Auditing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Auditing - Case Study Example Due to reluctance of tone of Societe Generale, the company had to face a loss of almost $7.2 billion in 2008. It is in this context that Societe Generale provided higher concentration on the front office activities and there was less consideration towards back office performances. As a consequence, there was imbalance between the control of front office and back office functions (Beasley, M. S. & Et. Al., â€Å"How a Low Risk Trading Caused a $7.2 billion Loss†). Due to this reason, Societe Generale was incompetent to develop acute inspections essential for controlling the roles and responsibilities of employees. From the case study, it can be observed that like other organizations, Societe Generale had also become quite determined about drumming up its market worth. Thus, it did not provide much attention towards the traders and its responsibilities for managing the risks, while it rendered high significance for financial organizations in order to maintain profitability (Wart zman, â€Å"Executives Are Wrong to Devalue Values†). According to Canadian Auditing Standard (CAS), ‘Tone at the Top’ outlines the principles of a business unit and administration’s obligation to aptitude and beliefs (Hartley, â€Å"Tips for Cost-Effective CAS Application†). Tone at the top is necessary for better financial control in any organization. By judging the tone at the top of Societe Generale it can be characterized that it had certain lacunas of internal control which can be categorized as the reason for huge loss faced by the company. For any organization, the top level administration must be clear regarding the rules of business because different organizations have different risk desires. In Societe Generale the management was unable to apply the rules of business throughout the internal working culture. There is need for better internal management which can scrutinize the activities of all employees so that any kind of illegal activit ies can be detected and prevented accordingly (Beasley, M. S. & Et. Al., â€Å"How a Low Risk Trading Caused a $7.2 billion Loss†). Question 3 CAS describes that maltreatments in the financial statements ascend from either fraudulent activities or accidental mistakes (OAS, â€Å"Canadian Auditing Standards†). Fraudulent activity comprises three aspects which are pressures or incentives, opportunity and rationalization. Pressure or incentive is the aspect which influences or tends to give reasons to an individual to conduct fraud. With respect to Jerome Kerviel (one of the traders of Societe Generale), as a trader, the earning of Kerviel was quite low in comparison with other top level traders. He even did not consider himself as a trader due to his low earnings. Thus, his incentive for conducting fraudulent activity was to enhance his reputation within the company and thus increase the bonus amount (Beasley, M. S. & Et. Al., â€Å"How a Low Risk Trading Caused a $7.2 billion Loss†). Hence, he was constrained for gaining more money by undertaking monetary risks. Rationalization is the other aspect in majority of fraud cases. It involves reconciling the behavior of the individual alleged for committing fraudulent activities. After disclosure of the fraudulent activity of Kerviel, his rationalization was to make sure that his superiors were aware regarding his activities. Kerviel had articulated that his superiors

Art, Self & Knowledge - Aesthetics Book Review and Thought Essay

Art, Self & Knowledge - Aesthetics Book Review and Thought - Essay Example Being able to make sense of these basic ideologies in art, one is then able to understand the role of art in changing how one experiences the world. Artwork incorporates the above stated elements, without the basic interaction and incorporation of them; the experience of art would be different and non-sensible. This essay endeavors to breakdown the elements of artwork experience to understand and make sense of artwork from the general perspective. The first issue that is incorporated is understanding the basic idea of what exemplarization is and the premises it is rooted. Exemplarization is the use of exemplar representation to stand in for a class of objects. The basic ideology is exemplarizarion is that when one engages in artwork, there is usually some information that he requires reception, this, by whoever the artwork is directed (Keith 2). To achieve this, the artist has to incorporate the use of exemplar elements of a group of object to enable the person who beholds the work to understand that the exemplar used stands for the intended group of objects. Isenberg’s theory contrasts the ideology of using examples to gauge the perception of the people who behold the art to the other ideology. His ideology known as exemplification entails taking a course of critical discourse in o rder to understand the art form in display. As one beholds the art of any form, from his own perception he creates an understanding of what information the artist is trying to relay. In the process of perception, content is created. This is to mean that the content of art as was originally intended by the artist might slightly or majorly change, according to how one perceives it. This ideology could be relayed proper form of understanding when looking at such a popular painting as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci. The Mona Lisa portrait was associated with

Dominos Pizza: A Crisis Management Case

Dominos Pizza: A Crisis Management Case Josefina Vasquez According to (PRSA, 2009), in 2009, the company Dominos pizza experienced a tremendous PR crisis because of a couple of their employees. In fact, in a restaurants kitchen, in a slow working day, the two of them, with the employee uniforms, contaminated some food ingredients and then placed them onto sandwiches and pizza; they recorded a video and later posted it on YouTube. This video reached more than one million views in just three days because it became viral. The company realized that social media has the power to turn small incidents into huge marketing crises. This is a real case very interesting to analyze from the point of view of public relations and ethics. Because something simple could be the cause of the failure or success of significant companies, and what would construct the difference are the decisions taken in crises. In this review, we will be looking at this case from the point of view of the public relations professional and the ethical bases and how this addresses companies direction. Dominos Pizza: A Crisis Management Case According to (PRSA, 2009), the vice president, the communication team and the rest of Dominos corporate members sooner became aware of this situation. The first reaction was anger, but they channeled into action. The company proceeded to intercept the store, the authors of the video, took away the videos, and the company pressed charges against them. One of the first actions was to find out if the contaminated food was finally delivered to a client, fortunately, it was not. Domino has had the plan to introduce the company to Facebook, Twitter and some other social media sites by 2009 just before the crisis, but they did it during the crisis in order to communicate with the active core audience. The CEO decided to the response by YouTube instead of distributing a press release because even at a million views, they thought there were 307 million people in America, so they focused on that audience. They received criticism from the media during the first twenty-four hours, because people thought that they were not doing anything about it. The company understood that the most important thing was to keep the companys credibility with customers. Dominos pizza learned that is so important to keep in touch with media web community all times. (Randallreilly.com, 2015) stated that the company listened to their audience and later they admitted that their product was awful, so that, they started a campaign called Pizza Turnaround, in order to acknowledge the problems they were facing and reinvent their pizza, this along with an extensive media coverage, documentaries, promotions, advertising, etc. Problem Statement. The companys PR team faced an important challenge. The company had a disadvantageous place due to the lack of presence on social networks. Dominos faced the dilemma of obviating persons opinion by denying, and only focus on defending their brand or putting on the customers side and reinforcing their product. This crisis could have undermined this large multinational company, so they had to deal with some ethical principles such as fairness, honesty, expertise and loyalty. Personal Critique of the Case. In this context, is important to point out the conflict management life cycle concept from (Wilcox, Cameron and Reber, n.d.) which has a proactive, strategic, reactive and recovery phases, and the way the companys PR professional applied it during this situation. The proactive phase involves crisis-planning, issues tracking by creating strategy plans in ways that address the emerging issue. The strategic phase allows organizations to place itself favorably in anticipation of actions. The reactive phase occurs when the issue or conflict reaches a critical level of impact; it involves the implementation of crisis management plan, crisis communication and conflict resolution. The recovery phase involves reputation management and image restoration. PR professionals at Dominos pizza implemented both the reactive and recovery phases as well, once the issue became critical. They initiated a crisis management plan by establishing communication channels with the target audience through social media. They also implemented reputation management and image restoration when they decided to reinvent their pizza with a campaign called Pizza Turnaround by using an extensive media coverage, documentaries, promotions, advertising, etc. Once the crisis was overcome, they started implementing the proactive and strategic phases of establishing constant communication with customers through social media channels, with a strategy to pay special attention to customer feedback. References Wilcox, D., Cameron, G. and Reber, B. (n.d.). Public relations. PRSA. (2009). Dominos Delivers During Crisis: The Companys Step-by-Step Response After a Vulgar Video Goes Viral. [online] Available at: http://apps.prsa.org/Intelligence/TheStrategist/Articles/view/8226/102/Domino_s_Delivers_During_Crisis_The_Company_s_Step#.WNMO7PkrLIV [Accessed 23 Mar. 2017]. Randallreilly.com. (2015). Dominos Pizza: A Case Study in Customer Feedback | Randall-Reilly. [online] Available at: http://www.randallreilly.com/dominos-pizza-a-case-study-in-customer-feedback/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2017]. Tesco and Sainsburys: A Comparison of Strategies Tesco and Sainsburys: A Comparison of Strategies 1. Introduction Business strategies are largely unique to individual business organisations and depend upon the objectives of their primary stakeholders, namely the shareholders and the senior management. While these two entities are the main decision makers for the road maps followed by firms, which they exercise through formulation and articulation of objectives, mission statements, and strategies, many other issues like product or service features, strengths and weaknesses of business organisations, economic, legal and political environments, nature and intensity of competition, opportunities and threats, environmental and ecological needs, as well as technological advances, often play major roles in determining and implementing business strategy. Work in these areas, by management experts, have led to the development and construction of models and theories that attempt to elaborate, explain and demystify these issues. The tackling of these challenges previously depended upon the thought processe s and ingenuity of business owners, and played vital roles in the successes or failures of business organisations. The work of Igor Ansoff and Michael Porter led to the enunciation of well known strategic models for growth and the Five Forces theory for analysis of competitiveness. These tools, as well as decision making aids like SWOT and PESTLE analyses have become commonplace in today’s business scenario, and are widely used by managers all over the world. While most growth strategies deal with marketing, other areas like production, human resource, information technology and finance also need goal setting, and are important to overall strategy for optimisation of organisational wealth. Total Quality Management, for example has emerged in recent years as a necessary item in every strategic manager’s toolbox for achievement of organisational objectives. Apart from these tools, business strategies for growth and shareholder wealth appreciation are also influenced by t he ethics and value systems of individual corporations; while many firms chose to forsake both growth and profitability for ethics, the reverse, as evinced by scams like Enron and WorldCom is equally true. Every so often, companies in the same industry, and operating in the same national or global environment, adopt sharply different strategies with spectacularly divergent results. Search engines like Yahoo and Alta Vista existed for years before Google arrived on the scene and swept everything before it. Toyota, a Japanese car manufacturer, formed much after the end of the Second World War, entered the car market of the United States in the face of widespread scepticism, and over a few decades, orchestrated a business strategy that saw it overtake Ford, the iconic American car making giant. Among British companies, the last two decades saw the rise and rise of the retailing company, Tesco. The company changed its down market â€Å"pile them high, sell them cheap† public perception to emerge as the largest retailer in the country, first overtaking the much older market leader Sainsbury’s and then proceeding to widen the gap until its’ market share was twice that of its erstwhile condescending rival. This assignment aims to examine and analyse the different strategies adopted by these companies, which have similar products and services, and also operate in the same environment. 2. Commentary and Analysis Business organisations constantly face challenges in every sphere of activity, be they in marketing, sales, production, workforce, human resource management, information technology development, or in raising and controlling finances. Many of these challenges arise from the social, political and economical environments in which organisations operate. While businesses in the UK operate in democratic and market friendly environments with institutionalised legal and financial systems, they need to conform to the stipulations laid down by numerous regulatory bodies (of the UK and the EU) and governmental organisations, and that too in almost all operating areas. Furthermore, firms with global operations have to frequently function in conformity with different environmental requirements, necessitated by dissimilar political and legal systems, or by widely divergent local, infrastructural or market conditions. Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s both entered the UK retail market, as small convenience stores, not much different from the many such establishments that exist all over the UK. Both organisations outgrew and outperformed other businesses in their genre to become colossal retailing chains with countrywide presences. Sainsbury’s, a much older firm than Tesco’s was the market leader in the UK retailing sector, until 1995, when it was overtaken by Tesco’s. a. Sainsbury’s J Sainsbury, plc, is one of Britain’s most famous firms, represented across the country, through its chain of supermarket stores that operate under the Sainsbury’s brand. Apart from supermarkets, the company operates convenience stores, an internet-based home delivery shopping service, and Sainsbury’s Bank. The company, originally started as a partnership in 1869, and while incorporated as a private company as far back as 1922, listed on the London Stock Exchange only in 1973, in what was until then the LSE’s largest stock issue. Sainsbury’s grew to become the UK’s largest supermarket company and retained its privileged position for much of the twentieth century. Tesco’s overtook Sainsbury’s in 1995, and ASDA/ Wal-Mart relegated it to third position in 2003. (J Sainsbury, 2007) While the business, in the beginning, grew organically into a chain of convenience stores, its first major strategic decision came, in 1950, with the opening of the first self service store, in Croyden, London. This initiative was followed by increasing the number of self service stores, expanding the range of non food goods, opening of hyper markets, acquisition of smaller chains, and commencement of operations in Scotland and North Ireland. The company grew to become the country’s largest supermarket chain, fuelled by increasing economic affluence, changing buying habits, customer convenience, and the ability of Sainsbury’s to provide a large and diverse range of products under one roof. Large Sainsbury’s stores typically stock 50,000 products, of which 50% are home brands. While the company grew slowly in its initial years, real growth came only in the post war years, with the development of a strong market economy, economic prosperity, increased spending powe r, and customer desire for a large range of better quality goods. Sainsbury’s responded to this changed economic environment, by concentrating on the increasing and upwardly mobile middle class. The company refrained from taking too many risks or initiatives, possibly feeling that its reputation would enable it to grow steadily and retain market leadership. The strategy of least resistance was interspersed by a few initiatives like the introduction of Do it Yourself (DIY) products, and acquisition of chains like Bell’s Stores, Jackson’s Stores, and JB Beaumont, which served to add to and broaden its customer base. The company has more than 750 stores today, and with a turnover in the range of 16 billion GBP, is one of UK’s more successful corporates. A prima facie assessment regarding the company’s response to business and environmental challenges would tend to give credit to the company’s corporate strategies in an extremely competitive bus iness environment. This assessment would however be substantially incorrect. Even as the company continued to grow steadily, in both profits and sales, through the 1990s and into the 21st century (except for the difficult years of 2004 and 2005), it was overtaken, first by Tesco’s in 1995, and later by ASDA in 2003. Tesco’s , which had a turnover of less than 11 billion GBP in 1994 saw its sales touch 38 billion GBP in 2006 and now sells more than twice of what Sainsbury’s does. Very apparently, Sainsbury’s has committed serious errors in handling and responding to business and environmental challenges, and has yielded the high ground in supermarket retailing to younger and possibly more effective competition. b. Tesco’s Growth Path Tesco’s started off as a small one man grocery operation, in 1919, in London’s East End. It took Jack Cohen, the founder, 10 more years to start his first store, in 1929, a full 60 years after Sainsbury’s. The company grew organically in the initial years, spurred by Cohen’s hard work. In the beginning business strategy revolved around providing cheap and economical goods, (pile them high, sell them cheap) espousal of trading stamps to induce customers, and relentless opening of new stores. Strategies, broadly similar to those followed by Sainsbury’s in the post war years led Cohen to open Tesco’s first self service store in 1947, and the first supermarket in 1956. In retrospect, Cohen’s better understanding of the demands and changing moods of customers is possibly evinced by his decision to open his self service store, a full three years earlier than Sainsbury’s. When Cohen resigned, in 1977, the company had achieved significant growth and traction but was still much behind Sainsbury’s, both in size and reputation. The years that followed Cohen’s handing over of Tesco’s leadership were marked by strategic swings designed to take the company away from its image of a purveyor of cheap and low quality goods. This period saw the management launch an aggressive campaign for market share, a multi dimensional effort that involved (a) rapid expansion of stores, (b) acquisition of medium sized supermarket chains, (c) entry and consolidation in a number of foreign markets, (d) large scale expansion of non food products, (e) opening of a number of hypermarkets, (f) introduction of loyalty cards, and (g) exploitation of online markets. The company assessed the existing national and global environment and felt that it would be able to work towards significant increases in sales and profitability and make it into a global leader from i ts status of a lowly down market UK based retailer. These strategies, combined with effective systems and operational implementation, enabled Tesco’s to power past Sainsbury’s, the British market leader, and establish itself as the third largest retailer in Europe. With sales of 38 billion GBP and 2 billion GBP in profits, Tesco is today the undisputed market leader, way ahead of both Sainsbury’s and ASDA. It played for glory and won hands down. (Pringle and Cohen, 2007) c. Management of Environmental Conditions In the early 1960s, Cohen lobbied Parliament to have the Retail Price Maintenance (RPM) act abolished, efforts supported by Edward Heath. The RPM allowed manufacturers and suppliers to set the price of goods thus preventing large retailers, who could buy in bulk and had greater buying power, from benefiting from economies of scale and undercutting the prices of smaller shops. To get â€Å"around† this, Tesco offered another incentive to get customers through the doors Green Shield Stamps. These were collected by customers when they spent money in the store, and were then traded for goods in a catalogue. An effective discount (Tesco, a corporate profile, 2004) This extract serves to illustrate Tesco’s response to environmental challenges and the many innovative ways the company found to constantly improve customer value. The emergence of Thatcherism, in the 80s, coupled with the break up of the Soviet Union, the consolidation of a unipolar world, sharp improvements in internet technology, and the commencement of globalisation, created a number of opportunities that Tesco was quick to spot, grab, and exploit. The company closed down 500 stores, revamped and modernised hundreds of others. Store formats like Tesco, Tesco Express, Tesco Metro, and One Stop, catered to distinct sizes, products, and locations, and ranged from small street corner shops to huge all inclusive supermarkets. The company was quick to realise that its image as a purveyor of cheap products, with its perceived down market connotations, would not help growth in a society that was rapidly becoming richer, and did not hesitate to close down its coupon scheme. In a br illiant segmentation exercise, the company created three product categories, good, better, and best, across most of its product lines. While this enabled customers to access different price ranges, it also allowed the company to access an â€Å"inclusive† and huge market. Sainsbury’s, which had traditionally catered to the middle class clientele with zealously protected margins, tried to enlarge its product base, but was unable to make any headway, because of its lesser supplier base and inferior logistical capability. (Pringle and Gordon, 2007) Tesco’s introduced customer loyalty cards in 1995. While it took Sainsbury some time to catch up with the idea, the two companies used it for widely divergent aims. Even as Sainsbury’s used the cards primarily to drive repeat visits and purchases, Tesco’s processed the information feedback from the loyalty card customers, to assess customer demands and needs, and keep on adding to its product range. The company also foresaw the potential of the internet and globalisation, and established profitable online sales channels, as well as successful overseas forays. Tesco’s international business now accounts for nearly 25% of company sales, and the immediate priority is to drive it up to 50% of company revenue. Apart from maintaining strong market leadership, Tesco is now focussing on two major areas that are propelling the company’s growth and increasing the gap between the company and its competitors. Its aggressive growth in the non-foods market means that it is possibly selling more clothes than Next and more health and beauty products than all the others put together. (Hunter, 2006) The company has set up base in numerous countries in Europe and Asia and should soon have a significant presence in the USA. â€Å"Indeed, some 60% of Tesco’s floor space is now based outside of the UK.† (Hunter, 2006) Sainsbury’s, on the other hand has been too busy handling its inadequate stocking mechanism, half empty shelves, and falling market share, to be able to pay much attention to new thrust areas, and opportunities, made available by changes in environmental conditions and advances in technology. (Tesco, a corporate profile, 2004) 3. Conclusion While this analysis does not intend to eulogise Tesco’s management practices, or its planned and meticulous exploitation of available opportunities, the stark difference in the working of Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s tend to make any comparative analysis of strategy, and management practice, enormously one sided. Even as Tesco was using feedback from its loyalty card scheme to add enormously to its product range, Sainsbury’s was trying to adamantly protect its margins and cutting down on service quality, practices that inevitably led to further customer dissatisfaction and loss of market share. It was not until 2004, a full 9 years after Tesco overtook it, that the company realised that its major problem lay in under stocked shelves, inadequate logistics and poor supply chain management. While Sainsbury’s strategy appeared to be one of risk avoidance and slow growth, in reality it proved to be akin to that of an ostrich in the face of danger. The company however still remains a respected and successful retailer. Recent initiatives, taken after a change in top management, have seen a priority shift and led to revived sales, reduced costs and improved profitability. The company has its heart in the right place and contributes a much higher percentage of its post tax profit to charity than Tesco. The tremendous success of Tesco, in assessing customer needs and environmental opportunities, came about because of a new aggression that evinced itself after the departure of jack Cohen and is an indicator of the possibilities that exist for Sainsbury. The fact that Tesco lagged behind Sainsbury’s until 1995 is proof of the levels to which Sainsbury can aspire without being impractically optimistic. Sainsbury’s has a number of strengths, namely its goodwill in the UK market, access to enormous amount of shop space and property that have been built up over the years, very strong domain knowledge in the retailing business, and adequate capital resources. The company has also become active in the online segment, the fastest growing market segment in the retailing market. It however definitely needs to scan the environment constantly, look for new opportunities, upgrade technology, and be more fleet footed in responding to opportunities and challenges. Both the companies have seen rapid departures from existing strategies after changes in top level management. Strange as it may appear, changes in management appear to have been critical to Tesco seeing opportunities that were not explored earlier. Sainsbury’s too has commenced implementation of measures that should have logically been done much earlier, only after a change of guard at the top. The solution to the paradox possibly lies in realising that management theories, practices and strategies, in most cases, become relevant only if the CEO thinks them fit. The boss is the key. Bibliography Annual report and Financial Statements, 2006, J Sainsbury plc, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar06/fullfinancials/notestofinancialstatements5.shtml Annual Review and Summary Financial Statements, 2006, J Sainsbury plc, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar06/summaryfinancials Cavazza, M, 2007, Sainsburys bid is very close, thisismoney.co.uk., Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing-and-markets/article.html?in_article_id=418580in_page_id=3 Cole, R, 2007, Sainsbury’s progress offers reason to hold even if no bid comes, Times Online, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing Hunter, H, 2006, Revolution in the British aisles: why Tesco will continue to rule the roost, msn.money, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from money.uk.msn.com/Investing/Insight/Special_Features/Markets_Comment/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1054991 J Sainsbury, 2007, Wikipedia, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_Sainsbury Jordan, D, 2007, Tchenguiz adds to Sainsbury stake, Times Online, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article1578864.ece 2 Apr 2007 Pringle, H, and Gordon, W, 2007, The Tesco Story, customerserviceworld.com., Retrieved May 27, 2007 from www.ecustomerserviceworld.com/earticlesstore_articles.asp?type=articleid Tesco, 2007, Retrieved May 25, 2007 from www.tescocorporate.com/page.aspx?pointerid=A8E0E60508F94A8DBA909E2ABB5F2CC7 Tesco,  A corporate profile, 2004, Corporate watch, Retrieved May 27, 2007 from www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?bid=28

Corporate Downsizing Essays -- essays research papers

Downsizing has become an extremely popular strategy in today’s business environment. Companies began downsizing in the late 1970’s to cut costs and improve the bottom line (Mishra et al., 1998). The term â€Å"downsizing† was coined to describe the action of dismissing a large portion of a company’s workforce in a very short period of time. According to online encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org downsizing refers to â€Å"layoffs initiated by a company in order to cut labor costs by reducing the size of the company.† Downsizing became a familiar management mantra in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. In fact, three million jobs were lost between 1989 and 1998 (Mishra et al., 1998). More than 350,000 jobs were lost in 2001 (DeSouza & Donaldson, 2002). Downsizing has become almost a way of life for U.S. companies. Typically, the first round of job cuts are followed by a second round of cuts a short time later. Not everyone agrees with t he reasoning behind downsizing. According to an article in the Journal of Banking and Financial Services, downsizing is merely â€Å"a short-sighted business strategy motivated by arrogant CEO’s eager to appease shareholders (Unkles, 2001). Others feel downsizing is a necessary tool to ensure business survival in the face of a changing economy. Regardless, the costs of downsizing are high, and the payoffs of downsizing are mixed at best. This paper doesn’t serve as an approach to downsizing, rather, it explores the many aspects of downsizing, from when it’s time to downsize to what steps that can be taken to avoid the process altogether. Corporate Downsizing: An Overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many reasons why a company downsizes. Layoffs began as a way for companies to offset a decline in earnings, but quickly became a popular practice even in companies that were doing well financially. A 1994 survey by the American Management Association found that two-thirds of all workers who were laid off were college-educated, salaried employees (Downs, 1995). Today, the term downsizing is used to refer to a narrow effort to reduce the workforce and also to broaden efforts to improve work systems or redesign the total organization. Companies may downsize to increase capital, as a result of a merge with another company (where additional staff are not needed), poor cash flow (which results in payroll issues), changes in technology, and lastly due to a chang... ...k Enterprise. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.findarticles.com Downs, A. (2005). Corporate executions: the ugly truth about layoffs-how corporate greed is shattering lives, companies, and communities. New York: AMACOM-American Management Association. Hoskisson, R., & Hitt, M. (2004). Downscoping: How to tame the diversified firm. Oxford University PR on Demand. Krepps, M. (2007). Industrial inefficiency and downsizing: A study of layoff and plant closures. New York: Garland Publishing. Mishra, K. E., Spreitzer, G. M., & Mishra, A. K. (2008, Winter). Preserving employee morale during downsizing. Sloan Management Review. Unkles, j. (2009). The downside of downsizing: after almost a decade of surging economic growth and booming share markets, many corporate and financial managers are getting their first look at a downturn in the business cycle. Journal of Banking and Financial Services, 115(6), 2. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from Baker College Web Site: http://web2.infotrac.galegroup.com Zimmerman, E. (2007, November). Why deep layoffs hurt long-term recovery (HR's tools for recovery). Workforce. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from http://www.findarticles.com

Lenin and Philosophy Essay

The images dispersed through this document attempt to give an example of how women are systematically removed from their sports settings, and placed within a more feminized or sexualized manner. In this way, we can see how over and over, in the images of Chynna Doll, Kristina Korneacouvia and others are used further entrench the socio-cultural rules which place within a limited and static gender role. The images illustrated throughout this paper are clear examples of Mulvey’s â€Å"male gaze† paradigm. In most of these photographs the athlete was professionally made up. Their hair was styled in the wind blown look often used on models, they wore makeup, and they were each dressed in sexually suggestive, revealing clothing. In doing so, the media acts within the paradigm of hegemony by sending mixed messages. Particularly, sports magazine may seem to portraying female athletes in a positive light, yet there is a constant trivialization of the actual performance in sports. This allows those that maintain the power and create the rules to allow women a limited role, while simultaneously maintaining the all-pervasive social dictations on the role of women as passive objects within a male dominated society. In this light, women in sports advertising are women first and athletes second. The status quo of gender hierarchy is maintained by muffling images of strong women, while simultaneously re-encoding women as sexual objects. The 1996 Olympics brought much success to female athletes. Many proponents of women’s rights and equality in sports though that this marked the final acceptance of women in the sports arena. Women’s sports magazines flourished during this time as well. Unfortunately, despite the athletic success on the playing felid and an increase coverage in the media, the media depicted women in less active rolls, oftentimes showing them in their home and family settings, or dressed in their athletic gear in a provocative way. In this sense, women are allowed to participate in sports, but the underlying message is one that keeps the backdrop of women in the domestic and sexual field. This is a further entrenchment of the aforementioned ideological hegemony of male superiority. Furthermore, this fact reinforces the dominant cultural order that blatantly sexualizes the female experience of success and merit in the sports arena. Ann Balsmo (1996) in her Technologies of the Engendered Body, discusses this phenomenon, stating â€Å"To be both female and strong today violates traditional codes of feminine identity. Any attempt to reconstruct the body is transgressive out by using signifiers of hyper-femininity. † Herein lies the essence of this analysis; women today are caught within the traditional structure of male-dominated hegemony and the perpetuation of this domination through the against the ‘natural’ identity of the female body. The transgression is balanced vehicle of the mass media. Through the light of social and individual discovery, it is now time to take back these traditionally held power roles, allowing a woman’s body and physical accomplishments to be as worthy of merit and public praise as those of her male counterparts. Works Cited Althusser, Louis. Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays. (Online version) Balsamo, Anne. Technologies of the Gendered Body. Duke Univ. Press, 1996. Blinde, E. , Greendorfer, S. , & Shanker, R. (1991). Differential media coverage of men’s and women’s intercollegiate basketball: Reflection of gender ideology. Journal of Sport & Social Issues 15, 98–114.

Human Trafficking is Modern Day Slavery Essay

Through the years, terrible battles have been fought and many lives lost to eliminate slavery in this country, yet it still exists in the form of human trafficking. Globalization, competing economic markets and the population boom have created an environment that is ripe for modern day slavery. It was reported in a recent article in the European Journal of Criminology, all countries in the modernized world, whether it is the United States, Canada, New Zealand or the United Kingdom, can be shown to be active participators in the global market of human flesh, either as a country of origin – that is, countries people are trafficked out of; a country of destination – that is, countries where trafficked persons end up; or a country of transit – that is, countries through which trafficked per ­sons are moved en route to their final destination. (Winterdyk, Reichel). Trafficking in human flesh is a 32 billion dollar industry worldwide with an inventory of approximately 1 million victims in the United States alone and the number of victims is steadily on the rise (Feingold). Forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation are the most prevalent forms of human trafficking in this country, adding nearly 80 thousand victims annually, with children making up 50% of these statistics. Local and federal officials need to do more to bring traffickers to justice and eliminate human trafficking in this country. When asked to consider what human trafficking or slavery means, most people might think back to the era of slave trading. They might picture ships, full of passengers forcibly taken from their villages, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to America, only to become slaves working on plantations, in the cotton fields, under a grueling sun. Today, those slave ships have become different types of transportation that can contain and move human cargo without easy detection and the people inside the containers have not been forcibly taken. These people are looking forward to a better way of life and believe that they are being helped to reach it. What they don’t know is that they are headed from bad to worse. George Palermo, M. D at University of Nevada School of Medicine and Medical College of Wisconsin, believes that victims are drawn into the tentacles of human trafficking because of their desire for a better future, to escape social discrimination, or they are searching for honest work to better themselves. â€Å"The dream of a better future pulls them from their home. However, they too often find themselves disillusioned and entrapped in a very debasing situation, and their dreams are shattered† (Palermo 671). With their hopes of that new life dashed to pieces, the passengers begin that new life as modern day slaves, in a strange place, without knowing the language. These individuals will become the newest victims of forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. They will be forced into laboring in places such as sweatshops, farms, and construction sites. They will also be forced into working very long hours, in terrible conditions. These modern day slaves will be forced to reside in places known as hot bunks, with single sleeping quarters, which will be used by rotating shift workers. Victims will face constant verbal abuse and threats of physical violence. They will be compelled to hand over most, if not all, of their earnings to the traffickers. Although most victims may wish to flee, but their fear of physical violence, lack of energy, feelings of guilt, and an overall sense of hopelessness will keep them invisibly shackled to their traffickers. Often times, female victims will find themselves forced into domestic servitude, acting as maids, cooks, or nannies. These victims will lead lives of isolation, having little or no unsupervised freedom, completely cut off from the rest of the world. There will be no privacy provided. Personal comfort will be nonexistent, and they will be forced to sleep on nothing more than a rug or bare mattress in an open area or hallway (Diaz et al. ). Such is the case of a Filipina woman recently rescued from a Maryland couple who forced her into domestic servitude. The couple has been arrested and charged with human trafficking and other immigration violations. According to the indictment, the couple from Maryland enticed the victim to come to the United States to work as their domestic servant. The defendants lured the victim, an impoverished, uneducated, mother of eight children, using false promises of a salary that would support her children in the Philippines. The defendants procured a fraudulent visa to allow the victim to enter the United States; confiscated the victim’s documents after she arrived; and compelled her labor for 18 hours a day over a period of 10 years, using a scheme of threats, assaults, withholding of documents, withholding of pay and a peonage contract to coerce the victim’s continued service (â€Å"Maryland Couple Charged†). Although the numbers of victims of forced labor and domestic servitude are on the rise, sexual exploitation remains the most prevalent form of human trafficking. Sexual exploitation is considered to be non-consensual or abusive sexual acts performed without a victim’s permission. This includes but is not limited to prostitution, escort work and pornography. Women, men and children of both sexes can be victims. Most disturbing is the number of children that are victims of sexual exploitation. In one report, it is estimated that at least seventy percent of the women involved in prostitution are victims of human trafficking and were introduced to the commercial sex trade before they were eighteen years of age. (Kotrla). Quite often children are abducted and forced into prostitution or pornography and never heard from again. Shauna Newell was one of the lucky ones. At the time of her abduction, she was a typical 16 year old who loved to hang out with friends, so when a new friend invited her to spend the night she was very excited and convinced her mother to allow her to do so. After she did not return home, Shauna’s mother called police who took the approach that the girl had run away and took no immediate action. Shauna’s family initiated their own search and just by chance on the third day she was spotted in the back seat of a car by her brother at a convenience store. Shauna was rescued but her abductors escaped. As it turns out, the girl’s â€Å"father† was really a convicted felon, and the girl, who had a record of prostitution in Texas, was an accomplice in the abduction. For three days Shauna was beaten and raped. She also contracted an STD. Her abductor told her he had sold her over the internet for $300,000. Fortunately, Shauna was rescued before the deal could take place. Many times the victims of human trafficking come in contact with local law enforcement, but because of a lack of training, the modern day slaves are not recognized as victims but viewed as perpetrators instead. The fear of reprisal against themselves or their family members keeps the victims from speaking out against traffickers. Consequently, they are willing to face arrest and jail time rather than the trafficker’s anger. Health care providers also come in contact with modern day slaves seeking treatment for injuries inflicted by the trafficker, labor induced injuries, or possibly an STD’s, yet will not recognize the patient as a victim of human trafficking because they are not trained to look for the appropriate signals. If more local law enforcement and health care providers receive proper training in identifying victims of human trafficking it would be easier to provide the right care and assistance as was the case for one 16 year old girl trafficked from Mexico. In one recently reported incident, a sixteen year old Mexican girl was found to have been trafficked across the US border. Doctors noticed the heavily pregnant girl showed clear signs of physical abuse when she was brought into a hospital in Dayton to give birth. The police were called but the couple who had brought her had already fled. When the girl’s story emerged, it became clear she had been kept against her will in the nearby city of Springfield and used for labor and sex. â€Å"I thought slavery ended a few centuries ago. But here it is alive and well,† said Springfield’s sheriff, Gene Kelly (Harris). During the late 1990’s the public’s interest in human trafficking issues grew and demands for stricter laws against it followed. In response to public demand, the United States government enacted the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in the year 2000. This legislation was introduced to prevent trafficking, identify and protect victims, and prosecute offenders. Since 2000, forty two states have enacted their own anti-trafficking laws, yet the expected numbers of arrests and prosecutions not been met whether locally or on a federal level. Miriam Potocki, Director of the National Social Workers Association wrote an article in which she claims that since the date of enactment VTVPA, there has been little transparency or accountability in policy implementation; only a small number of immigrant victims have been identified, and there is almost no evidence regarding effectiveness of victim services, and prosecution is highly problematic. Fundamentally, because there is no rational approach to the policy implementation, public funds are wasted (Potocky). In conclusion, human trafficking violates a person’s inalienable right to freedom yet there are more victims today than 150 years ago and the United States is not doing enough to eliminate it. Stronger penalties are needed to deter individuals or groups from continuing to exploit victims and force them into slavery, either through forced labor, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation. Local law enforcement agencies as well as health care providers need to be better informed regarding human trafficking issues so they can readily spot victims as well as the traffickers. By providing better rescue and assistance programs for human trafficking victim the Unites States can set the standard for eliminating modern day slavery. President Barack Obama said it best, during his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2012 when he said, â€Å"Nations must speak with one voice– that our people and our children are not for sale† (â€Å"Obama†). (1645) Works Cited Diaz, Muriel et. al. â€Å"Globalization and Human Trafficking†. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. 34. 2 (June 2007): p107. Academic OneFile. Web. 12 April, 2013 Feingold, David A. , â€Å"Human Trafficking†. Foreign Policy. No. 150. Newsweek Interactive (Sept. -Oct. , 2005), 26-30, 32. Web. Apr. 12, 2013 Harris, Paul. â€Å"Forced Labour and Rape, The New Face Of Slavery In America†. The Observer. 21 Nov. 2009. Academic OneFile Web. 12 April, 2013 Kotrla, K. â€Å"Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking In the United States† Social Work 55. 2 (2010): 181-187. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Maryland Couple Charged With Domestic Servitude Of Filipina Woman† States News Service 8 June 2011. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Apr. 2013 Megumi, Makisaka, â€Å"Human Trafficking: A Brief Overview†. WorldBank. org. No. 122/. December 2009. Academic OneFile. Web. Apr. 12, 2013. â€Å"Obama Calls Human Trafficking ‘Slavery,’ Announces New Measure†. StatesNewsService. 25 Sept. 2012. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. Palermo, George B. , â€Å"From Bad To Worse, A Note On Human Trafficking†, International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology, August, 2012, Vol. 56(5), p. 671-672, Web, Apr. 12, 2013. http://ijo. sagepub. com/ Potocki, Miriam. â€Å"The Travesty of Human Trafficking: A Decade Of Failed U. S. Policy†. Oxford University Press. Social Work. 55. 4 (Oct. 2010): p373. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Winterdyk, John, Philip, Reichel. â€Å"Introduction to Special Issue – Human Trafficking: Issues and Perspectives†. European Journal of Criminology. January 2010 vol. 7 no. 1 5-10. Web. April 12, 2013.

Kick the academic habit †academic writing vs business writing - Emphasis

Kick the academic habit – academic writing vs business writing Kick the academic habit – academic writing vs business writing Most students are familiar with that morning-after feeling. But academic life can leave you with another kind of hangover youll want to shake off before heading off to work: an academic writing style. When your key reader is more likely to be found in a boardroom than a staffroom, you need to change your approach. The focus should be less on displaying every last bit of knowledge and more on the results you want your document to produce. Plus, its pretty likely your new reader wont have the patience of your university lecturer. So save the flowery prose and make sure to leave these three typical habits behind, along with your lava lamp and Pink Floyd poster. Confusing transitions No, not the last few stops on the pub crawl. This is the careless use of linking words such as moreover, however, furthermore and nevertheless. Theres nothing inherently wrong with these words, but using them doesnt automatically make the connection between paragraphs clear, or even guarantee that what you write is connected to what went before. If you imply a link that is unclear or non-existent, youre going to end up with a confused reader or, worse, an ex-reader. Ask yourself if you can make the connection more explicit to help your reader follow your argument. A good way to do this is to bring a phrase or reference from the previous paragraph into the next. For example, if in one paragraph youve been describing the benefits for a certain department of using a particular system, you might follow with something like: However, the benefits for HR have been outweighed by problems elsewhere One too many Hey, were not here to judge what you do after you clock out. But in working hours, try to show a little restraint with how much you try to fit into one sentence, that is. The overeager student starry-eyed with newly acquired knowledge and an excess of Red Bull is often moved to squeeze every last thing they know about a topic into one paragraph, or even one very long sentence. Post-graduation, give your reader (and yourself) an easier time and a better chance of understanding and acting on your information by sticking to one idea per sentence. Be selective with your information, too. The goal is to give your reader the information they need to know, not a brief history of everything that could possibly be related to it. Short paragraphs can be helpful too, as huge blocks of text on a page can be overwhelming or offputting for the reader. But dont break at a random point just to accomplish this: it will be disorientating and disrupt the flow. Make sure that while every sentence contains only one idea, every paragraph contains just one theme. Sesquipedalian* show-offs * (adj.) pertaining to or given to the use of overly long words Your lecturer may have sighed rapturously at displays of a wide and poetic vocabulary, but the reader of your report may be less entranced. In fact, if you send them off to find a dictionary, they may never return. So make sure you swap unnecessarily long words and phrases for simpler alternatives. For example, is it really vital to write in close proximity to rather than near? Not only are shorter versions understood more readily, being more direct will help the connections youre making come across more clearly: a bold because is preferable to a detached due to the fact that. And avoid nominalisations (the use of a verb as a noun), as they attract unnecessary extra words and disguise the action in a sentence. Why say undertake the implementation of when you could simply say implement, or an even more everyday alternative such as put into place? Why, academia, why? And now, class, let us draw to a close with this question: would it be better if students werent encouraged to write in the academic style in the first place? Richard Dixon, a freelance journalist and commentator who was chief revise editor of The Times for nine years, would say a resounding yes. He recalls having to defend the clear, precise language in his PhD thesis to the external examiner: She criticised my thesis as having some paragraphs with only two ideas, as if this were a mortal sin, and being written in a simple (or maybe simplistic) style not usual in academic writing. I told her that those were the early benefits of training as a sub-editor on a properly edited research journal. And, having himself helped recovering academics grope towards a clear journalistic style, he notes: Very few of them have felt they needed to buy a Dixon voodoo doll and stick pins in it in retaliation. Some have even been grateful. Sadly, even with Richards input, we probably cant expect to change the entire university systems writing habits in the immediate future. But if you can take on board a few of these tips, at least we can help you graduate into the world of business writing with flying colours.

How to Conjugate the French Verb Détester

How to Conjugate the French Verb Dà ©tester The French verb  dà ©tester  means to hate. Unlike some other verbs, this one is fairly easy to remember because of its similarity to the English word detest. As with the English verb, you would use  dà ©tester  to express an extreme dislike for something, such as food or a particular household chore youre not fond of. Like the majority of verbs in French,  dà ©tester is a regular verb. Conjugating Dà ©tester Verb conjugations can become a headache for French students because there are so many verb forms to remember. Not only does the infinitive ending change with each tense and mood, it also changes with each subject pronoun. For   example, I hate is je dà ©teste and we will hate is nous dà ©testerons. Its easier to memorize all these forms if you practice them in context and simple sentences. Subject Present Future Imperfect je dteste dtesterai dtestais tu dtestes dtesteras dtestais il dteste dtestera dtestait nous dtestons dtesterons dtestions vous dtestez dtesterez dtestiez ils dtestent dtesteront dtestaient Present and Past Participle The  present participle  of  dà ©testant  is formed by adding -ant  to the verb stem of  dà ©test. While its primarily used as a verb, you will find it useful as an adjective, gerund, or noun as well. Beyond the imperfect, another form of the past tense hated is the  passà © composà ©. This one is formed in a different manner and relies on the  past participle  dà ©testà ©. To complete it, you must also conjugate the  auxiliary verb  avoir.   As an example, I hated is jai dà ©testà © and we hated is nous avons dà ©testà ©. More Conjugations There will be times when you will need to imply some degree of uncertainty to the verb  dà ©tester  as well. For this, use the subjunctive verb mood. In a similar fashion, the conditional form is used when the hating is dependent on something else happening. You should not use the passà © simple unless youre reading or writing in French. The same applies to the imperfect subjunctive, though its a good idea to be able to recognize these as forms of  dà ©tester. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je dteste dtesterais dtestai dtestasse tu dtestes dtesterais dtestas dtestasses il dteste dtesterait dtesta dtestt nous dtestions dtesterions dtestmes dtestassions vous dtestiez dtesteriez dtesttes dtestassiez ils dtestent dtesteraient dtestrent dtestassent The imperative verb form may be quite useful with  dà ©tester  because its often used in exclamations. When using it, the subject pronoun is not required: use dà ©teste rather than tu dà ©teste. Imperative (tu) dteste (nous) dtestons (vous) dtestez

Alternative to Brainstorming

The NGT is a technique that was developed by Delbecq and VandeVen. It is used for group brainstorming with the intent to get everyone involved by contributing their feedback. It is structured to help gain different viewpoints from several people for a particular topic or issue. The NGT was designed with the purpose of causing all members of the group to be involved in the discussion with one person having single dominance. It allows those individuals who are perhaps more soft spoken an opportunity to have a vocal voice in the discussion. It is also helpful to use when there are new team members who perhaps have yet gained the comfortability for sharing within the group. The NGT should help to keep the discussion flow balanced for all the topics or ideas. It should also help guide the discussion in such a way that limits the possibility of argumentive outbreaks. The NGT should produce a good mixture of quality ideas and help everyone to feel the involvement of working together as a group. The article, Nominal Group Technique: An Alternative to Brainstorming, lists some basic steps to follow when using this technique. The steps are (1) Individuals should be groups by five or six people.

Ipad and tablet effect on different domains of social relations Research Paper

Ipad and tablet effect on different domains of social relations - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that computer and communication technologies are developing rapidly over the last few decades. The stiff competition of dominance in consumer electronics market forced technology oriented organizations to develop new products. Apple Inc. is responsible for stimulating technology war in this world. In the 80’s and 90’s Microsoft ruled the technology world because of the huge popularity of its window based operating system. The strategic tie up with Intel helped Microsoft to rule the PC world in the twentieth century. The introduction of laptops gave mobility to PC related technologies. Business people, professionals and students got immense benefits out of laptop related technologies. However, it was difficult for an executive or a student to carry heavy laptops at the time of travelling. The scenario has changed a lot at the beginning of 2000 with the introduction of â€Å"i’ series products by Apple. The introduction of iPad, iPod, iMac, iPhone, iTune, iTouch etc helped Apple to gain upper hand in the consumer electronics industry. Currently Apple is the most valuable technology company in the world. Steve Jobs, the visionary leader of Apple was instrumental in changing the technology world. The rivalry with Microsoft or Bill Gates forced Jobs to bring so many innovative concepts which helped the development of iPads and tablet pcs. If 80’s and 90’s were the period of development of computer and internet related technologies, 2000 marked the beginning of iPad and tablet related technologies. ... One of the major advantages of tablets is the low weight and increased accessibility. Even while travelling, tablets can be kept in the pocket so that a student or a professional can access any information at any time. â€Å"Tablet demand could reach 100 million by 2012. A series of proprietary surveys covering more than 8,000 consumers and 50 chief information officers suggest that tablets are accelerating the adoption of the mobile internet†(Morgan Stanley, p.1) Tablets are usually classified into two different groups; those which are developed from smartphones and those which are developed from notebook and netbook. The first one uses the operating systems such as Google’s android and Apple’s iOS. Even though these tablets have power saving abilities, it is not suitable to professionals. On the other hand tablets developed from notebooks are operating with normal computer operating systems such as Windows 7 and therefore it can be used as effectively as a comp uter. However, these tablets consume more power and therefore frequent charging is necessary. In short, tablets are going to be the future computers. The entry of tablets has revolutionized human life in many ways. This paper analyses the increasing influence of tablets and iPads on society and the future of tablets and iPads. Ipad and tablet effect on business Tablets which come from the notebook/netbook tradition are more suited for the creation of content. A business user wanting to develop or edit a PowerPoint presentation or write a report in Word, for example, will be able to do so with almost as much ease as on a notebook computer – particularly if an

Law - Mock Final Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law - Mock Final Exam - Assignment Example Mouza called the developer and complained and argued very loudly that the floor tiles in every room were the wrong color and there were no doors in the bedrooms. She got so stressed with everything as she walked through the villa that she slipped on a wet floor, fainted, and broke her wrist and her new iphone 4S as she fell to the floor. _____The civil Court has the jurisdiction to handle the case as it involves a commercial dispute between Mouza and RUCON which the company that handled the construction. There is also a breach of contract in the case as the contractor failed to carry out the work as required in the contrtact.____________________________________________________________________ ___The appeal will be heard in the Court of Appeal within a period of 30 days from the day of judgment. This is because the Court of Appeal has the powers to handle and appeal emanating from the Civil Court. _____RUCON will be referred to as the appellant as the company will have filed the appeal. Mouza will be referred to as the appellee in the case. _____________________________________________________________________ _____In Abu Dhabi, the Federal Supreme Court of Appeal is responsible for making the final judgment regarding the cases that emanates from the other courts. _____________________________________________________________________ _____If RUCON LLC was based in Dubai, the final decision would have been made by the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation is the highest Court in Dubai. _____________________________________________________________________ __The first legal action in the case involves the breach of contract by the company. According to Article 131, RUCON had accepted the contract by entering into an agreement with Mouza to construct the house. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the RUCON promised to complete the work within the completion date as and as required by

How do theories of leadership provide practical advice on how to be an Essay

How do theories of leadership provide practical advice on how to be an effective leader Discuss, with reference to at least two theories or models of leadership - Essay Example Each of these theories is based on certain principles that have been used to define effective leaders. It is well known that there are individuals that have leaders naturally even without any form of training. However, there are those that require training in order for them to have leadership attributes. This essay will focus on the trait, behavioral and transformational theories of leadership. In addition, it will further address how these theories are applicable in practical leadership. Effective leaders naturally possess certain attributes that enables them to execute their roles effectively and efficiently. According to the trait theory, people are born or made to have certain qualities that facilitate their discharge of leadership roles. Ralph Stogdill advanced this theory in 1974 (Irvin 2007). An effective leader is obliged to exhibit certain traits such as being creative, have a sense of responsibility, be intelligent, be decisive, and have self-control among other important qualities. This theory argues that behavior modification is paramount for effective leadership. This indicates that a leader ought to conform to good values and attributes that will enable them to discharge their roles effectively. Through an analysis of the mental, physical, and social attributes, a leader can be identified through the values and attributes they exhibit and encourage in their respective jurisdictions. Upon the realization of the general traits that makes successful leader s, it becomes very easy to identify potential leaders. This indicates that an individual that endeavors to be an effective leader will strive to cultivate leadership values (Epstein 2010, p.7). Several traits have been identified as influencing the effectiveness of a leader. If such traits are embraced they can help a leader become more effective. While advancing the trait theory, Stogdill conducted a study in which he identified ten types of traits that are associated with effective leaders.

Has football become a global sport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Has football become a global sport - Essay Example The ball itself has developed from just a ball of pig’s bladder to hi-tech balls with impregnated microchips used to check if the ball has crosses the goal line. Increasing popularity of the game and number of international fixtures forced English football association and football associations from France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland to form an international association Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on May 21, 1904.Today football is a national sport in many countries and is officially the most popular sport in the world. Sport in modern days has become a global phenomenon. There is a number of literature works is available which tries to relate a sport with various social, political, economical and environmental factors on a global scale. Today, in globalized, world where communication technology has grown leap and bound, all major sporting events are organized and watch on a global scale. The impact of sport is also global, as it affects political relations, national prestige, and policies on education and health. Contrasts between sports across different societies have diminished, yet a growing diversity of sports cultures are available to people of different nations (Maguire). Giulianotti examines systematically footballs key social aspects: the supporter cultures, the development of stadia, the business and television revolution, professional football players and the diversity of playing styles. Sport, in particular football, constitutes one of the most dynamic, sociologically illuminating domai ns of globalization (Giulianotti and Robertson). The speed of spread of football or soccer has been truly astonishing. It has successfully overcome various hurdles of ruthless commercialization, skyrocketing player fees, and salaries to emerge as a most popular game. It has survived faithlessness of players, red-tapes in

Postfeminism and the Future of Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Postfeminism and the Future of Feminism - Essay Example The definition of feminism may vary, as the view concerning it may be directly associated with the prevailing ideologies within the society. For example, a patriarchal society influenced by the mass media might understand that feminists are anti-male or are the ones seeking the opportunity to let the women be equal to men. Feminism in this context seems to be a movement against men. According to Hooks, a society founded by Christian culture may continue to believe that women should be under the authority of men, and so they will be ruled over and continue to be submissive (Hooks 2; Shaw and Lee 33). Understanding feminism on this context may be tempting for us to believe that it is about women’s quest to be equal with men. However, Hooks believes that feminism should be defined as a â€Å"movement† to stop â€Å"sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression† (Shaw and Lee 33). From this definition, Hooks tries to emphasize that the problems lie within the actual sex ist actions or thoughts and they are what the feminist movement should need to eliminate. Hooks just wants to correct the popular thought about feminism and its high association with the belief that it is against-the-men movement or women move to be equal with men.   It is at this point that there is a great chance for somebody to develop a theory out of it if exploration and analysis have to be initiated. In fact, one would be able to gain social, cultural, economic and political perspectives by studying feminism, by which one should understand the quest for social justice as the main motivation of the movement to end sexist oppression (Haslanger, Tuana and O’Connor). What is postfeminism? Postfeminism in contrast, tries to define feminism as hopelessly outmoded in the contemporary society as it contains discourses or ideological beliefs trying to make us believe that equality has been achieved (Ringrose 1; Shaw and Lee 15). Postfeminism therefore still defines feminist pe rspective, but the differences start from its associated criticism against feminism that is said to be simply no longer in use. For instance, postfeminism places women as the primary benefactors of globalization taking place in the twenty-first century (Ringrose 3). At this point, it may potentially appear that postfeminism is still a form of feminist movement, but it is placing a different context in it as it tries to position women on top in today’s post-modern world, providing the basis that a woman indeed has achieved the equality she deserves to obtain. This is quite interesting and we might be able to appreciate this point further if we try to take a look at the actual role of the women, their status and the level of achievements they might have acquired and the actual similarities or dissimilarities of opportunities they might have experienced before and in today’s society.

Immigration to America after the Civil War Essay

Immigration to America after the Civil War - Essay Example Immigrations to the United States after the Civil War had many economic benefits and a few negative implications to the country. Labor was at the center of focus after the abolition of the slave trade. An aberration from the trend seen in 1860, the number of workers compared to the total population rose from 33% to 40%, this represented growth by a factor of 2.7 between 1870 and 1920 (Walton & Rockoff 319). This prompted need for labor that ended up facilitating migration of people to the United States. The lives of the people who worked as slaves were fully transformed since there was no more forced labor. On the other hand, the large-scale farmers had a difficult moment adjusting to the new system of operations. This led to failure of some and rising of small-scale producers, who took advantage of the labor boycott by the slaves. The deficit created in terms of labor attracted foreigners who came to America in large numbers. In addition, the situation was aggravated by other extern al factors as the Irish Potato Famine in Ireland. The rise in population because of immigration acted as a catalyst to the rise of the rapid industrialization experienced between 1877 and 1900. The number of immigrants rose to more than seven million during the period. This was accompanied by a tremendous increase in population from 49 million in 1880 to 76 million in 1900 (White 1). The immigrants occupied most parts of America except the southern parts that were fully occupied by American farmers and industrialists. Many industries came up while those affected by the war restructured prompting the demand for additional labor. New production processes were initiated and research was intensified in order to facilitate industrial development. By 1900, many industries stood tall in provision of quality goods and services. This enhanced competition and trade (White 1). Increasing population facilitated a change in the demand and supply dynamics. The increased population provided a broa d market for goods and services, a factor that made it possible to increase the supply. In order, to take care of the supply needs individuals and corporate emerged with solutions to handle the increased supply. There was need for shelter that facilitated initiation of housing projects, need for food that boosted agriculture, the need for clothing facilitated the revamping of cotton farming and establishments of ginneries among other establishments. This demand created high production that facilitated trade within the country as well as opened new frontiers of business especially in Europe (White 1). The immigration rate was a blessing in disguise, since some of the immigrants helped reconnect America with their mother countries hence facilitating knowledge sharing and trading activities. Surplus production increased tremendously. Immigrations to the United States triggered economic changes that were politically motivated. It is worth noting that during the Civil War, there was a gr eat rift between the people of the southern parts of United States and the federal government under Abraham Lincoln. The people of south had an ideological difference with the leadership of the federal government since they wanted to retain slave trade (Digital History 2). Immigration facilitated an anti-democratic movement that was meant to put restriction on voting rights. The movement

Postfeminism and the Future of Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Postfeminism and the Future of Feminism - Essay Example The definition of feminism may vary, as the view concerning it may be directly associated with the prevailing ideologies within the society. For example, a patriarchal society influenced by the mass media might understand that feminists are anti-male or are the ones seeking the opportunity to let the women be equal to men. Feminism in this context seems to be a movement against men. According to Hooks, a society founded by Christian culture may continue to believe that women should be under the authority of men, and so they will be ruled over and continue to be submissive (Hooks 2; Shaw and Lee 33). Understanding feminism on this context may be tempting for us to believe that it is about women’s quest to be equal with men. However, Hooks believes that feminism should be defined as a â€Å"movement† to stop â€Å"sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression† (Shaw and Lee 33). From this definition, Hooks tries to emphasize that the problems lie within the actual sex ist actions or thoughts and they are what the feminist movement should need to eliminate. Hooks just wants to correct the popular thought about feminism and its high association with the belief that it is against-the-men movement or women move to be equal with men.   It is at this point that there is a great chance for somebody to develop a theory out of it if exploration and analysis have to be initiated. In fact, one would be able to gain social, cultural, economic and political perspectives by studying feminism, by which one should understand the quest for social justice as the main motivation of the movement to end sexist oppression (Haslanger, Tuana and O’Connor). What is postfeminism? Postfeminism in contrast, tries to define feminism as hopelessly outmoded in the contemporary society as it contains discourses or ideological beliefs trying to make us believe that equality has been achieved (Ringrose 1; Shaw and Lee 15). Postfeminism therefore still defines feminist pe rspective, but the differences start from its associated criticism against feminism that is said to be simply no longer in use. For instance, postfeminism places women as the primary benefactors of globalization taking place in the twenty-first century (Ringrose 3). At this point, it may potentially appear that postfeminism is still a form of feminist movement, but it is placing a different context in it as it tries to position women on top in today’s post-modern world, providing the basis that a woman indeed has achieved the equality she deserves to obtain. This is quite interesting and we might be able to appreciate this point further if we try to take a look at the actual role of the women, their status and the level of achievements they might have acquired and the actual similarities or dissimilarities of opportunities they might have experienced before and in today’s society.

Gold & Educational psychology Essay Example for Free

Gold Educational psychology Essay The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence  the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence  youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific  stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers. The youth culture is influenced by many things each and every day. The society, parents, care givers; all of these help influence youth. But the most important factor to help give the a visual of what teenagers are today are in fact films. You are left wondering how films help influence the teenage race? The cinema of adolescence brings an image of youth, Juno (2007), The Breakfast Club (1985) all encounter specific stereotypes which encourage teenagers.

Importance of Strategic Planning and Management

Importance of Strategic Planning and Management Strategic management involves decisions concerning what a company might do, given the opportunities in its environment; what it can do, given the resources at its disposal; what it wants to do, given the personal values and aspirations of key decision makers; and what it should do, given the ethical and legal context in which it is operating (Dobson). Organizations need to know where they are heading to and a firm concept of the kind of business it is in. An organizations product-market scope specifies the particular products or services of the organization and the growth vector is the direction the organization is moving in terms of its current product-market scope. Strategic management is an art and science that must be studied by top management and it involves formulating, implementing and evaluating the cross-functional decisions that have been created so that an organization can achieve its objectives. The organization identifies its objectives, acquire the resources needed to i mplement the policies and strategies to achieve its goals. In order to be successful, strategic management synthesizes the activities of the different sectors of the business such as sales, marketing, production, etc. so that organizational goals can be achieved. Also, strategic management is a continuous process of assessing the business, the industry it belongs, its competitors, for the improvement of the organization. According to Carter McNamara, Strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how its going to get there. (McNamara 2008). The strategic planning process is organization-wide, or it can be focused on a major function. The major activities of the strategic planning process include strategic analysis; setting strategic direction; and action planning. Small business owners need strategic planning because it involves figuring out where the business is going with the aim of achieving overall success and at the same time, pinpoint strategic objectives. Owners of small businesses must give time to look for ways to grow and increase turnover. Most big businesses have used strategic planning when they were still new and small businesses. Strategic planning and business strategy are essential to achieve the goals of the business and without strategic planning and decision making, no business can head forward over the long term. Strategic demands the owners own thoughts and ideas and owners must make it as a major concern. His/Her personal investment in strategic planning is essential and fundamental to make the business to grow and improve the way the business operates and without strategic planning, the business will likely stumble into one problem to another. Therefore, small business owners must consider strategic planning frequently and regularly as it is essential to long term success. The four functions of management in relation to the creation and implementation of an organizations strategic plan are as follows: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. This paper is going to analyze an external IT company that has been assigned and contracted to take over the internal IT functions of an organization, particularly, the desktop support department. The goal of the external IT Company is to offer the highest quality service with an equally high financial return rate. In the planning stage, the company has to analyze the needs of the organization in terms of technology such as hardware types to support, peripherals, and other various office related equipment. The number of customers impacts the number of support staff needed and the skill levels required. The next phase is organizing and the company is going to reduce the number of their desk side support team for the purpose of minimizing expenses but they have to assign a technician to build an operating syst em, customize it so that the security needs and standards of the organization are met. The next phase is leading and its purpose is to channel the behavior of the personnel so that the organizations mission and objectives are accomplished. In the IT Company, they need to establish good relationship with their staff, give good compensation and benefits, provide them with the best training, promotion, and others so that they will be motivated and become more effective and contribute to the success of the organization. The last function is controlling which refers to the process of establishing the performance standards according to the companys objectives, comparing and taking preventive or corrective action as necessary. The controlling function involves evaluating and reporting the actual job performance of their staff. It is important that these points be studied and further corrective and preventive actions can be decided. In solving performance problems, there is a need for manag ement to higher their standards, speak to the employee on any problem that hinders him/her to work excellently, and check any other problems that may affect performance. Effective and efficient management leads to success, the success where it attains the objectives and goals of the organizations. (Pakhare, J. 2007). In achieving the ultimate goal, management has to be creative in solving problems in all the four functions. References http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample_chapter/140511181X/Dobson_strategic%20management_sample%20chapter.pdf http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Definition-Strategic-Management/127324 http://managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/basics.htm http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Importance-of-Business-Strategy-Planning/156896 http://www.articlesbase.com/strategic-planning-articles/four-functions-of-management-outsource-technology-377102.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070510055850AAFFm0y http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.html

Lincolns Legacy :: essays research papers

Lincoln's Legacy A legacy is something that is passed down from a predecessor. Lincoln's legacy is the teachings that he had wanted all of us, as American citizens, to live by. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln explained what our responsibilities as American citizens are. His concepts tie all off U.S. history together and aid the prosperity of our country. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln stated that all men are created equal. He was restating the beliefs of Thomas Jefferson when Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln was trying to explain to us that unity plays a major role in our lives. Just as Jefferson stated many years previously, we must treat all men as our brothers in order to keep the American society united. Lincoln also stated that a great civil war is something that is very difficult for a nation to endure. The Constitution states that we must create and maintain a more perfect union. That is impossible when we are fighting against ourselves. Lincoln said that "A house divided against itself can not stand." This is what James Madison, "the father of the constitution," meant in the constitution. We must compromise to solve our disagreements and keep our country together. The idea that many men had died for our country and that we should not forget them was strongly emphasized in he Gettysburg Address. In the Bill of Rights it is conveyed that no person should be deprived of their basic rights. These men that died in order that we could all be sovereign, and that nobody could own anyone else, were deprived of everything when their lives were taken. It is our responsibility to never forget what they have so bravely done for us.

Science in Shelleys Frankenstein :: Frankenstein Essays

Science in Shelley's Frankenstein    In Shelley's Frankenstein, it's interesting to use the text to ask the question, whose interest's lie at the heart of science?   Why is Victor Frankenstein motivated to plunge the questions that bringing life to inanimate matter can bring?   Victor Frankenstein's life was destroyed because of an obsession with the power to create life where none had been before.   The monster he created could be seen as a representation of all those who are wronged in the selfish name of science.   We can use Shelley's book to draw parallels in our modern society, and show that there is a danger in the impersonal relationship that science creates between the scientist and his work.   It seems to me that Shelley was saying that when science is done merely on the basis of discovery without thought to the affect that the experimentation can have, we risk endangering everything we hold dear.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When describing the monster he had created, Frankenstein says: No mortal could support the horror of that countenance.   A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch.   I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived. (Shelley, 235)    This was Victor's response to the reaching out of the monster towards Victor on the night of his creation.   Victor, who for months had worked on this creation, was suddenly confronted with the results of his scientific pursuit.   He had labored night and day in an effort to do something that had never been done by man before.   He had figured out the scientific way to bring life to that which was dead, so he blindly went forth and did it.   He never really stopped to think what the consequences of his action might be.   He knows that the creature he is making is ugly, but he never wonders what will happen to the creature after he is brought to life as a result of that ugliness.   The monster is made oversized so it's easier for Victor to work on him, yet no thought is taken about how the creature might feel about such a form.

Airfield lighting

Decennial sensors detect movements of aircraft and there vehicles on the ground. The signals from individual lights and sensors are communicated via FALL and are comprehensively visualized for the operators in the tower through an ALAS. FALL enables the controllers to optimize the use of the entire airfield lighting system: through flexible control of each segment of the runway, taxiway and apron circuits, every component and individual lamp is exactly controllable.As such, FALL provides excellent tools to perform control of aircraft ground movements: taxiway routing, Stoppard control, runway incursion detection are now available for the operators in the tower. Safety of air traffic movements and number of slots per day are significantly increased with this modern and reliable control system. Using the power supply series circuit for reliable and high-speed communication between substation and individual lamps, FALL detects and supervises the actual status of each lamp and provides c omplete detailed information to the operational control station.FALL continuously monitors all lamps controlled via the system and identifies a lamp failure immediately, indicating the exact position of the failed lamp. As a result, the need for regular visual inspections is reduced and overall maintenance performance can be improved. In order to prevent collisions on the reside movement area, CIAO prescribes the implementation of an (Advanced) Surface Movement Guidance and Control System) – (A)SMOCKS is a modern control and monitoring system for the guidance of aircraft on the ground.The solutions offered by Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems Airfield meet all legal and operational requirements in this field of application. Thanks to sophisticated navigational aids for air traffic control, aircraft can take off and land under almost all weather conditions. However, when traffic on the ground is lowed down, high-volume airborne operations are put in Jeopardy: Visibility cond itions of less than mm generally delay aircraft ground movements and reduce the total capacity of the airport.SUMS identifies each aircraft, provides continuous surveillance and monitoring of taxiing traffic; determines conflict-free taxiway routes automatically and uses visual signals to guide aircraft and vehicles reliably. And in case of route deviations, it warns pilots or drivers immediately. The comprehensive SMOCKS control and monitoring functionality provides controllers with tools to enhance airport safety, efficiency and availability – under all visibility conditions.Tower ALAS Airfield Lighting Control and Monitoring Systems Airfield Lighting Control Systems (ALAS) allow air traffic controllers (TACT) to monitor and operate a range of lighting functions from the control tower, at the same time providing them with valuable feedback on the performance status of system lighting equipment. Surface Movement Guidance and Control System CIAO has specified the provision of (advanced) surface movement guidance and control systems (A-)SMOCKS to avoid collisions on the ground. Siemens/DAB is doing its part to help airports to fulfill these requirements.In the late asses the problems of transition from the new precision radio instrument approach aids to the final, visual approach at night or in reduced visibility much exercised civil aviation. Various high-intensity approach lighting systems were developed to ease the transition from instrument to visual flight. In 1949 three competing systems – a British one (the Calvert system), a French one (a form of displaced Calvert system) and an American one (the Slope Line system) were presented to CIAO. Because each system had its supporters among the CIAO members, CIAO ended up recommending that any of the three systems could be adopted.Independently, and before the CIAO decision, DACCA engineers had also been studying the problem of approach lighting and had concluded that the British ‘Calvert' s ystem was superior. A trial installation was installed on Session's Runway 08 toward the end of 1951. This trial proved successful and the system was commissioned for operational use in 1953. The following information about the Calvert cross bar lighting system is based on an article High Intensity Approach Lighting by S W Hart (DACCA Sectional Airways Engineer) which appeared in the Civil Aviation Joanna, the Dacca house publication, Volvo 1, No 3, March 1951.In 1946 Mr. E S Calvert of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Breakthrough, was requested by a UK Ministry of Civil Aviation Airfield Lighting Committee to investigate the problem of approach lighting and establish the general principles involved. Calvert tackled the problem by attempting to ascertain the visual and mental processes by which a pilot lands an aircraft. He then developed a theoretical model by which different lighting systems could be compared, and tested his theoretical results using simulation.Culvert's line of reasoning led him to the conclusion that to provide smooth transition room instrument to visual flying without optical illusions, and to provide sensitive and natural indications which could easily be interpreted by the average pilot, the approach lighting pattern should consist of a centre line of light with horizontal bars basic elements – a line of lights leading to the runway threshold, and horizontal lights to define the attitude of the aircraft. Calvert placed much stress on roll guidance compared with the Americans who, up to that time, had completely neglected it.He was the first to realism that it was easy to confuse lateral displacement with angle of ann.. The Calvert system does not indicate a defined glide path, but the widths of the horizon bars are such that, if a pilot maintains a glide that will take him to the correct touch down point, each bar will appear to be the same width as the previous one as it disappears under the nose of the aircraft. Distance is i ndicated by using single lights in the centre line to indicate 1000 Ft or less from the threshold, double lights for 1000-2000 Ft and triple lights for 2000-3000 Ft.It is interesting to note that the basic form of the Calvert cross bar lighting system still forms the basis for high- intensity approach lighting systems today. Diagrams above: With horizon bars the pilot can see if he is on an even keel (left) or banked right wing down to turn on to the centre line (right). Below: A modified form of the basic High Intensity Approach Lighting system is used on some capital city precision approach (ILLS) runways, in this case on Melbourne/Utilitarian's Runway 27.The main difference is the larger array of lights Just prior to the threshold. Runway Edge Lights are used to outline the edges of runways during periods of darkness or restricted visibility conditions. These light systems are classified according to the intensity they are capable of producing: High Intensity Runway Lights (HIRE) Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MARL) Low Intensity Runway Lights (LIRA) The HIRE and MARL systems have variable intensity controls, whereas the Liars normally have one intensity setting.Runway Edge Lights are white, except on instrument runways where yellow replaces white on the last 2,000 feet or half the runway length, whichever is less, to form a caution zone for landings. The lights marking the ends of the runway emit red light toward the runway to indicate the end of runway to a departing aircraft and emit green outward from the runway end to indicate the threshold to landing aircraft. Lighting (ARC) or Pilot Activated Lighting (PAL), is a technical system by which aircraft pilots can control the lighting of an airport or airfield's, approach lights, runway edge lights, and taxiways via radio.PC systems are most common at non- towered or little-used airfields where it is not economical to light the runways all night every night nor to maintain staff to turn the runway lightin g on and off as needed. PC enables pilots to control the lighting only when they require it, thereby saving electricity and reducing light pollution. If the airfield supports PC, the pilot test the radio to the ARC frequency for the airport, which is often, but not always, the same as the UNISOM/ACTA frequency (e. . Smiths Falls-Montague Airport hosts separate Unisom and ARC frequencies). The systems are then typically operated by performing a series of clicks with the radio microphone talk button. PC systems most often have three settings: Low intensity: Three clicks within seven seconds Medium intensity: Five clicks within seven seconds High intensity: Seven clicks within seven seconds When the lighting system is activated, a 15-minute countdown starts, after which the sights turn off.While the lights are still active, whenever a lighting command is issued, whether it changes the lighting intensity or not, the 15-minute countdown is reset. At some airfields, special lights may bli nk for ten seconds to warn pilots before the lights shut off. When using PC, it is very highly recommended that aircraft on final approach to the airfield issue a fresh lighting command even if the lights are already on (especially if the lights were activated by another aircraft). This is so that the lighting does not go off by surprise at a critical moment (such as when crossing he runway threshold).The Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASS) is a system of lights on the side of an airport runway that provides visual descent guidance information during the approach to a runway. These lights may be visible from up to eight kilometers (five miles) during the day and up to 32 kilometers (20 miles) or more at night. Contents [hide] 1 Types 1. 1 Standard VASS 1. 2 API (Precision Approach Path Indicator) 1. 3 PASS' (Pulsating Visual Approach Slope Indicator) 1. 4 Trio-colored VASS 2 Mnemonics 3 Reference 4 See also 5 External links [edit] Types Standard Visual Approach Slope IndicatorBas ic visual approach slope indicators consist of two sets of lights. One set marks the start of the runway, while the other is set up some seven meters (twenty feet) along the runway. Each set of lights is designed so that the lights appear as either white or red, depending on the angle at which the lights are viewed. When the pilot is approaching the lights at the proper angle, meaning he is on the glide slope, the first set of lights appears white and the second set appears red.When both sets appear white, he is flying too high, and when both appear red he is flying too low. This is the cost common type of visual approach slope indicator system. [edit] API (Precision Approach Path Indicator) Main article: Precision Approach Path Indicator Precision Approach Path Indicator consist of four sets of lights in a line perpendicular to the runway, usually mounted to the left side of the runway. These have a similar purpose to basic visual approach slope indicators, but the additional light s serve to show the pilot how far off the glide slope the aircraft is.When the lights show White- White-Red-Red the aircraft is on the correct glide slope for landing, usually 3. 00. Three red lights (White-Red-Red-Red) indicate that the aircraft is slightly below glide slope (2. 80), while four red lights (Red-Red-Red-Red) indicate that the aircraft is significantly below glide slope (3. 50). Most large airports utilize this system. Although most airports use a API based on a 3. 00 glide slope, some airports may use a glide slope as great as 4. 50 in order to have proper obstruction clearance. Edit] PASS' (Pulsating Visual Approach Slope Indicator) This is a single light next to the runway. The signal format is solid white when established on the proper descent profile, and solid red when below the proper scent profile. An actively pulsing red or white light when well above or well below allows the pilot to determine his position in the signal format and what corrective action is n eeded to return to the proper descent profile. [edit] Trio-colored VASS This is a single light that appears amber above the glide slope, green on the glide slope and red below it.It is rarely used, partly because pilots who are unfamiliar with them have been known to misinterpret the lights, causing them to ‘correct' in the wrong direction. [edit] Mnemonics Older Visual Approach Slope Indicator Pilots often use mnemonics to help them remember basic information. In English, the following are common: Red over white, you're all right. White over white, you're out of sight. Alternative: White over white, you'll fly all night. Alternative: White over white, you're high as a kite. Alternative: White over white, you remain in flight. Red over red, you're dead.Alternative: Red over red, watch your head. Also Red red you're dead Red and white you're alright White and white you're as high as a kite Runway End Identifier Lights (REEL) are installed at many airports to provide rapid and p ositive identification of the approach end of a particular runway. The system consists of a pair of synchronized flashing lights located laterally on each side of the runway threshold. Reels may be either unidirectional or unidirectional facing the approach area. They are effective for: Identification of a runway surrounded by a preponderance of other lighting.Identification of a runway which lacks contrast with surrounding terrain. Identification of a runway during reduced visibility. An approach lighting system, or ALLS, is a lighting system installed on the approach end of an airport runway and consists of a series of lighters, strobe lights, or a ambition of the two that extends outward from the runway end. ALLS usually serves a runway that has an instrument approach procedure (PAP) associated with it and allows the pilot to visually identify the runway environment once he or she has arrived at a prescribed point on an approach.The runway lighting is controlled by the air traffi c control tower. At uncontrolled airports, Pilot Controlled Lighting may be installed which can be switched on by the pilot via radio. In both cases, the brightness of the lights can be adjusted for day and night operations. A key ingredient of all Approach Lighting Systems in the US is the Decision Bar. The Decision Bar is always located 1000†² from the threshold, and it serves as a visible horizon to ease the transition from instrument flight to visual flight.It also is situated such that at Decision Altitude, the Decision Bar is Just appearing to pass under the cowling of the plane. Approach Light Systems are designed such that they allow the pilot to quickly and positively identify visibility distances in Instrument meteorological conditions. For example, if the aircraft is at the Middle Marker, and the Middle Marker is located 3600†² from the threshold, the Decision Bar is 2600†² ahead. If the reoccurred calls for at least 1/2 statute mile flight visibility (roug hly 2600†²), spotting the Decision Bar at the marker would indicate enough flight visibility to continue the procedure.In addition, the shorter bars before and after the Decision Bar are spaced either 100†² or 200†² apart depending on the ALLS type. The number of short bars the pilot can see can be used to determine flight visibility. Approaches with lower minimums use the more precision 100†² spacing systems for more accurate identification of visibility. Several ALLS configurations are recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (CIAO); however, non-standard ALLS