group founded on November 16, 1871 in New York, NY and relocated to Fairfax, VA in 1993 refuse to blame anything other than culture and education for the overall violence problem. Both sides of the argument on guns are flawed and show confirmation bias in the evidence they present to support their argument. Anti-gun In February 2018 EFSGV published a report using the Center of Disease Control (CDC) statistic on factors of deaths in the United States (US) to support their opinion that gun control laws like in the Common Wealth of Massachusetts actually works. However, the EFSGV had filtered the information provided by the CDC not separate homicide and murders, from suicides. Plus, even on the site the CDC states that the numbers provided are suppressed values (2018). This means that the data is already not an accurate representation of what is truly happening. After contacting the CDC Public Affairs Officer (PAO) and asking what suppressed values on their website means. They provided a clarification statement of the values being suppressed or labeled as suppressed due to states, towns, or cities not being required to add the question of have you or a member of the household to the yearly census. Plus, as the CDC also stated in the response the data is hard for them to determine who in the family is reporting the death or injury. This is caused by the fact a person who is dead cannot fill out the US census questionnaire. With the additional problem of the volatility of the answers provided in response to the questionnaire is not verified. Even more so the categories overlap or are differently defined by individuals answering the census questions. With this in mind about the accuracy and volatility of the data provided to the CDC in the census questionnaire that also changes year to year it is easy to manipulate at all levels. As of November 20, 2018, the data on the CDC website was relabeled and no longer placed into charts. Unable to get a reason from the CDC Public Affairs Officer for the change in formatting and removal of the breakdowns in percentages. The new setup of the CDC data states it is census data in clear text, in multiple locations and does not attempt to break the data down for you. Leaving you to make the determination of the meaning of the data. The EFSGV confirmation bias to support the gun control agenda lead them to manipulated the data to show what they wanted or need to see, to confirm the beliefs, ideas, and ideology of gun control. They provided false validity to the data by not stating it was data from a census questionnaire. Leaving the reader to believe it had more validity than what it truly does. Using the same data set provided by the CDC prior to the November 20, 2018 update just by removing all the filters on types of Intent of Death and Mechanism of Death the data chart of percentages showed an entirely different picture from what EFSGV was trying to make in the publication. Firearm related deaths in Massachusetts fell down from 65.0% to only 7.2% of deaths. Leaving the highest cause of deaths in Massachusetts being drug poisoning at 32.2% and falls causing 15.9% of deaths. Just by removing the filters on the data provided by the CDC you are two times more likely to die as a result of a motor vehicle than by a firearm. With the post November 20, 2018 update of the CDC website the data in Table 1.1 and 1.2 shows Massachusetts being in the group of safest states with New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. However, once you filter it to just homicides involving a firearm in table 2.1 and 2.2 you see that Massachusetts has some counties that falls higher than the majority of the country. Even though they still are within the extreme low rate per 100,000 population leaves little to work with to improve in Massachusetts. It also gives EFSGV little to argue about gun violence. The only difference between tables 1 and tables 2 is the fact table 1 shows homicides, suicides, and legal interventions. With table 2 only showing homicides. The only conclusion from the data is that Massachusetts has suicides and legal interventions resulting in deaths as a result of firearm related injuries. With some filtering and over validation of the data provided it is possible to confirm any belief, expectations, and hypothesis at hand. Being caused by the fact the CDC uses very wide net categories that are not well defined and have no legal definition being left to the person who is answering the question on the census to interpret. The EFSGV took advantage of the census data provided and shaped it to their cause. EFSGV statements of the need for gun control to stop gun-violence is shown to be invalid with their source the CDC. Facts about the data they are using are ignored and not reported in the publication, misleading the reader to believe the data has more validity than it does. Pro-gun With the National Rifle Association (NRA) you have a YouTube publication by Colion Noir a NRATV host who in a story of Chicago starts with news reports and videos of crime and murder in Chicago. Then calling Chicago, Chiraq referring to it being equal to an active war zone. In the video Colion Noir interviews Leonard GLC Harris a Hip-Hop artist who contradicts the statement made earlier in the video. Leonard Harris points out, what gets the ratings and news is murder and mayhem If you are constantly seeing murder and mayhem [explicit] you will become a reflection of that (NRA Noir, 2018). Leonard Harris later on in the video points out the crime problem is a culture problem. The number one way anybody learns is through the social learning theory. You can go to school all day and read whats in the books[] But, when you see your mother and father do and your friends[] on a daily bases thats what you are going to normalize. Leonard Harris ignores the fact and example that goes against the arguments he made. Leonard Harris who grew up in Chicago with the criminal parents, friends, and environment is a perfect example, that it is not only a social learning problem only. He is not a criminal and is a productive member of the community serving as perfect example as a Hip-Hop artist. They talk about African American culture and social learning being the problem, even though they have evidence stating it is not the only problem and cause for gun crime. They made the statements ignoring the examples and evidence that goes against the argument they were trying to make.

Minimum Wage Rates Impact On America - 2305 Words

Minimum Wage Rates Impact Christopher W. Thomas Liberty University Global Economic Environment BUSI-620 Dr. Nesli Duda Introduction Also referred to as living wage, minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate allowed by federal law to be paid to an employee by an employer that is usually determined by inflations and other economic factors. Usually, it is an economic program stipulating an employee’s benefits of working per hour valued against a hardship policy instigated by the employer. In the United States, the minimum wage first came to light during the Depression era which has propelled from levels of 25cents to $7.25 per hour since 1993 (David, 2013). Irrespective if this steep increase, matters inflation in the†¦show more content†¦In essence, this paper thus seeks to purport that raising the minimum wage would increase disposable income while at the same time encourage the country’s inflation and push the unemployment rate to new levels. Clearly, to some extent raising the minimum wage is both an economic and social safety for all those involved but at the same time has crippling effects on the government’s economy and those involved at large. Minimum wages impact on employees Each year that the minimum wage figures stay stagnated at a specific number in nominal dollars, the reality of inflation slowly bites in as its real value is gradually adjusted and in the long run minimum wage earners are left with payments that cannot sum up or fulfill their household and other personal needs. On analysis of this fact, it is evident that the well-being and living standards of minimum wage workers is highly threatened especially for those people who have families and in this earning bracket. Currently, at a minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour on a full time basis does not necessarily negate to the fact that they get to cross the estimated government poverty line on an all rounded annual basis. Comparing the current status and the 1960s value rates, the wage income is not enough to cater for the needs of a woman together with her family simply

English Language and Linguistic Business Media

Question: Discuss about theEnglish Language and Linguistic for Business Media. Answer: Introduction: The article of Schneier has provided an in-depth overview about the importance of encryption in order to keep a constant protection in technological devices. Encryption is a systematic procedure of encoding messages based on which an authorized party can read the message only. Various government and non-governmental organizations can keep their confidential data and information by using encryption. Journalists are able to communicate with the secured sources with the help of encryption. As per the point of view of Schneie, encryption can be considered as one of the most essential components of security. To some extent, it is undeniable that Encryption renders a major security in the devises. As a result, people can keep their secured data within their device easily. Daemen Rijmen, (2013) stated that innumerable criminal investigations have been conducted by using encryption in order to maintain confidentiality in their data. Strong encryption is always unbreakable. Criminals, hackers would never be able to leak data. The article of Schneie has been differed strongly by many scholars. As per the point of view of Rayarikar, Upadhyay Pimpale, (2012), encrypted files need an appropriate password. If the user forgets the password by chance, the entire file would be demolished because an unauthorized person cannot open encrypted file. Encrypted file raise suspicion among the people in general. If a user likes to use encrypted file at the workplace, it may raise a suspicion for the other people. Therefore, the people around them tend to become violent in order to break the confidentialit y of data. On the other hand, Libert, Paterson Quaglia, (2012) opined that encryption is only fruitful for a single user. If two or more than two people intend to become involve within a single project they have to face immense challenges in order to operate the same device. However, the strength of this particular article is that Schneie has highlighted a deep insight about the essence of encryption. Schneie has discussed in detail on how encryption helps to maintain confidentially of data. The journalists, criminal investigators, bankers for maintaining online transactions are highly benefited and facilitated by using data encryption software. Schneie has highlighted the utilization of encryption in detail. At the same time, this specific article is not devoid of some of its major weaknesses as well. The author does not intend to mention the various ways of using encryption software and its risk factors (Talha Barry, 2013). Before using an encrypted file people should know the utilization of this software and its risk analysis. The entire study deals with the point of view of Schneie regarding the value of encryption for maintaining confidentiality of technological devices. Based on this article different scholars have expressed their point of view. Some of the disadvantages of encryption software have also been highlighted in this particular study. As per the critical analysis of the article of Schneie it can be evaluated that encryption helps to keep confidential data safe and secured. Therefore, user should know the process of using encryption. Reference List: Daemen, J., Rijmen, V. (2013).The design of Rijndael: AES-the advanced encryption standard. Springer Science Business Media. Rayarikar, R., Upadhyay, S., Pimpale, P. (2012). SMS encryption using AES Algorithm on Android.International Journal of Computer Applications,50(19). Libert, B., Paterson, K. G., Quaglia, E. A. (2012, May). Anonymous broadcast encryption: Adaptive security and efficient constructions in the standard model. InInternational Workshop on Public Key Cryptography(pp. 206-224). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Talha, S. K., Barry, B. I. (2013, August). Evaluating the impact of AES encryption algorithm on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. InComputing, Electrical and Electronics Engineering (ICCEEE), 2013 International Conference on(pp. 686-691). IEEE.

Big Bang Theory Essay Research Paper Informative free essay sample

Big Bang Theory Essay, Research Paper Enlightening Essay 4-22-00 Freshman English 1 Big knock theory It is ever a enigma about how the existence began, whether if and when it will stop. Astronomers construct hypotheses called cosmogonic theoretical accounts that try to happen the reply. There are two such theoretical accounts: the Big Bang theory and the Steady State theoretical account. Because of many experimental groundss, the Big Bang theory best explains the creative activity of the existence. The Big Bang theoretical account postulates that approximately 15 to 20 billion old ages ago, the existence violently exploded into being, in an event called the Big Bang. Before the Big Bang, all of the affair and radiation of our present existence was packed together in an highly hot, heavy province. During the Big Bang, the affair and radiation of that early phase quickly expanded and cooled. Several million old ages subsequently, it condensed into galaxies. We will write a custom essay sample on Big Bang Theory Essay Research Paper Informative or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The existence has continued to spread out, and the galaxies have continued traveling off from each other of all time since. Today, it has been observed that the existence is still spread outing. The Steady State theoretical account says that the existence does non germinate or alter with clip. There was no beginning in the yesteryear, nor should at that place be any alterations in the hereafter. This theoretical account assumes the perfect cosmogonic rule ; that the existence is the same everyplace on the big graduated table, at all times. It maintains the same mean denseness of affair and energy everlastingly. There is much experimental grounds that proves the Big Bang theoretical account is more sensible than the Steady State theoretical account. For illustration, the ascertained ruddy displacements of distant galaxies. Red displacement is a Doppler consequence that occurs when an object, such as a galaxy, is traveling off from the perceiver. The spectral line of the galaxy will hold a displacement to the ruddy terminal of the light spectrum. The faster the galaxy moves, the farther the displacement. If the galaxy is traveling nearer, the spectral line will be shifted toward the bluish terminal. If the galaxy is non traveling, there is no displacement at all. However, as uranologists have observed, the more distant a galaxy is from Earth, the more ruddy shifted it is on the spectrum. This means the further a galaxy is, the faster it is traveling. This all implies that the existence is spread outing, and the Big Bang theoretical account is more sensible than the Steady State theoretical ac count. Another back uping piece of grounds is the radiation produced by the Big Bang. The Big Bang theoretical account predicts that the existence should still be filled with a little leftover of radiation left over from the original violent detonation. The about instantaneous enlargement would hold sent strong short-wave radiation in all waies into infinite. In clip, that radiation would distribute out, cooled, and filled the spread outing universe uniformly. By now it would strike Earth as microwave radiation. In 1965 physicists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson detected microwave radiation coming every bit from all waies in the sky, twenty-four hours and dark, twelvemonth unit of ammunition. This radiation is assumed to be the radiation that was produced by the Big Bang. This casts serious uncertainty on the Steady State theoretical account. The Steady State can non explicate the being of this radiation, so the theoretical account is thought to be incorrect in explicating the beginning of t he existence. Now that the Big Bang theoretical account has been shown to better fit experimental evi dence, it can be explained in greater item. Around 15 to 20 billion old ages ago, clip began. The points that were to go the existence exploded in the primeval bolide called the Big Bang. The exact nature of this detonation may neer be known. However, recent theoretical discoveries, based on the rules of quantum theory, have suggested that infinite, and the affair within it, masks an minute kingdom of arrant pandemonium, where events go on indiscriminately, in a province called quantum outlandishness. Before the existence began, this pandemonium was all there was. At some clip, a part of this entropy happened to organize a bubble, with a temperature in surplus of 10 to the power of 34 grades Kelvin. Bing that hot, of course it expanded. For a brief and short period, billionths of billionths of a 2nd, it inflated. At the terminal of the period of rising prices, the existence may hold had a diameter of a few centimetres. The temperature had cooled plenty for atoms of affair and antimat ter to organize, but they immediately destroyed each other, bring forthing fire and a thin haze of affair ; likely because somewhat more affair than antimatter was formed. This bolide was the existence at an age of trillionth of a 2nd. The temperature of the spread outing bolide dropped quickly, chilling to a few billion grades in few proceedingss. Matter continued to distill out of energy, first protons and neutrons, so negatrons, and eventually neutrinos. After about an hr, the temperature had dropped below a billion grades, and protons and neutrons combined and formed H, heavy hydrogen, and He. In a billion old ages, this cloud of energy, atoms, and neutrinos had cooled plenty for galaxies to organize. The spread outing cloud cooled still farther until today, where the temperature is a twosome of grades above absolute nothing. In the hereafter, the existence may stop up in two possible state of affairss. From the initial Big Bang, the existence attained a velocity of enlargement. If that velocity is greater than the universe # 8217 ; s flight speed, so it will non halt spread outing. Such a existence is said to be unfastened. If the speed of enlargement is slower than the flight speed, the existence will finally make the bound of its outward push, merely like a ball thrown in the air comes to the top of its discharge, slows, Michigans, and starts to fall. The clang of the long autumn may be the Big Bang to the beginning of another existence, as the bolide formed at the terminal of the contraction leaps outward in another great enlargement. Such a existence is said to be closed, and throbing. If the existence has achieved flight speed, it will go on to spread out everlastingly. The stars will blush and decease, the existence will be like a limitless empty haze, spread outing boundlessly into the darkness. This infinite will go even emptier, as the cardinal atoms of affair age, and di sintegrate through clip. As the old ages stretch on into eternity, nil will stay. A few crude atoms such as antielectrons and negatrons will be revolving each other at distances of 100s of astronomical units. These atoms will gyrate easy toward each other until touching, and they will disappear in the last flash of visible radiation. After all, the Big Bang theoretical account is merely an premise. No 1 knows for certain precisely how the existence began and how it will stop. However, the Big Bang theoretical account is the most logical and sensible theory to explicate the existence in modern scientific discipline. 325

Power Of Clinton And Blair Essays - Rodham Family,

Power Of Clinton And Blair "We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it" . In co-operation President Clinton and Prime Minister Blair are renowned for being capable and powerful politicians, be it through the media or through the publics own perceptions this has been shown through high profile world politics in which both men have had major roles. An example of this has been with the Kosovan war in which both leaders joined together showing how important their decisions were. Clinton and Blair have both proved their abilities in gaining public support and retaining the approval given to them from the majority in the form of power. Equally they have retained this power in the face of austere media coverage, as with the Monica Lewinsky scandal involving Clinton or being Blair at the present time. The roles of President and Prime Minister have long been considered the highest positions of political power that resides in America and Britain. However both draw on different sources for their power and stability in these roles. It is for this reason that the stability of these sources and the extent to which Clinton and Blair can make independent changes must be accessed if we are to understand the limitations of their power. Both Clinton and Blair have different power bases from which to be judged. Ostensibly it is President Clinton who appears to have the most significant power base as the political leader of one of the most influential countries in the world. As a significant military power, America is seen as a powerful ally in times of conflict. In addition to, as commander and chief of a military superpower Clinton has reflected power with the ability to represent America's interests abroad with substantial force as with the Gulf War, in this way Clinton can certainly be perceived to be more militarily powerful than any other leader. America's economic force is also an essential factor in establishing the importance of Clinton's decisions and ultimately his power. With the economic strength to enforce trade sanctions and give out loans to large countries such as Russia, Clinton can certainly be seen as economically established. With the fall of Soviet Russia competition for world dominance has decreased and America can be seen to stand alone as a superpower and as its leader Clinton it can be argued is a super leader. Britain despite not being seen in the same way economically or militarily still remains an important world power. With A strong capitalist economy and a respected history of military strength, Britain remains respected by other countries, as does its leader Tony Blair. As a former empirical power Britain has retained important links with large countries such Australia through the Commonwealth. Organisations such as these show England to dominate in world politics. Britain has also although somewhat reluctantly joined one of the most power trades organisations in the world the European Union. The UK is also a member of Nato and combined with the expertise of the British army can be considered to be a strong military force. Because of Britain's status in the world's political forum Blair like Clinton can be considered powerful as a leader of a moderately powerful country. While America is more powerful its leader Clinton is more limited in the decisions he can make on behalf of this superpower.

Behavior developes from nurtur essays

Behavior developes from nurtur essays Behavior and emotion is what makes a man, we are all but little playing peices in a big world of mis understood knowlege.We are one of many complex species today because of the history of thoguth and emotion.Although genes influence human behavior,I am going to tell you Ms D, why it is I believe that nurture is a big factor in human behavior. The Fetus sits in it's mothers womb for 9 months. While in the womb, the baby is constantly growing and developing new features. The baby does it's time in its prison like perimiters until the mother gives birth. The baby is alive and well and now into a world wide cycle of being raised, just like many other children around the world. What I mean to say is, our behavior is originated only from the "envoiroment in which we are placed in throughout our upbringing". We do not come out of the womb with certain behaviors that we show today. We simply grow up and expand our range of knowlege and experiance from what is shown around us. I beleive that the humans great ability to learn is one of the best features of a human, if not a close second. "While a gene may increase the likelihood that you'll behave in a particular way, it does not make people do things." which means that we still get to choose who we'll be when we grow up. We all have control over what we choose to do in life and who we will become as people. These choices are triggered by thoughts in the mind. Different minds will chose differently becuase of different experiances and beleifs. This wide range of mind processing creates many differernt behaviors, which can be seen throughout many different people. It is said that "the behavior of an individual often comes from the way that person was raised". Now what does that mean? That means that Someone will act a certain way or respond to somthing from trigering brain cells. ...

Health and Safety Regulations of NSW and Risk Management Essay

Health and Safety Regulations of NSW and Risk Management - Essay Example According to the discussion, non-compliance issues consist of non-trained health and safety representatives handling important positions in the organization, appointment of ineligible candidates for places like bar and casino, etc. After conducting an audit of the whole situation and deriving the above finding several recommendations, the objectives behind them and a probable time estimate has been clearly mentioned in the action plan in Appendix 2. In Appendix 1 a risk assessment matrix has been developed to highlight the intensity of each hazard or risk that took place in the organization. The major laws which affect most of the business as Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) would be improved to Work Health Safety (WHS). The revised laws have been implemented from the year 2012. According to the new WHS, the focus of the employee should be on the making proper work arrangements and also maintaining good relationships for carrying out the business. The focus of the employer should be on the impact of the workplace, health and safety issues of the employees. Companies have the right to consult with other companies or organization regarding safety and health issues of the organization. The individuals in the organizations would be no longer termed as workers; rather they should be regarded as employees. Implementing health and safety measures in the organization would be given primary importance and the employees also have the right to raise voice if they find that these norms do not meet the standards in their organization. Every employee must hold an entry permit to enter the organization. These are the basic changes that have been made in the new guidelines. Now let us consider the breaches that took place in Titanic Cove Resort (TCR), with reference to WHS laws.

Cash study Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cash - Case Study Example The growth in these sectors not only brings in additional income and revenue in the economy but also ensures that it remains stable. The decision by the Indian government to ease restriction on foreign ownership has attracted foreign players into the telecommunication, hospitality, aviation and transport industry. All these have led to economic growth thus making India a land of opportunities. The Indian government has continued to show a lot of interest in foreign investments. Policies intended to attract more investors have been passed. 2. The resources and capabilities of the international hotels are considered to be among the fundamental sources of competitive advantage within the areas they are operating in. Most of these international hotels have been in operation for quite a long time and they own several properties in various world locations. According to Enz (2010), international firms and hotels have resources that allow them to not only have an upper hand compared to local hotels but also attain superior performance. The advantage can be sustained over a long period of time to an extent that such hotels are able to protect themselves from resource imitation, substitution and even transfer. Armstrong (2011) points out that a company’s internal resources which include cash and other capabilities are more important than the external factors when it comes to achieving and sustaining competitive advantage. Resources like employee, experience and skills basically help in exploiting opportunities and also neutralizing potential threats. 3. India continues to grab headlines for its economic growth and boom. The high growth rates have not been ignored in the global discussion. International firms have therefore decided to open up their deep pockets as part of their investment strategies in the global markets. Despite the rising need for the services, the local firms and chains must come up with policies that will not only allow them

Budgeting, Costing and Casemix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Budgeting, Costing and Casemix - Essay Example as the NPV is less than zero so it is not advisable for the university to invest in this project. Had the NPV been greater than zero it would make sense to invest in this venture. Question Five Part (a) The state of revenues and expenses for the hospital are as shown in the table below: Revenues Direct Indirect 16 5.5 1.5 5 3.3 3.8 6 2.8 1.6 - - 4.4 - - 2.55 27 11.6 13.85 Projected Profit 1.55 Note: All values in millions of dollars. Therefore the hospital’s projected profit for the 2010 fiscal year is $1.55 million. Part (b) The allocation of indirect costs to the patient services departments are indicated in the table below along with the agreed cost drivers. Indirect Cost Cost Driver Cost (Millions of Dollars) Financial Services Patient Revenue 1.5 Maintenance Space Utilisation 3.8 Housekeeping Labour Hours 1.6 Administration Salary Dollars 4.4 Personnel Salary Dollars 2.55 The breakup of the indirect costs to each department is described below. Accounting Salaries: divided equally amongst all three departments, therefore cost to each department is 0.5 million dollars. Maintenance: divided amongst all three departments based on space utilisation (covered area), cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Department Space Utilisation (square meters) Percentage of Total Space Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 199,800 66 2.525 Laboratory 39,600 13 0.50 Radiology 61,200 20 0.774 Housekeeping: divided amongst all three departments based on labour hours utilised, cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Department Labour Hours Percentage of Total Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 76000 84% 1.34 Laboratory 6000 7% 0.105 Radiology 9000 10% 0.158 Administration: divided amongst all three departments based on salary dollars utilised, cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Salary Dollars Percentage of Total Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 5,709,000 56% 2.47 Laboratory 2,035,000 20% 0.879 Radiolog y 2,439,000 24% 1.05 Personnel: divided amongst all three departments based on salary dollars utilised, cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Salary Dollars Percentage of Total Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 5,709,000 56% 1.40 Laboratory 2,035,000 20% 0.50 Radiology 2,439,000 24% 0.60 Part (c) The allocation method utilised is well reasoned and makes a lot of sense on paper and on ground. The accounting salaries would in principle get divided amongst all three departments equally. The maintenance costs would get divided amongst all three departments based on the floor space allocated in principle. However it must be taken in mind that the routine care department would have little equipment that would require large maintenance costs but the laboratory and the radiology department would furnish such equipment e.g. centrifuges, x-ray machines and the like. Therefore using total space occupied alone would not really reflect the state of maintenance expenses a lone because routine care would always assume more space while laboratory and radiology would use

Chinese Negotiation Vs American Negotiation

Chinese Negotiation Vs American Negotiation This is an intercultural assignment for the subject Intercultural Sales Negotiation.. I am a student of the minor Latin American Business Studies. In the minor Latin American Business Studies that I am following, we got the assignment to study the Guanxi case and to do some research into the Chinese and US culture related to negotiation meetings. The last part of this assignment will be that I have to prepare a role of an American party in a negotiation standing between Electrowide and Motosuzhou. In this assignment you can expect the following subjects: there will be a short description of different cultures in the world. Next subject will be an intercultural research about the Chinese and US cultures and in which these various cultures will influence negotiation attitudes and positions. After this there will be a preparation about the Guanxi case. This preparation includes: BATNA, ideals, fallbacks, needs/priorities, assumptions and strategies/tactics. In this preparation there will be also quoted explicitly when and in what way the research has affected the preparation. Intercultural research between American and Chinese people doing negotiation The world has a lot of people. The people who are living in different parts of the world are not all the same. They belong to a certain culture. A culture includes the customs and traditions of a certain nation from a certain country. This includes the set of values, nutrition, diet, clothing, religion, music and dance. We can divide the world in several main cultures like: North American, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin American, Middle East/ African and Asian culture. During negotiation around the world you have to know the differences between all these different cultures. Doing some research before going into a negotiation is very important. This is important because there could appear some misunderstandings because of the differences in culture. If you work in a global commercial environment it is useful to have some knowledge of the impact of these cultural differences. This is one of the keys to international business success during negotiation. Regarding to these differences of culture, we now going to zoom in into the Chinese culture and the American culture doing negotiation with each other. We are going to look in what way the various cultures of American and Chinese people will influence negotiation attitudes and positions.   Chinese way of negotiation: If we look at the way Chinese business people negotiate, they are very different in comparison with other countries. They are very different in terms on how they approach a business negotiation. For Chinese business people a negotiation is more like an exchange of information. A getting to know you process. They consider it as a formal discussion. They are willing to negotiate for a long time to get to know each other and to create a long time partnership. The reason willing to negotiate for a long time is to get as much as information out of you. If they manage to get enough information out of you, they can adjust their arguments on what you are saying. They can also use all those information that you are telling them against you eventually. China is a society of high-context. This means that in this kind of society you do not have to say or write to much to make clear what you are meaning. For the Chinese business people it is not only verbal communication, but also a lot of non-verbal communication to express yourself. You only have to make a little part of your message explicit, because most of the information is already implicit in the environment or in the assumed prior knowledge of the person. The Chinese business people do not like the direct word no. They will find it very rude and disrespectful. It is better to avoid to say the word no to the Chinese party. It is difficult to avoid to say no, but there are several ways to say no indirectly. Little example: In the Western culture they would say: No, we cannot do that and in the Chinese culture would say: That may be difficult for us to do so. So it is really important that you think very clearly how you going to disagree to a Chinese party. An option is to shift you responsibility for your decisions to something else in the negotiation. If you do say no to a Chinese person you will lose face (mianzi in Chinese). This means that you are losing your good reputation and social standing compared to you Chinese business associate. This could be not good for the business negotiation. Chinese people are very good in saying no indirectly. The style of the Chinese business people of saying no is to apply objections to disagree with a proposal. Chinese are very collectively set. Functioning/thinking as a group and having a good relationship between parties has a big importance in the Chinese society. Relationship is called in Chinese: Guanxi. During negotiation this is very important for the Chinese business people to create with the other party. If you manage to have a good Guanxi with the other it is much easier to negotiate and to reach your goals. During the negotiation with your Chinese associate you have find out if you are talking with the right person who makes the final decisions. The fact is that it is very common in the Chinese way of negotiating that the person who makes the final decisions is not the person who is sitting in front of you but someone else. These people are intermediaries. This is because there is a hierargy in the Chinese society. This means they have limited authority in making final decisions. If you know it is not the right person in front of you who makes the final decisions, you can expect that they first have to discuss it with their companions before making the final deal. Chinese people appreciate if their foreign party speaks their language. As a foreign party this will improve your status compared to the Chinese party. Chinese people love to negotiate for a long time to make you impatient and exhausted to get the best deal possible out of it. They want you to feel like you need them more then they need you. At last Chinese culture is based on a survival of the fittest culture. They will say to the other party that they want the best deal for both, but the truth is that they doesnt mean that seriously. They want to have a win-lose deal. Win-win is mostly not an option. American way of negotiation: If we look at the way American business people negotiate, they are totally the opposite in doing negotiation then the Chinese business people. Americans want to negotiate to reach their goal, to make the best deal out of it and at the end to make a contract right away. Americans are very individual minded. For them counts the fewer the people the less confusion the quicker of making a deal. Time is money for them so they want to get the negotiation done in a hurry. This behavior is a big disadvantage for the Chinese people who want to make to negotiation as long as possible. The use the situation of the Americans willing to do everything as quick as possible. Americans are very straight to the point. They just want to reach their goals and do not look at the whole of the topic. If they would do that more they maybe could get more out of the deal. Americans do not like to negotiate. They are very informal when doing negotiations. Because Americans are very individualistic they have full authority during negotiations. They want to lead the negotiation and they want to make the final decisions. They are not an intermediary. They make a lot of proposals and they like to talk a lot. Unlike China, America is a low context society. They are a society which uses a lot of verbal communication. This makes it very hard for Americans to understand the Chinese, because it isnt always the words, it is the meaning behind the words which are important. Conclusion It is good for an American to understand how the culture of the Chinese business people works. Because if you dont, it would be difficult to get the best deal out of the negotiation. As an American it is important that you can adapt the behaviors of the Chinese. Be flexible. If you can try to speak their language this will improve your position compared to the Chinese. Do not be impatient, because the Chinese will use this against you. Find the right person to talk to, because if you are talking to an intermediary you know that he/she isnt the person who makes the final decisions. Try to minimize your nos to be not disrespectful and rude. Try to put your no in a indirect way. Be careful with giving too much information. Chinese are active listeners. They want to make you talk. Try to get an exchange of information. When you negotiate with your Chinese partner the most important thing you need to do is to established the relationship/partnership (Guanxi). The Guanxi in Jeopardy case Now that I have done the research about the Chinese and the American culture, I am now going to look how these differences in culture apply to the  ´Guanxi in Jeopardy ´ case. Description of the situation Our company Electrowide We are a multibillion dollar ($5B) manufacturer company called Electro wide located in the United States. We are a company which manufactures a broad range of automotive electronics products. Looking at the todays ever increasing competitive automotive electronics and becoming more proactive in this kind of market, we are undergoing a massive structural reformation. The purpose of this reformation is that the companys various product line departments have more autonomy. So that eventually each department will be responsible for its own profit and loss statements. One of our key strategic objectives is to become a big rival in the market of Asia. We are looking for an Asian associate to help manufacture and sell engine management systems that run emission-control, fuel nozzle, and ignition systems for Chinese-made vehicles. In the first place the output would be sold to the Chinese market with future plans to export later. We believe, as the company Electrowide, that the partnership with the Chinese associate will play a important role not only in the promotion of Electrowide business growth, but also in providing product development expertise in the region. The Chinese company Motosuzhou Motosuzhou is an enterprise of the Beijing municipal government. This small company has a top-heavy hierarchy with a representative director overseeing daily operations and various supervisors in charge of functional units. This means decision making is top-down. The company runs its own operations free from government intervention. Its labor force is consists mainly of rural employees. The companys strength is in achieving economies of scale in assembly-line manufacturing of engine control subassemblies. The competition in the local market is beginning to grow. Motosuzhous reason to do business with a foreign company is to develop a long-lasting relationship that will work in harmony with local government policies. Also acquire technology through transfer by importing equipment and designs and adapt them to the automotive industry in China. They do not want to fail in the eyes of the government or the community. The role We as the company Electrowide are interested in Motosuzhou because of the Chinese companys technical proficiency in its design of automotive subsystems. Obtaining this kind of knowledge would give Motosuzhou a competitive advantage in the industry. Motosuzhou would also rely on Electrowide because of financing most of the cost incurred in establishing the joint venture. The objective of Electrowide is to establish a joint venture with Motosuzhou of China to conduct manufacturing operations in China. Batna (best alternative to negotiating on agreement) Before we start to negotiate with Motosuzhou we need a steady BATNA (Best alternative to a negotiation agreement). Our BATNA is very important, because we cannot make a wise decision about whether to accept the negotiated agreement unless we know what our alternative is. Having a good BATNA increases our negotiating power to make a good deal out of it. So if the negotiation is not working we always can fall back on our BATNA. But the main point of our BATNA is to make us in a steady and strong position related to the other party Motosuzhou. Regarding to our study of the situation we have determined that we have a moderate BATNA compared to the Motosuzhou. We assume that we have a moderate BATNA considering the fact that China is becoming worlds number one economy. It is predicted that by the year of 2025, Chinas economy will be by far the largest economy in the world. Throughout all the years, China always has been a independent country. They would prefer not to get any help from abroad. They want to solve their own problems and deal with their own situations. This could also be the reason for Motosuzhou to choose to do business by themselves and try to improve their own situation without any help of Electrowide. If this would occur our BATNA would be as follow: we will have a look on certain other strong economic developed countries to do business with. If we look at Japan we also could do business with them or else we could do business with Brasil which is becoming quickly a strong economic country. Ideals Regarding to the ideals, we would like Motosuzhou to sign a contract for the joint venture. One of the ideals is that Motosuzhou will help us to manufacture and sell engine management systems that run emission-control, fuel nozzle, and ignition systems for Chinese-made vehicles. The output of this production would be sold to the Chinese market. After that we would like to export this output as soon as possible abroad. Another ideal would be that both parties Electrowide and Motosuzhou finance each 50% of the investments incurred in establishing the joint venture. This would be a good offer, because the joint venture will eventually have advantages for both parties. Fallbacks Regarding to the fallbacks, our fallback will be that Motosuzhou is not willing to sign the contract to start the joint venture. That they do not agree with the terms and conditions that we have set. This will mean that we have to find other business people to negotiate about starting a joint venture. Another fallback will be that Electrowide would finance most of the cost incurred in establishing the joint venture instead of the 50%-50% division what we had set as an ideal. Needs/Priorities Deciding our priorities will allow us to be more efficient, since not all issues tend to be equally important. In the first place we need to keep in mind that we are doing business with a different culture. We know that they could look at certain issues differently than us. This is why a good culture research is extremely important. This is our main priority to look at before doing business. Because we are in their country and we have to respect their rules and values. To have a good position compared to the Chinese associate our priority is to study their priorities they want to see from a foreign company. This means that we have to be respectful, honest and trustful towards our Chinese associates. We have to be patient and not willing to do a quick deal, because it is also good for us to search out all the issues that will emerge starting a joint venture. We have to look for a long-lasting relationship to have a good position and to have a good chance of reaching our contract with them. It is also pre if I could speak their language or anyone else of my team. So that they can see that I am really trying to get to know their culture and that I am interested in them. The second priority is to reach an agreement for having a joint venture in the future with Motosuzhou. By understanding their culture and willing to have a long-lasting partnership it would be easier for us to come to a agreement. We have to take the time to get to know each other. The final priority would be that both parties Electrowide and Motosuzhou finance each 50% of the investments incurred in establishing the joint venture. This would be a good offer, because the joint venture will eventually have advantages for both parties. Assumptions During my research I have investigate how the Chinese culture will influence the negotiation attitudes and positions. I assume that during this negotiation about the joint venture, they will set up a cool attitude and that will be very introvert and formal. They want to see what we have to say and what we have to offer. They want to see if we are a company who will offer them opportunities for expanding their business on the Chinese market and not only trying to make the best deal for ourselves. We assume that they first want to get to know us better. They will look if we are potential for them to create a long term relationship with. They would also trying to get as much as possible out of the deal. They will put us on a test, by coming with exaggerated offers to look how far they are able to go with us. We assume that the negotiation could last a long time. This will be one of their tactics knowing that Americans do not like to have a long negotiation. They will use a lot of silent moments because they know Americans will be uncomfortable with that. They know that if they negotiate as long as possible the American will give up and easily agree with a certain proposal. They will try to use our impatient against ourselves. We also assume that they are going to look for a good relationship (Guanxi). We assume that building a good relationship will take a lot of time. This means that we have to accept that for making a good deal. Strategies and tactics Given our moderate BATNA, a bargaining approach will be used during the negotiation. This will be the only approach we can use, because of our moderate position to negotiate against the other party and because of the differences in culture. During the research we have found out that they are growing in their bargaining stance. In order to negotiate we will trade options with each other. We will use the tactic of giving and taking. It will be a back and forth during the negotiation. With the right approach of bargaining we could make some arranges which will give eventually a win-win situation for both parties. We want to have a contract to build the joint venture and if we have an agreement they want us to finance most of the cost incurred in establishing the joint venture. This means that we have to look for the possibilities and this will explain our bargaining approach. We have to keep in mind that we do not have yet a good relationship with the Chinese. We should not demand to mu ch of the other party. In the future we can look for other opportunities, but first it is important to build a good relationship. It is good for an American to understand how the culture of the Chinese business people works. Because if you dont, it would be difficult to get the best deal out of the negotiation. As an American it is important that you can adapt the behaviors of the Chinese. Be flexible. If you can try to speak their language this will improve your position compared to the Chinese. Do not be impatient, because the Chinese will use this against you. Find the right person to talk to, because if you are talking to an intermediary you know that he/she isnt the person who makes the final decisions. Try to minimize your nos to be not disrespectful and rude. Try to put your no in a indirect way. Be careful with giving too much information. Chinese are active listeners. They want to make you talk. Try to get an exchange of information (bargaining). When you negotiate with you r Chinese partner the most important thing you need to do is to established the relationship/partnership (Guanxi). Furthermore, a lot of body language as eye contact will be used. Finally, active listening will be very important also used to confirm understanding.

Aeneid and Odyssey - A Comparison between Aeneas, Achilles and Odysseus

Aeneid and Odyssey - A Comparison between Aeneas, Achilles and Odysseus      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A comparison between Virgil's hero, Aeneas, and the Homeric heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, brings up the question concerning the relevance of the difference between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas. The differences in the poets' concerns are explained by the fact that Virgil lived many years after Homer, giving Virgil the advantage of a more developed literary and philosophical society than Homer had at his disposal. But the question remains: how are the differences between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas relevant to the epic at large? This question will be answered by first pointing out the differences between Greek and Roman society, then explaining how those differences relate to the heroes of the three epics at hand, and finally explaining how these differences allow Virgil to portray the Roman values and way of life as more structured and oriented towards a greater-good.    The differences in Greek and Roman societies arise primarily because of the different time periods in which they existed. But the geologic characteristics of Greece also played a role in the particularities of Greek society. The Greek peninsula is a mountainous region with neighboring islands that are known for their individualistic nature; in Homer's Odyssey islands are often occupied either by very few people or by people that are socially inept such as cannibals or the Cyclops. The Greek society, which was composed of various individual and independent city-states, followed from its geological surroundings since communication was such a difficult task. The few cultural aspects of life, such as language and religion, were the only things that gave... ... between Aeneas and the Homeric heroes, given an account of the historical and mythological background of Rome and demonstrated that the Roman way of life is necessarily more structured and community oriented than the Homeric Greek way of life.   Virgil wrote The Aeneid as an ode to the greatness of Rome, we could imagine that as he wrote it he was in constant competition with Homer because The Aeneid was a proclamation of greatness for the Romans as the Homeric epics were for the Greeks. But Virgil took advantage of the flaws that the Homeric Heroes had and gave the corresponding virtues to Aeneas thus ensuring Aeneas' superiority and consequently Rome's superiority.    Works Cited and Consulted: Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: 1996 Virgil.   The Aeneid.   Translated by Robert Fitzgerald.   New York: Vintage Books, 1990.   

Partner Selection in Joint Ventures Essay

Achieving constant business growth, in terms of size, sales, technology, skills, profits, and a host of other factors is the undeniable primary priority of most business corporations in today’s intensely competitive business scenario. Spurred by constantly changing technological, economic, and political conditions, most business managements continue to look towards achieving constant all round growth, not just to obtain competitive advantage and to satisfy their stakeholders, but also to fuel market prices of company shares, business valuations and the concomitant increases in performance bonuses and management remuneration (Beamish, 1988). Businesses have traditionally grown through strategies of internal growth and acquisition, acquisitions often enlarging the size of businesses manifold, much more in fact than organic internal growth could ever have done (Beamish, 1988). The recent acquisition of Arcelor by the Mittals of London is illustrative of how an acquisition can propel a company to the forefront of an industry in terms of size, sales, geographic spread, and profits. Capital acquisition, though undoubtedly the most effective vehicle for achieving strategic growth requires significant resources and is unfortunately not a very viable option for most companies, especially those which are young, dynamic, ambitious, and look towards achieving fast growth through enlargement of geographical spread, entry into new territories, accessing of new and more sophisticated technology, and enhancement of product portfolio (Gannon, 1993). Swallowing smaller businesses not being very possible for such organizations, their route for growth leads them towards forging alliances with other business firms through various arrangements, be they strategic alliances, representations, franchises or joint ventures (Gannon, 1993). Joint ventures (JVs) allow two business firms, irrespective of their legal status, (private/public stock corporations or partnerships) to come together through a legal entity in which both companies contribute equity and share in the control and profits of the venture. Very obviously joint ventures have many advantages (Geringer and Hebert, 1989). They enable and empower companies to increase and improve their operations by using their strengths, spreading costs as well as risks, enhancing financial access and strength, achieving economies of scale, and accessing technologies and markets (Geringer and Hebert, 1989). The JV process opens up companies to new thoughts, helps in increasing competitive advantages and enables them to achieve their strategic goals through the creation of synergies with other organizations, acquisition of technologies and skills and diversification of activity (Geringer and Hebert, 1989). With such a range of advantages to be gained from the activity the setting up of joint ventures has come to form an integral part of the corporate strategy of most progressive and ambitious companies. Definition of Problem Whilst joint ventures have become an accepted, popular and much used mechanism for the attainment of a number of strategic objectives of different companies, their rate of success ironically continues to be low (Harrigan, 1988). Some management experts, who have in the past attributed this low success rate to basic incompatibilities between different cultures and attitudes towards business, are at a loss to explain why the failure rate of such activity continues to be high even for ventures between companies that belong to the same country (Harrigan, 1988). To take the issue a step further there have also been occasions of JVs failing between two companies, not just of the same country but also of the same group (Harrigan, 1988). Although many such ventures do progress to doing business and making profits, their overall achievements tend to be less than what was originally envisaged, such mediocre results often leading to loss of partner interest, the relegation of the venture to that of a less important activity and subsequently to the search for buyers for the business (Beamish, 1988). International joint ventures of course fare even worse, a fact that has led many experts to wonder whether the establishment of joint ventures are strategically sound decisions or fall into the category of basically risky business decisions whose success depends on the playing out of a number of unpredictable factors (Beamish, 1988). One of the major reasons leading to failures or their less than happy performances of joint ventures, management experts believe, lies with the coming together of wrong people, or to put it in the perspective of one of the partners, the wrong selection of a JV partner (Geringer, 1988). Research Objective This research paper aims to investigate the various issues that are considered during the selection of JV partners, particularly the strategic reasons that are involved in the formation of international joint ventures, the areas of difficulty and the potential points of conflict that could occur between partners during the course of the JV, and the different issues that need to be considered at the time of selection of partner and the sealing of the JV. Methodology and Structure The methodology for researching this paper follows from the framing of the research objective and deals with the most appropriate means of accessing relevant data. Such methodology involves choosing between adoption of quantitative or qualitative research methods and deciding whether to obtain data from primary and/or secondary sources. Quantitative methods, being best suited for research papers that require data to be obtained from many respondents, are not appropriate in the present context. Considering the complexity of the issue being investigated, the subjective nature of information to be analysed, and the interpretation required, as also the need to answer â€Å"how† and â€Å"why† questions, the paper calls for the adoption of qualitative methods. The methodology entails collection of information from secondary and primary sources through the study of available literature on the subject, the bibliography at the end of the paper listing the various publications studied for the purpose. Whilst the study would have been qualitatively enhanced by direct 121 interviews with managers with experience of international joint ventures, such interviews are difficult to arrange at this moment because of the economic crisis and the tremendous disturbance in the corporate world. The paper thus depends exclusively upon a study of the relevant literature for arriving at the findings. Information available on JVs, although extensive and qualitatively rich, is fragmented, and information has had to be obtained from various sources. Whilst the paper is limited by lack of information from individuals with direct first hand experience of joint ventures, efforts have been taken to consult a variety of information sources from different authors and institutions for purposes of cross validation and verification. The review of literature is taken up in the following section, which in turn is followed by an analysis of the findings, conclusions, and suggestions.

Free Essays on The Road Is Not Taken

Everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey, life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a sole direction in which to head. In most poetry different people can choose certain characteristics that tend to appear in each piece of the Robert Frost’s work that they can relate to. In spite of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey in his poem, â€Å"The Road Not taken† has left its various readers with many different interpretations. The speaker is introduced as being faced with the decision of which path he will choose to travel. He has to choose only one path, therefore leaving one road that he will not get to experience. Furthermore, this poem clearly express’ Frost’s belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man who he is; it is one’s past, present and the attitude with which he looks upon his future that determines the shadow of the light that he will see the poem in. It is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunity cost, what will be missed out on. â€Å"And sorry I could not travel both...†(line2). There seems to be a strong sense of regret, disappointment and hesitancy before the choice is even made, it is impossible to travel down every path. In an attempt to make a decision, the traveler â€Å"looks down one as far as I could†. The road that will be chosen leads to unknown, as does any choice in life. As much he may strain his eyes to see as far the road stretches, eventually it goes beyond his vision and he can never see where it is going to lead him and the choice he made. It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and decides where he is going. In our journey, we the travelers want to separate from others by choosing a path that has never been taken. Robert Frost emphasizes this idea by setting the two roads apart from one ano... Free Essays on The Road Is Not Taken Free Essays on The Road Is Not Taken Everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey, life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a sole direction in which to head. In most poetry different people can choose certain characteristics that tend to appear in each piece of the Robert Frost’s work that they can relate to. In spite of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey in his poem, â€Å"The Road Not taken† has left its various readers with many different interpretations. The speaker is introduced as being faced with the decision of which path he will choose to travel. He has to choose only one path, therefore leaving one road that he will not get to experience. Furthermore, this poem clearly express’ Frost’s belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man who he is; it is one’s past, present and the attitude with which he looks upon his future that determines the shadow of the light that he will see the poem in. It is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunity cost, what will be missed out on. â€Å"And sorry I could not travel both...†(line2). There seems to be a strong sense of regret, disappointment and hesitancy before the choice is even made, it is impossible to travel down every path. In an attempt to make a decision, the traveler â€Å"looks down one as far as I could†. The road that will be chosen leads to unknown, as does any choice in life. As much he may strain his eyes to see as far the road stretches, eventually it goes beyond his vision and he can never see where it is going to lead him and the choice he made. It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and decides where he is going. In our journey, we the travelers want to separate from others by choosing a path that has never been taken. Robert Frost emphasizes this idea by setting the two roads apart from one ano...

Functioning Management Essay Example

Functioning Management Essay Example Functioning Management Essay Functioning Management Essay Qualcomm Incorporated: Functioning Management Katie Atkinson, Farrah Mason, Jennifer McMahan, Robert Briones, Nichol Vann University of Phoenix MGT 330; Israr Hayath Qualcomm Incorporated: Functioning Management Qualcomm is an American wireless telecommunications research and Development Company, as well as the largest fables chip supplier in the world, based in San Diego, California. Qualcomm was founded in 1985 by UC San Diego Professor Irwin Jacobs, MIT Alumni Andrew Viterbi, Harvey White, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, and Franklin Antonio. QUALCOMM, 2010) Qualcomm’s mission statement is: â€Å"Life, Connected with technology. From the written word, to image and photos, to music, to videos, games, streaming content, and more, Qualcomm is on a never-ending quest to feed the mind. Whether by developing our technologies or partnering with companies who share our vision, were leading the charge in the digital revolution. † (Qualcomm, 2010) The external and internal factors that affect Qualcomm’s four functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) are as follows but not limited to; Globalization, Technology, Innovation, Diversity, and Ethics. This paper will review how external and internal factors affect the four functions of Qualcomm, and how managers and executives use delegation to manage the different factors and functions listed above. Qualcomm; Planning and management’s function When planning the future for any company, especially Qualcomm, you must consider internal and external factors. Qualcomm’s sustainability and value to its stockholders is dependent upon the ability to predict future trends in technology, the global environment and maintain its strategic advantage. For example, Qualcomm’s core objectives include expanding the use of 3G technologies in emerging markets (Business Civic Leadership Center, 2006). Realization of this objective requires that Qualcomm be aware of political, cultural and economic factors in the markets they may wish to enter. Internally, Qualcomm must be structured to be agile and prepared to quickly form partnerships in response to developing opportunities. : Like a manufacturer who uses the best quality materials to produce a product, Qualcomm’s most valuable asset is the intellectual capabilities of its engineers. Qualcomm must create a corporate environment that attracts and retains the best minds. Qualcomm is a global enterprise. The corporation is chartered to function in the international development of wireless technologies. Planning to achieve corporate objectives must scan the external horizon on an ongoing regular basis. This corporation cannot afford to publish a five year plan that sits on the self. Executive planners must evaluate what is going on in the world almost on a daily basis and asking the question, â€Å"How does this affect our objectives and positioning? † Intelligence is critical to this process. Information on the stability or instability of governments, financial markets and emerging research is critical to the sustainability of Qualcomm. Qualcomm is in the technology business. The future of Qualcomm is dependent upon the ability to invest and develop products that are compatible with and have an advantage over the competition. An innovator cannot assume that if they develop the best can opener, they will be the world’s leader in can opener sales. New technologies often compete until one becomes the industry standard upon which other compatible technologies are based. Qualcomm has declared that one of its core objectives is the expansion of 3G technologies in emerging markets (Business Civic Leadership Center, 2006). They are heavily invested in mobile platforms that utilize 3G technologies. G technology may be adequate to support the utilities presently needed by a small home based business in Malaysia, but will it be adequate to support explosion of demand as this market becomes more globally aware? Qualcomm planners must position the design of Qualcomm technologies to expand and morph to respond to tomorrow’s expectations. Qualcomm does business in almost every corner of the globe. As a corporation they must be prepared and plan to foster diversity in every aspect. They must foster a corpor ate culture that supports and respects the culture, religion, and ethnic backgrounds of employees, customers, and partners. Qualcomm takes to heart their Global Workforce Inclusion policy. The policy states in part: â€Å"Inclusion and Diversity are at the very heart of innovation. It requires different perspectives to take an idea, perfect it, and turn it into world-changing technology. And it requires an energetic, diverse workforce to come up with those different perspectives. Here at Qualcomm, we find diversity, and the creativity it brings, vital to our success. To this end, we are committed to providing all employees the opportunity to achieve their professional goals. † (Qualcomm, 2010) Qualcomm portrays itself as a responsible global corporate citizen. Cutting edge research and product development is the life’s blood of Qualcomm. Unethical practices that infringe on the research and product development of competitors may be costly and detrimental to the sustainability of the enterprise. Planning to mitigate the potential damage of infringement disputes was demonstrated by the recent settlement with Broadband wherein the two giants agreed to cross license each other’s patents. This agreement protects Qualcomm from future infringement lawsuits that could cripple its development (Sinapse, 2010). Qualcomm; Organizing and management’s function Organizing can be defined as â€Å"assembling and coordinating the human, financial, physical, informational, and other resources needed to achieve goals† (Bateman Snell, 2009). The company called Qualcomm primarily operates in South Korea, where they employ over 16,100 employees. The external factors affecting organizing in Qualcomm are making sure there are enough resources to complete the jobs for the telecommunication devices. Having an organizational structure is the key to internal aspect of Qualcomm, with employing a lot of employees there must be a clear and concise structure of job duties assigned. Another internal factor is Qualcomm grants out their licenses for use of their telecommunication devices. â€Å"Qualcomm also grants licenses to use its intellectual property portfolio, which includes certain patent rights useful in the manufacture and sale of wireless products†. (Thompson, 2010). Qualcomm has stretched globally in areas such as Italy, Asia Pacific, and United Kingdom which reinforces there leadership in the worldwide messaging market. With Qualcomm going globally all employees have to be organized in the supplier chain of sending over the new product to the global areas as well as manufacturing the new product. This new technology was called Eudora, were it allowed different time zones to still communicate. With Qualcomm becoming so innovated, the company created an agreement with the international publishers which allowed for faster product delivery and improved distribution. With reaching out their market globally Qualcomm has become very diverse, by adding this new agreement it allowed the international countries to keep the delivery and distribution more organized. â€Å"Republisher’s customers will now be able to purchase these localized products and receive localized support in the respective countries† (Qualcomm, 2010). With it now being localized to re-publisher’s customers Eudora is also offered in different languages such as Italian, Chinese and Korean. Qualcomm is such a huge corporation that their ethics have to be very structured, and organized. All employees at the corporation are expected to do their job duties with honesty and in an ethical manner. It’s very important for managers to be organized and follow the code of ethics as well as all employees. By implementing a strong code of ethics all employees and managers will know what values are expected from them. Qualcomm; Leading and management’s function What is Leadership and what makes a good leader? Basically, a leader is one who is able to influence others to attain certain goals that must be met by the corporation or department. According to James Kouzes and Barry Posner, great leaders have five key traits or behaviors which make them outstanding at leading others (Bateman Snell, 2009). Those five traits are: challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, leading by example, and being generous with affirmations. These traits are always being tested both internally and externally. The people who are being led have many things to deal with in their own lives which require them to juggle an enormous load, between work life and personal life it is enough to make anybody go mad if it wasn’t for effective leadership. Internally a leader must face the issues of budgeting effectively, creating a vision that he can get everyone on board with and the overall morale of the organization. There are many times a leader must put aside his own desires to be able to â€Å"lead by example† and show his subordinates what is best for the company as a whole. All in all a great leader is going to be able to nstill in his workers/followers a sense of ownership in the vision which he created. This vision can is affected not only by the internal factors previously stated, but also by those elements from outside the organization. So examples of external factors are the economy, world events, and the leaders’ personal life. If there is a bad economy he must know ho w to restructure while keeping morale high. If the world faces an immediate threat or, even, something positive that will change how his organization runs, how will he handle the change and lead his people in the same direction? Lastly, personal lives, everybody has them and something always happens that will potentially throw you off course, how do you plan for the worst or the best and keep your organization or department running like a well-oiled machine? The amount of knowledge of the vast array of topics a leader must be familiar with is astounding. They must know how everything from globalization and technology to diversity and ethics affects his organization. Globalization and technology are a huge area for a manager to have a handle on due to the advantages and disadvantages they bring. For example, an advantage technology can bring to a manager and his organization is the ability to serve his clients or customers quickly and more efficiently. The disadvantage is if the manager either doesn’t know of the technology available to him or doesn’t know how to use it properly, the client could decide to change providers due to lack of quality of service. Technology has also made it harder for managers to keep up with the demand. Technology has also affected the kind diversity the workforce can have. So often the baby boomers may be losing out on promotions due to the fact that they do not know how to use the technology given to them, which in turn allows the younger generation to take over their positions. On the flip side, the younger generations, know how to use the technology, may end up stuck at their current position because the boomers, with more experience, are better suited for the management positions. They will just need to have an advisor for things that they are not familiar with or take a class. Ethics has also being greatly affected by technology and diversity. Ethics, basically the theory of right and wrong, has been pushed to the background because of the insurmountable amount of information the manger most learn. Ethics can affect a leader’s role by the way he corresponds with and conducts himself around fellow employees. Qualcomm; Controlling and management’s function When reviewing the controlling aspect of management one should review how revenues are invested, and recognize the importance of the previous steps of planning, implementing and leading (Bateman Snell, 2009). A strong company will invest in its innovative team to plan out future or expected needs, and create viable, efficient and effective solutions to these problems. Pushing forward into new territories helps a company remain on the forefront of their industry, which is highly important in the fast pace business of technology and communications. Qualcomm has the opportunity to continue their innovative steps and continue to hold their established presence in the United States, while expanding to our European neighbors. The ability to properly control the leadership of the planning and implementing process will prove to be Qualcomm’s success. Qualcomm’s established presence as a communication provider prompts innovative thoughts and controlling of company policies that have been implemented. Qualcomm has expanded their presence globally and in doing so have extended their responsibilities for ensuring their company standards are upheld. The creation of operating procedures during the planning, organizing and leading processes allow for thorough monitoring. Qualcomm expresses the importance of controlling company assets by smartly investing â€Å"23% of our gross revenue †¦ into RD (research and development)† (Qualcomm, 2010). The monies invested into planning and implementing or research and development, has provided Qualcomm with the security of being the first to implement new technologies and upgrades to consumers (Qualcomm, 2010). Using Delegation to Manage Delegation is the assignment of tasks and responsibilities and has many potential advantages for managers, subordinates, and organizations. In order to be effective, the delegation process must be managed carefully, defining the goal, selecting the right person, soliciting opinions, providing resources, scheduling checkpoints, and discussing progress periodically. (Bateman Snell, 2009). Qualcomm used delegation by setting up different divisions within the company. Each division is responsible for different factors such as Qualcomm Global Trading Inc (QGT) is responsible for the globalization factor. (Qualcomm, 2010) Qualcomm uses a decentralization decision making process within each division. The decentralized decision making process allows the employees most directly affected by the decision that is made and have the hands on knowledge of the problem or project to make the decisions. (Bateman Snell, 2009). The authors of this paper believe planning is centered on all of the four functions of management. Managers of an organization are to carry out the functions to assist in the organizations growth. Therefore, they delegate and perform the functions of management. The functions the managers are using to delegate are planning, organizing, leading and controlling. They are to make sure that clients are valued by specific planning. They also must contain a certain amount of people skills. The managers are to lead, motivate, and communicate effectively. (Bateman Snell, 2009). Delegation is a critical skill in the effective management of organizations. Qualcomm has used delegating by first separating each function into a division such as Technology (IT) and each division has their own vice-president who does planning and his subordinates do the organizing, leading, and controlling of the different projects or product management. Qualcomm, 2010) In conclusion, to live up to their missions’ statement Qualcomm used the external and internal factors, the four functions of management, and the delegation management style. Qualcomm is now the world leader in next generation mobile technologies, Qualcomm’s ideas and inventions are driving wireless growth and helping to connect people to information, entertainment and one another. (Qualcomm , 2010) Qualcomm uses the four functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) to manage globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethics. In this paper you have read how the external and internal factors affect the four functions of Qualcomm, and how managers and executives use delegation to manage the different factors and functions listed above. Qualcomm management style allows them to evolve quicker then the competition and gives them the flexibility to change with the times. References Bateman, T. S. , Snell, S. S. (2009). Management: Leading collaborating in a competitive world (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw, Inc.. Business Civic Leadership Center. (2006). Qualcomm and Gramenn Foundation. Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC). Washington, D. C.. Retrieved on November 27, 2010 from http://bclc. uschamber. com/awards/qualcomm-and-grameen-foundation2006 Sinapse. (2010). Qualcomm and Broadcom settle. Sinapse; An Intellectual Property Rendezvous, A Brain League Institute. Powered by Blogger. Retrieved on November 27, 2010 from sinapseblog. com/2009/06/qualcom-and-broadcom-settle. html. Thompson, B. (July 5, 2010). New market research report: Qualcomm Incorporated – SWOT analysis. PR-inside. com; News and Free PR. Retrieved on November 24, 2010 from pr-inside. com/new-market-research-report-Qualcommm-incorporated-r1983909. tm. Qualcomm, (2010). Enabling small and diverse businesses. Qualcomm, Inc. San Diego, CA. Retrieved on November 27, 2010 fro m qualcomm. com/citizenship/diversity/supplier_diversity. html. Qualcomm: Italy, (June 15, 1998). Qualcomm increases worldwide presence of Eudora Pro ®. Qualcomm Italy, San Diego, CA. Retrieved on November 24, 2010 from http://italy. qualcomm. com/news/releases/1998/press843. html. Qualcomm, (2010). Pathway to innovation. Innovation. Qualcomm Incorporated, San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 26, 2010 from qualcomm. com/innovation/pathway/index. html.

Industrial Unrest in Abu Dhabi Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Industrial Unrest in Abu Dhabi - Case Study Example The fact that the parties involved are willing to come to the table and have a civil discussion is also very encouraging. This is a good indicator that the conflict will soon be put to rest. Willingness to talk and negotiate is the first step to solving any conflict. There is quite a range of weaknesses in the labor environment in the Abu Dhabi as shown by several surveys some of which were sparked by the recent strikes by worker most of who are migrants. One thing that contributes to the weakened working conditions is that there seems to be a breakdown in communication between the employers and employees. Whether deliberate or not it is a major cause of employee unrest (Williams, 2014).The workers seem to think that their employees are insensitive to their plight. There have been massive complaints about low pay and deplorable living conditions. The fact that the strikes caught the companies by surprise points to miscommunication or a total lack of it. Workers claim that their wages have remained the same for a long time despite changes in the working and economic environment which puts them at a disadvantage. They are agitating for an appraisal of their salaries in order to afford to continue working. The low wages can be attributed to the fact that there is availability of cheap labour as if the was scarcity of labour these companies would pay better without the need for strikes. Workers here also complain of poor living condition with a majority claiming to live in cramped spaces. Claims of six or more workers having to share living quarters are not uncommon. This they say they have had enough of hence the decision to strike, illegal as this may be. There are quite a few opportunities for labor sector to thrive but they will call for major changes within the sector if they are to be achieved (International, 2013).  

Brian Norris Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brian Norris - Essay Example If an organization has to achieve its business objectives, its marketing manager has to look into the market demand, to determine the feasibility of marketing strategies. The marketing manager is responsible for attuning the level, timing and composition of customer demands to achieve business objectives. On the whole, marketing management all about determining and implementing effective marketing strategies. Marketing strategies are tactics by which an organization gains a competitive edge in the marketplace. Through these strategies an organization determines how to concentrate its resources to achieve, target business objectives. If a marketing strategy has to be effective, it must do research to find out if an organizational opportunity exists in the market in which they want to do business. The factors influencing organizational opportunity are environmental opportunity, distinctive competency and success requirements. Each of these factors is to be looked into during the process of market analysis. Marking analysis is a process which includes the process of ccustomer analysis, company analysis, collaborator analysis, competitor analysis, and analysis of the industry context. These five types of analysis constitute the four C's of marketing analysis and help to answer the following questions: In order to carry ou... What are the steps to be taken to gain a competitive edge in the market 2.1 Marketing Research In order to carry out marketing analysis, marketing research must be performed to collect the data required for analysis. Marketing research involved the employment of a variety of techniques. Some techniques of market research are: Qualitative marketing research, such as focus groups - Through Qualitative research, data can be collected from a relatively small group of respondents. This data will not be analyzed using statistical techniques, but its purpose is to help to determine the elements which drive the market on a product, generate a hypothesis on such elements and enable an organization to develop quantitative research designs for determine the feasibility of entry into a particular market. The methods used in this research include in-Depth Interviews, Focus Groups and Projective Techniques. Quantitative marketing research, such as statistical surveys - Quantitative marketing research applies quantitative research techniques, to understand the trends in the current market. The major steps involved in the research process include, definition of the problem of market to be studied, designing the search criteria, collecting data, analyzing the data collected and finally writing a report on what is understood from data gathered. The number of respondents from whom data is collected can range between something like a mere 10 in number to something like 10 million. This kind of marketing research may include a hypothesis on the trends found in the market. Random sampling methods can be used to draw inferences from people, who have provided information. Experimental techniques such as test markets - Experimental research

Sustainable destination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainable destination - Essay Example In several people’s mind, they would interpret sustainable tourism as sustaining attraction in ensuring that there is a continuous flow of visitors, but according to Leslie (2012), sustainable tourism is the development that meets the necessities of the present environment with no compromise in the capability of the prospect generations to attain their own necessities. Primarily, sustainable tourism advocates for the intelligent use and maintenance of resources with the intention of upholding their long-term feasibility. Therefore, this paper will critically evaluate tourism practices also how the practices align with principles of sustainability; it will also evaluate two tourism operations in order to analyze their sustainability practices. According to Leslie (2012), sustainable tourism is an industry committed to making a low impact on the environment and the society while generating income and employment for the community. Tourism frequently relies on high quality and stimulating destinations environment, therefore, tourism is the security to the economy, environment, and the social agenda to the government, since it plays a role in the conservation as a justification for the preservation and upgrading of cultural and natural heritage (Leslie, 2012). From the time when the Agenda 21 was the development intended for the Travel and Tourism Industry, the term sustainability has become commonly used word several debates in tourism. The idea of sustainability in tourism has stirred past the common definition of ecotourism to embrace several other concepts of tourism. However, the implication of sustainable tourism practices are far from universal and researchers have expressed their frustration at the slow pace of change (Leslie, 2012). While some industries and companies have changed considerably in the adjustment of behaviors in becoming more socially, economically, and environmentally responsible, it appears that the tourism

Good vs Evil Essay Example for Free

Good vs Evil Essay Are all human beings born to be good or evil? Can we change to the opposite of what we are? When a person becomes good or evil, there is always a reason behind that. No one is this world, is born to be evil nor good, we are all born to be equal and neutral. As we experience our life, we change due to the society we are living in now. However, jealousy and our past is also another reason why we change. Are these the real reasons why we change? To begin with, society is one reason why people change and become either good or evil, but why? This happens because of all the people around us. We become so influenced by all the people around us that we forget what good and evil really means. A good person is good but once they are around evil people and experiences how the society really is; with that society that person will become evil and will never realize it. Secondly, jealousy is another reason why we become good or evil. In the book, Lord of the flies, Ralph was chosen to be the leader because he was mature, intelligent, and understandable. But Jack thought he should’ve been the leader because he was the leader of his choir, and because of his jealousy he made plans to kill Ralph. Also, Jack made his own tribe and was held on Castle Rock because he wanted to prove to the others that he can be a better leader than Ralph. Jealousy can lead to a lot of bad decisions, whether their good or evil. Lastly, our past can also be a reason why we become good or evil. Most people think the past is in the past and theirs no going back. That’s true, but to others their past stays with them all the time. That’s because their past must’ve been to terrifying to forget. In my past, my best friend was taken away from me by someone else. I was upset and terrified because of what she did. I noticed I became evil; I would always want to take revenge and terrify her like she did to me. Our past can make us do foolish things. No one in this world is born to be good or evil. Some are just evil because of all the bad things that have been influenced around them. And some are good because of all the good things that have been influenced around them. It depends all on your society, jealousy and your past.

The Mandolin :: essays research papers

The Mandolin The mandolin has been around since the end of the 16th Century, although it didn’t look much like the instrument we know today. It evolved in the 18th century and was built in several varieties in different Italian towns, the Neapolitan mandolin becoming the representative type. It was played widely throughout Western Europe from around 1700 to 1810. In the late 1800s a stronger bowl back instrument was developed in Naples, Italy by the Vinaccia family. Known today as the Neapolitan mandolin, this instrument has a bent soundboard, moveable bridge, metal strings and is plucked with a pick. At the end of the 1800s, the Neapolitan mandolin was popular both in Italy and throughout Western Europe. It spread to the U.S. with Italian immigration. The instrument conceived by the Gibson Company in the early 1900s today dominates the Mandolin in the U.S. Built more like a violin with carved single pieces of wood for the front and back, most modern American flat backs are based on Gibson designs. All three of these instruments: Baroque mandolin, round back or Neapolitan mandolin and flat back mandolin, are still played and the musical traditions from the different periods survive on all continents. Mandolins evolved from the Lute family in Italy during the 17th -18th centuries, and the deep bowled mandolin produced particularly in Naples became a common type in the19th century. The original instrument was the mandola (mandorla is almond in Italian and describes the instrument body shape) and evolved in the 15th century from the lute. Later, smaller mandola was developed and became known as a mandolina. Mandolins can be used for a variety of occasions. The Italian mandolin is used for birthdays, or births of a baby. Anniversaries, and especially weddings, I know my parents had a mandolin at there wedding. Mandolins have a soft and gentle sound perfect for these occasions. The mandolin is played kind of like a guitar, but has obvious differences. There are many artists that play the mandolin, but the only one that I know of is my Aunt. (Adriana Vitale). She has not mastered the mandolin but she can play decent, sometimes. She said â€Å"When played right the mandolin has a nice deep gentle sound and sounds as beautiful as it looks, but when I play it, it sounds like a ukulele†.

Nike Executive Summary

Is Nike Worth the Buy? Thomas Senyard Issue It has been a week since Nike’s analyst meeting in which management unveiled a plan to revitalize the company. Kimi Ford wonders, is Nike a good buy for her mutual fund? Background Nike’s recent market share has been declining. The new strategy that management introduced plans to develop a better mid-priced shoe, to push their apparel line and to put more effort into expense control. Lehman Brothers say that Nike is a strong buy, but UBS Warburg and CSFB analysts recommend not buying right now.Analysis There are several different methods that can be used to find the WACC and use it to decide whether a stock will be a good buy or not. The Earning’s Capitalization Model is not appropriate in this case because it does not work well for growing companies, as Nike is trying to do, and the Dividend Discount Model has several subjective inputs making it inferior to the CAPM method of determining WACC. Using this method Nikeâ⠂¬â„¢s WACC is found to be 9. 8%.Using this Nike is found to have very good returns on capital, with a reasonable amount of debt, at not too high of a cost. This WACC figure is higher than the one that Ford used, but it still shows us that the stock is undervalued, but by only about $15. This leads to a recommendation that Ford’s mutual fund should add Nike to its portfolio, and from the financial and debt ratios calculated, we get information that says Nike should continue to grow to higher stock prices after reaching the price it was valued at today.