Friday, November 29, 2019

The genre that I have chosen is comedy Essay Example

The genre that I have chosen is comedy Essay The genre that I have chosen is comedy is comedy. The reasons for why I have chosen this genre are that I know a lot about this genre as I usually watch comedy films in my spare time, so I also enjoy it to. The aspects that make a comedy a comedy are the 1 liners, the toilet humour, people hurting themselves humour, sexual innuendos and the fact that most comedy are funny in their own little way. Comedies are light-hearted dramas that are used to provoke laughter and amusement for the audience watching it. The comedy genre achieves this by exaggerating the situation, the language, actions and characters. There are many different forms of comedy including: Slapstick This is comedy with broad, aggressive, physical action, including harmless or painless cruelty and violence and sight gags, e.g., a custard pie in the face, collapsing houses, a fall in the ocean, a loss of trousers or skirts, runaway crashing cars, people chases, etc. The most recent of this type of film is Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1993) We will write a custom essay sample on The genre that I have chosen is comedy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The genre that I have chosen is comedy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The genre that I have chosen is comedy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Verbal Comedy This was classically typified by the cruel verbal wit of W. C. Fields, the sexual innuendo of Mae West or the verbal absurdity of dialogues in the Marx Brothers films, or later by the self-effacing, thoughtful humour of Woody Allen. Screwball Screwball comedies are light-hearted and romantic stories, commonly focusing on a battle of the sexes. They usually include visual gags, wacky characters, a fast-paced plot, and rapid-fire wisecracking dialogue reflecting sexual tensions and conflicts in the blossoming of a relationship (or the patching up of a marriage) for an attractive couple with on-going differences. Parody or Spoofs These types comedy are usually humorous take-offs of more serious films. These types completely over exaggerate the plot, the action and especially the characters in order to have its mocking type of effect. The most recent of these types of films is Scary Movie 1 2, both a take off of successful horror films. Cinematic comedy can be considered as the oldest film genre, it was ideal for the early silent films as it was dependent on visual action. The earliest comedy made was produced by the Lumiere Brothers in 1895 and was titled Watering the Gardener There have been many comedies released over the last century the most recent releases have been: American pie 1 2 Road Trip Scary Movie 1 2 Other films that fit in with this genre include: Shriek if you know what I did last Friday 13th Ace Ventura Dude, wheres my car? Dogma Plot The plot of comedies usually depends on the type of comedy the film, whether it being spoof comedy or screwball comedy they all differ. Although there are a few similarities, all comedies use sight gags, 1 liners etc, in order to stay with that genre. Examples, Road Trip use many visual gags. Characters In most comedies the characters can be easily stereotyped. There is always a Cheerleader or Captain of a football team, there is always a Dumb Blonde who never gets the jokes and there is always a Sexually Frustrated Geek. Occasionally, the comedy genres add a Goth or Rocker or someone of an alternative scene into a film. Examples Scary Movie and Cant Hardly Wait. Narrative The way in which the story is told revolves around the 1 liners, the sexual innuendos etc Stars The stars that are most likely to be associated with this genre are: Charlie Chaplin, Harry Lloyd and Buster Keaton and a more recent actor Seann William Scott etc. The 2 film covers above are American Pie 2 and Scary Movie. American Pie 2 and Scary Movie have many differences, the most obvious of which is that American Pie 2 has some relation to Screwball comedies and Scary Movie has relation to Parody or Spoof comedies. Whilst American Pie 2 exaggerates aspects of the film, Scary Movie overly exaggerates the film mocking most slasher movies, i.e. Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer etc. The Films both rely on visual gags, but Scary Movie uses much more of them to add to its mocking tone. Soundtracks, American Pie 2 uses a romantic sort of soundtrack whilst Scary Movie uses a more haunting soundtrack in order to stay as a parody of slasher films. In similarities, both American Pie 2 and Scary Movie have the stereotypical characters of the comedy drama; there is the Cheerleader Buffy in Scary Movie and Captain of the team Oz in American Pie, there are the sexually frustrated geeks, Jim and Bobby.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor Introduction On the morning of December 7th, 1941, the Japanese made an attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. It was an unprovoked attack which caught them by surprise. This attack is known to have been a major cause of America’s entry into World War II. Following this attack, America declared war on Japan. This attack is considered to have been highly unethical. It was an uninformed attack without any formal warning by Japan. It was conducted while negotiations between the two countries were still under discussion.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The attack on Pearl Harbor specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This attack resulted in a lot of damage and significant loss of life. Statistics report that 2,402 men were killed and 1,282 were wounded (USSWestVirginia 2000). The Japanese carried out a series of simultaneous attacks. â€Å"They hit the American ships, military installations, military airfields, the fleet at Pearl Harbor and many others† (Navy.mil 1991). Through these sudden and simultaneous attacks the Japanese aimed to destroy the US planes before they could fight back or defend themselves. The immense damage that the Americans suffered included the destruction of approximately 200 aircrafts and four navy battleships were sunk. On the other hand, Japan’s losses were much lighter with only around 65 fatalities. Ethical Issue This attack was also unethical in the context that Japan did not attack the US pacific fleet with the aim of a direct war with them. This was only a preventative measure they took to make sure that the Japanese could carry out their plans against East Asia, China, and United Kingdom without military interference from the US. Hence, all this destruction and loss of life was merely collateral damage. This uninformed attack identified Japan as treacherous and deceitful. Outcome The outcome of this attack was that the very next day America declared war on Japan. All Americans united with their allies and just one attack changed the course of the war. It led to the internment of the Japanese in the western United States. This was the exclusion and detention of people with Japanese descent. This gave rise to strong anti-Japanese sentiments and hostility towards them. The most important and drastic outcome of this event was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by America (History.com 2011). These unimaginable bombings marked the beginning of the nuclear age. On the 6th of August, 1945 America conducted its first nuclear bombing on the city of Hiroshima. The bomb named â€Å"little boy† was dropped on the city. Within seconds of this bombing, â€Å"around 30% of the total population of the city was killed instantly and around 70,000 were injured severely† (Truman 1945).Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mor e All that was left of the city was just a scar in the ground and monstrous grey clouds of smoke emitting from it. Practically all living things, human and animal, were literally burnt to death,  (Truman 1945). By the end of the year, deaths resulting from the after effects of this explosion reached up to around 166,000. While Japan was still awestruck by this explosion, on the morning of August 9th, a second bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. This bomb resulted in instant causalities ranging from 40,000 to 75,000 people. It also released large amounts of deadly radiation that spread all across the city and its surrounding areas. This was the outcome of the attack on Pearl Harbor. These bombings initiated the nuclear age; it was the first time the world had witnessed this. After the bombing the American president Harry S Truman stated in his press release â€Å"The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor, They have been repaid many folds† (Truman 1945). This statement of the president clearly implied that he believed the bombings were the correct way of avenging the attack at Pearl Harbor. He was in fact proud of it. If one considered the loss of life and destruction caused by Pearl Harbor to be brutal then it is obvious that the devastation caused by these bombings was far worse. Not only were there numerous immediate deaths but the radiation also caused a lot of diseases like cancer, birth retardations and other abnormalities. Japan chose to surrender after the second bombing. If this decision hadn’t been made there were more bombings planned against them. This attack was conducted at a much greater scale than that made by the Japanese. Many innocent civilians were killed. Generations suffered because of the after effects of radiation from the bombs. While, Japan had targeted American security forces and equipment in their attacks, these bombings targeted the cities as a whole killing blameless people. Innocent wome n and children lost their lives. Countless buildings including hospitals and schools were destroyed. This event was historically the most unethical and immoral ending to a war. The intensity and horror of it was so great that no other nuclear attack ever took place after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings (Crane 2005). Till date these are the only nuclear activities to have taken place. Alternate Outcome An alternate outcome to this could have been that the American government could have planned humanely. They might have targeted the security forces like Japan had done, and kept innocent civilians out of this. The bombs were used on too large a scale which was not necessary.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The attack on Pearl Harbor specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, if bombing felt like the correct thing to do based on the circumstances at the time, the Japanese could have been given some kind of warning f or resident evacuation from the areas. The nation was unaware of the intensity of these bombs since it was the first time they had been used. The Americans themselves were not certain of the outcome, yet they still carried out the operation. It was stated that these bombings were carried out to put an end to World War II. If that was the case then other less destructive means could have been considered (Seligmann 2008). Most importantly, if the US was trying to highlight its hegemonic power in this war, the bombing at Hiroshima had caused enough devastation to prove it, a second bombing at Nagasaki was not necessary. This could have saved hundreds and thousands of lives, it could have prevented the numerous diseases that resulted as a consequence of the deadly radiation. And it was after witnessing the supremacy of these nuclear attacks that other countries started investing in nuclear technology and now numerous nations’ posses it. Sustainability In both these incidents, sus tainability of the target nation was not considered as it should have been. In the case of Pearl Harbor, an unannounced series of simultaneous attacks from the Japanese caused passionate feelings of dislike to arise against them. This resulted in incarceration of the Japanese Americans living in the West Coast. The anti-Japanese sentiments resulted in mass removal and imprisonment of them. There was no criterion as to who should be exiled. All Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes and were sent to camps. Even the loyal and patriotic Japanese-Americans were not given any partiality. In some instances they were deported (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum 1999). Those Japanese descents that had been American natives for a long time and were dedicated to the country deserved to have been shown respect and tolerance. The deporting of American national Japanese community highlighted the aspect of racism. Some were so disturbed by the behavioral changes in the society due to Pe arl Harbor that they left the country by choice. However, in 1944 a number of Japanese Americans were selected to serve in the military and intelligence services. The selection was based on merit and those who met the requirements were given positions.Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More List of References Crane, Conrad C. 2005. The Atomic Bomb [online] available from pbs.org/thewar/detail_5234.htm Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. 1999. The Spirit of Hiroshima: An Introduction to the Atomic Bomb Tragedy. Hiroshima: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. History.com. 2011. Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki [Online] Available from history.com/topics/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki Navy.mil .1991. Overview of the Pearl Harbor attack, 7 December 1941. [Online] Available from history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm Patel, D. 2007. Hibakush [Online] Available from associatedcontent.com/article/431254/hibakusha_victims_of_the_atomic_bombings.html?cat=37 Seligmann, M. 2008. The alternatives to bombing Hiroshima were not morally superior. [Online] Available from guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/15/nuclear.japan Truman, H. August 1945. Atomic bombings of Hiroshima press release [Online] Available from http://americanhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/presshiroshima.htm USS West Virg inia. 2000. Pearl Harbor causality list [Online] Available from usswestvirginia.org/ph/phlist.php

Friday, November 22, 2019

Critically evaluate methodologies for achieving risk management Essay

Critically evaluate methodologies for achieving risk management process evaluation and change and comment on the constraints - Essay Example The methodologies for the management of risk in the hospitality industry may be broadly classified as being organisational and financial in nature. The strategies for the management of risks in the hospitality industry may be classified as being defensive, cautious or offensive in nature and these may be dictated by the broad business environment of the day. Risk avoidance, risk reduction or risk transfer are the organisational methodologies for managing risks and their financial counterparts for the management of risks include risk retention, transfer of risk related financial liability and risk repartition in which risks are spread amongst a number of businesses or groups. Whereas a practical organisational strategy is likely to combine a number of techniques to handle risks associated with a hospitality operation, attempts towards the repartition of risks present the best way to deal with situations in a global economy in which the clients of the hospitality industry or the touris ts have a number of alternatives that are available to them. This brief essay attempts to take a look at the methodologies for managing risk in the hospitality industry. Any economic activity is characterised by an associated exposure to risk as a result of the conduct of the activity. Large projects may be exposed to risks associated with delays, cost escalations and exchange rate fluctuations etc. In the hospitality industry, risks may arise as a result of investment risks in ventures, risks arising out of the globalisation of tourism, risks associated with requirements to comply with legal and licensing requirements and health as well as safety risks in establishments. Investment risks and the risks arising out of the globalisation of the tourism industry have to be considered at the time of investing in a new venture and these risks are more of long term or strategic risks in nature. Risks that are associated

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Writing a summary of a criminal case and the descriptions of a English Essay

Writing a summary of a criminal case and the descriptions of a English Legal Profession - Essay Example The crown part is part of HMCS standing beside County Courts, Magistrates’ courts and tribunals. Crown court basically deals with criminal cases which have a serious nature. These cases are usually related to murder, rape or robbery. Some of these cases come from Magistrate court in the form of an appeal. The crown court handles cases with Judges and Jury. Jury is usually based on 12 people who are selected from the public. England and Wales have 77 crown courts in total. These courts manage their running from the public funds. These funds are granted to them by Ministry of Justice every financial year. Courts procedures also have fees attached to them. (www.hmcs.gov.uk, 2 April 2009) Clerks and Officers at Crown Court: The administrative work of preparing case files, correspondence, and referral to judges, etc is done by court administrative officers. These officers are under the supervision of executive officer, office manager, and court manager of Crown Court. The clerks of court also sit during trails, its their responsibility to administrate the court room and assist the jude with any dates required. The clerk also records the progress of a case and make sure that hearing dates are assigned. Judges: The hearing and trail part of the case involve members of Jury, Judges, and Ushers. Judges at the crown court are Recorders, High court, and Circuit judges. Recorders are normally those solicitors and barristers who practice privately and can sit as Judge in Crown or County court as Judges. Solicitors and Barristers are also part of trail and appeal process. However they are not the court’s officials. They are hired by defendants/or the applicants. In case of parties not being able to afford the legal fees, legal aid hires a solicitor or barrister for the trial. The judge role at the crown court is to make sure that all parties get a fair chance to present their case in front

Monday, November 18, 2019

Discussion Question 2 Week 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Question 2 Week 6 - Assignment Example New employees have to be retrained so as to think outside the box when making decisions. The employees have the ability to relate with people they meet outside the business hence creating a good rapport with potential customers. Empowerment of the employees creates trust in them, as they are motivated in displaying their creativity, initiative and commitment in the decision making process required to propel the achievement of the hotel’s goals (Cameron, 2010). Also by being entrusted with decision making about their own jobs, the employees invest more in the overall performance of the company. By adding challenges to their jobs and giving them a sense of ownership, the employees became motivated (Rutkowski, 2011). With this empowerment, services provided to customers are of highest standards. Services such as stocking extra towels in the guest rooms, provision of quality food, and quick delivery of the customers’ requirements is observed. With this empowerment, organizational goals were achieved, and ways of performing jobs in the boutique hotel improved (Rutkowski,

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

A. B. Facey’s Relation to The typical Australian Essay -- essays resea

Australia has had many national identities in its existence; the most noticeable of these being the Bush discourse, the battler discourse, the Convict discourse and the Larrikin discourse. Russel Ward utilises these discourses in his book, â€Å"The Australian Legend†. He explains that the typical Australian is a practical man, tough who drinks heavily. A. B. Facey is a classic example of a typical Australian, although he does not fit in with all of the aspects of Ward’s construction. The convict discourse, Australia’s first image, was christened by the first fleet, which consisted of incredibly hard-hitting men, who came from Britain in 1788. Britain was no longer allowed to ship convicts from Britain to the American Colonies, forcing her to find a new land to use. Australia. The convict discourse consisted, like most of Australia’s identities, of the dominant man, strong, practical and entirely anti-British, holding absolutely no respect for the crown. After the British government became aware of the reputation of Australia, she began offering free land to settlers who wished to take up residence in Australia. This was designed as a bribe to create a more pro-government settlement. During the 19th century, the representation of Australia began to change. Poets such as Banjo Patterson created this new image, through poems such as â€Å"The Man From Snowy River†, creating the image of the bush. In addition to the bush discourse and the convict discourse Australia had the militar...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Compensation Strategies Essay

Executive Summary This report will look at 3 different compensation systems that our company can develop and roll out within our company for our employees and future employees. Compensation is one of the most important and rewarding factors for our employees. Employees rely on their compensation to pay their rent or mortgage, food for their family, vacations, education for their children, and prepare for their retirement life. How compensation is paid can determine the quality of employee you obtain and how long you retain them. This report provides information on different compensation strategies to attract/recruit good talent, improve employee production and retain valued employees. Annual merit increases help companies to continue being competitive in the work force. Research shows employees want to work for employers that are competitive with salaries. By moving to an annual merit increase system employees will continue to increase production and meet business objectives to receive more compensati on. Employees look at merit increases as entitlement and production can remain flat. Our company can increase productivity across the board by tying business goals to merit increases. In order to get the production needed, communication from management will need to take place to set expectations of achieving goals and what the potential merit increase the employee can receive by hitting those goals. Healthcare benefits can be a deciding factor for many people on whether or not they consider working for our company or if they decide to leave our company. Health benefits provided by the employer shows they care  about the employee and it helps get the employee back to work quicker which helps to be more productive. Healthcare is not only a benefit to the employee but also part of their compensation. Communication and training by management should be conducted annually to go over the employees full Comprehensive Compensation Package to show the total monetary amount received by the employee from the employer. The last type of compensation we will consider for the employees as a company is a 401(k) plan. 401(k) plans are growing with the number of employers that are providing options for their employees. As the research shows, the cost of losing an employee in the long run due to not providing a 401(k) plan can create higher turnover and training costs. We want to recruit and keep top employees and based on the research shown, providing a 401(k) plan will do what we need. My recommendation is to implement the annual merit system, health care benefits and a 401(k) plan. For the compensation packages to be a success we will create compensation statements for every employee to review and train all managers with direct reports so they can deliver the great message we have to share. Also, goals and expectations will be implemented as early as possible during the year to establish a strong foundation for performance. Our compensation plan is intended to attract key talent, increase employee engagement, incent and retain high-performing managers who will enhance the profitability of our company and create value for our shareowners. Introduction Compensation is an important element of our company. Employees rely on their compensation to pay their rent or mortgage, food for their family, vacations, education for their children, and prepare for their retirement life. How compensation is paid can determine the quality of employee you obtain and how long you retain them. This report provides information on different compensation strategies to attract/recruit good talent, improve employee production and retain valued employees. Also, with sales volume goals to increase, technology and innovation changing so quickly, and the quality of service customers are expecting, employers have to come up with ways to be better than their competition. The way to be better than your competition is through the people who work for the company. And one the best  ways to attract those employees are to have a better compensation packages for your employees. The goal for this research will show you the positive impacts to the company by offering Annual Merit Increases, Healthcare Benefits, and 401k plans to the employees. These compensation benefits are important to high quality employees our company’s trying recruit, retaining high producing employees, as well as, increasing motivation and production with all other employees. By implementing these actions our company will be able to show our employees our commitment to be the best company to work for and to show how valuable our employees are to the company. Research Findings Merit Pay Increase According to Towers Perrin’s Global workforce study, competitive base pay is the most important factor that attracts UK workers to an employer, with almost six-out-ten (59%) respondents stating that this would influence their decision (â€Å"Competitive base pay,† 2007, p.16). Not only is it important to attract workers but retaining high performing employees and keeping them motivated to increase and maintain productivity to compete in the marketplace is vital. One way to retain and motivate employees is through annual merit increases. If a merit pay system succeeds, it motivates employees to work harder and achieve more (Mack, 2014). In order for the merit pay system to succeed it will need to be tied in with the business strategy of the organization and not viewed as an entitlement. Merit increases can motivate employees to achieve whatever goal the company sets. For example, by finishing projects timely with high quality or rolling out new operational procedures for the company. Employees often fail to see a link between merit pay and the accomplishment of business goals because no link is being made (Heneman, 2002, p.382). In a Supervisory role is important direct reports understand how their individual goals align to organizational priorities and how merit increases are earned based on exceeding their given goals. Planning and Goal Setting is the foundation for performance management and execution of our strategies. It focuses on ensuring employees have a clear understanding of annual organizational  priorities, and defining individual employee goals aligned to their job role and those priorities. Finally, it is important that effective communication exists between employees and management and that managers have the requisite tools for administering rewards (Leritz Ph.D., 2012, p.1). Analysis: Research shows employees want to work for employers that are competitive with salaries. By moving to an annual merit increase system employees will continue to increase production and meet business objectives to receive more compensation. Employees look at merit increases as entitlement and production can remain flat. Our company can increase productivity across the board by tying business goals to merit increases. In order to get the production needed, communication from management will need to take place to set expectations of achieving goals and what the potential merit increase the employee can receive by hitting those goals. Healthcare Benefits According to â€Å"Competitive base pay most important for recruitment† (2007), â€Å"almost two thirds (59%) of staff would consider leaving their job if their employer failed to address health and wellbeing in the workplace. Business in the Community’s Business action on health campaign shows that 83% of staff considers the way that an employer looks after the health and wellbeing of staff is important when choosing a job† (p.16). Effective communication from employers about the compensation plans has a major influence on the turnover rate of the top performing employees. Because one companies benefits are better than the other doesn’t mean employees will stay. Based on the surveys conducted, companies with better communication strategies and lesser benefits had only 12% turnover compared to 17% turnover with companies that offered better benefits. Companies with excellent benefits and effective communications had only an 8% turnover of top-performing em ployees. Also, when employees were surveyed on how satisfied they were with their benefits, only 22% were satisfied with the better benefits from employers with poor communications. On the other hand, 76% of employees with lesser benefits and effective communication from the employers were satisfied with their benefits (â€Å"Better benefits  communications,† 2005, p.9). Companies must show the employees that healthcare benefits are a part of total compensation because companies that don’t effectively communicate the value have higher turnover rates for top performers. According to Kathryn Yates, global director of communication consulting at Watson Wyatt, â€Å"Employers can spend huge sums of money on benefits, but if their employees aren’t aware of the cost or don’t appreciate the value of the benefits, they aren’t going to see a return on their investment.† (â€Å"Better benefits communications,† 2005, p.9). Analysis: Research shows the importance of health benefits to employees and what it takes to retain those employees. Health benefits provided by the employer shows they care about the employee as well as it helps get the employee back to work quicker which helps to be more productive. Healthcare is not only a benefit to the employee but also part of their compensation. Communication and training by management should be conducted annually to go over the employees full Comprehensive Compensation Package to show the total monetary amount received by the employee from the employer. This communication and training on healthcare benefits are vital to keeping our top performers. 401(k) Plan The increase of matching contribution for 401(k) plans through employers has risen from 68 percent to 73 percent over the last couple of years (Plenda, 2013, p.31). In a recent survey, if another employer offered a similar job with a 401(k) plan, 40 percent of employees said they would pursue other opportunities with the new employer. It was also determined when a 401(k) plan is presented most employees work harder and stay on the job longer (Lamont, 2014, p.10). People who save money are good workers because they place greater value on future outcomes. These types of employees work more and are more conscientious of how they treat employer assets because they understand their reputations will be hurt by careless actions they take. Not only do employees stay on the job longer but companies can use 401(k) plans to attract workers that are more conscientious and productive on the job (Munnell & Sunden, 2004 pp. 3-20). Research by Bank of America Merrill  Lynch shows higher turnover rates, increase in training costs, and lower productivity and sales as a potential consequence for not offering a competitive benefits package to its employees. Employers should look at benefits as one of the most important investments they can make. These investments will attract top talent and show they are invested in their employee’s professional growth, as well as, their financial well-being to give them a competitive advantage over other employers (Brooks, 2012). Analysis: 401(k) plans are growing with the number of employers that are providing options for their employees. As the research shows, company’s not providing a 401(k) plan can lose employees’ to competitors, lose productivity and sales. We want to recruit and keep top employees and based on the research shown, providing a 401(k) plan will do what we need to help increase our advantage of attracting and keeping top talent over our competitors. Recommendations Our company’s compensation plan is intended to attract key talent, increase employee engagement, incent and retain high-performing employees who will enhance the profitability of our company and create value for our shareowners. Below are the recommendations to begin implementing merit increases, healthcare plans, and 401(k) plans to our employees. These actions will align specific goals to our organization’s priorities and enables us to execute its strategies to deliver exceptional compensation packages to our employees. Recommendation: It is recommended to establish goals and expectations every year to ensure employees have a clear understanding of annual organizational priorities and their defined individual employee goals are aligned to their job role and those priorities. Managers will meet with each of their respective employees to communicate their goals and expectations and have the employees sign and approve understanding. On February 15th, annually, managers will meet with each employee to discuss results and give feedback on achievements, strengths, areas of opportunities, and merit increase the  employee will be receiving on their March 1st paycheck. By implementing a merit increase we will increase employee engagement, incent and retain high-performing employees who will enhance the profitability of our company and create value for our shareowners. Recommendation: My recommendation is to set up health care benefits with United Health Care and contribute $500 per month towards employee’s costs. Additionally, implement a Comprehensive Compensation Package to be presented and reviewed by the manager to the employees at their annual merit increase to show them the rich compensation they have with the company. The Comprehensive Compensation package will give a personalized overview of all components of the employee’s compensation and cash value of the benefits available. By communicating with the employee’s, we will see an increase in retention and satisfaction that will decrease our company costs and increase profitability. Recommendation: My final recommendation is to set up Fidelity to manage the employee’s 401(k) accounts. In addition, the company will match 3% of the employee’s contributions and will schedule yearly financial seminars with Fidelity for financial guidance and retirement advice. During yearly reviews, managers will be present the Comprehensive Compensation Package to give an overview of all components of the employee’s compensation and cash value of the company matching. By providing a 401(k) plan and financial guidance we will attract top recruits, as well as, retain top employees. Conclusion My goal for this research is to show you the positive impacts to the company by offering annual merit increases, healthcare benefits, and 401k plans to the employees. These compensation benefits are important to recruit high quality employees, retain high producing employees, and increasing motivation and production with all other employees. By creating annual merit increases, employees are more productive and try to reach the highest increase they can get to add to their salary. Adding the company’s business objectives to the merit increases for the employees to reach will add  increased productivity to the company. Adding healthcare coverage for employees and communicating with them the value added to their compensation is important to retaining employees. Employees with healthcare also go to the doctor more often and come back to work quicker which means less down time and higher production. Lastly, introducing a 401(k) plan to the employees creates long lasting and loyal employees that are vested in the company’s success. The findings show the importance of pay to employees and the importance of attracting employees to a company. Also, employees work harder which will make the company more profitable. Planning, goal setting, communication. The importance of the findings for healthcare is employees are will to leave their company if employers don’t provide healthcare benefits. Shows communication is very important in making sure employees understand the benefits to make sure they don’t leave. Shows increase in businesses providing 401k plans and attracting hard workers.shows how important benefits are in keeping and attracting employees. Work harder and stay on the job longer How important it is to show benefits are part of compensation to show the value and keep top performers. Communication is going to be the fundamental key to getting the buy in and positive reactions to implementing these compensation benefits. The best merit increase plan, healthcare plan, and 401(k) plan can generate positive employee reactions or a negative employee reaction. The actual effect depends on whether these plans are understood and accepted and whether employees’ perceptions of the facts are positive. Finally, it is important to make sure we keep pace and understand what other organizations benefits are to their employees and we stay competitive to them, we also remember the employees must understand the benefits and buy in to them to be successful. References Better benefits communications can help to improve retention. (2005, April). Managing Benefits Plans, 5(4), 9. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=09c97eff-2de5-4526-9558-66dcdfc85554%40sessionmgr114&hid=110 Brooks, C. (2012). Monetary benefits play increasing role in luring workers. BusinessNewsDaily, Retrieved from

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Business ethics Essay

In business there will always be the line to act with integrity or to lie, cheat, and steal. Famous author Douglas Adams once said, â€Å"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity† (Heathfield, n. d). The priority of any business is to serve the needs and wants of the customer and more important his or her stakeholders. Any business decision made in major corporations must line up with stakeholder’s interests, but more important stakeholders have the social responsibility to represent in the best interest of the entire corporation. The prevalence of so many major scandals with corporations caught in the public is drawing much needed attention on concepts of ethic, and social responsibility. Ethics and corporate responsibility is a direct application of the ideas of in business practice. This papers purpose is to explain the role of ethics and social responsibility in building a strategic plan while incorporating the stakeholder interests. Business execs have the responsibility to adhering to the unspoken ethics they have only not taught but also have enforced by society and the law. Ethics are inherently common sense decisions made by those in authority with the power to affect an entire organization. When, business executives make decisions they must consider business ethics and the organizations (stakeholders) values. Once the essential questions ask is, â€Å"Do the organization’s values reflect accepted society values? (Young, 2004) Business executives must execute strategic business plans where they take into account not only each value associated with each choice, but the consequences of each choice. The interests of the stakeholder are one of the prime obligations of an organization. The demands of the stakeholders are generally to increase profits; this is echoed by economist Milton Friedman, the â€Å"one and only one social responsibility of business† is â€Å"to increase its profits,† assuming an honest and open marketplace†. (Bigelow, 2013), According to Friedman also that corporations owe no responsibilities to society. However, critics will disagree that corporate social responsibility is always to put the customer first, which ensures a customer’s happiness and loyalty. Stakeholders are not only investors into companies but they also have voting power, which carries social, and financial influence within the company. Their social responsibility is to the customers and to the employees (Jones, 2012). They have decision power, and ultimate control over allocation of resources. Corporations and organizations ultimately exist to satisfy the needs and agendas of the stakeholders. The problem lies in, however; when the needs and the agendas of the stakeholders can blur the line between what is ethically right and what is considered against the law. The organization’s obligation to the stakeholder is as much as a priority as the relationship to the public. â€Å"The relationship between a customer and a firm exists because of mutual expectations built on trust, good faith, and fair dealing in their interaction† (Ferrell). When creating a strategic business plan the organization must incorporate its social responsibilities for the customer, and prevent any ethical dilemmas. Clear examples that recently have captivated the news over the decade has been the highly publicized cases of Waste Management, Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, HealthSouth, which exaggerated earnings to meet the expectations of stakeholders, Freddie Mac, AIG, Bernie Madoff, and host of others. These examples of accounting fraud, manipulation of books, and stealing from clients made by top executives in the position to meet the expectations of stakeholders and not making ethically sound decisions. To prevent these scandals from occurring, ruining not only the organization, the employees but also the public’s faith within the corporate world, according to research ethical risk management is an option dependent on the infrastructure in which it promotes ethical conduct and standards. The directives and the support from management in the way it manages potential problems with the lack of ethical standards. Because of the number of scandals not only have businesses implemented stronger measures for ethical practices but also have the legal systems. The establishment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002, which came after the scandal of WorldCom, was because the number of major corporations collapsing under the weight of their own unethical practices. According to the SEC, â€Å"the Act mandated a number of reforms to enhance corporate responsibility, enhance financial disclosures and combat corporate and accounting fraud, and created the â€Å"Public Company Accounting Oversight Board,† also known as the PCAOB, to oversee the activities of the auditing profession† (SEC, 2012). Ethics is a fundamental part of compliance and governance systems. Ethics explicitly should integrate into the elements of strategic planning in businesses. In determining the roles that factor into managing stakeholder’s interests ethically organizations must first take into consideration that the business is the first line of defense in taking responsibility for managing and supervising corporate responsibility effective in accordance with the level of influence the business set by the organization. Executives in a position to communicate to stakeholders must always implement ethical decisions when balancing their needs and the organizations’. The executives must be responsible in providing clarification and verification of ethical standards in place. The executives must drive the culture and work environment of compliance toward ethical standards and practices to ensure the effectiveness. Business ethics is important in every organization and the main responsibility is to act with integrity and honesty. References Ferrall, O. C. (2004). Business ethics and customer stakeholders. Academy of Management Executive, 18(2), retrieved from http://danielsethics. mgt. unm. edu/pdf/Customer Stakeholders. pdf. Bigelow, L. (2013). What are the social responsibilities of a company to its stakeholders? Hearst Newspapers, Retrieved from http://smallbusiness. chron. com Heathfield, S. (n. d. ). Inspirational quotes for business and work: Integrity. Retrieved from http://humanresources. about. com Young, P. (2004). Ethics and risk management: Building a framework. Risk Management, 6(3), 23-34. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org â€Å"The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry. † (2012). SEC. Retrieved from http://www. irmi. com/expert/articles/2005/head02. aspx.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How to Write a Law School Case Brief

How to Write a Law School Case Brief Writing a  case brief  can be rather easy once you’ve got the format down. While this guide focuses more on the structure of a written brief, you should keep most of the elements when doing a book brief as well. Read through a case once before you begin briefing, and then focus on the important parts of the case, which will become the elements of the case brief: Difficulty:  Average Time Required:  Depends on length of case Here's How Facts:  Pinpoint the determinative facts of a case,  i.e., those that make a difference in the outcome. Your goal here is to be able to tell the story of the case without missing any pertinent information but also not including too many extraneous facts either; it takes some practice to pick out the determinative facts, so don’t get discouraged if you miss the mark the first few times. Above all, make sure you have clearly marked the parties’ names and positions in the case (Plaintiff/Defendant or Appellee/Appellant).Procedural History:  Record what has happened procedurally in the case up until this point. The dates of case filings, motions of summary judgment, court rulings, trials, and verdicts or judgments should be noted, but usually this isn’t an extremely important part of a  case brief  unless the court decision is heavily based in procedural rules- or unless you note that your professor loves to focus on procedural history.Issue Presented:  F ormulate the main issue or issues in the case in the form of questions, preferably with a yes or no answer, which will help you more clearly state the holding in the next section of the case brief. Holding:  The holding should directly respond to the question in the Issue Presented, begin with â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no,† and elaborate with â€Å"because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  from there. If the opinion says â€Å"We hold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that’s the holding; some holdings aren’t so easy to pinpoint, though, so look for the lines in the opinion that answer your Issue Presented question.Rule of Law: In some cases, this will be clearer than others, but basically you want to identify the principle of law on which the judge or justice is basing the resolution of the case. This is what you’ll often hear called â€Å"black letter law.†Legal Reasoning: This is the most important part of your brief as it describes why the court ruled the way it did; some law professors dwell on facts more than others, some more on procedural history, but all spend the most time on the court’s reasoning as it combines all parts of the case rolled in one, describing th e application of the rule of law to the facts of the case, often citing other court’s opinions and reasoning or public policy considerations in order to answer the issue presented. This part of your brief traces the court’s reasoning step by step, so be sure that you record it without gaps in logic as well. Concurring/Dissenting Opinion:  You don’t need to spend too much time on this part other than the pinpoint the concurring or dissenting judge’s main point of contention with the majority opinion and rationale. Concurring and dissenting opinions hold lots of law professor  Socratic Method  fodder, and you can be ready by including this part in your case brief.Importance to class: While having all of the above will give you a complete brief, you may also want to make some notes on why the case is important relevant to your class. Jot down why the case was included in your reading assignment (why it was important to read) and any questions you have about the case as well. While briefing cases is always helpful, your brief is most important in the context of the class that it is for. What You Need Case bookPaper and pen or computerAttention to detail

Monday, November 4, 2019

Informational Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Informational Interview - Essay Example This report includes a summary of questions that were asked to an employee in an accounting field. The questions were prepared to capture challenges one goes through in the field and importance of interpersonal, communication, speaking, team work and written communication among others. Discussion The employee interviewed started to work as a junior accounts manager with future objective of becoming a CFO Manager in a financial related organization. The interviewee chose to work in this field as he is good in Math and this is what he sees as the only way promotion and can secure him any job applied for in other companies. Some of the task assigned to him currently includes managing the trainees’ accounts, communicating with the bank to ensure that the trainees are paid in time (Guffey & Loewy 2010). He also helps in recruiting exercise of accountants for other departments in the organization. The respondents finds the work satisfying as he enjoys working as an accountant, solve new challenges and making other team members happy. He works hard to ensure that he is productive and all that he does is appreciated by both the junior and seniors. Although he enjoys working as an accountant, the work has pressure. He says that he has to ensure that he does not make any mistake it affects line activities above or under him. He works in the salary and finance department where he ensures that salaries are paid in time and the trainees are satisfied and happy to be paid what they have worked for in the past month. The respondent says that the field is very competitive as one goes up the rank, competiveness and challenges increase too. The industry at large requires one to incorporate both the accounting skills, deductive skills and good decision making skills. One is required to make good decisions on when a risk is worth taking; these skills have seen him get promoted twice since he started as a trainee four years ago(Fitch 2007). The respondent has worked in multi ple departments that has exposed him well and made him to feel that he is an all round person. This industry requires him to make information he learnt in college. The accounting, etiquette, technical communication skills and business ethics skills learnt in college has helped him to ensure he meets customer satisfaction in his field of work. Over time, the respondent says that he knows that it is possible to project customer’s future needs. This is important as they need to safe guard the company image at all cost. The employees are required to have the right morale and attitude as they work; to achieve this, the respondent says that they calculate the economic growth and from there salary increment for the employees is increased accordingly. Employee’s performance is not only measured from how much money one brings into the company, but it incorporates a mixture of other factors like one’s hard work, work ethics, creativity and communication within the employe es and to customers. The company values employee’s creativity and productivity. The respondent wants to see himself in a senior management position in the coming five to ten years. The position he is aspiring to hold by then includes project manager and to manage his own department, as he aspires to be a CFO later on. The communication needs in this field is effective and a mistakes can put an employee in a lot of trouble. The respondent s

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Geographical Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geographical Information Systems - Essay Example The most important part of a GIS is the ‘gencode’ to which information is connected. It represents a geographical code to highlight a place or location anywhere in the world. A GIS shows vital data in a diagrammatic manner, displaying extended spatial locations, territorial divisions, neighborhood vicinities and their inhabitants with unparalleled clearness. The GIS displays structure upon structure of data {such as characteristics and statistics of human population, income levels, voting preferences, poverty levels, pollution rates, and Internet availability}, and the manner in which all structures work in cohesive unity. The GIS user then selects the data to structure according to the queries that need to be solved. The precise information provided by GIS is being increasingly used for public safety purposes. Public safety officials have discovered that its geospatial information is derived much more spontaneously, and is more productive as compared to data supplied by ambiguous orthodox photography due to the very fast rate at which imagery of a certain area can be displayed as well as the cost savings involved. It is estimated that GIS use has resulted in cutting short land-use and field visits by as much as 70%. Tasks like on-the-way and on-the-scene skillful planning, highlighting the precise origin of wireless calls, advance planning of interior safety and security strategies, and re-directing traffic in times of emergencies have become much easier to undertake and solve more quickly and efficiently (Earth Imaging Journal, 2005). The use of GIS as a crime-fighting tool is increasing in the United States. It enables the police to examine and evaluate crime trends and find precise geographic locations where some crimes are concentrated, connect those crimes to the area in which they take place, and highlight the locations