Motivation vs Psychological Contract

During the history people’s expectations and needs have been changing. They depends inter alia on actual situation on the market and current necessities of life. The economy climate is also important in creating people’s performance. People will make a good performance at work when their situation is certain. Poor performance will be made when situation is unstable. One of the key issues connected with the employee performance is motivation. Without well-motivated employees enterprise cannot exist on the market for a long time. Employees are very important part of the company, because thanks to them it can perform properly and fulfill its goals and assumptions. Unmotivated employees will not make their job with proper involvement and commitment, so their performance will be contrary to expectations of an employer. One of the biggest challenge for an employer is to motivate its employees to perform on the required level. Nowadays, it is not easy thing to do. Different types of employees have different expectations and things which motivate them. Different authors created motivation theories, but most of them was created in the last century. Great influence over people has also a psychological contract between them and their organization. Motivation theories and the psychological contract are the most powerful tools to motivate people, when they are used in the right context. Person is motivated when he knows what he wants to do to achieve specific goal. Motivation covers all factors which makes person to act from positive, like money, to negative, like fear of defeat. Motivation factors are different for each individual person. They are changing because of age, sex, position in society, education, level of skills, knowledge and circumstances. Also support from the managers and leaders has a significant meaning. Unmotivated manager cannot lead people to good performance. Organizational background and surrounding environment should be motivating. When managers knows employee’s needs, demands and expectations they are able to treat one as an individual and have specific approach depending on person’s character and attitude. Managers cannot forget about person’s development and setting realistic and challenging targets. Important in keeping positive motivation is also reward for a good job performance. People like to be awarded and that keeps them self-motivated on a high level (Adair 2006). â€Å"Motivation is an important part both in an individual’s and in a company’s performance. Even very well trained and very able employee will not perform well unless motivated. Higher motivation does not always result in a direct increase in productivity, because, in many jobs, productivity is limited by other people or by the pace of machine†(Robertson 1992:137). The motivation theories fall into two groups content and process theories. â€Å"First of them explain why people behave in a particular way in terms of those individuals’ pursuits of need fulfillment. Content theories attempt to determine the specific needs that motivate individuals†(Gallagher 1997). A group of the content theories includes theories of McGregor, Herzberg and McClelland. Process theories are those of, for example, Vroom’s, Adams’, Hackman’s and Oldham’s. Theory X and Theory Y created by McGregor assumed there are two kinds of people. In Theory X people are lazy, unambitious and want to avoid responsibility. Employees are against the system and represent defensive attitude. Very high level of supervising is required otherwise people will perform very poor. Theory Y says that work is in a human nature and it is able to provide enjoyment and self-fulfillment. Managers have just to make a positive climate for personal development and minimize supervision. Thanks to this people will feel self-reliance, confident and self-actualized (Tyson 1993:11). Herzberg was researching factors which have influence over people’s feelings about work. Those factors brings out satisfaction or dissatisfaction: achievement, recognition from others, the work itself, responsibility, opportunities for advancement, company policy and administration, supervision, salary, interpersonal relations, working conditions. He recognized two groups of factors satisfying needs. First one are external (hygiene) factors that cause unhappiness and dissatisfaction. They have to be present to avoid dissatisfaction, but by themselves they do not provide satisfaction. Managers need to provide intrinsic factors to keep employees happy with their job. He claimed that employee abilities should be fully used otherwise he will not be well motivated (Thomson 2003). „How Herzberg theory applies to XXXX employees. Management at XXXX understands that hygiene factors can potentially cause dissatisfaction among their employees, which in turn can lead to the loss of productivity and profitability. Therefore, they gave their employees Herzberg's theory assessment. With these results, the company is able to provide competitive pay and bonuses that can motivate employees to work harder XXXX believes that rewarding hard working employees satisfies the motivating factor of job security. The company confirms this with pay incentives. Moreover, Management realizes that work conditions could play an integral part of their business success, not only for their employees, but for their customers as well. In addition to the brand new facilities, they also use state of the art cleaning materials that clean and make any surface resistant to dirt and decay. It is the goal of XXXX to maintain job satisfaction from all of its employees by increasing motivators and decreasing hygiene factors by constantly evaluating themselves through their employees† (Hunter 2007). McClelland’s research has identified three basic categories motivating needs, power, affiliation and achievement, into which people could be grouped, according to which need appears to be the main motivator in their lives. Those most interested in positions seek position of control and influence; those from whom affiliation is most important seek pleasant relationships and enjoy helping others; achieveme nt seekers want success, fear failure, are task-oriented and self-reliant. The implications of the theory in practice are that managers can identify employees who are self-motivated, those who rely more on internal incentives and those who could increase their achievement drive through training† (Tyson 1993:10). Vroom’s theory has three basics elements: expectancy, instrumentality and valence. Expectancy is belief that if a person make an effort to achieve goals he will be seen and appreciated. Instrumentality is conviction that when employee do what should be done with proper accuracy he will be rewarded by salary increase, promotion or other form of appreciation. Valence is the value added by individual to the outcome. Employee will be poorly motivated if his reward has little valence for him (Kermally 2005:53). Adams argued that people want to receive relative returns for the effort they have put into work. Equity theory is based on the individual’s perception of fear treatment. â€Å"This theory bases explanations of behaviour on perceptions of social comparisons. Theory argues that the more intense the perceived inequity, the higher the tension and the stronger the motivation to act†(Buchanan 2004:251). Hackman and Oldham theory of job satisfaction presumes that three main rules decide about work. In the first of them person must perceive work as reasonable, rational. Second one says that person should take the responsibility for own work results. In the last one person should have chance to meet own work results. In their opinion each job should take into consideration above rules. Moreover, if those rules are included the higher probability of motivation occurs more by the job content than by some external factors. In planning the job complexity and level of difficulty should be taken into account (Miner 2006). In every day live people meet with contracts of a different type, for example contract of employment, bank contract etc. Contract is an agreement between two or more participants, which contains some settlements between them. In companies, apart form the contract of employment also can be found an unwritten psychological contract, which is very important to keep a good relationships between the employer and the employees. Psychological contract is necessary to keep long term agreement. It contains mutual expectations and obligations. Fundamentally, the psychological contract expresses the combination of beliefs held by an individual and his or her employer about what they expect of one another. It can be described as the set of reciprocal but unarticulated expectations that exist between individual employees and their employers. As defined by Schein (1965): The notion of a psychological contract implies that there is an unwritten set of expectations operating at all times between eve ry member of an organization and the various managers and others in that organizationâ€Å" (Armstrong 2006:225). The meaning of mutual expectations is also underlined by other researchers, such as: Rousseau and Wade-Benzoni, Katz and Kahn. Expectations are related with behaviour, often they are presumed and they are not formulated in the job contract. Employees may expect, and they usually do, fair treatment, just wage, possibility of future development and that they will be informed what they are expected to do. But expectations are mutual, so the employers also have them. Generally, they want to receive obedience, loyalty, commitment in business or job efficiency. It is normal that each side of this contract possess its own set of assumptions of the other one’s behaviour. Sometimes lack in fulfillment of mutual expectations can cause tensions and misunderstandings, or even dissolving of the contract of employment. â€Å"The significance of the psychological contract was further explained by Sims (1994) as follows: A balanced psychological contract is necessary for a continuing, harmonious relationship between the employee and the organization. However, the violation of the psychological contract can signal to the participants that the parties no longer share (or never shared) a common set of values or goalsâ€Å" (Armstrong 2006:227). Establishing a common set of values or goals is very important to keep positive and proper relations between people in the organization. Especially important seems to be their verbalization, because when people do not know what they can expect, they will not know why they are disappointed afterwards, when their expectations are not met. But they will have a feeling that something is done not as it should be. For the organization that kind of attitude can have a bad influence, because dissatisfied employees can have a negative effect on the organization activities. Specific character of the psychological contract in the organization is not based on a single transaction, because as Spindler claims: †every day people create relationships by means other than formal contracts(†¦) As individuals form relationships they necessarily bring their accumulated experience and developed personalities with them. In ways unknown to them, what they expect from the relationship reflects the sum total of their conscious and unconscious learning to date†(Armstrong 2006:230). Not every person in organization is aware, that in forming specific demands and expectations he or she bases on own knowledge and experience. Psychological contract is something which is usually not defined, so it can develop in unexpected way and have unforeseen consequences. Good psychological contract have a lot of advantages for an employee as well as for an employer. From the employees point of view proper psychological contract should include: proper approach to an employee (equal treatment, appraisal, understanding, respect), employment stability (it is important part of employment, but with dynamic changes on the labour market is not so attractive as it used to be), promotion (employees are focused on personal development and carrier opportunities), power and responsibilities (ability to make own decisions should be related with person’s skills), trust and commitment (employee, who feels understanding and have trust in own organization is more engaged in work and wants the same from the others). On the other hand employers consider that the psychological contract covers competences, effort, commitment, honesty, loyalty and the attitude consisted with the organization values. Psychological contract between the employee and the organization is created when a person is joining the company. The first stage on which some basis of the psychological contract may occur is the process of selection and recruitment. Employer presents own requirements and demands, invites selected persons for an interview and afterwards makes an opinion about the cohesion between the candidate and own organization. Employee acts similarly. After getting to know the organization’s offer he or she should know whether that job is for him or for her appropriate for the offered salary and the level of skills. Psychological contract is not constant, it is not something that stays still. â€Å"The psychological contract remains beneath the surface of relationships and is dynamic in character, continually changing, and frequently unacknowledged. It is a manifestation, too, of the ideals— ego ideals— that one party to the contract has for the other†(Burke 1999:20). It changes, because its environment is changing. External and internal factors have great influence over its state. Internal changes are caused by the market competition. Nowadays career is not always developing from the bottom to the top. It sometimes can be horizontal, which means that individual employee development is not a guarantee of the promotion. Now, in the companies very important are flexibility and capability to changes. Employers are not currently interested in keeping the same team for all time. They make further co-operation dependent on the level of demand of the employee‘s abilities for the company. Because of the nstability in employment Hiltrop suggested new type of psychological contract. According to him: â€Å"There is no job security. The employee will be employed as long as he or she adds value to the organization, and is personally responsible for finding new ways to add value. In return, the employee has the right to demand interesting and important work, has the freedom and resources to perform it well, receives pay that reflects his or her contribution, and gets the experience and training needed to be employable here or elsewhere†(Armstrong 2006:233). The new psychological contract does not guarantee a job for a lifetime. From my own experience I am able to say how important is the psychological contract for an employee. I was working for a building society, which was growing very well. As an employee I could expect from my employer appreciation and respect for my work. The responsibilities and duties for each of us were very clearly. The financial bonuses were the most motivational factor for all of us, because they were really high. The company has very good approach to its employees. When it generated more profits than it was presumed 25% of randomly chosen employees was going for a fully sponsored one week trip for one of the European countries. Also twice a year there was an integrating trip for all employees and lottery with the main prize of 50% of annual salary. None of this was formally written. It was the company’s customs. The best performing salesman had a company car and a mobile phone for an unlimited disposition with the option of buying them from the company after certain time. The loyalty to the company was very high. Nobody has left work by himself/herself since the establishment. Employees were very well motivated, because they knew that they would be appreciated. Thanks to those actions everybody were aimed for the company’s success. They were aware that when the company will gain profits and when the managers will be pleased with their performance the reward will be proper. The relationship between the employees and the organization has been changing recently. The employees want to develop their skills and if the company do not provide any training or development options for them they will leave, because their motivation to action will decrease. Nearly nobody wants to put an effort into company’s performance without being appreciated for it. Underestimated employees will not put much effort into their work. Motivation theories are old and not always adequate for today’s labour market. Employers are trying to motivate people in a different way, using different approaches and different points of view. Theoretical knowledge about motivation can be put into practice to see and explain, not only the psychological mechanism of organizational behaviour, but also to formulate diagnosis. Psychological factors of responsibility for the individual’s level of organizational behaviour have the basic meaning for understanding the peoples’ role in the organization and effective human resources management. Motivation theories are not flexible. They have their definitions, which contain certain rules and factors that create them. The psychological contract is much more flexible and can be changed under some special circumstances and mutual admittance. The negative side of the psychological contract is that, when one of the sides will not feel that their expectations and needs are fulfilled the trust and commitment will decrease. When these two factors are low the performance, positive attitude and motivation are poor. Motivation is important to keep the psychological contract, because without it the whole idea of the psychological contract is useless. Psychological contract has more determinant power than motivation theories. Unwritten mutual expectations, when are appeased, can motivate very well. People can find themselves united with the organization and its goals. Good leaders and managers will do their best to satisfy an employee, but on the other hand they will expect the same from him/her. Retaining positive employment relationship and psychological contract can have great influence over the company’s performance and image. List of references Adair, J. (2006) Leadership and motivation. London. Kogan Page Limited Armstrong, M.. (2006) 10th ednHandbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London. Kogan Page,Limited. Buchanan, D. , Huczynski A. (2004) 5th edn Organizational Behaviour. An Introductory Text. Essex. The Prentice Hall. Burke, E. (1999) Corporate Community Relations : The Principle of the Neighbor of Choice. Westport. Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated. Hunter, S. (2007) Motivation in the Workplace: Applying Maslow and Herzberg Theories. online] Available from [1 Dec 2008] Kermally, S. (2005) Gurus on people management. Oxford. Thorogood Miner, J. (2006) Organizational Behaviour 1: Essential Theories of Motivation and Leadership. New York. M. E. Sharp Inc. Robertson, I. , Smith, M. , Cooper, D. (1992) 2nd edn Motivation strategies, theory and practice. London. Institute of Personnel Management. Thomson, R. 3rd edn. (2002) Managing people. Oxford. Butterworth Heinemann. Tyson, S. , York, A. (1993) Personnel management. Oxford. Made Simple Books.

Russian Minority and Border Issue in Baltic States

1. Historical background * Before the 18th century Baltic region had quite few contacts with Russian culture and Ortodox civilization. Region was already integrated to the West! And there was quite little common in the history of Lithuania in one side and Estonia+Latvia in another side! * Only since the end of the 18th century we can speak about the Baltic region as a region what has a common destiny. Destiny which is not pleasure to Baltic states.Since 18th century all Baltic States were as a part of Russian Empire: * Estonia and Livonia (modern Estonia and Latvia) as a part of Swedish Empire was incorporated into the Russian Empire after the Sweden's defeat by Russia in the Great Northern War in 1721. * The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (created in 1569) was partitioned in 1795 by the Russian Empire, Prussia, and Habsburg Austria. The largest area of Lithuanian territory became part of Russian Empire. * After the World War I in 1918 all baltic countries got independence.Thi s period was extremely important for national self-consciousness. * And again were occupied in 1940 by Soviet Union. After incorporation into Soviet Union Stalinistic red terror regime was started in Baltic region: systematic persecution and physical destruction of political, cultural, military elite of the nations. Mass deportations (to Siberia for example) began, also nationalisation and industrialisation were started. Strong ideological pressure by communists. So Latvians and Estonians historical hatred against Germans turned now against Russians.But memories from independence time actually helped these nations to survive Soviet period – at once we were independent, maybe will be again! * Regained their independence in 1990 after the fall of Soviet Union. Face some problems with Russia. As we can see all Baltic States was in similar position since 18th century. But if we look deeper, we can find that all these occupations made different impact on each country which caused different problems in each country. It was made by Russia delibarately. Latvia and Estonia had better industrial infrastructure before Soviet rule so it was more easy to carry on extensive industrialization here.Because of industrialisation there were lots of russian workforce brought to Latvia and Estonia. Lithuania was not so industrialized, so demanded more investments and also had more free workforce in its own rural districts, so Lithuania effectively prevented extensive Russian immigration, Latvia and Estonia couldn’t. 2. Issues after gaining independence As I mentioned before each of Baltic country faces different problems with Russia after independence. In Latvia and Estonia the biggest still remains russian minority issue. 2. 1. Russian minority issue.After gaining independence (in 1990) there left a huge russian minority in Estonia and Latvia, about 30% of population were russians. It was a huge problem to these countries bacause they wanted to emphasize their natio nal identity, unique language and culture. So the integration process of russian minorities was started just after the independence. Estonian citizenship was given only to the russians who lived in Estonia before World War II and their descendants. All Estonian residents, who had been Soviet citizens, had the right to register themselves as citizens of Russia or to choose any other citizenship.The Estonian Government actively promotes the acquiring of Estonian citizenship through naturalisation, thus reducing the number of persons with undetermined citizenship. A person who wishes to acquire Estonian citizenship by naturalisation must have been a permanent resident of Estonia for at least five years, have a basic knowledge of the Estonian language, have knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act. Residents without citizenship may not elect the Riigikogu (the national parliament) nor the European Parliament, but are eligible to vote in the munici pal elections.In 2012, 84. 3% of Estonia's population held Estonian citizenship, 8. 9% were citizens of other countries and 6. 8% were of undetermined citizenship. The same in Latvia – latvian citizenship was given only to the russians who lived in Latvia before World War II and their descendants. There is quite common non-citizen status in Latvia. Latvian non-citizens can be regarded neither as citizens, nor aliens or stateless persons but as persons with â€Å"a specific legal status†. They have the right to a non-citizen passport issued by the Latvian government as well as other specific rights.They have their own magazines, it‘s like uique community in Latvia. So a lot of russians don‘t bother about latvian citizenship and seek latvian citizenship only if they want to attend in political arena, because as non-citizens they can‘t do so. Otherwise there is no point for russians to learn latvian language. Russians in Latvia claim: „Latvian lang uage? Why do we need it? Americans didn‘t learn American Indian language, british didn‘t learn aborigine language. â€Å" Situation in Lithuania is totally different. There are 80% of lithuanians in Lithuania.Historically minorities in Lithuania usually knew and nowadays know lithunian language pretty well, apart some exceptions. Russia’s attitude to this issue. Russia is always complaining about russian minorities in Baltic countries. Russia state to European Union that human rights are trampled on because there is no appropriate respect to russian minorities in baltic countries. Complaints include all Balttic states although russian minority is not essential issue in Lithuania. Only 5,8% of total population are russians in Lithuania. Compared to Estonia (there is 25% of russian minority) and Latvia () , number is very low. . 2. The border issue. Estonia. Estonia had hoped for the return of more than 2,000 square kilometers of territory, named Petseri County, an nexed by Russia in 1945. The annexed land had been within the borders Estonia approved by Russia in the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty. The border treaty with Estonia was swiftly ratified by the Estonian parliament in 2005. However, the Russian minister of foreign affairs withdrew his signature from the Treaty because he objected to the Estonian parliament’s ratification law which made reference to texts mentioning the Soviet occupation of Estonia.The border remains substantially the same as the one drawn by Stalin, with some minor adjustments. Latvia. In the case of Latvia, the border treaty was not even signed till today because Russia was angered by the Latvian parliament’s desire to add a unilateral preamble condemning the Soviet occupation. Also Russia insisted that the situation of Russian-speakers in Latvia must be improved before any treaty could be signed. The Abrene District has been the main reason the two countries have not been able to agree on a border treaty. T he Latvian-Russian border is functional in de facto terms.There are two possible ways in which the situation might develop in the future. The possibility that Latvia might entirely waive the unilateral declaration or that Russia might agree to ratify a treaty with the appended declaration. Lithuania. Russia’s border problems with Lithuania were different from those with Estonia and Latvia. True, nationalist Lithuanian groups questioned the legality of Russia’s take-over of the Kaliningrad region from Germany, and the first President Vytautas Landsbergis demanded not only the demilitarisation but also the †de-colonisation† of the region.However, all Lithuanian governments recognised the existing borders with Russia. In 1997 the Lithuanian and Russian presidents finally signed a border treaty. The Russian Duma, however, refused to sign the border agreement, openly explaining that it would remove one of the last obstacles to Lithuanian NATO membership and NATO bases. The Duma also claimed that the transfer of Klaipeda (Memel) from the Russian share of German East Prussia to Soviet Lithuania in 1945 was illegal, complained about Lithuanian politicians raising territorial claims on Russia and discrimination of Russian-speakers in Lithuania, too.However it was ratificated by Lietuvos seimas (Lithunia’s Parliament) in 1999 and by Russian Duma in 2003. Russia‘s policy with Baltic countries: * With Estonia and Latvia, Russian foreign policy is focused on the protection of the rights of Russian minorities. With Lithuania, where this card is useless, Moscow has developed more subtle tactics. * Russia’s tactics take the form of oil sanctions, ‘gas isolation’ and dissuasion of Western firms from investing in Baltic energy projects. * Russian interest: Baltic states as a window to Europe. Baltic States as an obstacle for Russian trade and communication with Western Europe.

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Analyze a Category of Advertisements - Essay Example Multiple methods of advertising reaches out to the most people possible. To determine whether these marketing tactics work, a return on the dollar ratio is calculated by each company's marketing team. When looking for certain advertisements to categorize together, it was easy to see that many of them are somewhat similar depending on the product. Fragrance advertisements all look the same with any celebrity aiming to make a dollar has a fragrance line up and coming. Celebrities are also used to endorse a wide variety of products of anything from make up with spokespeople such as Drew Barrymore and Ellen DeGeneres to tennis shoes endorsed by popular athletes such as Michael Jordan. When trying to evaluate which genre of advertising to choose to analyze, I decided upon weight loss program advertisements. This includes weight loss supplements and dieting programs and can even combine that with fitness programs that guarantee that people will get ripped bodies in just a matter of a few m onths. The many avenues for advertising include billboards, television, radio, mobile advertisements, online advertising and print advertisements in newspapers and magazines. When analyzing weight loss program advertisements, various products are marketed on virtually every avenue. The products range from crash diets and magic pills to lifestyle changing diets and workout regimens. For this genre, the marketing processes are all across the board, targeting a variety of people. As Americans, with obesity on the rise, many of these weight loss programs can appeal to a variety of different audiences. However, they are all effective in their own way, appealing to audiences of different ages and both male and female either for an instant weight loss change or one that is more gradual and requires discipline. One advertisement that I have seen rather frequently is one that appears in many celebrity gossip magazines. The product is NV and it promises the product buyer that a person can dro p one jean size in two weeks. The advertisement is endorsed by former Playboy bunny and ex-girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, Holly Madison. She can be categorized herself as a 30-something year old bombshell. Already thin, the advertisement shows Holly Madison heading to a grocery store in an already too tight shirt with a little bit of belly flab hanging out. In the advertisement, it has her own caption written stating that she looked awful in that picture and after using NV got her body back. She is then pictured looking slim and glamorous and the product is called one that acts fast and that it is one of Hollywood's secrets of the stars who need to lose weight immediately. The advertisement prominently displays Holly Madison's hot new body after using a weight loss product and also shows a smaller photo of the actual product. It advertises which major chain retailers that the product can be found and also gives a web address for those looking at the advertisement and says that a person may be able to try a bottle for free. While flipping through other magazines of this same type, celebrity gossip, the same advertisement can be found throughout. Some of them are single spreads and some are even a full three pages of full color advertisements showing the beauty and glamour of being able able to drop weight fast just like the celebrities do. Readers of this type of magazine are typically female and based on the

Control of Information on the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Control of Information on the Internet - Essay Example The opinions held depend mostly with the extent of censorship which varies from one nation to another or one organization to another. It is imperative to note that some countries exercise total internet censorship while others limits the access of information in response to proceedings such as country’s elections, mass demonstrations and riots. Notable events that recently led to internet censorship include the occurrences of the Arab spring in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, authorities in the affected nations restricted access to information on the internet because they perceived as being used by rebels to cause instability. However, their efforts did not succeed due to the porous nature of the cyberspace. In as much as censorship aims at total or partial control of information, this may not be possible in practical because national borders are porous to online information. For instance, restricted information in one country may be hosted by a neighboring nation and accesse d by citizens of the latter. Therefore, censoring aims at working to control access to information in the face of numerous challenges such as lack of legal or physical controls over the information placed on the websites. As a result, censorship requires bringing into play technological means such as blocking of sites or allowing access to a portion of selected website content. Some countries go to the extent of placing strict limits to domestic and overseas information. Sensitive contents such as political topics and related content are highly restricted by those in power. Reporters and media agents who have defied government orders have often found themselves being harassed. The form of harassment ranges from violent treatment to jailing for reporting content which expose top secrets about those in power for example corruption allegations or content that is a threat to security matters for example public stability concerns. It is important to note that the notorious journalists an d those who try to defy censorship orders are in most cases driven out of the country by governments with a view of totally stopping information delivery through websites. It is worth noting that the distinction between the receiver and the publisher of the information posted on the internet is a complex matter because unlike the ancient information delivery methods, information hosted on the internet allows all posting individuals and agencies the right and power to publish without pre censorship activity. Thus the use of internet has contributed to a large extent the freedom of expression and press. Even though most governments have great experience and sophisticated tools to impose censors on the published information, their tools and experience face enormous challenges due to a number of reasons which include among others; Information sources are vast The sources of information that is hosted on the internet are far much beyond reach to most governments. This has made gagging of content almost an impossible venture unlike in the control of domestic information. It is worth noting that whereas governments and authorities would like to control this information, the publishers and senders may be residing in a country that enjoys freedom of expression and press. Thus, the source of the published information is beyond the borders of these governments and therefore not subject to jurisdiction and control.

Recording music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recording music - Essay Example Technology has today simplified the work in the music industry. It is easier for a producer to produce high-quality music without the use of instruments. Music producers in most cases are competent composers or songwriters who can constantly inject new ideas into a project (Landy, 2013). He or she will often select and suggest to the mixing engineer what to record, edits and modifies the songs with software tools. This creates a stereo of all the artists’ voices and instruments to produce a high-quality soundtrack. The composers must be, therefore, communicative and meaningful in their music. She talked about Nyman’s process music, an audible or concealed process to the listeners. This is a very dynamic and highly complex process that involves audible structures in musical performance. The chance determination limits the composer’s powers in determining the materiality. This means that one can take an idea, put it through the process and wait for the outcome, which the ideas will generate by itself (Nyman, 2000). The process gives the performers a chance to move through the suggested or given material at their speed, useful for the in-depth understanding of the whole idea.It also helps in the detailed understanding of what was not understood during the first listening thus making recording more relevant. The presenter also encouraged the use of technology to capture or record musical ideas with an aim of repeated listening to manipulate, recreate, recycle and cannibalize these ideas in order to produce quality stereo.

White Knight and Its Problems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 42

White Knight and Its Problems - Case Study Example As the paper highlights, most of the agents were employed on a temporary basis. This indicates that there were fewer agents compared to customers that needed to be served, hence the problem of delays at the company’s call Centre. Secondly, there is a possibility that the temporary staff did not get adequate mentorship as well as the standards required to attend to customers at the call Centre. This might be because of the company relying only on the permanent staff to mentor the temporary staff, rather than to use other external assistance. In addition, the company might be offering less salary making most people to seek employment from other similar jobs within the industry. Thirdly, there might have been a low employee’s morale at the call Centre since there was a flat rate salary for all employees. To add on, most employees at a call centre might not have qualified for the job since they lacked the required competencies, skills as well as personal characteristics tha t could suit them for the job. Finally, The Company might have been lacking proper coordination for the services at the call Centre; this is because they had inadequate leadership qualities. The company can use several approaches to improve the performance at the call Centre. First, the company ought to employ monitoring and evaluation approach, which enable keen follow up of employees attendance to customer related services at the call Centre. Subsequently, they will then evaluate these employees according to how they respond to customers. Secondly, the company should use the approach of focusing on the continuous improvement, for instance, the company should concentrate on methods of improving their services from time to time. Finally, the company should ensure that their activities are linked to their overall strategy.

Apple Company Recommendation proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Apple Company Recommendation proposal - Essay Example The study will also reflect the position of trade and business between United States and Chile, followed by the background of the Chilean mobile phone market. The study will discuss the methodology adapted for finding a solution to the problem followed by the analysis of the data collected from the customers of Chile. The data presentation section will reflect the responses of these customers based on which the analysis have been done. Finally the study will be concluding with the recommendations provided to Apple Inc for its entry into the new market. Introduction Apple Inc., which was formerly known as Apple Computer Inc. is a multinational corporation whose headquarter is located in Cupertino, California. It is involved in the designing, development and selling of computer software, consumer electronics and personal computers. The most renowned hardware products of the company are Mac line computers, the iPad tablet (computers), the iPhone smart phone and the iPod music players. T he software of the company includes the OS X & iOS operating systems, Safari web browser, iTunes media browser, the iWork creativity and other production suites. Apple was founded on 1st April 1976 and it was incorporated as the Apple Computer Inc. on 3rd January 1977. ... The company is second largest in the world as a publicly traded corporation because of the market capitalization of US $ 414 (as on January 2013) (The Telegraph, 2013). The company has approximately 72800 full time (permanent employees) and 3300 full time (temporary employees) (APPLE INC., 2012). The annual revenue (as on 2012) was $156 billion. Purpose The main purpose of this project is to develop a recommendation proposal for the expansion of the business operations of Apple in Chile. One of the recent problems of Apple is related to its innovation. The company needs to implement strategies for overcoming this situation. It needs to find an innovative product apart from the general category of products offered by the competitors. The company’s inability in leveraging the value from the $137 billion of cash pile reveals that the innovation problems of the company are really big and significant. The expansion of the business in the Chilean mobile market will increase its dema nd in the new market. As the per capita income of the company is high, the customers will be willing to pay for the high end products with latest technological skills as they will earn better experience. This will help the company to earn higher revenue and solve the business problem related to the innovation. The target customers of Apple are: The middle or upper income customers who are always willing to pay a higher price for the purpose of better experience are the target customer segment of the company. The people who prefer having fun with the latest technology are set as the target customers for the company. Background The entire study deals with the entry of Apple Inc into the Chile mobile market. The United States –

Capitalization of Gender in Edna Millays Essay Example for Free

Capitalization of Gender in Edna Millays Essay The sonnet has experienced many modifications and innovations throughout the ages. Edna St. Vincent Millay’s â€Å"I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed† and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s â€Å"Sonnet 43†, both Petrarchan sonnets, have diversified and helped pave the way for future female poets. In order to address and capitalize on ideas of gender connected to sonnet form and content, Edna Millay and Elizabeth Browning both revolutionize the traditional male-dominated sonnet form as females, Browning expresses overly sentimental and passionate emotion through content and Millay contradicts the social norm of female sexuality as well through content. Millay and Browning revolt against the male-dominated sonnet. Popular among prominent male poets, the sonnet was deemed unworthy for females, as men were far more educated and capable of fulfilling its high standards and strict guidelines. Both poets proved common beliefs wrong by excelling in the sonnet form. They used the Petrarchan sonnet, playing close attention to rhyme scheme and using iambic pentameter. They even incorporated the Volta between the octave and sestet, while using the first three lines in the sestet to introduce the change in tone and the last three lines in the sestet to conclude, invariably identical to the traditional Italian sonnet. At a time where women did not even have the right to vote, Millay and Browning both struggled to find a place in poetry writing, especially the sonnet form in which their predecessors were all male. The literary cannon and the Romantic Era consisted of all male poets who directed the sonnets to their lovers in regard to express their profound appreciation. Love has been the preferred sonnet theme since the 1300’s when the sonnet was created and both, Millay and Browning, stuck with the same traditional concept of love and lust as their topic. Being one of the most popular, sought out forms of poetry, the sonnet was the perfect way for nineteenth-century women to get out into the limelight and start a feminist movement. Or possibly, women poets stumbled toward the sonnet form due to its oppressive rules of rhyme scheme, structural shifts, meter and syllable count, it provided them a ready-made metaphor, suggesting difficulties in communication. Extremely restrained, the sonnet form helped make inexpressibility apparent, it therefore presented women sonneteers with an irony that revealed their circumstances of restricted speech and forced silence. Female poets, who incorporated the strict sonnet form, at a time difficult for women to freely embark in the lyric tradition, did so only to promote gender variance. Elizabeth Browning uses exceedingly sentimental emotions in her â€Å"Sonnet 43†. She either does so for ridicule or freedom for women to express themselves. By the use of such diction she is using satire and mockery of overly melodramatic reactions and feelings of a typical woman. â€Å" With my lost saints! -I love thee with the breath,/ Smiles, tears, of all my life! (12-13)†, even with the usage of several exclamation marks, she creates emphasis on the over exaggeration. In her Sonnet 43, Browning proclaims the pleasure love brings and pleads for a complete surrender to love, which seems far too corny. Or perhaps, she is just being herself, demonstrating to fellow females to be confident and unafraid of articulating and communicating your feelings. Following the thematic convention of rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter, Browning either wants to represent stereotypical females with her portrayal of unrealistic sensations or she wants to prove that even a completely feminine sonnet can create attentiveness to gender difference. Edna Millay challenges the social standards of female sexuality. Millay’s poem explores a female-centred perspective which opposes the widespread male-dominated presumptions of women. It is indeed a very sexual poem, revealing her sexual attraction and intentions to a particular man. Female sexuality was silenced in those times and rarely did women speak so openly and fearlessly of personal matters. She created a new realm of subject matters to women authors and helped support a liberated approach to life. The style of her poetry is formal with typical meter and rhyme scheme. Critics have repeatedly pointed out her bizarre connection of conventional poetic forms and structures with completely unconventional ideas and expressions. We must recognize and appreciate Millay for revealing the love em and leave em tactic normally exercised by males. However, because of the poets reversed gender, this strategy seems more modern, harmless and considerably humorous. There is irony and originality in a female using such rebellious content, perhaps she is scrutinizing normal male intentions, as it is regularly the women who are hurt in the end because they long for a relationship while the men are only looking for sex. The form may receive validity of tradition while the content concurrently mocks tradition. With the help of this poem she gained a reputation of a free-spirited and revolutionary social figure whose work followed her commemoration of life. Edna Millays poem fights for sexual freedom originally claimed by men, it fights for equality of the double standard that exists, which inhibits female sexuality and encourages male sexuality. Writing as women has led them to run â€Å"counter to† their culture and â€Å"against the grain of time† to echo Pounds words. Edna St. Vincent Millays â€Å"I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed† and Elizabeth Barrett Brownings â€Å"Sonnet 43† redefine the standards of genre and gender norms. Millay and Browning both revolt against the regularly male sonnet form, they were attracted to its structural affinity to promote gender variance. Browning creates emphasis using ordinary female emotions, while Millay challenges normality of female sexuality. However at the same time there are distinct contrasts apparent, Brownings poetry has a feminine quality with such passion and sentimentality while Millays poetry has a masculine quality, as it resists sentimentality with her ability to look beyond the status quo and her completely opposite lifestyle of love affairs. However, both poets attempt to reconcile with convention while contributing to gender capitalization, hoping to establish diversification equally valid for females. Both are icons for womanhood, both are masters of the sonnet forms and both are nurturers of ambition, independence, outspokenness and flaunting sexuality.

Strategic Business Planning Management And Decision Making

Strategic Business Planning Management And Decision Making The term strategy has found a limited definition arising, principally, from military origins. This definition has been expanded into the business context where many authors have argued strategy in terms of quantitative and qualitative processes. However, it continues to defy a singular, definitive definition. In order to understand strategy, we must look beyond its military antecedents and identify strategy as a life process. Different possible definitions of strategy are: Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves the advantage in the changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations. Strategies are developed in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the organisation. Aconsistency of direction based on a clear understanding of the game being played and an acute awareness of how to manoeuvre into a position of advantage. Strategy is not just a notion of how to deal with an enemy or set of competitors or a market. It draws us into some of the most fundamental issues about organizations as instruments for collective perception and action. Scope and nature of strategic business management and planning: Scope and nature of strategic business management and planning is a widespread topic and it is hard to list down every aspect of it. I am using JSW model to describe some of the key aspects of strategic business management and planning: The organisations long termdirection: no specific timescale is envisaged but one should think in terms in excess of one year and more probably of several years. The scope of an organisations activities: This will include both the overall roles and purposes the organisation accepts for itself and the activities it undertakes in pursuit of them. For commercial organisations and for many not for profit organisations too, strategic planning will be about gaining some kind of advantage in competition. Strategic decisions are affected by the values and expectationsof organisations stakeholders. Stakeholders are people who have a legitimate interest in what the organisation does. Characteristics of strategic business management and planning: Using JSW model as an reference, some of the key characteristics of strategic business management and planning are: Decisions about the strategic planning are likely to be complexsince there are likely to be a number of significant factors to take in to consideration and a variety of possible outcomes to balance against one another. There is likely to be a high degree of uncertaintysurrounding strategic planning, both about the precise nature of current circumstances and about the likely consequences of any course of action. Strategic planning and management have extensive impact on operational decision making, that is, planning and decision at lower levels in the organisation. Strategic planning affects the whole organisation and requires processes that cross operational and functional boundaries within it. An integrated approachis therefore required. Strategic planning and management are likely to lead to changewithin the organisation as resource capacity is adjusted to permit new courses of action. Changes with implications for organisational cultureare particularly complex and difficult to manage. Key strategies of British Airways are: Be the airline of primary choice for long haul premium customers: So people will want to fly with us at any time they can. We will carry on to come up with great stuff such as the new business class seat on long haul and a restyled First cabin. Deliver a incomparable service for customers at every touch point: By training crew, on the ground and in the sky, in world-class warmth and customer service. Customers can check-in from their mobiles or PDAs. Grow our survival in key global cities around the world: To render the best global connectivity for our customers. In addition toour new long haul service from London City to New York JFK, our network depth will strengthen with more flights to Dubai and Johannesburg and a return to Saudi Arabia. Build on our leading stance in London: The worlds biggest aviation market. Ensuring Heathrow remains a world classhub is vital to give us a powerful London base to cater the largest international long haul markets. We will obtain new slots, support plans for athird runway and work with BAA to improve baggage and terminal conveniencesat Heathrow. Meet our customers needs and improve profit margins through new revenue streams: By coming up with profitable supplementary services that offer customers great value and re-enforce our brand. Our aspire is to grow our mileage business and further revenues from third-party engineering, in-flight sales and a new online retail website. On ba.com we have now launched a variety of great value hotel and car hire options packaged with our flights. The decisions we are taking now will establish how strongly we materialize from the downturn. The airline industry is in a period of unprecedented change and we have developed a clear strategy for our business. In order to become the principal global premium airline, we necessitate to look at the way we work as well as what we are doing as a business. For that rationale, along with our five key strategies, we have launched a three-year change programme Compete 2012 correlated to our sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympics. This programme is being progressively rolled out across our business to revive our culture and will reform the way we work. Need of strategy in global environment: Todays environment is very much dynamic. Organisations are in a constant exercise of realigning themselves to the needs of the environment. Defined and thorough strategy plays a vital part here. Especially for a globally operating organisation like BA, it could be a matter of success or failure. Managers must be aware that markets, supplies, investors, locations, partners, and competitors can be everywhere. Successful businesses will take advantage of opportunities wherever they are and will be prepared for downfalls. International strategy is the continuous and comprehensive management technique designed to help companies operate and compete effectively across national restrictions, For example, some companies form partnerships with companies in other countries, others acquire companies in other countries, others still develop products, services, and marketing campaigns designed to appeal to customers in other countries. Some rudimentary aspects of international strategies mirror do mestic strategies in that companies must determine what products or services to sell, where and how to sell them, where and how they will produce or provide them, and how they will compete with other companies in the industry in accordance with company goals. Generally, a Company develops its international strategy by considering its overall strategy, which includes its operations at home and abroad. We can consider four aspects of strategy: (1) scope of operations, (2) resource allocation, (3) competitive advantage, and (4) synergy. Besides the fact that well defined strategic business management and planning processes bring structure, control and consistency to the overall decision making of the organisation but we (the company) should also consider that the formal decision making model discussed above may distract managers attention from controlling actual process as making strategic plans is not the same thing as managing the process. A split may also develop between the people responsible for planning and those responsible for implementation. Particularly in large organisation like ours (BA) the planning system may be too complex and extensive for even quite senior managers to understand the way it works. Over-formal planning systems and over-rigid control can hamper innovative thinking. As the national and international environment is always in a constant move so one can say that there is no one best planning and management model. Now a days the environmental factors and most importantly the customer are in a greater power than before that influences the overall structure, strategy, planning and management processes of the organisation. Prescriptive and Emergent (Mintzberg) strategies: In real world, 100% intended or prescriptive strategies does not get realised. Some intended strategies fail as predicted environment keeps changing. Emergent strategies arise in response to unexpected changes in the environment and may be better than intended strategies. Hence, organisations should keep some room for emergent strategies alongside the formal process i.e. Rational model. Following diagram is a snapshot of how a mix of prescriptive and emergent strategies get realised in the practical world: Different levels of strategy and their relationship with each other: (Hofer and Schender) Strategic business management and planning can be formulated on three different levels: Corporate level. Tactical or business level. Operational level. Corporate level strategy makers analyze the common needs of business units and add impact to the whole system in addition to individual development of participating business units. Issues with reference to the introduction of new products or growth into new markets or segments are all a part of this strategic level. Corporate level strategy forms the stem of the strategic decision tree and the management has to be wholly responsive of its implications as well as the sensitivity of all succeeding strategies, no matter at what level. It is of prime substance that corporate level strategy is entirely associated by and large with the vision of the business and the values and prospect of stakeholders. Business or tactical level strategies are in essence position strategies whereby businesses safe for themselves uniqueness and spot in the market. The endeavour here is to augment the business value for the corporate and stakeholders by increasing the brand understanding and value professed by the customers. The third level of strategy is the operational level which chiefly is concerned with successfully implementing the tactical decisions prepared at Corporate and business unit level through optimal consumption of resources and competencies of the business unit. A methodical understanding of the three levels of strategy makes their strong co-dependence and non-hierarchical nature obvious. All strategies have to be in absolute harmonization with each other since the accomplishment of one is inseparably related to the other. So as a substitute of being in a top-down order, the inter-connecting can be visualized as a triangle with the three corners indicating the three levels. Visions, missions and objectives: The two organisations which are to be contrasted and compared are British Airways (for Profit) and Oxfam (Not for Profit). Vision: Vision means the category of intentions which are broad, all-intrusive and forward-thinking. The corporate success is reliant on the vision set by the top management. A vision is the image that a business must have of its objectives before it sets out to reach them. It describes ambitions for the future, without specifying the means that will be used to achieve those desired ends. Vision of British Air : The Vision focuses on employees and customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.it emphasizes BAs desire to be the worlds global airline. Vision of Oxfam UK : Oxfams vision is that diverse communities of people living in poverty will exercise their rights to a decent and secure standard of living in developed society. Mission : A mission statement is an organizations vision converted into written form. It makes tangible the managements view of the direction and purpose of the organization. Mission of British Airways : To be the undisputed leader in world travel for the next millennium. Mission of Oxfam : The main areas of Oxfam mission focus are poverty alleviation, action against violence, making people exercise their rights, removing gender inequality and preventing and reducing environment damage. Objectives : Objectives give the organization a clearly defined target. Planning can then be made thereafter to achieve these targets. This is helpful in motivating the employees. It also allows the business to measure the progress towards to its stated aims. Objectives of British Airways : The main objectives of British Air revolve around the following key areas: Employee satisfaction and retention Customer Satisfaction Being more effective as an international carrier as compared to other airlines. Making efficient use of resources. Using methods that are environmentally friendly. Making the airline more competitive in terms of fares while at the same time focusing on profitability. Objectives of Oxfam : The main objectives of Oxfam address the following: Creating programs for people to make them exercise their rights. Taking measures to reduce environmental damage. Creating awareness among women and thus working towards gender equality. Taking practical measures against the use of violence. Methodology for creating Vision, Mission and Objectives: The methodology used would be: Vision: Based on the views of the management to create a certain image of the airline in the long-term and how the founding members/key stakeholders want to see the organization in future. Mission: It will be based on the vision and the methodology used will depend on the need for to stand out amongst the airline industry. Objective: The Objectives will be decided comparing the performance of other airlines and the key steps / indicators required to translate the vision in to tangible results. Methodology for creating Vision, Mission and Objectives: Vision: This will be decided according to the core principles on which a charity like Oxfam is founded. The factors considered would be the environment in which the charity operates and the people affected by its activities. Mission: This area is decided according to the aims of the key stakeholders and the different areas on which Oxfam focuses including poverty reduction, disaster relief and development projects around the world. Objective: The objectives will be set for the short or long term and the performance measures for the charity taking into consideration the main areas of operations as well as the likely hurdles in attaining a particular goal. Strategic business management and planning method: Strategic Business Management and Planning Method of the organization : One of the main methods used is the SWOT Analysis and the PEST analysis. It takes into account the likely impact of the steps taken by British Air to meet its objectives taking into account the competitors as well as the global conditions existent in the world of travel and transport. This will focus on the main areas which can have a direct impact on the running of the airline including the fuel prices , customer satisfaction, competitor fares etc. Strategic Business Management and Planning Method of the organization : The methods used for a non-profit like Oxfam would be different as they will focus on key achievement areas in its global relief and humanitarian efforts rather than profitability. A key method might be the Value for Money (VFM) process. The likely areas taken into account during these methods might include the amount of donations received, the number of people served and the effectiveness of the work undertaken by Oxfam. The influence of corporate governance and regulations: Influence of Corporate Governance and Regulations: British airways has to take into account different areas of corporate governance including the performance of the board and the regulation concerning the executive pay, the roles and duties of chairman and the chief executive , regulation concerning the functioning of board committees, shareholder accountability , environmental regulation. Influence of Corporate Governance and Regulations: Oxfams corporate governance procedures will take into account the requirement for directors and trustees and adhering to a code of conduct(based on the Nolan Committee Principles of Standards in Public Life),also looking into possible conflicts of interests . The specifications of the memorandum of association and the key charitable aims of the charity. Relevance of visions, missions and objectives: Many organisations never explore their reasons for being in business. They are so involved in day-to-day actions they fail to see the bigger picture. So what is the significance of having an articulated Vision, Mission and Objectives? It starts with establishing your core values. Core values are things that drive an organisation. They are the driving force of an organisation. They are fixed and do not change over time. Once the core values are established, the next step is the Vision, a long-term goal. It can be something minute or something that is huge. The Mission flows from an organisations Vision. A Mission is important because it embraces the commitment of an organisation to staff, customers, and the community at large. It may define the company ethos, core beliefs of the owners, service levels, quality, excellence, training and commitment. Setting objectives is the stage that comes next in the process. It is important because it shows how an organisation delivers on the promises made by its Mission. If there is clarity in both the Vision and Mission, it is easy to decide on the objectives. Objectives can be set for each key area of the business along with a time-line for completion. Objectives may be corporate, product, market, sales, financial, operations, or staff related or any combination of these.As can be seen, this is a trickle down system with higher level aspirations that flow down to every level of the business and become the glue that holds everything together. The benefits of having a vision, mission and objectives are clear and unambiguous. Every step that an organisation takes is in pursuit of its articulated end game.

Property Law Rights of a Tenant

Property Law Rights of a Tenant Part 1 In this scenario, Raj has allowed his sister-in-law, Joyce, to live in his property. The question is whether Joyce enjoys the rights of a tenant, or if she is actually a mere licensee. There is, in English property law, a crucial distinction between the tenant and the licensee; the former enjoying significantly greater and more secure rights than the latter. It is often not, however, a clear cut distinction. In the present case, the terms of the occupation agreement that the parties drew up will need to be considered. Firstly, the document itself needs to be considered. The first term of it expressly states that Joyce is living in Rajs house as a licensee, and not as a tenant or lessee (that is, that no lease has been created). The document itself, however, might well represent a contract, which would put Joyce in the position of a contractual licensee (following such cases as R v Tao (1977) ). Even a contractual licensee, however, enjoys no proprietary interest in the property in question, as was evidenced in the case of Ashburn Anstaldt v Arnold (1989). A contractual licence can be contrasted to a bare licence, which is simply a personal permission, granted in this case by Raj to Joyce, without Joyce paying consideration, for her to enter his property. The purpose of the bare licence is to provide a defence against an allegation of trespass, so long as the licensee does not overstep the permission of the licence, as happened in the case of Tomlinson v Congleton Borough Council (2003). A contract ual licence, by contrast, must involve (as in any contract) valuable consideration moving from the licensee. This was established by Megaw LJ in Horrocks v Forray (1976). Joyce pays a monthly rent of  £600 to Raj, and this could well qualify as the consideration put the licence agreement on a contractual footing. The second term of the occupation agreement states that Raj can nominate a third party to share the premises with Joyce. This relates to the issue of exclusive possession, which is an essential element of any lease or tenancy. This was described as â€Å"the proper touchstone† of a lease by Windeyer J in Radaich v Smith (1959). Two seminal cases highlighted this distinction between leases and licenses. In Street v Mountford (1985), Lord Templeman stated that a tenant is entitled â€Å"to keep out strangers and keep out the landlord unless the landlord is exercising limited rights reserved to him by the tenancy agreement to enter and view and repair.† In AG Securities v Vaughan (1990), however, it was held that a licensee has â€Å"no legal title which will permit him to exclude other persons†. The agreement in the present case expressly allows for Raj to install a third party at his wish. This certainly argues strongly against anything other than a license govern ing the situation. Certain factors, however, suggest that it is not such a simple case of Joyce being merely a licensee. She pays a periodic monthly rent of  £600, and the occupation agreement states that she will live there for a fixed term of four years commencing 1 October 2005. To return to Street v Mountford (1985), the House of Lords, in that case, identified three inherent components of a lease or tenancy. The first was exclusive possession, which has been discussed already, and which is not apparently in evidence in this case. The second, however, is that the lease or tenancy must be granted for a fixed or periodic term certain. This means that the maximum duration of the lease or tenancy must be clearly ascertainable from the outset. Although the strict application of this rule was relaxed somewhat, the principle was reaffirmed in Prudential Assurance Co Ltd v London Residuary Board (1992). The 2005 agreement that granted Joyce the right to live in Rajs house clearly identified a term of fou r years after which the right would expire. In this respect, then, it would seem that the arrangement more closely resembles a lease. This is also a characteristic, however, of the contractual licence. The third element identified in Street v Mountford was the consideration that was discussed above. This too would suggest the arrangement is more akin to a lease, or at least a contractual licence, than a bare licence. It seems, then, that although the arrangement shares some of the characteristics of a lease, the rights enjoyed by Joyce are, in fact, only those of the licensee; that is, a person whose presence is only grounded upon the personal permission of the licensor. Joyces position is stronger than that of a bare licensee, however, by virtue of the contractual arrangement. A further blurring of the limits in this area exists between contractual licenses and equitable or estoppel-based license, which has increasingly become proprietorial in character. A contractual licence does not, however, confer any proprietorial interest on the licensee, as was illustrated in Cowell v Rosehill Racecourse Co Ltd (1937) by Latham CJ who stated that â€Å"fifty thousand people who pay to see a football match do not obtain fifty thousand interests in the football ground.† A longer contractual licence, however, such as the one enjoyed by Joyce, for a period of four years, begins to resemble a proprietar y interest in Rajs property, despite the absence of a right of exclusive possession. It is in relation to this last area that the decisive factor is most relevant. That factor is that when determining whether Joyces occupancy is a tenancy or a licence, the parties intentions (which were clearly that a mere licence should be granted to Joyce) are largely irrelevant. In Aslan v Murphy (1990), the court found that its task was to â€Å"ascertain the true bargain between the parties†. A crucial case of relevance to the present one was that of Addiscombe Garden Estates Limited v Crabbe (1958), in which an arrangement which purported to be a licence was in fact held to be a lease. Despite the fact that Raj and Joyce clearly intended the occupancy to be on the basis of a licence, and the contractual agreement was labelled as a licence, the court is at liberty to overturn this if the reality is that Joyce enjoys a lease. It seems unlikely, however, because of certain terms of the agreement, that Joyce enjoys a sufficient proprietorial interest in the property to becom e a lessee or tenant; but rather her position resembles that of a contractual (as opposed to a bare) licensee. Part 2 Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 relates to the repairing obligations in short leases. Briefly, it obliges the lessor (that is, the party owning the greater estate, usually the freehold, out of which the lease has been carced) to undertake certain works and repairs to ensure that the property remains in good working order. An example is the obligation on the lessor to â€Å"keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling house (including drains, gutters and external pipes)†. In recent years, this section has been considered in a number of cases. A crucial case in the development of property law was Bruton v London Quadrant Housing Trust (1999). The relevance of section 11 to this case was that the claimant (or plaintiff as he then was) claimed that he was a lessee of the property in question, which was owned by the Trust. Of course, if he was a mere licensee, he would not benefit from the statutory protection afforded by the Act. The county court found that he was a licensee and there was therefore not any breach of section 11. The House of Lords overturned this, however. Subsequently, in Sykes v Harry (2001), the section was considered again. In this context, the issue considered by the court at first instance (and subsequently re-considered by the Court of Appeal was whether the landlords (that is the lessors) statutory duty under section 11 relating to the repair of properties subject to a short lease was co-extensive with the landlords contractual duty to keep in repair (that is, the obligation created by the lease instrument). Potter LJ stated that there is â€Å"implied into the tenancy a covenant by the tenant that the landlord may, at reasonable times of day, and on 24 hours written notice, enter the premises for the purpose of viewing their condition and state of repair.† Although at first instance the judge had found that the landlords duty to take care had been coextensive with the contractual duty of repair, the Court of Appeal overturned this using section 4 of the Defective Premises Act 1972, and the duties imposed on the landlord under this as the principal factor. Later that year, in Southwark London Borough Council v McIntosh (2001), section 11 was once again before the court. Here the property in question, which was owned by the council, became defective due to the effects of severe damp. The question before the court was whether the landlord (the council) was in breach of its section 11 duty of repair. The landlord appealed against a first instance decision that it was in breach, and the High Court said that the tenant had failed to establish sufficient evidence to the effect that the damp had been caused by the landlords breach of its section 11 duties. As such, there was no liability and the appeal was allowed. In Shine v English Churches Housing Group (2004), the question of damages awarded under section 11 was considered. The first instance judge had awarded damages to the tenant due to the landlords breach of section 11, but the Court of Appeal found these damages to be â€Å"manifestly excessive†. Research strategy My research began, in both instances, with a textbook. I used the contents page and the index of such books and Gray and Grays Land Law, 3rd Edition; and their Elements of Land Law to identify key sections, such as â€Å"lease† and â€Å"license†. I conducted some background reading on these two legal interests in property, in order fully to understand the potential issues relating to each. It became apparent that there is often a blurred boundary between the type of legal interest a party enjoys in a property, despite what that interest might be labelled as. Having conducted this initial reading of key sections in various textbooks, I began to look for specific cases in which the issue of the lease/license distinction, and the application of section 11 had been considered. For this I used both textbooks, and electronic resources. I accessed LexisNexis Butterworths online, and was able to start by doing basic keyword searches in the case locator engine. From here I was able to read the judgments in the various cases, as well as (in some instances) abstracts of the key issues. In researching section 11, I began by finding the statute itself at the Office of Public Sector Information (again, available online) and was able to locate cases where it had been considered and applied. BIBLIOGRAPHY Statutes Defective Premises Act 1972Landlord and Tenant Act 1985Law of Property Act 1925 Cases Addiscombe Garden Estates Limited v Crabbe [1958] 1 QB 513, CAAG Securities v Vaughan [1990] 1 AC 417Alker v Collingwood Housing AssociationAshburn Anstaldt v Arnold [1989] Ch 1, CAAslan v Murphy [1990] 1 WLR 766, CABruton v London Quadrant Housing Trust [1999] 3 All ER 481Cowell v Rosehill Racecourse Co Ltd (1937) 56 CLR 605Horrocks v Forray [1976] 1 All ER 737, CAPrudential Assurance Co Ltd v London Residuary Board [1992] 2 AC 386, HLR v Tao [1977] QB 141, CARadaich v Smith (1959) 101 CLR 209Shine v English Churches Housing Group [2004] All ER (D) 125Southwark London Borough Council v McIntosh [2001] All ER (D) 133Street v Mountford [1985] AC 809, HLSykes v Harry [2001] EWCA Civ 167Tomlinson v Congleton Borough Council [2003] UKHL 47 Secondary sources Gray, K. and Gray, S.F. (2003) Land Law, 3rd Edition (London: LexisNexis)Gray, K. and Gray, S.F. (2005) Elements of Land Law (Oxford: OUP)

My Service Learning Experiences Essay -- Personal Reflection

What connections do you make between your service-learning experiences and some of the themes addressed in class (justice, love, rights, responsibility, relationships, etc.)? There were several connections made between my service learning experiences and themes addressed in class. Some of the connections were about human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity and equity. My service learning took place in a nursing home and the applicability of human dignity became abundantly clear. Teachings of solidarity and equity were directly exemplified. Social ties hold people together and are able to support the people who don’t have the power to help themselves. Subsidiarity is also a relevant issue; decisions for helping the elderly is best when done on the lowest level—the people who directly work with the elderly and know what troubles faces them. What impact do you think your service has had? My job was mainly assisting activity coordinators. As an extra set of hands, intermediate tasks were taken care of much quicker. The impact it had was chiefly that the residents were able to enjoy the activities and had to spend less time waiting for assistance. Many residents seemed generally appreciative simply by having a new face helping them out. What was the most unsettling experience you had while serving? Interacting with people who are unable to manage the activities of daily living in their own home hadn’t been an everyday experience for me. Understanding their needs could be adequately done in a classroom, but actually experiencing firsthand their situation gives a much more explicit and real understanding. The aspect of my experience that I found most unsettling was the meagerness of understanding when learning i... ...r enforce those teaching in class. Class lessons are very good in giving you a lot of information and putting it into context. Experiencing and trying to apply those teachings in real life is what really makes it stick. The combination of class and service learning provided a solid foundation on which to be a morally responsible leader. During class, all sorts of ideas are brought up and discussed as a group and critically analyzing from different perspectives and relating it to other ideas. This enables the students rectify their own beliefs and morals in constructive ways. From these developments, we begin to see how it fits in the world and try to apply ourselves and gain wisdom. Gaining knowledge, experience and wisdom, it becomes our understanding to find good in any aspect of our lives and work towards advancing that good in a way that benefits all.

Robert E. Lee Essay -- essays research papers

The battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1 through July 3, 1863, considered by most military historians the turning point in the American Civil War (Johnson 84). The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive engagement in that it arrested the Confederates’ second and last major invasion of the North, destroyed their offensive strategy, and forced them to fight a defensive war in which the slowness of their manufacturing capacity and transportation facilities doomed them to defeat (McPherson 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Army of the Potomac, under the Union general George Gordon Meade, numbered about 85,000; the Confederate army, under General Robert E. Lee, numbered about 75,000 (Johnson 90). After the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2 to 4, an important victory for the Confederates, Lee divided his army into three corps, commanded by three lieutenant generals: James Longstreet, Richard Stoddert Ewell, and Ambrose Powell Hill (Johnson 91). Lee then formulated a plan for invading Pennsylvania, hoping to avert another federal offensive in Virginia and planning to fight if he could get the federal army into a vulnerable position; he also hoped that the invasion might increase Northern war-weariness and lead the North to recognize the independence of the Confederate States of America (Johnson 85). In pursuit of this plan, Lee crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains, proceeded up the Shenandoah Valley, and, crossing Maryland, entered Pennsylvania (Clark 86). Upon learning federal troops were north of the Potomac, Lee decided to concentrate his whole army at Gettysburg (Clark 86). On June 30, Confederate troops from General Hill’s corps, on their way to Gettysburg, saw federal troops that Meade had moved down to intercept the Confederate army (McPherson 102). The Battle began on July 1 outside of Gettysburg with an encounter between Hill’s advance brigades and the federal cavalry division commanded by Major General John Buford, supported by infantry under Major General John Fulton Reynolds (McPherson 103). Hill encountered stubborn resistance, and the fighting was undecided until Ewell arrived from the north in the afternoon. The Confederates pushed against General Oliver Howard’s corps and forced the federal troops to retreat from their forward positions to Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Ridge, southeast of Gettysb... ... captured or missing (Johnson 91).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lee retreated west and southwest through Hagerstown, Maryland and into Virginia. Imboden’s wagon train, composing of wagons and ambulances, stretched for over 17 miles (Johnson 190). Meade considered pursuit, but determined that the defensive nature of the Appalachian passes prohibited full pursuit (Johnson 191). Meade did harass Lee’s retreat, which resulted in minor skirmishes and capture of various Confederate units, but did not materialize (Johnson 191). Meade’s decision not to pursue Lee angered Lincoln, who expected a decisive victory (Johnson 192). Also, the lack of vigorous pursuit showed Meade as being too cautious. Lee hurting from Gettysburg, was forced to return to Virginia. The war was far from over and lasted another 2 years (Johnson 192).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gettysburg Address, a famous speech, was delivered later that year by United States president Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (McPherson 192). He presented it in dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery honoring those who died in the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg.

North Korea: Nuclear Friend or Foe? :: Nuclear proliferation

North Korea: Nuclear Friend or Foe? Introduction It is 2025. After decades of bickering and intense fighting, India and Pakistan finally break out into general war. Millions are killed in the nuclear exchange. Other countries are drawn into the fray, ultimately widening the landscape of war. The death toll reaches a billion lives. In essence, you are witnessing a nuclear holocaust. Fortunately, this is a completely fictitious event; something one would think was straight out of a movie. The scary part is that as more and more countries begin to acquire nuclear weapons, further nuclear research, and pursue other nuclear-related projects, this can be very real. It might happen in ten years, a few months, or even – tomorrow. The issue of nuclear proliferations is an issue of much concern by the United States. Since its creation back in the 1940s through the Manhattan project, the atomic bomb has been the bane of society, in terms of the level of potential threat it holds for the international community. The focus of this paper looks at U.S. policy towards nuclear proliferation, both past and present, with a special focus on the status of North Korea. For some analysts and many governmental officials, North Korea seems to be the next big threat to U.S. and international security. Proponents of this belief cite statements made by North Korea, efforts to enrich used fuel rods, and other pursuits to utilize nuclear power in some way or other. In an effort to really break down on a critical level the United States’ approach towards the country of North Korea, this paper examines not only the historical context of U.S./North Korea relations, but also the U.S. stance towards proliferation among such countries as Iran, Libya, Israel, India, Pakistan, and other countries. In using other countries to compare and contrast U.S. policy, hopefully this will bring about some sort of rationale behind the approach to North Korea. Understandably, the issue is way more complex than just a chosen stance towards each individual country. History, political balance, as well as, the intent of the U.S. administration at the time shape the policy instituted toward the particular country. A Colored History On June 27, 1950, President Harry S. Truman â€Å"authorized the use of American land, sea, and air forces in Korea; a week later, the United Nations placed the forces of 15 other member nations under U.

Tjs Product Mix

Summary of the Problem: TJ’s, Inc. , makes three nut mixes for sale to grocery chains located in the Southeast. The three mixes, referred as the Regular Mix, Deluxe Mix, Holiday Mix. Now TJ’s is committed to using the available nuts to maximize profit of the fall seasons, and they must satisfy the received orders. Problem Solving Approach: This problem was solved using Excel Solver LP Programming. The decision variables are pounds of each type of Mix. The objective function was a formula of profit contribution for each Mix.The constraints are the nuts purchased the following shipment and the orders that need to be satisfied. The following summarizes the variables and coefficients of the mathematical model: Variable or CoefficientUnit of MeasureDescription RPoundsPounds of Regular Mix DPoundsPounds of Deluxe Mix HPoundsPounds of Holiday Mix DescriptionRegularDeluxe HolidayShipment amountCost per shipment Orders (Pounds)1000030005000 Almond Consist percentage0. 15 0. 20 0 . 25 60007500 Brazil Consist percentage0. 5 0. 20 0. 15 75007125 Filbert Consist percentage0. 25 0. 20 0. 15 75006750 Pecan Consist percentage0. 10 0. 20 0. 25 60007200 Walnut Consist percentage0. 25 0. 20 0. 20 75007875 Profit (Dollars) ( Not include cost of nuts) 1. 6522. 25 The following is the mathematical formulation of the problem: Maximize1. 65R+2D+2. 25HObjective function Subject to: 0. 15R+0. 2D+0. 25H= 10000 Deluxe 10625>= 3000 Holiday5000>= 5000 Constrains2Nuts Used Available Almond6000

Coloplast Case Essay

Executive Summary Coloplast has been in operations in Denmark for nearly 60 years. The company specializes in producing medical devices such as disposable ostomy bags, antifungal cremes cleansers and moisturizers. For 42 years, all Coloplast operations were contained within Denmark, however 97% of its revenue was generated by exporting its products beyond its national borders. In 1999 the company changed its philosophy and began to investigate off shoring its production facilities. In 2001 the first Coloplast production facility opened its doors outside of Denmark. The expansion took place in Tatabanya Hungary. This location was chosen because of cheaper labour and land rates, as well as a more favourable tax rate. The city is located in the Western region of the country which provided better infrastructure. Coloplast had no blueprint to navigate through the expansion process, and had to learn and develop best practises by trial and error. By 2004 the management team in Tatabanya had advanced the production system to the point where it was outperforming the longer established Danish facilities. In 2005 Coloplast revealed an aggressive plan of Strategy 2008. In this plan the company states it will strive to achieve a profit margin of 18% while maintaining 10% organic growth. A key pillar of this plan is the continued relocation of volume production to Hungary and further expansion to China. Coloplast is at crossroads, it needs to decide if it has learned enough from its first international expansion that it can duplicate and improve its success in new locations, or if it should delay new locations and focus on fine tuning its operations in Denmark and Hungary. Issues Coloplast’s expansion into Hungary was executed with no prior international expansion experience to draw from. Eventually over time, it proved to be a successful operation which surpassed quality levels of its Danish facilities . The company believes it can successfully take the lessons learned in Hungary and apply them to other international locations. Coloplast also believes that the Tatabanya operation could still be fine tuned and improved to improve its results even further. Some of the problems that need to be improved upon are. Knowledge sharing / Communication styles The production expansion in Hungary has revealed to Coloplast that decentralized approach to knowledge sharing may not work in all situations or locations. The old configuration in Denmark had most facilities and staff within a 30 min drive from each other. This allowed for more direct contact between facilities sharing processes, best practises, policies and ideas. This approach was not as successful in Hungary, Tatabanya is far from Danish headquarters and needed to have a much more direct approach. The decentralized system actually put the Hungarian operation at a disadvantage as there was a lack of manuals and instructions for them to work with in any language, not just Hungarian. Accounting procedure – Danish Kronner currency 93% of all products created by Coloplast was exported outside of Danish borders, this allowed the company to reach much larger markets then just its small domestic population. When an order is invoiced it is done so in the Kroner, the local Danish currency. This forces the company to exchange currency on the majority of all its transactions, exposing a currency risk if not managed carefully. It was estimated that currency exchange contributed up to 2% of overall loses in 2004. Outsourcing jobs negative impact on Danish workforce Coloplast has a large knowledge pool of its existing workforce in Denmark. With its volume production facilities shifting to new markets it is finding it challenging to maintain its Danish workforce in their existing roles. The company would like to be loyal to its Danish workforce and keep them employed, maintaining high morale. Coloplast would like to avoid expensive severance payments and negative public relations of reducing staff in Denmark while expanding operations internationally. Analysis Coloplost needs to continue to expand and grow it business. Internal estimates indicate that by 2010 the company will require double its current product volumes. At the same time they have set aggressive profit margin and growth goals. The international production expansion strategy is an important part of its goals. Coloplost hopes to meet the growing demand of its customers and achieving revenue goals by expanding production facilities in countries with lower operating costs One of the lessons learned by  Coloplost after the expansion in Hungary is the importance of the transfer of knowledge and communication between all segments of the business. This area needs to be improved prior to further expansion to China. During the last expansion management was so busy dealing with communication issues that they failed to fully take advantage of local sourcing opportunities, instead importing more expensive options. Management in Denmark must also decide how to properly utilize their dom estic workforce, when many of their current production positions are shifting to new countries. This will be a very important decision as these employees hold a high level of tacit knowledge of the company that it does not want to lose. The reporting of sales/conversion back to Danish currency represented a 2% loss. Continued expansion into new markets in both production and sales will make this issue even larger then it currently is. It is in the companies best interest to retain its Danish workforce when possible. These employees have the best understanding of the operations and can contribute to the companies success in training and perfecting best practises instead of focusing on production. Coloplost is still in a growth phase and redeployment/training of these people will save on severance costs and maintain a positive image for the company. Recommendations By improving the Hungarian operation and exploring further expansion opportunities such as China the company is demonstrating how essential expanding into low cost markets is to its overall long term strategy. A presence in the Asian marketplace will expose Coloplost to a massive consumer base to build its sales. This international market diversification will reduce the company’s dependence on its traditional European customers who’s health care systems are under reform and potentially not as profitable as before. A new strategy must be formed for the changing European markets, by expanding revenue streams, it provides the company time to assess reality of the new market conditions. Another benefit of having operations in Asia is increasing logistics options for the Coloplast. A Chinese distribution point could also be created providing better coverage in Asia and potentially shipping to North America as well. The Danish location will continue to ship to Hamburg and exp ort to North Europe while the Hungarian facilities will by pass by-pass Hamburg and ship directly to Southern  Europe. This plan will streamline the shipping process cutting costs for the company. The decentralized approach employed by the company while it was only operating in Denmark does not work on a global scale. Communication between all locations the company must be improved and two changes should be made immediately. First all processes and procedures needs to be documented in written form in all of the languages of the countries that the company will operate in. Coloplast has a large workforce in Denmark that will be shrinking in size due to the off shoring process. The company should select their most experienced and specialized staff to work on this project, providing new employment opportunities while reducing costs of retraining and severance fees. Second, the company should invest in a knowledge management system that will allow for file and idea sharing between all locations world wide. Coloplost should adjust its accounting procedures and no longer invoice in Danish kroners, instead they should invoice all sales in Euro’s. This will reduce the need to perform a foreign exchange transaction on all sales. If the company must later convert the currency to Kroners, they can do so when the exchange rate is in their favor. To further protect themselves from foreign exchange risk, they should hedge their transaction and purchase an option contract of swapping Euros for Kroner. Further shifting of volume away from Denmark is forecasted to reduce the Danish workforce by approximately 600 jobs over the next 5 years. It is best to get ahead of it and continue to offer early retirement and retraining packages to its employees. By utilizing its most knowledgeable employees to assist in training and manual creation, Coloplast hopes to retain the assets in its workforce that have the highest amount of the knowledge of its processes and production. This will help keep staff reduction to a minimal. Alternatives Delay further expansion – focus on improving Hungarian operations This option will make it difficult for the company to reach its long term goals. Make it possible to rotate management staff in different international facilities to help spread knowledge and share best practises among all operations Create a strong emphasis in using top Danish production workers as trainers to help develop new operations. write training manuals, proven to work well with Danish employees in the past. Development of a team from experienced staff  to assist in trying to source products locally may be a win win scenario. Keep Danish staff employed while reducing costs for the company. These employees would know systems best. Creation of secondary distribution points to better serve new markets. China could handle Asian and North American markets, Hamburg (Danish port) could handle traditional Northern European markets and a new distribution point could be created to funnel Hungarian supplied prod ucts to Southern Europe and beyond