Virtual Organization Employment Law

Globalization and the development of the Internet technology have brought serious changes in our world today. It is as if the other side of the world is just a few seconds away. Countries which previously closed their borders to the international community were forced to open up. People who were previously isolated from the rest of the world are now being brought together by the necessity for survival in this competitive world. The desire for strong trading relations with other countries forced countries to build political alliances with other countries. Corporations need to continuously grow to meet the ever-changing needs of the consumers. Riordan Manufacturing Inc is no exception. Riordan Manufacturing, Inc is currently the leader in the field of plastic injection molding. Its mission is to provide innovative solutions, products and services at a reasonable cost and to develop long-term relationships with its customers. To meet the demands of its world-wide clientele it opened its facilities in San Jose, California, Albany, Georgia, Pontiac, Michigan and Hangzhou, China. These changes, however, which were brought about by globalization also created complexities on the part of the employers insofar as employee management is concerned. The differences in cultural identities and the unique practices of employees are bound to create employee-related problems for the company. With the congregation of different people, each having his own identity, in one single company, tension and conflicts were likewise created. (Diana Ayton-Shankar) Discrimination and sexual harassment issues are also bound to arise which the company is bound to anticipate. Research shows that in a study conducted by the National Organization for Woman, they found that 80% of women surveyed in a wide variety of industries had been sexually harassed. The EEOC now handles some 5,000 new sexual harassment cases annually, double the caseload of only a few years ago. (David J. Bowman) If these concerns will not be addressed by the company, then the company may expose itself to suits. There was a case in San Francisco wherein the jury awarded the amount of more than $7M to a legal secretary harassed by a male partner in a law firm for failing to act swiftly on a sexual harassment complaint. Gerald D. Bloch) Thus, creating a non hostile and friendly working environment should also be one of the top priorities of Riordan Manufacturing, Inc. Discrimination Issues in the Workplace Since the business organization is composed of personnel coming from different countries, there is a possibility that the company may have in its employ Americans and Asians. The possib ility, therefore, of racial discrimination and sexual harassment issues among the employees is not remote. In a multi-racial organization, racial discrimination is a pressing issue which must be properly be addressed by the management. Some Managers, consciously or unconsciously prefer white employees over the black employees or Asians, considering that Riordan has facilities in China. In some business organization, the white Americans are given better work opportunities than Black Americans or Asians. In some organizations, most black employees are being hired for rank-and-file positions or they are disqualified for promotion on the simple basis of their color or race. Another issue that the Riordan Manufacturing Inc may encounter is gender discrimination. Although the labor laws expressly prohibit gender discrimination in the workplace, it is still being practiced in several business organizations. For example if Riordan Manufacturing, Inc prefers to hire male applicants over a female applicant though they are similarly qualified for the position, it will be an outright discrimination on the ground of gender discrimination. As mentioned, there is always the possibility that sexual harassment may occur in Riordan Manufacturing Inc. Sexual Harassment is defined by the EEOC as any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: a) submission to the conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly as condition of an individual’s employment, or b) submission to or rejection of the conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or c) the conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. â€Å"Preventing Sexual Harassment: A Fact Sheet For Employees†) State and Federal Statutes on the matter of discrimination are clear. Job treatment which includes the hiring of employees, firing of employees, and promotions of employees, must be based on qualifications and merit and not on race, gender, age, sexual preference, disability. (â€Å"Workplace Harassment and Employment Di scrimination†) In these cases, it is not only the legal duty of every Human Resource Manager but its ethical duty as well to incorporate in its policy manual the rules against discrimination. They must include in their policy manual that the management does not tolerate any form of discrimination in the business organization. It must define the acts that constitute discrimination. The policy manual must likewise include the procedure for filing of complaint against the person who utters discriminatory remarks or practices discrimination in the workplace and the penalty for those who will be found guilty after investigation is conducted. Indeed, communication is a key to avoiding discrimination in the workplace. There must be communication by the employer in the sense that they must inform their employees that discrimination will not be tolerated by the company and that any incident of discrimination will be seriously dealt with. There must also be communication between the offended party in the sense that both parties must be given by the management opportunity to meet so that the offending party may know that the act or remark given is offensive and discriminatory. It is possible that the other person does not have any knowledge or idea that the remark he has just uttered or the act he has just committed is offensive to the sensibilities of another. If despite the fact that he has confronted and communicated his feelings to the other person he still continues making discriminatory acts and remarks, the victim of discrimination must seek assistance from his supervisors. If there is no company policy against discriminatory acts, the victim of discrimination must report and notify immediately his immediate superior, the supervisor or the Human Resource Manager so that this could be acted upon. To strongly implement the policy against discrimination sanctions against those who have proven to commit such acts must be put in place. Among the sanctions that could be imposed are written warning, letter of reprimand, suspension, change of job or class assignment and termination or expulsion. Conclusion I have identified three major discrimination issues that is likely to happen in Riordan Manufacturing, Inc. and explained the manner by which the company may address these issues. Indeed, discrimination issues in the workplace should not be treated as something which ordinarily happens in the workplace. It can be avoided. A friendly, nondiscriminatory, and non-hostile environment is not a utopia. The task therefore of Managers is to anticipate these problems or if it already exists in the workplace the Managers must find solutions to these problems. Indeed, the failure to resolve these issues may lead to serious losses to the employer as it affects the performance of the employee involved.

My Scary Experience

Seven months ago, in Pan Rang, Vietnam I took a scary experience for a herd of mice at my house. Those happened with my mother, my sister and me. First, my mother, young sister and I heard noises above the ceiling and the kitchen. Then, we were finding them, and I discovered the black chits on the corners, floors and in the pans in kitchen. Moreover, my little sister found a pink baby mouse lying on the toilet, and she said that:† It's so cute†. That which I couldn't stand and I felt them really terrible. We told our mother and cleaned all of them.Next, in the morning, my little sister and I set the mouse traps and glue- boards in the corners around inside house, at holes in front of the door and on the cooking- stove. However, we thought the difficulty things to catch all of them that mice living on the ceiling, and they moved down on the pipes. Also, they went on the walls and went down many different ways. On the other hand, mice were the smart animals so we were hard to deal with them. In addition, my mother saw a lot of mice In the traps and some struggling on the glue- boards.Then, she told my young sister and me put them under sunshine, which made them die, and brought them to the garbage. I wore rubber gloves and I must hold their stomach to take them away glue. If some were alive, I could feel them move and breathe. In fact, I was so scary and seemingly, I could cry right away. That herd of mice was decreased. However, we moved to another house. My mother, my young sister and I absolutely had a scary experience about finding and catching mice but we calmed down and found the good ways to work around. No matter what happens to another, I will be ready to face and derive valuable experience.

Evaluating the Research Process Essay

This paper will be used to evaluate the research process. The chosen article is Pregnancy Risk among Black, White, and Hispanic Teen Girls in the New York City Public Schools. The research process is inclusive of several initial parts which are the selection of a problem, formulation of a hypothesis, a description of the subject, and the review of any literature as well as to construct a design plan, analyze data and write a conclusion. The paper will be used to discuss the literature and how it is used in the research. What are the considerations for data collection and what is the data telling us in terms of statistical analysis? In the article Pregnancy Risk among Black, White, and Hispanic Teen Girls in New York City Schools, the data was collected form the use of the (YRBS) New York City Youth Risk Behavior surveys. The survey was implemented by the (DOHMH) New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the (DOE) Department of Education. The surveys have been conducted since 1997 on a biennial basis. The data that is used was collected from surveys that were taken in 2005 and 2007. A total of 17,220 students from 87 public high schools were surveyed. Since this information was collected from individuals that were not of legal age, the researchers were extra careful to protect the confidentially of the students. This was done by having the students to complete a survey that requires that no personal information is given. The survey consists of 99 questions and it is self-administered. The data that has been collected has concluded that there is definitely a difference in the sexual activity of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years old that attended public schools in the New York City area. The differences include more than just age, it also include race, ethnicity, schools, neighborhoods and economic backgrounds as well. Based on the findings of the surveys there is an unmistakable difference in the statistics for each group that participated. Therefore there is a definitely a correlation between the findings and the figures that were used. The numerical data that was retrieved from the survey proves that the data is significant and provides enough evidence to support the significance of the study. In the article the results concluded that (32.6%) of high school girls reported that they were sexually active in the 3 months prior to the survey. Out of all of the girls that participated in the survey, black students were more likely to be sexually active followed by Hispanics the whites. There were variations in the sexual activity which increased or decreased with age, race and ethnicity. The results also assessed the differences in each group access to and the use of contraceptive. The conclusion states that the use of hormonal contraceptive such as the pill was low among all racial and ethnic groups. Differences also occurred within the different neighborhoods. The conclusion noted that Hispanic girls in New York City were less likely when compared to white to use any type of contraceptive methods which put them at a greater risk of becoming pregnant. It also state that if there is any hope of preventing teen pregnancies, the proper information must be made available to educate these girls about long acting methods of contraception. Upon careful review of the conclusion it is evident that the conclusion does answer the research question as it is stated in the definition of the problem. The conclusion is appropriate because it re states the obvious facts from the date that had been collected from the surveys. It also summarizes the finding and breaks down the data so that suggestions can be made as a way to help to prevent teen age pregnancy within the area that was deemed to be high risk. Although the article has significant statistics and data, it is my opinion that there is not enough information to make a decision on the effectiveness of the study. There were several limitation within the study that allows one to question the effectiveness of the study overall. First, the YRBS only included limited questions pertaining to sexual activity and contraception which means it is possible that there are unmeasured differences in the frequency of sexual activity and the consistency in the use of Contraceptives which could make the collected data on each group incorrect. There are also limitations related to data that is collected by neighborhood schools. In some cases students choose to attend magnet or other specialized schools that are located outside of their home school. Another limitation is that the finding for the study was generalized to teens that attended New York City public schools. Therefore, many students that lived in the city but attended private schools or were in a special education program were not surveyed. The article lacked significant information on any other studies that the data could be compared to as a way to test for accuracy of the information. The literature review for the article was used to analyze the variation in the components that plays a major role in assessing the pregnancy risk among students attending New York City public high schools. The discussion portion of this article breaks down all of the difference and compares all of the similarities that exist between black, whites, and Hispanics which contribute to the high pregnancy rate within each group. The discussion also touches on the evidence that schools and neighborhoods can be a major influence in the risk of pregnancy for teen aged girls. Racial and ethnic differences have had an effect on the motivation and the expectation of girls to become sexually active in the early teen years. Fortunately the diverse nature of the study will help to provide the information needed to initiate programs that will give girls the knowledge to delay pregnancy until later in life.

Care Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Care Plan - Assignment Example self in the planning and resolution process to bring about awareness of his present condition and how to go about making lifestyle changes to resolve the painful issues and restore good health. By involving the patient in the clinical process, the care rendered would be less stressful because the patient would make better adjustments where food, hygiene and other activities were concerned. The symptoms experienced by the patient were severe spasms of pain in the umbilical area accompanied by nausea, and feelings of warmth, sweat and vomiting. From these symptoms, the diagnosis drawn was that the patient suffered from gastroenteritis. The delivery of care was customized according to the needs of the patient in order to ensure better adjustment and better health outcomes. The format used for this clinical case was SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan) format in order to arrive at the right diagnosis. Subjective data such as the health issues of the patient, the background he came from, occupational and financial status, substance abuse, emotional stability and information of other social activities was collected through dialogue with the patient and other friends and members of his family. Subjective data included that the patient was a male 60 years of age and was a retired school teacher with a Master’s degree in education. He and his wife live off a state teacher’s pension, though his wife continues to work at a grocery store. They have two children, a son and daughter who do not live with them. He is also covered by health insurance. He is a sociable individual because he showed inclination of wanting to involve himself in community work. He denies substance abuse but admits to drinking wine and eating fast foods on a regular basis. His primary complaint was that he had acute pain around the umbilical region accompanied by nausea, queasiness, sweating and a fee ling of vomiting and these symptoms prevailed for the past 24 hours before his visit

Exercise Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Exercise - Coursework Example One can rely on violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act. The law however prohibits discrimination based on age. Section 622 sub-section 3(a) say, â€Å"It shall be unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, conditions, terms, or privileges of employment, because of the individual’s age.† It continues in sub-section 3(b), â€Å"It shall be unlawful for an employment agency to fail or refuse to refer for employment, or other ­wise to discriminate against, any individual because of such individual’s age, or to classify or refer for employment any individual on the basis of such individual’s age...† (Eeoc.gov, 2014). In the United States of America, tobacco smoking employees are protected by state statutes — Smoker Protection Laws. At the moment, twenty-nine states plus the District of Columbia have such laws operational. Although these laws vary from state to state, employers are generally legally prohibited from either firing or refusing to hire an employee for consuming any tobacco product during non-working hours and away from the employers property. Consumption of such products in the employer’s premises or during working hours is however not protected (Provine, 2007). In Colorado and New York there is no law related to tobacco use in employment relations. Smokers are however protected under other broader state statutes that forbid employers from discriminating against an employee who engages in a lawful activity seeing as consumption of tobacco is legally

The Different Aspects of Heroism in Animation Assignment

The Different Aspects of Heroism in Animation - Assignment Example Taking the case of Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke, 1997) a film directed by renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki, it can be seen that there is a clash of nature versus humanity. Ashitaka is the main character who has to treat dangerous grounds in an effort to save the community. The animated version of the film shows Ashitaka killing the demon but does not go unscathed as his right arm is corrupted with a curse and he has a long journey into the Great Forest Spirit to get help (Beane 5). The ensuing battle between Princess Mononoke and a mining village requires a courageous and industrial person to save the situation. This film presents Japanese cultural definition of heroism as an ability to wade through evil, save lives and remain self-less in defence of the society as seen in Ashitaka’s dedication to rebuilding Iron town in his last interaction with San and Eboshi. In Sylvain (Gandahar, 1988) the Queen Ambisextra and the Council of Women believe in warrior Sylvain as the ultimate saviour of the kingdom against the Machine-Men. In this cultural setup, the courage to face supernatural beings in the form of metals is considered heroic. Sylvain is a great warrior and from the animated version, is wit of incorporating the mutant beings called the Deformed (physically deformed, but mentally and spiritually advanced) and by a beautiful woman named Airelle. Considering his ability to strategize on a way of completely eliminating these metal creatures is exhibited through creative animation that exposes his heroism at the end of the encounter (Beane 9). The animated presentation of Peter (Peter and the Wolf, 2006) is entertaining and informative as it explores an exciting show of heroism by Peter against the much hated and dreaded wolf. The film has a combination that is attractive to children and captivating to music enthusiasts. Peter’s ability to unwit the wolf, tie and prevent the hunters from killing it is a show of true hero.  

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Essay

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis - Essay Example Stevenson uses an innovative approach to portray the human soul as a battlefield for an â€Å"angel† and a â€Å"fiend† who are foes in a battle for the possession of the human soul. Every human being contains these opposite forces within him, an alter ego that hides behind a social and polite everyday facade. Jekyll asserts that â€Å"man is not truly one, but truly two,† that one is never black nor white and that the situation at hand always brings out more of one side or the other. Jekyll’s potion that was initially meant to separate and purify these two elements, the angel from the fiend, only manages to bring out the dark side into being. Hyde emerges from the depths of Jekyll, but he brings forth no angelic counterpart. It is left to be argued whether or not this role of the angelic counterpart is left for Jekyll. It is more than obvious that his demeanor is outright moral and decent, and he enjoys the repute of a benevolent, well-mannered and genial man, yet he never embodies the virtue of good equally as Hyde embodies the very opposite from it. He merely portrays civilized behavior and morals, leaning towards good. In his bold and philanthropic efforts, he takes it upon himself to purify the good, but he ends up liberating the darkness from the shackles of conscience.

Market segmentation in the airline industry Essay

Market segmentation in the airline industry - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that success in marketing can be achieved by matching the organizational capabilities with the requirements of the marketplace. This matching is based on market segmentation. Market and their segments are clusters of potential customers. Market segmentation is a proactive process which involves the application of analytic techniques. Market segmentation has been defined as the process of dividing the total market into a number of smaller, more homogeneous submarkets, termed market segments. A heterogeneous group of customers is grouped into homogeneous groups or segments. Each of these segments requires a different marketing mix to service their needs. The concept of segmentation comes naturally to human beings. This categorization reduces uncertainty and simplifies procedures. This very principle, when applied to marketing, is known as market segmentation, which helps to unify groups of consumers. The market has to be first defined in term s of the product’s end users and their needs. It is then divided into various groups according to different characteristics. To reach the customers in the most effective way, market segmentation can be based on general variables like demographics, socio-economic, geographical, or psychographic. While demographics look at the general characteristics of the age, income, education, and occupation, psychographic variable delves deeper into people’s lifestyles and attitudes.

Management accounting is a new branch of accounting that promotes the Essay

Management accounting is a new branch of accounting that promotes the overall managerial performance of an organisation - Essay Example As scholars indicate, an organisation’s management accounting discipline can have a great influence on its other functions. Mainly, management accounting discipline defines an organisation’s managerial ethics. Hence, the concept of management accounting discipline greatly relates to the firm’s corporate governance policies. This paper will particularly discuss the evolution of management accounting discipline and its relationship with other functions in organisations. The paper will give specific focus to the ethical aspects in management accounting, performance management, balanced scorecard, activity based costing and sustainability reporting. Evolution of management accounting discipline The history of management accounting can be dated back to 19th century when the process of industrial revolution compelled firms to maintain better managerial control over their business activities. During that time, most of the firms were run by a single owner or manager usin g their personal assets. As there had been no external stockholders or unsecured debt, organisations never used to prepare elaborated financial reports. Therefore, the concept of management accounting was widely known by its cost accounting functions in olden days. The idea of management accounting has undergone tremendous changes over the last century. As per the Malaysian Institute of Accountants’ (2005) study, the development of this concept can be explained using four recognisable time phases2. Phase 1 - Before 1950, the major function of the management accounting was to determine the costs and to control financial operations using financial tools such as budgeting and cost accounting. Phase 2 - By 1965, the scope of management accounting expanded and hence its focus has been shifted to provision of information for managerial activities such as planning and control. For this purpose, business managers used tools such as decision analysis and responsibility accounting. Pha se 3 – By 1985, management accountants extensively used techniques like process analysis and cost management in order to reduce the wastage of resources in business processes and thereby improve profitability. Phase 4 – By 1995, the management accounting branch focused more on value creation through effective use of resources. For this purpose, management accountants sought help of technologies that can identify the contributing factors to shareholder value, customer value, and organisational innovation3. The emergence of the concept strategic management accounting in late 1980s notably changed the overall outlook of the management accounting4. By the end of the 20th century, increased pressures from capital markets, creditors, and governmental regulatory bodies forced organisations to pay specific attention to managerial control. In addition, increasing business needs persuaded business houses to raise additional funds from different capital suppliers5. In order to ma nage fund raising activities and to identify future fund needs, business managers had to obtain audited financial statements. Likewise, firms had to communicate its financial

Global Contraflows - Morocco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Contraflows - Morocco - Essay Example Global contraflows are a threat to Americanization. This is so because it enhances culture diversification that is contrary to what Americanization stands for. In the past U.S had dominated over the other cultures making the minority cultures to adopt their way of life thus deteriorating culture of individuals (Moran 67). Contraflows on the contrary provide avenues for culture exchange between two different regions thus nurturing culture and ensuring its maintenance. There is therefore need to rethink culture production (Pennycook 74). This is to ensure that productions are considerate of the ethics of other cultures. This is to ensure that they conform to the norms of the other cultures so as not to be faced with hostility when the product is aired (Thussu 86). This paper seeks to analyze whether the Gnawa music of Morocco had an impact on the social life of individuals globally and the role that media played in ensuring cultural exchange. Gnawa music was mostly experienced by the westerns who visited Morocco. This is due to the annual Gnawa festival that is held annually in one of the Moroccan beaches (Athique 49). This provided the visiting westerns with the chance to be able to experience cultural celebrations of the Moroccan people. This as well provided an avenue whereby the Moroccan people and the westerners could be able to exchange their culture (Kearey, Kleipes and Vine 53). This is because the performers went to perform having worn their full regalia that marks the celebration. This could offer the westerners with a chance to learn the culture of their hosts and at the same time the hosts could be able to learn through this interactions (Moran 65). With the advent of media, culture movement was further facilitated. This is because of the availability of equipment such as satellite televisions that made it

The Birth of Swatch Essay Example for Free

The Birth of Swatch Essay The Swatch was well-known watch in the history of the watch industry. When it came out at first, it was quite sensational, resulting in more sales than it expected. Since the Swatch had grown strong in the watch industry, it could maintain its reputation and there were more opportunities to success in this industry. In order to find out its success strategies or factors, the following shows its Strengths and opportunities. In addition, its weaknesses and threats could reflect considerations on this future forward. SWOT analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| * High Consumer loyalty * A clean price * Unique designs * Innovations in automation and assembly * Promising designers were adopted * Good reputation * High quality | * Late entry in a quartz watch market * * More rooms for growth in markets * Still has a name value * Has unique messages and ads| * Numerous numbers of competitors in low-price sector in the watch industry * In the mid-price sector, consumer price sensitive is higher and compete against a number of Hong Kong companies For several reasons, the Swatch was successfully entered the new watch industry with its effective strategies and unique products. Firstly, it committed to vertical integration, building and assembling the low-priced quartz watch in Switzerland. The designing proprietary production techniques helped to reduce the production cost. On top of that, the Swatch tried to deliver the unique message to the consumers, making Swatch more than a commodity and adding genuine emotion to the products. One of the main strengths of the Swatch is its unique design. The various designs of watches were created by the artists, architects, and industrial designers. It introduced new products or lines every time with no repetitions. It led loyal consumers to purchase several Swatch products in different lines. Moreover, the Swatch had a reputation for special innovation. For instance, it introduced the scented, youthful, and unpredictable watches at the reasonable prices so that it could keep high customer loyalty. Swatch spent approximately 30% of the retail price of its watches on advertising as its marketing plan. This was about two times high compared with the industry average. They also were able to use unique marketing events and advertising schemes to promote Swatch, emphasizing on below-the line activities. It also had decentralized marketing and centralized manufacturing systems. Additionally, the company created the Swatch collectors Club for its loyal consumers. The Swatch street journal, a magazine that included all information about Swatch in trends, was produced. It also chose a nontraditional retail approach, creating unexpected points of purchase. For example, it launched the Veggie Swatch line in fruit and vegetable market. SMH pursued shop-in-shop systems or miniboutiques so that consumers could only focus on the Swatch products, not displaying its products with other watches. Those strategies helped Swatch lead this market in the watch industry, selling 26 million swatches in 1992 and reversing SMH’s fortunes. Despite its success, there are some concerns whether the success of the Swatch would continue. Still, the world watch market was highly fragmented except Citizen, Seiko, and SMH. There were numerous watch competitors in Switzerland, Asia, and Unite states. The market share of Swatch was still relatively low in the single digits due to highly-fragmented low price sector. It competed with a growing number of watches manufactured in Asia. Besides, the weakest segment of SMH was the mid-price sector. The consumers in this price range were so sensitive at the prices of watches that it was pretty difficult to compete with the Hong Kong manufacturers. Although there were several limits of SMH, there were so many strengths of its strategy that could lead this market. The Swatch had grown continuously by offering radical innovations in design, durability of the products, and unique marketing plans. SMH had its own technology to manufacture the best quality of watches. In addition, its unique designs created by various designers in different areas were quite competitive and appealing to consumers. If it tried to keep tracking the trends in the watch industry, and reflect what consumers want and changes, there would be more opportunities to continue its success.

Gender Inequality Essay Example for Free

Gender Inequality Essay Gender can be defined as the socially constructed roles and duties society constructs, assigns and expects of males and females on the basis of their biological and physical characteristics. Gender is learnt, not permanent and differs from one community to another. Gender roles and responsibilities are found in all spheres of society be it economic, social, political or religious. Gender roles are affected by age, social class, ability, ethnicity and race. The gender roles help society to determine men and women access to rights, resources and opportunities. Gender in this perspective is not just a concept, but about perceptions and understanding concerning the affiliation between males and females in society and how gender influences their attitudes, behavior and responsibilities. Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment of men and women that are against the legal and constitutional requirement such as the human rights provisions as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 The Convention on the Eradication of all forms of discrimination against females (1979). Most countries have, however, fallen short of entitling human rights and freedoms to everyone in society regardless of their sex (Michael 12). Gender inequality varies from developed countries to developing countries. Also considering that the world is comprised of different tribes and races that have distinct values and beliefs, gender inequality will vary with the same intensity. Such inequalities include the professional obstacles that women encounter in their workplaces. It is evident that women’s lack of leadership positions because such roles are considered to be meant for men. Those who are mothers may be penalized or discriminated for taking time off to attend to their children. The controversial issue concerning gender inequality is the need to acknowledge the unequal power relations between men and women in society and to work for greater gender equality and the advancement of women. It does not only mean the identification of specific areas that are important for women’s advancements, but also attempts to introduce a dimension of gender in all activities. It also means there is recognition of how important it is to work with both men and women to change the existing gender relations. According to the United States Census data, there is a gender wage gap in which women earn 77 cents for each dollar earned by a man. The gap is a matter of concern that has prompted  President Obama to announce the Paycheck fairness Act on Equal Pay Day. However, according to the one of the lead economist the statistics behind the gender wage gap are flawed. The flawed statistics have acted hindrance and distracter to the legislator and concerned public from finding the solutions that would solve the real problem-the gender jobs gap. The Census data that give the 77 cents on dollar comparison is based on aggregate earning of men and women thus ignoring job choice, education, experience, industry, and other factors that contribute to a person’s wage. If a comparison is made between men and women with the same background such as education and experience, same employer, among other the gender gap disappears. The reasons why the gender job gap exists is the due to low number of female occupying high executive levels and director positions. Men also are earning higher than women despite being in the same senio r-level jobs. The choice of work is a major that determine potential earnings. Men tend to take relatively high-paying jobs in engineering and IT, while women take low-paying jobs like education and human resources. The gender gap persists because men and women choose to pursue different careers (Autor et al, 2008). The gender job gap can be closed, if women are encouraged to pursue high-paying career in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering. Legislation should be formulated to bridge the gap in men and women career choice. An enabling environment should create in the workplace where women can be empowered and helped to rise to top executive positions. Comparing the job to job is not tenable solution in addressing the gender wage gap; more need to be done to bring women earning close to that of men (Juhn et al, 2014). Gender inequality also involves feticide and infanticide. For instance, in India and China, a male child is more appreciated than a female child. Parents have to find out the sex of the baby they are carrying so as to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy or kill the child after its birth (Kristoff, 69). One of my family members in China, my cousin who has a bias th at boys better than girls. I was very angry that he convinced his wife went to abortion because his wife pregnant with a girl when I knew he did that. He explained that China has the birth control policy and he just want to a boy to continue his family name. In the legal area at China, it wasn’t involve in crime for what he did. However, in the ethical area, he deprive his wife’s thought and the  baby who didn’t has chance come to the world. I think he against the humanity and nature. There are also a number of organizations in society that play key roles in the construction of gender. These organizations need to be gender sensitive so as to ensure they continue in the positive construction of gender equality. Such organizations include the family, the most imperative socializing proxy, school, media and religion. Several theoretical perspectives exist that tend to explain the origin of gender inequalities. Radical feminists argue that the gender inequalities arise from the biological differences among individuals that produce a form of social organization that equip men and women with the different roles they play in society. For example, women are handicapped by their biology in terms of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding that makes them dependent on men. This dependence creates an une qual power relationships and power psychology. They also argue that, in every society, a high value is placed on culture rather than nature. Through culture, supernatural forces can be sought in order to achieve success, hence it is considered a means by which humanity governs and regulates nature. Women are seen closer to nature than men because of their social roles as mothers and reproduction (Hekman 52). Men, on the other hand, participate in activities such as warfare, politics that involve culture. This makes them better to women. From a Marxist perspective, gender inequality arose during the earlier stages of development when there was ownership of private property. Men gained control over the women and property hence the patriarchal system of family where property was passed down through the male’s line. Marxists thought this would change with the capitalist system but women still continue to be disadvantaged compared to men. On the contrary, liberal feminists approached gender inequality in a more elaborate way. They argued that nobody benefits from the existing gender inequalities since both men and women are harmed by inequalities. While women do not get opportunities to develop their talents and become successful and skilled members, men are also denied the o pportunity of having a close relationship with their children. Gender inequality is caused by the general credence that males are superior to females; because of this idea, women have spent some significant amount of years suffering under their counterparts. Males also tend to be more emphatic and absolute because of their natal hormones or intuitive  intellect. Sexual discrimination is also another major cause of gender inequality where women are viewed by men as just sex objects rather than real human beings with standards and morals. Other general contributing factors of gender inequality include unequal power relations, assumptions about male and female behavior, insufficient laws against gender inequality, cultural, traditional and religious practices. I became aware of this problem through the campaigns that the government and other Non-Governmental Organizations have held. Their efforts are directed towards ensuring that gender inequality is minimized all over the world. Awareness is being created among women where they get to be educated on their rights and freedoms (Hurst, 96). The women are being empowered through sponsoring women projects as a way of generating income that makes them less dependable on women. The media is al so playing a vital role on the sensitization of ways of minimizing gender inequality in the societies. Higher education in universities and colleges also promotes women support and all levels of society. The government is doing everything in its power to increase the productivity of women by initiating income generating projects. However, they do not take into account that women are already overburdened with work, they do not control family budgets and many of them have difficulties of freedom and movement. It is evident that the informal sector has limited employment opportunities and these projects will not be taken with the seriousness it deserves despite having the ability to empower the women. It is also easy to mobilize individuals or groups for a specific goal such as a political action or assisting members who are in need. In this case curbing, the menace of gender inequality in the society will be of great help. This is because it has charged most nations more harm than good. Most people have depicted that certain duties and tasks are to be performed by certain persons making gender imbalance. Heavy duties are usually dedicated to men while the simple ones are left to the females creating a huge difference in genders. Until all these issues are addressed there is no way that the nation and the globe will ever achieve gender balance. Work cited Michael G. Peletz, Gender, Sexuality and Body Politics in Modern Asia. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Asian studies, 2011. Kristoff, Nicholas D. (August 23, 2009). â€Å"The Women’s Crusade. New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011. Burstein, Paul. â€Å"Equal Employment Opportunity: Labor Market Discrimination and Public Policy.† Edison, NJ: Aldine Transaction, 1994. Hekman, David R.; Aquino, Karl; Owens, Brad P.; Mitchell, Terence R.; (2009) An Examination of How Racial and Gender Biases Influence Customer Satisfaction. Autor, D. H., Katz, L. F., Kearney, M. S. (2013). Trends in US wage inequality: Revising the revisionists. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 90(2), 300-323. Juhn, C., Ujhelyi, G., Villegas-Sanchez, C. (2014). Men, women, and machines: how trade impacts gender inequality. Journal of Development Economics, 106, 179-193.

Beiersdorf Ag And The Cosmetics Industry

Beiersdorf Ag And The Cosmetics Industry Beiersdorf AG (BDF), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and distribution of branded consumer goods primarily in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The company operates in two segments, Consumer and Tesa. The Consumer segment offers skin and beauty care products under the Labello, NIVEA, 84, la prairie, JUVENA, atrix, Eucerin, FUTURO, Hansaplast/Elastoplast, and Florena brand names. The consumer division represents over 80% of the companys total value sales. The Tesa segment engages in the development, production, and marketing of self-adhesive system and product solutions for industrial customers and consumers. Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1882 and is based in Hamburg, Germany. The group has around 17,300 employees and over 150 affiliates worldwide. Since 2003, the company has been part of the Tchibo Group. The group recorded revenues of 5,120 million during the fiscal year ended December 2006, an increase of 7.2% over 2005. The operating profit of the group was 477 million during fiscal year 2006, a decline of 15.8% over 2005. The net profit was 664 million in fiscal year 2006, an increase of 99.4% over 2005. This report analyses the economic aspects of the business of cosmetics and the consumer segment of Beiersdorf AG. 2. Introduction In 2006, the cosmetics and toiletries industry posted $163 billion, a growth rate of more than 5% over 2005 $155 billion. Euromonitor International forecasts average annual growth of 3% to reach global sales of more than $313 billion by 2011. (GCI, 2007). The industry continues to benefit from a combination of strong macroeconomic trends (including a worldwide rise in consumer spending power); key demographic factors such as aging populations and higher life expectancies; an increased interest in appearance and personal care as a means of preventive healthcare; and lifestyle and climatic changes that are creating opportunities for new product niches. Legislative restrictions are having a positive impact by improving consumer confidence and facilitating international trade, and technological advances are improving product efficacy and providing manufacturers with new marketing tools and advertising opportunities. 3. Competition and Markets Microeconomics: Porters 5 Forces Based on Porters five forces model which determines the intensity of the industry competition and profitability (Porter 1980, p3), Beiersdorf has an advantage in the cosmetics industry; their heritage and unmatched leadership in skin care through NIVEA has created an immediate stronghold over its competitors in the industry as well as differentiation. However the threat of substitute products and services could affect Beiersdorfs popularity. Threat of New Entrants Medium A large number of firms differentiate their products and maintain a certain degree of control over their pricing. This monopolistic competition has relatively low barriers to entry and exit. Government regulation, mostly related to safety issues, and distribution channels appear to be the most significant barriers to entry in the cosmetics industry. Beiersdorf has the advantage of economies of scale, an established supply and distribution channels and high product differentiation, to compete and have an incumbent advantage. The capital requirements of entry, customer and supplier loyalty, legislation, and retaliation are moderate, which indicate that a new entrant is hindered to enter the market and compete. To stay competitive, Beiersdorf needs to continually innovate. Threat of Substitutes High The risk of product-for-product substitution is high as equivalent product benefits are available both in generic and branded form. Beiersdorf has contended with this risk by continuous innovation and introducing unique formulations across global markets. Beiersdorf has worked to expand its presence in the global personal care market by promoting its flagship brand NIVEA, which launched a global marketing campaign last summer that intends to cover 64 countries by mid-2008. To increase sales by presenting consumers with innovative new products, Beiersdorfs expenditure on RD rose 7.6 per cent to 127m in 2007 and this investment is expected to help the company launch successful new products in the years ahead (Cosmetics Design, 2007). Bargaining Power of Buyers Medium Buyer (customer) concentration is moderate as product differentiation and distributed markets ensure relative price differences that ensure profitability. This indicates reduced bargaining power of the buyers. Loyalty to Beiersdorfs products is relatively high and the cost of switching buyers is medium. The risk of supplier acquired by the buyer is less as the products are proprietary formulations. Beiersdorf also differentiates through choice and first to market innovation. As such, they should be unwilling to accept compromises on quality. This will also be true for emerging economies, where, as they develop and innovation becomes a competitive differentiator, buyers will be less willing to compromise on quality. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Medium Ingredients are individually sourced from suppliers and blending them into unique proprietary products has traditionally been Beiersdorfs primary strength. Suppliers concentration is high with the added risk of buyer being acquired by the supplier. However, the cost of switching suppliers is moderate and overall, suppliers increasing costs is less impactful on the profitability. Competitive Rivalry High Despite an unfavourable environment in Beiersdorfs key region of Western Europe, the company has managed to consistently outperform global sales of cosmetics and toiletries over the review period and by one percentage point in 2006. Beiersdorfs global sales growth (6%) is above that of its direct competitors Procter Gamble and Unilever, although LOr al outperformed by one percentage point. However, like LOreal and other major global players, much of this growth is derived from emerging markets. This performance tends to demonstrate that Beiersdorfs growth strategy is successful. However, the degree by which Beiersdorf outstripped overall sales has lessened. It is essential for Beiersdorf to continually invest in RD to maintain their competitive differentiation and profitability. The recent revision of Beiersdorfs growth strategy indicates that the company identified the right targets for growth, both at product category level, such as with a focus on mens grooming products, and at a geographical level. The slight departure from the previous focus on North America seems wise, as sales in this region are forecast to remain sluggish over the period 2006-2011. On the other hand, increased efforts to launch Beiersdorfs brands in high-growth countries such as China and Russia should prove very beneficial. 4. Market demand and understanding the consumer The law of diminishing marginal utility holds for the cosmetics sector. A shift in the demand curve will be seen as a result of changes in demand due to factors other than price, such as increases in consumer income, changes in taxes on the product, changes in price or availability of competing products, and changes in expectations of future prices (Wilkinson 2005, p.82). Various elasticity concepts, including own price elasticity, income, advertising and cross-price elasticises of demand as well as consumer indifference curves are very important to the company as they influence the pricing and advertising strategies (Jones 2004, p.98). The demand curve for Beiersdorfs portfolio can be expressed as D1, displayed in Figure 3. P1Q1 represents the market equilibrium point for quantity and demand for the pricing strategy. Beiersdorf expansion of its market share in 2007 by focusing on product innovation and emerging markets with a special focus on the Chinese market was supported by high sales of Nivea Visage and Nivea for Men, and sales in China increased 45.1 per cent in 2007 contributing to a 7.6 per cent rise in the companys turnover to 5.5bn, indicated by an outward shift in the demand curve from D1 to D2. At this price point, quantity sold was higher (P2Q2). Sales were up 12.8 per cent and the jump in profits was also due to the companys logistics and production revamp, which has centred on its hair and skin care operation in Europe during the past two years. Thus, the demand curve may well have sloped more sharply upwards than it appears in Figure 3. This raises the equilibrium quantity from Q1 to the higher Q2. These curves demonstrate that Beiersdorfs overall revenue has grown considerably from 2006. In its financial results for 2007 the company reported sales of 5.5bn for the fiscal year, which adjusting for currency translated into a 9.1 per cent increase on 2006. Also, Beiersdorfs growth is driven by advertising and promotion, alongside heavy research and development investments. Faced with growing maturity in its key market Western Europe, Beiersdorf has not limited its growth strategy to product innovation. In addition, the company is focusing on alternative retail channels. 5. Market supply and understanding the companys costs Market supply is the aggregate of individual firm supply, determined by factors affecting firm supply. The market supply function for a product is a statement of the relation between the quantity supplied and all factors affecting that quantity (Hirschey 2005, p.110). With the dual aim of halving working capital requirements and saving costs, the Company embarked on a restructuring of its supply chain in 2005. Originally managed locally, all major supply chain processes, including planning, sourcing, production, delivery and returns are now moving towards more central management. Processes are being optimised, in order to reduce the time-to-market for new products, and products and processes are being standardised as much as possible to achieve economies of scale. In Europe, Beiersdorf has already adapted its production sites and logistics centres to reflect actual demand and has reduced overcapacity. For example, early 2007, the company sold its production and logistics facilities in France, as well as its Hamburg-based logistics centre and its Heitersheim-based soap factory both in Germany. In Asia, Beiersdorf conducted an in-depth analysis of its product and supply chain during 2006. It is expected to roll out its Asia restructuring plan in 2008. Meanwhile, on the back of beneficial business tax reform net profit leapt to 132m from 74m in 2006. Although Beiersdorf began to focus a large part of its efforts into strengthening its position in high-growth regions such as Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, the company is behind many other international manufacturers. Many players identified the same areas as key targets over the last few years. Without first-mover advantage, Beiersdorf will have to match its competitors in terms of distribution, price and product support in order to reach new customers. 6. Market analysis, failure and responses Market failure is the situation where the market mechanism fails to allocate resources efficiently (Wilkinson 2005, p.473). There are a number of reasons why market failure might occur: inefficiencies, imperfect competition due to oligopoly in the cosmetics market, external economies and diseconomies of production, pure private and pure public goods; and government intervention in the form of taxation and subsidies to try and restore social equity while exercising other options such as legal measures and persuasion. Annual sales growth in the cosmetics and toiletries market has fallen gradually from 21.2 per cent in 2002 to 11.3 per cent last year to $20.9bn. Overall growth figures are slowing as the market matures although breaking down the figures suggests high double-digit growth is still achievable in the market for more sophisticated products. Picking out two categories for comparison, premium cosmetics sales increased 15 per cent last year whereas deodorant sales grew by only 8.2 per cent (Cosmetics Design, 2008). Beiersdorf should achieve growth figures in Central and Eastern Europe with targeted growing niches and expanded market share. In addition, Beiersdorf paid 269.45m in October for an 85 per cent stake in China-based C-Bons Hair Care, which owns the Slek and Maestro brands (Cosmetics Design, 2007). This will significantly strengthen Beiersdorfs market share in China. 7. Market structures and company strategies Economists classify market structures into four main types: perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly (Wilkinson 2005, p.313). The cosmetics business is an oligopoly. With competitors such as Unilever, LOreal, Proctor and Gamble, Avon, Est e Lauder Cosmetics, and other large corporations, Beiersdorf attempts to maintain a technological superiority through path-breaking innovations and their highly successful soft-sell techniques. The constant research and development of cosmetics, combined with the universal human desire to look the best they can, suggests that the industry has great potential. The strategies used by Beiersdorf are an attempt to differentiate itself from other competitors in the industry. Despite an unfavourable environment Beiersdorfs global sales growth (6%) is above that of its direct competitors Procter Gamble and Unilever, although LOreal outperformed by one percentage point. This performance tends to demonstrate that Beiersdorfs growth strategy is successful. The recent revision of Beiersdorfs growth strategy indicates that the company identified the right targets for growth, both at product category level, such as with a focus on mens grooming products, and at a geographical level. The slight departure from the previous focus on North America seems wise, as sales in this region are forecast to remain sluggish over the period 2006-2011. On the other hand, increased efforts to launch Beiersdorfs brands in high-growth countries such as China and Russia should prove very beneficial. 8. Economic output and national wealth Economic output is measured with actual growth and potential growth. Actual growth may be defined as the actual annual increase in national product or real GDP per annum, normally expressed as a percentage or on a per capita basis. In contrast, potential growth is the annual increase in a countrys productive capability. Actual growth may fall short of potential growth if the economy is working at less than full capacity, which is if it works within its production possibility frontier. Economic growth is perceived to be desirable since higher growth benefits the population of the country. However, high shorter term economic growth using non-renewable resources, causes slow long term growth. Cosmetics industry contributes positively to the GDP due to its manufacturing activity. Beiersdorfs products are manufactured across the world and in all its major markets it has manufacturing facilities or agreements with affiliates. Beiersdorf also supports beauty salons and massage parlours with its professional products and thus indirectly supports local economies. 9. Economic growth and business cycles The global economy recorded sound growth in the early part of 2007. However, in late summer the ongoing slowdown on the U.S. real estate market triggered fears regarding the creditworthiness of financial market products and institutions in the U.S.A. and Europe. U.S. monetary policymakers moved to counter rising cyclical risks by cutting interest rates. Nevertheless, the drop in real estate prices, rising default rates for mortgage loans, and the jump in jobless rates at the end of the year led to a market slowdown in the growth of U.S. consumer spending and hence in the economy as a whole. Against this background, the U.S. dollar came under strong pressure in the second half of 2007. In addition, the euro appreciated significantly against the yen, impacting the international competitiveness of European companies. Continental European economies were dominated by robust growth in exports and investments and further improvements on the job market, but were impacted by an increase in inflation risks, fuelled by rocketing prices for oil, energy, and food. Figure 7: Inflation in 2007 Source: Beiersdorf Annual Report, 2007 The ongoing rapid expansions of the Chinese market, where growth rates are at about 12%, continue to offer sales opportunities for European producers. At the same time, Chinas growing demand for raw materials led to price rises on the global commodities markets. Although Continental Asian countries saw dynamic development, Japanese growth is below expectations. In Latin America, growth remained stable at around 5% in 2007, while in Eastern Europe it was 6%. Business cycles effect on Beiersdorf, as a factor of investment and consumer spend on goods and services, is limited as its products cater to virtually every age-group among consumers and its flagship brand NIVEA and its extensions as an umbrella brand have gained immense value and loyalty. It is true that mass-market cosmetics are not essential for life, however, the relative low-cost of the products, and the heavy reliance on image enhancement, especially in women, prompt that cosmetics would not be the first items to be forsaken in time of economic hardship. This makes the industry more resistant to recessions and other economic downturns. 10. Capital accumulation and technological progress In addition to Beiersdorfs acquisitions, the investments in operating activities amounted to 106 million relating to intangible assets and property, plant, and equipment in 2007. Innovative product development is a strategic factor at Beiersdorf for ensuring competitive strength and group growth, based on over 80 years of research and development. In 2007, the company spent 127 million on research and development (2.3% of sales). On a global level, 870 members of staff without C-BONS Hair Care are employed in research and development. 11. Labour markets and unemployment Though unemployment is creeping, unbridled inflation has played havoc with commodity prices and interest rate turbulence. This can lead to loss of jobs as companies may trim their expenses in an effort to counter inflation. Beiersdorf enjoys a healthy growth rate of over 6% against the industry growth of 4% average. There is no threat of unemployment and labour market issues for Beiersdorf due to its unassailable market share and brand loyalty across the world. The resilience of the economy could be impacted by unemployment, but is unlikely to directly impact demand for Beiersdorfs products, due to its strong heritage and the NIVEA brand pull. 12. Role of government and fiscal policy Government expenditure and taxation is the basis for fiscal policy. Cosmetics are regularly taxed and such taxes have a notional effect on demand of Beiersdorfs products. However, customs and import duties on raw materials and finished goods have an impact and the company appears to counter such effects with local manufacture and continued product innovations. 13. Role of government and monetary policy Since inflation and money supply determine the monetary policy, inflation is countered with a change in interest rates to affect a control on money supply. Beiersdorf indicates that currency, interest rate, and liquidity risks are subject to active treasury management. In most cases they are managed and hedged centrally. Derivative financial instruments serve solely to hedge operational activities and financial transactions essential to the business. The Company limits potential default risks relating to the investment of the Groups liquid funds by only making short-term investments with prime-rated counterparties. Consumer impact of monetary policy may affect spending on cosmetics. However, brand loyalty and preference for personal grooming offset any adverse impact. 14. Foundations of international trade The law of absolute advantage and the law of comparative advantage are the basis for international trade. Countries specialise in goods and services which they have the greatest aptitude for producing due to natural resource endowments, or because of the acquired skills of their workforce. These factors of production are largely immobile between countries so trade takes place in the goods which they produce. The terms of trade of a country might change as the result of a change in the composition of its exports or imports, or a change in the price of its exports or imports. For the former, businesses selling higher priced products such as software as opposed to low level manufactures would be one cause of an improvement in the terms of trade. This leads to the issue of free trade against protectionism, such as import tariffs, quotas, exchange controls, export subsidies and administrative barriers. Beiersdorf with 150 affiliates worldwide is a major player in international trade. It leverages inherent strength of each country it operates in and extends these advantages across its global markets. Beiersdorf projects that the consumer segment of its business will continue to enjoy growth of approximately 8 per cent due to its increased China focus, which is double the cosmetics market as a whole. China does not however carry the burden of delivering sales growth for the company alone and Russia, Brazil and India have been identified as fellow drivers for growth. This is more confident than the outlook of competitor LOreal which, on the back of recent results affected by the weak US dollar, pulled down its expectations for the full year to just under 6 per cent growth (Cosmetic Design, 2008). 15. Conclusion The cosmetics industry, business and market analysis, based on the 12 strands of the Grenoble syllabus, identify several important issues. Central to the planning and development of strategies within the business environment is based on an understanding and interpretation of micro- and macro-economic factors. Applying the above twelve economic factors to Beiersdorf performance, it is clear that market, governmental and global forces act upon the company, affecting strategic decisions. The business is consumer-oriented and market driven. Sustaining market share and ensuring growth in this free and highly competitive market requires continuous application of information analysis, strategic decision-making and rapid execution. Constant innovation, vast potential in emerging markets, maturing markets in Western Europe and US, varied preferences of consumers across global markets who also seek consistent quality and product standards, may result in dramatic shifts along the demand curve. An oligopoly, the cosmetics business thrives on capital accumulation and technological progress, ensured by economic growth, business cycles and international trade. Fiscal and monetary measures by the governments and labour issues influence the business to a limited extent. Beiersdorf is a successful global company in this sector and its growth and expansion over the decades indicates a healthy and competitive advantage.

Physics of the Golf Drive Essay -- physics sport sports golf

This paper examines the physics involved in driving a golf ball off the tee. The objective of a drive is to achieve the greatest distance while leaving the golf ball in the middle of the fairway. Several factors will be considered in achieving the longest, and most accurate drive. The factors include calculating the velocity of the golf ball after the club and ball collide, the mass of the club head, launch angle, the shape of the club face, and finding the optimal golf ball. Intuition tells us that the larger the velocity of the club head at impact with the golf ball, the larger the velocity of the golf ball after the impact. To calculate the velocity of the golf ball we need to consider the relationship between the velocity of the club head to the velocity of the golf ball. If the collision between club head and ball were elastic we would be able to use Conservation of Mechanical Energy and Conservation of Momentum to determine final velocities of club head and ball after collision, but the golf ball undergoes some deformation at time of impact, thus some energy is lost. A simple test of bouncing a golf ball on a solid surface shows that the golf ball does not return to it's initial height. The elasticity of a ball (e) is equal to the proportion of the velocity before collision to the velocity after collision. If the collision was elastic, e = 1. If the collision was perfectly inelastic, e = 0. The value of e is between 0.70 and 0.80. In order for there to be a collision the initial velocity of the club head must be greater than the initial velocity of the golf ball. Also for there to be separation, the final velocity of the golf ball must be greater than the final velocity of the club head. Thus the eq... ...ar Application to Golf.† The Physics of Sports. By Angelo Armenti, Jr. New York: AIP Press, 1992. 71-76. 2 Daish, C. B. The Physics of Ball Games. London: English Universities Press, 1972. 3 Kim, Kevin. Shut Up and Play. 23 Nov. 2002 . 4 MacDonald, William M., and Stephen Hanzely. â€Å"The Physics of the Drive in Golf.† American Journal of Physics 59.3 (1991): â€Å"213-218†. 5 Penner, A. Raymond. â€Å"The Physics of Golf: The Convex Face of a Driver.† American Journal of Physics 69.10 (2001): â€Å"1073-1081†. 6 - - -. â€Å"The Physics of Golf: The Optimum Loft of a Driver.† American Journal of Physics 69.5 (2001): â€Å"563-568†. 7 Serway, Raymond A., Robert J. Beichner, and John W. Jewett, Jr. Physics for Scientists and Engineers. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing, 2000.

Freedom of Speech vs Censorship -- First Amendment

We are blessed to live in a country that has many rights, the most important is the freedom of speech which provides an umbrella of protection over our remaining rights; however, all of our rights are under attack beginning with the First Amendment which is under constant assault by censorship. The Constitution of the United States says that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† Censorship as defined by Wikipedia is â€Å"the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a censor.† Any statement or image can be determined to be offensive by anyone at anytime, therefore censorship is an attack on our Freedom of Speech. No one can determine for anyone else what is or is not offensive. What we as individuals determine to be offensive to us, might be beautiful to someone else. Also, the definition states suppression of speech considered inconvenient to the government. The Constitution guarantees us the right to Freedom of Speech specifically to keep government from suppressing our speech. Many argue that there are words, phrases, pictures and ideas that are so offensive that we must have government pass laws to keep these from being spoken or discussed. They would further argue that the enormity of the degree of offense warrants such censorship. There are certain types of speech that fall under that definition, howe... ...an trust what the paper’s say because the state runs the media. The constitution provides that â€Å"no law shall be made abridging our right to freedom of speech. Therefore all laws supporting censorship are unconstitutional and should be banned as per the First Amendment. If we fail to ban censorship then we give up all of our rights we cease to be free. Works Cited Merriam-Webster. Abridged. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abridging Wikipedia. Censorship. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship Wikipedia. Fairness Doctrine. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine Wikipedia. Main article: United States Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights (Amendments 1 to 10) Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution Freedom of Speech vs Censorship -- First Amendment We are blessed to live in a country that has many rights, the most important is the freedom of speech which provides an umbrella of protection over our remaining rights; however, all of our rights are under attack beginning with the First Amendment which is under constant assault by censorship. The Constitution of the United States says that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† Censorship as defined by Wikipedia is â€Å"the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a censor.† Any statement or image can be determined to be offensive by anyone at anytime, therefore censorship is an attack on our Freedom of Speech. No one can determine for anyone else what is or is not offensive. What we as individuals determine to be offensive to us, might be beautiful to someone else. Also, the definition states suppression of speech considered inconvenient to the government. The Constitution guarantees us the right to Freedom of Speech specifically to keep government from suppressing our speech. Many argue that there are words, phrases, pictures and ideas that are so offensive that we must have government pass laws to keep these from being spoken or discussed. They would further argue that the enormity of the degree of offense warrants such censorship. There are certain types of speech that fall under that definition, howe... ...an trust what the paper’s say because the state runs the media. The constitution provides that â€Å"no law shall be made abridging our right to freedom of speech. Therefore all laws supporting censorship are unconstitutional and should be banned as per the First Amendment. If we fail to ban censorship then we give up all of our rights we cease to be free. Works Cited Merriam-Webster. Abridged. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abridging Wikipedia. Censorship. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship Wikipedia. Fairness Doctrine. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine Wikipedia. Main article: United States Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights (Amendments 1 to 10) Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution

In The Camps Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

In the Camps Concentration camp is a term that stirs up many emotions. How did they come about? What were they exactly? And just what went on inside those walls? Many have tried to give a full description of what life in the camps was like. With toady’s fast moving and knowledgeable media the public has become very informed on the subject at hand. The fact still remains that few were there, so few can know what really happened. These three poignant questions posed above could each take eternity to fully understand. This is a short explanation of the atrocities that the Nazi’s handed out to the innocent victims of the Holocaust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How exactly did concentration and extermination camps come about, legally speaking? On first glance it seems that in toady’s modern and civil world that nothing of this nature could ever happen. In fact it happened due to article 48, paragraph 2 in the German Constitution. Here the president is given far reaching emergency powers. This article was used by Paul von Hindenburg in 1933 giving protective custody to protect the state’s security. From there in momentum gained. On April 12, 1934 an edict from the Ministry of the Interior was introduced governing protective custody grounds for establishment of camps. This edict also decreed that those sent to concentration camps were under the rule of the Gestapo and their release was indicative to the discretion of this secret service.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power is a strange phenomena. Once the Gestapo had legal rights to cruelty the act of playing God became easier to abuse. Terrence Des Pres explains this best by stating: â€Å"As power grows, it grows more and more hostile to everything outside itself. Its logic is inherently negative, which is why it ends by destroying itself. . . The exercise of totalitarian power, in any case, does not stop with the demand of outward compliance. It seeks, further, to crush the spirit, to obliterate that active inward principle whose strength depends on its freedom from entire determination by external forces. And thus the compulsion, felt by men with great power, to seek out and destroy all resistance, all spiritual autonomy, all sign of dignity in those held captive. . .The death of the soul was aimed at.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This verifies the purpose of these camps as given by Bruno Bettleheim. He ... ... Press, 1994. Levi, Primo. The Drowned and the Saved. excerpt on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.spectacle.org/695/clothes.html. Orenstein, Henry. I Shall Live: Surviving Against all Odds. New York: Beaufort Books,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1987. â€Å"Auschwitz and Birkenau.† on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7071/auschwitz.html. â€Å"Pincus at Auschwitz.† Accounts obtained through: South Carolina Voices: Lessons from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the Holocaust.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://library.advanced.org/12663/survivors/witness.html. â€Å"Rudy at Auschwitz.† Accounts obtained through: South Carolina Voices: Lessons from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the Holocaust. on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://library.advanced.org/12663/survivors/witness.html. â€Å"Zyklon-B.† on-line. available from http://www.spectacle.org/695/zyklonb.html. on-line. available from http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7071/auschwitz.html. on-line. available from http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7071/concentration.html. In The Camps Essay examples -- essays research papers fc In the Camps Concentration camp is a term that stirs up many emotions. How did they come about? What were they exactly? And just what went on inside those walls? Many have tried to give a full description of what life in the camps was like. With toady’s fast moving and knowledgeable media the public has become very informed on the subject at hand. The fact still remains that few were there, so few can know what really happened. These three poignant questions posed above could each take eternity to fully understand. This is a short explanation of the atrocities that the Nazi’s handed out to the innocent victims of the Holocaust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How exactly did concentration and extermination camps come about, legally speaking? On first glance it seems that in toady’s modern and civil world that nothing of this nature could ever happen. In fact it happened due to article 48, paragraph 2 in the German Constitution. Here the president is given far reaching emergency powers. This article was used by Paul von Hindenburg in 1933 giving protective custody to protect the state’s security. From there in momentum gained. On April 12, 1934 an edict from the Ministry of the Interior was introduced governing protective custody grounds for establishment of camps. This edict also decreed that those sent to concentration camps were under the rule of the Gestapo and their release was indicative to the discretion of this secret service.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power is a strange phenomena. Once the Gestapo had legal rights to cruelty the act of playing God became easier to abuse. Terrence Des Pres explains this best by stating: â€Å"As power grows, it grows more and more hostile to everything outside itself. Its logic is inherently negative, which is why it ends by destroying itself. . . The exercise of totalitarian power, in any case, does not stop with the demand of outward compliance. It seeks, further, to crush the spirit, to obliterate that active inward principle whose strength depends on its freedom from entire determination by external forces. And thus the compulsion, felt by men with great power, to seek out and destroy all resistance, all spiritual autonomy, all sign of dignity in those held captive. . .The death of the soul was aimed at.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This verifies the purpose of these camps as given by Bruno Bettleheim. He ... ... Press, 1994. Levi, Primo. The Drowned and the Saved. excerpt on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.spectacle.org/695/clothes.html. Orenstein, Henry. I Shall Live: Surviving Against all Odds. New York: Beaufort Books,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1987. â€Å"Auschwitz and Birkenau.† on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7071/auschwitz.html. â€Å"Pincus at Auschwitz.† Accounts obtained through: South Carolina Voices: Lessons from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the Holocaust.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://library.advanced.org/12663/survivors/witness.html. â€Å"Rudy at Auschwitz.† Accounts obtained through: South Carolina Voices: Lessons from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the Holocaust. on-line. available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://library.advanced.org/12663/survivors/witness.html. â€Å"Zyklon-B.† on-line. available from http://www.spectacle.org/695/zyklonb.html. on-line. available from http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7071/auschwitz.html. on-line. available from http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7071/concentration.html.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 11

Simon hadn't had a lot to give me, but just like every other time I'd gotten an energy fix recently, I had the dream. It played out the same as always, starting with the dishes, going all the way up to when my dream-self looked into the living room to smile at the little girl. After a few more moments, my dream-self returned to her dishes. Silently, I screamed at her to look back. I couldn't get enough of the girl. I wanted to drink her in. I could have watched her forever, taking in those long-lashed eyes and wispy curls. Then, as though she could hear me, my dream-self glanced back into the other room. The girl was gone. My dream-self jerked her hands out of the water, just in time to hear a thump and a crash. The sound of crying followed, and then I woke up. It was late morning, and my energy was gone. That honestly didn't surprise me anymore. Coupled with that loss, however, was a new sensation. I felt cold, chilled to the bone. My skin also felt wet, like I'd been submerged in water. When I ran my fingers over my arm, it was perfectly dry. Nonetheless, I put on the heaviest sweater I could find, and eventually the chill abated. Work was busy and not particularly eventful until the end, when Maddie casually reminded me about us hanging out afterward. I nearly walked into a display when she said that. In my haste yesterday, I'd gone ahead and made plans with both Maddie and Seth for after work. I had a tendency to do that kind of thing when I was stressed. I felt so popular. And, as I often did in this kind of situation, I solved it by combining both of my mistakes into one solution. â€Å"Maddie wanted to hang out tonight,† I told Seth. â€Å"I think she's lonely. Mind if I bring her in for the babysitting thing?† â€Å"Sure,† he said, not looking up from his laptop. â€Å"Seth wanted help babysitting tonight,† I told Maddie. â€Å"Do you mind if we sort of make that our evening activity?† Maddie gave the proposition a bit more thought than Seth had. She didn't look upset so much as puzzled. â€Å"I haven't really been around many kids. It's not that I don't like them†¦just that it's always kind of weird.† â€Å"His nieces are great,† I assured her. â€Å"You'll be a convert.† I felt a little bad about strong-arming her into the Mortensen family adventure. She stayed silent for most of the ride up, keeping her thoughts to herself. Seth's family lived up north of the city, in Lake Forest Park. Their house looked exactly like the other ones on the street, but I suspected it was a necessary sacrifice in order to accommodate two adults and five girls. â€Å"Oh my God,† said Maddie when we stepped inside the house. All five Mortensen daughters were there. They ranged in age from four to fourteen, all sharing their mother's blond hair and blue eyes. We seemed to have walked into the middle of an argument. â€Å"Maybe†¦this wasn't such a good idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked around the room. Seth had gotten there earlier, and Terry and Andrea had already left to do their shopping. Fourteen-year-old Brandy tried to make her voice heard over that of Kendall, who was nine and the twins McKenna and Morgan who were six. Only four-year-old Kayla, sitting on the couch beside her uncle, listened quietly. I couldn't even tell what the others were fighting about. â€Å"It can spin webs!† cried Kendall. â€Å"No, it can't. That's just its name.† Brandy looked weary. The others weren't paying attention to her. â€Å"The horn would slice the webs!† cried McKenna. Morgan backed her by making a chopping motion with her hand. â€Å"Not if the monkey trapped it first,† retorted Kendall. â€Å"The unicorn can run fast. The monkey couldn't catch it.† â€Å"Then it's a coward!† Kendall looked triumphant. â€Å"It loses automatically if it doesn't show up for the fight.† Both twins appeared stumped by this bit of logic. â€Å"This is a stupid argument,† said Brandy. â€Å"Unicorns aren't real.† The other three girls turned on her and started shouting their protests. â€Å"HEY!† I yelled over the cacophony. Everyone fell silent and looked at me. I don't think the girls had noticed my arrival. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"A debate over who would win if a unicorn got in a fight with a spider monkey,† said Seth. Beside me, Maddie made a strange noise that sounded suspiciously like a squelched laugh. â€Å"It's been compelling and well thought out,† added Seth, his voice deadpan. Brandy groaned. â€Å"Unicorns aren't real.† â€Å"Spider monkeys aren't real!† McKenna shot back. â€Å"Yes, they are,† said Brandy. â€Å"This is all pointless.† Kendall glared at her. â€Å"It's hypocritical.† â€Å"Hypothetical,† I corrected. â€Å"Don't worry,† Seth told Maddie and me. â€Å"It's downright civil compared to the mermaid-centaur debate.† â€Å"Guys,† I said. â€Å"This is Maddie.† I ticked off the girls' names for her, one by one. â€Å"Hi,† said Maddie nervously. She eyed each girl, then looked at Seth uncertainly. She'd been acting differently around him since the auction, and I made a mental note to harass him about their date. â€Å"This might have been a bad idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled one of those sweet smiles that could make anyone feel better. She smiled back, relaxing a little. â€Å"Nope. We need all the help we can get around here.† He rose, scooping up Kayla as he rose. â€Å"What I actually need is a distraction while everyone under age nine gets put to bed.† The twins cried out in dismay. I glanced at Brandy and Kendall. â€Å"Sounds easy enough.† â€Å"Don't speak so soon,† warned Brandy. Kendall was already in motion. She tore out of the room and returned with a long cardboard box that she nearly shoved into my face. â€Å"Look what Grandma sent me.† It was a Monopoly game. â€Å"The Industrial Revolution edition?† I asked dumbfounded. â€Å"It's about the only edition they hadn't made yet,† remarked Seth. â€Å"I think they're kind of grasping at straws.† â€Å"You got that for Christmas?† I asked. â€Å"You wanted it for Christmas?† â€Å"I want to be a real estate mongrel when I grow up,† she explained. â€Å"Mogul,† I corrected. â€Å"And I thought you wanted to be a pirate?† She gave me a pitying look. â€Å"They don't have very good health insurance.† I pointed to the box. â€Å"But why the Industrial Revolution? Wouldn't you have rather had, I don't know, the Barbie edition? Or the Sephora edition?† I kind of wanted that last one for myself. â€Å"The Industrial Revolution was an important period in Western Civilization. The developments in production and manufacturing forever changed the face of our culture and socioeconomic status.† She paused. â€Å"You wanna play?† â€Å"Is one of the pieces a spinning jenny?† asked Maddie. Seth laughed. â€Å"Actually, it is.† â€Å"I'm in,† she said. Kayla, who was in Seth's arms, appeared on the verge of falling asleep then and there. Her cuddly form reminded me of the dream girl, and my heart lurched. Suddenly, Monopoly held little appeal. I walked over to Seth. â€Å"Tell you what. You play, and I'll take bedtime duty.† â€Å"You sure?† â€Å"Positive.† He passed her off, and she wrapped her little arms around my neck. With the twins in tow, I left the others to set up the game. Maddie looked distinctly uncomfortable at being abandoned, but I knew she'd do fine. Sometimes being forced to socialize was the best way to learn. The twins were surprisingly easy to put to bed, probably because they slept in the same room. Going to bed wasn't such a big deal when you had a sister to whisper to and giggle with. I supervised the brushing of teeth and putting on of pajamas, then closed them in with warnings that I'd check back. Still balancing Kayla on one hip, I carried her to the room she shared with Kendall. Kayla almost never said anything, so I wasn't particularly surprised when she didn't protest having a pink nightgown pulled over her head and being tucked under the covers. I sat on the edge of her bed and handed her a stuffed unicorn I'd found on the floor. She wrapped it in her arms. â€Å"I think it could take the spider monkey,† I told her. Kayla said nothing but just watched me with those huge blue eyes. They were filled with such trust and sweetness – just like my daughter in the dream. How amazing would it be to do this every night? To tuck someone in and kiss her forehead, then wake up with her each morning? Suddenly, fearing I might cry in front of a four-year-old, I started to rise. To my complete astonishment, she held out her hand and touched my arm. â€Å"Georgina.† Her voice was small and soprano and sweet. I sat back down. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Don't leave,† she said. â€Å"Oh, honey. I have to. You need to sleep.† â€Å"Monsters will come.† â€Å"What monsters?† â€Å"The bad ones.† â€Å"Ah. I see. Are they under your bed?† I was pretty sure that's where most monsters lived. Aside from the ones I played poker with and bought Secret Santa presents for. She shook her head and pointed up at the ceiling. â€Å"They live there. In space.† â€Å"Are they aliens?† As much as I hated the thought of her being afraid to go to bed, I was rather enchanted to be having a conversation with her for the first time ever. She was as articulate as all the other girls – not that I should have been surprised by that. â€Å"No. They're monsters. They swoop in the air and go in people's dreams.† I caught on to her reluctance to sleep now. â€Å"Have you been having nightmares?† â€Å"No. But the monsters are there. I feel them.† Something about her words and the serious set of her face sent a chill down my spine. â€Å"You want me to stay until you fall asleep? Will that keep them away?† â€Å"Maybe,† she said. She touched my arm again. â€Å"You're magic.† I wondered then if Kayla might be a psychic in the making, like Erik or Dante. The way she spoke implied more than a childhood belief in magic. There was almost an authority there. She'd be worth keeping an eye on, but I wouldn't pursue anything now. I certainly wasn't going to start quizzing her about auras. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I'll stay.† I lay down beside her, and she studied me in silence. I began humming an old song, which made her smile and close her eyes. When I finished, she opened her eyes again. â€Å"What are the words?† â€Å"Eh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That was hard to answer. It was a song from my mortal life, one that had been composed in an ancient Cyprian dialect no one spoke anymore. My husband used to sing it to me. Knowing I couldn't reproduce the rhymes or any sort of good translation on the spot, I simply sang it to her in the original language. The syllables, familiar yet strange, came awkwardly to my lips. When I finished, Kayla didn't say anything or move. I waited a couple more minutes and slowly got out of the bed. She continued sleeping. Turning off the light, I left the room and returned to the Monopoly players. Seth smiled at my approach and made room for me beside him on the floor. â€Å"Luddites burn your mill. Pay five-hundred dollars.† Brandy grimaced at her Chance card. â€Å"Weak.† â€Å"That's not as much as I had to pay when the Factory Acts cut my child labor force a couple turns ago,† Maddie pointed out. As I'd hoped, she seemed perfectly at ease now. Kendall rolled the dice and moved her miniature pewter Oliver Twist book ahead three spaces. â€Å"I wish I had a job, so I could save capitalism for my investments.† â€Å"Capital,† the rest of us said in unison. Kendall glanced up at me. â€Å"I could work at your bookstore. Under the table.† â€Å"Like stacking books under the table?† asked Brandy. Kendall ignored her. â€Å"Don't you need extra help?† I ruffled her hair. â€Å"Not until you're of age, I'm afraid.† Maddie moved her pewter spinning jenny. â€Å"Yeah, haven't you learned anything from this game? You'd get us shut down. Georgina doesn't need that kind of paperwork.† â€Å"How's your manager job?† asked Brandy. â€Å"Is it harder?† â€Å"Mostly it's†¦different.† Kendall brightened. â€Å"I could have your old job.† â€Å"Sorry. No vacancy. Maddie took my place.† Kendall sighed. Seth landed on a silk mill no one had purchased yet and began rustling up money. â€Å"The girls go to bed okay?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Kayla had a hard time, though. She was worried about nightmares.† He looked up in surprise. â€Å"She told you that? She, like, spoke?† â€Å"Yeah, we had a whole discourse. Laughed, cried, shared our hopes and fears. I think she has an oratorical career ahead of her.† â€Å"What's ‘oratorical' mean?† asked Kendall. â€Å"It refers to speaking in public,† Maddie explained. â€Å"Giving speeches. Talking in front of others.† â€Å"Oh. Uncle Seth doesn't have an oratorical career.† We all laughed. â€Å"No,† agreed Maddie. â€Å"He doesn't. I certainly don't either.† Seth high-fived her. â€Å"Introverts unite.† Brandy picked up another Chance card and groaned. â€Å"Cholera outbreak! Not again!† When the night finally ended and Seth's brother and sister-in-law came home, I was happy to learn that Maddie had had a really good time. â€Å"Kids aren't so bad as long as they're brainiac Mortensen offspring. Terry and Andrea were nice too. Good genes in that group.† â€Å"Yup,† I agreed. Maddie definitely needed more socialization, I decided. She was cheerful and upbeat, her eyes sparkling and excited. This had been a good night. I dropped her off at Doug's and drove back to my apartment. The parking gods weren't with me tonight, and I ended up about five blocks away. As I walked, I passed a newspaper dispenser for the Seattle Times. I usually read the headlines at the store but hadn't today. I paused in front of it, one article catching my eye. It was a weird story about a local man who'd turned delusional. He'd had a dream that if he swam across Puget Sound, it would bring wealth and security to his struggling family. Sadly, he hadn't made it very far before drowning in the freezing waters. The ironic part was that although some might consider the feat suicidal, his massive life insurance policy was going to pay out. His family would get their wealth and security after all. Staring blankly at the paper, I thought about the poor man succumbing and disappearing under the dark waves. I suddenly flashed back to this morning, and it was like I could feel the cold, wet sensation all over again. For half a second, I couldn't breathe. It was as though my lungs were filling with water, suffocating me. I shuddered and absentmindedly ran my hands over my arms, the d? ¦j? ¤ vu nearly overpowering me. Water. Water everywhere. Cold. Black. Smothering†¦ I shivered and finally made myself start walking again, needing to find someplace warm.

Planning – Sandwich Blitz

– Strategic Planning: According to Bateman & Snell â€Å"Typical strategic goals include growing, increasing market share, improving profitability† (2010, Page 77), which means that Dalman and Lei need to set a long term goals and achieve them for example if they would like to expand they need to set their expansion based on meeting a certain percent of their profit after 4 years of achieving this profit or higher.Implement annual training for their middle management to improve their managerial performances and productivity that includes but not limited to budgeting, decision making, profits, staff turnover†¦ etc. Introduce and implement a key performance indicator in the company to review the performance of the middle management, and the rest of the staff to know the strength and weaknesses and work on it. Tactical Planning: â€Å"Tactical plans focus on the major actions a unit must take to fulfill its part of the strategic plan† (Bateman and Snell, 2010, Page, 78) Location managers need to develop a sales and marketing plan that can help the business for the next 3 years and pitch it to top management for approval to help increase the profits based on their locations, targeting audience. Also they need to implement training for their team supervisors that includes customer service and up selling their products and promoting them, location managers can also set bonuses for their team supervisors if they achieve their sales target.Location managers need to deal with their budgets and meet them by developing an annual budget. – Operational Planning: Team supervisors need to introduce new products and new methods of selling these products but at the same time maintaining the food consistency in their shops, keep track of daily issues such as refunds and replacements any other issues with customer care to help them improve. Also hire more staff or cut down the overhead when needed, train the staff on dealing with customer service.