Pro Capital Punishment Essay

According to my research there are some people who believe the death penalty is right just because it is safer to end one condemned life than to risk the lives of other innocent people. The death penalty is most commonly legal only for the most extreme cases, such as premeditated murder. Even in the event of murder, out of the 15,000 committed each year, we are only now reaching the 1,000 execution mark after thirty years! This plainly shows that those who may be pro capital punishment still use it sparingly. Also backing up the belief for using capital punishment are numerous stories of murderers who, after being released from prison, simply killed again. One such account reads, â€Å"In 1985, 13-year-old Karen Patterson was shot to death in her bed in North Charleston, S.C. Her killer was a neighbor who had already served 10 years of a life sentence for murdering his half-brother Charles in 1970. The murderer, Joe Atkins, cut the Pattersons’ phone lines, then entered bearin g a machete, a sawed-off shotgun, and a pistol. Karen’s parents were chased out of their home by Atkins. Karen’s mom ran to the Atkins home nearby, where Joe then murdered his adopted father, Benjamin Atkins, 75, who had worked to persuade parole authorities to release Joe from the life sentence.† Other accounts show that a life sentence simply is not always enough to stop a person from repeating their crimes. â€Å"In 1965, Robert Massie murdered mother of two Mildred Weiss in San Gabriel, Calif., during a follow-home robbery. Hours before execution, a stay was issued so Massie could testify against his accomplice. Massie’s sentence was commuted to life when the Supreme Court halted executions in 1972. Receiving an undeserved second chance, Massie was paroled, but eight months later robbed and murdered businessman Boris Naumoff in San Francisco.† From a religious standpoint a religion that does endorse capital punishment under certain circumstances is Islam. According to the Qu’ran in Al’ Ma’idah 5:33 â€Å"The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make corruption (Fasad) in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be banished from the land; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement† This shows that they believe in the death penalty for those who simply cause corruption or bring disgrace upon Islam, especially if the perpetrator is a former Muslim. The other justification for the death penalty, according to Islam, is murder. â€Å"†¦If anyone kills a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all people. And if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people† (Qur’an 5:32). This obviou sly states that murderers should undergo the same penalty as the crime they commited. My personal beliefs about capital punishment are fairly in the middle of the road. On the one hand I do not believe it is sinful for criminals to be put to death, as the Bible clearly endorsed the idea in the Old Testament In Genesis 9:6 it says â€Å" Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.† The New Testament of course contains more of the â€Å"grace† approach and therefore I tend to lean more that way. Although even in the New Testament the Bible states in Romans 13: 4 â€Å" For he ( the police, judges, etc.) is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.† Clearly this endorses capital punishment for evildoers. On the other hand, people in America are judged as guilty by a group of people who do their best but can hardly be 100% sure on their verdict. Human error may cause and no doubt has caused some innocent people to be condemned to death while some of the guilty roam free among us. That makes me uneasy, and is very disturbing. But is that a legitimate reason to do away with the death penalty? That is a hard question to answer, but I believe the answer is no. I believe there are certain cases where capital punishment is absolutely necessary, but I have to say that I would not want to be the one who makes that decision. How do you judge which life is more valuable than another? The other question has to do with whether or not capital punishment is truly a deterrent to others from committing crimes. There are strong arguments on both sides of that question but it is hard to judge when because of the appeals process and other delays and red tape, only a small percentage of those sentenced ever get put to death. I refer back to the fact that only about 1000 people have been executed during the last 30 years when there have been nearly half a million murders in America! So the argument that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime carries no weight to me. Therefore, it is still my personal belief that capital punishment should be used, with discretion, after a fair trial, and in certain cases, but I also believe that once the decision has been made, it should be executed with much greater speed. Death row shouldn’t be a mile long. I believe that once the judge has given the sentence, there should be a much faster process to the day of execution. I hate the thought of an innocent person being executed, but even worse are the hundreds of thousands of victims who are left without feeling that justice was done for their loved ones and the millions who are at risk because of the leniency of our justice system. My partner and I got along quite well. We had an easy time discussing our material and he was not difficult to deal with. He spent the time given researching, and kept in touch with me to review our presentations. When we met the next day, he was there at the time agreed upon and +wasn’t full of complaints, which I appr eciate. Brandon is a good partner and I would work with him again.

Burn Victim

Burns are very dangerous because if you survive the burn you are still at a large risk for infection. It is very hard to tell if the burned area is infected because the first signs of an infection are that the area is red, inflamed, and warm to the touch. A burned area already has these signs. It is also very easy to get an infection from a burn because the first defense against bacteria is the skin and burns damage the skin. More than ten thousand burn victims die a year from infection. There are six different degrees of burns.A first degree burn damages the outer layers of skin called the epidermis. A second degree burn damages the layers of skin under the epidermis called the dermis. Third degree burns damage both layers and possibly the muscle, tendons, fat, and bones. Fourth degree burns damage everything all the way to the bone. Fifth and sixth degree burns are usually only used once the person is dead because the burned area would be destroyed and it is not common for a person burned that badly to be burned in only a small area.It would be extremely surprising if someone survived a burn of the fifth or sixth degree and if they did the burned area would have to be a limb and it would have to be amputated. Another big worry of a burn victim is dehydration. Due to the heat from a burn, the blood vessels dilate and the plasma from the blood escapes into the skin. This causes blisters on less severe burns. Second degree burns are the worst burn that might blister. After second degree burns the skin becomes raw and oozes plasma. On a large area this can cause extreme liquid loss that may cause the victim to go into shock and suffer from dehydration.If a large area of skin is very damaged skin grafting may be necessary. Skin grafting is when the burned skin is removed and new skin from another part of your body is used to replace it. The upper thighs are often used because they are not as often seen. Skin can also be used from a family member or from a skin ban k, much like a blood bank. There is also a new way to get skin for a burn victim. Living cells from the victim are taken to a laboratory and grown into a piece of skin. If the burn is very deep in the skin a deep piece of healthy skin maybe needed.A second surgery may be necessary to close where the healthy skin was taken from if it is too deep. There are between one and two million people in America that seek medical attention each year due to burns. Fifty to seventy thousand people are hospitalized due to burns. Of those fifty to seventy thousand thirty to forty of them are under the age of fifteen. Burns are very dangerous. Even if the burn isn’t bad enough to kill the victim they are still at a high risk of death if the burn is very large. Even if they survive they may still need to have surgeries or amputations.

Population Growth and Company

Introduction The main purpose of the research done in the report is to discover and analyze the strategic intent and various other strategies to evaluate the internal and external influences that the company could go through owing to the dynamic market it operates in. Moreover, the evaluation of these strategies would involve examining the company's performance in United States, the chosen host country. The performance would be looked upon with the use of the company's annual reports since financial position of an organization is an important indicator of performance in the market.The research conducted is based on the secondary research approach considering the fact that the data pertaining to the company's strategies and performance is available at various sources on internet. From the financial evaluation of the company, key findings extracted indicate that the company is running with fruitful profits and is expected to continue its good financial performance in the coming years. The sales growth rates are high and are expected to remain high.Moreover, its worldwide presence makes its inevitable for the company to yield high profits. This is cause if the company suffers a loss in one of the host countries, it offsets by the profit earned in other host countries, a benefit of global presence. Limitations of the study being conducted are numerous. Firstly, the research is a secondary research which may not be as useful in evaluating the internal and external strategies that the company adopts.Moreover, evaluation of the strategic environment may be accurate since the data on their website is authentic, but it may lack the truth which could have been obtained from the company through a qualitative research using the tool f In-Depth interviews with company officials or by gauging consumer perception of their brands, which could have helped in Judging their consumer demand and thus rightful profitability and expectation of future sales. The report would mainly be structured according to the priority of the findings that need to be extracted from the study.The first thing that would be evaluated is the company's and the host country's strategic environment analysis which would first involve the evaluation of various internal and external strategic environmental analytical tools. This would be followed y the analysis of the company's internal environment. The external strategy would be evaluated of the host country, as it serves as an external source. The next section would be dedicated to discussing the participation strategy of the company, which meaner identifying the initial market entry modes that the company used to enter the US market.Moreover, the reason for entry modes used in this country will be discussed as well, with the help of identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the entry modes used, internal and external environment the company had at the mime of its entrance in USA and the key influences that persisted in the coun try and that persuaded the company to expand in this host country. The next section would involve a review of performance of the company. This will be evaluated using financial reports of the company, helping us see the sales growth, profitability, market share and the effort put in for corporate social responsibility activities.Final section would be a forecast based on the secondary research conducted and the findings future prospects in the host country, by forecasting its sales growth levels it could expect in the US market. The forecast will be of the next five to ten years based on the financial performance, market share, sales growth and Corporate Social Responsibility in the host country. This would also help in identifying the key influencing factors that could have an impact on the company's future development in the host country and their impact on the company as a whole.The last section of the report would include certain recommendations based on the findings of the rese arch conducted for this report, thus helping us analytically and practically see whether the suggestions put forth could be implemented and have practicability enough to be used in reality (meaning they are not out of context though they can be hypothetical but must be realistic and implantable). 2. About the Company Deanne, the original company was found in Barcelona, USA in 1919 by Isaac Caracas as a small factory that produced yogurt. He named the organization Deanne which meant â€Å"Little Daniel† after his son Daniel Caracas.The first yogurt began selling in the year 1923 to the pharmacies due to it being recommended by doctors for its therapeutic qualities. Ten years later the company moved to France from USA and the first French factory was built. The company moved to New York later after the World War II and Daniel Caracas employed a Swiss-born Spaniard partner named Joe Metzger. The company name was changed in the USA to Daemon to give it a more American touch. In 1 968, Deanne aired its first campaign on TV. In the years, it launched its first diet (low fat) yogurt named Deanne Designated.In 1992 the company became an official sponsor of the national sports event of Olympics which was held then in Barcelona. Since 1998, the Group of Deanne has been categorized into three business divisions around the globe; Fresh Dairy Products (including courts, desserts and infant foods), Beverages (including mainly packaged water) and Biscuit and Cereal products. Geographically the company is now spread along countries in almost all the continents of the world (Empress, 1998). 3. Company and Host Country Strategic Environment Analysis 3. 1.Internal Environment Analysis The company aims towards resolving 6 issues as objectives of providing quality products to their customers; Innovation and rethink its achievements, embody approach positive power where the company aims to provide health food so as to embody it as a source of pleasure, connect, contact, conve rsation (this statement presents the fact that Deanne makes of use of every available meaner of contacting their customers), securing access to its raw materials, adapting the models and build its future (Deanne adopts the strategy of expanding in new markets (different countries) by adapting its models and products and lastly, growing reconciling economic and social ( this statement represents the fact that a company draws on its environment as measured by economic development. The mission of the company is to grow as a leader while working for the health of the consumers. Another part of its session is that it wishes to become a consultative organ for professionals through the various research activities it conducts and the company's culture.The reason for the company to be a market leader in the food industry is the fact that the company products, varieties in flavors and healthy pleasures. Considering the organizations situation, the company mainly employs the internal strategy of maintaining a sustainable growth levels based on its corporate philosophy or ideally high growth levels of its shares by taking into account the following criteria; supporting profitable Roth in the business account that is an elementary component for the type of industry the company operates in, privileging the operating margin for enjoying the profitability on investments and accomplishing human and social policies (a particular element helping the firm gain huge success).For the firm, to achieve these objective mentioned above, it has to develop a global vision which incorporates the core values that the firm operates on, thus displaying the internal environmental attributes of loyalty, customer relationship and customer satisfaction. Namely, the arioso attributes that the company values and is included in the set of its core values are following; Openness: The company quotes and defines this value in the following words â€Å"Diversity is a source of wealth and change a cons tant opportunity'. Curiosity: This refers to an approach towards awareness and forecasting accurately, being in sync with other people, not accepting rigid ideas and models and imagination. Agility: Energy, suppleness, adaptability, vivacity, speed Simplicity: The term simply refers to the attributes of informality and practicality in a management style.Enthusiasm: Zeal, determination to do something, willingness to achieve goals. Boldness: Willingness to explore new, unconventional ways and take risk. Passion: Conviction, enthusiasm to lead, pleasure of work and the ability to rise above expectations and achieve excellence. Appetite for challenge: Optimistic, zealous and physical desire to grow and take the lead. Humanism: Showing concern for individuals (in this case consumers, employees or citizens). Sharing and Responsibility: Approach emphasizing on dialogue, transparency and teamwork. Responsibility is mainly focused on safety of people and products, thus acting pop- socially and environmentally friendly.Respect of others: Is sensitive to cultural differences, and aims to treat social and commercial partners with respect. Proximity: Mainly this term represent the idea of staying close to everyone like colleagues, consumers and clients, suppliers, stockholders and society. The company earns about 31 percent of sales from emerging markets, which is close to the target that the company has set for business that is 40 percent of the business on emerging markets and 60 percent in developing nations. About 60 percent of the sales of the brand fall under the following brands, Deanne, Avian, LIZ and WAHOO. These brands thus enable the company to optimize its advertising outlays.The advertising outlay serves as a key source that provides the company with fruitful rewards in terms of profitable growth based on the core value innovation and closer customer relationships. Moreover this key strategy has merged with the extension and promotion of brands called tag bra nds like Vitamin for low fat products and Prince for brands pertaining to children. Being a global brand, Deanne consists of various business lines and in each of these branches or lines Deanne is the world market leader. The market leader session that it holds is owing to the factors like marketing expertise, industrial efficiency, the breadth of the product range, and Research and Development (R;D).The company gained its world position by building upon strong position both the closer customer relationships and balanced long term relationships with major retailers, unrivaled acquaintance with local consumers and a recognized capacity for effective communication. Another value that the company caters to and that defines the company's internal environment is the steady thirst for innovation to gain optimum consumer satisfaction. His process of developing a new innovative product begins with the identification of the customers' needs. Since the company attaches great importance to thi s matter, the brand is built upon recognized marketing expertise, efficient R;D, strong brands and unrivalled experience in the categories of nutrition and health. N order to maintain a sustainable growth, the company has gone all the way to build a dual philosophy unique program that has made the business' success inseparable from the respect of people and environment. The company's compassion for excellence has demonstrated its ability o the dynamic market and thus the changing environment it operates in. This the company does so with high potential commitment of their teams and simple structures that promote initiative and past experience they gained (Deanne. Com, 2012). 3. 1. 1 . Value-added Chain analysis Being the largest firm in the food industry, the company has designed its product in such a way so as to differentiate it from its competitors. He strategy to do this is to create the good's perceived value such as it is indicated as being a premium product, create loyalty of the brand in hearts of the consumers and thus achieve low price insensitivity (lesser magnitude fluctuations in demand owing to the changes in price). This the brand does through its focus on the quality, the health and the real taste of their product. Additional elements that add up to the loyalty are creativity, innovation and customers' service. The company spends a huge amount of money on R;D to adapt to the dynamic market. So to achieve this differentiation, the company employs an evaluation approach called Value-added Chain analysis. This method thus helps in understanding the part of operations of the company that create value.It specifies how a product moves from a raw material to its final form which is sold in the market (Annual Report, 2011). For this company, the value chain has been divided into two segments which are namely Primary activities and Secondary activities. 3. 1. 1 . 1. Primary activities The company aims for superior handling of the raw material of its prod ucts so as to reduce the damage to the minimum and thus improve the quality of yogurt. As part of this superior handling thus, the company makes yogurts using the best of ferments and fresh products to provide their customers with high quality food. This remarry activity is known as Inbound logistics.The operations of production along the same lines are aimed to be performed most efficiently. The operational efficiency is achieved by consistent manufacturing of products which they may call attractive and by responding promptly to customers' specifications thus producing products according to their specifications or preferences. For instance, the quality of yogurt is protected and sustained by its packaging. Furthermore, the label on the packaging has the main purpose of attracting customers and providing them with maximum necessary information about the product. The quality is further maintained by owing to its daily production. This is known as outbound logistics.Considering the ma rketing and sale of the function of the company, the company has a strong coordination among its R&D department, marketing department and product development department. According to the corporation, the key to success is product innovation. In the services, the company has the service of client telephone service which responds to the consumers' queries, doubts and takes into account their opinions regarding various things. The secondary activities that take place in the organization are pertaining to infrastructure where the company has highly efficient and developed information systems helping them better comprehend the customers' preferences in purchasing. For understanding the customer, the company implements various tools like phone interviews, focused groups and other types of market research.The company's human resource department has a compensation program that major aims to compensate employees in order to motivate them to work creatively and productively. Deanne further ma kes an immense amount of investment in Research and Development by investing in technologies which thus low them to produce products at a consistently high quality. Moreover, the company has certain systems and procedures installed helping them find highest quality raw materials for production (Deanne Sustainability Report, 2011) 4. External Environment analysis There are various external factors or environmental factors that impact the organization on the whole.One of the major factors that have an impact on the company and can be considered as an external factor is the Demographics of the country in which it is operating. The USA population accounts for approximately 313 million. The median age of the country is 36. Years with the median age of males being 35. 6 years and the median age of females being 38. 2 years. Population growth rate is 0. 899 percent as per 2011, thus indicating a low growth, though the company's popularity in the country is immense. Highest age demographic is on average 65 years. 82 percent of the country's population resides in the Urban cities and towns. Annual rate of change of arbitration in the country as of 2010 is 1. 2 percent. The net migration rate in the country is 3. 62 migrants per 1000 population in July 2011.According to the US law, the articles 4 and 12 state that all yogurts must contain the yogurt† consideration in case they have alive bacterium at high levels. By high levels of alive bacterium the law meaner Yogurt bacterium must not be less than 10 million per gram. The company fulfills this requirement to the highest level and thus faces no breach against law, thus operating efficiently. The country is a Mediterranean country, with people following a Mediterranean diet where yogurt is an essential component of people's diet and thus displays a huge market for the company's product. Not only US families, but families in other countries like Greece and Italy also consume yogurt as an essential part of their die t.The country's specific segments like children, parent's and grandparent's consume the product as a dessert, breakfast and snack or Just for pleasure, thus making the company's product a success in this host country. Moreover, company's products like Vitamin are targeted towards people who are self conscious and wish to look good so as to become acceptable in the society. These societal trends and the country's cultural trend are country's economy has grown substantially regardless of it being a developed nation beforehand as well and thus the willingness to pay higher for food has increased due o the country's economic development. The family consumption levels have increased leading to increased demand of the company's products in the US market.The US economy being the largest and most technologically powerful country has a per capita GAP of $48,100. GAP according to the Purchasing Power Parity (APP) is $15. 04 trillion in 2011. Real GAP growth of the economy is 1. 5 percent. Pop ulation below poverty line amounted to about 15. 1 percent which is very low, thus displaying the company's high demand in the economy. The composition of the industrial sector in the economy on the other hand is 19. percent as of 2011. Highest household income of the country is 30 percent as of 2007, with the distribution of family income, according to the Gin index amounting to 45 in 2007. Inflation rate is 3 percent, which is quite low compared to other host countries. He country comes under the top ten markets in which Deanne operates with a 7 percent share contributed to the total sales growth. These statistics thus display the ideal situation for the company and has thus shown a significant increase in the Group's profits owing to its profitable operations in USA (Index mind, 2012). Being a constitution based federal republic, strong democratic traditions are followed kin the country, thus indicating the country's openness to international participants into the economy. The US government thus divides the country's food products under three differentiations. First category of food products being taxed is those used by humans or animals for their diet, on which the tax levied is 7 percent.The second category is that including bread, flour, milk and milky products, fruits, vegetables and other food products related to this category. The tax levied on these products is 4 percent. The third group includes all products that are not included in the two categories above. The tax levied on these products is 16 percent. Deanne being a food producing company thus has to pay almost all three taxes mentioned, owing to its wide portfolio of food products (Mind, 2012). Being a highly technologically advanced nation, the country helped Deanne make use of its various efficient technical tools, thus making it easier for the company to evaluate and perform market research to find the sales potentials among the various food categories it offers.Looking at the census data, t he R&D expenditure allocated by the government to the manufacturing industries as a percentage of net sales has reduced from 0. 7 percent to 0. 4 percent. This has been due to the government's greater allocation of funds towards the ecological development representing that US nation is an CEO friendly nation working upon sustaining the health of its ecological system (United States Census Bureau, 2012). Considering the geographical location fact Or's that impact the company in the host country, Deanne is highly affected by the US agricultural market as food industry has a major chunk dedicated to agricultural products in the country.Generally the climate of the country is temperate. However in the states of Hawaii and Florida, the climate is tropical, in Alaska it is arctic, in the Great Plains which is situated on the west of the Mississippi River, and the climate is semi-arid. Considering these weather conditions, the company has launched food products taking into account these we ather conditions so as to attract customers to enjoy summers with chilly yogurt products which account for 58 percent, Baby nutrition accounting for 19 percent, Water accounting for 17 percent and Medical nutrition accounting for 6 percent. Deanne US market is an emerging market for the product Missouri†.The operations of the firm are running efficiently owing to its developed economy and high living standards, making the population willing to purchase their product higher compared to even the originating nation Spain. However, despite these fruitful rewards there are certain challenges which the company had to face owing to the existence of various international food manufacturing firms and small competitors in the form of restaurants, food stalls on streets and small scale food manufacturing companies. The introduction of the product Yogurt in the US market has brought about a huge boom in the company's sales. This Greek yogurt had gone through the benefits in the US economy , due to the fact that the economy had highly technologically advanced tools that the company could use for yogurt production.The one major benefit that helped the company flourish in the US economy due to this particular product is the adoption of a new technology which the company adopted so as to assist them in catering to the consumer demand. This technology helped the organization improve to only the quality of the yogurt being produced, but also enhance the quality of other products in the portfolio. However, like any other business, the company faces certain threats in the economy. 4. 1 . Porter's Five Forces Model Analysis 4. 1. 1. Threats of entrants The company when entered the US economy faced the threat of new competitors who might enter the economy. These included competitors like frozen yogurt producers like Tutu Fruit.Apart from that, being the initiator of and identifying the market for yogurt in US, it is probable that the company will face even more new entrants as the time goes by. 4. 1. 2. Power of Suppliers: It might be difficult for the company to operate in the host country owing to its unfamiliarity with the suppliers available and may thus give an opportunity to the suppliers to exploit their power and overcharge for the supplies being provided, thus increasing the company's cost. 4. 1. 3. Threat of Product substitutes: The company also faced the threat of substitute products of yogurts like the frozen yogurt of Tutu Fruit. However, being the initiator, the company is the market leader in yogurt production in the country. 4. 1. 4. Power of buyers:Being a market leader and a multinational, the company has the power to bargain its way from suppliers and gain the benefit of lower cost supplies, despite their unfamiliarity with the product since the suppliers in US would want to be a supplier of such a huge organization. 4. 1. 5. Intensity of rivalry among competitors: Despite being a market leader, the company still faces an intense compe tition in the product yogurt as well as in other product categories launched in the industry (Deanne Sustainability Report, 2011). 5. Participation Strategy After conducting a market research, Deanne identified some of the key success reduce to product and thus elaborate on the success of these products due to these factors. Vitamin, a product category of Deanne, is known for its good taste and low fat.Other factors were the numerous kinds of products that came under this product line. Vitiating includes products like drinks, mousse and a regular yogurt. This was a star product for the company since the company yielded huge amounts of profits from the sale of this product. The other factors that led the company's products to yield high profits are the high quality of products, taste and the health factor associated with these products. The company entered the US economy after conducting a comprehensive research to evaluate the potential of the products it offers. The results showed that US is an emerging market for the product Yogurt, and thus have a huge potential to grow in the US industry.Moreover, the decision of entering the US economy was taken mainly due to its strong economic situation and the availability of advanced infrastructure in terms of the technological tools available their that could help the organization produce its products in high quality. The strategy that it implemented while entering the country is a global strategy the many used while expanding in various countries around all the continents available. The strategy that the company adopted at the time was to achieve high growth rates or maintain a steady growth by establishing itself in the emerging markets of the products in the product portfolio of the company by conducting market research and evaluating the lifestyle trends of the country they target to enter. This is what was done when entering US market.The emerging markets were evaluated on two parameters by the company, the econ omic dimensions of product affordability by looking at the country's income trends and standard of living and alee-addition by evaluating the willingness of buying the product and how much consumers want the product. This the company did in order to stay in closer proximity to the foreign markets they wish to operate in, disperse around the globe to attain higher growth levels and stay more attuned to its market. The major strategy which the company implemented aimed for boosting the company's market share by achieving global presence in the products it offers. This it attempted to do so by focusing on three fundamental priorities.The first priority was to reweighs the reduce portfolios in order to ensure that the prices offered in each country are appropriate considering the country's economic scale of pricing. The second priority was to increasingly focus on the promotion and point of sale events of the company's products to ensure that the promotional and advertising activities a re reaching the right customers and are effective enough to attract their attention. The last priority is to initiate a shift in the advertising of the company's products to bring into limelight and focus upon the product's quality so as to ensure the customers get highest value for the money they pay.Thus the company participation strategy in the host country is mainly to identify the emerging markets in the products they offer and establish in them to attain its broader vision of global presence (Deanne 1 1, 2012). 6. Performance overview The company has been enjoying high profitability and high growth rates since its expansion globally. The company has experienced a solid growth of 7. 7 percent in HI in the first half of 2012 and a 5. 9 percent growth the like-for-like category of the divisions experienced a rising trend in the sales levels in the first half, particularly in the second quarter of the year. In United States, Deanne made 7 percent of its sales in 2011, which amount ed to 19. 3 billion Euro ($billion).

Legal Procedures Alternative Dispute Resolution Essay - 1

Legal Procedures Alternative Dispute Resolution - Essay Example There is also one sure thing about the use of a mediator in the solving of a conflict. One party might decide not to reveal the true happening. In this case, the patient or the hospital report might just be presented so as to favour or hide the truth of the happenings. Meditation can also come with the disadvantage of failing to bring the case to a conclusion hence it would have wasted time. It is always very important for a case to be handled or assessed early. The first and most critical part of a judgment is normally early assessment of the happening. In another case the, the plaintiff, in this case, the patient might fail to keep their word on what the conclusion might have been. Out of dissatisfaction, they might press charges later. A legal precedent can also not be set in the case the patient, in particular, fails to keep the word they might have stated. However much mediation comes with some challenges it is much better than litigation.Unlike in meditation, negotiation does n ot involve a third party but can be used to resolve a conflict between two parties instead of filling a lawsuit. It is undoubtedly the most flexible and transparent form of conflict resolution.Both of the parties are able to set out exactly what they may want in order to solve the conflict. In this case the patient might present a document that states what they want in form of compensation and the hospital management can sit down and negotiate on the same in order to solve the conflict that is there. This means that the chances of a reasonable agreement that would solve the conflict are higher. Negotiations also come with the advantage of not being mandatory. In the event the hospital or the patient feels that they do not want to negotiate then they are at liberty to do so.Negotiations come further with the advantage of not allowing the involvement of a third party. In some cases the third part might be bias and the conclusion that they might come up with might not favor both partie s.Conclusions that will be made under negotiation will not have to be conclusions that are under the law.

Construction Litigation Industry in California Thesis - 1

Construction Litigation Industry in California - Thesis Example In the light of improved opportunities, we find that the general contractors now offer a number of services such as: financial assistance, management of the total program, operations and maintenance, and renovation besides the core service of designing, building, and construction management1. Hence, we see that the construction industry has taken over a number of services that were offered by consultants. The contractors have taken over a large share of the service market of A/E consultants and thus, A/E firms need to expand the services offered to retain their market shares. They need to venture into service segments such as providing financial assistance to the clients, assistance with regulations, cost analysis of project life cycle, O&M functions, and renovation services. The situation has changed dramatically for marketing professionals and construction services providers and it is not as simple as it used to be. The shift in the project delivery system and the advances in commu nication technology requires the architects and the engineers to change themselves from their usual procedures of working. For example, in the past architects relied on their name and recognition whereas consulting engineers relied on 80/20 rule2 , and general contractors used to bid low in competitive bidding situations. The A/E consultants can retain their market shares by strengthening their market niche, marketing plans that increase customer retention, and restructuring of the organization to increase flexibility in the human resource.

Focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 9

Focus - Essay Example Organization The introduction of the essay is eye catching to the reader as the author makes a sounding impact with the first statement. Clearly, the reader can tell the intentions of the author from the introductory statement. As Regal introduces his essay, â€Å"For most of recorded history, the half-man, half-wolf lycanthrope reigned supreme as the creature travellers most feared encountering in the woods and along dark roads at night† (Regal 1). The statement points out to the reader that the topic in discussion is in the past. Though he is referring to these creatures at present, they are part of history which he talks about. The body explains the major points covering the topic of discussion to support his reasoning. Adequately, he explores the possibilities that could have led to the vanishing status of these creatures from the earth. In a candid way, Regal articulates historical and scientific possibilities that could have been the resultant factors to this condition. Conclusively, he has pulled all the major points together to summarize his work. In the conclusion part of the essay, the writer manages to conclude that Darwin’s theory of evolution could have been the biggest contributing factor to the loss of these creatures from the world. However, he fails to incorporate the historical beliefs ideologies to the conclusion part despite having focused on them in the body of the paper. Despite this though, the main points in the body of the paper have not been repeated but highlighted to give a summary. Support In the essay, the use of the Darwin theory backs the author’s ideas and opinions, making his arguments concrete and real. The assumption that a number of factors could have caused the loss of the werewolves in the world... In the past, people created all sorts of pictures and images for different reasons. The author has backed on this historical information and stories by the people of this time to draw a conclusion that these creatures actually existed. However, any type of information could have cropped up as a result of beliefs and practices by different people and societies. Regal (2) claims that these creatures were believed to have been as a result of witchcraft and black magic. This cannot scientifically be proven especially in a world that relies on science and evidence to prove various events and occurrences as well as phenomena. The author chose to take the claims of the people who existed in these times, legends and the film creativity as a fact, therefore drawing the conclusion that these creatures were in existence. Personally, I feel that this was a wrong move, as history can hardly prove that these creatures ever existed. Any form of scientific evidence to prove that these creatures ever existed could have given the author solid bargaining grounds. However, the use of a scientific theory successfully proves that somehow these creatures were in existence and vanished through the evolution process. According to Regal (5), the same forces of nature that led to the extinction of creatures like dinosaurs were responsible for the extinction of the Werewolves. In the essay, the author believes that these creatures were in existence in the world, and were a menace to the people especially the travelers.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 190

Summary - Essay Example Moreover, another problem is that women often can’t find financially reliable men, as the majority of available men are lack of jobs. One more reason for one-parent families is that women are capable of managing themselves along with their children without men because of getting a great support from government. However, this pattern indeed works for Sweden but is less applicable to Iceland. There are certain programs of financial support that help single mothers in raising their children. Furthermore, the main argument why women have become more capable of living without men is the raise of women’s employment that has developed so far. Women can afford raise their expenses and omit financial support from men because more and more women are getting high-paid positions. Even though marriage has multiple advantages, including financial factors, still many people (especially it concerns women) worldwide keep choosing raising their children all by themselves, because it may be easier for them and they don’t want to get involved into relationships or marriage bond. As far as the structure of family has changed a lot so far, the problem of elderly people and the generation they form has risen rapidly and became an issue for many countries. The point is that generations have stopped living together and the elderly people often can’t take care of themselves; moreover, they can’t move in their children’s places and stay with them in order to get care from their relatives. The article â€Å"The Changing Family and â€Å"Social Security†: A Look at Japan† describes how Japan deals with this problem nowadays. The way that Japanese typical family used to be constructed was that young people lived together with their parents and it was a kind of moral debt to take care of their parents when they become old. However, the tradition has been changed so far and now only 9 percent of families live according to this filial piety model of family. Hence,

Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Paper 1 - Essay Example It describes how a particular professional group should act ethically when discharging their duties (Harris 17). In the second case study, engineer A was recently hired to by safecomp to work in their quality control department. After a few weeks, the engineer was asked to sign off some protocols, standards and testing procedures since he had been the one working on them. However, engineer A felt that he was not experienced enough to sign off such crucial documents since he was not fully acquainted with the procedures and standards at safecomp. The engineer let his supervisor know about his stand, but the supervisor would hear none of it. Finally, engineer decided not to sign off the documents, as he was not sure and thought he would jeopardize his career by signing the documents. This paper will support engineers a decision not to sign off the documents. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has laid out a code ethics to govern this professional group. Under the code of ethics by the IEEE, by signing off the documents, engineer A would be agreeing to take responsibility for the safety and health of those would end up using the product (Ieee.org). However, due to his lack of experience the engineer did not think he would be able to sign off such protocols. He was also unsure of the procedures and standards of the company, and as such, the engineer felt that he did not have the authority to sign off such crucial documents. Although he was charged with the responsibility of handling the quality control department, the company should have given the engineer enough time on the job to acquire the necessary experience and get to know the procedure of the company before being allowed to sign off such crucial documents. In the event the products were faulty, he would be held directly responsible for any casualties and would jeopardize his career and even risk jail time. The IEEE code of ethics also states that a professional should always

Power markets Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Power markets - Coursework Example This one-hour-in-advance arrangement for the provision of electricity functions as cut-off as after that time, no arrangement can be contracted to supply electricity; it is called as Gate Closure. Generators produce electricity as per the demanded capacity during the contracted half-hour for usage by the suppliers (ELEXON, 2012). Nevertheless, in the real-time of half-hour, possibility exists for suppliers estimating their electricity needs wrongly or failure on the part of generator to generate the settled electricity or a glitch could emerge in the transportation of electricity. It necessitates the actual time management for smooth functioning of the arrangement, which is played by the System Operator, the National Grid (ELEXON, 2012). Those generators having capacity to generate extra electricity other than the half-hour demand of the supplier can do so by making available the additional volume to the System Operator and fix a price they expect for the extra volume. Likewise, a Generator can decrease the volume of electricity generated and can fix a price for decreasing it. Likewise, suppliers not having any shortage of electricity can offer to decrease their demand to facilitate availability of extra electricity to the System Operator and can fix the price they expect for that. On the same length, suppliers can convey to the System Operator their demand for a pre-determined price. Such conversations between the stakeholders in technical terms are called Bids and Offers. An Offer is made to increase electricity generation or decrease demand for it while a Bid is made to decrease generation or increase demand (ELEXON, 2009). The System Operator manages supply and demand in each half an hour in real-time by accepting Bids or Offers conditional to an increase or decrease in electricity generation to fulfil demand. Later, metered volumes are measured for the half hour from Generators

Burmas Stateless Minority under the Tip of Globalizations Spear Essay Example for Free

Burmas Stateless Minority under the Tip of Globalizations Spear Essay Bangladesh and Burma, two of Asias poorest nations, displaced and stateless people of rohingya suffer in silence at the hands of the military government in Burmas Orwellian new capital of Naypyidaw, Bangladesh caretakers are being less sympathetic to them. People of rohingya are being crashed to death . there are children starving in the darkness of dawn in these Asian century. India and China are interested in resuscitating decrepit colonial era ports and WWII era transport routes in their weak states in the name of securing resources for their respective domestic economic progress. Discussion Complex patterns of todays transnational human exodus across political and cultural boundaries examples of massive underground movement Rohingya are people they are never heard of they live in a place no one could never want to live they inhabit a violent landscape of crisis completely devoid of human rights. Women and children struggle to get clean water and food but after a long struggle and suffering they end up getting a pool of muddy stagnant water. They have no choice but to drink the dirty staff. There have been a lot of plight of human migration portrayed in the media now days known as South to North. Some of the odds that come to our minds are for example Cameroonians traversing thousands of miles up the African continent to look for work in a Parisian suburb and Guatemalans passing themselves off as Mexicans trying to enter Californias vast produce engine. Many parts of the world now days suffer a problem of lack of basic needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter. These has been as a result natural calamities such as floods, earth quark, land slides etc Political interest has also contributed to some extend. Complex patterns of todays transnational human exodus are examples of underground movements referred to as â€Å"South to South migration in think tank parlance. There has been a lot of genocide in the current would and oppressions of human rights. In ten years of travel and reportage of civilizations fraying and violent crossroads, there have been witnesses of an array of struggles of people burning in the smoldering embers of post-World War II decolonization and the last great upheavals of the post-Berlin Wall paradigm shift. The far south of Bangladesh the situation there is dire and people live in a desperate situation. Desperate Iraqis refugees live in dark coastal hotels in Syria. Rohingya a minority group from western Burma are Muslims but are not welcomed, since Burmas independence from the British Crown in 1948, they have been persecuted over the last six decade by the central government in several violent fits, and this all dispute came as a result of junta not recognizing Rohingya being the real citizens of Burma. and being Muslims therefore justify ethnic cleansing and forcing them out of their farms and off their villages in Rakhine. Rohingya therefore sought refuge in Bangladesh as refugees but they were not welcomed they were referred as illegal economic migrants. The darfurist have at least their leader but the minority Rohingya has none. Conclusion The world leaders have to come to understanding that because of their political differences the innocent children and women are suffering under their own hands.Genocide is not the solution to political differences. References 1. Derek Flood: From South to South: Burmas Stateless Minority Under .. www. huffingtonpost. com/derek-flood/from-south-to-south-burma_b_98865. html 81k Cached Similar pages 2. Derek Flood: From South to South: Burmas Stateless Minority Under Derek_Flood_From_South_to_South_Burma_s_Stateless_Minority_Under_the_Tip_of 25k Cached Similar pages

Executive Pay And Company Performance

Executive Pay And Company Performance Executive pay and compensation packages are a hot topic in todays world of business and public analysis. Many top executives in the United States are seen as more highly compensated than is necessary, while other Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Even so, the cost of executive compensation continues to increase despite efforts to curtail this type of company spending. Despite the fact that the cost of compensation is steadily increasing, a company ´s performance often depends on the performance of a good Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Therefore, it is often necessary for a company to pay its CEO handsomely, usually well above the market rate, in order to retain him or her as one of the companys most prized assets. This paper analyzes this notion and gives an in-depth look into the concept of pay for performance for senior executives such as CEOs. It is important to note that a companys Board of Directors, shareholders and compensation committee are responsible for executive compensation package proposals presented to prospective CEOs, and they are charged with weighing possible risks against benefits for any particular package presented. CEO Compensation There is a consensus in America regarding executive compensation and it is the philosophy that it is better to align executive compensation with performance. It is reasonable, considering that it just makes sense that paying an executive more for better performance is motivational to the executives (Ferracone 2010). As analyzed by Gomez-Mejia, Tosi Hinkin (1987), compensation for CEOs is as follows: Compensation has three distinct components: salary, bonuses, and long-term income. The last includes a wide array of deferred compensation benefits like pensions, profit sharing, stock options, IRAs, and bonus deferrals (60). The above quote outlines the totality of the basic CEOs compensation package, not including any added benefits or perks the company deems is necessary to attract and retain their chosen CEO executive. However, the bottom line is whether or not the executive is capable of handling the responsibilities of being the top executive for the firm. According to Lewellen, Loderer, Martin Blum (1994), senior executives are responsible for their corporations sound investment and financing decisions and also to ensure that their firms shareholder and investor interests are well taken care of; however, there is concern by many shareholders and investors that their corporate executive may not do was is expected. This brings up the issue of whether there is a correlation between the size of senior executive compensation packages offered and the firms financial performance standing. A positive correlation between the two can result in a reduction of overall costs for a large corporation (Lewellen, Loderer, Martin Blum 1994). This is significant, given the fact that many smaller firms are competing in the marketplace with larger firms that can afford better executive compensation packages. Similarly, Gomez-Mejia, Tosi Hinkin (1987) suggests that economic theory concerning executive compensation is based on the human capital theory, and it relates to a companys size as being associated with how difficult a top executives job is. It is further noted that organizational size and the CEOs compensation package should be closely related and based on the complexity of the job more so than how well the job is done. However, many experts and industry professionals disagree and feel that the CEOs performance should definitely be taken into account. The obvious assumption is that a high compensation incentive would yield a high performance level and success for top executives. More CEO Pay vs. CEO Exits As illustrated by Ferracone (2010), a companys Board of Directors may see the company in a position of risk by losing a strong-performing, qualified CEO, so they may opt to reward the CEO accordingly rather than risk losing the CEO to a competitor. They see it in their best interest to retain an already well-performing CEO who is experienced with the ins and outs of their firm and not have to deal with the possibility of ending up with a less desirable executive. Morgenson (2012) reports, many corporations argue that if they do not pay high CEO compensation packages, then they will not have the most highly qualified CEO. Therefore, many corporations find it in their best interest to justify the high-valued executive rewards and compensation packages by saying that their focus is really on hiring the most competent executive instead of simply trying to scrimp on pay and end up losing a promising executive for the company. Additionally, it is a fact that plenty of management teams in companies across America feel like they have to keep up with whatever the competition is doing, in this regard, based on what the market can stand. Its a classic case of keeping up with the Jones. However, a companys compensation committee may choose to offer a compromise by presenting the CEO with a reasonable pay incentive that is contingent on company performance. This way, the company is protected from the possibility of the companys financial collapse and also having to lose the CEO by forced resignation, along with paying out a hefty CEO severance package. With this in mind, questions often arise about whether or not pay-for-performance incentives for CEOs actually work and are a good idea. In terms of pay-for-performance, it is a fact that high value incentives may not necessarily equate to good CEO performance, and good CEO performance may not necessarily mean better company performance. As outlined by Barro Barro (1990), the amount of CEO pay-for-performance increases as the CEOs relative experience increases. Additionally, as it relates to CEO turnover, CEO skill matching is directly related to compensation and the size of the corporation. It is also noted that CEO experience has an affect on pay-for-performance sensitivity. As it relates to CEOs jumping ship of a firm to join the competition, relative transferable knowledge, skills and talents is an issue. Morgenson (2012) points out that most CEO skills are not easily transferrable from one firm to the next and that CEOs do not move often because of this fact. This means that perhaps all the hype about more money and incentives every year for CEOs is not necessary to keep them, because they will more than likely not move anyway. Many CEOs are comfortable and would rather not risk jumping ship to find greener pastures and end up in a worse situation than the one they think they are in at their present company. This is a valid assumption and it is crucial to the concept of aligning CEO pay with company performance. However, some highly compensated executives are raking in the dough even when their companies are not performing well, and this is seen as highly unacceptable. Executive Compensation Overpayment Some CEOs are overpaid, in spite of undesirable company performance trends. Highly compensated top executives often accept large compensation bonuses and incentives, even when they see their company is not doing so well. A case in point is outlined in an article in the Huffington Post reports that, in 2011, the CEO of Dean Foods, Gregg Engles, was given a 52 percent increase in salary and incentives from the previous year and made $8.5 million, even though the company had a $1.6 billion loss for the year (Kavoussi 2012). This seems out of context but it is evident that this CEOs company places a high value on his presence without the organization. Another example of a CEO cashing in when his companys profits took a downturn is the case of the CEO of Omega Healthcare in Hunt Valley. His executive pay package value doubled to $7.8 million, in spite of it being criticized by a shareholder advisory firm and also in light of the fact that the companys fallen stock price and decreased profits were on the books (Hopkins 2012). These are glaring examples of CEO overpayments and many people in the general public consider it an outrage. As it relates to CEO overpayments, Popper (2012) reports that the median pay of the 200 most highly compensated CEOs in the United States was $14.5 million in 2011. This statistic comes from a study done by Equilar, a Redwood City, California compensation data firm. Additionally, those same CEOs median pay raise equaled 5 percent. This is a standout social issue and it feeds the anger of ordinary Americans who often struggle with unemployment, pay cuts and decreasing wealth. It is seen as a case of the haves catering to greed while the have-nots are barely getting by. Ferracone (2010) states some people blame the recent financial collapse in America on overly high executive compensation. CEO Pay Alignment to Performance In light of the overpayment issue, company investors points of view are often in favor of aligning CEO pay with company performance, as well as having a trustworthy compensation committee that has the best interests of the investors and shareholders of the company in mind (Ferracone 2010). For instance, a Wall Street Journal report shows that 2011 CEO pay packages were more aligned with company performance. On average, CEOs received 0.6 percent increases for every extra 1 percent of returns to shareholders. This, at least, is a measurable component to the executive compensation package issue. Shareholders often need justification of the significance of an executive compensation package before approving it. To meet approval, it is often not so much an issue about the amount of pay that is being considered for the CEO but more of whether or not the CEO is giving the corporation its moneys worth. It is a question of does the CEO meet goals and standards put in place to help the company advance. Bhatt (2012) states that companies justify executive pay to shareholders by implementing compromises such as eliminating perks, tying bonuses to corporate goals and putting policies in place that allows the company to take back bonuses and stock options from executives if the company gets into financial trouble. This is seen as a fair compromise. With this type of justification tied to compensation package proposals, shareholders can feel better about the executives worth and commitment, and therefore they can feel better about approving the executives compensation package. Say on Pay Authority In contrast to decades past, investors are heavily involved in the decisions of what to pay top executives in their companies. They have a say about pay for top executives, unlike in the past. The vehicle in which investors voices can be heard is called the Say on Pay law. The Say on Pay law mandates that public companies allow its shareholders and investors to cast votes, based on advisory decisions, regarding executive compensation (Bhatt 2012). This has shed light on pay practices and allows a check and balance approach to alert for any red flags that may arise. The Say on Pay law is also a way for investors to vote against compensation packages it deems is too much and not in the best interest of the company, its shareholders and investors. For example, Bhatt (2012) reports that a Portland-based bank had an executive-pay proposal rejected by its committee and it cut the CEOs base salary by about 7 percent last year to a paltry $815,000. This example shows a move in the best inter est of the shareholders, while still allowing for a hefty pay package for the CEO. It also shows that there can be a win-win situation with controlling executive compensation package amounts. Shareholders, legislators, regulators and the media all put pressure on company Boards to appropriately balance the vested interests of investors and corporate management (Mercer 2009). This is not only true for companies in the United States, but other countries as well. For example, Mercer (2009) reports that Europe has imposed legislation giving shareholders a say on executive compensation matters. Also, firms in Span, Sweden, Australia, Norway and the Netherlands have voted to increase disclosure of executive pay programs. These types of corporate governance reforms have become popular, though the United States and Canada are the last to implement them. It is important that new disclosure regulations about executive pay programs are presented to shareholders of companies (Mercer 2009). In addition to an increase in corporate disclosures about executive pay matters, there has also been an increase in compensation committee responsibilities in many firms. This is significant because it shows that more time is going into the decision-making process to approve CEO compensation packages and that the interest of the companys shareholders and investors is taken into consideration on a larger scale. Regulations have been strict, so it is in a companys best interest to ensure compliance to regulatory standards to avoid any possible corporate scandals (Mercer 2009). However, this presents a challenge for Board and compensation committee members to ensure an appropriate balance between executive pay with a necessity of attracting and retaining the best executive talent in the market. Additionally, when it comes to the compensation of top executives, many in the industry believe that CEO pay scales should have restrictions. CEO Pay Should Be Restricted CEO pay is often a subject of controversy as it relates to unnecessary compensation of corporate executives at the expense of taxpayers. DeCarlo (2012) reports on a study done in 2011 that revealed top executives of the United States top 500 companies received $5.2 billion in pay raises, which represents 16% collectively. Comparatively, the average American worker only got an average of a 3% raise in pay. This is an in-balance that is seen as unfair to the general public. Its the old adage, the rich keep getting richer and it shows a need for more corporate governance in this regard. In contrast, some CEOs are simply not as greedy or fortunate as others. An article by CNET News reports that the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, has passed on his pay raise and bonus for the last five years. To make up for this, though, he did exercise some very lucrative stock options (Kawamoto 2003). This is something that is seen by shareholders as a good move and is preferable. It helps the corporation but still takes care of the executive. Additionally, in the case of Amazon, a proposal is on the table for more executive compensation plans to include linking stock option cash out to an industry performance index. This means that the company executives would only get paid the large dollar amounts if the companys stock performed favorably (Kawamoto 2003). This is a compromising concept to executive pay restrictions. Similarly, Hopkins (2012) states a recent study showed that six Baltimore CEOs received large pay cuts instead of large pay raises, due to low performing company issues. For example the CEO of Corporate Office Properties had his compensation cut in half the year before he retired. This was because the company had a loss in 2011 of approximately $134 million due to plummeting stock prices. The other five CEO pay reductions were also mostly related to bad company performance but there were other factors involved as well. Another example of a CEO pay reduction instead of increase is the case of Armours CEO whose compensation package was cut last year by 14 percent to only $1.1 million, but this was in light of the fact that the companys stock prices went up and they realized substantial profits. The company justified this by citing that the CEO did not reach all of his goals for the year (Hopkins 2012). This is an example of CEO pay restrictions in place. According to Pearce, Stevenson Perry (1985), some industry experts agree that CEO pay should have restrictions. This is based on the concept that high compensation merit pay may be an inappropriate way to enhance CEO performance and statistical analyses showed this to be likely. Additionally, it is noted that CEO performance motivation should be contingent on performance but many times it is not. It is interesting to note that, according to Pearce, Stevenson Perry (1985), a comprehensive study on performance-contingent pay programs for executives revealed that implementing these types of programs did not show significant effects on general CEO organizational performance. One reason for this is suggested that managers have limited direct control over the performance of an organization and focus should be more on environmental influences that the managers are responsible for manipulating. It is important to note that even when CEOs are high-performing, they may not necessarily receive the highest pay for their performance. For example, the Society for Human Resource Management reports on a study done by a professional services firm that revealed that top CEOs of companies with the highest performance did not receive the highest pay raises. With this in mind, a question of whether or not it is even possible to successfully restrict CEO compensation and still benefit from the work of a quality CEO is appropriate. However, inefficiency in a product of interference should be taken into consideration as well as possible regulation of CEO compensation package ceilings. CEO Compensation Packages Regulation Many argue that it is unfair to have such an inequality in business as it relates to the astronomical salaries and compensation packages of CEOs in this country. However, others argue for its justification based on the fact that the CEO has the responsibility of final decisions that are made for a company and they have responsibility towards the company ´s reputation and performance. In light of this and the public attention from highly publicized, high profile corporation scandals such as the Enron situation, pay and performance of executives in the United States have come under some scrutiny (Jarque 2008). It is no wonder that the general public is skeptical and suspicious of how much money many executives make on a yearly basis. This is especially true because a lot of the money paid to these executives comes from taxpayer dollars, and the everyday American is aware of this and is not happy with it. An article from ABC News reports on a 2011 study that found tax loopholes, concerning executive compensation packages, which costs taxpayers more than $14 billion a year. This is due to CEOs receiving more in their compensation packages than was paid in taxes by their companies. Many see this as an unfair concept. It means that large corporations are taking advantage of these loopholes to lower their tax bills and the taxpayers end up subsidizing large CEO paydays. This is possible because, as it stands now, companies can take off executive pay as a deductible business expense on their taxes, so the trick is the companies pay the executives with stock options, which are exempt from taxation (Kim 2012). So, taxpayers get stuck with the bill and CEOs reap the rewards. Regarding regulation of CEO compensation, however, there needs to be some. Jarque (2008) reports over the last 20 years, the average pay of CEOs working in the top 500 firms in the United States increased some six-fold. This compensation was mainly performance-based and was paid in stock options. It is also reported that regulatory standards, imposed over the last 15 years, that affect executive compensation include changes in corporate capital gains taxes, limits on deducting CEO pay expenses unless they are performance-based, increased company disclosure requirements, and standards on option grants expenses (Jarque 2008). Additionally, studies done following regulatory changes show a shift of compensation trends from salaries and bonuses to stocks and options (performance-based compensation). Jarque (2008) states, This suggests that regulation efforts to improve corporate governance and transparency have been moving in the right direction, although it is difficult to evaluate the relative importance of regulation versus the market induced changes in governance practices (267). Conclusion Executive compensation is a significant aspect of corporate governance and is often governed by a companys Board of Directors, investors, shareholders and compensation committee members. Executive pay typically consists of salary, stock options, benefits, bonuses and other perks deemed appropriate, based on different company preferences. As noted above, executive compensation has disproportionately increased relative to the average American worker and this is often seen as a negative in the public eye, so it is a growing social issue. To help change the view of executive compensation as a root to evil, measures have been put in place to gear executive compensation packages more toward pay-for-performance. This equates to more executives receiving their bonuses, rewards and incentives only when their companys are doing well financially. In todays competitive business world, many companies are looking for new and better ways to attract and retain the highest qualified CEOs to help lead their businesses to financial success through growth and expansion. Therefore, many companies are prepared to offer and follow through with paying handsome compensation packages to existing and prospective CEOs. Many firms are prepared to justify paying CEOs compensation packages above the market rates in an attempt to retain the services of what they feel is their most prized asset the CEO.

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

How far a person will go to accomplish a dream has no limits. If it includes self-reinvention, illegal acts, and self-indulgence the dream may not be as a result significant. But that is the case, in The Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald, as the narrator Nick tells the accomplishments and wasted acts of the man known as Gatsby. Nick chooses to tell us this story to illustrate the consequences of Gatsby a man who he in the end has a positive opinion of and respects for his courage at attempting to fulfill a futile dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nick, the narrator, tells Gatsby’s story to paint a picture of an American Dream and how it becomes so crucial to accomplish a certain part of the dream that one becomes careless; which leads into other outside ambitions that alter the dream and which is therefore never accomplished. Nick summarizes this by saying â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (189). This quote is most significant because it sums up the book and how it can be applied to Gatsby’s life and the life of numerous others. It says â€Å"we† are like boats beating against the current meaning that people struggle to prosper for a dream but never truly achieve happiness. Although people to some extent do prosper they desire more and more that ultimately forget, dim or glorify the purpose of the dream and that leads t them into never attaining happiness. Gatsby’s life is an example of all of this because he reached hig h for Daisy’s love but in the end did not receive it because he was rather immoral in his journey in doing so. The end of Gatsby’s story is full of sad events and the reader must read between the lines. The reader must come to understand that Nick tells us Gatsby’s story as an example of what not to do, so that somehow readers can learn from the mistakes others commit and their own so that humanity can live more of a complete life. From the beginning Nick tells us how he controversially feels about Gatsby. Nick says â€Å"Gatsby who represented everything for which I have and unaffected scorn† (6) later goes on and says â€Å"Gatsby turned out all right at the end† (6). It is difficult for the reader to come to a conclusion as to what Nick’s opinion of Gatsby is.

Defining Poverty in America :: Urban Decay, Urban Poor

Poverty is an important and emotional issue. Last year, the Census Bureau released its annual report on poverty in the United States declaring that there were nearly 35 million poor persons living in this country in 2002, a small increase from the preceding year. To understand poverty in America, it is important to look behind these numbers--to look at the actual living conditions of the individuals the government deems to be poor. For most Americans, the word "poverty" suggests destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. But only a small number of the 35 million persons classified as "poor" by the Census Bureau fit that description. While real material hardship certainly does occur, it is limited in scope and severity. Most of America's "poor" live in material conditions that would be judged as comfortable or well-off just a few generations ago. Today, the expenditures per person of the lowest-income one-fifth (or quintile) of households equal those of the median American household in the early 1970s, after adjusting for inflation.1 The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports: - Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio. - Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning. - Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person. - The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.) - Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars. - Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions. - Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception. - Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher. As a group, America's poor are far from being chronically undernourished. The average consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children and, in most cases, is well above recommended norms.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, A Tortured Genius Essay -- Biography biographies bi

Dostoevsky biography as related to his works It is often remarkable to see the relation between events in an author?s life and that of his works. Many great authors have transcribed the pivotal moments of their existence onto paper for readers to enjoy, sympathize, or rage. Certainly, Fyodor (or Fedor) Dostoevsky, being no different than that of the very best of his profession, lived a life with experiences that influenced his writings a great deal. His masterpieces stand as ultimate manifestations of his tumultuous affair with pain, sorrow, anger, misery, for, each tells of dark worlds and conflicts with social status, money, or oneself. Overall, Dostoevsky?s past of living in constant torment with himself and his ideals transfers itself onto each page of his novel Crime and Punishment, indeed, difficult lessons he learned from his own mistakes jump out from the page at readers, as if he wants us also to learn something. Born in Moscow 1821 during the rule of tyrannical Russian tsars and slavery with the nicer terminology of serfdom, the young Dostoevsky witnessed first-hand the violent nature of an alcoholic. As son of a vicious army surgeon whose brutality after drinking led the family serfs to choke him to death one day by pouring whisky down his throat (Leatherbarrow 13), his aversion to and disgust of alcohol is easily understood. In an unexpected turn of events, Nicolas I liberated all serfs during Dostoevsky?s teenage years and as a result left him and his family on the edge of destitution. In the wake of emancipation, however, he matured into a fierce advocate for serf rights and even called for government subsidies to aid them in starting afresh (15). His campaign for better conditions for peasants and fi... ...ld when he died in 1881 (Leatherbarrow 30), Dostoevsky left the world a legacy of amazing works that probe into the depths of the human soul: The Double, The House of the Dead, Notes from the Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Possessed, The Brothers Karamazov, etc (31). Works Cited "Dostoevsky's Life and Career, 1859-1863." LESSON 8 Dostoevsky, Notes From Underground. Russian 5421, University of Minnesota. 28 Dec. 2007, . Knapp, Liza. Giants of Russian Literature: Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov. Prince Frederick, MD: Modern Scholar, 2007. Leatherbarrow, William J. Fedor Dostoevsky. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Leone, Bruno, Brenda Stalcup, Bonnie Szumski, and Tamara Johnson, eds. Fyodor Dostoevsky: a Literary Companion. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. 54-83.

Hinduism and Spiritual Significance Diwali

Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days as well as the rituals of Diwali vary significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India. In many parts of India, the festivities start with Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on second day, Diwali on the third day, Diwali Padva dedicated to wife- husband relationship on the fourth day, and festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister-brother bond on the fifth day.Dhanteras usually falls eighteen days after Dussehra. On the same night that Hindus celebrate  Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha by Mahavira , Sikhs similarly celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, and Arya Samajists celebrate Shardiya Nav- Shasyeshti. Diwali is an official holiday in India , Nepal , Sri Lanka , Myanmar , Mauritius, Guyana , Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname , Malaysia , Singapore and Fiji. Diwali is one of the happiest of holidays, with significant preparations.People clean their homes and decorate them for the festivities. Diwali is one of the biggest shopping seasons in India; people buy new clothes for  themselves and their families, gifts, appliances, kitchen utensils, small to big ticket items such as cars and gold jewellery. People also buy gifts for family members and friends which typically includes sweets, dry fruits and seasonal specialities depending on regional harvest and customs. It is also the period when little kids hear ancient stories, legends, myths and battle between good and evil, light and darkness from their parents and elders. Girls and women go shopping, and create rangoli and other creative patterns on floors, near doors and walkways.Youth and grown ups graduate to helping with lighting and preparing for patakhe (fireworks). There is significant variation in regional practices and rituals. Depending on the region, prayers are offered before one or more deities, with most common being Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth and prosperity. O n Diwali night, fireworks light up the neighborhood skies. Later, family members and invited friends celebrate the night over food and swe Spiritual significance Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs to mark historical events, stories or myths, but they all spiritually mark the  victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.In the Yoga, Vedanta , and Samkhya schools of Hindu philosophy, a central belief is that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman . The celebration of Diwali as the â€Å"victory of good over evil†, refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening  comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things, and knowledge overcomes ignorance.Diwali is the celebrati on of this Inner Light over spiritual darkness, knowledge over ignorance, right over wrong, good over evil Religious significance in Hinduism The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India, depending on the school of Hindu philosophy, regional myths, legends and beliefs. Many see Diwali honouring the return of the hero Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana from exile, as told in the ancient Hindu epic called the Ramayana.To some, Diwali marks the return of Pandavas after 12 years of Vanvas and one year of agyatavas in the other ancient Hindu epic called the Mahabharata . Many other Hindus believe Diwali is linked to the celebration of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of deity Vishnu. The five day festival of Diwali begins on the day Lakshmi was born from the churning of cosmic ocean of milk during the tug of war between the forces of good and forces of evil; the night of Diwali is the day Lakshmi chose Vishnu as her husband and the n married him.Some Hindus  offer pujas to additional or alternate deities such as Kali, Ganesha, Saraswati, and Kubera. Other Hindus believe that Diwali is the day Vishnu came back to Lakshmi and their abode in the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi receive the benefit of her good mood, and therefore are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being during the year ahead. In India's eastern region, such as West Bengal , Lakshmi is not worshipped, only deity Kali is worshipped and the festival is called Kali Puja. In India's Braj and north central regions, deity Krishna is recognized.People mark Mount Govardhan, and celebrate legends about Krishna. In other regions, the feast of Annakoot is celebrated, with 56 or 108 different cuisines prepared, offered to Krishna, then shared and celebrated by the local community. In West, South and certain Northern parts of India, the festival of Diwali marks the start of a new Hindu year. Along with Goddess Lakshmi, offerings are ma de to Ganesha who symbolizes ethical beginnings and fearless remover of obstacles; Saraswati who symbolizes music, literature and learning; and Kubera who symbolizes book keeping, treasury and wealth management.

Le Corbusier

â€Å"The house is a machine for living in. †-Le Corbusier House 14 at Weissenhof: http://mpdrolet. tumblr. com/pos/34901891099/weissenhof-estate-le-corbusier-peter-gossel. As with many other architects of his time, Le Corbusier was fascinated with the Industrial Age. The Industrial Age brought a multitude of new materials for architects to work with, as well as new processes to utilize these revolutionary materials. Le Corbusier sought to coalesce these new ideas into his 5 points towards a new architecture. The five essential points set out above represent a fundamentally new aesthetic. Nothing is left to us of the architecture of past epochs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Conrads, 1970, p. 100) By combining the newly readily available materials of steel and concrete with the process of mass production Le Corbusier invents a house that embodies a machine. No longer is the house simply a decorative container to live in. The house that utilizes Le Corbusier’s 5 points actively works to improve the lives of its inhabitants just as any successful machine of the Industrial Age.As seen in House 14, all attention is focused on satisfying the 5 points and consequentially superfluous ornament is disregarded. Rather the building as a whole could be described a monument to the Industrial age. The clean-cut corners and lines evoke a sense of the ordered factory and sharp contrasts remind viewers of the positive and negative results of Industrialism. â€Å"Industry, overwhelming us like a flood which rolls on towards its destined ends, has furnished us with new tools adapted to this new epoch, animated by the new spirit. (Conrads, 1970, p. 61) Corbusier’s idea of the â€Å"new spirit† is evident in his 5 points. The new â€Å"machine† house improves people’s lives by helping them adapt to and live in the boisterous times of the Industrial Age. The roof of the house is covered in a roof garden to give its inhabitants a place to relax from the inc essant clamor of the new age. The house is set off the ground on pilotes to separate the inhabitant from the dirty byproducts of Industrialism.This sense of cleanliness is also emphasized in the whitewashed walls giving a sense of purity and sanitation. â€Å"Economic law inevitably governs our acts and our thoughts. † (Conrads, 1970, p. 61) As with any mass produced machine, cost is an issue. Corbusier had to settle for using the relatively cheap materials of stucco over brick to allow his house to be mass-produced. Le Corbusier revolutionized the house into an efficient machine with his 5 points. â€Å"Economic law inevitably governs our acts and our thoughts. † (Conrads, 1970, p. 61)

Movers & Shakers

Movers and Shakers in Education The Common School Movement (1830 – 1865) The common school movement advocated for a greater role by the government in children’s education. To this end, Horace Mann was a staunch advocate for the common schools (Kaestle 2). Horace Mann believed that the social coexistence and political stability was dependent on achieving universal education. Consequently, he lobbied the state to embrace ‘nonsectarian’ common schools for the admittance of all children. To this effect, Mann argued that it was civic and religious duty for the government to support common schools.Moreover, Mann believed that teachers were in need of a formal education system beyond High School. Consequently, Mann was joined by other lobbyist for common schools such as Catherine Beecher. However, it is critical to mention that resistance to the common schools was evident from Roman Catholic adherents. To this effect, the opponent believed that nonsectarian common schools were against the precincts of Catholicism. However, the first common school was established in Massachusetts in 1839 following compromise and political consensus.By the latter period of the 19th century, other states adopted common schools policies that evolved to what the contemporary public schools system. John Dewey (1916) John Dewey was epitomized as a prominent American philosopher and educational revolutionary whose ideologies contributed to reform in the social and education sector. In reference to education, Dewey is best known for his philosophies in education. To this end, John Dewey theorized education as the process of developing an individual’s capacities to which the person gains control over his/her environment and consequently fulfil his/her potential (Novak).Consequently, John Dewey formulated four aims of education. Foremost, he believed that education is life whereby life itself was epitomized by education. Moreover, education is life was whereby t he learner was focused on the present scenario and not the future. Secondly, Dewey believed that education is experience. Consequently, he explained that education should be based in experience since it develops a new insight in the learner and replaces old experience. Third, Dewey believed that education was centred on the development of social efficiency.To this end, he envisaged the school as a social institution designed to replicate the realities of the outer world. Fourth, Dewey believed that theory and practice should be conjoined in education. Consequently, thoughts or words should be precincts of teaching and learning. Moreover, Dewey envisioned a method of teaching through direct experience. This was whereby teaching was based on activities in direct connection with the child’s life. Evidently, John Dewey’s theory of experiential learning and child centred social theory contributed to the development of contemporary education practices in the 21st century.Con sequently, his education philosophies marked a shift from lecture based learning processes. The Case of Brown v. Board of Education  (1954, 1955) The case involved the pertinent issue of racial segregation in public learning institutions. To this end, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Thurgood Marshal led a judicial campaign against the racial segregation of learners at school (â€Å"History of Brown v. Board of Education. â€Å"). The Brown vs. Board of Education was a consortium of five cases involving Briggs vs. Elliot, Gebhart vs. Ethel, Brown vs.Board of Education of Topeka, Davis vs. Board of Education of Prince Edward County (VA) and Boiling vs. Sharpe(â€Å"History of Brown v. Board of Education. â€Å"). The facts underlying each case were divergent but were all connected based on the legality of government-sponsored segregation of students in public schools. Initially, the U. S District Court had favoured the school boards in its judgment. Consequently, the plaintiffs launched an appeal in the Supreme Court of U. S. Thus, in the hearing of the cases in 1952, all the five of them were collectively referred to as the Brown vs.Board of Education. While arguing against the case, the plaintiff counsel stated that segregation of black and white students fuelled inequality, and went against the ‘equal protection clause’ stipulated in the United State’s Fourteenth Amendment constitution. Moreover, the plaintiff cited Kenneth Clark’s social scientific research that discovered segregation school polices imposed an inferiority complex among black children. In the ruling presided over by Chief justice Warren in 1954, the court ruled in favour of the plaintiff.Consequently, the court concluded that the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ was unconstitutional and that segregation of students was inherently unequal. On May 31 1995, the Supreme Court ordered and expedient and speedy process of desegregation of all public schools. However, the desegregation process dragged on for over 20 years. Despite this, the Brown vs. Board of Education set the precedent for an equal and racially transformation of the American education sector. No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002The No child left behind act was officially signed into law on 8th January 2002 (American Speech Language Hearing Association). Its fundamental precinct was based on the notion that every child can learn. Moreover, it envisioned a future whereby all children will achieve proficiency in learning. In addition, the ‘No Child Left Behind Act ‘is an elaborate blueprint for reforming schools, empowering parents and transformational change in school culture. Towards the goal of improving educational standards for all children, the act incorporates all students in public schools.To this end, it is inclusive of all children irrespective of those disabilities. Moreover, it applies to children w ith behavioural dysfunctions, immigrant children, minority kids as well as those learning English as Second Language. The law came into force following increasing growing concern about the declining standards of education. Evidently, the former President, George. W. Bush recognized that segregation in reference to the disadvantaged children in schools was prevalent as well as inadequate standards of measuring progress of students.In seeking to increase the parents’ role in the child, the Act recognized the need for holding school’s accountable in performance standards. Consequently, the act empowers parents with the right to know whether their children are making sufficient academic progress. In reference to the teacher, the Act demands for highly qualified personnel in the respective subjects. It equally calls for use of validated research driven instruction manuals. Furthermore, the acts seeks to increase accountability through formulation of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for states.To this end, Adequate Yearly Progress stipulates the minimum benchmark of improvement required by school districts yearly. As a result, the NCLB Act has set the precedent of improving education for children through the collaborative efforts of parents, schools districts and teachers. References American Speech Language Hearing Association ASHA. 2012. â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Retrieved from http://www. asha. org/advocacy/federal/nclb/exec-summary. htm. Kaestle, C. F. , & Foner, E. (1983). Pillars of the republic: Common schools and American society, 1780-1860.New York: Hill and Wang. Print. Novak, George. 1960. â€Å"John Dewey’s Theories of Education. † International Socialist Review, Vol. 21, No. 1, Winter 1960. Retrieved from http://www. marxists. org/archive/novack/index. htm United States Courts. 2012. â€Å"History of Brown v. Board of Education. â€Å". Retrieved from //www. uscourts. gov/EducationalResources/ConstitutionResourc es/LegalLandmarks/HistoryOfBrownVBoardOfEducation. aspx. xtimeline. 2009. â€Å"American Education: From Revolution to the Twentieth Century. † Famento. Retrieved from www. xtimeline. com/evt/view. aspx? id=637932.

Terracog Case Study

In this case, there are three main meetings which have been held. Throughout these three meetings, and according to the TerraCog’s meeting culture that I observed, I can find some problems that may generate some negative influence on the meeting dynamics and may not conduct a good result easily. To begin with, I will brief describe the performance about these three meetings regarding the project of Aerial. According to the timeline of events providing by the case, these three meetings are held from spring 2007 to March 2008 whose topic is concerning the product design, market positioning, cost estimates, and price making.The first meeting is held in order to â€Å"speed development and avoid the costs of new moldings and major reconfiguration† (Case PP3). The product design & development team decided to redesign based on the old products within the existing GPS technology. As the case, the convener of this meeting is Richard Fiero, the president of TerraCog, and the par ticipants include Allen Roth, director of design & development, and ED Pryor, Vice president of sales.The main issue for this meeting is regarding the features and quality of the new product competing with the rivals such as Posthaste and Garmin. In this meeting they successfully reached the agreement about what kind product TerraCog will design and produce, and Roth was tasked to be in charge of the designing and cost estimating. Because this is a brief and short meeting just for assigning the tasks, there is few conflict and disagreement in the meeting. The second meeting is Aerial Pre-Launch Meeting which is convened be Emma Richardson, the new executive vice president on March 7, 2008.Because the design team completed Aerial by the end of 2007 and the product team had finished the test of the model, Richardson held this meeting with sales, production, and design & development to discuss the cost estimate and retail price of the new product. The specific participants are Emma Ric hardson, Ed Pryor, Allen Roth, Tony Barren, the product director, Cory Wu, the manager of software and firmware design, and Alice Gorga, the manager of hardware design.However, in the meeting the disagreement occurred, Barren said that the cost of the new product production is too high because of Aerial’s higher-end components and complicated manufacture. While Pryor said he could not sell the new products in such high cost. Also Cory Wu showed her puzzle about the high cost. Due to his problem, the meeting came to a deadlock. Reviewing this meeting, I think Emma Richardson who was the convener and facilitator did less to smooth and facilitate the meeting. The only thing she did was suggesting ending the meeting when the participants were at an impasse.Also in the third meeting, though she invited more people such as Becky Timmons, the CFO, and Harold Whislter, the Vice President of design and development, to attend the Resumption meeting, Richardson did nothing but let the q uarrel carry on because I cannot see any word of Richardson in the meeting. In my opinion, there were some opportunities for facilitator to adjust the rhythm of the meeting. For example, in the Aerial Pre-Launch Meeting, when Barren finished his serious word, as the facilitator, Emma Richardson should make some word to smooth the atmosphere of the meeting, whatever it is the joke or semiformal word.In this way, the conflict or disagreement will not so easily to be occurred like the situation in the description of the case. Regarding the latter two meetings, there are several factors contributing to the dysfunctional meeting culture. The first factor is my previous statement, the malfunction of the role of the facilitator. The second factor is the seats of the Resumption of Pre-Launch Meeting. In the meeting, inappropriate seats may aggravate the conflict between both sides. In the seats of the resumption meeting, on one hand, Emma Richardson as the facilitator sat in a wrong place, instead, she should sit in the middle of both sides.In this seat, she can observe the situation of meeting more easily, and it was convenient for her the ask questions to both sides. On the other hand, Tony Barren and Allen Roth should sit in the same side, and Ed Pryor and Cory Wu should sit at the other side. Finally, I think the appropriate facilitator of the third meeting should be Richard Fiero, the President of TerraCog. Because Emma Richard seemed to can’t control the situation in the Aerial Pre-Launch Meeting, and in the resumption meeting, the facilitator and mediator should be the people in a higher position: Richard Fiero.This is what I concluded and assessed for the previous meeting held in TerraCog. However, for the next meeting that will be held next week, and in order to successfully facilitate, I should make more consideration about how to design and conduct the upcoming meeting. Firstly, I will think about the purpose and deliverables of the third launching m eeting. The purpose should be, as the case writes, how to â€Å"push them to one†. Recalling the last meeting, the disagreement concerns on the high cost and it causes a big problem for marketing.Ed Pryor require the production to cut down the cost, but the request are declined because Tony Barren, director of the production said that it was unlikely to reduce the cost because once we did that, some key features of the new products would be lost and it would weaken the competitiveness of the new products. Therefore, I think the main purpose is how to unify the different opinions about cost cutting. If we solve the problem, the next steps regarding the pricing and go-to-market plan will be easily settled, and the project launching meeting will be finished successfully.In aspect to the participants of the upcoming meeting, I strongly recommend that the president should attend the meeting. As I stated previously, Emma Richardson is out of capacity, further, the authority, to con trol the situation of the meeting because it relates the disagreement of two big departments, sales and production. Therefore, it is necessary that the president appears in the meeting. Even president Fiero should be the facilitator and mediator of the meeting. As for the other participants, I think it is nice with the same list of the last meeting.However, for the Harold Whistler, I think he did not well play his role in the last meeting. As the leader who is in charge of the design and development, he made less constructive suggestion for the problem solving. For the issues that will discuss in the next meeting, I think they mainly constitute three points. The first and the most important issue is about the cost of the new product. The production department thought the cost they estimated is very sound. However, the marketing section of TerraCog cannot make an appropriate marketing plan that would retake the losing market share in such high cost.Therefore the first issue is how to balance the cost, features and sales regarding the new product. The second issue is the re-pricing and re-positioning on the market after both sides reach an agreement on the production cost. The final issue is about the go-to-marketing of the new product and the related competition strategies. The latter two issues should be addressed easily once the first problem is solved. For the facilitation guide, I will more think about the approaches how to mediate the argument and disagreement between the departments of sales and production. One approach is one-to-one debate.Now Ed Pryor, the vice president of sales represents the voice of sales, however, there are different voice in the department of design and production. For example, Cory Wu, manager of software and firmware design also thinks the cost of producing the new product is too high. Also, Alice Gorga was absent the last meeting, and I do not know his attitude about the problem. Therefore, I think an important step is integrat ing the opinions inside the party of design and production as the one voice. Particularly, Harold Whistler should play a key role in this job because he is in charge of the design and production department.First he should unify the views inside the group, and then I think Fiero should communicate with him to learn about the idea of the production department. That is the right step to gathering and processing the right information. Besides, at the site of the meeting, Fiero (facilitator) should hold a brainstorming to come up with the solution of disagreement. This approach guarantee everyone engage in the discussion and it is more possible to excogitate the ideas by participants. More important, the brainstorming method will desalt the opposite atmosphere and change it to practical ways to find the solutions.