Blue flowers (Pvt.) Ltd Essay

Executive summary Blue flowers (Pvt.) Ltd is an artificial flower manufacturing company situated in Monaragala with 350 total workforces. It provides artificial flowers for local and international markets. This has five functional departments namely Purchasing, Sales and Marketing, Production, Accounting and HR. They got a decision to increase production in 14% by last year onwards and an incentive program also implemented. When the carder produces more than the original target, company granted 10%-15% additional incentive. After 6 months company had evaluate their pros and cons and results was as follows, Production increased 1st month – 20% 2nd month-30% 3rd month-32% 4th month-20% 5th month-20% 6th month-20% Lower Quality and Rejection Rate – 10%-15% After implementing this incentive program production employees complained that the reason of this problem is the slowness of other departments, and also 60% production employees were complained their objections through their Trade Unions. After that TUs called a meeting to its members. 60% employees said that this is not an incentive scheme but just another way of exploiting labor and they suggested a TU action. Then TU representatives met management and informed them that this incentive scheme is not lucrative or equitable. But management said that if they are not in a position to carter to this increase in order in the future, they are in for a heavy loss and as a result they might even consider an employee redundancy plan also. After this meeting trade unions requested some conditions also. Problem Statement In this case we can identify several Management issues which influenced for the smooth functioning of the company. Those issues as follows; Issue 1 Organization decided to increase their production and implement an incentive program for employees who had produce more than the original target given.  But they did not screen the internal and external environment before implement this production and incentive scheme. They did not done feasibility study, SWOT analysis or a PESTEL. Issue 2 There was no any awareness program for employees about those production targets and incentive schemes. There was no any target group identification or Job evaluation. Incentive was given without any Performance evaluation therefore other department people (Other than Production dept.) were enjoyed more of this incentive scheme. Issue 3 Incentive scheme was not lucrative and not equitable. And also it was not conducted in a proper manner. Lower level workers were not reaping any benefits of this incentive scheme. Issue 4 Given target is not SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound) They only announced to employees that production must be increased by 14%. They did not specify individual goals and objectives or Team goals and objectives. They express organizational goal and tried to achieve it through an incentive scheme. They should have to inform employees through a job description but they didn’t. Issue 5 Some managers and supervisors considered employees as machines. Also there were biasness in branding low quality and product rejections. In the meeting which held between management and Trade Unions management said that if employees were not in a position to this increase in order in the future, they were in for a heavy loss as a result they might even consider an employee redundancy plan also. There was no any interrelationship between management and employees. Management implements decisions without having employee’s collaboration. Therefore Trade Unions can influence. Recommendations with Literature Review Issue 1 There was no any feasibility study. No any internal or external environmental study. Both internal and external environmental factors are widely influence for the organizational functions. Before take any strategic decision organizational management should scan the internal and external environment. In this case organization is going to increase their production through incentive schemes. That means this organization is going to develop. Organizational development is all about improving organizations performance. But this performance development should be done by facing internal and external environmental changes. To do this organization should scan the internal and external environment. For internal scan organization should implement SWOT analysis and for external scan organization should implement PEST analysis. SWOT PEST Figure 1 In this case before implement the decision of product increment and incentive scheme organization should have to scan environmental factors. First of all whether existing employees are sufficient for fulfill this current target, if not organization should recruit additional employees to fulfill this target. If existing workforce is sufficient they should have being given a proper Training to do new job well. Existing employees. (Job rotation, Job enrichment, Job enlargement, Training and Development, Promotions etc.) External employees. (Just in time talent, Identify talent pool, Attract, Gain, Retain) Not only that but also organization should have to conduct a feasibility study. They should scan whether existing technology is enough whether existing machinery or machine capacity is sufficient whether raw material supply is satisfy the given target etc. After scanning those types of internal factors organization should scan external factors also. In this case Blue Flowers did not scan anything about environment they just announced a target and told employees to fulfill it. Issue 2 No target groups, Awareness program, Job evaluation and Performance appraisals Before implement an incentive scheme organization should have to point out which group has being given the target. It will be helpful to give incentives for employees who actually meet targets. According to this case Production Department employees are the target group. By identifying the target group correctly other department people will not be able to enjoy incentives without performing towards the target. After identifying the target group organization should inform them about what to do? How to do? When to do? Which benefits can gain through the target? This can be done through conducting an awareness program or an inauguration. And also the target group can be informing by a proper job description. Not only the target group but also the other department employees also should clarify according to the target to achieve and they also inform by proper job descriptions. Then organization should conduct a Job Evaluation to grade jobs according to its worth. Job evaluation is a systematic comparison done in order to determine the worth of one job relative to another. It provides a basis for grading and establishes pay structure. After identifying the grades pay structure should established. And the incentive scheme should align with the Evaluation and target group should have being given more worth. According to this case although Blue Flowers implement an incentive scheme they did not conduct any Performance Evaluation program. Through PM organization can measure Actual performance of employees and can compare it with expected performance. Through this measurement organization can identify high performers and low performance and make rewards or punishments. Issue 3 Incentive scheme was not lucrative and not equitable. According to this case Incentive scheme was not lucrative or equitable. As production people mentioned other department employees enjoy more of this incentives. As I express in issue 2 it can be prevent by target group identification. Proper awareness, Job evaluation and Performance Appraisal based incentives. According to this case organization can introduce Group Incentive Scheme. Group Incentive Schemes are targeted at improving performance levels or the output among a group of employees. This is like an individual incentive scheme but give pay over and above base salary to all team members when the group or team collectively meets specified standards for performance, productivity or other work related behavior. Blue flowers  are going to increase production by 40%. They can introduce targets to Production team, Accounts team, Sales team, HR team and purchasing team. Then organization can introduce incentive schemes for separate departments as per its worth. But there is a disadvantage. By providing team incentives some employees can enjoy incentives without performing towards target. To prevent this organization can introduce individual performance appraisal system also and they can reward high performers and identify low performers. This will be reduce demotivation of high performers, reduce tardiness, reduce LTO, and mainly can achieve the target efficiency and effectively. Organization also can use motivation theories for implement sound incentive scheme. Basically organization can use Two Factor Theory by Fredric Herzberg, Vrooms Expectancy Theory and Goal setting theory. Two Factor Theory Herzberg view that man lives at two levels, physical and psychological level. Several factors lead to employee satisfaction while the other lead to dissatisfaction the satisfiers are called Motivators and the dissatisfies are called Hygiene factors. Motivators appeared to produce motivated behavior and hygiene factors produced dissatisfaction. Vrooms Expectancy Theory This says that an employee will be motivated to exert a high level of effort when he believes that effort will lead to a good performance appraisal; that a good appraisal will lead to organizational rewards and that rewards will satisfy the employees’ personal goals. This theory emphasize that motivation begins with a desire for something. Goal Setting Theory According to this theory, a person get motivated by following things The goal should be SMART They should be challenging but reachable Goals are seen as fair and reasonable Individual participation in goal-setting Feedback ensures that people get a feeling of pride and satisfaction from the experience of achieving a challenging but fair goal Feedback is used to gain commitment to even higher goal After evaluating above factors organization can take following steps; 1. Identify the objective properly 2. Consult with staff and trade unions 3. Relate the scheme to the business remuneration system 4. Ensure that the planned scheme is competitive 5. Decide on performance measures for organizational staff 6. Regular review and obtain feedbacks Issue 4 Target was not SMART According to this case the given target was not SMART. All organizations have their corporate targets. Those targets are divided into sections and assigned individual departments with those divided targets. Then those individual departments assigned departmental target among their department members. Those are calls individual targets. Those individual targets and departmental targets should fulfill through strategic plans, and those decisions which implement to achieve departmental targets should always align with the corporate target. Ex: Figure 2 When an organization establish a target it should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound) and also it should be structured with performance, conditions and standards. Ex: production team should produce 10000 flowers individually, 100% accurately within a given day within given machine capacity. Issue 5 Biasness of managers and supervisors. No interrelationship among management and employees In this case there was no any interrelationship among management and employees. Some managers/supervisors consider employee as machines and they reject production or brand as low quality as their wish. This is no fair and conflicts, high LTO, high absenteeism, high tardiness can be happened The best theory for the Human Relation is Hawthorne Studies. Elton Mayo was the founder and he did a research in Western Electricals. He searches how the lightning and illumination affect to the worker performance. From this research he founded that human relations can affect worker performance rather than physical conditions. We all are human being. We all are pleased to have pleasant relationships. It is a psychological need. In an organization if there are so many good physical conditions but no interrelationship between employer and employee that organization will not be able to achieve its desirable targets. According to this case thre was no interrelationship between employees and management and also biasness was there. As a result employees were get together with Trade Unions for gain their rights. That was a huge disadvantage for an organization. And also in the meeting with TUs management stance that if employees enable to fulfill targets on time they will be implement a redundancy program. That was not suitable and a point of conflict. To prevent this situation organization can Implement Soft Skill programs for managers and supervisors. Maintain fair welfare programs. Implement Participative Management System. Make standard level of production quality and make aware employees about that. Then rejection and low quality branding will not be bias. Conclusion Blue Flowers (Pvt.) ltd is a leading artificial flower manufacturer which provides artificial flowers for local and foreign markets. They desired to increase their production by minimum 40% but faced problems because of poor environmental awareness, poor targets, and weak incentives. If Blue flowers follow sound incentive system through a strategic plan they will never become unsuccessful in gaining 40% production increment.

Employee Welfare Measures Questionnaire Essay

Dear Recruiter, Request you to please fill in the questionnaire and help me understand the labour laws compiled in your organisation that will help me to produce factual data to my project. Project Topic: Employee welfare measures followed in small textile units in Bhiwandi city Please be rest assured about maintaining the confidentiality of the data. Your timely help will be highly appreciated. Regards Govind R Sharma MBA (HRM) Pondicherry University Compliance of labours laws & Employee welfare measures Name: Designation: Company: Please fill the column where information sought and reply the questions asked in Yes/ No type question Questions Answers Total employee strength of your company Type of company (Proprietary/ Pvt. Ltd./ Ltd/ listed) Strength of HR team in organization Company type (Indian/ Indian MNC/ Foreign based MNC) Does your company follow Industrial Dispute Act? Does your Organization make deduction to all employees as per ESI Act? Does your Organisation Make Deduction as per PF & MIsc Act? Does your organization follow Maternity Benefit Act, Payment of Wages Act and Payment of Minimum Wages Act? Does your organization follow all the procedures laid down in Factories Act & Shops and Establishment Act? Do you pay equal remuneration to both male and female employees ? Do you think that all the rules laid down on above mentioned Act are employer and employee friendly? What is the amount of Bonus you usually pay to your employees? Do you think that there should be only 5 days working or the daily working hours should not exceed 8 hours or 48 hours in a week? Please mention the various employee welfare programme in your organization beside of those made compulsory by various labour legislation. What is the grievance handling mechanism followed in the organization? What is your view that a small organization having employee strength of 10-30 people cannot implement employee welfare measures as per the prescribed Act or beyond the purview of the Act? Please specify in brief. How many times the Factory Inspector, labour inspector, PF commissioner or officials/ ESI officers visit your organization? Are you happy with their inspection work? Are they employer and employee friendly or believe in making money only? What is the maximum duration any employee stay in your organization? Do you allow them to work in your company more than 5 years? After completing 5 years in your organization, whenever they leave your organization, do you provide them any extra monetary benefits? If yes, please specify the amount. Apart from the salary, what other benefits you provide to your employees? Do you think that providing too many benefits to employees lead to industrial unrest hence they should kept within certain limit? Justify your answer please.

Comparison between the Book and the Film Revolutionary Road Essay

Comparison between the Book and the Film Revolutionary Road - Essay Example The film off course has lots of deviations from the novel but bears many similarities also. When a celebrated literary piece influences or is incorporated in a film, it ought to bear some similarities and dissimilarities that compels the film to launch into a platform where the comparison and the criticism with respect to the literary piece is performed from which it has been influenced , interpreted or incorporated. Thesis Statement The novel ‘Revolutionary Road’ and the film incorporated from it together stand as a complementary and compact phenomena elevating the mind of the readers and audience. Reading the novel and watching the film complete the experience which makes the soul uplifted. Yet, there are differences between the novel and the film incorporated from it. This essay intends to explore and discuss the comparison on the ground of the difference in perception operating in the novel and the film. The Comparison The film lacked the superfluity of emotions whic h the language in the novel created. However in representation of the characters also, there is a vast difference. In the novel, the character of April Wheeler seems to be gaining more sympathy of the readers for the decision and dilemma she undergoes regarding her decision with her unborn child. In the film, this same character is presented as a self-centred and passive woman without proper emotions.

Free to choose Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Free to choose - Assignment Example It is natural that different people may form diverse opinions of a person and therefore, the necessity to consider their opinion as a part of identity rises. As the most significant and well-known part of King’s legacy we will consider the famous speech â€Å"I have a dream† to examine people’s attitude towards racial identity. Identity of an individual is formed under the influence of numerous factors – social, political and cultural – that predetermine the way he/she will present him/herself to the society and his/her perceptions of various aspects of life. Moreover, in conditions of the modern culture, people tend to form their identities following the trends or adopting the legacy of certain prominent figures. Pop icons and mass media shape people’s views and behaviors and thus offer a wide range of opportunities for identity expression. Particularly, racial identity is the phenomenon that typically develops in close connection to such concepts as equality and segregation. This aspect of identity implies the way one feels about his or her race and, of course, the way society feels about it. On the other hand, one’s attitude towards certain race-related issue or figure might be subjected to this/her position in the historical and social contexts. Here, the issue of racial ide ntity for ethnic minorities like African Americans attracts much attention in this respect, as it used to be the issue of controversy and oppression for many years before African Americans succeeded in the struggle for their rights. Currently, the figure discussed is Martin Luther King, who made an immense contribution to formation of many people’s racial identity and proclamation of total racial equality. The personality of Martin Luther King is of extraordinary significance in the long struggle against racial discrimination and violation of human rights, which took so many years from the racial minorities.

Current state-of-the-art in one of the EECS Research Paper

Current state-of-the-art in one of the EECS - Research Paper Example The move is driven by the existing gap between designer’s productivity and DSP increased complexity. As microprocessors, digital signal perform data manipulation and mathematical calculations and are characterized by real time digital signal processing competencies as data is processed in real time, high throughput, software re-programmability and deterministic operation. Despite appearing in the market in the early 1980s, DSP have numerous applications and have become key enabling technology for numerous electronics products in fields like automotive, instrumentation and military, multimedia and electronics products. Since the 1980s, DSPs have undergone extreme evolution namely in terms of hardware features, software development tools and integration. Hardware evolution occurred in two phases which are the development phase and the consolidation phase. The development phase took place until 1990 when DSP was characterized by fixed width instruction set. From 1990 to date, DSP hardware consolidation has seen development of parallel architectures, multiprocessing support, fewer manufacturers, specialized families and improved debug potential. Very Long Instruction Word VLIW and Single Instruction Multiple Data or SIMD emerged during DSP consolidation period and introduced parallelism that enhanced DSP performance. Conversely, DSP software tools have improved in a spectacular way as code compilers have evolved to effectively deal with the underlying hardware complexity and increased DSP architecture. The enhanced code compilers enable the developer to efficiently use high level languages to program more and at improved efficiency. Today, advanced programming tools like Matlab and LabView DSP module, enable the graphical DSP programming through interconnection of pre-defined blocks that are later converted into DSP code while high performance simulators, debugging and emulator facilities provide the developer with high DSP visibility with little or no inter ference on the execution of program. Through their recent associated numerous changes, programmable DSPs have become not only a rising star but also one of the fastest growing segments within the industry of processors. New developments in DSP that will influence future chip designs Today’s automobiles are experiencing a revolution that has seen gradual elimination of systems that are purely analog electronics and mechanical. Consequently, the automobile industry is gradually turning digital and incorporating dozens of embedded processors whose connection is through multiple digital networks that are optimizing and controlling nearly all operations. Hori (1) reveals that the automobile industry will experience more advancement in future car generations while the development of complex algorithms for signal processing will contribute in advancing emission and engine control, safety, driver interfaces, and in-cabin information and entertainment or infotainment. Despite the incr easing applications of DSPs in automotives, the selection of automotive processor is influenced by factors such as automobile qualification, on-chip integration, prices, performance, and efficiency of energy use. The automotive DSPs selection is also

International Investment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International Investment Law - Essay Example Relevant facts of the dispute This case arises from the privatization program implemented by the Argentine Republic in the early 1990s, including the guarantees they offered to investors buying assets in the electricity sector and the decisions by the respondent in reducing the impact of the Argentine economic crisis in 2001-20021. Prior to the privatization, the electricity assets of the respondent were operated by three companies which were later restructured for privatization based on Decree 634/91 and Law 26,065. Based on these laws, the electricity generation and related matters belonging to the three companies were to be divided into individual units2. The Claimant in this case argued that the impact of the Reform Law destroyed the investments in Transener and declared that the company has already incurred losses due to this law. National Grid later agreed to sell its shares to Dolphin Management in order to mitigate its losses3. Claimant National Grid notified respondent in 20 02 of the investment dispute and sought for the application of Article 3 of the Treaty; they also claimed the benefit of the application of Article 7(2) of the Treaty between the US and Argentina for the protection of their investment and for international arbitration without referral to the Argentina courts. Respondent proposed the suspension of negotiations as their public service contracts were being processed. The claimant declined the proposal to suspend negotiations; the claimant however agreed to meet with authorities for negotiations4. The claimant again expressed its willingness to explore a settlement of the issue; without any response from the respondent, the claimant submitted the case for arbitration. The parties consented. The respondent agreed to the arbitration and claimed its case under the terms of the Treaty which allows the option to settle disputes which may arise with investors who may be nationals of the other State party5. The Claimant submitted to arbitratio n through its notice of arbitration. Based on Article 3.2 of the UNCITRAL Rules, the arbitration started on the date when the Notice of Arbitration was received by the respondent. Findings The tribunal decided that there was no direct or indirect expropriation as National Grid has not been deprived of title to its property and the methods of Argentina in handling the crisis were not equivalent to expropriation6. However, the tribunal ruled that the practice of fair and equitable treatment was violated by Argentina when it did the following: it changed the legal framework which was used as basis by National Grid in its investment; it did not negotiate with National Grid in the implementation of its measures and disposal of its investments; and when it requested for National Grid to abandon its legal remedies in relation to the renegotiation of its investment7. The tribunal also decided that economic difficulties which Argentina found itself in had to be considered. The tribunal then decided that the violation of the fair and equitable standard only happened from the time National Grid asked to renounce its rights, and not from the time the emergency measures were implemented by Argentina8. This made Argentina accountable for the losses of National Grid during the first six months of the crisis. Analysis of the Arbitral Award First of all, the jurisdiction of the Tribunal is based on the instruments of the parties submitting to

The legend of silverheels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The legend of silverheels - Essay Example The miners who survived the epidemic proceeded to raise 5,000 dollars for her as an expression of gratitude. Upon reaching the abandoned cabin to hand over this token of gratefulness, the survivors became convinced that Silverheels had hidden herself since the plague had thoroughly scarred her. Many years after Buckskin Joe was pummeled down, there were multiple accounts of a woman in black veil gracing the graves of these who had perished in the 1861 epidemic being seen. Thus, the nearby mountain’s name was changed to Silverheels. Even today, there are still claims of a dark veiled woman walking about the Buckskin Joe cemetery. Conclusion The story remains speaks of events that took place during Colorado’s gold rush. Specifically, the legend explains how Mount Silverheels got its name and also corroborates with other accounts that divulge on the outbreak of leprosy in Colorado, in 1861. The legend also remains sacrosanct to career development since it underscores the importance of commitment to work ethics, especially in the field of nursing. If Silverheels though not a nurse could sacrifice her safety and person for the lepers, then nurses ought to emulate her, if not outdo her. The story is of great personal interest because of its immense contribution to the most important socio-cultural value which is selfless

There is no hope of doing perfect research(griffiths,1998,p97) do yo Essay

There is no hope of doing perfect research(griffiths,1998,p97) do yo agree Discuss with detailed reference to at least two examples of qualative research in sc - Essay Example secular realm, people in the society desire for truth and justice and to attain the same there must be belief in attaining so and in there is belief there is hope. It would be wrong to say for example that Justices of the US Supreme Court to say they believe that there must be justice but they must not hope that just justice will be perfect. Given such perspective about hope, let us rephrase the question: Is there hope of doing perfect research? into â€Å" Is there positive optimism of doing a perfect research? This second statement seems to have taken a different meaning from the original.. That happened after using the word â€Å"hope† in a context where it could possibly be used. Proceeding therefore with the second, question, we could answer in the affirmative because the there is really positive optimism for perfect research. That seems to be an observable reality. If there is no hope or if there is no positive optimism for perfect research it would hard to believe the ever changing technology as a result of the hope of having a better product, hope of a better society. People have ideals which may include ideal for democracy, freedom and justice.. In the physical real, people want quality product and quality service. But one would readily object: how could there be a perfect research? One would say, â€Å"We are not in heaven, we are here on earth where the things the we have are imperfect. We commit errors, we bungle investigations, and we miscalculated the terrorist. We can even create something to prevent another hurricane from occurring. We cannot prevent people from dying despite the advances in technology. America could not contain the mind of the terrorist who planned the September 11 attacks. If there is perfect research we could have avoided all these things.† So those arguments appear too difficult to explain. But if we have to repeat the question again: â€Å"Is the there a positive optimism of doing a perfect research. then we could actually

Midterm exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Midterm exam - Essay Example were primarily formed to support the rebuilding processes of the nations and provide a world forum that can provide mediation. The central banks play critical role and national political and economic agenda main revolved around low interest rates, regulation of industries, labor unions to strengthen the business environment with the countries. Neo-liberalism, on the other hand, can broadly be defined in terms of emerging new economic paradigms in the changing socio-political scenario across the world that favors opening of domestic market for global business powers. But 1975 onwards, the world economy has increasingly become more market driven and trade across geographical regions has become more attractive to developed and developing countries. In the new-liberalism era, the economic conditions had drastically changed through de-regulation of industries, privatization and curb on union power. America came into the forefront of global political and economic front. With Ronal Reagan, as President of America in 1980, the demise of old economic order became a certainty. The role of central bank was significantly curbed and privatization became the major propellant of new economic order. The strong economy and advanced stature of United States, subsequently, made sure the success of US Dollars as Global Currency. This system greatly facilitated international trade and investment but restricted the capital movement so as to maintain certain extent of control by few dominant countries (Harvey, 2005). The advent of neo-liberalism primarily relied on economic liberalization. It promoted more capitalistic approach that favored the rich and made the poor nations as the scapegoat for getting exploited by the developed countries and multi-nationals. The monopoly of American influence in all the leading international financial institutes like World Bank and IMF, have followed the American

Assistant Accountant at Mefic Capital company Assignment

Assistant Accountant at Mefic Capital company - Assignment Example nd Corporate Governance Mechanisms in Saudi Arabia I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background In this study the capital structure and the mechanism of corporate governance in Saudi Arabia would be discussed. The motive behind choosing Saudi Arabia is that I did my internship from MEFIC Capital Saudi Arabia, so it would be an added advantage for me in investigating the financial environment of the country. Moreover, my major is in Finance, which is why I have chosen to focus and explore the capital structure and governance mechanism. Discussion on corporate governance and capital structure has always been a challenge for the academic researchers in finance and accounting. 1.2 Research Objective The objective of this research study has been developed keeping in mind the issues to be considered for the study, learning outcomes and stream of study. 1. To identify diverse capital structure in Saudi Arabia and their implications 2. To identify the relationship between diverse capital structure and cor porate governance in the firms in Saudi Arabia. 1.3 Research Question What is the relationship between the capital structure of firms in Saudi Arabia with the external and internal corporate governance? II: LITERATURE REVIEW In this research paper, the discussion would be related to the capital structure decisions of the firms in Saudi Arabia and its association to the external and internal corporate governance system, which is generally considered to be one of the primary drivers in decisions related to capital structures. Various researches prior to this suggest that the capital structure is based on corporate governance decisions. Theories suggest that the size of the firm and profitability is negatively related to the debt equity ratio of the firm. These findings are in line with the... Various researches prior to this suggest that the capital structure is based on corporate governance decisions. Theories suggest that the size of the firm and profitability is negatively related to the debt equity ratio of the firm. These findings are in line with the agency theory, transaction cost theory or pecking order theory. It was found that the there is a negative relationship between debt equity ratio and market to book ration in case of assets, which also reveals that it is conflicting with the agency theory. On the other hand, in European countries tangibility has a positive relationship with the choice of capital structure and it is consistent with the agency theory. This study aims at discussing and analysing the capital structure with regards to corporate governance in Saudi Arabia. A quantitative analysis would be done to identify the relationship between capital structure and corporate governance, so as to identify an accurate association between these two major aspec ts in financial environment of Saudi Arabia. For this purpose a multiple regression analysis would be done for this study. A sample of 5-8 firms in Saudi Arabia in the securities market would be considered to conduct the study.

War against Terrorism Essay Example for Free

War against Terrorism Essay Terrorism means spreading terror or horror through unusual activities such as bomb blasts etc. An act of terrorism spreads panic among the people so it can be said that the main purpose of terrorism is to spread panic in a particular area or throughout the country. The use of word terrorism has become very common after the act on World Trade Center on 11th September 2001. Terrorism is the most challenging issue which must be essentially controlled by law enforcing authorities or the intelligence agencies. The most destructive terrorists activities includes suicide and bomb blast, target killing and murder and so on that is done suddenly and secretly and offcorse it is the most fierce and horrible terrorism in which thousands of innocent people lost their lives. A very crowded spots which includes markets, buildings, properties and even religious buildings have been targeted by the terrorists. It is the most curse and most serious and sincere which must be strictly controlled and every one should take part in War against Terrorism to bring peace in all over the world. Terrorism is the systematic use of violent terror as a means of coercion. In the international community, terrorism has no legally binding, criminal law definition.[1][2] Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror); are perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal; and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians). Some definitions now include acts of unlawful violence and war. The use of similar tactics by criminal organizations for protection rackets or to enforce a code of silence is usually not labeled terrorism, though these same actions may be labeled terrorism when done by a politically motivated group. The word terrorism is politically and emotionally charged,[3] and this greatly compounds the difficulty of providing a precise definition. Studies have found over 100 definitions of â€Å"terrorism†.[4][5] The concept of terrorism may be controversial as it is often used by state authorities (and individuals with access to state support) to delegitimize political or other opponents,[6] and potentially legitimize the states own use of armed force  against opponents (such use of force may be described as terror by opponents of the state).[6][7] Terrorism has been practiced by a broad array of political organizations to further their objectives. It has been practiced by both right-wing and left-wing political parties, nationalistic groups, religious groups, revolutionaries, and ruling governments.[8] An abiding characteristic is the indiscriminate use of violence against noncombatants for the purpose of gaining publicity for a group, cause, or individual. The symbolism of terrorism can leverage human fear to help achieve these goals.[9]

Change Junctures in the Change Management Process

Change Junctures in the Change Management Process Critical change junctures in the change management process at Spectrum sun-Glass Company Introduction In the simulation undertaken, I am the Director of Product Innovation under the unit handling Research and Development for a company called Spectrum sun-glass Harvard (2012). I am very passionate about sustainability and would be very like the company to offer green products to its clients. At a recent company retreat, I tried sharing the discussion I had had with the Vice President of our biggest retail customer, Bigmart; in which he had intimated that Bigmart was about to require all their suppliers to, go through the Green Certification process. As I proceeded, most of my colleagues were displeased; with the Chief Finance Officer, Paul DArcy and the Vice President for Operations Luke Filer, coming out very strongly, against my proposal. I however received support from the Vice President (VP) of Sales and Marketing, Leslie Harris and Vice President (VP) for Human Resources, Mary Gopinath. As a compromise, the CEO appointed me as the head of a team from the different departments to develop a plan that is acceptable to all. As I lacked any formal authority, I had to rely on my personal credibility which was quite high at this point. 2.0 Section 1: 1st decision: Hosting a town-hall meeting in week 25 and the reasoning behind. To start with, I undertook a range of decisions to raise my personal credibility and increase awareness. For instance, in week 0-24, I had private interviews with colleagues (particularly those opposed to the initiative), I received support from a consultant, and I received the CEOs support, to mention but a few. However, the decision that most advanced my change management process, was the town hall meeting that I held in week 25. This town hall meeting alone moved the following individuals from the awareness to the trial stage: Andrew Chen, Walt James, Bob Ingram, Yao Li, Mark Robert, Anne Thompson, Louise Crysh and Dianne Mcnatt. The reasoning behind this decision was informed by Robert Ciadini as quoted in Cliffe, S (2013) who says that ; if one intends to persuade people, one needs to appeal to six human responses namely; people will follow through with commitments that they have made publicly, people will do things that they see people similar to them do, when people are uncert ain about certain things, they tend to look towards experts and other possible sources of information, people are more likely to accept proposals from someone that they like, people tend to respond positively to people who have helped them in the past and people value things whose supply is limited. The town hall meeting was therefore a perfect lever for me to use, as it enabled people to accept my proposal, if other people in the group were to accept. Secondly, it enabled colleagues to make a public commitment to my proposed change, than say, in the private interviews. In addition, the town hall meeting was a perfect opportunity for me to share my extensive knowledge on the issue of sustainability and why it is important for our company and future growth. In the face of uncertainty, my colleagues were then more likely to defer to me and agree to my proposal. Looking back, at the levers that I used, I should also have continued with personal interviews, particularly with the key opp onents of my plan. This strategy of co-opting antagonists is well elaborated in Pfeffer, J (2010), as a way of winning over opponents and giving them a stake in the process of change. Personally, this could also have involved making concessions to the CFO and the VP-Operations in private, so that they start to own a part of the plan. 3.0 Section 2: How I would implement the change action above in practice In practice, I would seek to utilize the levers provided in a concurrent fashion. Whereas, in the simulation, I could only hold a town hall meeting, for instance; I would in practice, seek to complement this with a public statement of support from the CEO. I would also look at having the consultants report delivered during the townhall meeting. In addition to these formal avenues for influencing my colleagues, I would seek out opportunities to help out colleagues. In this way, I would create an obligation on their part to reciprocate. This would therefore ensure that when they are called upon to support my proposal, they would feel conflicted, not to support it. Similarly, I would try to make every effort to get myself liked by colleagues, in very casual settings. This liking would them make it more likely, that they would support my proposal. I would focus less on the means, and focus more on the end. That is, I would be extremely flexible with the levers and concentrate more on the goal of having management agree to Spectrum-sun glass making green products. I would also seek to appreciate the arguments of my colleagues, in Finance and operations. To allay their fears about the financial and operational challenges of the new proposal, I would invite their contributions on how these can be addressed. I would be willing to accept these suggestions as it helps me attain my overall goal-albeit with certain changes. In addition to the personal interviews and town halls, I would also look-out and encourage opportunities for my colleagues to air their views and even reservations about my proposal. This would help me to understand the main issues that my opponents value and would then enable me to respond appropriately. 4.0 Section 3: 2nd decision/Juncture: Building a coalition of support in week 43 and the reasoning behind In week 43, I sought to build a coalition of supporters among the staff, as a way of trying to move the organization from the awareness to the movement stage of the change process. Not only did this decision, have no effect on the organization; it also resulted in a loss of my credibility as some staff were not enthusiastic about the idea. In making this decision, my assumption had been that there was then sufficient interest, in my proposal, among the team. In fact, this result (the failure to build a coalition of support) could be explained by the various theories about organizational culture. For example, Chatman, J, Eunyoung Cha, S (2003) posit that organizational culture is very powerful as it energizes and rallies employees around common perceived goals or objectives. The lack of interest by the employees of Spectrum sun-glass in joining a coalition of support could therefore be partially explained by the culture of the organization. This view is supported by, Goffee, R, Jone s, G (1996) who explains that organizations can be grouped on the basis of their cultures, as follows: Networked Organizations-in which there is a lot of informality, cliques and limited commitment to company goals, Mercenary Organizations,-in which decisions are made by top management and enforced swiftly throughout the organization, Fragmented organizations-in which there is limited solidarity and collaboration across departments and communal organizations, in which there is a lot of socializing at work and solidarity. Based on the above metric, I would classify Spectrum sun-glass as a Fragmented company where there is limited solidarity and collaboration across departments. Alternatively; and as explained by Prof Tim Morris in his lecture on leading through culture; company cultures can be assessed on five dimensions, namely; whether it has a single or multiple cultures, whether decision making is low or high consensus, whether there is an internal or client focus, whether the pe rformance orientation is high or low and whether there is internal cooperation or competition. Based on the above criteria; I would rate Spectrum sun-glass as having a single culture, high consensus decision making, client focus, a high performance orientation and internal competition. With the above information and in retrospect; I should not have sought to create a coalition in such an organizational culture, at the time I did. Instead, I should have concentrated on enabling change through consolidating and relying on my personal credibility, communicating my proposal and making the necessary emotional connection and training. 5.0 How I would implement the change action above in practice In practice, I would start by analyzing the existing organizational culture. I would then craft a very convincing slogan to motivate my colleagues to adopt my approach. For instance, Go Green, More Profits, and More Pay. To further promote interest in my proposal, I would create a sense of urgency, by making the slogan action oriented, Goffee, et al, (1996). As this is a fragmented and mercenary organization, I would also try to organize dialogues on my proposal in informal settings; like lunch, parties and so on. As these parties are enjoyable for those who attend, this tends to increase my likability and the social dynamic within the group. It would also be critical for me to create a place of psychological safety to ask questions about my proposal, to receive honest feedback, to discuss any reservations and errors of approach openly. In this way, I would reinforce the solidarity of the group and its ability to socialize Chatman, et al (2003). 6.0 Conclusion In the end, I was able through the use of the various levers to have eighteen adopters by week 56. This translated into a change efficiency ratio of 0.32, which is high. My change leadership skills (the mishaps, notwithstanding) ensured that I was able to convince a critical mass of managers to adopt the initiative on sustainability. This significantly improved the financial prospects of the company and my professional prospects. Bibliography Chatman, J, Eunyoung Cha, S 2003, Leading by Leveraging Culture, California Management Review, 45, 4, pp. 20-34, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017. Cliffe, S 2013, The Uses (and Abuses) of Influence, Harvard Business Review, 91, 7/8, pp. 76-81, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017. Goffee, R, Jones, G 1996, What Holds the Modern Company Together?, Harvard Business Review, 74, 6, pp. 133-148, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017 Harvard (2012) Change management simulation: Power and influence. Available at: http://forio.com/simulate/harvard/change-management/simulation/index.html#introduction (Accessed: 17 January 2017). Pfeffer, J 2010, Power Play, Harvard Business Review, 88, 7/8, pp. 84-92, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017 Tim Morris (2016) Lecture Slide on Leading through Culture, Available at: https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/access/content/group/1ed98592-bb15-4079-ad29 b1e4e73be816/Document%20Library/Lecture%20Slides/LF16%2010.1%20Organisational%20Culture.pdf (Accessed: 18 January 2017).

Assumptions, research design and data collection strategies

Assumptions, research design and data collection strategies Chapter 1 Introduction The purpose of this assignment is to offer a critical analysis of the underpinning assumptions and research design and data collection strategies and the practice of academic research. Two research papers are chosen for the purpose of this analysis. The first paper is a quantitative study and the second paper is a qualitative study. They are as follows:- Shafer, W. E., Fukukawa, K. and Lee, G. M. (2007) Values and the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility: The U.S. versus China, Journal of Business Ethics, 70 (3), pp. 265-284. Tsoi, J. (2007) Stakeholders perceptions and future scenarios to improve corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong and Mainland China, Journal of Business Ethics, pp. 1-14. The main reason for selecting these two papers is that they both report upon the area of corporate social responsibility, which is the focus of my PhD. Within the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), there has been considerable research discussing the relationship between values and perception with the attitude/behaviour of businesses towards CSR. These values are considered quantifiable and thus have been measured quantitatively using scales developed by authors such as Forsyth (1980), Singhapakdi et al.(1996), and Vitell and Patwardhan (2008). Interviews have been used to bring forward the values that are deemed important by stakeholders, and were explored qualitatively by Fukukawa and Teramoto (2009), Siltaoja (2006), and Là ¤hdesmà ¤ki and Siltaoja (2009). The two papers selected both looked at cross-cultural values and perceptions, however, they utilise different methods of investigation. This difference could provide a good basis for comparison, in terms of philosophical assumptions, research design, and the method of data collection. The analyses will begin for each paper with an introduction of the research aims, followed by the epistemological and ontological position, the research design, followed by analysis of its research methodology, the alternative research design and lastly, conclusions from this discussion will be provided. Chapter 2 Review of Quantitative Research paper 2.1 Research Objectives This study by Shafer, Fukukawa and Lee (2007) examined the values and the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility on managers from China and the U.S. The authors used scales instruments to obtain quantitative data in order to make inferences on whether the managers nationality and personal values have effect on their ethical perception. The American and Chinese managers are assumed to differ in their personal values and subsequently this should be reflected from their responses to the â€Å"Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility† (PRESOR) scale. The authors provided the relevant background information and built up the reasoning for their hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that managers from China would believe less strongly than American managers in the importance of ethically and socially responsible conduct to achieve organisational success. The second hypothesis was that both American and Chinese managers personal values are believed to have significant impact on the responses to the scale. These hypotheses seem to correlate strongly with the research objectives which are to determine that there is variation in response due to cultural differences. 2.2 Epistemological and Ontological Assumptions It is likely that the authors based their research on moral philosophy which â€Å"refers in particular to the principles of rules that people use to decide what is right or wrong† (Ferrell, Fraedrich and Ferrell, 2005:19). This paper seems to indicate that the principles of rules of managers of different cultures are likely to differ and thus ethical decision-making would vary. The authors provided examples of other empirical research to support this notion. The assumption that personal values can influence ethical decisions shows that the research is likely to infer an ontological assumption of realist, whereby reality is seen to have an existence independent of the activities of the human observer (Blaikie, 2007:13). As the research strives to compare values and perceptions, these elements are thought to be measurable and quantifiable; seemingly leaning towards the empiricism position in which the key idea is that knowledge comes from observing the world (Blaikie, 2007:19). The authors employed deductive research whereby the â€Å"hypotheses formed are tested to determine if the statements can be supported† (Sekaran, 2003:31), which is a typical research approach of empiricists. Taking possibly the stance of positivists, these values are assumed measureable, and are thus thought to form the social reality that these values affect the perception of corporate social responsibility amongst the managers from these two countries. 2.3 Research Design The intention is to establish the differences in personal values, by using large quantities of data, which would be representative of the overall population of American and Chinese managers. This suggests that there are two assumptions, that values are measureable and that it is possible to generalise the population from the sample. In order to generalise, a considerably large amount of data is required, thus a survey research instrument was employed. The PRESOR scale developed by Singhapakdi et al. (1995) was used. The reasons that the PRESOR scale was chosen over the cultural dimensions formed by Hofstede (2001) were argued; examples of the latter in other research were shown to be inconsistent and inconclusive in its directional impact, thus making theoretical predictions difficult. The use of PRESOR scale in other research was exemplified and seemed to have established the reliability of its measurement. The PRESOR scale was explained further in the introduction of the paper. Thirteen out of sixteen original items were selected and the authors justified this by stating that only these thirteen items had significant factor loadings in the Singhapakdi, Scott and Franke (1999:25) study. These items were grouped into two categories; the Stockholder and the Stakeholder views. The Stakeholder View reflects the importance of ethics and social responsibility to organisational survival and success, whilst the Stockholder view indicates that organisational success depends on more than just profitability and obligations to the stockholders (Axinn et al., 2004:104) In the methodology section, the Schwartz value instrument and a demographic questionnaire were mentioned as being used together with the PRESOR scale. There was little mention of the reasons the Schwartz scale was used and how it was applied. It was only later in the appendix that the items considered in the Schwartz scale was provided in details. A clearer explanation could have improved the clarity of the paper. The research design employed the use of two research instruments (PRESOR scale and Schwartz value instrument) as means for data collection. The sample of practising managers from the two different countries was given the same survey to complete, thus the responses could be compared on that basis. The results from the analyses were then compared against the hypotheses formed, affirming or not affirming the hypotheses. This process is typical of the deductive approach (Blaikie, 2007:70). 2.4 Data Collection The sample consisted of 311 practising managers, enrolled part time in selective MBA programmes in the U.S. and China. The participation was voluntary and the scales were completed as an in-class exercise. The authors acknowledged potential problems from this sample selection. The first is that, although the MBA programmes in these two countries appear to be comparable, the sample may have confounded the effects of national differences and MBA programme differences. Secondly, the sample was not randomly selected as the authors had asked their students to complete the scales in-class. The authors did not provide further justification for these two problems and thus this is believed to have weakened the external validity of this investigation (Bryman and Bell, 2007:204). Aside from this comment from the authors, there was very little mention of the validity of the measurement which makes it difficult to make further discussion on this. The basis of their selectivity and the criteria in which these programmes were said to be comparable, were also not provided in details. The details of its comparability may have helped clarify and strengthen the validity of the selection criteria, as well as making the paper more understandable. Considering the objectives of the research, in which the authors seem to be looking at making generalisations on the affect of personal values, there is a need to collect large quantities of data. The survey method seems to be appropriate as surveys are easy to distribute to large number of people and costs can be kept to a minimum (Bryman and Bell, 2007:195). This relates to external validity, which is â€Å"about generalisability of results beyond the focal study† (Easterby-Smith et al., 2008:87). In this paper, external validity was not discussed; however, it is likely that the results are meant to be applicable for the context of China and the U.S. only. The authors stated the limitation of which the participants can not be assumed as representative of the broader populations of managers in these two countries, due to the fact that the MBA programmes were selective in nature. The research took consideration of the possibility that the age and experience differences of their sample might affect the results, and thus these factors were examined for significance. The scale was translated to Mandarin Chinese and later back-translated with resolution of discrepancies, to take account of the language difference. These examples seem to reflect on the effort of the authors in ensuring that the results are not significantly affected by other variables. In order to test the dimensionality of the PRESOR scale, a principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalisation was applied. This is typical of a quantitative study where factor analysis is usually applied as part of the research design. In terms of research replication, this research had provided considerable amount of information which would possibly allow other researchers to perform similar research. The items from the two views (Stockholder and Stakeholder) of the PRESOR scale were provided in details. In addition, the authors also mentioned the calculation method used, such as the use of mean values and the Univariate Analysis of Covariance models (ANCOVA). The only exception would probably be the PRESOR scale itself, whereby the questions that were asked and the choice answers were not explicitly given, which might mean that future researchers might find it difficult to replicate the research and might even have to approach the authors or Singhapakdi who developed the scale. 2.5 Alternative Method The authors mentioned that more in-depth examination using qualitative design of investigation such as interviews would perhaps be more revealing. It is agreed that qualitative measure would allow insights into the importance of ethics to managers, and the various ethical issues that managers prioritise. The researchers are more likely to obtain a richer data of the decision-making process of managers, at the same time; they would be able to achieve the research objectives. The researchers can make use of semi-structured type interview which will allow better control of what questions need to be asked, and to ensure that the objectives of the interview are achieved as well (Bryman and Bell, 2007:474), if time and costs are constraints. There are also other alternatives methods to obtain qualitative data that would have fit this research, such as the use of focus groups. Focus group interviews allow researchers to observe the behaviour of the American and Chinese managers as they interact with each other. It would be possible to see the differences in reaction to ethical issues much more clearly, when these managers are given, for example, the same ethical dilemma, and they are required to rationalise the problem and come up with solutions. This method might be more useful than questionnaire surveys, particularly in that the values of the American and Chinese managers could be brought out through the way they respond and react to ethical problems, the problem-rationalisation process, and the degree of attention paid on a particular problem. Similar to the interview method, this would be considerably more costly to conduct, and it might even be more costly than doing interviews, however, the researchers would gain no t only in achieving the research objectives but they would also attain a better understanding of the effects of personal values in ethical decision-making. However, if the goal was only to establish that perception of CSR differs between diverse cultures, the research design would have fit the purpose. This is because the data collection strategy used (questionnaire survey), allowed the authors to obtain considerably response for generalisation. A questionnaire survey would also have been more cost-efficient and less time consuming, especially for cross-cultural studies. Chapter 3 Review of Qualitative Research paper 3.1 Research Objectives In this second paper, this qualitative study aims to make apparent the perceptions and views of the future scenarios from stakeholders within the garment industry in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The underlying intention was to seek consensus and common ground, on a local and regional level to help companies develop an appropriate CSR strategy, to improve the state of corporate social responsibility and in the long run, to achieve sustainability in the region. The main objective was stated as â€Å"by engaging with major stakeholders, to identify the local and regional supply chain stakeholders perceptions and expectations† (Tsoi, 2007:1). Typical of a qualitative study, generalisation is often not the objective of the study (Bryman and Bell, 2007:410). This is apparent from this study as the author had mentioned that the sample may not be sufficient for generalisation for the entire garment industry, however, it is â€Å"relevant to garment businesses involved in export-orientated activities† (Tsoi, 2007:1). Tsoi (2007) used an inductive approach to identify the perceptions of stakeholders by conducting interviews. 3.2 Epistemological and Ontological Assumptions Although the author did not indicate the philosophical assumptions behind this study, the author implied that by identifying the stakeholders perception, â€Å"the findings would help in building consensus, strengthening the implementation, and establishing future CSR framework†. This suggests that the author has an ontological position of constructionism, which asserts that social phenomena and their meanings are continually being accomplished by social actors, implying that there exists social interaction and that there is a constant state of revision of the social phenomena (Bryman and Bell, 2007:23). In this case study, the social reality of what is happening in the garment industry, in terms of its corporate social responsibility, is a social reality that was formed by the stakeholders. It suggests that the social phenomena (condition of CSR) can undergo changes, and that it is dependent on the activities of the social actors. The views of the social actors are thought to be indicative of the important issues in corporate social responsibility, within the garment industry. This form of research is consistent with the research paradigm of the interpretivist position, as the basis of the research is that the study of the phenomena requires an understanding of the social world that social actors have constructed and which they reproduced through their continuing activities (Blaikie, 2007:124). In this instance, the stakeholders are the social actors who will continually interpret and reinterpreting their social world which can be the garment industry. The social phenomenon that the author is investigating is the current state and the future of the corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The future conception of CSR in these two places is related to phenomenology, whereby, it concerns with the question of how individuals make sense of the world around them (Bryman and Bell, 2007:18). In this case, it can be viewed as the way stakeholders make sense of the state of corporate responsibility in the region. 3.3 Research Design The author relied on a qualitative method, specifically, the face-to-face semi-structured interview, which indicates the leanings of the author in â€Å"conducting a naturalistic inquiry in real-world rather than experimental or manipulated settings† (Ritchie and Lewis, 2003:4). For qualitative studies, semi-structured and unstructured interviews are commonly used as they provide rich, detailed answers and taps into the interviewees point of view (Bryman and Bell, 2007:474). As the focal source of data was the stakeholders themselves in this study, this seems to infer that the research design is based on the interpretivist view that the â€Å"social phenomena can only be understood and be investigated from the inside† (Blaikie, 2007:125). The author identified major stakeholders possibly with stakeholder theory, stating the assumption â€Å"that multinationals see stakeholder consultation and management as an important communication tool in identifying and interpreting the needs of salient stakeholders† and as such would enable â€Å"the development of a common language for CSR and subsequently the development of proactive CSR strategies†. This correlates with the stakeholder approach of Wheeler et al. (2003:19) who stated that â€Å"value creation at the highest level requires an ability to build value-based networks where all stakeholders see merit in their association with and support for a business†. In this instance, it is likely that the stakeholders were deemed to be important in the future direction of CSR in the region, and this was the reason that stakeholders were chosen as source of data. The author mentioned that these interviews conducted in 2004 and 2005 may no longer be relevant, since there were major developments in 2008. This might have made the interviews slightly outdated however; there should not be many changes to the overall aims of the stakeholders and thus the outcomes of this research would remain valid. However, as an alternative, the author could have applied longitudinal design which â€Å"represents a distinct form of research design than is typically used to map change in business and management research† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:60). The longitudinal design would not only serve the purpose of this study, but it would also allow insights into the factors that cause change to the perception. With this sample, it is possible to use cohort study, whereby â€Å"the cohort is made up of people who share a certain characteristics† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:61), since the stakeholders have a stake in the garment industry. However, longitudinal re search may require a lot more preparation, could be time-consuming and thus it could be more costly. 3.4 Data Collection With regards to the methodology, the interview questions that were used for this research was not provided. As this was a semi-structured interview, it would have been useful if the author had provided general information on how the questions were formed, and the structure of the interview questions as this would provide an indication of the depth of the interviews, and hence the validity of the research design. For the sample, 25 representatives from academia, the business organisations, the non-government organisations, trade association, and government officials were identified. The response rate was 84%, in which 21 out of a total of 25 representatives of these organisations agreed to be interviewed. It was mentioned that the reason for such a high response rate, was that the author had contacted the interviewees on a one-to-one basis. Furthermore, the interviewees were also guaranteed anonymity. The sample, thus, appears to be extensive and is representative of the various stakeholders that are vital in the garment industry. 3.5 Alternative Method The intention was that the â€Å"findings would help in building consensus, strengthening the implementation and establishing the future CSR framework† (Tsoi, 2007:1). The author might have meant that having collected all the different views from these stakeholders, the author would be able to determine the consensus of how CSR should be developed and how CSR should be like in the future. However, it is doubtful that a consensus could have been obtained using this method of analysis. The interviewees, although were representative of the garment industry, each one a vital stakeholder, there was no real interaction between these stakeholders, and thus, the consensus that is meant is only based on the researchers understanding from the interviewees responses. Stakeholders are thought to be able to reach a better compromise through discourse, with different sides arguing for the validity of their point as well as ensuring that the interests of the group or association that they re present are taken account of (Bryman and Bell, 2007:511). While it is understandable, that there is a strong possibility that it could be costly to get all the interviewees to sit together through a discourse, nevertheless there are alternatives which might be more useful for the purpose of this investigation, given that the objective is to reach a consensus amongst the stakeholders. With this reasoning, the research design could improve by firstly conveying the findings of the interviews to all of the stakeholders interviewed, and follow up with another interview to see if there were changes to their views. Alternatively, the author could use the method of focus group interviews. With this method, Merton et al. (1956) (in Bryman and Bell, 2007:511) stated that the â€Å"accent is upon interaction within the group and the joint construction of meaning†. Focus group interviews could provide a platform for the interviewees to interact and to establish a joint construction of what it means to strengthen CSR and also determine what future scenarios should and could be like. With regards to selecting a suitable size for the focus group, it is recommended by Bryman and Bell (2007:517) that the typical group size should be six to ten members, whilst Sekaran (2003:220) recommends a size of eight to twelve members. The reason that the focus group interview method was recommended was that the interviewees would be encouraged to express their opinions argumentatively, which would then allow the researcher to gauge the degree of importance of certain issues and how much flexibility the interv iewees might have to reach a compromise with others. There are of course possible pitfalls using the focus group method, in that some interviewees might be dominant over others, and thus the opinions of those less dominant might not be heard, but these effects can be reduced to a minimum level by having a good moderator (in Bryman and Bell, 2007:511). The one-to-one interview method could still be more advantageous compared with the focus group interview, as the time and monetary costs of conducting a one-to-one interview would probably be considerably less and thus be more manageable especially if there was only one researcher, as was with this case study. In this case study, it seemed that a quantitative design would actually be difficult to apply, and it would also be inappropriate for an investigation on the perception of CSR as a business concern. Taking the example of using a questionnaire survey with closed-ended questions, it is very likely that the respondents would answer that they are very concerned about CSR, as that might be perceived as the correct response, thus creating social desirability bias to the results. Furthermore, with a questionnaire survey, the researcher would not be able to pin-point all the various future scenarios for CSR in Hong Kong and Mainland China, even if it was possible, the list of future scenarios might be too long to be practically manageable. Another issue would be that in making assumptions of the future scenarios that are deemed significant to the stakeholders, it would be problematic as the researcher might risk missing out relevant information. Therefore, it would be difficult, from these r easons, that a quantitative design would not be suitable for such a case study. Chapter 4 Conclusions In summary, the two papers reflect significant differences in their research approach. This was seen through the objectives of the research, the underlying assumptions of the research philosophy and the conceptualisation of research design and the data collection. There is certainly much to learn from these two research papers, both had given valuable information on the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as offer guidance on the selection of research method and how to go about utilising these methods. The research designs, as shown in these papers, are dependent of the research objectives and the designs are also influenced by the epistemological and ontological assumptions made. Even though the philosophical positions of the researchers were not made explicit, however, the likely positions can be assumed. These papers have also shown that the advantages and the disadvantages of the different methods of investigation, and they need to be considered to e nsure that the best method is chosen for the purpose of the research. In these two papers, the method of investigation is distinct, one was a qualitative study and the other was a quantitative study, however, this does not necessarily mean that a mixed method of investigation can not be used. In fact, (Bryman and Bell, 2007:646) suggested that triangulation can be applied, in which â€Å"the results of an investigation employing a method associated with one research strategy are cross-checked against the results of using a method associated with the other research strategy†.

Teaching Status Report :: Dunn Middle School Education Teaching Essays

Teaching Status Report I cannot believe my time at Dunn Middle School is coming to an end. It finally hit me over Thanksgiving break that in less than two weeks I will not be making the daily drive through Trenton to see my sixth graders. What is more shocking is how upset I am about it. I honestly did not think I would grow so attached to certain students but when I think that I will get to see their faces on a daily basis I get really depressed. I think part of being a teacher is being able to keep a certain distance from the students so attachment does not occur, I clearly failed to do that my first time around. Other than dealing with the feeling of impending loss, JPE is still going really well. Since my last report I have finished my unit plan and I have been observed. I am still teaching mathematics but I base most of my lessons from the textbook and sometimes my cooperating teacher will teach a lesson if he feels it is a difficult concept to comprehend. During the science section of the block p eriod, I serve as a one-on-one tutor and disciplinarian so Mr. Williamson can continue with the science lesson without getting sidetracked. My cooperating teacher and I have a perfect relationship. He never steps on my toes but he never lets me feel alone with the students. I could not have asked for a better cooperating teacher, I am going to miss Mr. Williamson as well. In addition, my authoritative side is slowly improving. I think everyday I gain more control of the class. I think this control was exemplified when we had a substitute teacher for the second time. The first time the class had a substitute teacher they were out of control, they simply refused to listen to me. However, the second time there was a substitute I took control from the beginning of class and kept the students busy and focused the whole class period. My cooperating teacher was impressed that the students were so well behaved for a substitute teacher. I think the difference between these two events was my continued authority over the class throughout the entire period and the amount of work I assigned.

Pinpointing Tourettes Syndrome Essay -- Biology Essays Research Paper

Pinpointing Tourette's Syndrome Though Tourette's syndrome was first studied in the 1800's, it is an illness that has yet to be fully explained by any discipline. Presenting with muscular tics, some of which result in verbal utterances, Tourette's is a condition that is easily characterized. Yet its causes are not so easy to pin down. Though psychiatry and biology have been able to recognize roots other than the demonic possession once thought to cause Tourette's, there are few definitive, precise explanations of its etiology. As far as neurological diseases go, Tourette's is relatively common: between 2.9 and 4.5 children out of every 100,000 children have it, and that figure may be higher due to mild cases which go undiagnosed (1). The condition is much more prevalent in males than females, and Tourette's is most common present in young people - the condition often disappears in post-pubertal years. The onset of vocal tics most always succeeds motor tics, though most individuals with Tourette's eventually present both. Tics can sustained (and are then called tonic or dystonic), which can result in abnormal posture or gait for Tourette's patients. Behaviors associated with Tourette's include copropraxia, echopraxia (both motor behaviors), coprolalia, palilalia, and echolalia (all verbal) (2). The neurological causes of Tourette's are not fully understood. About half of patients have "non-localizing, so-called 'soft,' neurological findings suggesting disturbances in the body scheme and integration of motor control". When EEG's are performed on people with Tourette's, the results are often vagule abnormal, yet provide little concrete information to practitioners; the same is true of CAT scans. Additionally, these abnor... ...ic/tour.html 2. Macalaster College Behavioral Neuroscience Tourette's Syndrome Page http://www.macalester.edu/~psych/whathap/UBNRP/tourettes/ 3. Internet Mental Health http://www.mentalhealth.com/bookp40-gtor.html 4. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - "What Cuases TS?" http://www.ninds.nih.gov/healinfo/disorder/tourette/tourette.htm 5. Department of Neurobiology, Baylor College of Medicine - Movement Disorders Research: Tetrabenazine Study http://www.bcm.edu/neurol/research/moved/moved3.html 6. HUM-MOLGEN [Human Molecular Genetics] European Server http://www.informatik.uni-rostock.de/HUM-MOLGEN/documents/abstracts.0049.html 7. "Tourette's Syndrome: A Model Neuropsychiatric Disorder" - Grand Rounds at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health, http://neuro-www2.mgh.harvard.edu/TSA/medsci/model.html Pinpointing Tourette's Syndrome Essay -- Biology Essays Research Paper Pinpointing Tourette's Syndrome Though Tourette's syndrome was first studied in the 1800's, it is an illness that has yet to be fully explained by any discipline. Presenting with muscular tics, some of which result in verbal utterances, Tourette's is a condition that is easily characterized. Yet its causes are not so easy to pin down. Though psychiatry and biology have been able to recognize roots other than the demonic possession once thought to cause Tourette's, there are few definitive, precise explanations of its etiology. As far as neurological diseases go, Tourette's is relatively common: between 2.9 and 4.5 children out of every 100,000 children have it, and that figure may be higher due to mild cases which go undiagnosed (1). The condition is much more prevalent in males than females, and Tourette's is most common present in young people - the condition often disappears in post-pubertal years. The onset of vocal tics most always succeeds motor tics, though most individuals with Tourette's eventually present both. Tics can sustained (and are then called tonic or dystonic), which can result in abnormal posture or gait for Tourette's patients. Behaviors associated with Tourette's include copropraxia, echopraxia (both motor behaviors), coprolalia, palilalia, and echolalia (all verbal) (2). The neurological causes of Tourette's are not fully understood. About half of patients have "non-localizing, so-called 'soft,' neurological findings suggesting disturbances in the body scheme and integration of motor control". When EEG's are performed on people with Tourette's, the results are often vagule abnormal, yet provide little concrete information to practitioners; the same is true of CAT scans. Additionally, these abnor... ...ic/tour.html 2. Macalaster College Behavioral Neuroscience Tourette's Syndrome Page http://www.macalester.edu/~psych/whathap/UBNRP/tourettes/ 3. Internet Mental Health http://www.mentalhealth.com/bookp40-gtor.html 4. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - "What Cuases TS?" http://www.ninds.nih.gov/healinfo/disorder/tourette/tourette.htm 5. Department of Neurobiology, Baylor College of Medicine - Movement Disorders Research: Tetrabenazine Study http://www.bcm.edu/neurol/research/moved/moved3.html 6. HUM-MOLGEN [Human Molecular Genetics] European Server http://www.informatik.uni-rostock.de/HUM-MOLGEN/documents/abstracts.0049.html 7. "Tourette's Syndrome: A Model Neuropsychiatric Disorder" - Grand Rounds at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health, http://neuro-www2.mgh.harvard.edu/TSA/medsci/model.html

Friends or Lovers :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Chase, I'm not quite sure where to begin; I know this past week has been a mess, both our faults, I'm not just directing it towards you. I have had ten million things running through my mind the past few days, and I am going to try and get a few of them out right now. For one, I do cherish your friendship, like I said in one of my messages, you and I have shared things and conversations about our lives, our families that I would never with anyone else. The main reason for that is because I trust you, and you listen to me, as I do to you. I can say that I have had some of the most wonderful times with you that I have ever had in my entire life. I had told you before that when you talk I hold onto every word that comes out of your mouth and it's like they are engraved in the back of my mind forever. I don't know why you have that affect on me; maybe it's the fact that we have become such good friends. To be quite honest with you, I don't trust people very easily as you very well know, and I could probably say the same for you. I think that is why I did let that wall down and let you into my life and my heart, because I felt safe. Let me ask you, why do I feel like building it back up? Let me explain what I want in my life. I want someone to share my laughter and my fears, someone to listen and be there when I feel like the world is crashing down on me. I want to give that same courtesy back to them in return. I don't want someone standing at my door waiting for me to get home, or around constantly, because that drives me absolutely crazy. I do think that since you and I have spent so much time together that I have become a little dependant on you, and wanting to talk to you. That doesn't necessarily mean seeing you every day, or a three-hour phone call, but just the reassurance to know that you are in fact still there. Is that too much for you? It sometimes feels like you only call when you know I am upset because you haven't called. You hardly ever call just because you want to.

The Business Activities Study

This case study is related to the business activities of a hedge fund which performs a macro investment strategy. Its investment manager Troy Dexter seeks for profits which arise from shifts in the real economy. As he considers an end of the Australian housing market boom as likely, he anticipates that Australia's overall economic growth will slow down, whereas the prices for energy will go up. In reaction to those expectations he decides to purchase treasury bonds and stocks of energy companies Against this background Case Study 1 is aimed at classifying Troy Dexter's two investment decisions as either direct or indirect investments. Such a classification provides different results depending on the party from whose perspective it is assessed. Thus, it is the purpose of the following section of this work to distinguish between the terms direct and indirect investment based on the corresponding point of view using practical illustrations whenever possible. This is to be done after clarifying key terms associated therewith first. Term definition A hedge fund is an alternative investment vehicle which excessively uses financial instruments such as derivatives and leverage and in which an aggressive management strategy is usually applied (Fung & Hsieh, 2004). As Capocci and Hà ¼bner (2004) state, a hedge fund's major purpose is to generate active return (called alpha) for its typically wealthy investor base. As hedge funds are less exposed to capital market regulation than other fund types, they are able to generate – on average – higher returns, but associated with higher levels of risk as well (Lederman, 2012). Troy's decision to purchase energy stocks is related to his expectation of rising oil prices. Given his expectation turns out to be correct, the share price of oil producing companies will increase. The term â€Å"energy stock market†, however, comprises not only oil producing companies, but all other kinds of energy producing firms, as well as energy infrastructure and energy service providers, too (Henriques & Sadorsky, 2008). As Henriques and Sadorsky (2008) note, a rise in the oil price will not only increase the share price of oil and gas producers, but also the market value of those firms which offer substitutes (e.g. solar and wind energy) will increase. This holds as their products become more competitive in such an environment and their turnover is likely to increase. Stockholders who have purchased such stocks directly for their own stock portfolio before a rise in the oil price has taken place, will profit. Their profits, on the one hand, consist of the 4 chance to sell those shares at a higher price at the stock market and, on the other hand, of (increased) dividend payments (Bodie, 2013). Treasury bonds purchased in the debt market are usually characterized by less risk than any kind of stock market investment (Sharpe et al., 1999). Given Troy's expectation about the future economic environment of Australia, his decision to purchase such long-term fixed interest debt instruments is reasonable. This holds as they are issued by the Australian government which is very unlikely to default (Chaudhuri ; Smiles, 2004). On the contrary, as the Australian government has several tools at hand which allows it to make interest payments as promised (e.g. increase taxes), a treasury bond is considered as one of the safest investment forms available in the market (Hull et al., 2005). Investors who have decided to hold treasury bonds in their stock portfolio (direct security investment) can expect a fixed interest on their investment. The historic development of the Australian 10-year treasury bond is illustrated below.   Source: Reserve Bank of Australia, 2017. From this graph it can be derived that the long term trend of Australian treasury bonds is downward sloping. Starting from a level of more than 10.0% in 1995, the interest rate went down to about 3.0% in 2013. Interest rates in the short run are stagnating on a relatively low level of about 3.0%. Based on the fact that Troy Dexter has founded the hedge fund in 2009, it can be stated that his decision was right in the short run: Interest rates, indeed, went up from 4.0% to 6.0% between January 2009 and January 2010. However, it has to be noted that in the subsequent years his expectation turned out to be incorrect: Starting from January 2011, interest rates on the Australian 10-year treasury bond went down to about 3.0% in January 2013. This implies for Troy Dexter as the fund manager that his hedge fund may have generated losses from 2011 onwards as the interest rate of Australian treasury bonds have lacked his expectations. The figure adds value to the topic of this work as it illustrates that the fund manager's decision to invest in treasury bonds could not have been a smart decision in the long run: Fund investors are indirectly suffering from this decision as they have decided to provide Troy Dexter with parts of their funds which are now invested in a non-optimal security. 1. Direct vs. indirect securities – Northwest Capital Management perspective In order to classify Northwest Capital Management's investments in treasury bonds and energy stocks from the firm's perspective, one has to understand the business concept of capital management firms first. Firms such as Troy Dexter's hedge fund business aim at professionally managing private investor's funds. They do so by investing customers' money in a broad range of asset classes, restricted by particular investment goals (Fung ; Hsieh, 2001). However, as Brav et al. (2010) notice, the service such firms provide is not just related to the optimum asset allocation, but financial statement analysis as well as the monitoring of existing investments plays an important role, too. Hedge funds – in contrast to more conservative capital management firms – invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in risky asset classes such as the stock market of even emerging market economies (Jansen et al., 1998). The portfolio composition of an exemplary hedge fund is illustrated in the graph below. Source: Blair, 2001. The figure above already reveals that it is the hedge fund manager Troy Dexter who is responsible for the investment decisions of his fund and who chooses between the above asset classes (asset allocation). It is important to understand that the private investor is not involved in the daily investment process of the hedge fund, but hands over any responsibility for the invested amount of money to Troy Dexter. 0.50% 0.50% 31% 19% 15% 14% 7% 6% 3% 2% 2% Strategy composition of a hedge fund Short selling Other Equity long/short Macro Relative value arbitrage Event driven Fixed income Convertible arbitrage Distressed securities/high yield Equity markets neutral Emerging markets 6 Derived from this line of reasoning it can be stated that Troy Dexter's intended purchase of treasury bonds and energy stocks can be considered as a direct securities investment from the firm's point of view. This holds, because there is no third party involved in Troy's securities acquisition process (Bodie, 2013). In contrast, it is likely to be assumed that Troy himself owns a trading platform which he can use to exercise any stock market transactions personally and immediately. Even if Troy does not own such a trading platform, the consultation of a stock broker can still be considered as a direct securities investment from Northwest Capital Management's point of view. This holds because a stock broker can simply be considered as an entity which executes buy and sell orders on behalf of someone else for a particular fee or commission (Pollock et al., 2004). As Pollock et al. (2014) note, brokers are not allowed to alter the order, but execute the transaction only. 2. Direct vs. indirect securities – Investor perspective Taking the viewpoint of an investor in Troy Dexter's hedge fund, Troy's investment decisions can clearly be considered as indirect investments. As stated above, the fund manager decides about the allocation across available asset classes. The investor knows about the financial risks tied to Troy's investment decisions from the prospectus and may have expectations about a desired return, but cannot alter Troy's daily sell and buy orders. However, this would be a vitally important characteristic of a direct securities investment. As soon as customers have decided to invest in the fund, they have to sign a declaration of consent in which they transfer the responsibility for managing their funds to the portfolio management team (in our case to Troy Dexter) (Philpot ; Jonson, 2007). Not the investors themselves engage a broker who carries out financial market transactions, but Troy Dexter does that on behalf of them using his financial market knowledge. In this context it is important to note that – although restrictions are less strict in a hedge fund – fund managers have to stick to the proposed fund objective and are not allowed to invest in anything which is not related to the praised goal of the fund, although it may be a lucrative investment (Philpot ; Jonson, 2007). This assignment of any kind of right to alter the investment decision related to maximizing investors' own monetary wealth underpins the indirect nature of a fund investment from an investor's point of view. The incentives for customers of Northwest Capital Management to provide Troy Dexter with the rights to manage their savings on behalf of them (indirect investment) is related to Troy Dexter's expertise about financial markets (Capon et al., 1996). Additionally, as Capon et al. (1996) state, the pooling of large amounts of money in the hedge fund provides customers with a lot more market power than they would have when investing on their own. This shows that although private investors cannot actively decide about each investment decision on their own, the indirect securities investment through Troy Dexter's Northwest Capital Management is utterly worthwhile for its investor base. It can be summarized that investing in a hedge fund implies no direct securities investment from the private investors' perspective. This is compounded by the fact that private investors of a hedge fund do not own any securities themselves (Droms & Walker, 1996). Instead, those securities are entirely controlled by the fund managers who either own a trading platform themselves or contact brokers to carry out deals which are likely to benefit the fund's investor base. Shareholders are not able to access the fund's existing investments on a daily basis, but have to rely on the fund managers' expertise (Droms ; Walker, 1996). This trust, however, may be the basis for higher returns compared to investing individually on any kind of capital market. 7 Furthermore, the indirect securities investment from the investor's point of view implies that each single investor gains or loses proportionally to his or her investment in Troy Dexter's hedge fund. This fact stands in sharp contrast to a direct securities investment in which an investor is on his own and has a claim on any gains and losses related to this investment (Bodie, 2013). Instead of having the chance to convert profits right away in a direct securities investment, an indirect investment via a fund prohibits an investor from this right and makes him dependent on the decisions of the fund manager. Recommendations: A common way of how to classify securities is to divide them into either direct or indirect securities. In this context it is of particular importance to distinguish between either an investment manager's or a private investor's perspective (Davis, 2004). Conclusion: The statements above have shown that the classification of any kind of investment as being either direct or indirect depends on the party from whose perspective such a classification is made. 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