The Position Of Asian-Americans In The Bay Area Political Economy free essay sample

Examines the Asian population in the Bay Area in three steps: a demographic overview, analysis of two recent events (campaign finance scandal and Prop. 187) and an analysis of a new unification of the various Asian-American communities. The Position of AsianAmericans in the Bay Area Political Economy Introduction Historically, the AsianAmerican community of the Bay Area which numbers well over one million people, has had trouble organizing itself into activist collectives and learning to speak with one voice (Lee, 1994). During the last several months, events have forced the disparate community to put aside certain cultural and ethnic differences and join forces to fight a formidable foe  the modern, American metroplex. This paper studies the AsianAmerican population of the Bay Area in three main parts. The first section provides a statistical overview of the AsianAmerican population. The second section discusses two recent events which have had a major impact on the AsianAmerican community. We will write a custom essay sample on The Position Of Asian-Americans In The Bay Area Political Economy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The third section shows how those same events have

A Very Short History of Chad, Africa

A Very Short History of Chad, Africa Brief History of Chad Chad is one of several potential sites for the cradle of humankind in Africa following the discovery of seven-million-year-old human-like skull, now known as the Toumaà ¯ (Hope of life) skull. 7000 years ago the region was not as arid as it is today cave paintings depict elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, cattle, and camels. People lived and farmed around the shores of lakes in the north central basin of the Sahara. The indigenous Sao people who lived along the Chari river during the first millennia CE were absorbed by the Kamen-Bornu and Baguirmi kingdoms (which stretched from Lake Chad deep into the Sahara) and the region became a crossroads for the trans-Saharan trade routes. Following the collapse of the central kingdoms, the region became something of a backwater ruled by local tribes and regularly raided by Arab slavers. Conquered by the French during the last decade of the 19th century, the territory was declared pacified in 1911. The French initially placed control of the region under a governor-general in Brazzaville (Congo), but in 1910 Chad was joined to the larger federation of Afrique Équatoriale Franà §aise (AEF, French Equatorial Africa). It was not until 1914 that the north of Chad was finally occupied by the French. The AEF was dissolved in 1959, and independence followed on 11 August 1960 with Francois Tombalbaye as Chads first president. It was not long, unfortunately, before civil war erupted between the Muslim north and Christian/animist south. Tombalbaye rule became more brutal and in 1975 General Felix Malloum took power in a coup. He was replaced by Goukouni Oueddei after another coup in 1979. Power changed hands twice more by coup: to Hissà ¨ne Habrà © in 1982, and then to Idriss Dà ©by in 1990. The first multi-party, democratic elections held since independence reaffirmed Dà ©by in 1996.

There are two topicschoose one of them Coursework - 1

There are two topicschoose one of them - Coursework Example The authors, Carter and Usry (2002), define cost drivers as factors that cause the expense to happen or any factor that is identified with the event of an expense. Examples of cost drivers include machine hours, direct material hours, direct labor hours and so forth. The process of selecting the system most suitable for a business depends on having a clear comprehension of the benefits and limitations of the two primary costing systems. Also known as the conventional method, the traditional costing framework assigns manufacturing overhead costs to the manufactured products. This method assigns a factory’s indirect costs to the manufactured items on the basis of the volume of units produced, the direct labor hours, or the production machine hours. Therefore, with a traditional costing system the implication is that factory overhead costs are dependent on a given cost driver. The application of this assumption was applicable in the past decades because the listed cost drivers were the biggest contributors to manufacturing costs of products. However, in modern times manufacturing overheads have been driven by numerous factors hence the traditional costing system may be misleading in making effective management decisions (Cokins, 1998). Traditional costing systems apply indirect costs to the products by considering a predetermined overhead rate. The process of traditional costing begins with the identification and selection of the indirect costs and estimation of the expenses for the suitable period. The expense period can be monthly, quarterly, or yearly. The cost drivers that relate to the selected costs are then chosen. Similar to the expenses, the amount of the cost driver is evaluated for the suitable period. The estimated cost drivers and estimated expenses are then used to calculate an overhead rate that is then applied to the products using the figured rate. The conventional

Strategic Management Process CS 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Management Process CS 1 - Essay Example But there is a need to emphasize more on employee satisfaction in the statements. In a competitive industry like beverage industry employee is the most important part for a company along with the customers. So the company should add the benefits they are providing to the employees in the value statement. Despite that the mission, vision and value statements of the company is well structured and forward looking. Introduction In this modern world only one thing is constant- that is change. So in the world of change for matching the steps with the competitors the companies have to formulate a robust strategy for them. Every company have some short and long term objectives which they want to meet. Coca-Cola is not an exception. This paper is an attempt to analyze critically the mission, vision statements and the values of Coca-Cola using the view of the famous strategist Michael Porter. The researcher would also suggest any change needed in the statements if needed. Critical Analysis of the Mission, Vision and Values Mission Mission statement of a company describes the reason of the existence of the organizations. It also describes the value they are offering to the customers (Swales and Rogers, 1995, p.225-226). The mission statement of Coca-Cola is â€Å"To refresh the world... To inspire moments of optimism and happiness... To create value and make a difference.† (Coca-Cola Company, 2011) The mission statement of Coca-Cola is describing the reason of their existence through their first two statements and about the value creation through the 3rd statement. The statement accounts for the customers’ interest. The expectation of the shareholders’ is also met. If the company is able to meet the expectations of the customers, it can generate revenue, and the return of the shareholders will get a boost. But through this statement the interest of the other stakeholders’ like the employee expectations is not met, not also the community. Vision The vision statement of the company should focus on the future and provide a solid foundation for the organization. The vision statement doesn’t change like the objective or goal of the company, which is of short term. The vision describes the long term strategy of the company as well as the stakeholders’ importance more precisely (Lipton, 1996, p.84-86). The vision statement of Coca-Cola is as follows. â€Å"People: Be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. Portfolio: Bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs. Partners: Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create mutual, enduring value. Planet: Be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities. Profit: Maximize long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities. Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization.† (Coca-Cola Company, 2011) The vision statement of Coca-Cola emphasizes on the interest of the stakeholders. Their long term strategy is enhancing their portfolio so that they can meet the expectations of different target customers. The corporate social responsibility factor has also been addressed by the company management

U.S History Post Civil War to Present Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S History Post Civil War to Present - Essay Example Westward migration in America began when the first English colonists came to America seeking land for settlement and freedom of religion and social life. In Maryland and Virginia colonists began the process of migration when they moved to the interior of America in search for new land for tobacco cultivation. Although New England colonies also moved west in search for agricultural land, they also wanted to escape the strict religion of the Orthodox Church that was led by puritans. In Pennsylvania and New York migration and settlement patterns were different. Migration from southern parts of America to the west was due to long and violent Indian wars that ended in 1718. Keywords: Populous, Rich, West, East Coast, Agriculture, Mining, Railroad, World Wars, Pioneers, Frontiers, Colonists, Orthodox, Puritans, Religion Introduction The move by people in the United States from cities on the East Coast to the west was motivated by a number of factors. These factors include agriculture, mini ng, railroad, the World Wars and religion. The construction of railroads, discovery of gold in the southwest, agriculture and facilitation of transport for goods from the industrial centers to markets in the west through the railroad were the main factors that led to movement of people from the east coast to the west. By the end of the nineteenth century, Los Angeles and San Francisco located in the west began to grow as cities. However, almost half of the population lived on farms. The move by pioneers to the west was in three great waves. The first pioneers crossed the Appalachian Mountains and settled in the river valleys of Mississippi and Ohio between the 1770s and early 1880s. The second wave took place from the 1840s to the 1860s when pioneers moved from the East Coast to the West Coast settling in Oregon and California. The last movement to the west was in the 1860s when pioneers settled in the Great Plains. These movements ended in 1890 when the government of the United Sta tes decided that there were no more frontiers to be settled. Agriculture In early 1618, the head right system gave fifty acres of land to new immigrants in Maryland and Virginia provided that they cultivated tobacco. Sponsors who paid for passage of emigrants also got a share of the land; emigrants were required to help in cultivation and management of the vast tobacco farms. With time wealthy planters got to own the largest portions of the land forcing smaller farmers to move west in pursuit of land. In 1790, the United States had a population of approximately four million people. Farmers made up the largest population of the labor force. By 1850, the population had grown to over twenty three million people; farmers who had previously made up the largest population of the labor force had decreased. Original colonies had pushed away agriculture to the west and on the Great Plains. There was ample land in the west for agriculture and rearing of livestock. The quick growth of the farm equipment industry brought more land under cultivation fueling the demand for farming in the west. In the late 1870s and 1880s there was a huge demand for beef, all Native American reservations created a boom in the cattle industry. More ranchers focused on the prairies in the west where they grazed their cattle, cowboys who were mostly blacks were

Substance Misuse Prevention: Needle Exchange

Substance Misuse Prevention: Needle Exchange PDG A single type of prevention or intervention strategy with regards to substance misuse. The needle exchange The UK currently has an ambiguous and sometimes conflicting set of policies with regards to some issues surrounding drug use. In the words of Rice, the UK has: an uneasy consensus of conflicting forces, opinions and positions that have shaped the whole legislative framework and surrounding issues that govern the way that we, as a society, deal not only with controlled drugs, but the problems that they cause directly and that are associated with their use. (Rice et al 1991) If one considers the various ways in which this â€Å"consensus† has evolved over the last few decades, one could suggest that there is a clear dichotomy between those who feel that the way forward is through dual mechanisms of enforcement and prohibition (sometimes referred to as the illegalisation movement), and those who believe that systems employing legislation, harm reduction, empowerment and education comprise the rational way forward. Both parties appear to believe that their mechanism is the only way to protect society. (Holmberg SD 2006) Holmberg’s view is further strengthened with an examination of recent events. The illegalisation movement has been demonstrated to be largely ineffective in countries where it has been employed on a large scale (viz. USA) (NSDU 2004). The harm reduction movement, considered by some to have a defeatist doctrine, accepts that drug use will still occur despite the imposition of the most draconian measures and therefore aims to reduce the potential levels of damage associated with drug use. (Reinaman Levine 2004) To summarise the thrust of Fordham’s work, it is often the case that when there is multi-agency involvement in decision making and government by committee, we arrive at a collective consensus of varying opinions that get amalgamated into some form of legislative framework that allows both the opposing factions to equally claim both victory and also to point to deficiencies in the scheme where they can manage to abdicate responsibility when it does not work effectively. (Fordham, F et al. 2007) If one considers the specific concept of the needle exchange, then this can be assessed on a variety of levels of differing complexity. At the most simplistic level, it is a mechanism of harm reduction. Bulmenthal documents the fact that IV drug abusers can go to extraordinary lengths to continue their habit if their equipment is confiscated thereby exposing themselves to illness transmission risks by sharing needles. (Bluthenthal R N et al. 2005). The Des Jarlais paper putting forward the premise that if they are going to persist in injecting then it should be in the safest manner possible. (Des Jarlais et al 1995) On a more complex level there are some that suggest that providing a needle exchange increases IV drug use. Such views are not based on available evidence. The Aggleton paper demonstrating clearly that syringe exchange centres, with access to clean and sterile equipment, neither increases the incidence of drug use, nor does it increase the frequency of injection of confirmed users (such factors are demonstrably far more dependent on the local availability of the drugs (CDCP 2002)) . More importantly, neither do they increase the number of new converts to drug injection (UNAIDS 2003) (Aggleton. P 2000) Arguably a more important consideration of a needle exchange is the potential benefit for improvement in the general health of the user (and some would argue in the Public Health). The Gostin study shows that use of a needle exchange implies contact between user and healthcare services who have the ability to place the user in contact with those services best suited to reduce high risk activities. (Gostin et al . 1997). This is also relevant in consideration of the fact that the majority of drug abusers have at least one associated pathology (viz. mental illness, physical illness or other social pathologies). Because they will typically be a highly mobile and itinerant population, these individuals are easily lost to any type of organised healthcare follow up or intervention. The needle exchange can act as an opportunity to intervene to try to assist the user deal with their problems. The simple provision of needles represents a lost opportunity in this respect. There are two other important elements relating to the needle exchange. By protecting an addict form HIV/AIDS one is also protecting their sexual partners from exposure. The second (often cited) element is one of cost. Needle exchanges are comparatively cheap to run and this must be compared to the social and financial costs of not running them. Aggleton concluded that each syringe exchanged cost 18p. This equates to  £13 per case of HIV/AIDS prevented. Compared to a lifetime of healthcare costs for a single HIV/AIDS case, the savings to society are incalculable. (Aggleton P 2000) References Aggleton. P. (2000) UNAIDS, Report on the Global HIV/AIDS epidemic, June 2000; quoted in Success in HIV Prevention,. UNAIDS Best Practice Collection. Geneva, UNAIDS. 2000 Bluthenthal RN, Kral AH, Erringer EA, et al. 2005, Drug paraphernalia laws and injection-related infectious disease risk among drug injectors.  Journal of Drug Issues. 2005 Vol.6 CDCP (2002) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: HIV/AIDS Surveillance report 2002 : 14 Des Jarlais DC, Hagan H, Friedman SR, et al. (1995) Maintaining low HIV seroprevalence in populations of injecting drug users. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1995; 274 : 1226 1231. Fordham, F Jones L , Sumnall, H McVeigh J Bellis M (2007) The economics of preventing drug use An introduction to the issues National collaborating centre for drug Prevention for the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence HMSO: London 2007 Gostin L O, Lazzarini Z, Jones T S, et al. (1997) Prevention of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases among injection drug users: a national survey on the regulation of syringes and needles. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1997; 277 : 53 62. Holmberg SD. (2006) The estimated prevalence and incidence of HIV in 96 large US metropolitan areas. American Journal of Public Health. 2006; 86: 642 654. NSDU (2004) National Survey on Drug Use and Health: 2003 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. HMSO: Sept 2004: Reinarman, C., Levine H G. (2004) Crack in the Rearview Mirror: Deconstructing Drug War Mythology. Social Justice 31 (2): 182 199 Rice D P, Kelman S, Miller L S. (1991) Estimates of economic costs of alcohol and drug abuse and mental illness, 1985 and 1988. Public Health Reports. 1991; 106: 280 92. UNAIDS (2003) Fact sheet High-income countries’. WHO Publication 2003 Internet shopping: Impact on consumer behaviour Internet shopping: Impact on consumer behaviour Electronic commerce is becoming increasingly important to both corporations and individuals as a result of the dramatic development of technology and the emergency of a global economy. The expansion of the usage of the Internet by organisations and people is one of the main contributors to the development of e-commerce in terms of e-shopping, electronic business and internet commerce. Studies have shown that by the middle of the 1990s internet based services had rapidly emerged in usage and coverage leading to their application and deployment in the creation of a new method of shopping, (Wiggins, 1995). Thus online marketing has become vital to new e-commerce and traditional offline companies in order to take advantage of these new technologies. However the essential ingredient of marketing and business generally is the satisfaction of customers needs hence a full understanding of consumer behaviour in terms of internet shopping is a critical success factor for any company making use of it as a form of doing business. Consumer behaviour is complex and can be described as a dynamic interaction between affect and cognition, behaviour, and environmental events, (Blythe, 1997). Due to the new characteristics of the global economy it has been contended that customers value immediate responses to their demands in terms of goods and information. A demand which technology based e-commerce is arguably able to meet. Therefore it is useful to explore the main determining factors on customers choice of e-retail site. Additionally research has revealed that consumer acceptance of e-shopping in the UK is much higher than in many other European countries (Forrester Research, 2000). Literature also suggests as do previous studies that young educated people constitute a principal demographic engaging in online shopping. This research focuses on university students following other studies in arguing that they represent the principal demographic of online shoppers but also includes a sample representing other demogr aphics in order to comparatively analyse behavioural patterns for shopping online between different groups. Due to the nature of internet there are critically problems related to shopping online the major ones suggested as being security and privacy problems. These originate and are due not only to the deficiencies inherent within Internet and e-commerce security but also as a result of customer distrust of such measures as a result of perceived inadequacies with procedures, (Panko, 2001). Yet even with these problems online shopping has grown exponentially therefore an interesting interaction must be occurring between consumer behaviour and these factors, an interaction this research proposes to examine and analyse. Research suggests that online sellers have made successful efforts to increase customers confidence and usage of shopping online through the improvement of security performance and privacy protection. Companies like eBay and Amazon.com illustrate successful examples of e-shopping which are argued benefit from a successful brand building strategy increasing customer loyalty. As a result it is suggested that online shopping has become and will continue to become a full and effective business model, (Black, 2005). However this depends to a large extent on the development of technology as well as effective marketing. This research then aims to examine consumer perceptions of business innovations and the nature of business innovations in terms of technology and marketing to altering these perceptions and behaviour resulting out of these perceptions. This project makes use of both qualitative and quantitative methods aiming at triangulating the research factors involved to provide useful data for analysis of relevance to the objectives listed above, (Gummeson, 2000). The research is divided into four phases. The first element is a literature review and analysis of secondary data forms dealing with both theory as it applies to online shopping, various business practices in terms of the environmental conditions of online shopping and general theories dealing with consumer behaviour, (Ghauri, 2005). The aim of this section in furtherance to reviewing literature in the area is to establish patterns of congruence within theoretical literature not directly concerned with online shopping. An initial questionnaire will be conducted with a sample of 300, 250 of whom will be randomly selected from a university campus and 50 from local city centre. The questionnaire is aimed at gathering descriptive data of use in modelling behavioural patterns while shopping online. An initial control question identifying those persons who have bought goods online will help identify a representative sample of consumers who are of relevance to the objectives of the research. The data from this will be analysed for recurring themes, issues of differences and similarities in behavioural patterns between students and other demographic groups and some common behavioural indicators for shopping online which in turn form the base of the investigation to be carried out in the ensuing qualitative research. In terms of qualitative data collection three focus groups will be held, each with 8 participants. The first two focus groups will be sampled from the 250 university student participants in the questionnaire who expressed willingness towards further participation in research. The third focus group will be drawn from the 50 non-student demographic and if necessary the sample will be supplemented through advertisements in local media and outlets. From the 24 participants in the focus group it is hoped that six participants two from each focus group will accept an invitation to participate in an interview to explore in more detail the issues arising from the questionnaire and the issues raised in the focus group sessions. It is obvious that the research may take up a certain amount of participants time and thus a flexible schedule for the interviews as well as inducements in the form of online shopping vouchers will be used to assist in increasing the response rate to these parts of the research. The primary focus of the semi-structured interviews is to follow up on specific themes highlighted in the previous forms of research and also allow time for the respondents to discuss freely and offer their insights into the relevant issues raised by the research so far, (Silverman, 2004). To conclude it is expected that this combination of research methods will yield fruitful and insightful data relevant to the objectives of the research. In particular the triangulation achieved through the supplementing of descriptive quantitative data with exploratory qualitative data will it is hoped illuminate specific interactions between theories from the literature and practice in day-to-day patterns of behaviour for online consumers and further explain specific and general elements particular to UK consumers.

College Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Importance of a College Education Johnny is a fifth grade student who is almost ready to graduate and move on to the sixth grade. Johnny however, can not multiply or divide. He cannot spell or read. Johnny fell behind in the third grade. His teacher overlooked his failure and promoted him so that he would not be held up socially. Johnny's fourth grade teacher promoted him to fifth grade hoping that he would catch up with his classmates. Johnny is now about to enter the sixth grade with the educational skills of a second grader. The situation described above is called social promotion. It is the process of moving children through grades regardless of learning or skill. For years it has been the common practice in education to move " students from grade to grade because of chronological age" (Mitzel 468). Students should have an adequate education in order to be equipped for the twenty- first and twenty-second century. The injustice of social promotion should be ended and society must discover the best route to achieve genuine student success. "Students who are socially promoted have no skills for life. The number of social promotions each year nears two million" (American Federation Teachers, afta.com). Social Promotion shows children that no matter what grade they achieve they will be promoted. This creates two problems. Students will not work to achieve; laziness is created in children. Second, the students who work hard and learn the material are often overlooked so that a teacher may help a student who is behind because of social promotion. Social promotion was brought to the attention of the country when President Clinton gave his State of the Union Address in 1999. In this address he stated many educational goals such as a mandatory third grade reading goal and the reformation of the school system in order to equip it for the twenty -first centuries. Along these same lines the President has called an end to social promotion. President Clinton proposed not just to hold back failing students but to do something about their failure. Such as remedial classrooms, identifying weakness before it is too late, strengthening learning opportunities and placing strong well-trained teachers in classrooms (Galston 35). If a student was asked in the nineteenth cen... ...ided to go back and get a degree. My mother has my utmost respect for her dedication for higher education. Even after all these years she could’ve just relaxed and enjoyed the fruits of her labor, instead she chose to attend college again. After weighing all of my options and seeing all the signs I knew it was time to get back in the game. I mean, today's society's level of norm based on an individuals qualifications has three fold in the past 30 years, whereas more than 55% more high school seniors attend college than in 1968. (http//:bostonu.edu) Once where an individual could be successful and needed no college education, now needs to attend some form of continuing education institution. As a result, I am now attending the University of Phoenix. I now attend to college to please myself, achieve a goal and to create better opportunities for me and my future generation. It took a while for me to fully understand and appreciate what a college education was for and could do, starting with Johnny in the 3rd grade to the advantages it held for me. I admonish everyone, young or old to pursue their degree if they have not already done so. It is never too late...for education.

Naked States Film Reaction Paper Essay

The idiosyncrasies of photography are nothing new in my book, I happen to have a cameraphile (for lack of a better word) sister, who prides herself of having taken pictures of every little monument, statue or building she stumbles upon. Every time our family goes on a holiday on a new location, she takes it upon herself to take anything â€Å"worth† storing in her camera (in almost every angle), which means everything and we stopped every time she has to take a shot, which means every mile. I thought I knew all the quirks of photography until I gaze upon several dozen naked people lying in the streets of New York City and a cynical guy casually taking pictures of them. Wow, it hit me, now this is a different story. â€Å"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others†. In a liberal society like ours (sort of), I have found that this principle provides reasons for limiting free speech when doing so prevents direct harm to rights. This means that very few acts should be prohibited. It recommends very limited intervention in the realm of free speech. All forms of speech or expression that are found to be offensive but easily avoidable should go unpunished. Public nudity, for example, causes offense to some people, but most of us find it at most a bit embarrassing, and it is avoided by a simple turn of the head. The same goes with sex and coarse language on television this principle doesn’t support criminalizing bigamy or drug use, or the enforcement of seat belts, crash helmets and the like. As we all know, nude photography is a subject to the freedom of expression and unless that form of expression is obscene or offensive in nature, it is completely legal. Nude photography is no more different from nudity. And like I said, nudity is a prime example of a possibly offensive but victimless state of being. It is not even an activity or act, since it is not behavior, but simply the absence of clothing. The nude and the naked should therefore be protected by civil rights and liberties, including natural rights, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and private property rights. And throwing photography into the mix is, again, no different. Of course, most folks don’t want naked people to walk down the street. But anti-nudity laws extend way beyond this to prohibit nudity in one’s property and even inside one’s own house, and some places make it illegal to be nude in the company of a child even at home. In some place, breast feeding is treated as a crime. Art depicting nonsexual nudity is banned in some places and many shops that develop film routinely destroy any film that depicts nudity, and if a child is shown nude, no matter how innocent the context, the shop reports it to the authorities. Before you get the wrong idea; I think Spencer’s philosophy is complete crap. Utter crap, liberation through nudity? I don’t have a slightest desire to be â€Å"liberated† because, well, as far as I’m concerned, I am liberated. I feel liberated. I don’t have to strip down to the waist and have someone capture that moment to feel good about myself or to wash away any misgivings I have in the past. And I think its enormously unpleasant seeing naked people lying down in a pavement road like Jewish victims straight from the concentration camps of the Holocaust. Contrary to popular belief, the clothing we wear doesn’t promote shame and reservation in the human body but it intensifies the respect for human sanctity of our own body. In other words, the clothing is not here to hide or disguise your body like a cloak but to preserve them and treasure for someone you loved like a wedding veil. Heck, I guess you can even say that we humans, by our very nature, are evil and lustful. And our clothing, on most cases, serves as a cushion from our lecherous individuality we all share since the beginning of adolescence to each other until you have met the right intimate companion. Although unlike many people, I know better. Or at least I did after a brother of mine did his very best to enlighten me. I remember asking him quite a long time ago, out of curiosity, about â€Å"the big deal on stopping nudists from walking around all nude and all†, and he said that apparently in California, they are considering a â€Å"local option† law that would let local governments determine their own â€Å"community standards,† replacing the current state-wide standard. This means publication depicting nudity in a non-sexual context, or even a photo of one’s naked baby in a bathtub, could be classified as obscene by the local standard. Electronic communications and web sites showing non-sexual nudity, such as people at a nude beach, would become criminal in that locality. Such laws are being pushed and passed throughout the world because most folks are not a free-thinking activist (or more likely, a cynical artist) like Spencer Tunick, or even a determined nudist and think it does not affect them. But these laws are not only unjust to these people, but set terrible precedents against free expression and private property rights. This abridgement of the freedom of expression is a foot in the door to the suppression of all our rights and liberties. Spencer might not have meant it intentionally but his actions will take a greater resonance in the annals of freedom of expression than anyone can imagine. And by the way, if anyone had the witless audacity to approach me and ask me to pose nude for artistic reasons I tell them â€Å"S— no. Find someone else who desperately needs a boost on self-esteem or a misguided publicity stunt†. Couldn’t have said it more eloquently.

Service Quality Gap Oman Insurance Company

Service Quality Gap Oman Insurance Company Executive Summary The assessment of the quality of service delivery in an organisation is important as it allows consumers to make informed decisions. It also helps the organisation to respond appropriately to improve its services.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Service Quality Gap: Oman Insurance Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the past, service quality has been defined as â€Å"the extent to which a service meets customers’ needs or expectations† (Asubonteng et al., 65). A common definition is, â€Å"Service quality is the difference between customers’ expectations of service and perceived service† (Fitzsimmons and Mona 25). In order for this to be achieved, an analysis of the organisation using the SERVQUAL methodology is necessary. SERVQUAL methodology evaluates five dimensions of quality service delivery. They include reliability, assurance, empathy, tangibles, and res ponsiveness (Fitzsimmons and Mona 26). A gap analysis in service delivery is also important as it allows the identification of â€Å"causes of service quality shortfalls in each or all of the dimensions† (Fitzsimmons and Mona 28). A service quality gap analysis for Oman Insurance Company was carried out with the aim of establishing the quality of services offered by the company. An analysis of the five gaps identified followed with calculation of the weighted and un-weighted values of SERVIQUAL scores for each using the recommended formulae (Fitzsimmons and Mona 26). The data used in the calculations was obtained from the analysis of the responses from questionnaires issued to both the customers of the insurance company as well as the employees. The results showed a small but significant gap in service delivery for which recommendations were made on how to reduce it. This essay therefore discusses the procedure of analysing the gaps in service delivery in the company, the res ults of the analysis, and the recommendations towards improving quality service delivery at Oman Insurance Company.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Service Quality Gaps The service quality concept constitutes about seven major gaps with three (Gap 1, Gap 5, and Gap 6) being important â€Å"since they have a direct relationship with customers† (Luk and Layton 113). Gap 1, which deals with customers’ expectations against management perception (Luk and Layton 114), was partially evaluated in the study. Gap 2 deals with management perceptions versus service specifications while Gap 3 comprises service specifications against the delivery of those services (Luk and Layton 115). The fourth gap is the difference in service delivery and external communication (Luk and Layton 114). Gap 5 highlights the difference between the perception of the customers of th e services delivered against their expectations of the services (Luk and Layton 114). This gap formed the main approach in the survey. Gap 6 focuses on the discrepancy between the expectations of the customers and the perceptions of the employees while Gap 7 highlights the discrepancy between the management and employees’ perceptions (Luk and Layton 114). These were evaluated using the questionnaire issued to the respondents for the study. Methodology The analysis of the service delivery quality was made using data obtained using a questionnaire. The questionnaire prepared constituted two parts, which evaluated customers’ expectations and opinions about insurance companies against their perceptions of service delivery at Oman Insurance Company. Confidentiality was guaranteed in the questionnaire by ensuring that there was no place for the respondents to fill in their personal details. Thus, their answers were anonymous. A score of 1 to 7 was assigned to the responses w ith 1 representing those who strongly disagreed with the quality and 7 representing those who strongly agreed with it. The five dimensions of SERVQUAL methodology, which evaluated the quality of service delivery, were assessed. These included reliability, assurance, empathy, tangibles, and responsiveness. The questionnaire was pretested before the start of the analysis that involved the use of 20 individuals with knowledge of the insurance company.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Service Quality Gap: Oman Insurance Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The recommendations from the pre-test were then incorporated into the questionnaire with printing of the final drafts being made for issuing to the respondents. The questionnaire was issued to clients who received services from the major branches of the Insurance Company. Selection was randomly made. This means that the sample of people selected was representati ve of the actual number of people receiving services from the insurance company. The number of respondents was 200 clients. The survey was carried out over a period of five days. The results were then analysed with presentations being made from them. Appropriate conclusions were also made. The making of recommendations on how to improve service delivery at the firm followed. The recommendations were mainly addressed to the management of the company. Results Out of the 200 questionnaires prepared, three were not answered. The respondents did not fill two of them appropriately. As for the demographics, 146 respondents were male while the rest (54 respondents) were of the opposite sex. The ages of the respondents were varied with the most common age being above 40 years, which constituted 59% of the respondents. Most of the respondents also had a level of education above college level with most being undergraduates. The results of the five dimensions of SERVQUAL methodology are as foll ows: Tangibles The assessment of this factor of the company involved the assessment of customers’ perception of equipment, personnel appearance, and physical facilities in the company. The customers strongly agreed with the idea that an excellent insurance company should have modern looking equipment.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The average score was higher than the perception of the same in Oman Insurance Company. They agreed, though not strongly, that Oman Insurance Company had modern looking equipment though this was below their expectations. As for the physical facilities, the customers also strongly agreed that these should be visually appealing, but their perceptions of the same at Oman Insurance Company fell below their expectations. The appearance of employees in Oman Insurance Company was as per the customer expectations. They therefore agreed strongly that they were neat. The average scores were, however, negative for the above factors. For an excellent insurance company, the customers agreed strongly that their materials such as pamphlets or statements should be visually appealing. Their perception of this in the Oman Insurance company fell below their expectation. Thus, the average score was negative for the company. In general, the average score for the tangibles in the Oman Insurance Company w as negative. The score was at -1.40. This represented the best score of all the five factors assessed on service delivery in the company. Reliability On reliability, the questionnaire assessed the ability of the company to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Wisniewski, and Donnelly 359). In the first question on reliability in the questionnaire, the expectations of the customers on an excellent insurance company was high, as they strongly agreed that it should fulfil promises by the scheduled time. A number of respondents held the same sentiment about Oman Insurance Company with most of them strongly agreeing that the company fulfilled most of its promises to them on time. However, the average score was lower compared to their expectations. The quality of problem solving for an excellent insurance company also featured on reliability with most of the respondents claiming and agreeing strongly that such a company should show strong interest in solving its problem s. Against this expectation, the Oman Insurance Company scored lower in the degree to which this characteristic was true for the company. The company was scored as being good at listening and solving problems in the services it offered though this was inadequate time for most of the respondents. The performance of services for the first time by the company was also below the expectations of the customers, and so was record keeping in the company. The overall expectations of the customers on reliability received a strong agreement with a score of 6.06 with the company scoring 4.26 on perceptions on the same by their clients. This means that a gap of -1.70 existed in the company in the area of responsibility. This was the largest of all the areas. Responsiveness The assessment of responsibility was done by using questions, which focused on the â€Å"willingness to help customers and or provide prompt service† (Dick 28). In the first one, customers strongly agreed that adequate information should be given to them in the case of an excellent insurance company regarding when the services would be performed. This was against a poor perception of the same in the Oman Insurance Company, which though above average, customers perceived that the services were not as good as their expectations of an excellent insurance company. The employees were also a little less willing to help them as compared to their expectations of an ideal insurance company. This situation elicited a negative score. The employees of the company also received a lower rating in their ability to attend to their clients compared to an ideal insurance company. Employees of an excellent insurance company were expected never to be too busy to respond to customers’ requests. The respondents agreed strongly to this opinion. Oman Insurance Company, on the other hand, received lower scores in this aspect of service delivery making the overall score negative. The responsiveness gap score for the company was at -1.69. Assurance The perception of assurance for the Oman Insurance company was weighed against the expectations for an excellent company in the same field. This involved evaluation of â€Å"Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence† (Valarie, Parasuraman, and Leonard 39). It included factors such as competence, credibility, security, and courtesy (Dick 28). In the evaluation of employee behaviour, customers strongly agreed that, for an excellent insurance company, this should instil confidence in customers. In comparison to this case, the company received lower scores on the same with a negative score being obtained. The customers also strongly agreed that employees of an excellent insurance company should be consistently courteous with customers. They felt that this was slightly poor in the Oman Insurance Company with a negative score being obtained. The knowledge of employees in the insurance company was assessed in this section of the questionnaire with customers being asked if it was adequate to answer their questions. They strongly agreed that, for an excellent insurance company, employees should have knowledge to answer their questions. Their perception of this in the Oman Insurance Company was lower thus earning it a negative gap score. The overall gap score in this category was -1.55. Empathy Empathy is the last dimension assessed in the SERVEQUAL instrument. It involves assessing the â€Å"Care and individualised attention that the firm provides to its customers† (Wisniewski and Donnelly 363). Constituents include communication, accessibility, and understanding of the customer (Wisniewski, and Donnelly 363). Oman Insurance company customers strongly agreed that the organisation offers them individualised attention. However, this perception of customers was not as good as what they expected from an excellent insurance company. They strongly agreed that an excellent company shoul d offer individualised attention to the clients’ needs. The resulting gap score was negative for the company. The operating hours for an excellent insurance company should be convenient to all customers. They strongly agreed with this opinion. The company also received a negative score in this suggestion since most of the customers perceived the company as not offering convenient hours compared to an ideal company. The employees were also described as giving special attention to each customer. Again, this was below their expectations of an ideal company. Upon evaluation, they had customers’ interest at heart since the score was the same both for the Oman Insurance Company and for an excellent insurance company. Customers responded that employees of Oman Insurance Company understood their specific needs though their score was below that of an excellent insurance company with the overall score being negative. This dimension of the SERVEQUAL instrument received a negative score, which was at -1.52. Discussion The results of the survey found an existing gap in service delivery at Oman Insurance Company. The Gap scores were -1.40 for tangibles, -1.70 for reliability, -1.69 for responsiveness, -1.55 for Assurance, and -1.52 for Empathy. The un-weighted and weighted averages for all the dimensions were later calculated and presented in the table below. Dimension Expectations Perceptions Gap scores Weightings Weighted average Tangibles 5.66 4.26 -1.40 19.8 -0.28 Reliability 6.06 4.36 -1.70 29.6 -0.5 Responsiveness 5.74 4.05 -1.69 19.9 -0.34 Assurance 6.13 4.58 -1.55 15.2 -0.24 Empathy 5.97 4.45 -1.52 15.7 -0.24 From the table, the average of the Weighted SERVQUAL score was -1.6 Conclusion Therefore, based on the above expositions, it suffices to declare the evaluation of service delivery in a company a crucial exercise that comes in handy to direct any changes that should be instituted in the company. The paper has used Oman Insurance Com pany as a case example to demonstrate the role of assessment of the quality of service delivery in the company. In the analysis of service delivery for Oman Insurance Company, various aspects of the company were compared against an ideal insurance company. A questionnaire was the tool of choice for this task with respondents being the clients of the company. The results highlighted an existent service delivery gap in the company. The company should use the results of this survey to alter its services in a bid to ensure that the gap is closed and the services delivered are up to the expectations of the customers. This outcome will go a long way in improving the performance of the company. Asubonteng, Patrick, Karl McCleary, and John Swan. SERVQUAL revisited: a critical review of service quality.Journal of Services Marketing 10. 6(2000): 62-81. Print. Dick, Schaaf. Keeping the Edge: Giving Customers the Service they demand. New York: Plume Penguin, 2006. Print. Fitzsimmons, James, an d Mona Fitzsimmons. Service management: operations, strategy, and information technology. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print. Luk, Sherriff, and Roger Layton. Perception Gaps in customer expectations: Managers versus service providers and customers. The Service Industries Journal 22.2(2002): 109-128. Print. Valarie, Zeithaml, Autor Parasuraman, and Berry Leonard. Delivering Quality Service: Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations. New York: Free Press, 2004. Print. Wisniewski, Michael, and Moris Donnelly. Measuring service quality in the public sector: the potential for SERVQUAL. Total Quality Management 7.4(2000): 357-365. Print.

Management and Leadership Paper

Management and Leadership Paper Introduction McDonald’s Corporation is one of the leading companies in the world, having been in the field of fast foods for years. The company prides on its customer base around the world and has established companies in more than 100 countries around the world. It has 30,000 local restaurants and supplies its products to more than fifty million customers daily (McDonald’s 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Management and Leadership Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In order for McDonald’s Corporation to remain relevant and have sustainable competitive advantage, the company has embarked on sound management and leadership. This paper evaluates McDonald’s management and leadership style, the role of managers in creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture and recommends on how McDonald’s can create and maintain its culture. Management and leadership at McDonald ’s In evaluating leadership and management approaches at McDonald’s, it is quite significant to understand its work culture how it is continuously maintained to promote a sustainable growth throughout its operations around the world. McDonald’s work culture requires the efforts of individual line managers in charge of various sections of management. Through delegation of duties, managers at McDonald’s are able to supervise operations and mingle with employees (Goldman, Santos Tully, 2008). As role models, managers at the company take lead in demonstrating how business is supposed to be done. Senior management at McDonald’s has concern for its employees and has developed strong relationships. Every line manager focuses on motivating employees which is important in bringing out the best out of every person including low-skills workers. McDonald’s Corporation further believes in training of leaders at all levels within the management structure . This objective is made possible by partnering with Hamburger University which impacts employees with skills and knowledge necessary for better service delivery. As a result, the company has invested in nurturing professional talents in order to meet the needs of the company (Goldman, Santos Tully, 2008). It therefore follows that the company does not only train its executives and managers but also appreciates the need to have empowered employees through reinforcement of its culture. As such, McDonald’s identifies employees as main pillars who have to be valued in terms of their remuneration and working benefits. Although all managers at McDonald’s have played significant roles in promoting the performance of the company, its CEO has demonstrated exceptional qualities and leadership styles. Jim Skinner has worked for the company for more than thirty years, having served in several positions before rising to the helm of McDonald’s management.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a charismatic and transformational manager, many successes which have been realized by the company are attributed to his management through redefining the company’s vision and business direction (Goldman, Santos Tully, 2008). Having had immense experience with the company, his election as the CEO allowed the company to experience global corporation. He has played key roles in streamlining communication between employees and managers, focusing on the need to satisfy their needs. He appreciates the work played by employees through open promotions which are advertised in order to eliminate the â€Å"McJob† stigma which had haunted the company for years (Goldman, Santos Tully, 2008). According to his philosophy, McDonald’s has given higher priority to customers as compared to its expansion interests. As the head of management, Ji m believes in creativity among all employees without departing from the primary objectives which drive the company’s operations (McDonald’s 2011). The management at McDonald’s also recognizes the need to have professional values in doing business around the world. In addressing the problem of obesity, Jim provided a solution rather than letting other managers to carry the blame which the company was facing. He therefore represents moral leadership which embraces the spirit of doing what is right for better performance. It can be summarized that management and leadership of McDonald’s Corporation focuses on customer satisfaction, employee motivation and ethical approaches in driving the company’s agenda. Role of managers and leaders Managers and leaders play a pivotal role in promoting a healthy culture which allows growth and good performance. While managers believe that culture is an essential requirement, the question has always remained on worka ble ways of promoting organizational culture. Likewise, McDonald’s Corporation has ensured that it has a healthy culture through a wide range of approaches. Led by Mr. Jim, the company’s management appreciates the need of having skilled employees who understand the mission and direction of the company. To achieve this, its workers are empowered through training and workshops (Goldman, Santos Tully, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Management and Leadership Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This allows employees to feel valued and motivated while performing their responsibilities at the company. Training further allows employees to master the mission and vision of the company as their main driving principles. Additionally, the company is able to nurture future leaders through inculcating company values and ethics. By absorbing talented leaders into leadership, McDonald’s Corporation h as continuously appreciated the need for succession leadership which promotes continuity. Another way in which managers promote healthy organizational culture is through involvement of employees in problem solving. By the fact that every company experiences unique problems and challenges, it is important for managers to involve junior employees as a holistic approach of management (Schein, 2010). Besides this, delegation of duties plays a major role in enhancing organizational culture. It allows people to serve in different capacities as their talents and professional capabilities are tested. When managers delegate duties, other employees feel valued by the company, a concept which has been widely accepted as a motivating factor not only for employees at McDonald’s Corporation but also in other companies around the world. Lastly, McDonald’s Corporation has always created the best atmosphere for its culture to flourish through consistency in its operations and managemen t. This allows the alignment of the company’s structure, values, mission statement and philosophies. Consistency further ensures that the company is anchored on unwavering principles of management which promotes trustworthiness, empowerment of employees and trust (Bateman Snell, 2009). Recommendations As a company that believes in ensuring sustainable competitive advantage, there is every need for McDonald’s Corporation to focus on other ways of creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture. For instance, mentorship of employees is essential in helping new employees to adapt to a new environment without difficulty. Mentorship bridges the gap between previous work station and the current position (Bateman Snell, 2009). It further clears the anxiety which preoccupies employees when they take up new roles in an organization.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through such programs, new recruits at McDonald’s Corporation would find it easier to master their roles in a new organizational culture. It would also eliminate ethnocentrism where some employees may feel superior or inferior depending of how their culture is perceived. As a global company, it would be paramount for McDonald’s Corporation to engage in exchange programs which would allow integration of myriad business cultures before adopting particular values. Through such events, managers and employees would able to perform their duties with an open mindset that appreciates cultural diversities around the world. Conclusion Good leadership and management have significantly contributed to the success of McDonald’s making it the leading fast food company in the world. By emphasizing customer satisfaction and employee motivation, the company prides on a stable customer base and a sustainable competitive advantage. References Bateman, T. S., Snell, S. A. (2009). M anagement: Leading collaborating in a competitive world. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Goldman, E., Santos, T., Tully, S. (2008). Observation of Leadership Organizational Behavior at McDonald’s. Eric Goldman. Web. McDonald’s. (2011). Our Company. McDonald’s. Web. Schein, E. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.

Summary for research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Summary for research - Essay Example For empirical analysis there were used both daily and weekly closing stock price indices for the four sectors of the Qatar Exchange for the period from January, 2008 to April, 2011. The results of the study based on the Johansen’s multivariate cointegration analysis have shown that all four sector indices had interrelationships in a long-term equilibrium. The findings based on the Granger’s causality analysis have shown that Banking and Financial Institutions sector had significant impact on the price predictability in the other sectors in the short-run, while Services sector had much lower impact. The analysis based on the findings of the generalized forecast error variance decomposition has shown that the Services and Insurance sectors appeared to be the most endogenous sectors while both the Industrial and the Banking and Financial Institutions sectors were the most exogenous sectors (Walid, 2012). Both individual and institutional investors usually try to diversify their portfolios in order to minimize the risks and to generate most efficient outcomes and/or expected returns. There are recognized two major strategies under portfolio diversification: cross-market investment to in different classes of assets or sectors and global diversification of portfolio by investing across both domestic and foreign assets. However, it is worth to mention that in order to create a well-diversified asset portfolio, prospective investors should take into consideration the fact of interdependence structure of financial markets (Walid, 2012). There were carried out many empirical researches, which provided evidence of interdependencies of international financial markets as a result of globalization and increased level of integration. However, it is also important to understand the nature of interdependence structure amongst different sectors in a specific country, because it can provide prospec tive and

Morgan stanly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Morgan stanly - Essay Example The headquarters is located in New York City, Manhattan, and the representatives of the company, as well as subsidiaries can be found in 42 countries. Total assets that company manages or supervises, reported by the company, total $ 304 billion. The company was established in September 1935 by Henry Morgan, Harold Stanley, and others. The establishment was stipulated by the Glass-Steagall Act, that required the proper division of the banking and investment activity of the financial organizations. As Chiou and Larson (2005) emphasize the first operational year appeared rather successful, as the company managed to gain the 24% of the market share (which involved up to $ 1 billion) in managing the public offerings (up to 70% of the company’s assets) as well as private placements. In the end of 1930s the company participated in the industrial development of the USA by offering $ 100 million debentures for the US Steel Corporation, as well as obtaining the rail syndicate in 1939. T he 1950s period is considered as quite notorious for the financial structure of the company, since the company was involved into the banking activity by co-managing the World Bank’s bonds. ... in the same year, and entered the real estate business by this merger. In 1990s, the company added another financial management approach, and started serving like the underwriter for most technical and scientific initiatives. Therefore, Morgan Stanley served as the key underwriter for Netscape, Cisco, Compaq, Dolby Laboratories, Brocade, Google and others. The core products that the company offers for the financial services market involve Global Wealth Management, Investment Management and Consulting, as well as working out proper and relevant management strategies for the institutional financial securities. Industry Analysis Financial services that are offered by the Morgan Stanley and competitors are generally intended to regulate the financial flow, stabilize the economic and financial global situation, as well as secure the managed financial reserves, debts, and investments from financial catastrophes and crises. Therefore, the financial services industry involves such spheres as banking, financial insurance, managing security, investment fund controlling, retail, payment systems development. Considering the circumstances of the 2008 financial crisis, stabilization, and reformation of the global economic system is regarded as the priority for most experienced economists. They make emphasis on developing effective financial management tools, that financial companies possess. (Horrigan, 2004) In accordance with the estimates, offered by Halah Touryalai (2013), Forbes observer, the Morgan Stanley controlled up to 40% assets of the retail clients in 2012, and the forecasts for the years 2013-2014 expect that this share will suffer 16% decrease. RBC Wealth Management’s (regional assets broker) market share, in its turn is