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

Response - Research Paper Example In-depths into Global Climate Change There have been increased concentrations of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere following different human activities. Scientific evidence points out that this has seen the average Earth surface temperature rising by approximately 0.80C. About two thirds of this temperature increase was recorded in the year 1980 (Emmanuel 689). Scientists link these changes to increased combustion of fossil fuels as well as high rates of deforestation across the globe. The main contributors are industrialized nations as they emit a greater percentage of greenhouse gases which further translate into adverse changes in the global climate. This has mainly been boosted by increased human activities. Kiehl and Trenberthnotes that â€Å"Atmospheric concentrations of some of the gases that produce the greenhouse effect are increasing due to human activity and most of the world's climate scientists consider that this is a significant part of the cause of observed climate change† (203). The effects are however, felt worldwide. ... Therefore, a greater portion of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is linked to anthropogenic sources and the effects are felt fromradiation of gases through the atmosphere. Moreover, most sources of human emissions are able to be identified in specific nations, but the impacts are felt in all areas of the Earth. Greenhouse effects occur and are felt when solar radiation heats the Earth surface after which the heat is radiated into the atmosphere in long wavelength radiations (Emmanuel 688). From scientific view, the radiation is captured by atmospheric carbon dioxide and water vapour then reradiated. This causes heating of land, atmosphere and sea surfaces which then results into intense temperature levels worldwide. This is mainly attributed to the fact that warming effect of the land, oceans and atmosphere affect the global climate by increasing temperature levels across the entire globe. There is enough scientific proof of greenhouse composition and changes in levels in water bodies, land surface and in the atmosphere. This rates carbon dioxide as the most steady greenhouse gas with a consistent increase especially in concentration. Other greenhouse gases have also been observed to substantially increase both in the concentration and volume thereby contributing to increased levels of temperature worldwide. Regarding all these, Kiehl and Trenberth point out that â€Å"these atmospheric concentrations to emissions sources and sinks are a steadily evolving sphere of scientific inquiry; certain inputs to the climate could be observed and promptly quantified† (198). Electricity generation has been responsible for a higher contribution of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as compared to other greenhouse gases emitted. Even though

Psychology Phobias Coursework Essay Example for Free

Psychology Phobias Coursework Essay The area studied for this study is phobias, by adapting the work of Bennett Levy and Marteau.  The alternative hypothesis was whether the participant disliked a particular thing about the animal; in particular it being likely to bite, being ugly, or having a strange texture, they will also give a high fear rating.  A survey was completed by 30 participants aged over sixteen years old, using an opportunity sample, to find their opinions about how likely the variables are likely to occur. The principle finding was all the variable results gave a positive significant correlation.  The main implications of the findings were it supported the research by Bennett Levy and Marteau that there is a strong correlation between an appearance of an animal and fear.  Introduction:  The definition of a phobia is a persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the conscious awareness that it is not dangerous. Explanations to how a phobia develops differ between schools of psychology. The behaviourist theory argues that phobias are learnt by classical conditioning and reinforced by operant conditioning. An experiment on phobias supporting the behaviourist theory was executed by Watson and Rayner in 1920. The aim of the experiment was to show how classical conditioning could be applied to condition fear of a white rat into Little Albert, an 11 month old boy. The psychodynamic theory sees phobias resulting from the displacement of repressed impulses to an object or situation which becomes a focus for a phobia. Sigmund Freud speaks of an Oedipus complex which is where children of both sexes regard their father as an adversary and competitor for the exclusive love of their mother. This is related to phobias in the study of Little Hans. Little Hans phobia of horses is due to the fact that he took pleasure in his father getting hurt by a horse, as it meant Little Hans could have his mother all to himself. The cognitive theory states that people with phobias tend to focus on negative aspects of situations. The way people typically think, such as catastrophising, affects the likelihood of a fearful response. Tomarken et al (1989) supported this theory by finding the participants with phobias greatly overestimated the number of times fear related slides were followed by a shock. The biological theory states phobias tend to run in families which suggest a genetic component. Phobias related to survival, such as snakes, spiders, and heights, are much more common and much easier to induce in the laboratory than other kinds of fears. Seligman proposed the Preparedness theory that states humans are genetically disposed to respond rapidly to hazards in order to survive dangerous environments, therefore a result of evolutionary history. Consequently, the innate predisposition to fear these objects became an adaptive human trait. Ohman et al also said that many common phobias, such as heights and snakes, are based on things which may have threatened human survival in the past. While researching the biological theory, a decision was made to focus on this theory due to it having many areas that one could explore. These included the study Bennett-Levy Marteau and Sharma.  Bennett-Levy and Marteau (1984) showed there is a strong correlation between fear of small harmless animals and an animals appearance. Specifically it is seen that the amount of fear expressed is related to the extent of the difference from the human form. They did this by conducting surveys, and correlating two variables. A number of surveys correlating fears and phobias have also been done by Agras, Sylvester Oliveau, 1969; Costello, 1982; Kirkpatrick, 1984.  Sharma wrote a paper suggesting disgust and fear are closely related. Sharma observed many patients postpone or avoid a simple blood test, and was unsure whether this was due to the test being painful or whether it just felt icky. Sharma wrote that fear and disgust are both one of the five basic universal emotions, found in all cultures and societies as it is essential for survival, fear tells us to run and disgust tells us to avoid contact. However, Sharma says that some people with the phobias of spiders or insects have greater disgust sensitivity. Disgust sensitivity is a term used to describe a person who finds things disgusting easier and quicker than the majority of other people.  From the research by Bennett-Levy and Marteau, a questionnaire was made in order to be able to see the correlation between fear/deadliness and how disgusting the animal is.

Should Embryonic Stem Cell Research Be Federally Funded? Essay

The possibility to cure Alzheimer, Parkinson’s, AIDS, spinal injuries, and many more diseases and conditions is received by many in the medical world with excitement and anticipation. The discoveries of embryonic stem, ES, cells in 1998 by James A. Thomson, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, was a great breakthrough for the medical world, showing great promise in the field of stem cell research. This is because they have the capacity to become any type of cell tissue in the body. To the medical world the opportunities seems endless. However, there is a great deal of debate by some who question the moral and ethical use of ES cells, believing that life begins at fertilization. Supporters argue that we have an obligation to help others who are suffering by using ES cells, because they are consider potential life. The question is do we have the right to use ES cells for research purposes when the embryos will be grown specifically for research and destruction? A nd if so, should this research be funded by the government? First of all, what are ES cells and how can they help us? ES cells are non-specialized cells found in the human body and are capable of multiplying and creating all types of specific cells. ES cells are developed in an in vitro fertilization clinic and not in a woman’s womb, as the name seems to indicate. Because these cells have the ability to develop into any type of cell, the research potential for ES cells is very promising. If the correct genes can be turned on they could regenerate tissue cells that are incapable or too damaged to replace themselves. Or they can be used to find and correct genetic defects or degenerative diseases. ES cells offer a promising future to many people even if that f... ... Future of Medicine." The Guardian. The Guardian UK, 1 Mar. 2009. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. . Sansom, Dennis L., P.H.D. "How Much Respect do we Owe the Embryo? Limits to Embryonic Stem Cell Research." Ethics & Medicine 26.3 (2010): 161,173,131. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Jan. 2012. Schechter, Jody. "Promoting Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: A Comparison of Policies in the United States and the United Kingdom and Factors Encouraging Advancement." Texas International Law Journal 45.3 (2010): 603-29. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Jan. 2012. Simon, Stephanie. "THE NATION; Stem Cell Dissent Roils States; Even Where Voters have Moved to Support the Embryonic Research, Opposition is Fierce." Los Angeles Times: A.12. Los Angeles Times; National Newspapers Core. Aug 01 2007. Web. 13 Jan. 2012

Bioterrorism with Anthrax :: Anthrax Biology Biological Terrorism

Anthrax is one of the most preferred biological warfare agents for many highly identified reasons. First, anthrax is extremely lethal. Anthrax can contain up to 100 million lethal doses in just one gram of anthrax spores, which is 100,000 times more lethal than any other biological warfare agent. It is also known that inhalation anthrax is almost always fatal if the symptoms are allowed to progress without any treatment. Anthrax is also the silent and invisible killer. On top of the fatality rate of anthrax, there are also very low barriers to produce the biological weapon. Anthrax spores are very easy to produce in large quantities, and the process of production is very inexpensive. Also, there is plenty of available information on how to weaponize anthrax and not a whole lot of technology is needed to be able to produce anthrax. Anthrax is also easy to weaponize because it is extremely stable as a dry powder in the form of spores. These spores can live for decades and still be very lethal to the human body. Anthrax can be put into an aerosol form disseminated into a spray can, and it can also be freeze-dried into a bomb. Presently anthrax is the most preferred biological agent is because we have no accurate detection capability. If an outbreak of anthrax were to occur it would probably happen in a form of an aerosol device of anthrax spores. The intentional bioterrorism outbreak would result in multiple cases of inhalation anthrax. If the outbreak was done by an aerosol can, there would be no indication of an attack because the United States, or anywhere else for that matter, does not have any appropriate method of detection for odorless, colorless, and tasteless spores of anthrax. This outbreak would cause the certain death of the first infected, since physicians in the U.S. would probably not detect anthrax as a cause of the patient’s flu-like symptoms. Most U.S. doctors and radiologists and lab personnel have not seen a form of inhalation anthrax and would not be able to identify it or notice Bacillus anthracis in a blood culture. Since an outdoor release of these spores can travel multiple miles and it only takes one gram to kill 10 million people, it could quite possible create extremely high fat ality rates. In one city alone it is estimated that the release of aerosol anthrax could cause the death of up to 3 million people within the first couple of weeks.

British Gas Business Essay

A review of the British Gas Businesses current approach to collating, storing and using HR data within the organisation. Findings Below you will find an overview of some of the data that the HR function within British Gas Business collects. Within this report I will identify two reasons why British Gas Business needs to collect HR data, and the current methods in which we store the data. I will also briefly touch upon some key legislation which if compliant, will reduce any financial or legal risks to the organisation. Absence Performance – appraisals, Learning and Development (L&D) activity Employee Engagement results Equality/Diversity – To meet legal requirements Recruitment – Contractual information Employee Information â€Å"Accurate personnel records will help the organisation in many ways – increasing the efficiency of recruitment, training and development, and promotion. They can also provide the raw data to monitor equal opportunities issues and the legal requirements placed on all organisations† [ACAS: Online 30th November 2014]. One of the areas where there is need for collation of data is we are able to track volumes of employees currently being performance managed within the organisation to then further identify whether this is a behavioral or skill issue where further training is required. This then helps us to define our learning programmes moving forward and tailor the content around any shortfalls which may have been identified through Training Needs Analysis (TNA) within performance management. Another area that the HR function collates data for is for Absence. â€Å"This is one of the longest-running causes of serious concern to managers. Unapproved absence from work causes a multitude of problems to managers and involves the organisation in significant extra costs†. (Currie et al, 2010, p.293). All absence data within each business unit (and then business wide across British Gas) is centralised using the data base Absence Manager. This helps us to track against our performance and resourcing for people and establish  whether recruitment or redundancy plans would benefit the long term strategy of the organisation. The Human Resource function currently use an Information System (HRIS) which runs alongside our main billing system called SAP. Within SAP all Line managers have access to view employee information (direct reports only), process secondments or job role changes, and change manage details. The benefit of this is that the data is easily accessible and is consistent in line with any people movements within the business. Alongside this system there is also a requirement for some documentation to be stored manually. This is then kept for 6 years, regardless of whether that individual is still in employment with British Gas Business. This is beneficial for any documentation which requires employee signatures or verification. This could be disciplinary documentation to any learning that has taken place. Using the internal HRIS British Gas Business complies with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, which covers the security and confidentiality of the retention of data. We do this by ensuring that access to the HR online system is done only registered through authorised access and then a further password security check. British Gas Business also ensures that it keeps written documentation for no longer than 6 years in line with the Principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). Once documentation reaches this age we contract to a disposal company to safely dispose of all confidential waste. The HR function also complies with all Subject Access Requests (SAR’s) which is governed by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act). Customers are able to place requests in writing to access all information held about them or their business on the organisations systems. The customer pays a one of fee of ten pounds and they are then issued with the information within 40 days of their request. Key Findings British Gas Business is fully compliant with all key legislation in collecting and storing data within the organisation. I see no risk, financially or strategically from the methods we are currently using. Bibliography Web ACAS. (2014). Personnel Data. Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=717. Last accessed 30th November 2014. Books Currie, D (2010). Introduction to Human Resource Management. 2nd ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. 293 Introduction – Activity 2 Analysis of absence data for the Customer Care function of British Gas Business from high level reported case volumes, to understanding the gender split of the absence recorded. Summary By analysing the data collated from our absence records, we can establish trends to enable the organisation to look to implement preventative measures to reduce overall long term absence levels. key findings Absence from the British Gas Business – Customer Care function is currently at its highest levels since 2010. The average number of days taken as absence within the short term sickness (STS) criteria (under 20 consecutive days), has increased from 4.6 to 5.5 days per employee per rolling 52 weeks. The increase in long term sickness (LTS) registered within the organisation has increased by 0.8% over the past 4 years. LTS cases for 2014 are split into the following reasons for absence and then subsequently by gender for all Stress (Work related) / Mental Illness reported absences. Of the 45 LTS stress (Work) related cases registered in 2014, 23 were for male employees. This shows us a change in trend from previous years. For the first time in over 4 years we can see the greater proportion of stress (Work) /mental illness related absences is now reported by the male employee population. conclusions In 2011 British Gas Business began its journey in implementing a new billing system. We can see a noticeable trend in the years following on from the  start of this journey, with the volume of work induced stress related absences reported within the function. Throughout the function we have also seen a high natural attrition in the leadership team in 2014. This means that we now have less experienced leadership population who are progressing our people through their long term sickness absences. Recommendations Identify potential learning gaps through Training Needs Analysis (TNS) – â€Å"Test and Play† drop in sessions for all employees – Full review of the learning documentation and the online learning environment Wellbeing events throughout the system change timeline to be ran throughout the function i.e. exercise programmes, healthy eating, fitness checks, stop smoking programmes. Engagement temperature checks amongst the employee population Team leader workshops in identifying stress and supporting employees Review the benefits package for the leadership population to reduce churn Validation of the process within the leadership teams from day 1 of absence registered, through the fruition of policy outcomes Wellbeing days across function for all levels to understand support tools references – Data British Gas Business – Absence Manager Data sample from 2010 – 2014. Accessed on the 17th November 2014. British Gas Business – HR Function – Team Leader Exit data – 2014. Accessed on the 19th November 2014.

Free Essays on Malvolio

Twelfth Night - Character study: Malvolio Character study: Malvolio: Did he deserve the punishment that he received? The character Malvolio (meaning literally â€Å"I mean ill will) is immediately affected by the implications of his name. His personage is implied directly to be one of negative and somewhat disagreeable nature, which is continued and supported throughout the play, leading to his downfall and mockery which both initially seem to be thoroughly deserved, due to his numerous defects of personality. The first evidence of Malvolio’s undesirable disposition comes with his own first appearance in the play during which he makes a point of insulting the wit and intelligence of Feste â€Å"I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal†. Through doing this he shows himself to be man who condescends to those that he believes to be lower than him in any way, by acting on his own personal belief of superiority, and this later becomes a major player in his downfall. Initial impressions are supported by further vices in Malvolio’s general character and these lead to further aversion to him. He shows himself to be a strict puritan and this is also suggested by the opinion of Maria â€Å"The devil a puritan that he is†. He denies himself indulgences and pleasure whilst at the same time begrudging these things of others. He makes a point of taking the moral high ground over Maria, Feste and more importantly, his social superior Sir Toby, when he scorns them for their revelries and â€Å"disorders†. This in turn adds to their desire to avenge him and bring him from his level of false authority, back to his true social class of a mere steward at which he is unable to give out orders, but only to receive them. Although he is a man of supposed purity and self-denial in practice, his aspirations are such that he becomes hypocritical. In turn he makes his character one of further malevolence. He secretly longs for t... Free Essays on Malvolio Free Essays on Malvolio Twelfth Night - Character study: Malvolio Character study: Malvolio: Did he deserve the punishment that he received? The character Malvolio (meaning literally â€Å"I mean ill will) is immediately affected by the implications of his name. His personage is implied directly to be one of negative and somewhat disagreeable nature, which is continued and supported throughout the play, leading to his downfall and mockery which both initially seem to be thoroughly deserved, due to his numerous defects of personality. The first evidence of Malvolio’s undesirable disposition comes with his own first appearance in the play during which he makes a point of insulting the wit and intelligence of Feste â€Å"I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal†. Through doing this he shows himself to be man who condescends to those that he believes to be lower than him in any way, by acting on his own personal belief of superiority, and this later becomes a major player in his downfall. Initial impressions are supported by further vices in Malvolio’s general character and these lead to further aversion to him. He shows himself to be a strict puritan and this is also suggested by the opinion of Maria â€Å"The devil a puritan that he is†. He denies himself indulgences and pleasure whilst at the same time begrudging these things of others. He makes a point of taking the moral high ground over Maria, Feste and more importantly, his social superior Sir Toby, when he scorns them for their revelries and â€Å"disorders†. This in turn adds to their desire to avenge him and bring him from his level of false authority, back to his true social class of a mere steward at which he is unable to give out orders, but only to receive them. Although he is a man of supposed purity and self-denial in practice, his aspirations are such that he becomes hypocritical. In turn he makes his character one of further malevolence. He secretly longs for t...

Social Media Policy How to Make Yours Thorough to Avoid Emergencies

Social Media Policy How to Make Yours Thorough to Avoid Emergencies When it comes to social media, how companies set internal policies can be a gray area. For example, questions like, â€Å"Am I allowed to be on Facebook at work?†Ã‚  are becoming as common as â€Å"how much time do I get off a year?† Being able to easily answer those questions is where having a clear and easy-to-follow social media policy comes into play. By clearing up ambiguity and defining in black and white what is acceptable social media behavior for your organization, you can answer those questions before they come up, and avoid costly social media mistakes. In this post, we’ll help clear up those murky waters by showing you: How to create social media guidelines for your business. Having guidelines will help your employees understand what is acceptable social behavior. Knowing what’s appropriate and not appropriate will help avoid those blunders that could not only create a scandal for the company but cost an employee their job. How to create a living social media policy document.  Having a living social media policy document is the key to keeping your company’s social media image healthy and stable. Not only that but having a document that is constantly updated with the most recent social media guidelines will give your employees something to rely on when it comes to answering those ever-changing social media questions. How to approach the conversation about social media policy with your employees.  Having a conversation about social media and its reach inside and outside company time is hard. However, establishing those guidelines and having those conversations are what will help your employees and your company avoid disasters later down the road. How To Build a Thorough Social Media Policy to Prevent EmergenciesBefore We Start: Grab Your Free Social Media Policy Template Before you continue reading, download our Social Media Policy Template, which will walk you through how to create your own social media policy. By the time you’re done,   you’ll have your own policy to hand off to your employees. Start By Explaining Why You Need a Social Media Policy The first thing that you are going to see when you open your social media policy template is a section dedicated to answering the following question: Why does this social media policy exist and why should your employees care about it? Outlining why you have your policy will help your employees understand what they can do to help promote the company, help them avoid creating social media disasters, and make sure that you don’t lose a potentially great employee based on one instance of poor judgment. In your social media template, we’ve outlined a basic answer to the â€Å"why does this policy exist?† question. However, feel free to adjust your answer based on your company guidelines and expectations. Who Are We On Social Media? Your company probably has a set of core values or guiding principles that you operate by. These values are at the heart of everything you do. Those values don’t have to stop once your employees leave the office, either. They can be a part of their personal social media posts as well. At we live by: Being passionate about our product Never settling for good enough Getting sh*t done Thinking big Great design Personalized customer service Those core values can translate into social media guiding principles. How can you do that? By asking yourself, â€Å"How are your core principles going to drive your interactions on social media?† For example, at we are passionate about our product. How does that drive our employee’s social media interactions? We talk about our product. We’re proud of what we created and therefore we share information about it. It could be a new update, a new feature or a significant use case. To create these guidelines each one of your core principles should have an actionable item attached. How To Set Expectations For Your Employees The best way for your employees to understand what they can and cannot post on social is to be as clear as possible with your expectations. For the next part of your social media policy template, we’re going to focus on how to clearly define those expectations. Determining What Your Employees Should Post Determining what your employees should post is crucial to the success of your social media presence. When you’re thinking of what your employees should post, be as clear and specific as you can. The more you explain, the fewer questions you’ll have down the road. So for an example, let’s pretend a hypothetical theater company was working on a list of appropriate topics their employees could post. It might look something like this: Upcoming auditions Upcoming shows Company news (once approved by board for release to public) Job or artistic openings Industry news Rehearsal photos Company outings Local events Local theater productions Behind the scenes/ backstage photos Each one of these examples is something an employee can post about the company and not have to worry about checking in with the social media team to make sure it’s okay. In fact, we would encourage our employees to post about these topics! Recommended Reading: How to Curate Content For Social Media to Help Boost Your Reach Determining Post Topics Your Employees Should Avoid Most of the items that you would encourage your employees to be cautious posting about are pretty self-explanatory and should be common sense areas to avoid. However, clear instructions will help guide your employees and create fewer questions down the road. So let’s go back to our social media policy template and see what an example looks like: Politics Religion Sensitive audition information Company finances Costumes or set photos (unless permission has been given by the designer) Speculations about upcoming season shows Negative reviews of actors, directors or other artists Negative reviews of local theaters Gossip or other inflammatory language Derogatory language about someone’s gender, religion, heritage, sexual orientation or disability Most of these are pretty obvious but there is one point that you need to clearly define within  your social media policy document. The definition of derogatory language. That line is so easy to cross, and what your company defines as derogatory language may be different from another. For this example our theatre company would define derogatory language as *It is important to note that derogatory language is defined at Change Theatre Company as anything that degrades, insults, or implies that an individual that belongs to one of those groups is anything less than a human being with their own unique experiences and perspectives. At Change Theatre Company we strive to accept and respect all perspectives and people, no matter who they are. The more you can draw that line in the sand, the better. Freedom Of Speech Versus Company Policy: Which One Wins? Trying to tell employees what they can post on their social accounts is the definition of a gray area. It is their personal account, after all, they are entitled to their own opinions. Well, while you are entitled to your own opinions, that doesn’t mean that you or your employees are free from the backlash of a poorly worded tweet. Yes, freedom of speech is important, but just like in the real world where you represent your company at all times, you also represent your company on social media at all times. You represent your company on social media at all times.So how do you navigate this particular gray area? Sharing opinions on touchy topics will vary by company, industry and more. For example, our theoretical theatre company encouraged our employees to tread carefully when it comes to posting about hot button topics like religion and politics. However, both of those topics may come up as themes around different shows, therefore it would be completely reasonable for employees to engage in discussion about them.   Another conflict example could be if you work for a news organization. These traditionally taboo topics come up daily for reports, they can’t just ignore them and continue on with their day. So what’s the fix? It’s vital that when you create your company’s social media policy, you take its public position into account. If your organization is centered around politics, it would probably be okay for your employees to post about them, but again it all depends. While you can encourage employees to stay away from discussing certain topics on social media, it is important to note that you cannot, according to the National Labor Relations Board, restrict people from discussing things like wages or working conditions among other things. If you’re in doubt about something, consult your legal team. You never want to feel like you’re squashing your employees with your social media policy, but you also want to protect yourself, and them! Now there’s a trend that says if you put a disclaimer in your bio like â€Å"opinions are my own† or  Ã¢â‚¬Å"retweets do not equal endorsements† then your content is safe from employer backlash and your company is safe from public backlash. Those tiny bits of legal jargon do absolutely nothing to protect you or your company. They are nice to have, but don’t rely on them to save you or your company if a situation arises. All of this information is not meant to scare you or to encourage you to create a policy that is locked down so tight it discourages your employees from posting online. Rather, the policy is there to help guide your employees and help them avoid mistakes, not shut down their social media posting. A #social #media #policy should help employees avoid mistakes.Social Media At Work The next part of your social media policy template is a section dedicated to identifying appropriate social media usage at the office and during work hours.   Some companies will have a very strict, no social media browsing while at the office, while some companies will be more relaxed and allow employees to browse social media as long as it doesn’t distract from their work. The policy that is in this example is strict but how your company determines your policy will be up to you. The Enforcement Of Your Social Media Policy The rules of your social media policy need to be enforced. What that enforcement process looks like needs to be set up in your social media policy. It is better for your employees to know what is coming if rules are broken, then to sit and wonder what will happen. For this example, I broke down enforcement into three categories. One involves breaking the policy for social media office use, the second involves posting content that breaks the rules for acceptable content, and the third involves sending company information or other language that would be grounds for an immediate dismissal. Each enforcement structure may differ depending on the types of rules you put into your policy. Work with HR and upper management to determine the course of action your company should take each time the policy is broken. Recommended Reading: How to Improve Your Social Media Management in Just 30 Days Where Should Staff Direct Questions About the Social Media Policy? Your employees are going to have questions, whether it’s a simple â€Å"can I post this meme?† or more serious questions like â€Å"I posted a tweet and now people are upset, what do I do?† Having someone to turn to whether it’s a simple matter or a time of crisis can help make sure that your social media program is flowing smoothly. In your social media policy template, you’ll see a whole section dedicated to laying out what your chain of contact looks like. For this example we would have information all the way up to our CMO listed however, your’s may be different based on company and personal preferences. What Happens In A Crisis Situation? Everyone is human and therefore mistakes happen. What do you do when those mistakes arise? More importantly, what do you do when those mistakes create a social media crisis situation for an employee? In your social media policy template, you’re going to layout the exact instructions that your employee will need to follow. The following is what I would have an employee do at Change Theatre Company. 1. Delete the tweet and issue a sincere apology.  If something gets posted by one of your employees and it starts to cause a backlash, have your employee delete that message right away. It’s important to note that while the message may be gone, it very well could have been saved by someone else. Be prepared for it to resurface. The second thing your employee needs to do is issue a sincere apology. Not a regurgitated, robotic one either. You need to sincerely apologize for the offending message. People can tell in an instant if you’re just apologizing to save your skin. 2. Contact your social team.  The next thing you need your employee to do is to contact your social media team and let them know what has happened. Once they have all the information they can prepare the company for any backlash they might face, and they’ll be able to advise said employee on what steps to take next in order to remedy the situation. Speaking of next steps†¦ 3. Don't ignore angry messages.  The worst thing you can do in terms of a social media crisis is to ignore angry messages. This adds gasoline to an already growing flame. Be sincere in your responses and remember the more genuine you can be with your responses the better. This is where I would end my instructions for my employees. However, based on your company and procedures your list may be longer.   Work with your social media team to figure out the best process for you and There is a second section of your crisis management involves contacts of people who need to be informed immediately if a crisis situation arises. These are the people who can put your crisis plan into action and try to control any damage that the company may suffer before it gets out of control. Managing Your Online Presence Having resources at the end of your social media policy to help your employees manage their social presence will not only give them peace of mind about what to post but if they’re done right if will actually encourage them to post more. In your social media policy template is the last section for you to fill out. Here is an example of what I would want my management section to look like. Creating A Checklist Or Step List To Great Online Etiquette Forbes has an amazing 12 step checklist to having great social media etiquette. Things have changed since the days of 12-course dinners and formal introductions. So I would put a short online etiquette list for your employees. For this example, I stuck to five major ideas. Your list could be longer like the Forbes list or shorter than my example. This list is mainly here to serve as a reminder to double-check that you’re sending the right things out into the mindset. How To Deal With Online Complaints Or Questions Never ever let your employees take complaints or questions into their own hands unless it’s part of their job to do so. For this example, I include a simple three-step process for my employees to follow if they see a question or complaint about the company. Be Up Front About Who You Work For You never want to be deceptive in your social media use so it’s important that your employees are upfront about who they work for. Intel has a great social media policy that highlights how employees can identify that they work for Intel.  Usually, they have a disclaimer in their bio that they work for Intel and if they post about something work related they should use the hashtag #IAmIntel I used this same theory in creating our example social media policy. There is a section explaining what they should have in their social media bios and the hashtag they should use. Four Real-World Social Media Policy and Business Guidelines for Inspiration Now you’ve got your initial social media policy built. There may be more things you want to cover in your policy and that’s ok. But in case you need even more inspiration to create your policy check out some of these examples.

Law of Definite Proportions Definition

Law of Definite Proportions Definition The law of definite proportions, together with the law of multiple proportions, forms the basis for the  study of stoichiometry  in chemistry. The law of definite proportions is also known as Prousts law or the law of constant composition. Law of Definite Proportions Definition The law of definite proportions states samples of a compound will always contain the same proportion of elements by mass. The mass ratio of elements is fixed no matter where the elements came from, how the compound is prepared or any other factor. Essentially, the law is based on the fact that an atom of a particular element is the same as any other atom of that element. So, an atom of oxygen is the same, whether it comes from silica or oxygen in air. The Law of Constant Composition is an equivalent law, which states each sample of a compound has the same composition of elements by mass. Law of Definition Proportions Example The law of definite proportions says water will always contain 1/9 hydrogen and 8/9 oxygen by mass. The sodium and chlorine in table salt combine according to the rule in NaCl. The atomic weight of sodium is about 23 and that of chlorine is about 35, so from the law one may conclude dissociating 58 grams of NaCl would produce about 23 g of sodium and 35 g of chlorine. History of the Law of Definite Proportions Although the law of definite proportions may seem obvious to a modern chemist, the manner in which elements combine was not obvious in the early days of chemistry through the end of the 18th century. French chemist Joseph Proust (1754–1826) is credited with the discovery, but English chemist and theologian Joseph Priestly (1783–1804) and French chemist Antoine Lavoisier (1771–1794) were the first to publish the law as a scientific proposal in 1794, based on the study of combustion. They noted metals always combine with two proportions of oxygen. As we know today, oxygen in the air is a gas consisting of two atoms, O2. The law was hotly disputed when it was proposed. French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet (1748–1822) was an opponent, arguing elements could combine in any proportion to form compounds. It wasnt until English chemist John Dalton (1766–1844)s atomic theory explained the nature of atoms that the law of definite proportions became accepted. Exceptions to the Law of Definite Proportions Although the law of definite proportions is useful in chemistry, there are exceptions to the rule. Some compounds are non-stoichiometric in nature, meaning their elemental composition varies from one sample to another. For example, wustite is a type of iron oxide with an elemental composition varying between 0.83 and 0.95 iron atoms for each oxygen atom (23%–25% oxygen by mass). The ideal formula for iron oxide is FeO, but the crystal structure is such that there are variations. The formula for wustite is written Fe0.95O. Also, the isotopic composition of an element sample varies according to its source. This means the mass of a pure stoichiometric compound will be slightly different depending on its origin. Polymers also vary in element composition by mass, although they are not considered true chemical compounds in the strictest chemical sense.

Advertising and Print Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Advertising and Print Media - Essay Example This is particularly because most of the affluent consumers are often more apt to spending on luxury vehicles and are therefore the main target of luxury automakers such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz (Shea, 1). Generally, luxury products as opposed to other products usually benefit from consistent and long term advertisement. According to many analysts, what have really worked for the BMW is the advertising marketing efforts that focused on the product, good service and attractive values. According to Maguire(2), BMW has been identical with unique comfort and fine quality for several decades and has particularly created a number of campaigns that featured in magazine ads, television and web ads that presented its products as the ultimate luxury vehicles in an attempt to boost its sales. â€Å"The road home† Web film Advert In 2012, the giant automaker featured emotions of holiday homecomings it one of its social videos known as â€Å"The road home†. The video showed pe ople making numerous trips in BMW x series vehicles and the company wished the consumers well during and after the holiday season (BMW web film, 2012). Although the video was first posted on BMWs social media accounts such as the Facebook, it soon featured in the other popular channels such as the television and was particularly aired on NBC during a Football broadcast. BMW. TV Advert for series 3 Sedan BMW also showed off one of its new 3 series sedan on an extensive mail campaign that also featured glossy print images and attractive postcards highlighting some of the luxury features of the new 3 series Sedan. Additionally, to enhance its brand identity, BMW has also enacted a 360 degrees marketing and branding campaign that shows the company’s sponsorship of sporting activities such as Team USA in the 2012 London Olympics. The advert attempts to depict that the BMW 3 series sedan car never wanders away over the white line and seat belt should be fastened. System authorizati on demands that a car being driven should not be more than the legal speed limit, otherwise subtitle tells professional drivers on closed roads. These hotshot directors run the shoot. Generally, the TV commercial advert seeks to present the new BMW 3 series as the ultimate luxury vehicle that offers a unique driving pleasure as well as other important driving features such as adaptive suspension, Analysis of the two BMW ads Given the high success of â€Å"The road home† web film by the BMW, the company has significantly increased its sales. According to O' Guinn and Chris (14), brand promotion requires a series of well coordinated media campaigns that communicate a cohesive theme of brand identity. In this regard, given the rising sales of BMW luxury vehicles following the launch of the two advertisements, it can be argued that the company has successfully used both the traditional media advertisements and web advertising to enhance their product awareness, sales, customer lo yalty, competitiveness and the overall company value. Generally, there are a number of sociological, economic, political and cultural attitudes that are indirectly reflected in both the two BMWs adverts. According to O’Neill, advertisements are just but a reflection of our society. Throughout his publication,

Critical Analysis of Source(s) and Research Log Essay

Critical Analysis of Source(s) and Research Log - Essay Example The first e-library used was http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/elib/ and the second was www.intute.co.uk. In addition, relevant information was searched using the search engine http://www.google.co.in. At first, search was conducted using key words and phrases like ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and employees’, ‘Impact of CSR on workers’, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Productivity’, and so on. Later on, prepositions were avoided to make the search more accurate. When the term ‘corporate social responsibility’ was used for search in http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/elib/, the number of titles obtained was plenty but none of the first thirty peer reviewed scholarly articles directly addressed the issue how CSR influences employee perception of happiness and employee motivation. Even when the key phrase was changed to ‘corporate social responsibility motivation’ and ‘corporate social responsibility happiness’, no usef ul article about the impact of CSR on employees was found. Most of the articles were about the history of CSR, how to implement a good CSR, CSR and public image, and if CSR raises profitability in the long term. When the same phrases and words were used for search in www.intute.co.uk, it provided a number of results ranging from links to various sites and organisations that provide information on corporate social responsibility. A useful link seemed the one to the International Journal of Business in Society and the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research published by Emerald. As the link http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1355-2554 was followed, I reached the Emerald published journals. There I got 14626 results when the search was conducted using ‘corporate social responsibility’ as the key term in International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research from volume 1 to volume 17 that consist of 176 issues as available in htt p://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1355-2554. However, when the first thirty journals from the available results were analysed, it was found that just one among them addressed the issue directly. It was ‘Corporate social responsibility: organisational identification and motivation’ written by Michal Mozes, Zvi Josman, and Eyal Yaniv in the Social Responsibility Journal, Volume 7, Issue 2 of 2011. When ‘corporate social responsibility and employees commitment’ was used as key words for search in www.google.co.in, a number of journal articles ranging from ‘Employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility’ by Sarah Stawiski, Jennifer J. Deal, and William Gentry of Center for Creative Leadership, issued in June 2010, ‘Corporate social responsibility: the key role of human resource management’ by Suparn Sharma, Joity Sharma and Arti Devi, published in the Business Intelligence Journal of January 2009, ‘Corporate s ocial responsibility influence on employees’ by Jean Pascal Gond, Assaad El-Akremi, Jacques Igalens, and Valerie Swaen, and many more websites and magazines like Forbes (http://www.forbes.com ) that provide information about corporate social responsibility and employee happiness were located. However, as very few of them were articles published in journals, they lacked authority. One of the most useful articles identified in the search was ‘

Eroding Privacy Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Eroding Privacy Rights - Essay Example   A watershed moment in world history, the morning of September 11th, 2001 will forever be ingrained in the American national psyche. From a political, social and economic perspective, the hijackings of 9/11 were unparalleled in scope and sheer devastation. In a fascinating article entitled "Measuring the Effects of the September 11 Attack on New York City†, it was estimated that the direct cost of the attack stood at between $33 billion and $36 billion to the city of New York (Bram, Orr & Rappaport 55). In addition to the direct economic costs associated with terrorism and the threat of further terrorism, 9/11 also had important political ramifications.   The USA Patriot Act of 2001 (a contrived acronym meaning Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) was established in the aftermath of September 11th to protect Americans from the threat of future terror on American soil.   Controversial from the outse t, the Patriot Act represented a serious departure from established legal norms and prior American jurisprudence with respect to privacy legislation (ACLU 2008).   Created under the pretense of securing the United States against the threat of terror in the wake of 9/11, the Patriot Act of 2001 significantly strengthened the scope of powers afforded to law enforcement agencies while redefining the term terrorism to include domestic terror, i.e. homegrown terror perpetrated by American citizens.

Guanxi and Ethical Judgement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Guanxi and Ethical Judgement - Research Paper Example Problem Statement: The study focused on the determination of the impact of the use guanxi concept in the Chinese organizational managements and the effects on the ethical standards and judgement of the organization. Approach: The research has been a secondary source based research and obtained its materials and understanding from the earlier researches conducted on the concerned topic. Results: It has been obtained from the study that the concept of guanxi has an extreme significance in the management of organizations, particularly with respect to the Chinese organizations. Conclusion: Although there are certain negative aspects of following the concept of guanxi, yet from the study it has been concluded that the concept is an essential factor for the Chinese organizations that have records of success stories from using the guanxi concept and maintaining enhanced interpersonal relationships. Discussion: The study reflected that if the misuse of the concept can be controlled, then the concept would prove to be an efficient and successful one not only for the Chinese organizations but for every other organization. If the world of business is considered, it can be realized that different decisions are taken within the managements that involve the relations that are prevailing among the organizational members. By Guanxi, it is referred to a unique form of relationship that involves reliance, favour, dependence and adjustment between the individuals thus enabling efficient decision making processes that are based on internal relationships. Theorists have speculated and mentioned that this could be used as an instrument for marketing as well since it is involves decisions related to the performance of marketing and the business as a whole. However, there are other theorists who focused on different views and reflected that guanxi if followed at a personal level might lead to unethical behaviour (Chan, Cheng & Szeto, 2002, p.327). Guanxi believed to be capable of leading organizational members to unethical practices; there are severe concerns for the ethical considerations for the business practice s in the Western countries. However, when China is considered for research, it has been observed that the Chinese organizations consider guanxi as an ethical practice (Chan, Cheng & Szeto, 2002, pp.327-328). Guanxi in China is recognized as a major activity in its world of business as well as the society. Guanxi had been realized and introduced in the management policies of Chinese organizations intending to cope with the ever-changing business environment. Although the concept of guanxi has not been clear with respect to China, yet, the process is considered as a realistic way of bringing accord between the different organizational members (Wong, Wong & Wong, 2010, pp.2142-2143). The current research focuses on the practice of guanxi and its relation to ethical judgement in the context of Chinese management behaviour. Literature Review and Propositions Development: Several studies have been conducted on the business ethics practice in Chinese organizations and the use of guanxi in the management policies among the Chinese organizational members. Other researchers who had conducted studies on the business ethics in China focused on how the practice of ethics developed in the country. Earlier the concept of ethics did not have any practical implication. However, their studies imply that ethical practice has now developed to a great extent and it is a part of the organizational management in the Chinese business world. Al-Khatib, Vollmers and Liu however mentioned that there has been a huge decline in the moral standards of the

The Regan Revolution Through President Obama Research Paper

The Regan Revolution Through President Obama - Research Paper Example He also supported anti-Communism policies and strengthened America’s military in response to USSR arms race. The Reagan revolution through President Obama Introduction Another turning points during this period is the 9/11 terrorism attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The terrorism attacks changed the attitudes of US citizens towards air travel. The US enacted the PATRIOT Act that granted counter terrorism agencies the powers to wire trap and apprehend suspected terrorists. The government also enhanced domestic in the significant installations such as airports, roads and ports through creation of homeland security agency. Another 9/11 turning point was invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan since America considered the two countries as a threat to global peace. The US wanted to topple Saddam Hussein regime and end Taliban menace in Afghanistan. The US also changed its foreign policy on nations that were harboring terrorists (Golway, 2008). The first significant turnin g point came in March 1983 when Reagan introduced strategic defense initiatives. The defense projects aimed at manufacturing space-based defense systems that would protect the US from attack by ballistic missiles. This initiative increased the military capability of America and dominance in geo-politics. Some important defense technologies such as space surveillance systems, tracking devices, and anti-missile systems can be traced back to this project. Another significant turning point was the Iran-Contra scandal of 1986 that undermined the international community faith on Reagan administration. Reagan administration was accused of supplying weapons to Iran in exchange of release of hostages that had been held in Lebanon by the terrorists loyal to Iran authorities. The arms were later sold and proceeds went to contras. The US Congress had banned the sale of weapons to Iran. After, Nicaraguan sued the US at the International Court of Justice. The court held that the US had contravene d the international law with Reagan being criticized for ignoring the existence of the political scandal (Golway, 2008). The AIDS epidemic shook the confidence of Americans in the 1980s. The AIDS epidemic was recognized by doctors in early 1980s and captured the attention of the media, special interest groups and the public (Brier, 2009). The epidemic shook the confidence of Americas since it was first associated with gay men and mostly white Americans. Surprisingly, all the people diagnosed with AIDS were gay and suffered from other complications such Pneumonia. Some of the homosexual men who had been diagnosed with AIDS died within a period of 2 years. By 1981, the epidemic had acquired several names such gay related immune deficiency, gay compromise syndrome and gay cancer (Brier, 2009). In the 1980s, AIDS was associated with discrimination and stigma and gay men stopped going out of their houses. Initially, people did not know how AIDS was transmitted since scientists had no evi dence that the epidemic could be transmitted through contaminated blood transfusion. AIDS started being common among homosexuals, drug abuse addicts, Haitians and Haemophiliacs. Haitians also protested against being labeled as a risk group. With more than 3,000 confirmed cases by the end of 1983, there was growing pressure on the government to develop a national AIDS policy and also develop medication (Brier, 2009). In 1985, the government granted five pharmaceutical companies the opportunity to

Guanxi and Ethical Judgement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Guanxi and Ethical Judgement - Research Paper Example Problem Statement: The study focused on the determination of the impact of the use guanxi concept in the Chinese organizational managements and the effects on the ethical standards and judgement of the organization. Approach: The research has been a secondary source based research and obtained its materials and understanding from the earlier researches conducted on the concerned topic. Results: It has been obtained from the study that the concept of guanxi has an extreme significance in the management of organizations, particularly with respect to the Chinese organizations. Conclusion: Although there are certain negative aspects of following the concept of guanxi, yet from the study it has been concluded that the concept is an essential factor for the Chinese organizations that have records of success stories from using the guanxi concept and maintaining enhanced interpersonal relationships. Discussion: The study reflected that if the misuse of the concept can be controlled, then the concept would prove to be an efficient and successful one not only for the Chinese organizations but for every other organization. If the world of business is considered, it can be realized that different decisions are taken within the managements that involve the relations that are prevailing among the organizational members. By Guanxi, it is referred to a unique form of relationship that involves reliance, favour, dependence and adjustment between the individuals thus enabling efficient decision making processes that are based on internal relationships. Theorists have speculated and mentioned that this could be used as an instrument for marketing as well since it is involves decisions related to the performance of marketing and the business as a whole. However, there are other theorists who focused on different views and reflected that guanxi if followed at a personal level might lead to unethical behaviour (Chan, Cheng & Szeto, 2002, p.327). Guanxi believed to be capable of leading organizational members to unethical practices; there are severe concerns for the ethical considerations for the business practice s in the Western countries. However, when China is considered for research, it has been observed that the Chinese organizations consider guanxi as an ethical practice (Chan, Cheng & Szeto, 2002, pp.327-328). Guanxi in China is recognized as a major activity in its world of business as well as the society. Guanxi had been realized and introduced in the management policies of Chinese organizations intending to cope with the ever-changing business environment. Although the concept of guanxi has not been clear with respect to China, yet, the process is considered as a realistic way of bringing accord between the different organizational members (Wong, Wong & Wong, 2010, pp.2142-2143). The current research focuses on the practice of guanxi and its relation to ethical judgement in the context of Chinese management behaviour. Literature Review and Propositions Development: Several studies have been conducted on the business ethics practice in Chinese organizations and the use of guanxi in the management policies among the Chinese organizational members. Other researchers who had conducted studies on the business ethics in China focused on how the practice of ethics developed in the country. Earlier the concept of ethics did not have any practical implication. However, their studies imply that ethical practice has now developed to a great extent and it is a part of the organizational management in the Chinese business world. Al-Khatib, Vollmers and Liu however mentioned that there has been a huge decline in the moral standards of the

MARKETING DEBATEIs Service Marketing Different From Product Marketing Essay

MARKETING DEBATEIs Service Marketing Different From Product Marketing - Essay Example factor has been at the core essence of any organization mainly due to the fact that it is the ultimate resource which brings about completion of work and duties. People factor in the service encounter gains an even more significant position. Thus a company can move from a position of stability to one of a complete unstable stance as it acquires different means of gathering the market and its driving factors that come along with it. (Lazer, 1971) Thus the differences between the present day service marketing and the traditional product marketing in the ranks of the small and the large businesses asks of the marketers to learn the same so that they could understand for their own betterment what the present day marketing regimes could bring about and thus benefit all and sundry. The intention behind marketing is to make people aware of this form of business which is all about the propagation of knowledge and information related with the product/service in mind and the company which is making it available for one and all. (Bailey, 2000) With that, one understands that the foundation of marketers will be strong so that they could step right into the practical world and do not feel at sea when the business plans and the marketing strategies are discussed with regards to different products and brands. Thus marketing is taught in colleges for imparting the much valuable information and the precise details of the insight that would enable one and all towards the issues which a person could encounter in his practical life. (Aguirre, 2001) From a standpoint of small and large businesses, product and service marketing is in fact a battle ground for learning a lot of things which are related with the psychological basis since understanding the psyche of the consumers beforehand can be the starting point for comprehending as to what they actually want and what they should be offered in terms of the product offerings and services mix. Coming from the quarters of the present day

A Letter to His Son- Chesterfield, Ap Question Essay Example for Free

A Letter to His Son- Chesterfield, Ap Question Essay This passage is by no means a message of simplicity, and good intentioned writing for his son to be taken lightly. Chesterfield reflects his own values and morals in these short paragraphs, in attempts to remind his son of his responsibilities for him to â€Å"weigh and consider†. Chesterfield’s morals and values are clearly portrayed by his use of strategies such as understatement, contradiction, rhetorical question, and lastly he uses guilt, to make his intention unquestionable How does a parent change the behavior of the prodigal child? Chesterfield can attempt to bring his partying son to his senses by writing a persuasive argument. Chesterfield laces his first paragraph with understatement, in order to make his intentions clear, also he spends the first 17 lines discrediting his own advice and morals even, only to contradict himself later on – â€Å" I know, too, that the advice of parents, more particularly, is ascribed to the moroseness, the imperiousness, or the garrulity of old age.† Imperiousness – come on Chesterfield, in no way do you feel arrogant after writing out all those fat checks so â€Å"uncommon care† can be taken into his son’s education just so he can party overseas and not take advantage of his head start on the world, lets be honest, Chesterfield is dealing with a parents worst nightmare. Chesterfields rhetoric is also truly apparent is the quote â€Å"I flatter myself, that as your own reason, young as it is, must tell you, that I can have no interest but yours in the advice I give you.† Here he basically states his faith in his son’s ability to derive, and implement good advice, but clearly the underlying meaning is that his own advice is the best. Chesterfield’s constant contradiction however does not stop there, Chesterfield’s intention by using by persuasive strategy, is most definitely guilt trip his son. â€Å" I do not, therefore, so much as to hint to you, how absolutely dependant you are upon me; that you neither have, nor can have a shilling in the world but from me†¦ I have no womanish weakness for you person.† These lines are by far the strongest in the passage, not only does Chesterfield break down his sons feeling of self worth (using guilt). His intentions are obvious, he is basically saying that his son is obligated to follow his advice, contradicting what he said earlier about taking or leaving your parents advice. After revealing his true intention, Chesterfield switches gears, and breaks out his rhetorical questions to really put doubt and guilt into in his son and his fellow audience reading this in the eyes of his son. There is no â€Å"greater pleasure than to be universally allowed to excel those of one’s own age and manner of life?† Son, your opportunities are limited, so don waste them. Chesterfield’s use of rhetorical questions most of all makes clear that his son has had more opportunities than most children, and that he should truly be trying to take advantage of them. This essay can be broken down into two parts, the contradictory part, and then the rhetorical part. This is truly down to earth, straightforward, â€Å"no-bull† summary of what chesterfield wishes for his child’s future, while at the same time revealing to son the values that he holds most dear to him. Having said that, this essay was less of a suggestion, but more of threat, using sarcastic tone, and politeness, making the formality seem unique, but overall the general feeling Chesterfield wises to synthesize is guilt. There is no doubt that he is disappointed in his son’s decision to not take advantage of his highly privileged education, so in short terms, this is a letter portraying a parents worst nightmare, and how does he/she deal with this utterly distracted child?

Business Essays Ryanair Airlines Transportation

Business Essays Ryanair Airlines Transportation Ryanair Airlines Transportation Ryan Air Case Study 1.0 Introduction Ryanair was set up by the Ryan family in 1985. The company went public in 1997 and the Ryan’s subsequently sold the bulk of their share to other shareholders. Ryanair traditionally developed organically, i.e. by growing its assets by itself. Every year, it opened new hubs in Europe, started flights from new airports, and added to its aircraft fleet. This model proved to be rather successful. By 2003, Ryanair was the most profitable and valuable airline in Europe ahead of Lufthansa and doubling its value over British Airways. However, as the market started to saturate and as the competition got tougher, the company decided to buy Buzz, another low-cost airline. It did so in 2003. Many said that Buzz was a financial disaster but acquiring it was strategically important for Ryanair that wanted to increase its market share and get Buzz’s airport slots and other facilities. 1.1 Ryan air’s objectives are: To open at least one new base in Europe each year for the next three or four years To grow at a rate of thirty percent (30%) for the next two years to just under twenty million passengers To maintain its position as Europe’s leading low fares airline To operate frequently point-to-point short haul flights, mainly out of regional and secondary airports 1.2 Mission and Vision The mission of Ryanair is to keep the lowest fares among all the other European airlines and to have a friendly and efficient service that satisfies the customer’s needs. The vision to the future of Ryanair is to keep going up and be Europe’s largest airline in the next six years. The heart of its strategy is based on providing a no-frills service with low fares designed to stimulate demand, particularly from budget conscious leisure and business travellers, who might otherwise have used alternatives forms of transportation, or who might not have travelled at all. 2.0 No-frill Ryan Air (refer to appendix A for more details) Over the last decade, European Aviation has moved from a highly regulated market, based on bilateral agreements between countries, towards an oligopolistic structure and finally to a highly monopolistic competitive single market. In this new situation the discretionary powers of the authorities have been curbed and airlines have enjoyed greater freedom to set fares, open new routes and determine what capacities to offer. This has eroded the dominance of the Flag Carriers like British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France, due to the upsurge of low cost airlines. In the United Kingdom however, the industry is still oligopolistic in nature, as there are many barriers to market contestability: Availability of desired take-off and landing slots at airports. The necessity of entering a new route on a large enough scale to achieve acceptable cost levels. The costs of leasing or buying new fleet of aircrafts. Securing contracts with ground-handling companies who may already have contracts with other airlines. Retaliatory behaviour by rivals. The necessity of applying for and securing an air operators’ licence from European Union. Overcoming existing customer loyalty achieved by companies who have exploited their advantage of being the first carrier. Direct intervention in the industry to control externalities e.g. aviation taxation. Ryanair a ‘no frills’ low cost airline was able to introduce pricing strategies that worked. Financial statements from 2002 – 2003 were compared; the results showed that Ryanair enjoyed after tax profit growth of fifty-nine percent (59%). This was possible through an aggressive pricing policy. 3.0 Internal and External Analysis In reference to the competitive structure of this newly formed low fares airline market in Europe and how it has developed during the 1990’s. 3.1 The Porters Five forces model shown in Appendix A, summaries these dynamics under the various influencing factors. The most influential of these are discussed. As entrants developed in this market, rivalry increased although no major head-to-head battles with the mainline global airlines occurred due to the ‘low fares’ market developing their own routes. Competition only existed from various new airlines catering for this growing sector, along with tailor made sub-divisions of the major airlines e.g. GO parent group British Airways. As the market became over crowded, however, the threat of entry was reduced, not only due to the large capital investment required. But the basic factors of congestion in the skies and the lack of take-off and landing slots at airports deterred potential new entrants. The suppliers of aircraft to the sector have relatively low power, second-hand aircraft entailed high maintenance low fuel efficiency costs and some new entrants required new aircraft to promote their new image. Although new aircraft suppliers also have low power due to the fierce competition within their manufacturing industry (Airbus, Boeing), the main force of supplier’s power comes from the price of aviation fuel which is directly related to the cost of oil, as individual companies within the airline sector they do not have the power to alter this. Customers have little power due to their large number and relatively small individual contribution to sales revenue, although this level of power will vary on the travel route in question depending on its level of competition. Porter (1998) highlighted potential risks that companies adopting any of the three generic strategies might face. For a strategy competing on costs, the main risks are when competitors are able to imitate the strategy itself, or technology changes. When the target segment becomes structurally unattractive, it also poses a risk to the company. This can happen when the demand for low fares disappears due to changing consumer taste. From the fact of the case study, Ryan air is a dominant player in the sector, and this risk is particular high at this stage. Ryan air ‘no-frill’ policy may have to change as they are actively expanding their flight route network and distance. It would be impossible for Ryan air not to provide meals on longer haul flights and as a result their cost focus strategy may become blurred. Ryan air continues to set prices lower than mist of their competitor. Bowman’s Strategic Clock may be a better tool for analysing the case study as it focuses on pricing (refer to appendix C). 3.2 Swot Analysis Opportunities for Ryanair There is still potential for more regional departures to satisfy business travel demand and the growth in short breaks. The Internet can provide a simpler route to the market for consumers and businesses. It makes searching for availability and the lowest fares easier and reduce distribution costs for airlines. There is potential for more direct bookings to reduce distribution costs. Increasing collaboration with alliance partners and code sharing partners can increase sales and reduce costs. This could lead to higher levels of cross-shareholdings and consolidation in the industry. There is also considerable potential for further development of low-fare services in Europe. Ryanair can use its reputation as a resource to expand into Internet cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s or car rental services. They can also cut down on the use of intermediataries who sell their tickets for them by getting to publicise through the Internet or airports 3.3 Threat for Ryan Air The threat of substitutes is however a main area of power, smaller geographical space and shorter distances between major agglomerations allow a greater competition from alternative transportation, notably the high-speed train. The main business challenge during the 1990’s for the ‘low fares’ airline sector was how to convince customers to take the plane instead. The threat of September 11 has proved traumatic for the mainstream European airlines. By contrast, in the no-frill airline sector, traffic calmed sharply, buoyed by strong sales promotions and heavy discounting. However, for Ryanair, the mainstream airlines’ losses were the budget airlines’ gains, strengthening their bargaining position with respect to aircraft procurement, airport deals and staff recruitment. 3.4 Strengths for Ryan Air (refer to Appendix B for more details) By looking at the strengths in appendix B, by the end of 2003, Ryanair’s route system had expanded from its primarily Irish-UK emphasis to serve 86 destinations on 133 routes across 16 countries. Ryanair’s no-frill services allowed it to priorities features important to its clientele, such as frequent departures, advance reservations, baggage handling, and consistent on-time services. Ryanair’s strength (appendix B) is that it offers travel insurances, car rental and connecting rail services, and commission on sales of other services such as hotel reservation. Ryanair website is acclaimed as being one of the most user-friendly and visited travel websites in Europe. (Refer to Exhibit 6 in the handbook for details on operating statistics for Ryanair) 3.5 Pestle Analysis: (refer to appendix A for more details) By looking at the Pestle Analysis, its suggests that Ryan air has to keep a lot of things in mind before taking any further step to increase it awareness. It has to make sure that it follows that law. Also, have to look at the people behaviour on spending the money and keep its price reasonable to attract its rival customers. 4.0 Financial Status: In 2003 Ryanair had delivered its 13th consecutive years of increased profitability. Its net margin had increased by 4% to 28%, surpassing its own long-term net profit margin target of 20%. The staff efficiency ratio had improved by 15% (see exhibit 1 in the handbook). The group’s market capitalisation had grown from  £392m in 1997 to  £4.7 by 1 July 2003, as its profitability was seen to be unique among airlines worldwide. In fiscal 2003, Ryanair had delivered extra ordinary growth in fleet, routes; traffic, revenues and profitability (refer to exhibit 1a, b and c in the handbook). Ryanair advertises its low fairs, primarily on its website, in newspapers, and on radio and television. In 1997, Ryanair was one of the first European airlines to cut its rate of commission to travel agents, from 9% to 7 and half percent. In 2002, Ryanair launched its website. This has had the effect of saving money on staff cost, agents’ commissions and computer reservation charges, while significantly contributing to growth. 5.0 Benchmarking: Comparing Ryanair to other airline companies is almost impossible, while the airline industry is blurring through competitive activity and industry convergence. Airlines offer nowadays a lot of extra services, for example, car rental, internet access in the plane et cetera. All those extra services don’t belong to the core product, the flight. Because of every airline company offering something else it makes it hard to compare Ryanair with them. Ryanair could compare itself to other low-budget airlines, despite the product Ryanair offers is very unique and Ryanair is one of the most profitable low-budget airline. 6.0 Resources Available resources Available resources can be grouped under the following four headings: Physical resources The nature of these resources, such as the age, condition, capability and location of each resource, will also determine the usefulness of the resource. Ryanair possesses everything that is needed to have the company operating in the airline industry. For example, an aircraft fleet (the average age was considerably higher than that of the fleets of Ryanair’s current or potential competitors), headquarter in Ireland, secondary airports to use for landing et cetera. Human resources Ryanair has several hundred employees who issued a statement asserting that they are happy to work for the company. Financial resources Ryanair has different shareholders: The Ryan family The employees Michael O’Leary An investment group led by David Bonderman Irish Air EU nationals Intellectual capital The intellectual capital is the intangible resources of an organisation and is often overlooked or undervalued. The intellectual capital of Ryanair consists for example of the knowledge that the individual employees have. They are all well trained, are able to use the customer databases and have good relationships with the customers. These resources are not tangible, but very important in this knowledge-based economy. 7.0 BUZZ – A Low Price Purchase: Ryanair protects and strengthen its position in the current EU Budget airline market through acquired BUZZ, and appointed two deputies, however, in the fierce competition; Ryanair should seek to some other new markets or new products. Enter the long-haul flight market with the existing cheap, no-frills flights or launch the business class in flight for the business travellers are both the good future directions for Ryanair, because these options are more or less relate to the current business which Ryanair is doing, it is easier for sharing the resources and controlling. Diversification into long-haul market with business class flights, seems not a wisdom choice for Ryanair, since choose to do something is not linking to Ryanair’s current business at all; it would make Ryanair into a very risky situation. 7.1 Robustness: (see appendix D) Rarity Michael O’Leary has a lot of experience and knowledge that can be seen as a unique resource for Ryanair. In 2004, the Financial Times named Michael O’Leary as one of 25 European ‘business stars’, who are expected to make a difference. Ideas can not be patented; they are in the public area. So advantage of Michael O’Leary will be short-lived and only if Ryanair is good at learning, adapting and moving to new bases of competition, Ryanair will be the long-term winner. Another rarity of Ryanair is the extremely low costs and low prices. This can be imitated by other airlines by introducing a new cost-cutting policy and by doing a lot of research. Complexity Entering the airline industry is very hard. Surviving in the airline industry as a low budget company maybe even harder, while Ryanair is so unique, innovative, with a very aggressive marketing policy, Ryanair is impossible to imitate. Culture Ryanair operates only in Europe, so the cultural differences are not so big, and does not give any problems. Casual ambiguity Other airline companies know that the basis of success for Ryanair is the cost-cutting policy. But how Ryanair manages this policy is unclear to them. It is hard to imitate. Ryanair is Europe’s first low-fares and no frills carrier, and it believes that it has made a sufficient gap over its competitors. But the question is can Ryanair maintain its objectives and strategies within the next 2-5years. 8.0 The detailed proposals recommended and previous objectives that can be enhanced. The Strategy that can help Ryan air to increase its competitiveness in the airline industry in short term and long term and the things that it can do to attract more customers. 8.1 Short-term strategy (refer to appendix C for more details about Ryan air strategic position) In short-term strategies, Ryanair must ensure that they are very competitive in terms of their low cost services. By keeping customers satisfied with the price of their tickets, thus reducing the complaints from flight changes and price changes, and ensuring that their day-to-day activities are constantly kept up-to-date with the constant use of the value chain analysis. 8.2 Medium-term Strategy In medium-term Ryanair face continuous competition, due to the fact that they are not number one in the low fare airlines market share even with the merger with BUZZ holding the largest low fares airline, BA and its seven alliances are number one. There should be some goals to under pin other competitors in a market penetration and new product development. Maybe by implementing own branded items into the market, as well as the subsidy’s, to maximise profits with the aid of research and development. Ryanair want to compete against BA. In which Ryanair is continuing its long-term goals of expansion, in order to compete with the larger companies. But they can only achieve this by undercutting BA, i.e. in sectors they fail to break even. 8.3 Additional Service for Customers: The use of secondary airports causes people to catch other modes of transport to reach the main city. Ryanair can take advantage, by offering an additional service to drop people at their locations. This can be done through contracting to a taxi service or a coach company. With a well-researched marketing strategy that can be used to attract the customers thereby boosting Ryanair’s passengers in unfilled seats and thus aiding in the reduction of complaints in short-term strategy. By having more people working on the help desks as the Internet has no middle man, thus no commission has to be paid to travel agencies. In terms of the Internet direct sale, it not only can reduce labour administration costs, but convenience for customers and save their time. In order to provide customers with an efficient and courteous service, it is inevitable that Ryanair have to improve their service. Generally such as the cargo services, well arrangement of booking tickets (in the internet and telephone) and while flights are being cancelled, they will give priority to resolve the situation. 8.4 Promotional Activity for Ryanair: Ryanair needs large amounts of aggressive promotion, to be noticed by the whole world in similarity to Easy Jets marketing tactic of a TV programme that was successful in making a profit and its name being remembered. In comparison, the name Ryanair is not that well known but a market research would be needed to verify this. Ryanair must achieve a new tactic to be known in the market but this may lead to a high risk factor, if they decided to focus on advertisements on TV with their special offers other than travel agencies using their airlines. Another option is the low risk factors by advertising on radio and billboards, then aiming the marketing strategy towards the targeted customers i.e. entrepreneurs and students 8.5 What Ryan air should in terms of its customer’s safety? In points of safety for their customers since the US attacks during September 11th and the recent attacks that took place in 2003, the planes must be kept and insured that they are safe to use otherwise there will be no customers. For example, if a budget air-line had an accident it can be argued that the low costs on ticket prices, cost peoples lives. This strategy will always need constant up-to-date measures in short-term and long-term, because anything can happen. 9.0 Conclusion The aim of this report was to carry out a strategy analysis of Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost no-frills airline. From this it became evident that the organisation operates in a complex environment with fast changing influences that affect its business both beneficially and unfavourably. It also enabled identification of some of the sources of Ryanair’s competitive advantage: core competencies, unique resources, key linkages and the superior cost performance compared to its closest competitor. However, it also became clear that the organisation still has a lot to learn from best practice. In general, Ryanair’s strategies match its task environment although it fails to address certain crucial issues. If these are not dealt with they could lead to future problems and reductions in profits. Reference: Cole, G. A. 1996, Management Theory and Practice, DP Publications, London Hornby, W., Gammie, B., Wall, S. 1997, Business Economics, Pearson Education Limited, England Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. 2001, Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall, New Jersey Sloman, J. 2000, Economics, Pearson Education Ltd, England. Wright, W. 1999, Marketing: Origins, Concepts, Environment, Business Press, London Gerry Johnson. Kevan Scholes, Richard Whittington. 2007, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th edition Appendix A Porters Five Forces related to Ryanair: The Threat of Entry High requirements for capital investment Some economies of scale High marketing costs Experience in operation needed, established airlines already have trained staff High congestion of main airports, difficulty of obtaining landing and take-off slots Advantage in brand recognition, first mover advantage Expectation of retaliation from traditional airlines in price cutting and marketing strategies such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines and BMI New EU ruling on overbooking can add to the increasing costs posed to airline companies The Threat of Substitutes Mainstream airlines are losing market share due to September 11 aftermath Substitution depends on the relative strengths of other airlines such as daily flights frequency, punctuality, price and certain destinations Availability of other transport alternatives such as charter airlines, car ferries, high-speed trains and cars. Substitution for land travelling is dependent on journey time distances, destinations, convenience, flexibility, and customer preferences Bargaining Power of Buyers Large population base in EU Switching cost is relevantly low as there is no high differentiation of services Internet booking allows customers to research relative costs between airliners easily; perfect knowledge Price is major factor in the choice of airlines apart from flight frequency and punctuality Services provided is similar among airlines Bargaining Power of Suppliers Concentrated and small number of aircraft manufacturers i.e. Boeing and Airbus Many budget airlines have been opting for standardized Boeing 737 aircraft will lead to Boeing having more power. The power of main airports is increasing due to air traffic in EU is mounting. Secondary airports are desperate for business from budget airlines. The price of aviation fuel is directly linked to the cost of oil, hence budget airlines like Ryanair is difficult to alter this. The more Ryanair expands the more power it will possess over its suppliers. Competitive Rivalry The European low cost airline industry is very competitive. Ryanair has fierce competition from Easy Jet, Virgin Express and Aer Lingus New competitors in the budget sector increase the buyer power. Mainstream airlines have more control over take-off and landing slots in main airports Mainstream airlines are trying to retaliate by decrease cost on domestic flights, introducing internet booking and set up low-fares subsidiaries Low switching costs and customer loyalty High costs of leaving market Pest Analysis: Political and Legal Regulations for the air travel industry are getting even more stringent. The European Union authorities demand that airlines operate in an open, transparent manner. Any state subsidies to airline companies are prohibited in order to make working conditions equal to anyone and to boost competition in the industry. There are also regulations in place for airlines not to exceed certain levels of noise and air pollution. All of the legislation and regulations make operating in the industry harder. Economic Europe is undergoing economic slowdown. People therefore spend less, in general, and tend to travel less, as a result. High oil prices inflate costs of fuel and impact margins negatively. At the same time, people are ready to travel for less and thus willing to opt for low-budget airlines. Business travel is on the surge. E.g., business travelers count for 40% of all Ryanair’s passengers. At the same time, overall traffic in the industry as well as profitability levels plummeted in the aftermath of 11 September and after the war in Iraq and the SARS. This had a devastating effect on the majority of airlines but also gave an impetus to the development of low-cost carriers. Social People’s mobility has been increasing during the last decades. People travel for leisure, business, and in search of new jobs. Personal disposable income of people is rising in Europe as well as the number of senior citizens who enjoy traveling. Traveling low-cost has become a norm. Technological Airlines set up websites through which they sell tickets and other ancillary products and services such as car rentals and travel insurances. This led to cost decreases and to greater reach to customers. Airlines now provide satellite TV and phone services on board as well as broadband Internet and thus enhance value to customers. Information systems allow airlines collect data about passengers, cost, prices as well as ensure better service when boarding and handling luggage. Environmental Companies now have to comply with strict environment protection regulations and laws. Should they breach them, they may be liable to enormous fines or court hearings. This can have a greater impact on low-cost carriers as they have more take-offs and landings due to higher frequency of flights, and therefore need to pay more environment related taxes. Appendix B Strengths and weaknesses of Ryanair Airline Strengths Ryanair first budget airline in Europe, market leader. Most developed route system with frequent departures on Dublin–London route. Pre-empting potential competitors on the same routes, unless they can offer better value than Ryanair through lower prices (which requires them to have lower costs or take the pain of losses) and/or extra services (but customers must consider these worth paying for). Pursuing clear strategy, efficient and effective low cost operator; activities fit together to create low cost  ® difficult to undercut Ryanair on cost, and therefore on price (but see weaknesses for some cost vulnerabilities). Low and reducing breakeven load factor, easily cleared, reduces financial risk. Similarly, average length of passenger haul is moving in the right direction, as is number of employees per aircraft  ® reducing cost per available seat mile ®good operating profit. In fact, in 2001 Ryanair was considered the most profitable airline in the world Low debt, relatively high p/e ratio makes it possible to raise finance for growth Leadership – testimony of awards for management. Michael O’Leary and Tony Ryan are determined competitors, turned Ryanair around very effectively Weaknesses In an inverse way, Ryanair’s weaknesses can be listed and assessed to see whether any of them create critical vulnerabilities that impair Ryanair’s positioning and viability. Cost structure – aircraft utilisation in question with lowest number of hours per day of any budget competitors; older aircraft entail higher fuel and maintenance costs; currency fluctuations make fuel costs unpredictable. Overly cost conscious? Could be irritating to passengers, e.g. withdrawing free ice with paid for drinks – especially when budget rivals are actually adding perks, and mainstream airlines are discounting. Capital structure – very vulnerable to financial markets sentiment and high expectations, so any profit disappointment could be disastrous for share price, which is especially important in absence of dividends. Also, majority free floating shares could result in over 50% ownership outside EU  ®loss of airline licence. Staff issues – EU legislation regarding compulsory trade unions, alongside history of industrial relations problems; question marks over staff commitment and loyalty. Outsourced services outside Ireland may mitigate against employee commitment and intense company knowledge necessary to create superior customer service. Ryanair penalized more than other airlines by loss of intra-EU duty-free because cabin staff remuneration dependent on it; Ryanair had to compensate staff. The Value Chain The value chain model was suggested by Michael Porter. He maintained that an organization can provide value to its customers in two major ways: by lowering costs in a particular operation or by enhancing perceived value-added through differentiation. A company can add value using both methods in its different operations. The value chain consists of primary activities and supporting activities. Primary activities include: a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inbound logistics, i.e. suppliers, purchases, inventories, lead times; b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operations, i.e. manufacturing or processing; waste and distribution management; inventory control; efficiency; location management; customer service; information systems; c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Outbound logistics: selling, delivering, transportation, distribution; d)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing and sales; e)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Service: customer satisfaction and retention, customer loyalty. Supporting activities entail: f)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Infrastructure: structure of the organization (centralized or decentralized etc); culture; managers’ involvement and support; vision; frequency of communication between managers and employees; g)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human resources: motivation; respect of employees, which leads to happier staff and lower turn-around; h)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technology development: Internet bookings, satellite communications, ERP information systems all lead to greater efficiency and lower costs; i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Procurement: relationships with suppliers; storage. When bargaining power towards suppliers is high, then costs are low. A succes