Gerrymandering: United States and Congressional Apportionment Essay

Congressional Apportionment is the process by which the United States House of Representatives are redistricted the fifty states following each constitutionally mandated decennial census. Each state is guaranteed at least one seat and all the other seats are divided among the rest of the states based on their population. Congressional Apportionment is important to the states because the more representatives a state has the more influence they have in the House and vice versa the states do not want to lose seats in the House. Congressional redistricting is the process of redrawing district boundaries when a state has more representatives than districts. The Senate does not take part in the redistricting process. Redistricting occurs every ten years, with the national census. Gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular political party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts. In order to protect incumbents and to discourage challengers by creating a district that is more populated with a certain political ideology over another to insure a politician’s chance of winning. Gerrymandering is also used in order, to enhance a political party’s strength by having a certain political parties in a district to ensure that the Democrats or Republicans win every election. The Supreme Court has placed limits on racial gerrymandering and ensuring that the districts are equally populated. Racial gerrymandering is the drawing of a district to favor one racial group over another. The Supreme Court outlawed racial gerrymandering, which prevented Southern African Americans from voting and becoming the majority. The Supreme Court also disallows majority-minority districts. The Supreme Court has also ruled that the districts must be equally populated; the districts are required to have the same number of people, so each state takes the number of people they found in the census and divides that by the number of districts.

Negroponte’s decision to partner with Microsoft Essay

2. Do you agree with Negroponte’s decision to partner with Microsoft? Yes I agree with this decision Negroponte partnerships with companies such as Microsoft, which is very trustworthy, and reliable name in the computer sector for the operating system and software. Nicholas Negroponte, founder and director of the MIT Media Lab, introduced the idea for the $ 100 laptop in 2005. The laptop will be directed towards the child in â€Å"developing countries.† The intent is to help education in those countries. The purpose of this project, to be specific, is â€Å"To provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves.† Technical achievement of the laptop project fast-low power requirements, the physical design of all closed to prevent water or sand or dirt damage, open source software [originally, this has since changed], a unique interface, and the possibility for solar and hand-crank powering, and designers who are doing well to achieve their costs disappear. Despite its considerable innovation, or perhaps because of it, the OLPC project has been unable to achieve its $100 targeted cost. The current cost of each unit is listed on the OLPC Website as $199 (www.laptop.org/en/participate/ways-to-give.shtml). However, this does not include upfront deployment costs, which are said to add an additional 5%–10% to the cost of each machine (wiki.laptop.org/go/Larger_OLPC), and subsequent IT-management costs. Nor does it include the cost of teacher training, additional software, and ongoing maintenance and support. OLPC initially required governments to purchase a million units, and then reduced the number to 250,000 in April 2007. Such large purchases are difficult to justify for governments in developing countries, and the requirement was ultimately eliminated. Some countries eventually lost interest due to the higher costs of the XO. For example, Nigeria failed to honor a pledge by its former president to purchase a million units, partly because they no longer cost $100 apiece.21 Meanwhile, other countries, including Libya, have opted for the Intel  Classmate, which is priced at approximately $250 for the PC alone. Officials in Libya, which had planned to buy up to 1.2 million XO laptops, became concerned that the machines lacked Windows, and that service, teacher training, and future upgrades would not be provided directlyby OLPC. Subsidies from Intel, including donated laptops and teacher training, also helped persuade the Libyan government to choose the Classmate. The goal of OLPC is to provide each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop. To this end, we have designed the hardware, software and content for collaborative, fun, and self-empowered learning. One Laptop per Child is not about machines, it’s about movement. to get computers into the hands of children that will help them learn, then â€Å"this is a price worth paying.† Use technology to transform education by bringing connectivity and constructionist learning for poor children around the world, â€Å"said Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of OLPC.

Planning Proposal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Planning Proposal - Research Paper Example UMUC University is the learning facility for non-traditional students (including militants, federal government members and working adults). As the facility is the employer for about 2 thousand people in USA, the loss of revenue caused by decline in enrolments has a negative impact on the employees who face lay-offs and already enrolled students who receive the services provided by the staff of the campus. Taking this into account, I would like to draw your attention to this problem and offer to work on the solution as soon as possible as the students currently studying it the facility feel its negative effect on themselves having problems with receiving needed services. To my thinking, the possible solution is that the campus administration should address the government with the request to create some alternative source of funding so that there is no need to lay the staff off. Probably, it would be possible to establish some additional paid courses that would attract more students. Moreover, it is crucial to enhance and widen UMUC marketing campaign to attract more students and increase the number of

Establishing a Formal Systems Development Process Case Study

Establishing a Formal Systems Development Process - Case Study Example Brian has been advocating for waterfall approach while Carrie has been advocating for incremental developmental approach. Jane wants to develop a formal systems development process and the two analysts would like implementation of their preferred approaches. Dealing with the two analysts from a technical perspective would require a quantitative approach to understanding their proposed approaches and an evaluation of benefits and limitations of their proposals. This would lead to development of models for quantitative analysis of the two proposed systems and the models compared. The model that offers the highest level of net benefits to the organization and best suits the organization’s scope and resources would then be implemented. A trade off would be necessary between net benefits and the systems’ ability to integrate into the systems but the approach disregards any possible differences between the analysts (Quaddus and Siddique, 2013). Human resource perspectives involve relationships between employees towards a cohesive work environment. The difference in opinion between the two analysts, having existed for a long period, offers a threat to such a cohesive relationship and requires an approach to compromise in selectin g the approach to be implemented. Jane should therefore invite the two analysts for a discussion in which each analyst would explain the reasons for supporting his or her position before a joint evaluation. She would assume a mediator role to help the two analysts agree on the most suitable approach and then implement the approach (Pravin, 2010). Process management solutions do not guarantee success unless factors to their implementations are considered and incorporated in implementation processes. Jane needs to consider such factors and the main considerations should be her organization’s goals and objectives. This is because goals and objectives of a department should be aligned for

The Human Anatomy and Possible Threats Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Human Anatomy and Possible Threats - Essay Example This section presents the systems of the human body and how they function in swift collaboration. The section aims to reveal how each of the various organ systems is equally important in enabling human beings to function as complete beings. The main systems of the human body are the cardiovascular system, the digestive system, the endocrine system, the urinary system, the immune system, the muscular system, the nervous system, the reproductive system, and the respiratory system (Schlossberg and Zuidema, 2007). Wolfsthal (2008) argues that all the mentioned systems work in harmony to ensure that the body maintains a steady state with sufficient nutrients and oxygen, as well as the correct temperature and the right pH level (level of acidity or basicity of the body) ((Steding, 2009). The circulatory system is responsible for the circulation of blood and lymph around the body (Swearingen, 2012). The circulation in turn transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, hormones, and other su bstances to and from the body (Wolfsthal, 2008). This phenomenon can also be referred as Cellular Metabolism (Waller and Lloyd, 2008). Cellular Metabolism can be defined as the cumulative sequence of biochemical reactions, which occur within a cell. The reaction is responsible for the production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP-the molecule which stores all the energy derived from food). Cellular metabolism also enables processes like respiration and the disposal of waste products from the body.

Evaluating the Business Impact, Operations Management Issues and Term Paper

Evaluating the Business Impact, Operations Management Issues and Effectiveness of Business Decision-Making Relations to Recent Natural Disaster Events - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the problems and issues that have been identified with BMW Manufacturing Company, one of the biggest car producing corporation, is that the materials it is using to build cars that must be transported to South Carolina, the United States from its European   manufacturing plant are: 1) supply of car parts has been temporarily disabled because of the eruption from an Icelandic volcano that grounded most outbound and inbound air flights since the ash cloud reduced visibility, which may cause accidents if flights continue with normal operations; 2) how to get or secure critically needed car parts from other suppliers; 3) how to reroute and ship the car parts needed to South Carolina; and 4) how to keep the plant in South Carolina operational in the meantime until the natural disaster has been overcome. The response of the company regarding the natural disaster that affected their operations is first to find alternate shipping routes so that the parts needed in Sout h Carolina can be flown in. BMW Manufacturing Company also contacted its other suppliers if they can fill the supply requirements until the situation in Europe goes back to normal. And while the company is waiting for that to happen it will reduce its normal daily production as well as shorten the working shifts of its employees so that the company is still running and its workers will still have a job to go to everyday. In considering the events that happened with BMW, I can say that in making business decisions, any business company must understand that customers, investors, and business partners remain the same. And that the company is expected to deliver what it must deliver no matter what happens because of commitments and agreements that were made before the disaster happened. Therefore, BMW Manufacturing Company is expected to make good on every delivery that was promised and should see to it that necessary people, as well as the equipment to make good on that promise, are av ailable Lynch. In this particular business sense, BMW is doing its best to find a solution to the problem it is currently encountering so that the negative effect, financial and otherwise, it may have on the company, in the long run, will not be very overwhelming. Taking into great consideration that the car manufacturing industry has just started to recover and grow again, which is putting heavy pressure on every manufacturer and supplier across the whole industry. Although BMW is doing making the correct decision by trying to find other ways on how to transport the much-needed supplies from their European manufacturing plant and making some adjustments in the local daily production and working shifts of its employees. It can also avoid encountering such problems again in the near future by trying to make appropriate changes in its business priorities and objectives. While the monitoring of the company’s survival on a daily basis is being done without lapses, short-term solu tions are only good for a particular span of time. But since times are changing environmentally and economically, BMW must acknowledge that the way that things may have been done yesterday may no longer be how they should be done tomorrow. It may be difficult to try and make changes where long-term solutions are interlinked with the company’s short-term goals, but this will make the company more flexible in times when unforeseen events arise and when the company’s usual method of dealing with business must be made so it can easily adjust to the necessary change.

Intro To Business Management Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intro To Business Management Exam - Assignment Example Also, a lot of opportunities emerge in the recession or in the times of economic depression. The opportunities revolve around sale of existing businesses at considerably lower rates which makes them easy to be acquired. Also, various physical asset, which are considered highly important for a startup venture are available at relatively cheap prices and high rate of discounts (Gordon, p. xiii). Also, during various recessionary times as well as in the times of economic boom, government funding agencies, venture capitalists and private lenders share a bias to promote various entrepreneurship ventures which have the ability to promote radical or incremental innovation in its product or service offerings, thereby generating and adding value to the clients and customers. Hence while proposing an entrepreneurship venture for the purpose of funding; the focus will be on the innovativeness of the product offering as well as the amount of value that can be generated for the target audience. T he main focus of the presentation will be the unique selling proposition of the offering. The conversation will rotate around the factors of minimum initial investment, the demand forecasting, estimated sales forecast, the breakeven period, and the intended targeted market share. The cash flow cycle for the new venture will also be brought into highlight in this case. 2. Ethics in the workplace is a very important factor in the case of a new startup manufacturing firm. The following ethical practices should be practiced in the firm (Trevino & Nelson, p. 219): Worker Safety High priority will be given at all times to ensure safety of the consumers at the work place. Product Quality The employees of the company should comply and cooperate with the stringent processes and measures regarding quality check that have to be followed at all times in order to produce high quality products. Labor Relations The workers have to follow the various rules and regulations that are laid down by the company management in order to address the issues related to labor relations. The workers are to be informed that the management follows an open door policy for the purpose of addressing the problems of the employees. Intolerance to Harassment The company does not tolerate any harassment or discrimination on the basis of age, gender, beliefs, and religions. The company also has stringent policies to address issues related to harassment on the basis of racism. Corruption The company has strict policies including the ultimate termination of the service contract in order to deal with corrupt practices at the workplace, that are practiced by the employees on a individual or a collective manner either within or with people outside the physical boundaries of the organization. 3. The process of business planning is a very important factor in the part of designing a strategy as it helps in smooth running of the business operations in the long term. It ensures the fact that the company is mo ving ahead with proper goals while having proper synchronization of the business processes with regards to the current market conditions (Reading, p.7). The business planning helps in determining the future goals of the company. This helps in identifying the amount of resources that is required in the production processes in order to produce the desired amount of inventory that is necessary to meet the forecasted demanded.

Articel reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Articel reviews - Essay Example These four words, although vague, have dominated classical management theories. However, this is shown to be in contrast to the reality wherein â€Å"managers are not reflective, regulated workers, informed by their massive MIS systems, scientific, and professional†. In other words, in practice, managers fall short of what is expected of them. The purpose of the article is to highlight these points as deficiencies and therefore the need for managers to take on their expected role in order to improve their effectiveness. The author’s intention is clearly set out: to divert the reader from Fayol’s words based on the classical view and â€Å"introduce him to a more supportable †¦ description of managerial work†. This entails that managers recognise their role and develop an understanding of both themselves and their jobs. The study involved managers from selected western countries being observed intensively and in some cases their diaries and records analysed. The synthesis revealed findings contrary to the classical view. Four perspectives were found not to hold true and are therefore folklore: (1) The manager is a reflective, systematic planner – Evidence showed that managers work unrelentingly, and their activities tend to be brief, various and discontinuous. Moreover, they dislike reflection and are more oriented towards action than planning. (2) Effective managers have no regular duties i.e. they carefully organise everything and then reap the rewards of this organisation – Evidence shows that there are always exceptions, and there are also various regular duties to be performed such as ceremonious, negotiating and processing various types of information including its relation to the business environmental. (3) Senior manager’s use aggregated information as this is best provided formally – Total or management information systems are not perfect. Evidence shows that manager’s tend to favour verbal mediation instead. (4)

Whistleblowers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Whistleblowers - Essay Example sible member of the Littlebury community in which I have lived all my life, it is imperative for me to report the health and safety lapses on the part of Wooden to the concerned statutory bodies. 2) In case I choose not to report the situation, it will be because Wooden is a source of livelihood to a majority of the people in Littlebury. Any legal or statutory action leading to the closure of wooden will jeopardize the livelihood of many people at Littlebury, most of who are either known to me or are related to me. Also, I have worked for 10 years at Wooden. Being a senior and loyal employee, I feel that I do enjoy a measure of intimacy with the top management and can convince them to ameliorate the situation at the earliest. 3) My reporting the health and safety lapses at Wooden could perhaps end up saving the lives of many of my friends and colleagues. Besides, once the situation at Wooden is brought to the attention of a statutory body like Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the organization may take the appropriate measures to improve the health and safety scenario at Wooden. This will certainly better the things for all the employees serving at Wooden. 4) My failure to report the health and safety lapses at Wooden could result in debilitating and dangerous consequences in both a long term and short term perspective. The abundance of wood dust at Wooden’s premises could seriously jeopardize the health of many of my co-workers in a long term perspective. Also, as Karen has reported sparks at her work station, going by the fact that wood dust is highly inflammable, this could certainly lead to a serious accident that may put to risk the life and well being of many of the employees serving Wooden and the town residents. 5) In a technical context, a whistleblower is a person serving as an employee at a government organization or at a private agency who chooses to disclose the wrongdoing, mismanagement, corruption, or illegality at one’s

Intermarriage - opposition Essay Example for Free

Intermarriage opposition Essay Marshall Sklare was able to articulate the fears of many older Jews and he wrote: Intermarriage (and its sociodemographic consequences) can no longer be treated as marginal when it is the result of a deep-rooted sociopolitical ideology and value structure and a function of lifestyle, residential pattern and educational and occupational structure The intermarriage issue has become central to the internal struggles of American Jewry (1982, p. 37). Aside from the fact that the older generation seemed to be in a perpetual survival mode of existence, keeping to themselves to continue Jewish values and traditions, there is a deeper reason why many are opposed to the idea of exogamy. Steven Bayme explains that the rise of intermarriage is a threat because it can only mean the, â€Å" decline of Jewish commitment, a weakness in Jewish identity, a failure of Jewish education and the Jewish family to bring about the commitment to Jewish continuity † (2002, p. 226). If this is true then it will just reveal the error of their ways. This is because suppressing the symptoms will not make the sickness go away. If the symptom for impiety and the shortcomings of a flawed educational system is the high rate of intermarriage then opposing exogamy will not change the fact that there is problem with Judaism. Traditionalists made their opinions known; that they do not agree to intermarriages but this seems to be an idea suited for past generations who cannot see the possibility of compromise in the land of the heathen. A popular 1950s joke regarding this matter was an accurate depiction of how parents felt about their children marrying non-Jews. The following dialog is between a young Jewish soldier coming home from the Korean War and his mother. Before the young man left Korea he calls his mother to inform her about the good news (Shapiro, year, p. 233). Son: I have survived the war without being wounded. Mother: That is good. Son: I am bringing home a Korean wife Mother: That is also good. Son: We dont have a place to live. Mother: Thats okay. You can stay in my apartment. Son: But you live in a one-bedroom apartment. Mother: Thats no problem. After I put the phone down I am going to jump out of the window, and you will have the entire apartment to yourself. According to Bayme, when it dawned upon the Jewish community that intermarriage is snowballing into something that can overwhelm them, the reaction was radical and aimed at the jugular to forcibly stop the perceived madness and he adds: When the first news of the growth of intermarriage occurred, communal leaders responded with agony and handwriting. Virtually all Jewish organizations passed resolutions and statements signaling opposition to intermarriage. Conferences were held about what we can do in the face of this tidal wave (2002, p. 226). Calvin Goldsheider pointed out that even as late as the 20th century the reaction was fairly dramatic. Opposition to the marriage was made plain by, â€Å" Jewish mourning rituals of sitting shiva or reciting kaddish † (2004, p. 29). It must have been a disconcerting sight for a son to see his parents lamenting his decision to take a bride not from his people. Rising Tide But it seems that no matter what type of measures was put in place to discourage interfaith marriages; more and more Jews chose to be joined with a non-Jew. It is therefore understandable that others may conclude rebellion to the norms and traditions of Judaism as the number one culprit. But more and more studies claim the contrary. In fact Shapiro remarked the traditional scape goat for the high rate of intermarriage no longer applies. Marshall Sklare, a noted sociologist on American Jewry, warned that, â€Å" attributing intermarriage among Jews to self-hatred, cowardice in the face of anti-Semitism, or social climbing misread its etiology because marriages with Gentiles increased while anti-Semitism was dwindling and many of the social traditional status distinctions were being swept away† (as qtd. in Shapiro, 1992, p. 235). Bayme supports the finding of Shapiro and Sklare and was very practical in his approach for he said that differences in religion are not a significant consideration to young couples of today. Bayme also added that American society values romantic love more than it values differences in religious beliefs. And to top all that Jews are contending with an unexpected external force, â€Å" 87 percent of Americans welcome marriage to a Jew † a rather surprising revelation considering what the Jews had to endure for centuries (2002, 226). Now if the reasons for the rising rate of interfaith marriages can be explained in terms of love, openness, acceptance and the realization that every human being is created equal in the sight of God then what kind of community will dare go against universally accepted principles? More so, what kind of community will have the resolve to continually fight for exogamy in the face of a â€Å"love† assault? Surely, only a few can resist the advances of a determined lover and that may well be the number one reason why this crisis – at least in the eyes of Jewish elders – could not be contained. Resolution Marshall Sklare minced no words in asserting that there are only two definitive actions that can be used to settle the issue: 1. Change the social structure and value orientation of the American Jewish community; or 2.accommodate and accept the intermarried (1982, p. 37). Since option no. 1 is clearly unacceptable then the Jewish people are only left with one choice and it is to go out and welcome the non-Jew spouse into Jewish life. This is a view espoused by Calvin Goldscheider who believes that it is a blessing in disguise and contrary to antiquated and popular opinion the high rate of intermarriage will ensure the survival of the Jewish race both in numbers and in cultural distinctiveness. A seemingly incompatible set of ideas considering the nature of Jewish life. Goldscheider summarizes his argument into the following statements: The key indicators of an ethnic communitys strength, however, are not who marries whom, but the activities that their grandchildren engage in. A groups continuity depends on the ethnic and religious commitments of the family. Focusing on families and the ethnic commitments of the young redirects questions about assimilation away from biology and marriage and toward economic activities, cultural obligations and how parents pass on traditions to their children. In this regard, the American Jewish community is surviving, maybe even thriving† (2003, p. 282). Goldscheider arrived at the aforementioned conclusion as a consequence of the following research findings: ? The decline of the American Jewish community is a product of exaggeration and sensationalization of the facts; ? Interfaith marriages were assumed to result in complete and immediate conversion of the Jewish partner into non-Jewish religion, practices, and customs;? the terms used to define modern day Jews were biased towards the already assumed conclusion that there is a significant decline in their numbers; ? The numbers did not add up considering that there is a significant number of non-Jewish spouses who convert to Judaism, or informally integrate into the community and follow Jewish customs and traditions; and ? previous studies did not account the fact that in many intermarriages the intermarried couples decided that their children will grow up as Jews or at least encourage them to practice Jewish customs and traditions.

Managing Service Operations

Managing Service Operations Raised in Tokyo, Hiroaki Aoki managed to launch his first business in the United States. Taking advantage of his origin, he opened a Chinese-Japanese cuisine restaurant offering a unique experience to its customers. The food process was transformed to an exceptional food experience and with the opening of a chain of in total 15 restaurants Hiroaki Aoki proved to be a pioneer in the restaurant industry. The way he managed to succeed this, was through revolutionary moves regarding restaurants environment, financial operations and service structure. By decorating his restaurant with Japanese elements and employing Japanese chefs as showmen, the perception of dining at Benihana changed. This new perspective was further supported by reducing the kitchen-room as to have more space for tables and fully adapt the Japanese philosophy as well as creating an unparalleled image for his business. Due to the uniqueness of the Benihana restaurants, franchise as a growth strategy brought upon many problems: starting from a lack of communication between managers and the Japanese speaking personnel, to inexperienced managers in franchised businesses abroad. This led Hiroaki Aoki to reconsider his options and deciding to expand through other models (joint-venture and hotel-corporation) and in other areas of food industry (retail and quick service food sector). Whether this is a sustainable move or not will be identified within this report. Benihanas concept is based on an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The use of American food favourites (chicken, steak, etc.) combined with the hibatchi method of presentation makes this restaurant very different from others (Sasser, 2004). Glushko and Tabas (2008) state that service management and design success depend on the interaction between employees and customers. Thus the quality of the service experience relies on the front stage activities displayed in a restaurant. Furthermore, Frei (2006) adds that the line of visibility is the factor that separates the front stage and the back stage (Appendix 3). If Benihana was to compare with a McDonalds and a Gourmet Restaurant the service encounters would be very different (Appendix 4) (Frei, 2006). In the case of McDonalds the line of visibility for the front-stage is very small and depends on waiting lines and self-service, whereas all the production lines occur in the back stage, thus the customers experience is very limited (ibid.). A customers experience in a gourmet restaurant has a balance between the front-stage, dining room experience, and the kitchen-backstage-area (ibid.). Compared to both of these, Benihana enhances the experience of their customers by treating the chef as a showman and having a different production line to service (ibid.). The front stage is the largest part of the operations with the chef cooking and serving the dishes together with the waiter, whereas the kitchen preparation is a very small part of their process (Sasser, 2004). This different concept increases customer satisfaction: 9 As seen in Figure 2, customer satisfaction is rated as excellent, which implies that the Benihana service concept is successful. In order to further develop this aspect of their business, Benihana also developed several other concepts in relation to their design, their bar and their customer batching in groups, which will be further discussed in Chapter 3.2.2 Benihanas Restaurant Design. 10 Benihana created a concept that includes food, atmosphere, entertainment and hospitality, while trying to be consistent, with their Japanese heritage. Furthermore, the owner is planning expansion steps to appeal to a wider range of clientele. However, Hiroaki Aoki has two major concerns. The first issue is how to sustainably expand and upgrade his product and services to cater a wider range of audience, while keeping the quality and the Japanese traditional atmosphere. The second issue is how to define what Benihana is selling. Data Analysis Benihanas Strategy Considering the growth of Benihana from a humble 40-seat unit to a chain of 15 units across the country, Hiroaki Aoki had a very successful strategic planning behind the concept of his restaurant (Figure 1) (Sasser, 2004). Strategic planning can be defined as an organizational process of allocating its resources in order to pursue a strategy that includes its capital, employees and most important its clients (Haines Schmidt, 2005). The owner, Rocky, approached a combination of inputs (operations), customers satisfaction and outcomes (financial results) in order to provide a new idea behind the strategy of a normal restaurant, maximizing its strengths and diminishing its weaknesses (Appendix 2) (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). Figure 1 : Benihana Strategic Planning Note: Adapted from Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997 Benihanas strategic planning took into consideration five important aspects: Construction, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources and Operations (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). They provide the framework for understanding how the firms operational investment is translated into its profit. Furthermore, Benihanas concept and cost-structure will be presented in relation to this model in order to understand the true authenticity behind this different restaurant management approach. Benihanas Concept Benihanas concept is based on an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The use of American food favourites (chicken, steak, etc.) combined with the hibatchi method of presentation makes this restaurant very different from others (Sasser, 2004). Glushko and Tabas (2008) state that service management and design success depend on the interaction between employees and customers. Thus the quality of the service experience relies on the front stage activities displayed in a restaurant. Furthermore, Frei (2006) adds that the line of visibility is the factor that separates the front stage and the back stage (Appendix 3). If Benihana was to compare with a McDonalds and a Gourmet Restaurant the service encounters would be very different (Appendix 4) (Frei, 2006). In the case of McDonalds the line of visibility for the front-stage is very small and depends on waiting lines and self-service, whereas all the production lines occur in the back stage, thus the customers experience is very limited (ibid.). A customers experience in a gourmet restaurant has a balance between the front-stage, dining room experience, and the kitchen-backstage-area (ibid.). Compared to both of these, Benihana enhances the experience of their customers by treating the chef as a showman and having a different production line to service (ibid.). The front stage is the largest part of the operations with the chef cooking and serving the dishes together with the waiter, whereas the kitchen preparation is a very small part of their process (Sasser, 2004). This different concept increases customer satisfaction: Figure 2 : Customer Satisfaction Note: Own design according to Exhibit 4, Sasser, 2004 As seen in Figure 2, customer satisfaction is rated as excellent, which implies that the Benihana service concept is successful. In order to further develop this aspect of their business, Benihana also developed several other concepts in relation to their design, their bar and their customer batching in groups, which will be further discussed in Chapter 3.2.2 Benihanas Restaurant Design. Benihanas Cost Structure In terms of Benihanas cost arrangement the owner implemented a strategic cost structure to the business by lowering the cost of labour and food and beverage. The cooking labour is cost efficient due to the cost reduction that was done through their chefs; they did not only prepare the food, but also served it (Sasser, 2004). With concerns to the food and beverage costs, due to their limited menu, inventory reduction also occurred (ibid.). Taking into account all the mentioned measures, the results have a direct impact on the financial statement of the restaurant. Figure 3: Benihana ´s Partial Income Statement Note: Sasser, 2004; Bank of America, 1968 As seen in Figure 3, Benihana ´s Earnings Before Income Tax and Depreciation (EBITDA) is on average between 15 and 35% higher than ones of a typical service restaurant (Sasser, 2004). It is observed that there are two factors, which increase profitability: lower food and beverage cost (limited menu, fewer inventories) as well as lower labour cost. The lower labour cost is the influential reason behind this high difference in marginal profit. Analyzing the employee that plays the most important role in the restaurant, the Benihana chef, an employee profile was created (Appendix 5). PayScale (2010) provides an immediate accurate snapshot of the job market and gives facts of employees salary data in the world. Thus it was used as a source to calculate the annual average salaries of the food and beverage segment as well as the job specification of a chef in 1964 (Appendix 6) (ibid.). The average annual salary of a Benihana chef can be analyzed through the figure below. Figure 4 : Benihana ´s Chef Annual Average Salaries 1964 Note: PayScale, 2010 It can be noticed that the Benihana master-chefs have a slightly above average income compared to the market. As the success and the reputation of the restaurant depend on these employees, it is very important to keep them motivated and this further demonstrates that the owner, Rocky, also has a human resources operation strategic planning as seen in Figure 1. Benihanas Restaurant Capacity Managers are continuously challenged with balancing customer demand and service capacity (Klassen Rohleder, 2002). The capacity of a business can be seen as their ability to meet the demand; for the production of goods this can be easily done, but for services it is very difficult as four critical factors have to be taken into account: time, labour, infrastructure and equipment (ibid.). Thus capacity has to be planned ahead in order to achieve cost effectiveness and the customer satisfaction. In the case of Benihana, an estimation of the maximum demand rate for an evening dinner period was calculated in order to foresee the capacity to sustain it: Figure 5: Benihana ´s Capacity vs. Demand Rate Note: Own design; Sasser, 2004 It can be noted from Figure 5 that in a case of maximum demand rate, Benihanas capacity will not be able to fit 360 clients in one night. Although the restaurant has already a limited menu, Benihana also took into consideration a decrease in dining time. The chefs also plays an important part by offering the guests the ultimate gastronomic experience and politely annoucing them that their dinner is over by bowing at the end of the meal-presentation (Sasser, 2004). Benihanas Production Process System Before a company can actually decide on which customer target market it will serve, it has to define its value proposition and its position in the market (Kotler Armstrong, 2010). The positioning of a company is defined as a consumer`s appreciation of the product compared to competing products (ibid.). As one can see in Appendix 7, Benihana has a high customer value and a differentiated position in the market. Hiroaki Aoki achieved this position, through an unprecedented service experience and design (Sasser, 2004), which will be highlighted in the following chapter. Benihana`s Service Design Every service idea starts with a service concept, where the purpose, target market and the customer experience are defined (Russell Taylor, 2009). By opening an authenticable Japanese restaurant in the United States, Hiroaki Aoki focused on two main criteria, Americans enjoy when they are going out for dinner: an exotic surrounding and a place where they can watch the preparation of their food (Sasser, 2004). Referring to the previous chapter, out of this observation, he created a completely new service concept: the Benihana dining concept, where the food is prepared by professional chefs on hibachi tables right in front of the guests. This newly developed concept was both, revenue- and cost-effective (Heskett, Sasser Schlesinger, 1997). A service package is a mixture of physical items, sensual benefits, and psychological benefits (Russell Taylor, 2009). The specialty of a Benihana restaurant is their design according to historical authenticity. All the physical items (walls, ceilings, lights, etc.) are from Japan and the materials are originally shipped to the United States (Sasser, 2004). Sensual benefits are supported by the highly trained native Japanese chefs whose form of cooking is mainly showmanship (ibid.). The psychological benefits in a Benihana restaurant are the exotic surroundings and authenticity of the place. The combination of all three components concludes in an effective service design (Russell Taylor, 2009). Therefore, the connection is presented in the service design process: Figure 6: The Service Design Process Note: Adapted from Russell Taylor, 2009 Derived from the service package, specifications for performance, design and delivery are specified. Based on the customer expectations (exotic surrounding), the design (original materials from Japan) and delivery (downtown Manhattan) are created (Russell Taylor, 2009). Benihana`s Restaurant Design The design of a typical Benihana restaurant is created to increase efficiency and profitability. A typical Benihana restaurant design, which presents the floor plan of the Benihana West restaurant on West 56th Street in Manhattan (Sasser, 2004), is shown in Figure 7. It is comprised of 112 to 120 seats in the dining area as well as 55 to 60 seats in the cocktail lounge and the typical operation has between 5,000 and 6,000 square feet (ibid.). Figure 7: A typical Benihana Floor Plan Note: Sasser, 2004 Once guests enter the restaurant, they first pass the cocktail lounge. The bar in the first Benihana restaurant only seated eight guests as the design was concentrated on food-service sales (Sasser, 2004). Along the openings of new restaurants, the founder realized, that the small space was insufficient and enlarged the bar space with every opening. He found out, that in peak times, the bar is well used as a buffer and therefore increases the beverage sales (ibid.). When all the 14 tables in the dining area are occupied, the guests are waiting here for an aperitif, until there are seats available. In the bar, the guests are batched in groups of 8 and are leaded to the dining area. The main attractions in the dining area are the teppanyaki tables, which cover eight diners per table and are served by one chef and a waitress (Sasser, 2004). Due to the hibachi tables, the conventional back-stage kitchen can be reduced as the cooking itself takes place front-stage at the customer`s table. This leads to shorter serving distances and one team of chef and waitress can handle two tables at once. The arrangement of the tables (see also Figure 6), also results in lower cost of labour (Sasser, 2004). Examination of the Production System The design of the production process comes along with the design of the restaurant space. The whole production line moves towards the service of the customer. It starts in the bar, where the guests are grouped together in batches of eight before having their dinner (Verweire Van den Berghe, 2005). It has to be taken into consideration that the combination of batches is satisfactory for smaller groups arriving, since they do not know each other (Appendix 8). This batch concept leads to higher beverage sales and allows using the whole provided capacity in the restaurant. According to Russell and Taylor (2009) design simplification reduces the number of parts, subassemblies, and options in a product. Benihana`s menu consists of four main food items (filet mignon, steak, chicken and shrimp) accompanied by unvaried side dishes (zucchini, onions, bean sprouts, fresh mushrooms and rice), which can be combined as entrees or main dishes (Sasser, 2004). As seen in Figure 4 this standardization of ingredients cuts the food costs down to 30-35% of food sales and leaves nearly no waste (Sasser, 2004; Russell Taylor, 2009). This also minimizes the space for food storage, which results in less space in the back stage of the restaurant. Since services are defined as front-stage activities, the dining room of a restaurant is the service part, whereas the kitchen is classified as the production part (Teboul, 2006). Through the preparation of the meal in front of the customer, not only the service experience is greater, but also a conventional kitchen is not necessary anymore. This enlarges the productive dining area and reduces the back area (preparation areas, dressing rooms, storage and office space) of about 22% of the total space (Sasser, 2004). According to Verma and Boyer (2010), the aim of successful process design is to maximize the output. To identify possible limitations, a bottleneck analysis is helpful. A bottleneck in a process is the step with the slowest cycle time in a given process (Verma Boyer, 2010) and verifies the process productivity. Figure 8: Process Flow Diagram of the first Benihana Restaurant in Manhattan, 1964 Note: Adapted from Verma Boyer, 2010 While analyzing the process flow diagram (Figure 8) of a Benihana restaurant, one can see that the bottleneck hereby is the dining time of 60 minutes. This bottleneck determines the pace of the whole system even though the waiting time at the bar in peak times is only 12 minutes (Verma Boyer, 2010). As identified in Chapter 3.1.3, Figure 9 the demand of a Benihana restaurant exceeds capacity. To resolve the problem of the bottle neck, Benihana decreased the dining time and enlarged the bar capacity to cover more waiting customers. Over the years, Benihana first doubled the bar area to 16 seats and eventually reached up to 55-60 seats (Sasser, 2004). Figure 9 shows some scenarios for different bar and dining area arrangements and waiting times. The maximum dining capacity of 120 seats allows a bar capacity of 48 seats (Figure 9). Figure 9 : Scenarios for different Bar and Dining Area Arrangements and Waiting Times Note: Own Calculations Concerns regarding Diversification Plans According to Ansoffs Growth and Expansion Matrix, one can find four different options of development: market development, diversification, market penetration and product development (Campbell Craig, 2005). Benihana took into consideration the following strategies: Figure 10 : Expansion Plan of Benihana Note: Adapted from Campbell Craig, 2005 The first one, market development (1), is the growth of an existing product into new market sectors (Campbell Craig, 2005). Regarding their diversification plans, Benihanas attempt is to expand in other countries where they have to take into consideration the customs of each nation, its rules and regulations. The same principles cannot be applied for all regions, so in order to develop successfully the restaurant chain these concerns should be well evaluated. Furthermore, it is very difficult for the company to be franchised, since not all owners have previous experience in the restaurant business (Sasser, 2004). Communication with the staff is also very difficult, since the majority is Japanese. Moreover, it is very demanding to supervise and keep control of what is happening in restaurants around the world. Hence, Rocky decided for the near future, instead of attempting to franchise his restaurant business, to move either into a joint-venture or into hotel-corporations and expand in two areas: Japan and overseas (ibid.). Diversification (2) is known as an approach of involving new products in new markets (Campbell Craig, 2005). Rocky also decided to widen his business into other fields connected to the food industry. A first attempt in the retail production and selling is under discussion. Entering the retail-sale-market is time consuming and has high advertising costs, so Benihana should probably re-evaluate their advertisement budget and more likely reduce the promotion funds for the restaurants, which is a risky move (Restaurant Worx, 2010). If someone is not satisfied by the quality of the product he/she will probably create a negative idea about the company and never visit a Benihana restaurant. It is also uncertain how unique the product is or how likely it is for other similar products to be created in the near future (ibid.). Product development (3) is known as increasing the market share by developing new products (Campbell Craig, 2005). In general Benihana restaurants have middle-income customers as its target group (Sassa, 2004). This is linked directly to the quality of the services offered, restaurants atmosphere and prices. Alternatively, they have no young audience in Benihana restaurants. This is one of the reasons why Rocky is considering of opening a quick service restaurant as to be able to satisfy younger crowds needs as well (ibid.). To put this project into action, firstly a market research was made about the restaurant needs of the people, the food that will be provided in these restaurants, deciding on a combination of Asian cuisine Chinese and Japanese and their location. Furthermore, cooperation between Rocky and an oil company will be formed as to provide small gas units to his new restaurants (ibid.). Even though a thorough research was conducted for this expansion a very significan t element was neglected; the culture of the locals. Maybe the proposal of a Chinese-Japanese quick service restaurant was innovative for that time, but not all the neighbourhoods were prepared to welcome that idea (ibid.). The last one, market penetration (4), is known as the use of existing products in existing markets, which are already served (Campbell Craig, 2005). The United States therefore give three areas for growth: primary markets (New York, Los Angeles), secondary markets (Pennsylvania, Harresburg, etc) and Suburbia. Due to the already mentioned inefficient franchise strategy, Benihana will not only expand internationally but also domestically through joint-ventures and hotel-affiliations (Sasser, 2004). Concerns regarding the loss of identity Benihana is selling to its customers a whole new perception of food consumption. Starting its business in 1964 in the U.S., it introduced to the market an innovative procedure of food preparation and presentation to the customers (Sasser, 2004). Instead of cooking the food inside a spacious kitchen, they used more room for the restaurant area as to prepare meals in front of the customers on a teppanyaki table with the hibachi cooking method. Benihana created a culture for the chain based on Japanese cooking method by well trained chefs and Japanese design. The environment of Benihana restaurants decoration and atmosphere is of vast importance for the company, since the philosophy of Benihana is to make people happy through the food experience (Bitner, 1992; Sasser, 2004). However, the environment is important not only for the customers who should feel satisfied, but also for the employees. In turn for the employees to feel motivated and perform their best, their working surrounding s should support their needs, as to be able to enhance companys values to the customers (ibid.). Consequently, Benihana should continue providing such services and facilities to its customers and employees as to sustain the chemistry between them and therefore continue to be a successful company. Presentation of Solution and Recommendations Benihana had a very successful strategy so far due to its construction, finance, marketing, human resources and operations management. They were able to translate market trends into their concepts and adapt them efficiently. Furthermore, they managed to reduce the back stage kitchen area into a front stage environment that displayed cooking and entertaining as one. The concept was so innovative that Rocky was actually able to reduce expenses. According to the diversification plan, Rocky intended to expand his business into more fields of the food industry. To develop his company, he tried to take advantage of the Benihana recognition, as to enter further markets, but on the other hand this step would be risky, because if the new concepts would fail, it could damage Benihanas reputation. Sasser (1976) states, that good planning is the key to successful management of supply and demand in service industries. As discussed in this paper one of the biggest problems that Benihana is facing, is how it will sustainably expand, while keeping their quality and their concept (limited menu, chef as a showman, Japanese atmosphere). Furthermore, as seen in Figure 10, Rocky has made a lot of plans regarding the growth and diversification of the Benihana restaurant. It is recommended that before attempting to implement all his ideas, a development strategic plan should be developed in order to best fit this expansion. Therefore the supply and demand matching concept should be taken into consideration: Figure 11 : Strategies for Matching Supply and Demand for Benihanas services Note: Adapted from Wisner, Leong, Tan, 2005 Lovelock (1994) further states that this can be accomplished through shifting demand to match capacity or adjusting capacity to meet demand (Appendix 9). In order to resolve the second issue, Benihana should focus on selling Japanese food and promoting their philosophy. One of the main key points of Benihanas achievements is the unique food experience it sells to its customers. Therefore, the basic elements of this successful recipe should be included in any other expansion step the company and Rocky decide to take. Without the fear of being imitated, they should take advantage of their uniqueness and develop in other areas of food industry. Through this move they would also be able to focus on other target groups, such as younger audience, which currently are not part of Benihanas targeted clientele. In this way Rocky will be able to launch his restaurant name and not only become a current trend, but also establish his brand in the hospitality industry, by providing Japanese authentic services. Action Plan Evidence Of Success Evaluation Process : Increase in Demand Increase in Profitability Customer Satisfaction Survey Employee Satisfaction Survey References: Benihana (2010). About Benihana. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://www.benihana.com/about Benihana Training Guide (2004). Benihana Training Guide. Al Bustan Rotana Hotel Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=585119 sid=3Fmt=3clientId=45065RQT=309VName=PQDuserid=008BW87KK7passwd=WELCOME Campbell, D.J. Craig, T. (2005). Organisations and the Business Environment. Burlington: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Glushko, R.J. Tabas, L. (2008). Bridging the Front Stage and Back Stage in Service System Design, in: Proceedings of the 41st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences Big Island, Hawaii: IEEE Computer Society Press, January (2008), p. 106 Frei, F.X. (2006). Breaking the Trade-Off between Efficiency and Service. Boston: Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84, No. 11, page: 93-101 Haines, S.G. Schmidt, T. (2005). ABCs of Strategic Management The Systems Thinking Approach to Creating a Customer-Focused, High Performance, Learning Organization. San Diego: System Thinking Press Heskett, J.L., Sasser, W.E. Schlesinger L.A. (1997). The Service Profit Chain How Leading Companies Lead Profit and Growth to Loyalty, Satisfaction, and Value. New York: The Free Press Ivy Thesis (2010). Executive Summary Benihana International Restaurant. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/09/executive-summary-benihana-international-restaurant.html Klassen, K.J. Rohleder, T.R. (2002). Demand and Capacity Management Decisions in Services, How They Impact One Another. Bingley: International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Emerald: Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 527-548 Kotler, Ph. Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of Marketing. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Lovelock, C. (1994). Getting the Most Out of Your Productive Capacity. Boston: McGraw Hill PayScale (2010). Free Salary Report based on Job Title, Location, Education, Skills and Experience. Retrieved 19.09.2010, from: http://www.payscale.com Restaurant Worx (2010). Restaurant Retail Sales. Retrieved 18.09.2010, from: http://restaurantworx.com/services-2/restaurant-marketing-solutions/restaurant-sales-solutions/retail-sales/ Retail Fix (2010). Features Benihana. Retrieved 19.09.2010, from: http://www.retailfix.com/ featured_benihana.cfm Russell, R.S. Taylor B.W. (2009). Operations Management Along the Supply Chain. Upper Saddle River: John Wiley Sons Sasser, E.W. (2004). Benihana of Tokyo. Boston: Harvard Business School Teboul, J. (2006). Service is Front Stage- Positioning Services for Value Advantage. New York: Palgrave MacMillan Verma, R. Boyer K.K. (2010). Operations Supply Chain Management World Class Theory and Practice. Mason: South-Western Verweire, K. Van den Berghe, L. (2005). Integrated Performance Management- A Guide to Strategy Implementation. London: SAGE Wisner, J.D., Leong, K.G. Tan, K.C. (2005). Principles of Supply Chain Management A Balanced Approach. Mason: South-Western

Promotion of New and Renewable Sources of Energy Essay -- United Nati

Promotion of New and Renewable Sources of Energy Introduction Energy plays a crucial role in the economic development of all nations, especially those with limited access to resources. Access to energy sources is one of the fundamental elements of poverty reduction and sustainable development. It is for this reason that renewable energy and energy efficiency is essential to protect and preserve, as it provides a basis for economic advances, increased education, and environment sustainability. The United Nations is committed to alleviating these pressing concerns through the implementation of programs such as the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, as well as through numerous others and in concordance with the work of its main bodies and committees. Acknowledging the importance of sustainable uses of energy, the Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN) meets biennially to specifically discuss energy and ways to implement ever improving technology. History of Committee The Economic and Financial Committee is commonly referred to as the 2nd Committee, as it is one of six main bodies under direct authority of the General Assembly. ECOFIN deals with issues concerning economic growth and development, globalization and interdependence, sustainable development, as well as macroeconomic trade and commodities. ECOFIN also pays special attention to the concerns of the least developed countries and items on the agenda focus on integrating developing countries smoothly into the world economy (?Economic and Financial?). Other current affairs include disaster reduction, women and development, preventing and combating corrupt practices, and protection of the global climate. ... ... Assembly Main Committees. 3 April 2007. ?Changing Unsustainable Patterns of Consumption and Production.? 2002. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 3 April 2007. ?Establishment of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as an Organ of the General Assembly.? 30 December 1964. General Assembly Resolutions. ?The Energy Challenge for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals.? 2005. United Nations Energy 3 April 2007. ?What Are the Millennium Development Goals 2005. UN Development Goals. 20 April 2007.

steroids :: essays research papers

Q. I have patients previously diagnosed as Asthma who are now classified as COPD. Should I keep them on inhaled steroids? A. If you have a strong suspicion that your patient has COPD rather than asthma (smoking history, progressive shortness of breath), then you should slowly reduce the dose of inhaled steroids (over several months - e.g. 25% reduction every 2-3 months). In most patients with COPD you will be able to withdraw the inhaled steroid completely, without any increase in symptoms or change in lung function. Q. What is a recommended 'steroid trial' for COPD? A. The most frequently used regime for a steroid trial is to give oral prednisolone (40mg daily in a single morning dose) for 2 weeks. It is best to make measurements of peak expiratory flow (PEF) twice a day for 2 weeks before starting oral steroids in order to get a baseline value and then during the treatment period. FEV, should be measured at the beginning and end of the baseline period and after the inhaled steroids. A steroid trial is considered positive if FEV, or mean PEF increase by more than15%, when a diagnosis of asthma is made. It is important to remember that some patients will have asthma and COPD at the same time. Q. What is the role, if any, for oral steroids in COPD? A. Oral steroids are used in a formal trial of steroids and may be useful in acute exacerbations of COPD. They should not be used as a maintenance treatment because of the side effects of long-term steroid therapy. Q. With a newly diagnosed COPD patient should I initiate steroid therapy, if so how? A. If a patient has COPD with no evidence of response to oral steroids (negative steroid trial) then inhaled steroids should not be used. It is possible that inhaled steroids may alter the accelerated annual rate of decline in lung function with age. Q. How will I know if a COPD patient is benefiting from steroid therapy? A. The best way to determine whether inhaled steroids are beneficial is to slowly reduce the dose. If FEV, or mean PEF show no deterioration, the inhaled steroid can be completely withdrawn. Q. Will COPD patients need to be on long-term steroid therapy? If so, what about side effects? A. Only patients who have shown a positive response to oral steroids (steroid trial) should be on inhaled steroids.

What the Public Should Know about Science :: Argumentative Persuasive Papres

What the Public Should Know about Science The public is uninformed about the role of science in their everyday lives. If the masses are not aware of the positive contributions that have been made through scientific discoveries, they will not be very supportive when funding requests are made. Many of the scientific discoveries completed by scientists today may seem like a waste of time and money since the fruits of their findings may not be realized until years later. In order for the public to accept science as a positive contributor, they must be taught to understand the advancements made by science and the processes necessary to achieve them. The public most also be given an understandable explanation of how these advancements improve their lives. Not all scientific discoveries made by the scientific community were the expected outcome of carefully planned research activities. This position can be validated through an Internet article written by Larry Gedney titled "Unexpected Scientific Discoveries are Often the Most Important." Mr. Gedney feels that it is important to provide the researcher with more leeway on how funding is to be spent. A quote from his article states, " to ask a scientist what his or her next discovery will be is to misinterpret the scientific method." (1) Accidental scientific discoveries have been made throughout the history of mankind. Some clear examples are that of the X-Ray, Penicillin, and the principle of vaccination. In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered that he could see through his skin to the bones when putting his hand between a barium coated screen and an electrical discharge tube. As most of us know, this discovery has universalized the way that doctors perform their daily routines. Doctors no longer have to depend on their innate ability to feel a patient's arm to determine if it is broken or fractured. They can simply perform an X-Ray of the arm and within minutes have results back that clearly indicate if the bones in the arm are broken or fractured and the severity of the brake. Another example of an unexpected scientific discovery was made by Alexander Fleming, a bacteriologist from Saint Mary's Hospital located in London. In his cluttered laboratory he noticed that a culture dish that had bacteria on it had been inundated with mold, which blew in from an open window. After observing the dish under the microscope, he saw that the bacteria, which were surrounded by the mold, had died.

Impact Of Global Crisis On Indian Economy Essay

Abstract: The Indian economy has shown considerable resilience to the global economic crisis by maintaining one of the highest growth rates in the world. The intensity of present economic meltdown is so high that it is being compared with the global economic recession in 1873, Great Depression of 1930’s and East Asian crisis of 1990’s. Global Financial Crisis is among the greatest financial challenges to the world economy which is originated in United States of America. The global economic slowdown is unprecedented in scale and has severe implications on policy formulation among emerging market. Currently India has one of the largest developing countries in the world. Its growth was interrupted by the global financial turbulence that was started in 2008 with the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. Industries such as Information Technology, Pharmaceuticals, BPO, ITES, Textiles, Automobile and Banking & Financial Services Sector in India suffered setbacks due to shrinking patronage and demand from western markets. Strong economic growth in the last decade combined with a population of over a billion makes it one of the potentially largest markets in the future. This paper provides an overview of global financial crisis and its impact on the Indian Economy. Keywords: Global Economic crisis, Indian Economy, Gross Domestic Product, Foreign Direct Investment, Balance of Payment. Introduction: Every day the main headline of all newspapers is about our falling share markets, decreasing industrial growth and the overall negative mood of the economy. It is due to the world financial system is now undergoing a global economic crisis of staggering proportions. The global financial crisis impacted India significantly, notwithstanding the sound banking system, negligible exposure of Indian banks to sub-prime assets and relatively well-functioning financial markets. The impact was mainly on account of India’s growing trade and financial integration with the global economy. What is Global Economic Crisis? Global economic crisis refers to an economic scenario where the economies of countries all over the world have taken a beating. Whenever there is a global economic crisis, some companies will remove the employees for short span or for a long run. In that case along with recession, they will feel depression as well. An Economic Recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real gross domestic product, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. An Economic Depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economy. Methodology: Literature review and secondary research has been used to support the aim of the paper. The information related to the study was collected from the various books, magazines, periodicals, especially from the research reports and articles available over the internet, government websites etc. The study covers the thoughts and writings of various authors in the stream of industry, academician, and research. Objective of the Study: The present study focused on the origin of the Global Economic Crisis and to analyze the reasons and its impact on Indian Economy which examines the trends of GDP growth rates, Foreign Direct Investment, Financial Sector, and overall Balance of Payment etc. Causes of Global Economic Crisis: There are several underlying causes of the current global economic crisis. Most people believe that the major causes of the crisis include the following: fraud and weak underwriting practices, uncontrolled population growth, unscrupulous lending practices, prolonged boom in house prices, massive borrowing binge in the United States and European countries, growing culture of weak regulation etc. Impact on Indian Economy: (a) Impact on Indian GDP growth rate: Economic growth is the increase in value of the goods and services produced by an economy. With the help of a structural quarterly macro econometric model, this paper concludes that significant part of the fall in GDP growth by 2.8 per cent in 2008-2009 due to global economic recession and  depression. It is expected to show up growth about 1.5 per cent in 2009–2010 and now slowly is on the recovery side. Among the major developing countries, growth in India is expected to remain ‘robust’. India’s economy is expected to expand between 7.7 percent and 7.9 percent in 2012-2013, down from 8.5 percent in 2010. (b) Impact on Indian FDI inflows: During the period subsequent to dotcom burst, there has been an unprecedented rise in the cross-border flows and this exuberance was sustained until the occurrence of global financial crisis in the year 2008-09. When there was a significant deceleration in global FDI flows during 2009-10, the decline in FDI flows to India was relatively moderate reflecting robust equity flows on the back of strong rebound in domestic growth ahead of global recovery and steady reinvested earnings reflecting better profitability of foreign companies in India. However, when there had been some recovery in global FDI flows, during 2010-11. The report anticipates that foreign investments in India could increase by over 20 per cent in 2012-13. (c) Impact on Indian Balance of Payments: Fiscal 2009-10 has witnessed a global recovery after a crisis of severe worldwide proportions. The risks of economic crisis however remain, with need for caution in dealing with high public debt and unwinding of fiscal and monetary stimuli. The Indian economy also saw a turnaround, registering 7 % growth during 2009-10, after touching a low of 5.8 per cent in the third and fourth quarters of 2008-09. The balance-of-payments situation improved on the back of a surge in capital flows and rise in foreign exchange reserves, which have been accompanied by rupee appreciation. (d) Impact on Indian Financial Sector: Until the emergence of global crisis, the Indian economy was going through a phase of growing domestic investment financed mostly by domestic savings and sustained consumption demand. This overall improvement in macroeconomic performance in India was attributed to calibrated financial sector reforms that resulted in an efficient system of financial intermediation, albeit bank-based; the rule based fiscal policy that reduced the drag on private savings; and forward-looking monetary policy that balanced the short term trade-off between growth and inflation on a continuous basis. India, though initially somewhat insulated to the global developments, eventually was impacted significantly by the global shocks through all the channels – trade, finance and expectations channels. This raised the issue that whether  India is more globalised than what is perceived in terms of conventional trade openness indicators. Takeaways from the Global Crisis: No doubt, India has been hit by the global economic crisis; it is clearly due to India’s rapid and growing integration into the global economy. The Global economic crisis and the current sovereign debt crisis offer, many regulatory and policy lessons that have come to the fore and are under various stages of implementation, I would flag some takeaways: too much of anything is bad like leverage, liquidity, finance etc. models do not fully reflect the realities of life and excessive reliance on quantitative models is fraught with risk and Finance should serve the real sector and not the converse. Conclusion: While the developed world, including the U.S, the Euro Zone and Japan, has plunged into recession, the Indian Economy is being affected by the spill-over effects of the global financial crisis, the strategy to counter these effects of the global crisis on the Indian economy and prevent the latter from any further collapse would require an effective departure from the dominant economic philosophy of the neo-liberalism. It needs to be emphasized that implementation holds the key to bail out the Indian economy from the economic crisis. Our President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has suggested that to reduce the pain of economic crisis, employers should cut wages all along the line to reduce costs, rather than retrenching workers and thus add to job losses. RBI needs to neutralize the outflow of FII money by unwinding the market stabilization securities that it had used to sterilize the inflows when they happened. Taxes including excise duty and custom duty should be reduced to lighten the adverse effect of economic crunch on various industries. Also, the government should try and improve liquidity, while CRR and SLR must be cut further. Perhaps growth will bounce back. And the success of Indian companies in 2012 will depend more than ever on their ability to tap into these new opportunities in emerging markets, especially as they look to counter depressed demand at home and increased risk in developed markets. References: Gotmare, Dr. Dilip and Deshmukh, Dr. Panjabrao . (June 2011). Global Economic Recession: It’s Impact on Indian Economy. Available: http://www.isrj.net/june/2011/Economic_GLOBAL_ECONOMIC_RECESSION.html. Prabhudesai, Arun. (August, 2011). Indian Economic Outlook 2011-12–GDP growth at 8.2%. Available: http://trak.in/tags/business/2011/08/01/indian-economic-growth-2011-12/. Sinha, Anand. (March, 2012). Impact on Indian economy from global crisis. Available: http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Impact-on-Indian-economy-from-global-crisis-Anand-Sinha/5381116279. (May, 2012). India’s economy – A Bric hits the wall. Available: http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2012/05/indias-economy. (2011-2012). Foreign Direct Investment Flows to India. Available: http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/bs_viewcontent.aspx?Id=2513.

Union Movement in Late 19th Century

During 1870 through 1900 workers joined together; responding to the power of their employers caused by the growth of industrialization. The worker did not always have the luxury of leaving after eight hours of work, the right to representation, or the even the right to work in a safe environment. The working people of nineteenth century America had to unite in struggle to achieve the gains that are often taken selfishly and taken for granted today. There were many successes and failures in organized labor; the successes were often obtained through the loss of the worker, often through lost wages, jobs, or even death. The organization structure of the union during 1870 through 1900 went through different cycles and strategies to achieve what they wanted. One of the first effective regional organized unions was the Knights of Labor formed in 1869. The knights took in not only skilled workers but also any worker that could be truly classified as a producer. The knights took their peek in 1885 when strikes against Union Pacific, Southwest System, and Wabash railroads attracted public sympathy and succeeded in preventing a reduction in wages, at this time they boasted a membership of 700,000. 1886 was a troubled year for labor relations. There were nearly 1,600 strikes involving 600,000 workers, with the eight-hour day being the important item for all of the strikes. Failure of some of the strikes and internal conflicts between the skilled workers and the unskilled led to a decline in the Knights popularity and influence. Another organization called the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions created a constitution that other unions could adhere to. This constitution met in Pittsburgh on Nov. 15 1881 and was created by representatives of the cigar makers, the printers, the merchant seamen, steel workers, carpenters and local units of the Knights of Labor. One of the most important items in the constitution created by the FOTLU recommended that the legal eight-hour work day be an objective for every union to achieve. The FOTLU thus accelerated a strong national push for a shorter work week. The AFL grew from 140,000 in 1886 to nearly on million by 1900. With these strengths in numbers they often preferred striking over political action. The struggle for workers rights, wage increases and protests against wage cuts were often unsuccessful resulting in violence and death. Chicago workers were agitating for the eight-hour work day for months. On May 1st and 2nd 1886 were eighty thousand workers went on strike, bringing most of Chicago†s manufacturing to a standstill. On May 3rd a fight between hundreds of strikers and non-union replacements broke out. Chicago police quickly moved in to restore order, leaving four unionists dead and many wounded. Angered by the deadly force of the police a group of anarchists called on workers to arm themselves and participate in the massive protest demonstration in Haymarket Square on May 4. Only 3,000 members assembled and started out peacefully until late evening when someone still not known to this day threw a bomb that killed seven policemen and injured 67 others. Even though no evidence was ever found about who threw the bomb four anarchists were found guilty and sentenced to death. Ever since the Haymarket square symbolized for radicals and trade unionists everywhere the injustice of a capitalistic society but also associated negatively unions as un-American, criminalistic, and violent. Many other activists died or received injuries for their cause all around the country. In July of 1877 strike riots halted the movement of U. S. railroads. After a few weeks of shutting down most of countries railroad system federal troops were sent in to try to end the nationwide strike. This resulted in more violence and death; in Chicago for example federal troops killed 30 workers and wounded over 100. On June 14, 1877 in Pennsylvania ten coal-mining activists were hanged. October 1887 the Louisiana militia shot 35 unarmed black sugar workers striking to gain a dollar-per-day wage and lynched two strike leaders. 1894 federal troops killed 34 American Railway Union members in Chicago attempting to break a strike. July 1892 three hundred Pinkerton guards helped introduce scabs into the workplace by opening fire on striking Carnegie mill steel workers, this resulted in the death of seven guards and eleven strikers. The idea of demonstrations was often to get the attention of management to show that they mean business and can†t be pushed around so easily. New York garment workers won the right to unionize after a seven-month strike. They secured agreements for a closed shop, and firing of all scabs. Striking miners in Idaho dynamited the Frisco Mill. Leaving it to ruins, getting the attention they wanted. The popularity and growth of unions everywhere showed companies that they are not going to walk over their workers as easily as they did in the past. Although union demonstrations resulted in workers being injured, dead or fired they set the way for unions in the future to be successful in their endeavors. These demonstrations were successful in the fact that they showed management and companies that the American worker can unite and be heard as one voice rather than a mass of passive workers that would take any injustice given to them. It is to these unions that we owe many of the benefits and rights we see and use today, such as fighting injustices such as biases and discrimination, winning the right to representation and collective bargaining, and the right for education for every child.

Nelson Mandela Character Analysis

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18th, 1918 and recently died on December 5th 2013. He was born in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa (father) Nonqaphi Nosekeni (mother) were both Christians, therefore so was Mr Mandela. His father Gadla was the head chief in his community. The strengths his father would have needed were to speak up for his people, have courage, be caring, be supportive of his community, strong, powerful worker, a good communicator and well educated. His father had all them. As Nelson Mandela was growing up he would have looked up to his father alot. Most young boys while growing up would usually look up to their father as most see them as their role model and the most amazing person in the world. As his father was such an important person, young Mandela would have been inspired to be just like his father. As both his parents were a both Christians Nelson Mandela was sent to Methodist school that provided him with very good education as he was the son of the chief. Nelson Mandela’s father and childhood have affected his PIES alot.As he was the son of the chief Nelson would have had access to the best his people could have gotten at the time. Also, because his father was the chief, he had a good education; he went to school (both primary and secondary), a college and university. As he was growing up the bond between him and his father would have been really strong as he would have looked up to his father as a role model. When his father passed away when he was 11, along with being heartbroken, it would have made him more passionate about being more like the man his father was.This would have included him being more kind, speaking up for people, being more caring and supportive, become a better communicator and being educated. Finally as he was the chief’s son he would have been popular within the kids in his community. This would have also boosted his confidence in being around alot of people and also sp eaking to alot of people and getting his opinion heard.Secondary Socialisation Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela went to a primary school in Qunu where his teacher gave him the name Nelson, in accordance with the custom to give all students ‘Christian’ names. He then went to complete his junior certificate at Clarkebury boarding institute and went on to Healdtown, a Weslayan secondary  school of some repute, where matriculated.Nelson Mandela began his studies for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree there as he was expelled for joining in a student protest. He completed his BA through the University of South Africa and went back to Fort Hare for his graduation in 1943. Nelson Mandela’s education influenced him to join the African National Congress as he was a lawyer and wanted equality. Sp he joined the A.F.C in hope to bring equality in Africa. South African GovernmentAs a result of Apartheid many people live s where changed in many ways including the following. The Group Areas act of 1950 controlled where people could live. The Black people were driven into small town quite far away from city centres; however their jobs were still in these cities and white suburbs. Bus fares were expensive and catching public transport everyday was expensive and caused hardship and depression for the black people. The Bantu education act meant the black students were disadvantaged with their education system in South Africa is now far worse than under apartheid.Overall, they were kept away from white people and had no rights at all and had worse facilities and weren’t allowed to use non-coloured facilities. Also they weren’t allowed to answer or fight back to verbal or physical abuse! So When Nelson’s attempts at a peaceful protest failed he went underground but continued to protest secretly and set fire to a government building. His trial was so long to keep him occupied rather tha n him organising more protests. Eventually, when Nelson was in prison he was forced to do hard labour in limestone quarries along with all the other inmates at the prison. Meanwhile Nelson’s supporters were still protesting. When they protested the government shot at them and as a result of the shootings 69 people died.Also, some of the leaders of countries were sentenced to prison or have had to be exiled. The South African Government have also influenced Nelson Mandela’s PIES. His physical health would have affected when he was put into prison for 27 years. In prison he was forced to do hard labour in limestone quarries, and wasn’t given the food he would have needed to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Also, in prison he would have had to go to the toilet in a small bucket in the corner of his very small cell. This would have also caused him to have some health problem.Going to  prison would have influenced his intellectual health as well. Beside going out of hi s cell to work, he would have also had alot of ‘alone time’ in which he would have thought about what he was fighting for, and what he may have been planning to do once, and if he ever was released. As he was in orison he would have been away from his wife and kids as he was serving his time in prison. He would have also been kept away from the other inmates, and probably had only seen them whilst working in the quarry.Nelson’s Supporters & Wife To show their anger about Mandela being kept in prison they burnt down government buildings, held more protests and complained all the time. When supporters protested in South Africa they got shot down, beaten and put in prison. Many people got involved in campaigning for Nelson’s freedom including his wife, the British Priminister, pop singers, leaders from around the world and many sports players. There were many methods used to campaign for Mandela’s freedom such as pop concerts, speeches, and not doing b usiness with South Africa. Having supporters who supported and cared for him whilst he was in prison would have helped him not to give up, and still have hope and keep strong.They would have also influenced him to still have faith in his dream for South Africa. His emotional health would have been influenced by his supporters as he would have been re-assured knowing that what he was going through is doing something, and it’s not all for no reason. The biggest influence on his physical health was parents (mainly the father). I think this because as he was the son of the chief he would have had greater access to medical needs and he would have had proper food. This was because the people in his community would have all looked up to him. His father had an important role in their community.The biggest influence on his intellectual health was his teachers starting from primary school going on all the way to university. This is because, they would have taught him most of everything he had learnt, and would have equipped his brain to work out problems, and what do to with the issues he came across in the most effective ways that are sure to end in the results he would have wanted. The biggest influence on his emotional health would have been his supporters as they would have helped him keep faith in what he wanted to achieve. Also the fact that they all looked up to him would have guided him to work harder for  his ‘fans’ and try his best to help the out.Another influence on his emotional health would have been the government. As they weren’t doing anything about the apartheid other than supporting it, they would have made Mandela feel angry, and upset therefore making him strive to change the way everything was to make it a better place. Also there was a poem called ‘Invictus’ that he said helped him to overcome his anger and still think positively even when he was in jail. He also said that, the poem helped him regain any h ope in himself that had been lost. The biggest influence on his social health would have again been the government. I think this because; being put into prison significantly influenced the time he got to spend with his friends and family, and who he was allowed to spend time with.Conclusion I’ve put the Primary and Secondary Socialisation agents in order of how much they influenced the person who Nelson Mandela became. 1. South African Government 2. His Supporters 3. School 4. ‘Invictus’ (the poem) This is the order I’ve put them. Firstly the government which allowed the apartheid to happen first made Nelson Mandela angry and allowed him to attempt to make a change. Also when he was put in prison as a result of all the protesting, being alone for most of the time in there gave him the opportunity to reflect on everything that has happened and gave him the chance to think of what he want to do in the future.Having an education helped Mandela as they provide d him with the ability to think about how issues can be resolved in many ways. They also provided Mandela with the basic knowledge needed for Mandela to become a lawyer, which then led onto him becoming part of the A.F.C. Finally, the poem helped him alot in his time in prison as it helped lift his spirit and when he felt down.

Oxmyx Industries, Inc.: HR Crisis

I’m currently a manager in the human resources department of Oxmyx Industries, Inc. which is a medium sized agricultural processing firm that specializes in the production and distribution of high protein foodstuffs made from grain quadrotriticale. Oxmyx Industries, or simply OI, was founded in the 1950's by Bela Oxmyx, a man who called the nation Iotia home. Bela Oxmyx fled Iotia to come to the United States in the mid 1940's upon the Soviet's takeover of his homeland. Not long after his arrival to the U. S. , Bela opened up a small market for fresh produce on the lower east side of Manhattan; this small market eventually expanded into a chain of grocery stores throughout the tri-state area, consisting of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Ultimately, Omyx chose to focus on the processing of agricultural products for his company. Today Bella Oxmyx owns only 51 percent of the outstanding stock and remains Chief Executive Officer of Oxmyx Industries, Inc. I currently work at the company’s corporate headquarters in New York and my responsibilities include the negotiation of the employee benefit package, the fair resolution of employee grievances, and maintaining the overall employee morale. As of lately, many of our female employees have been filing complaints about several of our male employees. These objections are mainly targeted at three individual employees, JoJo Krako, Tepo and Zabo. The women have highlighted the three’s illicit behavior with such references as calling them baby or â€Å"chicky†, repeatedly asking them out, and leering at them while conversing amongst themselves in their native language. Unfortunately however, the complaints don't stop there: the female managers have also complained that these individuals are slow to carry out instructions and sometimes even appear to be resentful about doing so, as well as frequently surly, rude, making disrespectful comments and looking at them in an uncomfortable manner while talking in their own language. In addition to all that, several women have also claimed that these men have pictures of nude and semi-nude women plastered in their lockers in the men's locker room. These complaints garnered my attention so I went ahead and did a bit of research of my own. I ended up stumbling upon documents that revealed some interesting and shocking facts about the three troublesome employees. I found out that each of these men were from Iotia, Oxymyx’s homeland, had lower job skills and experience than any of the other members of the staff, and most notably, hey had less skills and experience than several of the applicants who had applied for the same positions and got rejected. I noticed that on each of these men's files it read â€Å"Legacy B. O†, so I asked my superior what those letters represented and he told me that it was Mr. Oxymy’s code way of saying to hire that individual. After further research I discovered that these three employees were not the only men that ha ve been hired by the company whose documents had â€Å"Legacy B. O† on it; I found roughly 30 other instances with similar cases. In each case, the person hired was a young white male who recently arrived in the United States from Iotia; also an overwhelming amount of complaints had been filed around the same time period of the hiring. I became very troubled by these recent discoveries and decided to approach the CEO himself, Mr. Oxymyx. When I explained my findings on the men’s conduct towards the female staff to Mr. Oxmyx he said to me, â€Å"That’s just their way. Iotia is a very traditional patriarchal culture, you know. Krako and others are not used to seeing women in positions of authority. But give them some time and they will adjust like I have. I am Iotian myself you know. † I then told Mr. Oxmyx that none of the Iotian employees hired over the past five years were qualified individuals for the job. Mr. Oxmyx then proceeded to tell me the story of how things were when he first arrived in America; he came to the U. S with nothing due to the Soviets confiscating all of his family’s assets. While going through the immigration he saw a man with a sign that offered help to all Iotians; the man was a representative of the group FIG, First Iotian Group, an organization whose duty is to help Iotian immigrants to the U. S. After helping him get on his feet, the organization asked him that when he is successful to help the next generation of Iotian immigrants to the U. S. Oxmyx gave his word that he would, which explains why there have been unexplainable hiring’s of Iotian immigrants within the company. I returned to my office and after further review noticed that many of the more qualified applicants who have been passed over were either African American or Hispanics from impoverished backgrounds. I understand where Mr. Oxymyx is coming from to a certain extent: When he first arrived to the U. S. he had nothing and other Iotian immigrants helped him become very successful and he is now the majority owner of a business that he started and didn’t let success get in the way of remembering where he came from. It makes sense that after the help he received from his fellow countrymen he feels it is his duty to do the same for others. He is Iotian after all and the majority owner of a business, so why not take advantage of that and make it easier for Iotians to get hired by his company. Technically it is against the law to hire based on race and ethnicity, those are traits that an employer is supposed to ignore; however I feel Mr. Oxymyx is trying to follow his personal ethics, which is to help out his own people in their time of need because once upon a time he was helped. However, there also are several problems I see with Mr. Oxymyx’s â€Å"policy†. When he first came to the United States in the mid 1940’s, the situation in Iotia was very different than it is now. Iotia back then was being invaded by the former Soviet Union, and the Soviets had stripped Oxymyx’s family of all their assets so essentially when he arrived to the U. S. he had literally nothing, nothing but hope that is; he was a desperate man coming from a desperate nation with nothing to offer but hard work. Now is not 1940; we are now in the 21st century and the Soviet Union does not even exist anymore. Iotia is not in a state of war causing people to flee from the same harsh conditions as Mr. Oxymyx once did. Yes, the United States is most likely still a land of better opportunity than Iotia is, making it very appealing for people to move from the eastern European nation, however due to the fact that they are not as desperate to come here anymore, Mr. Oxymyx does not have to view the new immigrants in the same light as he viewed his emigration experience. He has not lived in Iotia for over 50 years now and surely conditions are very different in today’s world, no matter what country you’re in. Although he feels that he was greatly assisted in the transition and welcomed by his fellow countrymen when he arrived to the U. S. and would like to return the favor and not forget where he came from, the young men who are making the same trip across the pond today are not in the same boat as he, so hiring them is no longer as urgent as it once was. Mr. Oxymyx also told me that the reason why the three Iotians Jojo, Thepo and Zabo were so rude to the female staff members is because where they come from, they are not used to seeing women in positions of authority so it is a new thing that they haven’t become accustomed to yet. In the U. S. we treat all co-workers with equal respect no matter gender, age or race. The problem is that Mr. Oxymyx keeps comparing these young men to himself as if they are him 60 years ago. He fails to realize that he came to the U. S. at a much different time, when the world was a different place. Yes, back then it is possible that in Iotia women were not treated very respectfully, and it was not uncommon for them to be sexually harassed by their male counterparts; however as I’ve mentioned before, Oxymyx came in at a different time. Look at the example of African Americans in our culture: not too long ago they were treated as second rate citizens in the U. S. Battling racism and racist comments was not an uncommon thing at the time, but it is most definitely not accepted in today’s U. S. Maybe in his time in Iotia it was ordinary to degrade women, but it is very possible that things have changed since, especially given the 60 years past, so he should not necessarily be making excuses for the way these three individuals behave. Maybe they are just that way, and it doesn’t mean they are representing the modern Iotian culture as a whole. When I looked into more of the company’s employment documents and realized that many of the candidates that were passed over for hiring positions were not only more qualified than their Iotian counterparts, the majority of the ones passed over were minorities of African American or Hispanic descent; this on the other hand, I have a big problem with. These people were from poor and desperate backgrounds and needed the jobs just as much as the Iotians, so it is unfair that they did not receive a chance at all, making it seem as if there was a racial aspect to the hiring process as well. If Mr. Oxymyx is about helping out those that are in by giving them jobs, he should at least consider the minorities as well. It appears that Mr. Oxymyx may still have some racist ways from the past that he has not let go of while he has been in the United States, and that to me is definitely an ethical dilemma that exceeds helping out his fellow countrymen. If Oxymyx chooses that he wants to giv e an advantage to Iotian citizens when he is hiring, that I do not have as much a problem with, after all, he is the founder of the company and is Iotian himself and I don’t see if being a huge ethical deal given his past life experiences. I do however think that there should be a limit to his helping hand. He can hire these less skilled and qualified workers just because of their heritage, but what I absolutely cannot tolerate is if these same men also bring there disrespectful mannerisms to the workplace. Beggars can’t be choosers; by that I mean they are lucky they got hired despite their lacking in skill and experience, so that last thing they need to do is also come to work with the arrogance and superiority complex over women. They should be thankful for their opportunity and should put their head down and be the hardest working people in the company to show how thankful they are to Mr. Oxymyx for the experience. I plan to meet with Mr. Oxymyx again, and I have a few suggestions for him. I will first let him know that although he seems to have good intentions, he needs to realize that the men he is hiring are not coming from the same war torn Iotia that he fled; he should not compare himself to them. The world has changed from the 40’s and maybe women were not treated with respect back in 1940’s Iotia, but it is likely that situation has changed. Regardless of that, we live in the United States and these men have moved here to come look for a better life and if they wish to partake in our society, they must also follow our societal rules and ethics; they need to leave their rude manners behind because that is not how things work here, and Mr. Oxymyx needs to sit each of them down and let them know that. I will also recommend to him that there needs to be a company policy put in place and anyone that does not follow the guidelines will be dismissed. After all, these are grown men and here, and they should have the brain capacity to understand that they are in a different country now with different customs, they should feel privileged to have the opportunity to begin a new life in the U. S therefore they need to respect the culture as well. I will also ask Mr. Oxymyx why most of the job applicants that are being passed over happen to be Black and Hispanic, which is definitely a racial issue that is against the laws for hiring. I do respect that Mr. Oxymyx does has not forgotten his heritage and knows where and what he came from no matter how successful he is, which is why he wants to give back, but if he is to give an advantage to Iotians in his company they need to follow the guidelines that I have suggested and the societal rules that we have instilled here in America. I will at least be able to tolerate the fact that they are unfairly being given jobs that they are not quite qualified for if they follow the rules above and beyond. However, if no action is taken than I will encourage the women to file lawsuits against these men, as well as Mr. Oxymyx himself for knowingly breaking laws about hiring as well as knowing this harassment activity is going on, and I will encourage Mr. Oxymyx to dismiss them all to prevent losing his company and all he’s worked for.