Applying The Accounting Portion Of A Business Plan

Prior to effectively creating the accounting portion of a business plan using a selection of accounting principles, tools, and calculations, it is important to first address some fundamental information about my business venture. As someone who has spent years baking and providing friends and family with flavorful, affordable cupcakes for birthday parties and other events, it makes sense to look into the possibility of opening up my own business that specializes in gourmet cupcakes, a former niche that has become a booming business over the last decade. Wanting to provide people with unique desserts that are not only delicious, but also affordable, has always been a dream of mine. My bakery would specialize in strictly cupcakes, as too†¦show more content†¦Although rent may be high in a city like Atlanta, the location would be within walking distance to many facilities. The high foot traffic in the classy city would bring in customers, especially with the tourists who visit Atlanta. Per the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), â€Å"the city saw 42.3 million visitors from across the country† in 2012, â€Å"setting a single-year visitation record† (1). The amount of tourism in the downtown area of Atlanta will undoubtedly result in profits for my business. Additionally, with so many schools nearby, fundraising and bake sale opportunities abound, making it easy for parents or guardians to stop by my cupcake bakery to pick up cupcakes for their child’s school. Further, the corporate offices nearby will bring in revenue for my business, as corporate events and luncheons almost always require dessert. The location I have selected for my cupcake bakery has minimal competition. There is no other cupcake bakery within a 15-mile vicinity, so the only competition which exists is from grocery stores in the area. Because my livelihood will be tied to turning a profit, it is essential that my decisions are based on my business income and outflows. My financial decisions will indeed impact my business. Financial decisions which may impact my business include bringing in additional employees, expanding my storefront, purchasing new equipment, andShow MoreRelatedBusiness Combination1719 Words   |  7 PagesAssignment 1: Business Combinations Cindy Yoon Professor Robert Neely ACC 401 – Advanced Accounting October 24, 2013 Abstract In this paper, I will provide an explanation for the business combination method I selected in expanding the corporation by acquiring another firm, the reason for selecting that business combination method, and how the purchase will grow the business. I will also analyze the accounting requirements for the business combination method I selected and how I determinedRead MoreMy Future Plan For School And Become A Cpa1560 Words   |  7 Pagesquestions posed to students tend to be â€Å"What is one’s future?†, or â€Å"How does her or she plan on achieving that goal?†. 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Digital Espionage Free Essays

Attacks on sites had been a common occurence ever since the boom of the Internet market, and it is only usual for people to get into the business themselves either legally or ilegally. Since the occurence of these attacks anti-virus companies had been built, adding yet another business into the market. But the level of attacks had been vastly improving, and one example is what happened on Google, one of the world’s leading search engine. We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Espionage or any similar topic only for you Order Now On January 12, 2010, Google announced on its blog that it had been attacked. It was said to have occured from mid last year and finished last December. Google stated that over 20 other companies including Adobe and Microsoft, had also been victims. On that same day, US Secretary Hilary Clinton publicly asked for an explanation from the Chinese government. Google became aware of the attack themselves, through their inside sources. According to Newsweek, at the time, they contacted Rafal Rohozinski, CEO of The SecDev Group (a global security and research firm) because the attack was very similar to GhostNet (a large scale cyber spying event last March 2009) and they wanted to know what they could share that might be helpful to their in-house investigation. The attack seems to be emanating from the jurisdiction of China. Google said that the hackers were interested in accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. According to the Financial Times, a person named Ai Weiwei had his two accounts hacked, their contents read and copied. On the others, however, they were only able to view limited details such as the subject line and the creation date of the account. It was said that the attack started when an employee in China click on an infected linked, which was sent through an instant message. The attacker was able to access the person’s computer, and eventually Google’s headquarters in California. It also accessed Google’s Moma, an intenal directory that stores information on each of the employees work task. Carlos Carillo, principal consultant of Mandiant (security incident response and forensics firm) was also called in by Google. He said that it was â€Å"definitely one of the most sophisticated attacks I’ve seen in the last few years†¦ This wasn’t something that a 16-year-old came up in his spare time. † He said that they’ve seen similar attacks like this on the government, but never on the commercial space. The level of the attack had certainly been done by a group of experts. Last January 14, 2010, McAfee reported that the attackers had exploited zero-day vulnerabilities and called the attack â€Å"Operation Aurora†. They exploited a hole in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer even if their DEP (Data Execution Prevention) was turned on. The vulnerability affects Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, and 8 on Windows 7, Vista, Windows XP, Server 2003, Server 2008 R2, as well as IE 6 Service Pack 1 on Windows 2000 Service Pack 4. It would be very hard to exploit the flaw on Windows Vista or Windows 7, however, because of its advanced memory protection technology. Zero-day vulnerabilities are those flaws that are unknown to the developer. When the attacker discovers the vulnerability before the developer does, it can prove to be very dangerous. The attacker can either use the vulnerability to copy the information and make a similar program and then sell it to the market, or he can use the vulnerability to directly destroy the program of the developer. As with Google, analysts said that â€Å"China is likely using its maturing computer network exploitation capability to support intelligence collection against the U. S. government and industry by conducting a long term, sophisticated computer network exploitation campaign. † At least 10 to 20 terabytes of data had been taken from Google and other companies. Days after the attack, the exploit had been opened to the public, which are now dangerous to the internet community. Paul Ducklin, Head of Technology (Asia Pacific) from Sophos Lab(developer and vendor of security software and hardware), explained how the exploit on Google was done. The Aurora explot relies on a used-after free bug. The exploit uses java script to control over the browser as it crashes. The exploit has all the usual javascript tricks: heap spray (technique used to facilitate arbitary code execution) and nop sleds (No Operation Execution, meaning to â€Å"slide† the instruction on its final destination) . At the end of the nop sled is the shellcode, (the actual malicious binary code that the hacker wants to execute) and a coming bid which uses javascript events that tricks the browser into misusing memory in the first place. He went to a test server wherein he edited the shellcode, that contains debug breakpoints and he added some human readable text â€Å"WARHEAD† so that if the computer crashed he can visually confirm that it was into the computer’s shellcode. He tried it in IE 6, wherein he put it in the debug controller and only attaching debug to it (the reason for doing so is of course because of the debug breakpoints, so if the exploit actually works, he can track back into the debugger). Then he clicked on Internet Explorer and visited the malicious site. The exploit actually relies on fetching image files. It worked when he tried to see the address on the debugger, â€Å"WARHEAD† came out. Usually, a good anti-virus program can protect internet users from these kind of exploits. In order to fix the IE flaw, Microsoft stepped out of its normal monthly patch cycle to release a patch. The users of IE are now required to run Windows update and click on MS10-002 update to fix it. Meanwhile, Google announced that it would stop censoring its search results in China. David Drimmond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer of Google said â€Å"Users visiting Google. cn are now being redirected to Google. com. hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong. † Censorship in China had been a rule to maintain the country’s communism. Censhorship prevents unapproved reformist, separatist, â€Å"counter-revolutionary† ideas from organizing themselves and spreading. It also prevents Chinese citizens from discovering or learning more about past and current failures of the Communist Party that could create or inflame anti-government sentiment. They had also intended on blocking foreign government websites to prevent the people from learning alternative systems of governance . What Google did was a risky step because China may stop doing business with Google altogether. And China, is one of the most sought-after market in the world today. Analysts expects China’s search market to reach 10 billion yuan ($1.46 billion) this year. However, in 5 to 10 years, what Google did may prove to be advantageous for them. Ben Sargent, an analyst with Common Sense Advisory, a market research company said that â€Å"As a culture, China is much more long-term thinking than most other cultures. No other government takes such long-term views as the Chinese government,† Sargent said. â€Å"So Google is trying to out-Chinese the Chinese in terms of making a really long-term play for young people’s hearts and minds in China. â€Å" Google had always been concerned on its position in China, but the country is too big of a market to ignore. As what Rohozinski have said, â€Å"Engagement is better than exclusion. † You can do a lot more for the people if you work from the inside than just standing around and watching. Google went in with their eyes wide open. Sergey Brin(founder of Google), who had been from the Soviet Union understood China on its political views. The cyber spying just gave them the opportunity to make their stand and make the world praise them for it. How to cite Digital Espionage, Papers

ABC Company Risk management Plan- Case Study by Experts

Questions: ScenarioYou are newly appointed as a Managing Director of ABC Company, a Recruitment company. Some of the issues in the ABC Company are as follows:-Managers blamed for ABC Companys deficitsThe report blames poor management. Inadequate leadership and ineffective management are the causes of the worst deficits in the company. The problems have led to reduction of thousands of jobs, close services and delay operations. Further, senior officials had taken their eye "off the ball", relying on short-term fixes to solve growing financial problems. It is crucial that boards and management get the basics right because financial failure is often a reflection of wider organisational failure. With the above scenario, you are entrusted with the task of advising on changes to be made to the organisation. You are required to develop a number of business processes for ABC Company to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the overall performance of company and provide solutions.Task 1 Develop a repo rt as required below. After going through the organizational structure and the existing culture in ABC Company, identify all major positions in the departments and draw an organizational chart to support your answer. List and identify the relationships between different functions/processes and explain the different functions and processes. List the key aims, objectives and mission of ABC Company and draw a process map for any one of the functions. Evaluate the elements required to build a quality gateway, which focuses on the output of the Version 1.2 process. Design a plan to promote goals and objectives for ABC Company to ensure plans are consistent with legal, regulatory and ethical requirements. Write, using SMART objectives, your recommendations relating to the alignment of people and other resources, in an effective and efficient way. Implement appropriate systems to achieve objectives in the most efficient way, on time, to budget and meeting organisational standards of qualit y Carry out work activities meeting the operational plan through effective monitoring and control.Task 2Develop a report as required below Explain the systems required to manage and monitor quality standards of ABC Company. Demonstrate a quality culture to ensure continuous monitoring, evaluation and development of the process. Recommend improvements which align with the organisations objectives and goals and which results in improvements. Highlight the elements of your plan which are going to bring continuous improvement in the system. Write a brief report on the wider implications of proposed changes within the organisation. Advice on how to carry out risk assessments as required by legislation, regulation and organisational requirements ensuring appropriate action is taken. Demonstrate the correct and effective application of the health and safety regulations and legislation applicable in ABC Company. Carry out a systematic review of organisational health and safety policies and procedures in order to ensure they are effective and compliant. Advise on how to carry out the practical application of health and safety policies and procedures ABC Company. Answers: Task 1 Major positions at ABC Company There are plenty of positions at ABC Company but there are few positions which have plenty of candidates. Few of the important positions at ABC Company are as follows: - Directors Recruitment managers Recruitment Team Lead Recruitment Executives Recruitment Associate Recruitment Trainees Client coordinators IT Manager System Admin Admin Manager Admin Executive Human Resource Manager Human Resource Executive Accounts Manager Accounts Executive Sales Manager Sales executive Relationship between the different functions at ABC Company Each function in the organization is dependent on one another and hence, if there is a slight change or error in one of the processes then it will create an impact on the other process as well. The interconnectivity between different functions in the organization is discussed below. The client coordinators in the organization will take requirements from the clients and share with the recruitment managers in the organization. The client coordinator will also help the recruitment team to get feedback on various interviews that have been lined up. The sales manager will continuously share new requirements with the client coordinators so that they can coordinate with other clients as well, along with the existing clients. The sales manager will communicate with the account team so that they can share the invoice details about the client. The invoice by the finance team will not be sent after coordination with the sales time. The sales team will interact with the management so that the sales team can understand the business requirements and acquire clients accordingly. The sales team will interact with the HR team so that the HR team can start with hiring as per the business plan. The human resource team will interact with the recruitment team so that the HR can understand the recruitment teams requirement and train them accordingly. Apart from that, the HR team will send attendance calculation to the accounts team so that payroll calculation can be done accordingly (Southern 2009). Aims and objectives of ABC Company and Process Map The aims and objectives of ABC Company is clearly defined and the complete team will work towards it so that they can help the company to achieve the mission. Few of the aims and objectives that have been set forth by the company are as follows: - 1. Customer service is of utmost importance for the organization. The company wants the all the requirements of the customer to be met so that the organization can share more openings with the company. 2. Prompt service is one of the aims that the organization wants to achieve so that the client can be rest assured about results. 3. ABC Company also wants to reduce price at which the services are offered. This will help the company to sustain the clients and the clients will also be happy with the organization. 4. ABC Company also helps the clients to get access to the candidates with best caliber rather than that of sourcing candidates for the sake of it (Andrews 1995). Process map of the HR hiring process The HR hiring process is different than that of the recruitment which is done by the recruitment team. The process that has been followed by the HR team for the purpose of hiring employees at ABC Company has been discussed below. The recruitment process starts with looking for resumes. The HR professionals will download resumes from the portal. The downloaded resumes will be screen before the HR professional starts with calling. The HR will call the prospective employees and understand the requirements of the candidate. This will help the HR to be rest assured that the requirements of the candidate and the organization is in line with that of each other. The employees will be called by the HR professional for the interview. The first road of interview will be taken by the HR professional so that they can understand the learning capacity of the candidate. The HR will also understand the attitude of the employee. Accordingly, the candidate will be processed for second round of interview. The recruitment manager will take the second round of interview. This will be a technical round and the manager will question regarding the understanding that they hold regards the process. If the recruitment manager likes the candidate then the candidate will be offered. Before the offer is sent across to the candidate, the HR team will check the parity. This will help the HR team to manage a balance between the current salary and the new employee. Lastly, the candidate will be offered (Stiles 2011). Improvement in quality Few of the quality gateway ideas that will help the organization to improve rather than that of being stagnant are as follows: - 1. The recruiters at ABC Company will look for ways by which the number of resumes sent to the client can be reduced. The company will try to close the position with few relevant resumes rather than that of dumping resumes at the client. 2. The recruiters at ABC Company will be eligible to earn more incentives rather than that of paying fixed salary. Incentives on every position closed will help the recruiters to work on more positions so that they can earn more. 3. The quality of the calls of the recruiter and the client coordinator will be audited by way of recording calls. Recording calls will help the employees to be aware of areas wherein they need to improve. Plan to promote the goals and objectives of ABC Company To achieve the goals and objectives of the organization, proper action plan needs to be in place. Few of the action plans that will help the organization to achieve the goals and objectives that they have planned are as follows: - 1. The salary of the employees in the organization should be increased. This increase will help the employees to be motivated to stay with the organization and apart from that, the organization will also be able to maintain industry standards. 2. The employees should be trained regarding the potential risks and this will help the company to safeguard themselves and also the assets of the company when some risk may come up. 3. Continuous training will be provided to the employees so that the employees can grow to be better. This will help the employees to understand the clients requirement and hence, they will provide resumes that they require (Coulson 1995). SMART objectives It is very important for the organization to set SMART objectives so that the goals and objectives can be achieved. Few of the SMART objectives that would help the organization to grow are as follows: - 1. The company wants to grow the sales of the company by 15% in next quarter. 2. The company wants the employees in the organization to grow by 20% so that the staff can help the organization to meet the requirements of the clients. 3. The revenue of the company should be increased by 20% so that the organization can see that they are growing. 4. The profit of the organization should grow by minimum 7% so that they can be rest assured that all the plans and objectives are in sync with that of each other (Fontana 2012). Systems to maintain quality Quality management system should be implemented in place so that the organization can be rest assured about the quality that can be achieved. There are various advantages of implementation of quality management system and few of the advantages are as follows: - 1. It is the responsibility of the management to be in sync with that of government policies so that will be taken care with the help of quality management system. If the quality management is undertaken manually then there are possibilities that errors will be undertaken. 2. The efficiency of the employees in the organization will be set and it will be very clear to the employees regarding what they can do and what are the things that they can avoid so that they can be in sync with the quality requirements. 3. Quality management system will also have a lot of factual decisions. These factual decisions can be used by the management of ABC Company for decision making. 4. The clients of ABC Company will also be a part of the quality management portal and hence, the communication is improved and at the same time, it becomes to trace the history of the performance (Hollingsworth 2013). Monitoring and control activities Few of the monitoring and control activities that will help the organization to be in sync with the plan are as follows: - 1. The managers in the organization should supervise the performance of the employees. If the employees are deviating from their roles and responsibilities then it can be pointed at the earliest. 2. Financial auditing should be conducted at regular intervals so that the management can be rest assured that the plan and the actual budget is in line with each other. If there is any deviation then the required changes will be made on immediate basis. 3. An internal portal should be introduced in the organization. The employees should be asked to update their daily work report on this portal. This will help the employees to be aware of their performance and at the same time, the management can also be updated about the performance of each employee (Wilson 2013). Task 2 Systems required for monitoring the quality standards at ABC Company Various systems will be required at ABC Company so that all the quality standards set can managed and controlled. Few of the systems that would help ABC Company to be in sync with the quality standards that have been set are as follows: - 1. To start with, the monitoring should start with supervision. The managers in the organization should supervise their team members so that they can be rest assured that all the team members are following the standard that has been set. 2. The calls of the recruiters, client coordinators and also the sales professionals will be recorded so that the management can be aware of the conversation and also if there is any deviation then that will be corrected immediately. 3. An internal portal for the recruiters, management and the client to communicate will be set. This will help the client to immediately upload the feedback and hence, the recruiters can understand the requirements of the client and work accordingly. The manager can also monitor the performance of the employee by way of going through the portal (Dunning 2013). Quality culture It is very important for the management to have a quality culture at ABC Company so that the set standards are achieved. Few of the ways by which a quality culture can be set at ABC Company are as follows: - 1. The management should conduct meetings at regular intervals so that the management can share their expectations with the employees. This will help the employees to achieve the quality standards that have been set. 2. The employees who achieve quality should be rewarded in public so that all the employees are motivated to achieve quality standards and at the same time, more and more employees will improve on continuous basis. 3. The quality in the organization should check on the quality standards that needs to be achieved and the quality that is currently being achieved so that the gap between both can be reduced. 4. If only the quality team is working to achieve the quality standards then achievement of quality would be impossible. Each team at ABC Company should have a quality person so that they can track the quality in their team and if there is any deviation then it can be corrected (Wei 2009). Continuous improvement It is the responsibility of the management to look for ways by which continuous training is achieved in the organization. Few of the ways by which ABC Company can get continuous improvement at workplace are as follows: - 1. The employees in the organization should be given training on continuous basis. This will help the employees to learn and grow. The employees should be analyzed and their training needs should be analyzed and accordingly, training program should be planned.2. Benchmarks should be set in the organization so that the employees are aware of the quality standards that they have to achieve. It is very important for the management to review the quality standards at regular basis so that the quality can be improved along with increasing benchmark.3. The management needs to accept the fact that they can get best of improvement ideas from the management. The employees may be hesitant to share their opinions and views on quality management and this is when surveys can help the organization. Implications of proposed change The management will have to be ready so that the face the implications that may arise due to the implementation of proposed change. Few of the implications that the organization will have to take care due to the change that will be implemented are as follows: - 1. The cost will be one of the things which will have to be considered. To implement quality management system, the management will have to spare some money so that they can get something better.2. The management will have to put in more time so that they can plan the activities accordingly. Initially planning may seem to be difficult but giving time is one of the best things that the management can do as it will yield good results.3. The management will have to get in extra resources so that the quality of the process can be maintained. The management should hire a quality team that will help the organization to achieve quality (Polak 2010). Risk assessment Risk assessment is a process and it needs to be followed religiously so that there is no deviation from the set standards. The risk assessment processes that can be followed at ABC Company are as follows: - 1. Few and foremost, the risk management team at ABC Company will have to identify the risks that are associated with the organization. 2. Secondly, identify the people who can be harmed due to the risk and also the extent to which they can be harmed should be documented. 3. The control measures that can help the organization to get rid or reduce the risk should be evaluated. 4. It is very important to record the risk and control measures that have been identified by the organization. 5. Before the risk plan is produced to the management, it should be evaluated again so that if any changes required then that can be done (Wei 2009). Health and safety responsibilities of the management at ABC Company It is the responsibility of the management at ABC company to ensure that all the employees working in the organization is safe. Few of the safety and health regulations that can be implemented in the organization are as follows:- 1. ABC Company should have firefighting equipment at all the corners so that if any fire accident takes place then one can be rest assured that the injury to employees is reduced.2. The company should also have emergency exits so that the employees can leave from the other exit when one of the exits is blocked during emergency.3. The employees should be given training regarding the hazards that prevail in the organization and also the policies that are in place so that the employees can safeguard themselves from the problem that may arise.4. The organization should also have a first aid kit. The first aid kit should have all the emergency medicines. It is the responsibility of the concerned person to check regarding the availability of the medicine and also the expiry date and other details (Menapace 2013). Review of OHS policy It is very important for any organization to review the OHS policies at regular intervals. This will help the organization to be in sync with the policies that needs to be attached. Few of the ways by which the OHS policies of the company can be reviewed are as follows: - 1. The organization should be aware of the standard policies which have been set forth by the organization. The government policies will have to be compared with the existing policies in the organization. This can be done by way of maintaining a checklist. 2. Each team at ABC company should have a representative who will track the OHS policies that are relevant to their team. If there is any deviance from the policies that have been decided then this will be immediately bought to the notice of the management so that appropriate action can be taken accordingly. 3. ABC Company should have a consultant who will keep a track of the policies that are followed in the organization and also the policies that is yet to be i mplemented in the organization. These consultants are very much updated with the upcoming trend and hence, they will help the management to keep themselves updated with the industry trends (Zipperer 2011). Practical application of the OHS policy There may be plenty of ways by which the OHS policy can be implemented in the organization but it is the responsibility of OHSs management to look for ways by which the employees will actually follow the policies. Few of the practical ways by which the OHS policy will be implemented at ABC Company are as follows: - 1. OHS policy should be a part of the induction program and this will give an idea to the employees regarding the importance that the organization is giving to the OHS policy in the company. 2. The employees should be given training every quarterly so that they can be sure of what is expected of them. 3. To check the seriousness of the employee in the training, examination should be conducted. This will help the employees to be updated with the things that they need to do so that they can safeguard themselves in times of emergency. 4. An OHS manual should be maintained in the organization so that the employees can go through the manual as and when they had a query with any of the companys OHS policy (Manuj 2008). References Manuj, I, 2008, Global supply chainriskmanagementstrategies, International journal of physical distribution logistics management, Vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 192-223 Zipperer, L, 2011, Knowledgemanagement: An innovativeriskmanagementstrategy, Journal of healthcare risk management, Vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 8-14 Menapace, L, 2013, Riskaversion, subjective beliefs, and farmerriskmanagement strategies, American journal of agriculture economics, Vol. 95, no. 2, pp. 384-389 Wei, J, 2009, EffectiveStrategiesforRiskManagement, International journal of business management, Vol. 2, pp. 90-98 Polak, G, 2010, Riskmanagementstrategiesvia minimax portfolio optimization, Journal of banking and finance, Vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 331-352 Dunning, M, 2013, Corporate culture definesriskmanagementstrategy, Business insurance, Vol. 47, no. 24, pp. 4-9 Wilson, J, 2013, Formulating ariskmanagementstrategy, British Journal of Nursing, Vol. 6, no. 16, pp. 924-925 Hollingsworth, K, 2013, RiskEvaluation MitigationStrategies: The Evolution ofRisk ManagementPolicy, Population health management, Vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 132-137 Fontana, M, 2012, Riskmanagement: a proposal for communicationstrategies, Annals of geophysics, Vol. 55, pp. 12-25 Coulson, A, 1995, Environmentalriskandmanagementstrategy, International journal of bank marketing, Vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 22-29 Southern, S, 2009, Creatingriskmanagementstrategiesfor IT security, Network Security, Vol. 3, pp. 14-17 Stiles, P, 2011, Research and confidentiality: Legal issues andriskmanagement strategies, Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, pp. 71-89 Andrews, C, 1995, Evaluatingriskmanagementstrategiesin resource planning, IEEE transactions on power systems, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 420-426

Thames Valley Police Poster textual analysis Essay Example

Thames Valley Police Poster textual analysis Essay The Second advertising campaign was issued in 2006/2007 by the origination Trident who produces posters to prevent gun crime. Trident work closely with the charity crime stoppers which help to solve a numerous amount offences across the United Kingdom, furthermore the metropolitan police are also working in support. Project trident positively have more supporting organizations such as connected, CSV, blink, NHS, child line, CSEF, outside chance and calling the shots. Finally the notorious underground group RollDeep are behind the campaign. The audience of the poster is directed at the eleven to nineteen year old teenagers living in London. The purpose of the image is to emphasize the reality of guns and life and connote the devastating consequences. It encourages and shocks the audience to prevent them from being gun men of the upcoming generation. However the image is also used to emphasize the issues to the rest of the population keeping them aware of the ongoing and horrific problem. At the center of the poster there lies a dead a body which clearly expresses the point and shock value of gun crime. We will write a custom essay sample on Thames Valley Police Poster textual analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Thames Valley Police Poster textual analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Thames Valley Police Poster textual analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As it is in the center of the poster it conveys typical conventions and personifies the message. This is used to visual highlight the consequences of guns which can be read effortlessly by the target audience. The white door shutting show that this is the end of the road along with no other presence suggests it is a lonely way to pass on. The closed black front door furthermore gives connotations of sadness and depression and emphasizes there is no going back. The amount of lockers helps to portray the scale of the situation, showing evidence that many deaths have occurred. A clock is situated on the wall to suggest there is still time to act upon your actions, on the other hand a fly killer is also located on the wall which represents the terrible realism and message that encourages the audience to not fall into the trap. Overall the main colour of the poster is white which signifies purity in the teenagers life and reflects his innocence. This creates the shocking message that it can happen to you, your friends or your family which gives it a personal tone and connection to the audience. Trident logo is written with a graffiti styled first letter witch appeals to teenagers, the rest is bold to give a more serious and formal aspect. The colour of the logo is white and the background is black, this contrast provides it to stand out and glue in the viewers mind. The text at the bottom reads carrying a gun can get you into the coolest places this strongly contrasts with the image and fore fills its purpose to stop teenagers possessing guns. This text is at the bottom of the poster in a conventional place that is in a formal and important font to personify the serious tone. More conventional aspects of the poster are the crime stoppers help line number, metropolitan police logo and website in the bottom right corner, with the aim of equally present vital information. Overall the poster connotes that guns can have a life changing effect to your life along with others and illustrates this well to its intended audience.

Essential Components of Guided Reading

Essential Components of Guided Reading There are three essential elements in Guided Reading, they are before reading, during reading, and after reading. Here we will take a look at teacher and student roles during each element, along with a few activities for each, as well compare the traditional reading group with a dynamic guided reading group. Element 1: Before Reading This when the teacher introduces the text and takes the opportunity to teach students before the reading begins. Teachers Role: To select an appropriate text for the group.Prepare an introduction to the story they are going to read.Briefly introduce the story to the students.To leave a few questions unanswered that can be answered throughout the story. Students Role: To engage in a conversion with the group about the story.Raise questions about the story to be read.Build expectations about the text.To notice information in the text. Activity to Try: Word Sort. Choose a few words from the text that may be difficult for students or words that tell what the story is about. Then have students sort the words into categories. Element 2: During Reading During this time when students are reading, the teacher provides any assistance that is needed, as well as records any observations. Teachers Role: Listen to the students while they read.Observe each readers behavior for strategy use.Interact with students and assist when needed.Observe and make notes about individual learners. Students Role: Read the text to themselves quietly or softly.To request help if needed. Activity to Try: Sticky Notes. During reading students write down anything that they want on the sticky notes. It can be something that interests them, a word that confuses them, or a question or comment they may have, anything at all. Then share them as a group after reading the story. Element 3: After Reading After reading the teacher talks with students about what they have just read and the strategies that they used, and leads students through a discussion about the book. Teachers Role: Talk about and discuss what was just read.Invite students to respond or add details.Return to the text for teaching opportunities such as to find answers to questions.Assess student understanding.Extend the text by providing activities such as writing or drawing. Students Role: Talk about what they just read.Check predictions and react to the story.Revisit the text to answer questions prompted by the teacher.Reread story with partner or group.Engage in additional activities to extend learning about the story. Activity to Try: Draw a Story Map. After reading, have students draw a story map of what the story was about. Traditional Versus Guided Reading Groups Here we will take a look at traditional reading groups versus dynamic guided reading groups. Heres how they compare: Traditional groups focus on the lesson, not the student - while guided reading focuses on the student, not the lesson which will actually help the student learn and comprehend the lesson plan quicker.Traditional is grouped by general determination of ability - while guided is grouped by specific assessment for strengths and appropriate level of the text.Traditional groups the teacher follows a prepared script - while in guided the teacher is actively engaged with the text and the students.Traditional reading groups focus on decoding words - whereas guided reading groups focus on understanding the meaning.In traditional reading groups, the words are taught and skills are practiced in workbooks - whereas in a guided reading group the teacher builds meaning and language and skills are incorporated into the reading, not with workbooks.Traditional reading groups students are tested on their skills - whereas in dynamic guided reading groups students assessment is ongoing and througho ut instruction. Looking for more reading strategies to incorporate into your classroom? Check out our article on 10 reading strategies and activities for elementary students.

The Rights and Responsibilities of Green Card Holders

The Rights and Responsibilities of Green Card Holders A green card or lawful permanent residency is the immigration status of a foreign national who comes to the United States and is authorized to live and work in the United States permanently.  A person must maintain permanent resident status if he chooses to become a citizen, or naturalized, in the future.  A green card holder has legal rights and responsibilities as enumerated by the U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency. U.S. permanent residency is known informally as a green card because of its green design, first introduced in 1946. Legal Rights of U.S. Permanent Residents U.S legal permanent residents have the right to live permanently in the United States provided the resident does not commit any actions that would make the person removable under immigration law U.S. permanent residents have the right to work in the United States at any legal work of the residents qualification and choosing. Some jobs, like federal positions, may be limited to U.S. citizens for security reasons. U.S. permanent residents have the right to be protected by all laws of the United States, the state of residence and local jurisdictions, and can travel freely throughout the U.S. A permanent resident can own property in the U.S., attend public school, apply for a drivers license, and if eligible, receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicare benefits. Permanent residents can request visas for a spouse and unmarried children to live in the U.S. and can leave and return to the U.S. under certain conditions. Responsibilities of U.S. Permanent Residents U.S. permanent residents are required to obey all laws of the United States, the states, and localities, and must file income tax returns and report income to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities. U.S. permanent residents are expected to support the democratic form of government and not change the government through illegal means. U.S. permanent residents must maintain immigration status over time, carry proof of permanent resident status at all times and notify USCIS of change of address within 10 days of relocation.  Males age 18 up to age 26 are required to register with the U.S. Selective Service. Health Insurance Requirement In June 2012, the Affordable Care Act was enacted that mandated all U.S. citizens and permanent residents must be enrolled in health care insurance by 2014. U.S. permanent residents are able to obtain insurance through the state health care exchanges. Legal immigrants whose income falls below federal poverty levels are eligible to receive government subsidies to help pay for the coverage. Most permanent residents are not allowed to enroll in Medicaid,  a social health program for individuals with limited resources until they have lived in the United States for at least five years. Consequences  of Criminal Behavior A U.S. permanent resident could be removed from the country, refused re-entry into the United States, lose permanent resident status, and, in certain circumstances, lose eligibility for U.S. citizenship for engaging in criminal activity or being convicted of a crime. Other serious infractions that could affect permanent residency status include falsifying information to get immigration benefits or public benefits, claiming to be a U.S. citizen when not, voting in a federal election, habitual drug or alcohol use, engaging in multiple marriages at one time, failure to support family in the U.S., failure to file tax returns and willfully failing to register for Selective Service if required.

Business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business ethics - Essay Example Business ethics Corporate responsibility entails two issues: doing the positive good to the community, and doing no harm or whatsoever to the community.This means that the corporations pay back to the community through participating in community beautification efforts and events, volunteering expertise, donating money to the worthy causes and being a responsible employer. On the other hand, doing no harm entails efforts of the business towards the environment in its production activities, transportation and disposal. Therefore, in order to best examine moral corporations and corporate responsibility for the environment let us start by considering issues of the environment we face (McLachlan, 2008). There is a wide possibility of developing a moral corporation; this requires looking closely at values and changing attitudes. This paper seeks to form a position for the development of a moral corporate culture and map out a specific plan for obtaining a moral corporation. Moral responsibility is the sta te of deserving moral praise, reward, blame, or punishment for an omission or act, with respect to moral obligations. Making decisions on whether or not something is obligatory morally is a concern of principles of ethics. Corporations with moral responsibility for actions are referred to as moral agents. Such corporations are able to reflect on their circumstances, make intentions concerning how they act, and finally do such actions. Developing a moral corporation is a free will issue whether or not corporations will be morally responsible for the actions they get involved in. The scholars’ debate over the attributes of moral responsibility in corporations has been going on for decades. The conformational approach to this argument is to determine the necessary conditions for moral corporations and plan for the development of moral corporations, and whether such conditions can be satisfied by corporations (McLachlan, 2008). The development of moral corporations needs to ensur e that the environment is duly protected. Environmental ethics iscomplicated in practice because of the numerous distinct perspectives that are involved. The development of moral corporations needs to encompass this ethics. In some situations it may be difficult for corporations to understand the environmentalists’ arguments on environmental ethics. Disagreements, hence, rise on plans for developing a moral corporation. It is obvious that corporations possess different viewpoints on ethics of the environment. It is, however, possible for corporations put their different options aside for the good of the environment and agree simply that some actions about the environment need to be done in order to make corporations morally upright. In order to develop a moral corporation, such corporations need to admit that protection of the environment is important, whether they are acting out of a sense of responsibility or out of a sense of self-preservation for the future generation, fo r to the Earth itself or to all the forms of life. Corporations need to adopt an environmental pragmatism. This ensures that moral corporations are developed and maintained; that the corporations can achieve a consensus on the values of the environment that identify and determine the policies of the environment that all other corporations can agree on (McLachlan, 2008). When thinking of moral corporations, a plethora of questions rise: if the consumerism was predated by an ethical community, then how did consumerism supersede the morals of business practitioners? How does it

The Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example The market is therefore stable and still promises to grow. Every product producer and service provider has a unique way of marketing. The uniqueness of the marketing structure therefore promises either a profitable venture or a loss-ridden one. Depo-Provera, medically known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), is a hormone injection that alters the production of estrogen. It therefore prevents a woman from producing ova. The product has been in the market and continues to expand to newer ones across the world (Frey, 1956). Situational analysis The market for contraceptive products continues to grow if not stable. The married, for instance, have an obligation of regulating the number of children they have depending on their financial stability and social preferences. The married form the greatest market shareholders. Because of their obligations, they shop for the most appropriate contraceptive methods. Additionally, the market is also composed of any other mature sexually act ive person within the country. However, the product targets those who have sexual intercourse regularly and is therefore more advisable on the married or commercial sex workers. Currently, there are a number of products in the market that provide similar functions. The most common of these include Nuvaring, another is Intrauterine Device (IUD) while Ortho Evra (patch) together with birth Pills also form part of these. All these and many others have their strengths and weaknesses that make them hold the market shares they currently dominate. As the market continues to grow, Depo-Provera continues to expand its market share which is a clear show of effective marketing strategies by the marketers of the company. Depo-Provera has a number of strengths which it has used as its competitive advantages over the years. Unlike other contraceptives, Depo-Provera is not used daily. A single injection lasts a month. This is a relief to many women who use the daily injections or the daily pills w hich normally tend to have severe bodily reactions. The monthly menstrual flow is a bother to many women; the hormonal injection alters the body making a woman miss her periods for three consecutive months (Abrams & Eugene, 2003). Additionally, the use of the injection is proven to reduce the chances of a woman suffering from ovarian cancer. Some of the used contraceptives normally have side effects some of which are as acute as the contraction of ovarian cancer. The use of Depo-Provera minimizes this risk thereby providing its user with the peace of mind and longevity of use. However, the product, just as any other in the market, presents a number of side effects, which also sum up as its weaknesses. Being a hormone, the injection reduces the thickness of the uterine lining. This results in reduced rates of the monthly bleeding and after a prolonged use, some women experience no bleeding at all. Such occurrence may affect the mental stability of many women who consider it normal fo r a woman to experience the monthly period especially when not using a contraceptive. Women may also after stopping the use of this contraceptive experience an excessive bleeding. This is normally because of the hormonal imbalance which is rectified through medication. The expansion strategy of the product is governed by a

Economics and Global Business Essay Example for Free

Economics and Global Business Essay A) Elasticity of demand is describes as the degree of percentage change in demand for a good or service due to variation in price. Elasticity measurements can be expressed by three types of demand; inelastic demand, unit elastic demand, or relatively elastic demand. To determine the percentage of change in demand for a product or service the price elasticity equation and coefficient are used. The coefficient Ed is defined as â€Å"the percentage change in quantity demanded of product divided by the percentage change in price of product X† (McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 2012, pg. 76) The three expressions of Ed are Elastic, Inelastic, and Unit Elasticity. Elastic demand occurs â€Å"if a specific percentage change in price results in a larger percentage change in quantity demanded† (McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 2012, pg. 77). For a product with inelastic demand Ed 1. An example of elastic demand is when there is a 2% decrease in the price of chocolate that results in a 6% increase in quantity. Ed= .06/.02 = 3 Inelastic demand occurs â€Å"if a specific percentage change in price produces a smaller percentage change in quantity demanded.†(McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 2012, pg. 77) For products with inelastic demand Ed 0 .Inferior goods are goods that yield a negative income elasticity, Ei 0. As consumer incomes increase, demand and purchases of these foods decrease. Examples of inferior goods are bus tickets, consignment clothing, and retreaded tires to list a few. D) Demand of a product will be elastic when there is a higher number of substitute available. This happens because consumers can easily swap one product for the other based on price. An example can be the purchase of soda. A consumer can go to the store to buy Pepsi but arrive and find a sale on Coke and buy Coke instead. The variety of soda a consumer can chose, makes the demand for Pepsi highly elastic. The same rule applies for inelastic demand of a product. If there is a limited number of substitute goods available the product or service is highly inelastic. An example would  be medical procedures or surgery. The alternative to surgery are very few, making medical procedures or surgery inelastic. E) The proportion of Income devoted to a good or service effects the elasticity of demand for that good or service. For goods that are of a higher proportion of income, a 15% increase in price would make the good highly elastic. But for goods that are of a lower proportion of income, a 15% increase in price would only slightly change the demand, making them lower in elasticity. An example would be a car priced at $13,000. If there is an increase by 15% the car now costs $14,950. This increase in price requires more of the consumer’s income making them highly elastic. Another example of how proportion of income devoted to a good effects elasticity of demand, is a pair shoes that cost $20.00. If there is a 15% price increase on the shoes, they now cost $23.00. The increase in the price of the shoes requires about the same proportion of income that the original price required. The lack of major proportional change to income makes the shoes elastic. F) Time is a factor that effects consumers demand elasticity of a product. â€Å"Short-run† demand for a product is often more inelastic than â€Å"long-run† demand since consumer have less time to find an alternative and normally don’t feel the effects of a price increase until â€Å"long-run.† An example would be an increase in the price of salmon. â€Å"Short-run† demand of Salmon is more inelastic since the effect if the price increase hasn’t been felt drastically by consumers. But, in the â€Å"long-run† demand for salmon will decrease making it more elastic as consumers find alternative to salmon. G) 1) Elastic demand range occurs when total revenue can be increased by decreasing price. The range for elastic demand on the graph is between $80 and $50. Total revenue increases as the price decrease. 2). Inelastic demand range occurs when total revenue can be increased by increasing price. The range for inelastic demand on the graph is between $40 and $0. Total revenue is decreasing as the price decreases. 3). Unit elastic range occurs when a  percentage change in price results in the exact same percentage change in quantity. When the price changes it does not affect total revenue on the graph. The unit elastic range for the given graph is $50-$40. References McConnell, Campbell R., Stanley L. Brue, and Sean Masaki Flynn. Elasticity. Economics: principles, problems, and policies. 19th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2012. 76-77. Print.

The Conscience of Dorian Gray in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gr

The Conscience of Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray Much of the criticism regarding The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde has dealt with Dorian Gray’s relation to his own portrait (Raby 392). While some may argue that the portrait represents a reflection of Dorian Gray’s character, this is only a superficial analysis of the novel and Dorian’s character. While Dorian Gray’s true character never changes, it is his own perception of his character (his conscience) that is reflected in the changing face of his portrait. In essence Dorian’s picture becomes a mirror through which the "true Dorian" judges his own metamorphasis as the superficial "Lord Henry Dorian" attempts to embrace Lord Henry’s teachings. Dorian’s duality of character causes a constant internal struggle within him, ultimately culminating in his own suicide. Initially, Lord Henry’s doctrine of "new Hedonism" contrasts sharply with Dorian’s youthful innocence and passions. These initial feelings are the reader’s first and clearest experience with the soon to be repressed "true Dorian." The terminology, however, does not imply that Dorian has never been influenced before. This unblemished character simply represents Dorian’s self at the start of the novel, a state which he accepts as his own and is able to find peace in. From this first conversation, Dorian’s peace begins shatter when he learns of Lord Henry’s philosophy and its implications for his own life. Dorian is described as a "brainless, beautiful creature" (3), appropriate since all Dorian has at this stage in the novel is his own initial, untainted feelings. Thus this "pre-Henry" stage is the only time in the novel at which Dorian expresses his "true self" outwardly. This "brai... ...he Picture of Dorian Gray: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Lawler, Donald L. (1988). 405-412. Raby, Peter. Oscar Wilde. (1980): 164. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. DiMauro, Laurie. Vol. 41. Detroit: Gale, 1991. 392-397. Spivey, Ted R. "Oscar Wilde and the Tragedy of Symbolism." The Journey Beyond Tragedy. (1980): 57-71. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. DiMauro, Laurie. Vol. 41. Detroit: Gale, 1991. 501-502. Summers, Claude J. "In Such Surrender There May Be Gain’: Oscar Wilde and the Beginnings of Gay Fiction." Gay Fictions: Wilde to Stonewall, Studies in a Male Homosexual Literary Tradition. (1990): 29-61. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. DiMauro, Laurie. Vol. 41. Detroit: Gale, 1991. 398-401. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray: Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Reflection Paper on Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century

A Reflection Paper on Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century This is a reflection paper on the recommendations proposed in the Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st century report by the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission). The Volcker commission, comprised of members from the three major political parties, recognizes the importance of disciplined policy direction, operational flexibility, and clear and high performance standards as guiding objectives (The National Commission on the Public Service [NCPS], 2003) for an organizational restructuring within the federal government to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This author agrees with the commission in that no such undertaken has occurred since the Hoover Commission some 50 years ago. It articulates in my view a comprehensive plan to reclaim the dignity once associated with public service, and if effectively utilized could re-establish trust between the American public and its government. The decline in confidence shared by many Americans in the capability of federal personnel to carry out the tasks of public service must be addressed. The National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission) recognized this need and published a 2003 report on the public service sector titled Urgent Business for America: Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century. The report, a collective collaboration between veteran government employees, drew upon their knowledge and the expertise of outside sources from every political affiliation to address challenges that plague the civil service sector in the 21st century. The members of the commission focused on seven key areas which are: the relationship between the government and the American public, organizational disorder, one size fits all management, vanishing talent, personnel systems, and labor-management conflict (NCPS, 2003). This author considers trust as the main component of any relationship and agrees with the commission that the distrust between the American people and the government is contributing to the decay of public service. The commission realized that that the policy changes need to combat the problems associated with public service in the 21st century will take a collaborative effort between the citizens of American and government. I agree with the commission that there is no â€Å"quick fix† that the government shares the blame for the negative perception, and must make every effort possible to regain that trust by sufficiently improving its performance. The organizational structure within the civil service sector was another focal point in the commissions’ report. The members recommended that â€Å"the federal government should be reorganized into a limited number of mission-related executive departments† (NCPS, 2003, p. 14). The commission points out that most public servants are perplexed as to the application and significance of their agency’s undertaking and more often than not departments share responsibilities that could be combined to form one cohesive unit. For example, I found it very disturbing that as many as 12 different agencies share the responsibility of administering over 35 food safety laws (NCPS, 2003). The disarray with organizational structure also presents the problem of effectively managing the mission of these individual agencies. The commission notes that nine agencies operate 27 teen pregnancy programs come back to. It is my opinion that the solution given by the commission to group related missions under the same organizational structure would enhance employees’ sense of purpose and loyalty, provide opportunities for advancement and reduce waste of limited resources (NCPS, 2003). One size doe not fit all; this entire â€Å"cookie cutter† approach to agency structure and management practices is no longer viable. The needs of the American public are far more complex and vary significantly than those confronted by civil service reformers of the past. Because the tasks performed by public servants range so greatly it is no longer feasible to assume that a single approach to management will be effective in every instance. The commission members make a valid point in that â€Å"excellent performance requires organizational leadership and culture that fit the mission, not just a single theory of administration† (NCPS, 2003, p. 8). The future of attracting and retaining highly qualified workers in the public service profession appears bleak. The prestige and sense of accomplishment once considered attributes or incentives of public sector employment is on a sharp decline amongst American citizens. This can be attributed to many factors such as inadequate work conditions, differential in public versus private sector salaries, personal safety, and the opportunity for advancement. The two I found most interesting were the requirements for disclosure of personal information and the application process. Ethics regulations are enacted by Congress to ensure the integrity of federal employees. It is a given than more that 250,000 federal employees must make yearly disclosure of the full details of their personal finances (NCPS, 2003). While I agree that such laws are necessary; I also think the process can be modified as not to encompass so many employees. As the commission states Congress needs â€Å"to make federal ethics rules cleaner, simpler, and more directly related to the goals they are intended to achieve† (NCPS, 2003, p. 22). The application process within the civil service sector is another deterrent that I agree with the commission on could be streamlined to expedite the procedure. Those applying for public sector employment find this process tedious and much more complicated than that of the private sector and typically get faster responses private employers. Personnel management systems in public service were originally designed to promote equity among the workforce. The truth of the matter is â€Å"equal pay for equal work† is no longer realistic. This concept is antiquated because of the sophisticated high level tasks performed by some government agencies. The recommendation of the commission is to eradicate the General Schedule classification system. This system has become too cumbersome to administer; to guarantee equity in compensation this system will always require constant tinkering to define â€Å"equal work† so that it can ensure â€Å"equal pay† (NCPS, 2003). What the commission has suggested, and what I agree with, is a broadband system under which the current 15 pay grades are consolidate into six to eight broad bands with wider salary ranges (NCPS, 2003). This would give managers the flexibility to compensate based on capability and performance, and design personnel systems that best sustains the mission of the organization. The Commission notes that there are three very distinct factors that determine pay for the overwhelming majority of federal workers: how an individual job fits into the General Schedule classification system, geographical location of the job, and the employee’s time in service (NCPS, 2003). I was disturbed by the fact that the quality of the work performed was frequently disregarded as a standard. It has to frustrating for workers who provide a high quality of service to be judged on the same merits as those of poor performers. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was enacted to reward bonuses, merit pay and performance commendations to high performing civil servants (NCPS, 2003). This is rarely the case because of insufficient funds or an evaluation system that acts more as a rubber stamp than an effective means of evaluation. Managers routinely were allocating funds as a means to compensate equitably across the board, and not as inducements or rewards for top achievers. This is an area of reform which much attention should be given. It is irrational to believe that high performing employees do not â€Å"pick up the slack† for poor performers. It has been my experience that management comes to rely on this (as long as the work is getting done) instead of dealing with poor performers appropriately. This attitude does nothing but destroy the morale of the unit as a whole. The last area of concentration by the Volcker Commission was the conflict between labor and management. The commission believes, as do I, that it is entirely possible to modernize the public sector without jeopardizing the fundamentals of the merit system (NCPS, 2003). I agree that political affiliation should not be a factor for determining employment within the civil service sector, and that individuals employed by this sector should not be subject to arbitrary discipline or dismissal based on political affliction. I also agree that labor- management collaboration can coexist within the federal government. Numerous recommendations made to the president and Congress. What I found surprising about the report is that the commission instead of focusing exclusively on changes to the public service sector; devoted much attention to a restructuring of the executive branch of government. Moreover, it calls for â€Å"The House and Senate to realign their committee oversight to match the mission driven reorganization of the executive branch† (NCPS, 2003, p. 17); which is no small feat given the current political climate. The commission also made several other controversial proposals, for example, the President and Congress should work together to drastically decrease the number of executive branch positions (NCPS, 2003). In calling for an â€Å"immediate and significant† increase in judicial, executive, and legislative salaries, the commission also recognizes the long-standing reluctance of members of Congress to vote for a pay increase for themselves (NCPS, 2003). The report calls upon Congress to break the statutory link between their salaries and those of judges and senior political appointees (NCPS, 2003). While I found the report be very cohesive and comprehensive, a nd a blueprint for a more efficient government and better quality of civil service employees; I also felt several issues were not adequately addressed. Although, the repot does present sufficient advice as to restructuring organizational and management systems within the federal government â€Å"it fails to address the core problems affecting the delivery of public services. Primarily too often federal agencies simply don't have the resources they need to meet mission requirements; an emphasis on pay compression for top ranking government positions overlooks the impact of pay disparities on front-line workers; and much more needs to be done to address the negative impact of contracting out (Palguta, 2003). While the commission's report appropriately focuses on â€Å"leadership in government† as a primary area of concern, it tends to define leadership too narrowly as those individuals at the top of the organization. First-line supervisors and mid-level managers are a vital component of the leadership team. Finally, while agreeing that greater management flexibility is needed, there must also be balanced with reasonable safeguards to ensure the basic merit principles are maintained (Palguta, 2003). References The National Commission on the Public Service. (2003). Urgent business for America: evitalizing the federal government for the 21st century. Retrieved from http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:KSnwxENfsmQJ:www. brookings. e du/gs/cps/volcker/reportfinal. pdf+urgent+business+for+america:+revitalizing+the +federal+government+for+the+21st+century Palguta, John M. â€Å"Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century: Presenting differing perspectives on the rep ort of the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker II). (Opinion Roundtable: Volcker II). † The Public Manager 32. 1 (2003): 7+. Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Feb. 2011.

Literacy and the Politics of Education Essay

This article, Literacy and the Politics of Education written by C.H Knoblauch was written to express his feelings on how America is becoming illiterate ever since a new era of technology was introduced in 1960. Knoblauch believes that the few who are literate will succeed in life, and that the rest of general society who are illiterate will have trouble finding success in their future endeavors. He has taken on this subject because of his frustration on his fellow peers, and their lack of motivation to excel in literacy. He uses repetition to stress the fact that we need to become more literate to succeed in today’s society. Knoblauch uses articles from various writings of other literate authors to help get his point across. He goes into detail explaining in order for society as a whole to succeed in life that it starts with the success of each individual’s literacy. Knoblauch explains how other totalitarian countries keep their strength by keeping the majority less knowledgeable about literacy. Dictators, of such countries are literate, and keep that privilege from the citizens of that country, because if the people of the country were as literate as the dictator himself/herself then the people would have the power to over through such dictator. Knoblauch uses all of these examples to point out and stress the importance of literacy and writing in the world today, and stresses that without the know-how of reading and writing we will not succeed.

Non-related Family Members Suffering from Depression Essays

Non-related Family Members Suffering from Depression Essays Non-related Family Members Suffering from Depression Non-Related Family Members Suffering from Depression Some women who have never suffered any type of depression find that after they bear children they now suffer from mild to severe depression. Having children sets off a completely different set of emotions. Maybe you once had ample amounts of time to accomplish the tasks needed for everyday life and now you are thrown for a loop as life changed. Before or even during pregnancy women picture that what their life will be like after the child is born and I do not think it is what any woman expects. Each child is different and requires different needs, whether it is the woman?s first child or fifth child she is never prepared enough. Maybe you can relate yourself or someone you know to a childbearing woman who has suffered depression after giving birth. Peripartum Disorders can have especially severe long-term consequences, not only for the mother but also for the whole family and especially for the child. Recent research has shown how maternal stress, anxiety and depression can adversely influence a child?s early and later development (Riecher-Rossler and Steiner, 2005). Postpartum or Peripartum disorders affect so many women from severe case to mild cases, but it is over looked everyday. My family was hurt by postpartum depression when my aunt committed suicide after her fourth child. After she gave birth to each child she showed signs of depression and was being treated for it, but it was obviously not taken as serious as it should have been. After they found her diary and understood some of the things she was seeing and feeling. This was a deep dark depression so severe that she felt she was possessed by the devil. At the end she had shown signs of improvement and everyone had thought she had improved. Inconsistent and contradi ctory results are of course not only due to the described problems of definition and classification, but also to other methodological shortcomings of studies. (Riecher-Rossler and Steiner, 2005). I believe this case of illness to be a result of nature and not nurture because it is the affect after having children. Taking care of children is the hardest task given in life. You are responsible for another person or person?s life and you are the direct result of their upbringing. My sister in law also has suffered from depression after each of her two children. Her and I have discussed this quite a lot since we both have children. Her case is not as severe as my aunt?s. She has a hard time leaving the house and also suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with cleanliness. The OCD has become so severe after having children that she has washed her hands until they bleed. After her first child was born she felt as if her husband had some what forgotten about her. She then started having major medical issues. She believes truly that there is something wrong and has a fear of dying from ovarian cancer because other family members have. Even after being medicated she still suffers minor symptoms and we watch her closely for signs of mood changes. Each case is different and are not all going to show the same signs. I believe this to be a case of nurture as she felt as if her husband had forgotten about her because of their new children. I have one more case to discuss and that is myself and being depressed during pregnancy. During pregnancy is one of those times when you cannot just take any medication and everything has to be closely monitored. Usually a woman is taken off any medication that the affects are not known. I had tried to get pregnant for eight years with nothing but failure. Finally we tried some fertility treatments and one worked! I was pregnant and got exactly what I wanted, but became increasingly depressed about four months into the pregnancy and even started a journal about the feelings I was having. I worked long days and even a lot of overtime while pregnant even until the day I delivered. I just could not kick the depression and felt like everything was wrong and that

PODCAST Using Self Branding to Grow Influence With Mark Schaefer

PODCAST Using Self Branding to Grow Influence With Mark Schaefer Do you have an idea that you haven’t told anyone about or a project that you want to work on but haven’t planned yet? Maybe you would like to become a leader in your niche but you haven’t done anything to make that a reality. Today we’re going to talk to the marketing genius Mark Schaefer. Mark is the author of several books, including The Content Code, KNOWN, and The Tao of Twitter. He also speaks at tons of marketing conferences and has podcast called Marketing Companion. Mark is going to give us tips on becoming known. He’s done it extremely well and has mentored others in doing the exact same thing. If you’re ready to overcome   your fear of failure to become known, you won’t want to miss today’s show. Information about Mark and his books, particularly his newest one, KNOWN. Mark’s story about leaving corporate work behind and becoming an entrepreneur. Mark’s thoughts on the power of personal branding and the importance of being known. How people can build their personal brand even when they are working for someone else. Mark’s framework for helping people find their places and their spaces. He talks about four steps you can take. How Mark’s book lays out a path for people to follow and begin to see instant results. Links: Mark Schaefer Marketing Companion Podcast Email us a screenshot of your iTunes review! If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Mark: â€Å"Either you’re known or you’re not. If you’re known, you will always have an advantage.† â€Å"In the future, a corporate brand may be less about the accumulation of ad impressions and more about the accumulation of human impressions.† â€Å"Starting and being consistent and not giving up is more important than being brilliant.†

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare and contrast - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to compare growing up in a single parent family vs. a two parent family. The biggest victims in a divorce scenario are the children. The younger the children are the more impacted they are by a divorce. When two parents get divorce they are supposed to jointly care for the children. The wife typically gets custody of the children with the father having privileges of visiting or staying with the kids during weekends. Children that are raised in a single parent family suffer from more emotional stress than dual parent homes. They do not get the chance to have two parents to rely on at all times. The financial resources of single parent families are lower than in two parent families. It is common knowledge that having more financial resources increases the quality of life of a family. Money does not buy happiness, but it enables the parents to buy clothes, food, medicine, toys, and entertainment for the children. Due to the lower financial resources of singl e parent families the home or apartment they live in are inferior in terms of space and quality of neighborhood. There are some advantages to living in a single parent scenario. The children in these situations usually become more independent. They also may enjoy the love of two additional step parents and step siblings.