Paramore †‘Now’ Video Analysis Essay

1. Are there any generic conventions? (eg stage performance in a metal video, dance rotine for a boyband, cutting to the beat) Are there any conventions from other genres? This video is not very generic of the genre of rock music. In comparison to other Paramore videos there isn’t an element of stage performance in a studio or any instruments involved. In most of their old videos they have been in a concert style set-up studio or location miming along to a ballad with bright lights and colorful writing whilst minor storylines happen around them. Instead this video is set in a battlefield filled with dirty- clothed enemies, dust and rotten vegetation, making them the storyline. This has often been done in pop music videos such as ‘Battlefield by Jordin Sparks’ and ‘Jar Of Hearts by Christina Perri†. In a previous Paramore video for ‘crushcrushcrush’ they were in a similar dusty setting miming along to the song and allowing people to smash up their attire. I feel that as the band have a fresh start and begin to produce more mainstream music their videos will become less stereotypical of rock music and the band’s previous self. I feel that this video has some elements of pop music, using smoke bombs and colour powder One thing that is often seen in a rock video is the use of violence and gore/blood. In this video there is violence on the battle field but instead of using blood they replace it with coloured paint powder. I believe this is for many reasons, one to make it more light hearted but also to show the band’s old stereotype disappearing and new beginnings being released. 2. Describe the style of this music video. What effect does it have? A sense of arrogance has been created from the start of the video; he is looking into the lens of the camera as if he was looking into the viewer’s eyes with a blank facial expression and ignoring all the chaos and drama behind him. This goes with the lyrics â€Å"That’s no good to me, I don’t need nobody† which provokes the idea of him telling us he doesn’t need everything going on or anyone else around him, just his microphone and himself. The camera work mainly focuses on him allowing him to be the main area in the video and be the star. It’s fun and upbeat like the song and the style of the video seems new and something never seen before which refelects his music. The video uses stopmotion animation which is created by using thousands of individual images and playing them together slower than the normal video camera frame rate to add a cool effect. This allows objects in the video to have personalities and be able to move by themselves. It also looks really cool where his t shirt flicks through colours whilst his miming is still in time. I think they did this to show he is what he is no matter what he looks like he can still be a rapper. 3. Do the visuals illustrate, amplify or offer disjuncture with the lyrics? How does this work and what do the visuals add? Cut to beat It’s anarchy, with strange figures attacking each-other with batons. This indicates that the enemy are in fact riot police which the band have strong ties with, their second album was named ‘Riot!’ due to the way the creative energy during the album’s creation seemed to burst out of them uncontrollably. I think this is clever because six years later, where instead of helping to strengthen the band and their relationship with their fans, a riot is threatening to tear it all apart after original band members leaving. Powdered smoke The powdered smoke could represent a number of things: creativity, life, love, or more literally, the blood of the allies that has been spilt during this fierce battle. If you want it’s intended meaning, director Daniel Cloud Campos wrote this message on his instagram below a photo of silhouettes in the smoke: â€Å"Smoke of love. Toxic to those who have hate in their hearts.† Daniel Cloud Campos wanted it to represent love, but really, it could symbolise anything, as long as it’s positive. 4. How are the performers represented? From the very opening shot, we are presented with two opposing forces: Paramore represented by singer Hayley alone and the Captain. This shows that she is powerful and strong. A grenade is thrown causing an explosion knocking her unconscious; she lies there not making an effort to move allowing people to get hurt around her. This shows that she is reckless and feisty going along with the lyrics â€Å"don’t try to take this from me, don’t try to take this from me†. Her band mate runs over to help her up; she grabs his arm but dashes off before she gets to her feet as another band member tackles riot police to the ground. This shows unity, which is key to the song as it was written about to past members leaving and how Paramore will continue on to produce music. The enemy turns his attention on Hayley, who is still in a vulnerable state on the ground. She doesn’t want to fight him. She just looks up at him in despondency. He sees how vulnerable she is, and seems to appreciate the way that she chooses not to fight back, slowly lowering his baton, no longer wanting to threaten her. Her peer tackles the enemy, just in case he changes his mind. He also helps pick her up. She wouldn’t be standing right now if it weren’t for band mates, this also goes with the theme of the song. The idea of the three of them taking on the whole riot squad alone is an analogy of them taking on the music industry as a trio with no drummer, coinciding with the lyrics â€Å"if there’s a future we want it now†. She looks hurt and confused by the chaos happening around her. She spots the Captain from across the battlefield, and begins to walk towards him, not consumed by hatred or vengeance. She is calm and collected. Despite explosions and savage beatings getting really violent and bloody feet away from her, she doesn’t flinch. She knows what she has to do to stop the fighting, and sets about to do it. This represents her feistiness, linking with the lyrics â€Å"I’m bringing my sinking ship back to the shore†. The boys try to fight off people in her way, filling the air with coloured powder and smoke. Hayley gets hit on the back of the head with such force that it brings her to her knees. But it’s not an expression of physical pain that is spread on her face it’s more emotional. It looks like she can’t take anymore, she looks around nervously in an attempt to find her bandmates, who just stare at her helplessly, not knowing how to help or fight back. She looks to the Captain belting â€Å"there’s a time and the place to die, there’s a time and the place to die† as the music builds up. She runs to towards him shouting â€Å"and this aint it†, her band members begin to restrain reaching out to her crying that she comes back. All of this shows independence of her and how she will continue to achieve in her career. She then runs and hugs the captain tightly causing him to release his baton and the battlefield clears of smoke, showing that they have achieved their future â€Å"if there’s a future we want it now†.

Is Business Ethics Important

Before we discuss the importance of ethics in business, it is very essential to examine a prominent theory when conducting business ethics and that is utilitarianism. This theory accounts for the concepts of duty or obligation, rights, and justice. It is routine that the utilitarianism theory is divided up into two groups. These two groups are that of teleological and deontological theory. The teleological approach deals with consequences. â€Å"It states that whether an action is right or wrong depends on the consequences of that action† (DeGeorge, 2010, P. 2) The deontological theory, in contrast to teleological theories such as utilitarianism, deny that consequences are relevant to determining what we should do. â€Å"Deontologists typically propose that we have a duty to perform certain acts not because of some benefit to ourselves or others, but because of the nature of these actions or the rules from which they follow† (Boatright, 2009, P. 31). According to the te xtbook, individuals who mix the teleological and deontological approaches might be called ethical pluralist.The aforementioned information is very necessary to understand how to answer the question of the importance of ethics in business. The ethical theory provides a baseline for what we expect the standards of ethics to be. It is very apparent that we has human beings would come to a cohesive agreement that business ethics is important. This is because we assume that it is better to be right than wrong, moral than immoral, good than bad or just than unjust. In reality this is not a very acceptable answer because it fails to go into detail why we think it is better.The only evidence proves being good is better than being bad is religion, the government, and our elders. It may seem that this response is an iota short of being loquacious; however, ethics in business can be so ambiguous you have to consider all the variables to understand how ethics are viewed in our culture. The comp lexities of ethics in business are something that even ancient scholars possessed a challenging time understanding how to couple ethics with society. Nevertheless, ethics in business is very important because the rimary goal should be to protect people and society. In my opinion ethics is very important in business especially when it relates to being ethically correct with customers and employees. Customers and employees position themselves as the foundation and framework of any company. Therefore, practicing ethical behavior with those two parties should be considered fundamental. The society in which we live money is the leading force for survival, security, and classism. In most cases this is the motive that drives unethical behavior.Personally, I believe that ethics is very important in business because it holds executives accountable for unethical behavior. Even if you are in business and you have no compassion for the employees employed by the company or the customers, the mer e fact that being unethical in business can sometimes jeopardize the welfare of the company. For example the beech-nut company who were accused of producing bogus apple juice, that in turn was nothing more that sugar water, suffered enormous scrutiny because of their deception to customers and they could not defend whether the apple juice was healthy for babies or not.The lack of ethics that were displayed in this case and the uncertainties regarding the health hazard prevented Beech-Nut from being a company with longevity. In conclusion, having strong ethics in business would be more conducive than detrimental to the company. Therefore, being ethical in business shows society that your company can be trusted and people would be more inclined to do business with your company. Discuss the problem of assigning monetary value to things. How could it be argued that it is? Appropriate to assign monetary value to things like friendship, love, and life?The problem of assigning monetary val ue to things derives from the cost-benefit analysis. The primary use for this method is to use monetary units to articulate the benefits as well as disadvantages of a project. The cost benefit analysis is typically used by economist to determine allocation of resources. The cost benefit analysis has been frowned upon on many different levels. This is because not all costs and benefits have an easily determined monetary value. This is the problem with assigning monetary value to things.This is because placing a dollar value on some goods reduces the perceived value. For example, there are plenty of diamonds that have a price value that exceeds that cost of a college education. Could it be a possibility that consumer’s value diamonds more than a college education? If so that would be preposterous. According to John R. Boatright, some goods that have been place with monetary value have been distorted by various factors, therefore, the price of these goods do not mirror their tru e value. Furthermore, assigning monetary value to things people deem impossible are not impossible.This is because we speak with our dollars. The experts in cost benefit analysis began to dodge the problems with assigning value to noneconomic goods by fostering a technique called shadow pricing. This technique showed experts that even though individuals felt it was inappropriate to come up with an arbitrary number to place value on noneconomic goods, they knew that people would pay for what they value. For example people pay for peace and quiet by means of vacations and suburban living, and people also require higher pay for more risky occupations.In reality, the problem with assigning monetary value to noneconomic goods has many complexities due individuality. Every individual believes and value things differently. It just so happen that some things we come together as a people and cohesively value things on the same level, and because of individuality some values standalone. In op position, it could be argued that it is appropriate to assign monetary value to things like friendship, love and life because some applications of cost benefit analysis require that a value be placed on things like a human life.This is so all of the variables can be in place when determining how much to spend on prenatal care to improve the rate of infant mortality, or reducing the amount of cancer causing emissions from factories to name a few. We even justify the appropriateness of assigning monetary value to love by adding prenuptials to our marital agreements. This exposes the expression that money is valued at a higher level than love. Moreover, friendship is also a noneconomic good that could have monetary value. If you had a friend that asked you for a dollar, more than likely you would allow your friend to have a dollar.However, if you friend asked for five hundred dollars, contingent upon your relationship with that friend five hundred dollars may supersede the way you valu e that friend. What is whistle-blowing? Why might it be considered ethically problematic? Why might it be considered morally justified? According to John Boatright the author of Ethics and the conduct of business six edition, whistle-blowing can be defined as the release of information by a member or former member of an organization that is evidence of illegal and /or immoral conduct in the organization or conduct in the organization that is not in the public interest.This is a very succinct point of view because there are multiple components of whistle-blowing. First, to understand clearly whistle-blowing can only be done by a member of the organization. That member is fully recognized as a whistle-blower once they have observed a crime, notifies the police, and then witnesses in court. In addition, whistle-blowing usually contains information that is nonpublic and the whistle-blower presumes that the nonpublic information that they have will captivate spectators. Furthermore, the evidence usually contains some form of misconduct and inappropriate behavior.Once the whistle-blower has the information, it must be released outside the proper channels of communication. For instance, most companies have a policy to inform upper management if u see suspicious activity to report to them and it will be confidential. Some companies have ombudsman for handling employee complaints. Recognize that whistle-blowing does not have to go public because there are internal whistle-blowers as well as external whistle-blowers. However, whether internal or external whistle-blowing it must be voluntary and it must be quality information that would evoke change.The purpose of whistle-blowing must be undertaken as a moral protest with a motive to correct something that is wrong and not to seek revenge or personal advancement. Whistle blowing could be considered ethically problematic because when you first approach the whistle-blowing concept it lucidly displays disloyalty. It illustr ates an employee employer relationship gone wrong. This would be comparable to a mother broadcasting negative information about a child of theirs. Employees are under obligation to not share information with individuals outside the company, unless protecting oneself or a third party person is involved.Also, whistle-blowing might be considered ethically problematic because as an employer when you extend someone the offer of working for and with your company, you expect them to always be in favor of the best of the company. Sometimes companies mess up and do not want every growing pain to be played out in the public. Whistle-blowing might be considered morally justified because people feel that the whistle-blower is holding the company to the standard that they bought into once they became a member of the organization. Whistle-blowers are also morally justified because they are ultimately protecting the public.They are shedding light on information that we as consumers would have neve r known that that behavior was be exhibited in that specific company. Whistle-blowing is also justifiable when the whistle-blower causing a disturbance that would save lives and protects humanity. Holistically, society will consider a whistle blower reasonable if the consumer felt they have been or would have been affected by the company’s unethical behavior. Is ethics relevant to the role as a manager? Discuss ethical management and the management of ethics. It is of high significance that people comprehend the importance of being ethical.Some argue that being ethical in business is no different than being ethical in private life. There has even be some rationality that all managers need just need to be ethical people and not have any specialized training skills or knowledge in the area of ethics. In my opinion, it is quite radical for people to assume that if you are typically an ethical person you would perform ethically in the role of management. Although we can be in agr eement that there is no separation between business ethics and personal ethics, we must realize that some business situations arise that are not easily addressed by ordinary ethical rules.Ethics is relevant to the role as a manager because sometimes management obligations conflict with personal morals or ethics. Case in point, a manager may be forced into the position of terminating an employee for the good of the company with no regard on the impact that will have on the employee lifestyle. A manager may also conclude that it morally wrong for terminating an employee for inadequate reasoning. However, if that termination is in the best interest of the company, then that termination needs to take place.This could go against personal ethical principles a person might obtain, but for the betterment of the company this is considered ethical behavior Furthermore, when a manager is committed to ethical behavior, they have a responsibility to different parties and must consider a wide ran ge of interest. For example, when a manager rejects the promotion of a friend who happens to be an employee or terminating n employee may be the proper channels to follow, however, all variables are to be considered. Moreover, it is reasonably difficult to understand a manager’s role and their relevance to ethics because we need specific management type.There are several different levels of management, top, middle and lower level management. However, top management are the managers that ethical behavior is expected from the most. This is because high level managers are expected to make ethical decisions about strategy and policies. Ethical management and the management of ethics have very distinctive differences. Ethical management is acting ethical as a manager by doing the right thing. Maintaining proper ethical behavior is conducive for individual success as well as corporate success.Because of ethical misconduct, it has ended promising careers and firms have been extremel y harmed furthermore destroyed by the behavior exhibited by a few individuals. There is an old saying that says â€Å"a few bad apples can spoil the bunch†, which can be translated into ethical management as a few bad mangers can destroy a company. These predicaments result from misconduct or even committing illegal activity. The management of ethics is acting effectively in situations that have an ethical aspect. These situations occur in both the internal and external environment of a business firm.Internally, organizations unite employees together through myriad rules, procedures, policies, and values that must be carefully managed. However, effective organizational functioning also depends on gaining the acceptance of the rules, policies, and other guides, and this acceptance requires a perception of fairness and commitment. In order to practice both ethical management and the management of ethics it is necessary for all managers to possess some specialized knowledge in r egards to ethics. Many ethical issues have a factual background that must be understood.In short, to make sound ethical decisions and to implement them in a corporate environment are skills that come with experience and training. Some managers make mistakes because they fail to see the ethical dimensions of a situation. Other managers are unable to give proper weight to competing ethical factors or to see other people’s perspectives. Thus a manager may settle a controversial question to his or her satisfaction, only to discover that others still disagree. Even the most ethical managers must rethink their own personal beliefs about how business should be conducted.

Buyer Behaviour and Integrated Marketing Communication-Starbucks goes Literature review

Buyer Behaviour and Integrated Marketing Communication-Starbucks goes to India - Literature review Example To go ahead with this task, a detailed customer profile is required depending on the targeted segments because in general, as a long term strategy, customers are segmented based on their demographics, marketing habits etc. India is the largest democracy and has the 'distinction' of having population levels second only to China. Present youth profile gives a clear impression that the youth of the day believes in hanging out with the friend circle after a day-long school/ college/ work. The burgeoning IT-enabled services sector, outsourcing, and the call center phenomenon is giving plenty of opportunities as well as a good amount of spare bucks to spend, to the youth of the day. Call centers have been one of the growth triggers as far as an increase in coffee consumption is concerned. Earlier a coffee house's customer was limited to individuals who worked daytime hours, but no more, now we have the nightlife as well in coffee houses, religiously followed by the neo-rich group of professionals who work a night-time shift. Need for a venue to socialize with others of their age who share their interests comes in handy for a coffee house. Â  Besides the youth, other working class and couples can also be a target market for Starbucks in India. There are competitors like Barista, Cafe Coffee, Cafe Mocha etc. And some of these brands do have a good international presence as well. Having well familiarized themselves with the Indian terrain and coffee habits, these brands will prove to be a force to reckon with. Moreover, at times, for a change, the customer in India relishes to enter a coffee house and look for beverages other than coffee and some other eatables. Therefore Starbucks needs to plan its strategy accordingly. Maybe it can think of having a tie-up with some other established brands like Pepsi, Coke etc. for the presence of their products within its premises. Company-operated retail stores accounted for approximately 84% of net revenues during fiscal 2004.

Identify and compare different business and management practices Essay

Identify and compare different business and management practices between US, European and Asian firms - Essay Example This essay is organized as follows. Section 2 gives an overall comparison of management and business practice performance of firms across various countries in terms of different dimensions. Section 3 identifies and compares the differences in management and business practice performance of US, European and Asian firms in terms of their organization structure. Section 4 identifies and compares the differences in management and business practice performance of US ,European and Asian firms in terms of their decision making process. Section 5 identifies and compares the differences in management and business practice performance of US, European and Asian firms in terms of their equity (ownership) structure. Section 6 concludes the essay. Bloom and Reenen(2010) measured the differences in the management and business practices across firms and countries and observed the following patterns. The firms with better performance were having better management practices. The study showed only very few badly managed firms in US while large number of Brazilin and Indian firms in that category. Different countries perform better in different dimensions of management like US firms performing better in incentive terms while Swedish firms perform well in monitoring terms as shown b y the study. The study showed multinationals being well managed in all country while the government firms badly managed than private equity firms or firms with publicly quoted share prices. In addition to these, the study showed firms with more human capital performing well than others. Moreover the family owned firms with the family member as CEO were seen to be managed badly in this study. Based on an interview with managers from different countries on 18 management practices scores were given from 1 to 5 for each firm in the study. The three dimensions of management practices were measured in this regard namely monitoring, incentives and targets for almost 6000

Pervasive Computing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Pervasive Computing Case Study - Essay Example Furthermore, it also allows telecommuters to combine their work from home with other forms of teleworking. It is the result of a better access to high speed internet connections, an improved ability to concentrate and a better balance between work and family according to The International Telework Association & Council (ITAC)3. As seen on the extract of Anne Fisher's article, there is a real debate on the advantages and drawbacks of teleworking. We will try to define these two sides of that type of work from two points of views: the teleworker himself and the managers of a teleworking team. In the first question of our essay we have seen some of the benefits of telecommuting. Teleworkers can define their own schedule which can include working before or after regular office hours, they achieve to balance their personal life with their work better than they used to and they show an increased concentration and therefore a higher productivity. The Midwest Institute for Telecommuting Education announces that home workers present an increase of 3 to 25% in productivity4. Nevertheless Paul Dickerson's story is a perfect example of the drawbacks of teleworking. As he was working from home, people started to believe that he was unemployed and avoided him. Even if the share of teleworkers in the total volume of workers is increasing, it has not completely reached a social recognition and people that are working from home could be considered as unemployed or lazy. However it appears, in Dickerson's case that he has now a different problem. As his friends are now aware of how he organizes a day of work, they believe that he has a lot of free time. Working from home requires an important organization. On one hand it is much more flexible and you can combine several activities at the same time, but on the other hand you have to show a strong discipline in order to accomplish your tasks and reach your objectives. The managers and the businesses can also face some difficulties when dealing with teleworking. Joseph Cothrel first describes us the lack of non-verbal communication in teleworking. He explains that when you receive an email from a teleworkers you don't have any tone of voice or meaningful pauses which according to him can convey crucial information. One of the main issues of teleworking is presented here. The communication can be difficult because you are not directly in contact with the worker. All the elements of body language are missing and ultimately this can delay the work. Instead of a direct explanation, you will need several emails to correctly define the work which has to be done and the managers will not have any awareness of the worker's feelings regarding their request. Christina Parr raises another danger. The in-office workers can wrongly consider the teleworkers, they may believe they are not working at all. We are again faced with the social notion of work which is attending work in an office from 9a.m. to 5p.m. However Parr and J. Scott Calhoun present their teleworkers as accountable and reachable and the speech that Calhoun gives to his in-office workers is more than

History of each instrument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of each instrument - Essay Example The standard flute had six holes and one key divided into three sections. This changed when Theobald Boehm changed the flute in the 1830’s. He developed a cylindrical flute with 15 tone holes, 23 keys, and levers. Keys were also arranged where almost all holes opened naturally. The Boehm Flute has remained unchanged and is used to this day. The oboe is also in the woodwind family. The first reed instrument was made by Egyptians. Initially barley straws pressed flat and then placed into a small pipe were the first oboes. Romans had instruments of similar make. By the 12th century, a short double-reed instrument made its appearance. The 14th century saw the instrument change. Finally in the 17th century the instrument was made into the modern oboe. The Hotteterre family made the first oboe with three sections and six keys and hole. This oboe was improved on with more key mechanisms, with the used of nine keys. Another woodwind is the clarinet. One of the first instruments resembling a clarinet was found in Greece, Persia, and India. It was a round pipe with one reed. The Celts made a clarinet out of animal bones with seven holes. These instruments evolved into the 16th century to instruments with eight finger holes/two keys called a chalumeau. John Christopher Denner changed upon the instrument in the late 17th century by adding a special key. More keys were added through the Boehm system of keys in the 19th century. This version is still used today. The Bassoon is in the woodwind family. The forerunner of the bassoon was created by B.C. Egyptians. Barley straws were pressed flat, and then placed in a small pipe. Later holes were added. The Romans had a similar instrument called a tibiae. The shawm was formed in 12th century Europe. This was a short double reed with a conical bore and a wide bell. This came from the East to Europe. The 16th century was when Alfranio Canon of Ferrara

JetBlue Using Porters Five Forces Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

JetBlue Using Porters Five Forces - Case Study Example As the paper highlights, unlike other industries, the airline industry is characterized by high start-up and high running costs, which acts as a barrier to entry. So much is the costs that airlines that make it in the industry either must have been started a bit earlier in order to make it up the competitor ladder in a gradual manner. In addition, so much is the cost that small airlines must be affiliated with large airlines in order to make it in the industry. In order to confirm that the threat of new entrants is minimal, a look at JetBlue shows that success within the industry was not obtained overnight. Instead, the company has gradually moved towards success. The case study also shows that some attempts by some airlines to make it in the same market with Jetblue were not simple. For example, US Airways was one of the five US Airlines that filed bankruptcy in 2006 owing to the drop in revenues and increased costs. The company does not have many suppliers. Only two of them are ide ntifiable. Essentially, this means that the supplier’s bargaining power is high as the company does not have many suppliers to choose from. Apart from airline suppliers, other suppliers include fuel suppliers and the current price of fuel in the industry is high. This again makes the bargaining power of suppliers to be high. Since the airline has prescheduled flights, fuel supply is quite important as it cannot afford to miss any airline. This still confirms that the suppliers’ bargaining power is high and any of their actions can lead to serious consequences on the industry’s part such as low efficiency, which is highly related to fuel supply and cost. Customers within the airline have several airline options to choose from.

Forensic Science in 21st Century Criminal Justice Paper Essay

Forensic Science in 21st Century Criminal Justice Paper - Essay Example ng proliferation and improvement of modern forensics, law enforcement has been given an exact science as a tool that can produce exact and positive results in the process of crime investigation. This paper will present a discussion of the importance of forensic science in the criminal justice system and how it plays a significant part in enforcing justice. The accuracy of the popular media representation of forensic science and its influence on the popular opinion on justice-related issues will also be tackled. In order to fully understand the importance of forensic science in the criminal justice system, it is best to first define what it is. Elizabeth Morgan (2007) defines forensics as â€Å"a field of science dedicated to the methodical gathering and analysis of evidence to establish facts that can be presented in a legal proceeding.† Since forensic science is a marriage between the scientific methods of data gathering and analysis and the legal system, there are numerous protocols that are involved, especially the chain of command of handling evidence, which makes sure that the evidence is not tampered with at any point in the process of the investigation (Morgan, 2007 and Wolfe, 2001). These protocols serve to safeguard the whole process at its various levels and to ensure that the evidence, as well as the testimony of the forensic scientist, will solidly hold against the accused during the trial due to its pristine and uncontaminated state (Wolfe, 2001). Where before, the poli ce and the prosecution rely on the statement of witnesses and the available evidence that can be seen only by the naked eye, today, forensic scientists are able to completely examine a crime scene with the use of advanced technology and their own expertise. Because forensics plays a crucial role in gathering evidence—in that the tools, equipment, and methods for analysis are based on an exact science that is ruled by strict protocols—and the evidence is key to the whole process of

He ability of private individuals to seek damages for breaches in the Essay

He ability of private individuals to seek damages for breaches in the EU competition law - Essay Example This essay discusses that since last twenty years, the enforcement of European competition law has major changes. Particularly the enactment of Regulation 1/2003 that brought a remarkable shift towards the decentralized enforcement of the competition rules and the opportunity for the national courts to rule on private antitrust cases.However, the position of private enforcement of European competition law is less clear than the status of the public enforcement within the European Competition Network that seems to become a significant achievement. According to a study on the condition of claims for damages in case of infringements of EC competition rules in August 2004 (which was prepared for the European Commission), it concluded â€Å"The picture that emerges from the present study on damages actions for breach of competition law in the enlarged EU is one of astonishing diversity and total underdevelopment".As a result of that comparative report, the European Commission was able to identify the obstacles to activate the private enforcement of competition law within the Member States and consider the means by which a more effective system of private antitrust enforcement could be facilitated and improved. The comparative analysis of the different legal systems in the EU has shown a huge disparity in the member states controlling of competition law claims. Procedural disparities between national legal systems in the EU are tending to encourage forum shopping in cross-border cases. Before bringing an action, claimants involved in cross-border activity can be expected to scrutinize the advantages and disadvantages of national jurisdictions before bringing an action for damages in one or several member states. Although the EU member states are obliged to give direct effect to EC law, the procedures they adopt for private enforcement cases are governed at a national level. Any changes to national law in one member state, such as those recently implemented in German y, do not affect other member states. This tension between national procedural law and EC law needs to be reconciled if a uniform effective system can be adopted throughout the EU4. In this essay, it will firstly identify the obstacles that make it so difficult for the private individuals to seek damages for breaches of EU competition law. Then, it will examine the most important development of private enforcement field in the UK, Germany and Italy, as these States considered to have attractive jurisdictions for private actions against infringements of EU competition law. The essay will conclude by illustrating the European Commission attempts to ensure that private enforcements in EU competition law are very effective and sufficient. European Commission achieved this goal by publishing the Green Paper in 2005 and followed by the White Paper in 2008. The remarkable Courage5 decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), gained increasing attention in which the private individuals have the right to sue for damages as a consequence of infringements of EC competition rules, (particularly damages suffered from breaches of Art 101 and Art 102 TFEU). One of the most important reasons of the long absence of the private antirust from the competition policy is the unique system of Europe. This means that the European Commission and European Courts have a slight influence on private antitrust litigations since they are very present in public competition law enforcement. Moreover, the European Courts are not competent to hear claims on private enforceme

Business and Financial Environment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business and Financial Environment 2 - Essay Example (Moles and Terry, 1997). A firm faces finances risk if there is a high probability that it might be unable to meet its fixed financial obligations or prior chares such as interest, principal repayments, lease payments, or preferred stock dividends. Financial risk is therefore risk arising from the use of debt finance, which requires periodic payments of interest and principal and may not be covered by the firm's operating cash flows. (Moles and Terry, 1997). The capital structure of a firm is made up of both debt and equity components. Although the use of debt in financing part of the firm's operations is advantageous to the firm, these advantages tend to disappear when too much debt is used. In effect when debt is used above the optimum level, the result is financial distress. (Ross et al, 1999). Ross et al (1999) asserts that debt puts pressure on the firm, since interest and principal repayments as well as short-term payables are financial obligations. In the event where these obligations are not met, the firm may risk some sort of financial distress. (Ross et al, 1999). Debt obligations are fundamentally different from stock obligations in that bondholders are legally entitled to interest and principal repayments more than stockholders are legally entitled to dividends. (Ross et al, 1999). ... (Ross et al, 1999). Although debt carries a tax advantage, the costs of financial distress tend to offset this advantage when debt is used above the optimal level. (Ross et al, 1999). The optimal level of debt can be referred to as the debt level that provides the maximum firm value. the value of the firm begins to disappear once this debt level is exceeded. (Ross et al, 1999). The firm should therefore adopt a debt-to-equity ratio that maximizes the value of the firm. (Ross et al, 1999). Question (ii) WCOA Ltd Ordinary Shareholders' Required Rate of Return. Under this section, the required rate of return is calculated under the assumption that the risk class of the new investment remains the same as the risk of the original investment. This calculation is done before and after the issue of the new debentures. Having said this we now calculate the required rate of return before the issue of the new debentures and we later calculate the return after the issue of the new debentures. a) Required Rate of Return for WCOA Ordinary Shareholders Before the issue of the New Debentures.1 Earnings from original investments 64.000 Earnings from new investment 8.000 Total Earnings before interest 72.000 Interest (8% of 320,000) 25.600 Earnings after interest 46.400 Number of shares outstanding 130.000 Earnings per share (EPS) 0,3569 Book Value 260.000 Book Value per share 2 Expected Return on ordinary equity shares (ROE) 17,85% b) Required Rate of Return for WCOA Ordinary Shareholders after the issue of the New Debentures.2 Earnings from original investments 64.000 Earnings from new investment 8.000 Total Earnings before interest 72.000 Interest (8% of 400,000)

Farm Bureau Federation Essay Example for Free

Farm Bureau Federation Essay The following year, the group put an end to its secrecy and opened it to all workers. The Knights of Labor advocated for several changes, some of which were earlier campaigned by NLU: creation of cooperatives, abolition of convict-labor competition, greenbacks, et al (Tindall and Shi, 19991, p. 914). However, the Knights of Labor was one step ahead of its time, accepting women and even black laborers. They also allowed membership to all workers, regardless of skills, which made the group extremely popular. While Stephens served as the fist leader, he gave way to Terence Powderly in 1879 (p. 542). He detested the use of strikes to fight for the labor and this led to some members backing out of the group. But the success of the Knights of Labor was still visible. In 1885, they led a victory against Jay Gould, a speculator. Gould had lessened the wages in his railroads. When the Knights of Labor intervened, Gould reinstated the wage cuts (p. 915). Victories such as these increased the popularity and membership of the knights of Labor. The group reached its peak in 1886 (p. 915). However, like all union groups at that time, the Knights of Labor fell down and ceased existence a few years later. Like NLU, the Knights of Labor attained marked achievements during its existence. For one, it was during its time when the Bureau of Labor Statistics was created (p. 916). Additionally, the Foran Act of 1885 was enacted, which castigated employers who would import contract labor (p. 916). Likewise, the Knights of Labor was responsible to instilling the value of unionism. The group fostered the sense of solidarity, uniting skilled and unskilled workers, regardless of sex, creed of color. At the same time of the Knights of Labor, another group had started to emerge. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was created in 1886 to unite national craft unions (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson and Williams, 1991, p. 543). Founded by Samuel Gompers, the group became the most important, emerging union by the 1890s. Gompers believed that majority of the workers would be workers all their lives, thus his goal was to uplift the lives of the workers. By the turn of the century, the group had around 500,000 members, surpassing the Knights of Labor (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 919). However, unlike the Knights of Labor, the AFL excluded unskilled workers, along with women, blacks and immigrants (Brinkley, 2003. P. 496). This led women to form their own groups, such as the Women’s Trade Union League (p. 496). The presence of different labor unions, ironically, hindered the progress of American labor. Racial and ethnic discrepancies made it impossible to unite laborers. Additionally, the surge of immigrants made it unfeasible to organize well especially since workers, even the natives, were prone to move around to look for higher-paying jobs. But one major force that kept American labor to rise was actually America itself. Corporate organizations wanted nothing more than to cream efforts of workers to seek higher wages, less working hours and safe working conditions. The government also was unable to help the laborers, perhaps for fear that that these corporate giants would pull out, thus affecting the national economy. Workers did not share in the profits raked in by these corporate giants during the industrial age. As America began to take shape as an urban nation,, the idea of socialism, which was then popular in Europe, had started to shore up. While socialism did not really fly high in the country, there were attempts to restore industrial unionism (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 924). The creation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) served as a stepping stone (p. 924). The IWW was rooted in â€Å"class struggle† and its existence was based on the idea that there should be â€Å"harmony† between the capitalist and the working class (p. 924). However, as will all groups, tensions among and between members were widespread. In the end, IWW went kaput during World War I. As the twentieth century was ushered in, American labor was still unrest. In 1902, the Farmers’ Union was founded, followed soon by the American Farm Bureau Federation (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 1214). Organized labor saw a few setbacks, especially with the occurrence of the Red Scare which gave a bad image to the unions. It also did that help that a world war broke, putting many people in a depression. Some people stood out during this time, such as Henry Ford who pioneered higher pay rates, shortened work weeks and started paid vacations (Brinkley, 2003, p. 651). Workers, for the first time in their lives, soon became eligible for pensions (p. 652). Welfare capitalism helped laborers gain economic benefits but still was not enough; there was still discrimination among blacks and other immigrants. In 1921, business groups in Chicago initiated the American plan, which gave the employee the right to hire anyone (p. 1215). It worked well in theory but in reality, it signaled discrimination against union members. Additionally, there was what they call â€Å"yellow-dog’ contracts which obliged workers not to enter any unions (p. 1215). Some employees even started churning schemes such as profit-sharing, pensions, helath-programs and other benefits to keep employees away from unions. Such propaganda eventually led to a decrease in union memberships. By 1935, Congress enacted the Wagner Act, which initiated collective bargaining agreement between employees and employers (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 684). Additionally, the government established the National Labor Relations Board which was tasked to investigate labor-related cases (p. 684). AFL, which had survived, was having problems. Some AFL members founded the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) and in 1955 the two groups were merged (p. 685). President Roosevelt’s New Deal Reform had included the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 which reduced working hours and secured sufficient payment standards (p. 688). As the years passed on, American labor had managed to survive and progress. A changing environment for workers had started to shape, with both the government and corporations starting to see the plight of the laborers. References Brinkley, A. (2003). American history a survey 11th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill. Divine, R. , Breen, T. H. , Fredrickson, G. , and Williams, R. H. (1991). America the people and the dream. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Jordan, W. and Litwack, L. (1991). The united states combined ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Tindall, G. and Shi, D. (1999). America: a narrative history vol. 2 USA: W. W. Norton and Company.

Organized Crime Essay Example for Free

Organized Crime Essay Ever since the time that human beings began living in any form of community setting, it is likely that organized crime, albeit in a primitive form, was born. Today, organized crime is quite different than the stereotyped mobster of the days of Al Capone. With this evolution in mind, this essay will answer various questions about the modern face of organized crime. Why Does Organized Crime Still Exist? Organized crime still exists today for a variety of reasons, especially when the development of the modern world is taken into account. First, on the most basic level, the classic organized crime organizations still serve a vital function in every corner of the world as a means of managing drug trafficking, illegal gambling, prostitution and many more typical vices that represent profitable opportunities for the criminal enterprise. The complex nature of the political, technological, and economic world in the 21st century also lends itself very well to the proliferation of organized crime. For instance, the many global terrorist groups that are active at the present time are very well run organized crime groups (Washington Times, 2003). Technology, and its link to international commerce has also fostered present day organized crime; in a far cry from the days of â€Å"Murder Incorporated†, organized criminals today often use the Internet and related devices to commit what is called transactional crime, such as bank fraud, embezzlement, stock market swindles, and more (Punch, 2005). What are the Roles of Various Law Enforcement Agencies in Fighting Organized Crime? Traditionally, the various law enforcement agencies served the purpose of protecting the common good and to promote common decency by eradicating the vice and corruption that organized crime fueled. In most cases of localized organized crime, local or state police agencies were able to keep organized crime in check; in the extreme cases when organized crime was international in nature, world police organizations such as Interpol and the FBI got involved. Presently, however, due to the globally terroristic nature of organized crime, which represents as much of a threat to global security as it does to the quality of everyday life, organized crime has been challenged by the armed forces of the nations of the world (Olson, 1995). In these circumstances, world leaders have formed crime fighting alliances to act as a global police force to bring international organized criminals to justice (Fighting Organized Crime, 2000). What are the Challenges with Undercover Investigations in Organized Crime and the Use of Informants to Prosecute Organized Crime Figures? Undercover investigation, due to its very nature, poses its own unique challenges; the need for the undercover officer to maintain his or her assumed identity, effectively infiltrate criminal groups, and bring criminals to justice is perilous to say the least. When undercover investigation is employed in organized crime, a whole new realm of challenge and danger surfaces. To begin with, organized crime groups are typically tightly knit, making the introduction of a new person, especially one whose whole life was created as a work of fiction highly difficult. Once â€Å"inside†, the undercover officer must also maintain the identity at the peril of the investigation at least and their life at worst. Use of informants to prosecute organized crime figures is highly challenging as well; the reliability of the informant, who is of course a criminal, can make or break the investigation. Moreover, keeping that informant in place without being revealed as an informant is daunting and also risks the investigation and the life of the informant. Conclusion Organized crime is alive and well in many forms, given the complex nature of the modern world. As time goes by, fighting organized crime will become increasingly difficult, and the stakes will get higher and higher. World leaders and law enforcement must work together to make a difference.

Case Study of Decision Making Planning, and General Organization

Case Study of Decision Making Planning, and General Organization Ryanair is one of the leading airline companies of Europe. This airline company is known for its low cost and high quality service. It operates more than 1,400 flights per day from 44 bases and 1100+ low fare routes across 27 countries, connecting 160 destinations (Ryanair-a, n.d.). This paper endeavours to analyse Ryanair, with special emphasis on situation analysis, decision making, planning and controlling process, leadership and organisational structure. This paper will conclude with some plausible recommendations on future growth and progress. Situational Analysis SWOT is a very helpful management tool for analysing the situation of a company. Ryanair was established in 1985, and despite its shortcomings it established a strong position in the market. Strengths Ryanair has developed a strong brand name in airline industry as a low cost service provider. Ryanair has been in the airline company since the last 25 years and has gained sufficient experience in it. Ryanair has developed its internet facilities and has made it an important selling point. This helps the company to eliminate the costs of agents. Ryanairs fleet includes aircrafts with high sitting capacity and low maintenance cost. Ryanairs services performance is of high standard with punctual fleet timing. Weakness To save cost, Ryanair charges its passengers for services like refreshments, wheelchair etc. It creates very impression among passengers about the company. It is not a preferred airline with the high class passengers. Opportunities The European Union market is expanding with time and most of the passengers prefer low fare for their air travel. Regions like North America and Asia have greater scope for low cost provider like Ryanair. Threats The existing airline companies are following strategies that lower the cost and hence competition within the industry is increasing with time. The oil market is a major supplier to airline business. In recent years, price of oil has increased significantly. The customers are becoming very price and service sensitive. Porters 5 Forces The bargaining power of suppliers is very high as the number of aircraft manufacturer and oil suppliers are very less in the market. Availability of proper airports is also very important for this industry. However, airports bargaining power is quite low as they depend on aircraft companies. The bargaining power of customers is very high as they have many airline service providers to choose from. The barrier entry of airline industry is quite high as it requires heavy investments and technical expertise. Airline is the fastest mode of transportation for overseas and long distance travel. No other substitute can match the service of airline industry. Competition among existing rival is the most import factor in this industry. The rivals are competing with each other for increasing their market share. In European Union, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Easy jet etc are leading airline companies. 3. Decision Making 3.1. Decision Making Process in Ryanair Ryanair provides low cost and high quality airline services to its customers. It places customer satisfaction above all other priorities. The decision making process is primarily centred on concerns regarding ways to provide higher customer services. Fleet planning, airline fare, fleet scheduling etc are some of the chief aspects of Ryanairs effective decision making process. 3.2. Decision Making Approach Decision making approach can be defined as strategic approached of an organisation. Ryanairs management team aims to follow rational decision making approach. The rational decision making approach is an ongoing and dynamic process. This approach helps to identify the underlying problems and to find relevant solutions (Kroon, 1995 p.187). For example, in 2004, when the company was passing through a financial crisis, rational decision making approach not only helped it to overcome it but also paved the path of growth. 3.3. Types of Problems and Decisions Making In Ryanair In 2004, Ryanair was one of the worst performers in FTSE Eurotop 300 index. During that period, competition in airline industry was very high in the European nations as many new companies entered the market. Despite the stiff competition, the company enjoyed a healthy growth rate till 2003. But the managements inability to understand and rectify the inherent weakness of its decision making process stunted its growth. 3.4. Decision-Making Conditions in Ryanair While framing the strategic move for any decision making process; Ryanairs first priority will be to analyse the elements of external competition. The European airline industry is crowded with many leading companies like Lufthansa, Virgin, Aer Lingus, and British Airway etc. Consumers needs are also very important for Ryanairs decision-making. Prior to 2003, the companys concern for customer service was very low, except the low fare advantages. 3.5. Decision-Making Styles The decision making style of Ryanairs management team seems to be affected by different factors. However, the decision making methods are quite flexible. After analysing its rapid growth during 2002-2003, it can be claimed that it focuses on short term objective rather than long term goals. Creativity is another major feature of its decision making style. 3.6. Decision- Making Biases and Errors Ryanairs temporary fall during 2004 brought into fore many drawbacks of its decision making process. Robbins has identified some unexplained prejudices and errors of decision making like biases relating to overconfidence, anchoring, confirmation, availability, escalation of commitment etc (Robbins, 2009, p.126). Ryanairs decision was affected by two major biases i.e. anchoring biases and status quo biasness. Its decision making was based on the past success that failed to take in to account unfavourable macro-economic conditions resulting from 9/11 attack on WTC. 4. Planning 4.1Vision and Mission Statement Vision and mission statements help an organisation to prepare a roadmap for its operational activities. Ryanairs official website does not have the vision and mission statement of the company. However, the public statements of Michael OLeary and other higher executive member of Ryanair indicate that it aims to achieve growth and success by being the lowest cost provider in airline industry (Box and Kent, 2007). 4.2. Purposes of Planning In general, the purpose of planning is to bring effectiveness and efficiency in the operational activities of a business. The implied mission and vision of Ryanairs clearly states its purposes of planning. To counter the increasing competition, the company has decided to follow low cost strategy. Hence, its planning is designed after taking into consideration this objective. 4.3 Planning And Performances in Ryanair According to Riezebos, planning is a very crucial element of operational activity that affects the performance level (Riezebos, 2001, p.12). Planning is one of the major tools of motivating participants to achieve the common organisational goal. Due to rational decision making approach, the company is able to plan its operational and strategic activities properly. Ryanair is able to achieve its target with the help of an efficient planning process. 4.4 Types of Goals in Ryanair The primary goal of Ryanair is to become the lowest cost airline service provider in Europe. The idea of offering low fare proved successful for the company. However, initially it failed to understand the necessity of good service for customer. Currently, the company is committed to provide lower fare, high quality service and punctual air schedule (Ryanair-b, n.d.). 4.5 Types of Plans in Ryanair Ryanairs decision making process follows rational approach and it also follows rational model for its planning process. Basically, planning can be divided as short term goal and long term goal. The companys management team was concerned only with the short term goal. The company often changes its plan as per the requirements of the market. In 2002, the companys plan was to provide low cost fare and after 2004, its planning process also took note of service quality. 4.6 Contingency Factors in Planning Ryanair faces three major contingency factors. Firstly, the organisational level affects the operational planning of middle and low level managers. Secondly, the uncertainty of macro-environmental or other external factors affects the planning process. Therefore, Ryanair aims to develop a flexible planning system. Thirdly, the long and short term objectives of Ryanair affect its planning process. The company always tries to concentrate on its current objective. 4.7 Objectives The primary objective of Ryanair is to attain cost leadership in European airline market. However, to achieve this objective, the company needs to concentrate on other long term goal. These include increasing its operational activities to enter new markets like North America, developing customer centred business model and increasing the use of internet as a major selling point (OCuilleanain et al, 2004). 4.8 Management by Objectives (MBO) Management by objective (MBO) approach of management leads to increase in the performance of organisation. MBO is a result-oriented, non-specialized managerial process for the effective utilization of organisational resources by integrating individuals with the organisation and the organisation with the environment (Goyal, 2005, p.304). During 2004, in order to overcome its crisis situation, the company introduced MBO approach to improve its performance. 4.9 Strategic Management Process Ryanairs strategic management process is based on its objective of achieving cost leadership in European airline industry. The company has improved its positioning by implementing proper strategic management process. The key elements of its strategic management include low fares, high frequency of point-to-point flight within short routes, proper route choice, reduction in operating cost, increase the internet use for selling, maintenance of safely and high quality service etc (OCuilleanain et al, 2004) 5. Organising 5.1 Organisation Structure and Design: Proper organisational structure and design helps to develop efficient management performance. There are four elements of organisation structure and these are departmentalisation, span of control, centralization and formalization. Appendix 1 depicts the organisation structure of Ryanair. Michael OLeary is the CEO of the company and there are seven Directors and a Chairman. For each department like customer services, finance, HR etc, there are individual head management personnel having a team. 5.2 Chain of Command The Chain of command in Ryanair is based on its organisational structure. The appendix 1 portrays that the CEO is the chief person of command of the organisation. However, the decision making process in Ryanair includes all the senior managers of each department. To maintain high level of transparency and to develop two-way communication system in cross functional departments, the chain of command is very essential. 5.3 Span of Control The span of control in Ryanair is effective and helps to maintain a sound organisational growth. The span of control of the CEO Michael OLeary is the highest and most effective. As per appendix 1, the entire department is required to report on the ongoing activities to the CEO. The CEO along with the Directors and Chairman is responsible for making the final decisions of the organisation. However, for better planning and implementation, the employees should be involved in the decision making process. 5.4 Centralization and Decentralization The decision of centralization or decentralization depends on the nature and expansion of business. Ryanair is a multinational company having different units in European countries and North America. For the airline industry, decentralization is more preferred over centralization. However, Ryanair follows a centralized organisational model. Decentralization of organisation will help it to compete with the major competitors of different markets. 5.5 Mechanistic and Organic organization The mechanistic organisations are those having a well defined hierarchy. Ryanair has a centralized organisational structure and it is an example of mechanistic organisation. Appendix 2 shows the major difference between the mechanistic and organic organisation. The company has been very strict in maintaining its relationship with the employees. However, such organisational structure of Ryanair creates biases and errors in decision making process. 5.6 Contingency Factors There are many factors that affect the organisational structure of a company. The industry trend, the growth structure, the social and demographic characteristics of employee customers and vision and mission of the company etc are the major contingency factors that help in designing the organisational structure. The leadership quality of the higher management also affects the organisational structure. The organisational structure of Ryanair is also affected by external competition and its leadership style. 5.7 Job Characteristics Model One of the primary objectives of Ryanair is to provide high customer services and in this respect the employees are the most important resource. In order to enrich the quality of job, the company motivates its employees to achieve the common organisational goal i.e. growth. The company aim to offer competitive salaries with excellent benefits that are simple and easy to understand (Ryanair-c, n.d.). 6. Leadership The leadership style is an important influencing factor organisational growth and success. The major leadership skills of Ryanairs management focus on the low cost fare for airline. The fleet of Ryanair includes single-class aircraft that increases the seating capacity. However, the leadership skills of Ryanair have led to its success of 2002-2003 and failure of 2004. The leadership in Ryanair strives to focus on position, seniority and authority. Control 7.1 Control Process The control process is the key element for Ryanair as it wants to achieve the lowest cost leadership. In order to facilitate effective and efficient control system, employees must be properly organized. Ryanair has developed proper system for regulating the control process by managing its employees. 7.2 Types of Control Ryanair strategic moves and policies control various aspect of the organisation. Firstly, cost controlling activity is the major criteria for low cost fare airline and it includes labour cost, marketing cost, airport charges. It also reduces the service cost by controlling many activities. For example, in 2003, it did not offer meals of refreshments to passengers who faced delays (O Higgins, 2004,). 7.3 Managerial Approaches to Implement Controls Ryanairs management team approach for implementation of control, strives to bring down the financial expenses. However, proper organisation culture and operational activities are also very important to improve its service qualities. Fleet control and market control are necessary for achieving the competitive strategy. The market control managerial approach of Ryanair involves the comparison of profit and expenses with that of its competitors. 7.4 Management Information System For establishing better management system, Ryanair has brought technological advancement in its organisations non-operational activities. For example, it has developed its website for using it as a major selling point. The increasing use of internet has made the managerial activity more efficient. At present, the company is aiming to achieve 100% internet ticket booking. Contingency Factors in Control Like the decision making process, controlling activity of an organisation is affected by uncertainty of macro-economic factors and the cultural and social characteristics of employees. In the airline industry, the major contingency factor is the competition and conflicts related to organisational objectives. Ryanairs management aims to avoid these contingencies factors related to employees by rewarding them for their efforts. 7.6 Corporate Governance Ryanair is listed on London and Irish Stock Exchanges in Europe. The company is responsible for following proper business ethics and compliance as per the corporate governance. The entire management teams including the Directors and CEO are committed to maintain the standard corporate governance. Its business policy clearly defines the role of Directors and other members in meeting its corporate responsibility. Balanced Scorecard Balanced score card is the most popular management tool used by organisations. Ryanairs strategic management system can be explained with balanced score card. To bring efficiency in its operational activities, Ryanair concentrates of four major areas i.e. finance, customer, business process and learning and growth. 8.1 Benchmarking To achieve the objective of becoming the lowest cost provider in the European airline industry, Ryanair has set its benchmark for cost controlling activities. At present, it is the lowest cost provider in the industry and hence, it has developed its own benchmark. For example, in 2003, the company reduced its cost for wheelchairs services by bringing a third party wheelchair suppliers who charged passengers for supplying wheelchairs. 8.2 Value Chain The value chain of the company strives to provide the lowest fare possible. Appendix 4 portrays the value chain which includes other important aspects of the airline industry. To develop a cost effective operational process, the company has combined its balanced score card, benchmarking and value chain. RECOMMENDATIONS To ensure success, Ryanair must bring some changes in its management and business model. Some of the useful recommendations are given below. It must focus on its services to meet the passengers minimum expectation. The company should include the employees in the decision making process. As many other rivals are also following low cost strategy, Ryanair can bring certain innovations in its service process. Internal communication should be encouraged for better transparency and motivation. It should develop its public image by increasing corporate social activities. For maintaining low cost fare, it should emphasise on the financial aspects. 10. Reference Box, T. M. and Kent, B. 2007. Ryanair (2005): Successful Low Cost Leadership. [Online]. Available at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5452/is_200705/ai_n21289700/pg_2/. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Goyal, R. C. 2005. Hospital Administration and Human Resource Management. 4th Edition. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Hellriegel, D. and Slocum, J. W. 2007. Organizational behaviour. 11th Edition. Cengage Learning. Kroon, J. 1995. General Management. 2nd Edition. Pearson South Africa. OCuilleanain, E. S. et al, 2004. Ryanair Plc. [Pdf]. Available at: http://dev.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/PDF/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. O Higgins, E, 2004, Case Study Ryanair. Riezebos, 2001. Design of a period batch control planning system for cellular manufacturing. University of Groningen. Robbins, S. P. 2009. Organisational behaviour: global and Southern African perspectives. 2nd Edition. Pearson South Africa. Ryanair-a. No Date. About Us: History of Ryanair. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ryanair.com/en/about. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Ryanair-b. No date. About Us: Passenger Charter. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ryanair.com/en/about/passenger-charter. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Ryanair-c. No date. Careers. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ryanair.com/en/careers/working-for-ryanair. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. The Official Board. September 15, 2010. Ryanair. [Online]. Available at: http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/ryanair-holdings. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. The Performance Institute. 2009. Balanced Scorecard. [Online]. Available at: http://www.performanceweb.org/events/training/program-performance/sub7/. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Jack Baskin School of Engineering. No date. Airline Industry Analysis. [Ppt]. Available at: http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/classes/ism158/Winter03/istcch04.ppt. [Accessed on November 03, 2010].

fiv feline aids :: essays research papers fc

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is one of the top five killers of domestic cats in the U.S. In fact 3% of healthy cats were reported to have contracted the disease in the year 1999. FIV is a fatal disease and interestingly enough most FIV cats don’t die of the disease it self by by other infections caused by their lowed immune system. FIV causes a deficiency in the immune system and makes cats very susceptible to a huge variety of medical problems basically because they have no fighting power. Case Report: Signalment- â€Å" Bella† Smith; 4 year old S/F DMH Chief Complaint- not eating, diarrhea, sudden unfriendliness History- Owner says Bella has been acting unfriendly for about two weeks (e.g. wont let owner pet or hold her anymore, also she hides under the bed constantly) owner also says Bella’s appetite has gone very low, she used to feed her one cup of dry every morning and one half a can of wet food at night and now she wont eat ‘hardly any of either’. Owner has seen diarrhea in litter box for 3 days. Bella had her kitten shots and boosters but no Hx of fiv/felv testing, deforming, fecal or blood analysis. S.O.A.P: S†¦ qar; mm=pink; poor coat w/ matted sections O†¦t=103.6, p=44, r=48, CRT=> 4 sec., *** FIV/FeLV test positive (+) for FIV. A†¦ Bella is FIV+ P†¦* FIV tested +; *hospitalization for observation; *200 ml Normasol fluids SQ then *iv fluids @150ml/hr, 3 ml vit B complex added; urinalysis to be performed in a.m. after completion of fluid therapy. â€Å"Feline Retro Virus Testing and Management† Compendium magazine July 2001   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article explains how to test for and care for FIV. The only way to prevent your cat from contracting FIV is by preventing contact with FIV infected cats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   FIV testing is the best thing to do whenever your cat gets sick, no matter if they have tested negative for the disease before. Cats of all ages should be tested because it is so hard to know if your cat has come in contact with infected cats. â€Å"Infected cats may remain symptomatic for years during which time they may serve as unapparent sources of infection to other cats in the household†(Mary Tompkins, DVM, PhD). Basically if you have a cat, or cats, and u want to get another it is in the best interests of you and each one of the cats to be tested for FIV to ensure their heath and safety.

Sports Narrative - Track State Champion :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Track State Champion With shaky knees, I hesitantly made my way up the large white steps. With the back of my hand, I brushed away a few salty tears of relief. As I stood at the top of the podium and looked up into the packed stadium, my mind drifted back to everything I had gone through to achieve this moment, the day I became a state champion. The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It wa s visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday. As the season progressed, competition started getting fiercer. I was up against girls running at a 5A level, yet, I was able to hold my own. Finally there came a tiny light at the end of the tunnel; it seemed as though I was getting closer and closer to accomplishing my goal. Along with my undefeated title came a huge target painted on my back. I religiously checked "Rocky Preps" every day to see if the competition was gaining on me. It seemed that every time I had improved, there was someone right behind me, running their personal best too. I trained during the weeks before regionals like I had never trained before. Each day my stomach became more twisted with knots that looped around every part of my stomach. I don't think I had ever been that nervous in my whole life.

What the High School Educator Must Know :: Discourse Community Education Essays

What the High School Educator Must Know Consider all that a high school educator must know (or at least attempt to know). The truly good ones--the ones who motivate us, instill a love for learning, and ultimately change our lives for the better--know a great deal (salaries and public perception notwithstanding). They know their subject matter, they know and understand human motivation, they are aware of the power of interpersonal relations and how to use that knowledge to gain the most benefit from the least potential, they understand the po wer of their own rhetoric (even if they don't consider rhetorical studies an important aspect of their academic lives), and most importantly, they know how to share this knowledge with others. High school educators today (the good ones) are mentors, frie nds, counselors, coaches, researchers, sources, role models, disciplinarians, crisis managers, and on and on. With all that our really good high school educators know and do, it might seem absurd for me (a high school educator) to sugg est that we need to dig in and truly understand yet another aspect of our students' lives, and yes, even our own. But I am suggesting just that. If we don't understand the powerful impact discourse communities have on what we do, how we do it, and what we're trying to ach ieve, we are shortchanging ourselves, and more importantly, we are shortchanging our students. Just what is a discourse community though? And why are so many in the field of rhetoric bandying about this term? This "social framework regulating textual production" (Porter 38) goes by many names: it's what Stanley Fish calls "the interpretive co mmunity," what Michel Foucault calls "the discursive formation," and what Patricia Bizzell calls "the discourse community" (38). James Porter of Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, however, seems to have generated the clearest definition of a discourse community. A "discourse community" is a group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated...[The community] shares assumptions about what objects are appropriate for examination and discussion, what operating functions are performed on those objects, what constitutes "evidence" and "validity," and what formal conventions are followed. (38-39) It is important to remember that we all are part of various discourse communities throughout our lives (each of which dictates the conventions we follow, the language we use, and the credence we give to what we hear or read).

Legal Drinking Age English Essay Rough Draft

Alcohol is used for many reasons among people. Teenagers and underage drinkers are known to drink for the following; rebellion, peer pressure, celebration, insomnia, anxiety, sadness, and boredom are just a few. Currently, the legal drinking age is 21. I’m not sure what the reasoning is behind this law, but if drinking is lowered to 18, I’m positive the underage drinking percentage would decrease drastically. Freedom. That’s what America is known for; Land of the free. When you turn 18, your legally considered an adult.You can buy cigarettes, you can vote, you can get married, buy pornography, have babies, and join, fight, and die for your country. So if your considered mature enough to have all of these responsibilities, shouldn’t you be able to consume alcohol too? The legal drinking age has been set at 21. The government set the legal drinking age to 21 to prevent drunk driving and other problems they blame on irresponsible drinking. The government shou ldn’t decide when someone is responsible to drink because even many â€Å"adults† aren’t responsible enough to know their limits.Drunk driving classes and alcohol consumption classes should be taught in schools so kids have an understanding on what alcohol can lead to and how to drink responsibly. Turning 21 doesn’t make you any more responsible or knowledgeable about alcohol than at age 18. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would help because there would be less underage drinkers and less of a need to feel mature and accepted by teens. A study shows that 87% of high school seniors have consumed alcohol. This means that from the ages 17-19 people are already drinking.Seniors in high school and other underage drinkers consume alcohol for many reasons. Rebellion, celebration, peer pressure, insomnia, anxiety and boredom are just a few reasons, however, the biggest reason is rebellion. Teenagers don’t feel like they are being treated fairly by the gover nment because they are considered adults and they are being denied the right to drink, so they rebel. Not only do they rebel to make a point but they are rebelling because of the excitement they get when they know they are breaking the law and also because drinking is a symbol of â€Å"adulthood†. A study conducted by Dr.Ruth Engs shows that drinking is more exciting when its illegal and that we as Americans should be more focused on safe drinking instead of age restrictions. If the drinking age was to be lowered to 18, the temptation to drink would decrease because it would be accepted and people would no longer get that excitement and thrill from breaking the law. The U. S. government is concerned about the number of drunk drivers and irresponsible drinking so they made the legal drinking age higher. If you look at Britain, they don’t have a drinking age and France has a minimum drinking age of 8; neither of which having a problem with drunk driving.On the other hand , America has a minimum drinking age of 21 and our problem with drunk driving is considered to be the worst in the industrialized world. We can see that the 21 minimum drinking age is having a negative effect on the U. S. , yet we keep it the same and expect different results. Lowering the drinking age to 18 will make it so there are less irresponsible drinking and underage drinkers. 18-year-olds will have a feeling of adulthood and they will feel accepted. I think drinking will become more casual and social more than it is now and people will have less temptation to drink heavily and irresponsibly.

Break-Even Point of Industry Essay

1. Airbus Interests & Objectives premier(prenominal)ly of all, the big and cost-efficient A3XX would be normal with signifi stick outt growth in the striving transportation industry. Worldwide passenger profession would well-nigh triple in tidy sum by 2019, with fuel price wage increase in the future. Creating large and cost-efficient aircrafts, sooner than increasing frequencies and building young routes, would be the long-term solutions to the problem of growing guide. Therefore, this reckon go away be strategically signifi potbellyt. Secondly, Airbus wants to sack mart shares in the VLA mart and flare up up the monopoly of the 747, merely it didnt adjudge a product to compete with Boeings 747. Compared to the 747, the A3XX provides more advantageous features which would attract passengers particularly on the longer routes, such as more space per seat, four-engine plane, etc. The combine of increased depicted object and reduced cost would provide superior economic s. Airbus felt convinced(p) that capacity increases would eventually prevail. As we declared above, Airbuss objectives are to fag out up the monopoly of the 747, to increase its market share in the VLA market, to gain enormous financial triumph and to be an industry leader.2. Break-Even Point & food market DemandProduction impart be able to reach full capacity from 2008, with order and depicty assumed on a stable level. During this period, the capital cost will be offset by depreciation in calculation of separated cash flow, and R&D will be included in the operating(a) gross profit. The company, as assumed, will elevate and deliver 22 aircrafts for the airlines which sacrifice ordered, with 6 in 2006 and 16 in 2007. Since $700 million would subscribe already been spent before the decision, this aggregate of investment should be treated as sunk cost, thitherfore irrelevant to the NPV analysis. To break even, with assumed operating margin of 18%, Airbus should produce and sell about 40 VLAs every year since 2008, or 495 in sum fit before 2019. Taking the estimated margin from Lehman Brothers and CS First Boston into consideration, total orders needed for break-even can range from 306 to 509 in 20 years.From the view of Airbus, the market demand for VLA, 1550 in years, is large enough to operate this project. And it is pretty safe to tack together the maturation since, even with lowest estimated margin, 38% of total market share will batten down a break-even. However, Boeing gives a totally polar perspective and a much bring low forecast on potential market demand. Under this estimation, A3XX schooling will have little chance to give way a profit. Airbus should take at least half a market on VLA to hasten that project fruitful.3. Boeings Response base on the analysis before, the VLA market is so promising that Airbus is very likely to launch the A3XX. Facing with this threat, the most important sustain for Boeing is to prevent Airbus fro m dominating the VLA market. Therefore, Boeing can rap the price of existing 747 product lines and produce 747 subvert as response to Airbus. Producing 747 stretch which may contain 550+ passengers wont be too costly for Boeing since is a modification over the current model, and that can powerfully compete with A3XX in the VLA market. out front the stretch version is market available, Boeing can offer a price carving of the existing 747 which can non notwithstanding divert sales away from A3XX, but also make A3XX project less(prenominal) attractive. Other alternatives might not fit. Firstly, competitiveness the A3XX on legal grounds (improper subsidies) will probably induce the revenge strike up from Airbus, making Boeing itself to pay a large penalty. Secondly, to develop its own super big jet is costly and maybe not profitable. Whats worse, in 1997 Boeing faced the first loss in more than 50 years, its better for Boeing to have a prudent stable strategy than an scrappy in vesting.4. The Threshold To LaunchWe think Airbus should draw out to build A3XX. The Annual Sales and Orders as of 1999 show that Airbus currently faces a wrong in competition with Boeing on almost every size of passenger aircraft. worsened is that, while Boeing pockets the market for VLA, Airbus even has no product to compete. Breaking the monopoly on this market becomes critical for Airbus, which is aiming to lead the industry. Strategic entailment of A3XX makes this project worth an effort. Compared with the situation when Boeing launched its 747 development with 25 initial orders, the current 22 orders, with other 34 probable, is not a negative sign to commit the project. However, there would also be great hazard in the new aircraft development. The possible unworthy market demand will make the project unprofitable. More important is that new A3XX should be sold quickly in early years to exploit encyclopaedism curve effect on manufactory and seize market before Boeing rea cts.