Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis - Case Study Example With industry analysis we have estimated few companies ROE who are performing significantly for long time. For example: In scale of ROE (Return on Equity) GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) presents .46, .45, NOVARTIS presents .151, .140 and Abbott presents .203, .198 for the consecutive year 2010 and 2011. In this comparative positioning among the competitor’s Abbott can sustain with ROE, which will eventually protect asset and efficiency improvement in the long run. With the global recession this ROE ratio appears a slowdown in recent years, which is accurate in compare to other ratio like ROA, which came across the result as the recent years are higher than previous, this present’s short term affect of business operation than long term picture of existing activities. For a manufacturing company the model we can get most viable to implement is â€Å"Reduce operating expenses and staff salaries†. In recent competition, price of the products are increasing due to different raw materials and fuel price increases, besides these when operating and staff salaries become good amount product price gets uncontrollable and business may lose its market for high price. Under these conditions implementing commission based model would be a bigger save for the manufacturing companies for the long term sustenance, in terms of price control. Commission based activities and fulltime urgent functionalities have to be separated to identify the weight of the assignment or the internal task. There are some sorts of activities which can be best performed upon task performance commission basis, instead of continuous salary whether there are sufficient need of particular skill or not. For example machine operator of the core item needs to be employed in salary bas is, but the market seller as well as product design and development research activities has to be commission based on specific amount to complete the task

Survey and question design Essay Example for Free

Survey and question design Essay Initial design considerations Before you design your survey Clearly articulate the goals of your survey. Why are you running a survey? What, specifically, will you do with the survey results? How will the information help you improve your customers experience with your agency? Make sure that each question will give you the right kind of feedback to achieve your survey goals. When in doubt, contact a statistician or survey expert for help with survey and question design. Survey design The opening should introduce the survey, explain who is collecting the feedback and why. You should also include some reasons for participation, and share details about the confidentiality of the information you are collecting. The introduction should set expectations about survey length and estimate the time it will take someone to complete. Opening questions should be easy to answer, to increase participant trust and encourage them to continue answering questions. Ensure questions are relevant to participants, to reduce abandonment. To minimize confusion, questions should follow a logical flow, with similar questions grouped together. Keep your survey short and to the point fewer questions will deliver a higher response rate. If you have sensitive questions, or questions requesting personal information, include them towards the end of the survey, after trust has been built. Thank your participants after theyve completed the survey. Test your survey with a small group before launch. Have participants share what they are thinking as they fill out each question, and make improvements where necessary. Question design  Keep questions short and easy to read. The longer and more complex the questions, the less accurate feedback youll get. This is particularly true of phone surveys. Keep questions easy to answer, otherwise participants may abandon the survey, or provide incorrect information (e.g., giving the same  answer/value for all questions, simply to get through the survey). Keep required questions to a minimum. If a participant can’t or doesn’t want to answer a required question, they may abandon the survey. Use a consistent rating scale (e.g., if 5=high and 1=low, keep this consistent throughout all survey questions). For rating scales, make sure your scale is balanced (e.g., provide an equal number of positive and negative response options). Label each point in a response scale to ensure clarity and equal weight to each response option. For closed-ended questions, include all possible answers, and make sure there is no overlap between answer options. Use consistent word choices and definitions throughout the survey. Avoid technical jargon and use language familiar to participants. Be as precise as possible to avoid word choice confusion. Avoid words like â€Å"often† or â€Å"rarely†, which may mean different things to different people. Instead, use a precise phrase like â€Å"fewer than three times per week.† Try to construct the questions as objectively as possible. Common survey question types and examples Multiple choice questions Questions with two or more answer options. Useful for all types of feedback, including collecting demographic information. Answers can be yes/no or a choice of multiple answers. Beware of leaving out an answer option, or using answer options that are not mutually exclusive. Example 1: Are you a U.S. Citizen? Yes / No Example 2: How many times have you called our agency about this issue in the past month? Once Twice Three times More than three times Dont know/not sure Rank order scale questions Questions that require the ranking of potential answer choices by a specific characteristic. These questions can provide insight into how important something is to a customer. Best in online or paper surveys, but doesnt work too well in phone surveys. Rating scale questions Questions that use a rating scale for responses. This type of question is useful for determining the prevalence of an attitude, opinion, knowledge or behavior. There are two common types of scales: Likert scale Participants are typically asked whether they agree or disagree with a statement. Responses often range from â€Å"strongly disagree† to â€Å"strongly agree,† with five total answer options. (For additional answer options, see table below.) Each option is ascribed a score or weight (1 = strong disagree to 5 = strongly agree), and these scores can be used in survey response analysis. For scaled questions, it is important to include a â€Å"neutral† category (â€Å"Neither Agree nor Disagree† below). Guidelines for using a 5-point scale Semantic differential scale In a question using a semantic differential scale, the ends of the scale are labeled with contrasting statements. The scales can vary, typically using either five or seven points. Open-ended questions Questions where there are no specified answer choices. These are particularly helpful for collecting feedback from your participants about their attitudes or opinions. However, these questions may require extra time or can be challenging to answer, so participants may skip the questions or abandon the survey. In addition, the analysis of open-ended questions can be difficult to automate, and may require extra time or resources to review. Consider providing extra motivation to elicit a response (e.g., â€Å"Your comments will help us improve our website†) and ensure there is enough space for a complete response. Example: What are two ways we could have improved your experience with our agency today? We take your feedback very seriously and review comments daily. Avoid these common question design pitfalls Asking two questions at once (double-barreled questions) Example: How satisfied are you with the hours and location of our offices? [ 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied] You wont be able to tell whether the participant is responding about the time, or the location, so you should ask this as two separate questions. Leaving out a response choice Example: How many times in the past month have you visited our website? [ 0 1-2 3-4 5 or more] Always include an option for not applicable or don’t know, since some people will not know or remember, and if they guess, their answer will skew the results. Leading questions Based on their structure, certain questions can â€Å"lead† participants to a specific response: Example: This agency was recently ranked as number one in customer satisfaction in the federal government. How satisfied are you with your experience today? [ 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied] The first statement influences the response to the question by providing additional information that leads respondents to a positive response, so you should leave that text out. Built-in assumptions Questions that assume familiarity with a given topic: Example: This website is an improvement over our last website. [ 1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree] This question assumes that the survey participant has experience with the earlier version of the website. Tips for technology-based surveys Skip logic or conditional branching When creating technology-based surveys, skip logic can be helpful. Skip logic enables you to guide participants to a specific follow-up question, based on a response to an earlier question. This technique can be used to minimize non-relevant questions for each participant, and for filtering out survey participants. For example, if you are looking for U.S. citizens only to fill out certain parts of your survey, anyone who answers â€Å"no† to the question â€Å"Are you a U. S. citizen?† can be skipped to the next relevant section.

The Red Badge of Courage :: essays research papers

The Red Badge of Courage, by it’s very title, is infested with color imagery and color symbols. While Crane uses color to describe, he also allows it to stand for whole concepts. Gray, for example, describes both the literal image of a dead soldier and Henry Fleming’s vision of the sleeping soldiers as corpses and comes to stand for the idea of death. In the same way, red describes both the soldiers’ physical wounds and Henry’s mental vision of battle. In the process, it gains a symbolic meaning which Crane will put an icon like the ‘red badge of courage’. Stephen Crane uses color in his descriptions of the physical and the non-physical and allows color to take on meanings ranging from the literal to the figurative. Stephen Crane begins the novel with a description of the fields in the morning: â€Å" As the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened, and began to tremble with eagerness at the noise of rumors† (1). The fog clears to reveal the literal green world of grass. It also reveals another green world, the world of the youth. Like school children, the young soldier tells rumors within the regiment. This natural setting provides an ironic place for killing, just as these men seem to be the wrong ones fighting in the Civil War. Stephen Crane says something on this in the narrative: â€Å" He was aware that these battalions with their commotions were woven red and startling into the gentle fabric of the softened greens and browns. It looked to be a wrong place for the battlefield† (26).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Green is an image of the natural world and of the army’s youth, while red in the previous quote is clearly and image of battle. In the beginning, however, Crane uses red to describe distant campfires: â€Å"†¦one could see across the red, eye-like gleam of the hostile campfires set in the low brows of the distant hills† (1). Obviously, the fires are red, but Henry characterizes the blazes as the enemy’s glowing eyes. He continues this metaphor in the second chapter: â€Å" From across the river, the deep red eyes were still peering† (15). Crane then transforms this metaphor into arrogance used throughout the text: â€Å"Staring once at the red eyes across the river, he conceived then to be growing larger, as the orbs of a row of dragons advancing† (16). The red campfires come to represent eyes of the enemy, of dragons.

Micro Economics Essay

When external costs are present, the market equilibrium use of natural resources is inefficient because the social benefit is less than the social cost. Positive externalities or external benefits impose a positive effect on the third party. Eg: Vaccinations provide a direct benefit to the patient and a spillover effect to the other people. MMR vaccination is given to patients to prevent them from contracting the disease Source: Business Economics Slides The demand curve (D1) depicts the price patients are willing to spend on the MMR vaccination to receive the benefit of a reduced probability of infection. Supply curve S reflects the quantities of shots suppliers offer for sale at different price levels. An equilibrium point E1 the market fails to achieve an efficient allocation of resources. MMR vaccination has a spillover effect which will benefit society by reducing the likelihood of spreading the diseases. D2 reflects the new demand curve which includes the external benefit to non-consumers with efficient equilibrium E2. At this point suppliers devote greater resources to the immunization avoiding under allocation of resources. Negative externalities or external cost impose a negative effect on the third party. Eg: Offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in severe negative externalities such pollution. Source: Business Economics slides The demand curve D1and supply curve S1 reflect the market equilibrium which is inefficient since it fails to acknowledge the negative externalities produced. The absence of the cost of oil spills in the price of offshore oil means that firms produce more output than socially desirable. Includes the cost of oil spills the equilibrium price rises to P2 and the quantity becomes Q2. E2 reflects the full cost including the environmental cost associated with the activity. (b) Why does a good or service become a public good or service? (2. 5 marks) A product or service that an individual can consume without reducing its availability to another individual which can be collectively consumed from which no one is excluded. National security, sewer systems and public parks are all examples of public goods. Explain why each of the following examples are either public goods or services, or private goods or services? (? mark each correct classification and ? marks for each reason). Item Public/ Private Explanation A privately owned enginerring and material research laboratory undertaking contractual research on weapons development; Private The nature of the organisation being a private entitty which charges a fee for its services and the fact that two critierias of non excludability and non-rivalrous are not satisfied. The quaranteen service; Public Pure public service since it can be collectively consumed and its non excludability making it avaible to every citizen. A toll road originally financed through government debt Semi Public Fee is charged for usage therfore does not satidfy the non excludability criteria, however was financed through the government. Courses offerred by a fee charging privately owned teaching institution that receives some government funding Semi Public Price charged indicates its not acessable to everyone however recives government funding offering a reduced rate to the students.

Hard to Be Fair

BEST PRACTICE Everyone knows that being fair costs little and pays off handsomely. Then why do so few executives manage to behave fairly, even though most want to? Why It’s So Hard to Be Fair by Joel Brockner W hen Company A had to downsize,it spent considerable amounts of money providing a safety net for its laid-off workers. The severance package consisted of many weeks of pay, extensive outplacement counseling, and the continuation of health insurance for up to one year. But senior managers never explained to their staff why these layoffs were necessary or how they chose which jobs to eliminate.What’s more, the midlevel line managers who delivered the news to terminated employees did so awkwardly, mumbling a few perfunctory words about â€Å"not wanting to do this† and then handing them off to the human resources department. Even the people who kept their jobs were less than thrilled about the way things were handled. Many of them heard the news while driving home on Friday and had to wait until Monday to learn that their jobs were secure. Nine months later, the company continued to sputter.Not only did it have to absorb enormous legal costs defending against wrongful termination suits, but it also had to make another round of layoffs, in large part because employee productivity and morale plummeted after the ? rst round was mishandled. When Company B downsized, by contrast, it didn’t offer nearly as generous a severance package. But senior managers there explained the strategic purpose of the layoffs multiple times before they were implemented, and executives and middle managers alike made themselves available to answer questions and express regret both to those who lost their jobs and to those who remained.Line managers worked with HR to tell people that their jobs were being eliminated, and they exharvard business review 122 pressed genuine concern while doing so. As a result, virtually none of the laid-off employees ? led a wr ongful termination lawsuit. Workers took some time to adjust to the loss of their former colleagues, but they understood why the layoffs had happened. And within nine months, Company B’s performance was better than it had been before the layoffs occurred.Although Company A spent much more money during its restructuring, Company B exhibited much greater process fairness. In other words, employees at Company B believed that they had been treated justly. From minimizing costs to strengthening performance, process fairness pays enormous dividends in a wide variety of organizational and people-related challenges. Studies show that when managers practice process fairness, their employees march 2006 respond in ways that bolster the organization’s bottom line both directly and indirectly.Process fairness is more likely to generate support for a new strategy, for instance, and to foster a culture that promotes innovation. What’s more, it costs little ? nancially to imple ment. In short, fair process makes great business sense. So why don’t more companies practice it consistently? This article examines that paradox and offers advice on how to promote greater process fairness in your organization. The Business Case for Fair Process Ultimately, each employee decides for him or herself whether a decision has been made fairly.But broadly speaking, there are three drivers of process fairness. One is how much input employees believe they have in the decision- making process: Are their opinions requested and given serious consideration? Another is how employees believe decisions are made and implemented: Are they consistent? Are they based on accurate information? Can mistakes be corrected? Are the personal biases of the decision maker minimized? Is ample advance notice given? Is the decision process transparent? The third factor is how managers behave: Do they explain why a decision was made?Do they treat employees respectfully, actively listening t o their concerns and empathizing with their points of view? It’s worth noting that process fairness is distinct from outcome fairness, which refers to employees’ judgments of the bottom-line results of their exchanges with their employers. Process fairness doesn’t ensure that employees will always get what they want; but it does 123 OLEG DERGACHOV B E S T P R A C T I C E †¢ W h y I t’s S o H a rd t o B e Fa i r mean that they will have a chance to be heard.Take the case of an individual who was passed over for a promotion. If he believes that the chosen candidate was quali? ed, and if his manager has had a candid discussion with him about how he can be better prepared for the next opportunity, chances are he’ll be a lot more productive and engaged than if he believes the person who got the job was the boss’s pet, or if he received no guidance on how to move forward. When people feel hurt by their companies, they tend to retaliate. And w hen they do, it can have grave consequences.A study of nearly 1,000 people in the mid-1990s, led by Duke’s Allan Lind and Ohio State’s Jerald Greenberg, found that a major determinant of whether employees sue for wrongful termination is their perception of how fairly the termination process was carried out. Only 1% of ex-employees who felt that they were treated with a high degree of process fairness ? led a wrongful termination lawsuit versus 17% of those who believed they were treated with a low degree of process fairness. To put that in monetary terms, the expected cost savings of practicing process fairness is $1. 8 million for every 100 employees dismissed. That ? gure–which was calculated using the 1988 rate of $80,000 as the cost of legal defense – is a conservative estimate, since in? ation alone has caused legal fees to swell to more than $120,000 today. So, although we can’t calculate the precise ? nancial cost of practicing fair process, it’s safe to say that expressing genuine concern and treating dismissed employees with dignity is a good deal more affordable than not doing so. Customers, too, are less likely to ? le suit against a service provider if they believe they’ve been treated with process fairness.In 1997, medical researcher Wendy Levinson and her colleagues found that patients typically do not sue their doctors for malpractice simply Joel Brockner ([email  protected] edu) is the Phillip Hettleman Professor of Business at Columbia Business School in New York. 124 because they believe that they received poor medical care. A more telling factor is whether the doctor took the time to explain the treatment plan and to answer the patient’s questions with consideration – in short, to treat patients with process fairness.Doctors who fail to do so are far more likely to be slapped with malpractice suits when problems arise. In addition to reducing legal costs, fair process cuts down on employee theft and turnover. A study by management and human resources professor Greenberg examined how pay cuts were Using process fairness, companies could spend a lot less money and still have more satis? ed employees. handled at two manufacturing plants. At one, a vice president called a meeting at the end of the workweek and announced that the company would implement a 15% pay cut, across the board, for ten weeks.He very brie? y explained why, thanked employees, and answered a few questions – the whole thing was over in 15 minutes. The other plant implemented an identical pay cut, but the company president made the announcement to the employees. He told them that other cost-saving options, like layoffs, had been considered but that the pay cuts seemed to be the least unpalatable choice. The president took an hour and a half to address employees’ questions and concerns, and he repeatedly expressed regret about having to take this step.Greenberg found that durin g the ten-week period, employee theft was nearly 80% lower at the second plant than at the ? rst, and employees were 15 times less likely to resign. Many executives turn to money ? rst to solve problems. But my research shows that companies can reduce ex- penses by routinely practicing process fairness. Think about it: Asking employees for their opinions on a new initiative or explaining to someone why you’re giving a choice assignment to her colleague doesn’t cost much money. Of course, companies should continue to offer tangible assistance to employees as well.Using process fairness, however, companies could spend a lot less money and still have more satis? ed employees. Consider the ? nancial fallout that occurs when expatriates leave their overseas assignments prematurely. Conventional wisdom says that expats are more likely to leave early when they or their family members don’t adjust well to their new living conditions. So companies often go to great expen se to facilitate their adjustment – picking up the tab for housing costs, children’s schooling, and the like.In a 2000 study of 128 expatriates, human resources consultant Ron Garonzik, Rutgers Business School professor Phyllis Siegel, and I found that the expats’ adjustment to various aspects of their lives outside work had no effect on their intentions to depart prematurely if they believed that their bosses generally treated them fairly. In other words, high process fairness induced expats to stick with an overseas assignment even when they were not particularly enthralled with living abroad. In a similar vein, some companies have devised expensive solutions to help employees cope with the stress of modern work.They’ve set up on-site day care centers and sponsored stress management workshops to help reduce absenteeism and burnout. Those efforts are laudable, but process fairness is also an effective strategy. When Phyllis Siegel and I surveyed nearly 3 00 employees from dozens of organizations, we found that work/life con? ict had no measurable effect on employees’ commitment– as long as they felt that senior executives provided good reasons for their decisions and treated them with dignity and respect. Of course, executives should not simply emphasize process fairness over tanharvard business reviewW h y I t’s S o H a rd t o B e Fa i r †¢ B E S T P R A C T I C E gible support. Determining exactly how much tangible support to provide is perhaps best captured by the law of diminishing returns. Beyond a moderate level of ? nancial assistance, practicing process fairness proves much more cost effective because, although money does talk, it doesn’t say it all. Fair Process as a Performance Booster Process fairness can not only minimize costs but can also help to increase value, inspiring operational managers to carry out a well-founded strategic plan eagerly or embrace, rather than sabotage, an organiz ational change.This form of value is less tangible than direct reduction of expenses, but it affects the bottom line nonetheless. The fact is, most strategic and organizational change initiatives fail in their implementation, not in their conception. Several years ago, I worked with the CEO of a ? nancial services institution that needed a major restructuring. The bank’s operational managers, however, were showing signs of resistance that threatened to stop the process dead in its tracks. I advised the CEO and his senior management team to conduct several town hall–type meetings and to hold informal focus groups with the operational managers.During those senior managers to respond to the root problem. Moreover, since the operational managers felt respected, they showed a similar level of process fairness with their direct reports during the actual restructuring, making the change go more smoothly. Michael Beer, of Harvard Business School, and Russell Eisenstat, preside nt of the Center for Organizational Fitness, recently provided evidence of how systematically practiced process fairness (embedded in an action-learning egy implementation as well as the shortcomings that could hinder it.Task force members distill the information they gain from these interviews into major themes and feed them back to senior management. Then they discuss how the strategy could be rolled out most effectively. SFP is a model for process fairness: More than 25 companies – including Becton, Dickinson; Honeywell; JPMorgan Chase; Hewlett-Packard; and Merck – have used it with great success to hone the substance of their strategic initiatives and, probably more important, to gain employees’ commitment to making those initiatives happen.Most companies say that they want to promote creativity and innovation, but few use process fairness to achieve those ends. They’re missing out on a great opportunity to create value. Harvard Business School profes sor Teresa Amabile has conducted extensive research on employees working in creative endeavors in order to understand how work environments foster or impede creativity and innovation. She has consistently found that work environments in which employees have a high degree of operational autonomy lead to the highest degree of creativity and innovation.Operational autonomy, of course, can be seen as the extreme version of process fairness. When employees feel that they are heard in the decision-making process, they are more likely to support–rather than merely comply with– those decisions, their bosses, and the organization as a whole. talks, it became clear that the managers felt that the CEO and senior executives failed to appreciate the magnitude of the change they were asking for. Interestingly, the managers didn’t request additional resources; they simply wanted those at the top to recognize their dif? ult plight. By expressing authentic interest, senior execu tives created a trusting environment in which managers felt they could safely voice their true objections to the change effort. That enabled march 2006 methodology known as the strategic ? tness process, or SFP) has helped numerous organizations capture value by getting employees to buy in to strategies. A critical element of SFP is the appointment of a task force consisting of eight well-respected managers from one or two levels below senior management.Their job is to interview roughly 100 employees from different parts of the company to learn about the organizational strengths that are apt to facilitate strat- The nature of organizations, though, means that few (if any) employees can have complete operational autonomy – just about everyone has a boss. Creativity and innovation tend to suffer in work environments characterized by low levels of process fairness, such as when employees believe that the organization is strictly controlled by upper management or when they believ e that their ideas will be summarily dismissed. When employees believe that 125B E S T P R A C T I C E †¢ W h y I t’s S o H a rd t o B e Fa i r their supervisor is open to new ideas and that he or she values their contributions to projects, however, creativity and innovation are more likely to ? ourish. Two examples illustrate how process fairness creates value by attracting innovative employees or additional customers. The CEO of a renowned electricalengineering ? rm, for instance, wanted to change the corporate culture to be more receptive to new ideas, so he separated a large group of workers into teams of ten, asking each team to come up with ten ideas for improving the business.Then the team leaders were brought into a room where the company’s executives were gathered and were asked to â€Å"sell† as many of their team’s ideas as possible. The executives, for their part, had been instructed to â€Å"buy†as many ideas as possible. The team leaders swarmed like bees to honey to the few executives who had reputations for being good listeners and open to new ideas. The other executives stood by idly because team leaders assumed from past experience that they wouldn’t listen. One company that used process fairness to create value is Progressive Casualty Insurance.In 1994, the ? rm began to give potential customers comparison rates from two competitors along with its own quotes for auto insurance. Even though Progressive’s rates weren’t always the lowest, the very act of delivering this information created goodwill. Potential customers felt that they were being treated honestly, and the practice drew many new sales. servant, Winston S. Churchill. † After being castigated by his countrymen for the letter’s deferential tone, Churchill is said to have retorted, â€Å"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite. In a change management seminar I’ve taught to more than 40 0 managers, I ask participants to rate themselves on how well they plan and implement organizational change. I also ask the managers’ bosses, peers, direct reports, and customers to rate them. The measure ers were â€Å"lucky enough to still have their jobs. † But economically supporting those who lost their jobs doesn’t cancel out the need to show process fairness to those affected by the change–which, incidentally, includes everyone.Ironically, the fact that process fairness is relatively inexpensive ? nancially may be why this numbers-oriented executive undervalued it. Another reason process fairness may be overlooked is because some of its bene? ts aren’t obvious to executives. Instead of wrestling with uncomfortable emotions, many managers ? nd it easier to sidestep the issue– and the people affected by it–altogether. contains more than 30 items, and managers consistently give themselves the highest marks on the item that measure s process fairness: â€Å"When managing change, I ake extra efforts to treat people with dignity and respect. † Those rating them, however, are not nearly as positive. In fact, this is the only item in which managers’ self-assessments are signi? cantly higher than the ratings they receive from each of their groups. It’s not entirely clear why this perceptual gap exists. Perhaps managers are tuned in to their intentions to treat others respectfully, but they aren’t as good at reading how those intentions come across to others. Or maybe it’s just wishful – and self-serving – thinking.Some managers wrongly believe that tangible resources are always more meaningful to employees than being treated decently. At a cocktail party, the CEO of a major international bank proudly told me about the hefty severance pay his company gave to its laid-off employees. I expressed admiration for his organization’s show of concern toward the people who lost their jobs and then asked what had been done for those who remained. Somewhat defensively, he said that it was only necessary to do something for the employees who were â€Å"affected† by the layoffs.The othSocial psychologist Marko Elovainio of the University of Helsinki and his colleagues recently conducted a study of more than 31,000 Finnish employees, examining the relationship between employees’ negative life events (such as the onset of a severe illness or death of a spouse) and the frequency of sicknessrelated absences from work for the subsequent 30 months. The study showed that the tendency for negative life events to translate into sickness-related absences depended on how much process fairness employees experienced before the events occurred.That is, not being pretreated with process fairness led to absences waiting to happen. Sometimes corporate policies hinder fair process. The legal department may discourage managers from explaining their decisio ns, for instance, on the grounds that disclosure of information could make the company vulnerable to lawsuits. Better not to say anything at all, the thinking goes, than to risk having the information come back to haunt the organization in the courtroom. Clearly, legal considerations about what to communicate are important, but they should not be taken to unnecessary extremes.All too often organizations withhold information (such as the alternatives to downsizing that have harvard business review Why Isn’t Everybody Doing It? With all that process fairness has going for it, one might expect that executives would practice it regularly. Unfortunately, many (if not most) don’t. They’d do well to follow the example of Winston Churchill, who keenly understood the cost-effectiveness of process fairness. On the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Churchill wrote a declaration of war to the Japanese, ending it as follows: â€Å"I have the honour to be, with high con sideration, Sir, Your obedient 126W h y I t’s S o H a rd t o B e Fa i r †¢ B E S T P R A C T I C E been considered) when revealing it would have done far more good. Legal and medical advocates in Hawaii, for instance, are currently drafting a statute that would allow health care professionals to apologize for medical errors without increasing the risk of lawsuits. Doctors often refrain from apologizing for mistakes because they fear that admitting them will anger their patients, who will then be more likely to ? le malpractice suits. In fact, the opposite is true: Patients who feel they’ve been treated disrespectfully ? e more malpractice suits than those who feel they have been treated with dignity. By making apologies for medical mistakes inadmissible during a trial, the law would let doctors express regrets without worrying that doing so would hurt them in court. Managers who unwaveringly believe that knowledge is power may fear that engaging in process fairnes s will weaken their power. After all, if employees have a voice in deciding how things should be run, who needs a manager? Managers sometimes do run the risk of losing power when they involve others in decision making.But usually the practice of process fairness increases power and in? uence. When employees feel that they are heard in the decision-making process, they are more likely to support– rather than merely comply with – those decisions, their bosses, and the organization as a whole. The desire to avoid uncomfortable situations is another reason managers fail to practice process fairness. As Robert Folger of the University of Central Florida has suggested, managers who plan and implement tough decisions often experience con? icting emotions. They might want to approach the affected parties out of sympathy and to explain the hinking behind a decision, but the desire to avoid them is also strong. Andy Molinsky at Brandeis University and Harvard Business Schoolâ₠¬â„¢s Joshua Margolis analyzed why managers ? nd it so hard to perform necessary evils (such as laying off employees and delivering other bad news) with interpersonal sensitivity, which is an important element of process fairness. Leaders in this situation have to manage their own internal dramas, including feelings of guilt (for, say, making poor strategic decisions that led to the downsizing) and anxiety (about having suf? ient interpersonal sensitivity to accomplish the task gracefully). Instead of wrestling with those uncomfortable emotions, many managers ? nd it easier to sidestep the issue–and the people affected by it– altogether. â€Å"Emotional contagion† also comes into play in these situations. Just as we tend to laugh when we see others laugh, even when we don’t know why, we also involuntarily feel anxious or sad when those around us feel that way – and that’s uncomfortable. No wonder so many managers avoid people in emotional pa in. Unfortunately, such avoidance makes it very unlikely that they will practice process fairness.Breadth. Depth. Performance. Leadership. Tuck Executive Program July 22–August 11 Leading high-potential and senior executives to new levels of business performance Gateway to Business Management April 30–May 5 & November 12-17 Delivering skills and perspective functional managers need for advancement Finance Essentials for Senior Managers September 10–15 Offering greater accountability and transparency in your organization New Branding Imperatives May 7–9 Presenting strategies for maximizing brand equity and competitive positioning www. tuck. dartmouth. edu/exec 603-646-2839 tuck. xec. [email  protected] edu B E S T P R A C T I C E †¢ W h y I t’s S o H a rd t o B e Fa i r I can understand how managers feel. Several years ago, I was working with a telecommunications organization after the ? rst layoffs in the company’s history. The CEO an d his senior management team wanted me to talk to the midlevel managers about how the layoffs would affect the people who remained and what they could do to help their direct reports â€Å"get over it. † Feeling betrayed and fearful, however, the midlevel managers were in no mood to help others return to business as usual. They identi? d me with the problem and implied that I was partly responsible for the decision to downsize. That was a moment of real insight for me: Trying to counsel this unhappy and suspicious group, I completely understood the discomfort that managers experience when they’re called on to act compassionately toward people who feel aggrieved. It was much harder than I expected. The senior managers of the company admitted to me that they were tempted to avoid the rank and ? le – partly out of guilt and partly because they doubted whether they would be able to keep a cool enough head to practice process fairness.That’s a natural response , but ignoring negative emotions only keeps them swirling around longer. When senior managers made themselves more accessible to their workforce, employees reacted positively, and the organization developed a renewed sense of purpose. ter able to cope with (and hence not act on) their negative emotions. Furthermore, managers are more likely to endure a dif? cult process when they know that the effort will have a tangible payoff. But it’s not enough for managers to be vaguely aware that process fairness is cost effective. Corporate executives should educate them about all the ? nancial bene? ts, using charts and ? ures, just as they would when making a business case for other important organizational initiatives. Invest in training. Study after study has shown that fair-process training can make a big difference. Subordinates of the trained managers, for instance, are When I was working with an executive at a utility company several years ago, for example, I noticed that she m ade a common mistake: She didn’t tell others that she had seriously considered their opinions before making her decisions, even though she had. I advised her to preface her explanations by saying explicitly that she had â€Å"given their input some serious thought. Six months later, she told me my advice had been priceless. She learned that it’s not enough for executives just to be fair, they also have to be seen as fair. Training is most effective when it’s delivered in several installments rather than all at once. For example, one suc- It’s not enough for executives just to be fair; they also have to be seen as fair. Toward Process Fairness Companies can take several steps to make fair process the norm. Address the knowledge gaps. Managers need to be warned about the negative emotions they might experience when practicing fair process.Merely acknowledging that it is legitimate to feel like ? eeing the scene can help managers withstand the impulse to do so. Studies have shown that people can tolerate negative experiences more easily when they expect them. Just as forewarned surgical patients have been found to experience less postoperative pain, forewarned managers may be bet128 not only signi? cantly less likely to steal or to resign from the organization, but they are also more likely to go the extra mile – aiding coworkers who have been absent, helping orient new employees, assisting supervisors with their duties, and working overtime.Several studies by Jerald Greenberg have even found that employees whose managers underwent process fairness training suffered signi? cantly less insomnia when coping with stressful work conditions. Daniel Skarlicki, of the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, and Gary Latham, of the University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, have identi? ed some factors of an effective process fairness training program. Participants respond better to active guidance than to a lecture on the bene? ts of improved process fairness.That’s why it’s particularly effective to give trainees speci? c instructions on what they need to do and how they need to do it, such as how to detect resistance to a new strategic initiative. After the participants have practiced these behaviors, give them feedback and let them try again. cessful program consisted of a two-hour session each week for eight weeks, along with assigned role-playing homework. That way, participants could receive feedback from instructors during the formal training sessions and from their peers in between meetings.As with most constructive feedback, referring to behaviors (â€Å"You never explained why you made this decision†) rather than to traits (â€Å"You came across as condescending†) proved to be most compelling. Both the process and the outcome of the training need to be communicated to participants – but not at the same time. Before the sessions begin, focus on the outcome. Participants are likely to be far more engaged if they are told that the program will help them gain their employees’ commitment to strategy implementation than if they are told it will help them communicate that they’ve seriously considered other people’s points of view.During the course, however, focus on process. Thinking about expected outcomes (improved strategy implementation, for instance) can distract people from learning the speci? c practical skills they need (such harvard business review as how to involve people in decision making) to achieve the desired results. Finally, it is important for trainees to maintain expectations that are both optimistic and realistic. Once again, the distinction between outcome and process is useful to keep in mind.You can generate optimism by focusing on the outcomes: Touting the improvements that previous trainees have made should help people feel positive about their own chanc es for growth. And you can inject realism by focusing on the process: Behavioral change is dif? cult and rarely takes a linear course. Trainees shouldn’t expect to get better at process fairness day by day; but, if they keep working at it, they will improve. I suggest trainees ask themselves three months after the program if they are practicing process fairness more on average than they were three months prior to it.Conducting after-action reviews also helps managers continue to hone their skills long after the training sessions are over. Make process fairness a top priority. Like most managerial behaviors, the practice of process fairness must begin at the top. When senior managers explain why they have made certain strategic decisions, make themselves available for honest two-way communication with the rank and ? le, involve employees in decision making, provide ample advance notice of change, and treat people’s concerns with respect, the practice of process fairness is likely to spread like wild? e throughout the rest of the organization. By modeling process fairness, senior management does more than communicate organizational values; it also sends a message about â€Å"the art of the possible. † People are more likely to try to tackle dif? cult challenges when they see others whom they respect doing so. In one company that was trying to implement a much-needed restructuring, senior executives effectively served as role models not only by describing the mixed feelings they had about practicing process fairness but also by articulating the process they went through that ultimately convinced them to do march 2006 o. The message they sent was that it was legitimate for operational managers to have mixed emotions, but, at the end of the day, the reasons in favor of practicing process fairness prevailed. In addition to acting as role models, senior managers may communicate the value they place on process fairness by making its practice a leg itimate topic of conversation throughout the organization. I worked with one company, for example, that selected its employee of the month based on process fairness skills as well as bottom-line results.Other organizations have made managers’ annual pay raises partly dependent on 360-degree feedback about how they plan and implement decisions, in which perceptions of process fairness ? gure prominently. Recent corporate scandals show that giving workforces outcome-only directives (â€Å"I don’t care how you get there, just get there†) can be disastrous. Forwardthinking organizations care not only about the outcomes their managers produce but also about the fairness of the process they use to achieve them. This is not a call for micromanagement.Just as there is usually more than one way to produce ? nancial results, there is more than one way to involve people in decision making, to communicate why certain actions are being undertaken, and to express thoughtfulne ss and concern. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ There is a moral imperative for companies to practice process fairness. It is, simply put, the right thing to do. As such, process fairness is the responsibility of all executives, at all levels, and in all functions; it cannot be delegated to HR. But with that moral responsibility comes business opportunity.An executive must minimize the costs of decisions that might threaten employees and maximize the bene? ts of decisions that may be sources of opportunity for them. In both instances, practicing process fairness will help get you there. The sooner you realize it, the better off you and your company will be. Reprint R0603H To order, see page 151. â€Å"A new, surprising, and authoritative take on an important aspect of modern society that most people just don’t know about. † Toby Lester, Deputy Managing Editor, The Atlantic Monthly Fred Reichheld is the godfather of customer loyalty. His new book, The Ultimate Question, continues to push the envelope with innovative, practical ideas. † John Donahoe, President, eBay Marketplace â€Å"Perceptive analysis brought to life by references to real people and real situations. † Kieran C. Poynter, Chairman, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLp AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD, INCLUDING: 5th Ave. & 46th St. , NYC Rockefeller Center 5th Ave. & 48th St. , NYC HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PRESS www. HBSPress. org

Free Essays on Employee Motivation In The Workplace

Employee Motivation in the Workplace Organizational Psychology Motivation is defined in our textbook by the conditions that energize, direct, and sustain work behavior. What is the reason that organizations desire motivated employees? The simple answer is survival. â€Å"Motivated employees are needed in our rapidly changing workplaces. Motivated employees help organizations survive. Motivated employees are more productive. To be effective, managers need to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform. Of all the functions a manager performs, motivating employees is arguably the most complex. This is due in part, to the fact that what motivates employee’s changes constantly. For example, research suggests that as employees’ income increases, money becomes less of a motivator. Also, as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of a motivator.† (Linder, 1998). The first article that I found on employee motivation is called â€Å"Understanding Employee Motivation† by James R. Linder. After an initial introduction to motivation, the author talks about motivation theories such as: Maslow’s need-hierarchy theory, Herzberg’s two-factory theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Adams’ equity theory and Skinner’s reinforcement theory. The next part of the article talks about the definition of motivation, the role of motivation and the purpose for studying motivation. The last part of the article talks about the results from studies about motivation. The ranked order of most important motivating factors are as follows: 1) interesting work, 2) good wages, 3) full appreciation of work done, 4) job security, 5) good working conditions, 6) promotions and growth in the organization, 7) feeling of being in on information at work, 8) personal loyalty to employees, 9) tactful discipline, and 10) sympathetic help with personal problems. The second article that I researched wa... Free Essays on Employee Motivation In The Workplace Free Essays on Employee Motivation In The Workplace Employee Motivation in the Workplace Organizational Psychology Motivation is defined in our textbook by the conditions that energize, direct, and sustain work behavior. What is the reason that organizations desire motivated employees? The simple answer is survival. â€Å"Motivated employees are needed in our rapidly changing workplaces. Motivated employees help organizations survive. Motivated employees are more productive. To be effective, managers need to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform. Of all the functions a manager performs, motivating employees is arguably the most complex. This is due in part, to the fact that what motivates employee’s changes constantly. For example, research suggests that as employees’ income increases, money becomes less of a motivator. Also, as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of a motivator.† (Linder, 1998). The first article that I found on employee motivation is called â€Å"Understanding Employee Motivation† by James R. Linder. After an initial introduction to motivation, the author talks about motivation theories such as: Maslow’s need-hierarchy theory, Herzberg’s two-factory theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Adams’ equity theory and Skinner’s reinforcement theory. The next part of the article talks about the definition of motivation, the role of motivation and the purpose for studying motivation. The last part of the article talks about the results from studies about motivation. The ranked order of most important motivating factors are as follows: 1) interesting work, 2) good wages, 3) full appreciation of work done, 4) job security, 5) good working conditions, 6) promotions and growth in the organization, 7) feeling of being in on information at work, 8) personal loyalty to employees, 9) tactful discipline, and 10) sympathetic help with personal problems. The second article that I researched wa...

Free Essays on Affects Of Divorce On Children

Divorce is becoming an ever present problem in the developing world. Most societies accept the fact that where there is marriage there is divorce, and ours is no different. When one thinks of divorce they no longer think of torn families and broken promises, but lawsuits and child support. Statistics show that in the United States, one out of every two marriages ends in divorce. These climbing rates are alarming. They suggest a divorce epidemic in society today. This epidemic brings upon new economic problems such as the increasing number of single mothers on welfare, but the real concern should be focused on the children involved. Research has looked into the effects divorce has on child and it has been statically proven that a failed marriage brings upon a noticeable affect on the child involved. For many children, the news that their parents are splitting up comes as a complete surprise. Many parents fail to explain to their children what is happening, either because they are too upset, or to relieved to notice the child’s perspective. Many parents are also unequipped to handle the psychological aspects, often treating all children the same despite age. The fact of the matter is age often determines how divorce will affect the kids. Very young children, under the age of three, often don’t understand what is going on. Those a bit older often feel they are to blame, and are afraid of losing the other parent. They cling to their parent, have nightmares, and need endless reassurance. Younger children tend to fantasize a great deal about their parents getting back together whereas for older children, it is a different perspective. Preadolescent children often fail to see divorce as a logical solution and feel that their parents should stay together. For adolescents, divorce may be seen as a relief in some instances, however there is pain. Research indicates, and experts agree that divorce is a very painful transition in ... Free Essays on Affects Of Divorce On Children Free Essays on Affects Of Divorce On Children Divorce is becoming an ever present problem in the developing world. Most societies accept the fact that where there is marriage there is divorce, and ours is no different. When one thinks of divorce they no longer think of torn families and broken promises, but lawsuits and child support. Statistics show that in the United States, one out of every two marriages ends in divorce. These climbing rates are alarming. They suggest a divorce epidemic in society today. This epidemic brings upon new economic problems such as the increasing number of single mothers on welfare, but the real concern should be focused on the children involved. Research has looked into the effects divorce has on child and it has been statically proven that a failed marriage brings upon a noticeable affect on the child involved. For many children, the news that their parents are splitting up comes as a complete surprise. Many parents fail to explain to their children what is happening, either because they are too upset, or to relieved to notice the child’s perspective. Many parents are also unequipped to handle the psychological aspects, often treating all children the same despite age. The fact of the matter is age often determines how divorce will affect the kids. Very young children, under the age of three, often don’t understand what is going on. Those a bit older often feel they are to blame, and are afraid of losing the other parent. They cling to their parent, have nightmares, and need endless reassurance. Younger children tend to fantasize a great deal about their parents getting back together whereas for older children, it is a different perspective. Preadolescent children often fail to see divorce as a logical solution and feel that their parents should stay together. For adolescents, divorce may be seen as a relief in some instances, however there is pain. Research indicates, and experts agree that divorce is a very painful transition in ...

Chinese Traditions and Tips on Etiquette

Chinese Traditions and Tips on Etiquette Learning proper Chinese etiquette takes time and practice. The most important thing to remember is to smile, be sincere, and open-minded. The ability to go with the flow and be patient is essential. The following are some Chinese traditions and etiquette tips. Tips for Making a Great First Impression It is becoming more and more popular to shake hands upon meeting, but oftentimes, a simple nod is how Chinese will greet each other. When a handshake is given, it may be firm or weak but don’t read into the firmness of the handshake as it’s not a sign of confidence like in the West but a simple formality. Avoid hugging or kissing during greetings and farewells. Upon meeting or at the same time as the handshake, a business card is presented with two hands by each person. In China, most name cards are bilingual with Chinese on one side and English on the other. Take a moment to look over the card. It is good manners to make a comment about the information on the card, such as the person’s job title or office location. Read more tips for greetings. Speaking a little Chinese goes a long way. Learning Chinese greetings like ni hao (hello) and ni hao ma (How are you?) will help your relationships and make a good impression. It is acceptable to give a compliment. When receiving a compliment, the typical response should be one of modesty. Instead of saying thank you, it is better to downplay the compliment. If you are meeting for the first time at an office, you will be offered either warm or hot water or hot Chinese tea. Many Chinese prefer to drink hot water because it is believed drinking cold water affects a person’s Qi. Tips about Understanding and Choosing Chinese Names When doing business in China, it is a good idea to select a Chinese name. It can be a simple translation of your English name into Chinese or an elaborately chosen name given with the assistance of a Chinese teacher or fortune teller. Going to a fortune teller to pick a Chinese name is a straightforward process. All that is needed is your name, date of birth, and time of birth. Do not assume that a married Chinese man or woman has the same surname as his or her spouse. While it is becoming more popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan to take or add the man’s name to a woman’s name, most Chinese women typically retain their maiden last names after marriage. Tips on Personal Space The concept of personal space in China is vastly different than in the West. On crowded streets and malls, it is not uncommon for people to bump into strangers without saying ‘Excuse me’ or ‘sorry.’ In Chinese culture, the concept of personal space is much different than the West, especially when standing in line to buy something like train tickets or groceries. It is typical for people in a queue to stand very close together. Leaving a gap just invites other people to cut in line.

Influence of Aristotle on John Stuart Mills and Karl Marxs Studies Essay

Influence of Aristotle on John Stuart Mills and Karl Marxs Studies - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Aristotle believes that all humans are determined to flourish. It is appropriate and desired the end of all human actions. To understand how something functions, you need to understand its nature. Aristotle provides four different human nature aspects. Aristotle is usually quoted saying â€Å"Man is a political creature.† The meaning of Aristotle has a deeper understanding as compared to the known translation. The quote from Aristotle that says â€Å"is a rational being who lives in societies?† provides four different aspects of human nature. The first aspect is referring to the human as physical beings (to mean humans are animals). According to Aristotle, Physical beings require rest, nourishment, exercise, and many others that help in keeping their body to function properly. The second is that the human being referred as emotional beings (to mean they are animals). What differentiate plants from animals, as argued by Aristotle, is that anim als have desires, wants, urges, and reactions. These do not exist in plants. The human being can recognize what they want in the world, and they also possess the power of volition get what they want. Furthermore human can avoid what they dislike. These wants can be complicated for humans, however, at the long run, we all have wants and needs that are obtained from the underlying sources. The third is human is a social being (this is because they live in groups). Human must function and live in various societies. No man can survive by himself and human majorly performs well only in social settings. Human social nature goes in hand with our emotional nature; such that the wants and needs  required by a human can only be attained through the social nature of humanity. For example, human were beings that flourished as hermits, Friendly and trust cooperation needs will not be nearly so urgent. The fourth is that the human is a rational being. To the Greeks, most of the cultures, includ ing the current ones that have made humans human were our rationality. Human is expressive, creative, able to obey reasons and knowledge-seeking. Most of the time human being may not follow reasons, and most of the time may not want to exercise their minds. However, the central part of human existence relates their nature of being a rational animal.

Unit 3 Critical Thinking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit 3 Critical Thinking - Assignment Example To get rid of the continuous complaints and the lack of respectful communication among the staff members, I would come up with a complaint and suggestion box. In this particular box, every nurse who had a complaint could raise it through the box as well as providing the best solution that he/she thinks can solve the matter in question. I would undertake this by making a committee, I being the head of this and deputized by the assistant administrator. Every member of the committee will have his/her well-defined role, and having a mutual agreement of working towards achieving the common goal. The characteristic, in this case, is coming up with the best solutions for the current mess that have overwhelmed the nursing staff in this particular organization. For all the problems raised by the members, the committee would come with the best solution for each and after that arranging for a meeting to be attended by the whole staff. In this meeting, I would outline all the complaints raised and give the solution for each by inviting all the employees to participate in this opening forum. Finally, I would implement the strategies and have a peaceful and committed staff. Personally, this would be a suitable approach for me, in the process of providing optimal quality care for the neonate. â€Å"The application of team building is one of the leadership skills that have emerged to deliver the best outcomes within different organizations† (Holland & Roberts, 2013, p. 73). In this particular scenario, the through teamwork, the two groups realized that indeed they were working towards the achievement of the same goal. â€Å"This is the first and most important step in the process of defining a relationship between the teamwork members† (Lawson & Hennefer, 2010, p. 123). This approach provided a better communication strategy as well as methodology since, in the process of achieving the common goal; providing the most

MGMT345 U4 IP Diversity Training Manual IV Research Paper

MGMT345 U4 IP Diversity Training Manual IV - Research Paper Example Department of Labor, n.d.). The act defines religious beliefs to include both theistic and non-theistic. Title VII requires organisations to accommodate employees whose sincere requirements of his religion conflict with the requirements of the work upon notice of request unless id doing so there will be undue hardship in the workplace. Title VII defines accommodation as an adjustment that will allow the employee to be able to practice his/her religion (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). The need for accommodation may stem from the beliefs of a person conflict with a particular task of the position or the application process. Accommodation requests in most cases relate to work time table, attire, or religious expression at work. Hardship is said to have occurred if the accommodation is costly, can compromise safety at work, reduces work efficiency, infringes on other employees’ rights, and requires fellow employees to do more than their fair share of work that is hazardous or burdensome. Hardship maybe apparent if the accommodation is in violation of the conditions of collective bargaining agreement or job rights through a ranking system. The cost hardship to the organisation must be more than a minimum impact on the organisation. The hardship on an organisation cannot be a speculation but must be genuine (U.S . Department of Labour, n.d.). Orthodox Jews also called Frum Jews consider themselves the guardians of the commandments (Orthodox Jews.com). They are divided into Hasidic and Yeshivish Jews. The word Frum stands for observant (Orhodox-Jews.com). The Hasisdic culture bans people from going to college. Part of Hasidic Jewish culture is remaining segregated which includes being isolated from non Frum Jews. It is part of isolation not to watch tv and in most homes, computers are banned from children. A belief that can be accommodated at work is their dressing which is rather conservative. Another belief that can be accommodated at work is

Discuss the controversies that have occurred around the issue of race Essay

Discuss the controversies that have occurred around the issue of race and intelligence - Essay Example According to scientists, the relation between the two constructs race and intelligence cannot be defined accurately (Sternberg, 2005). Psychologists and sociologists have come up with different views on what the constructs imply. In their attempt to correlate them, researchers have only given way to more contradictory ideas. It is a common belief that level of intelligence varies from race to race. This belief has fuelled controversy over the issue of racial discrimination on the basis of intelligence quotient or IQ. Nisbett (2005) states that there is a difference of intelligence level among the Blacks and the Whites. He further claims that the Whites have scored over the Blacks in intelligence testing by one deviation point. However, Nisbett’s point is countered by the view that intelligence testing methods vary depending on the socio-cultural context of the individual (Sternberg, 2005). There have been a lot of debates and discussions over the analysis of intelligence and its genetic bearing. Though it is an abstract concept but can be measured by means of a number of techniques that keep on evolving. Experts are of the opinion that as intelligence is multi-dimensional in nature and conceptually vary from society to society it calls for different conceptual methods of measuring it (Neisser et al, 1996). Of late there happens to be a disagreement over the authenticity and validity of IQ test patterns as it has been declared to be outdated in ascertaining the intelligence level or mental ability of different races. It is because of the simple reason that the conceptual construct varies culturally and socially. As a result the attributes that make for intelligence within the Chinese might not be so for the Americans. Therefore it could be said that the IQ test’s predictability is limited (Neisser, 1996). Neisser’s views though

Franklin roosevelt was NOT a good president Essay

Franklin roosevelt was NOT a good president - Essay Example y through the tough times, and probably set the USA on the path of global prominence and almost predominance in foreign affairs, through guiding it to defeat the fascist Germany, Japan and Italy as he main dominant powers of the early 20th century (Miller Center, n.p.). Nevertheless, Franklin Roosevelt was not a president without his own faults, and for this reason, he has been regarded as one of the failing presidents in the history of the USA presidents. Despite his popularity and fame as a president, Franklin Roosevelt did not do any good in respecting the constitution or democracy, but sought to weaken the opposition by the Republicans through trying to strengthen the Democratic Party by all means, so it could remain the permanent majority party in the USA (Garraty, 907). In addition, his policies for the Great Depression are still questionable as to whether they helped end it or they in fact prolonged it unnecessarily. Thus, regardless of his ability to give hope to a very depre ssed and demoralized nation when he took over as the president in 1932, Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency was not a good. First, President Franklin Roosevelt could circumvent the constitution in order to suit his interests, regardless of the costs such actions could bring to the nation. Thus, after the Bureau of the Budget was established in 1921 to constitutionally control the budget of all government departments, President Franklin Roosevelt found it a useful tool that he would use to cultivate his interests in order to achieve his New Deal program (Powell, 72). Consequently, despite the fact that the bureau had been established under treasury, he took the liberty offered in law to appoint 6 more staff to the bureau, so that he could have a controlling power in its budgeting functions (Billington, 42). Thus, through the support of his appointees to the bureau, Franklin Roosevelt was able to reduce funding to other departments of the governments that he found necessary, so that he

Implementing a taser program into a law enforcement agency Essay

Implementing a taser program into a law enforcement agency - Essay Example Taser stun guns have recently come under close scrutiny and critiscm because of the risks they pose to the public and their intended use. This has also been fuelled by the increased use of these devices, especially in the United States, and their intended use in the United Kingdom (Feakin 2007). Taser stun guns have been touted as the non-lethal alternative to deadly force and guns (Driscoll 2003, ACLU 2005), which has been viewed as an advantage when it comes to apprehending crime suspects, as it avoids needless deaths and injuries. However, there are figures which show that between 1999 and September 2004, approximately 71 individuals died in North America as a result of the use of the Taser stun gun (ACLU 2005). Whilst some may claim that these deaths are still less than those that come about as a result of the use lethal weapons, this still does raise some issues about whether Taser stun guns should be used at all, and if so, should their use be restricted to certain individuals. There are also figures which show that at the end of 2004, the fatalities from Taser stun guns had increased and there is evidence to suggest these deaths are a result of the incorrect or overuse of the device (ACLU 2005). For instance, there was an incident in the US where a young man was stunned for up to 17 times by the Taser stun guns (ACLU 2005) and this is thought to have contributed to the individual's death. Such incidences have most likely to have been the cause of the public concerns about this device, as it seems that the use of the Taser stun gun device is contributing to deaths, instead of preventing them. In addition to this, the manufacturers of the Taser stun gun have denied any claims that their device has directly contributed to the deaths of any individuals (Driscoll 2003, ACLU 2005). Despite these safety concerns, the appeal of the Taser stun gun to law enforcement agencies worldwide is appealing. For instance, law enforcement agencies in the UK, do not carry guns and the purchase and use of Taser stun guns is highly attractive as an alternative to considering lethal devices. In the US, law enforcement agencies already carry lethal devices and Taser stun guns are an attractive option to counter-act concerns regarding the deaths of innocent civilians caught in the cross-fire or in instances of mistaken identity. However, the concerns over the current use of Taser stun guns seem to be related to their application and over-use of the device. This has been acknowledged by the International Association of Chiefs of Policy (IACP) which has recommended the re-evaluation of Taser training and the establishment of policies (ACLU 2005), to minimise the deaths from the use of this device. This acknowledgement from the IACP does recognise that the use of t

Franklin roosevelt was NOT a good president Essay

Franklin roosevelt was NOT a good president - Essay Example y through the tough times, and probably set the USA on the path of global prominence and almost predominance in foreign affairs, through guiding it to defeat the fascist Germany, Japan and Italy as he main dominant powers of the early 20th century (Miller Center, n.p.). Nevertheless, Franklin Roosevelt was not a president without his own faults, and for this reason, he has been regarded as one of the failing presidents in the history of the USA presidents. Despite his popularity and fame as a president, Franklin Roosevelt did not do any good in respecting the constitution or democracy, but sought to weaken the opposition by the Republicans through trying to strengthen the Democratic Party by all means, so it could remain the permanent majority party in the USA (Garraty, 907). In addition, his policies for the Great Depression are still questionable as to whether they helped end it or they in fact prolonged it unnecessarily. Thus, regardless of his ability to give hope to a very depre ssed and demoralized nation when he took over as the president in 1932, Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency was not a good. First, President Franklin Roosevelt could circumvent the constitution in order to suit his interests, regardless of the costs such actions could bring to the nation. Thus, after the Bureau of the Budget was established in 1921 to constitutionally control the budget of all government departments, President Franklin Roosevelt found it a useful tool that he would use to cultivate his interests in order to achieve his New Deal program (Powell, 72). Consequently, despite the fact that the bureau had been established under treasury, he took the liberty offered in law to appoint 6 more staff to the bureau, so that he could have a controlling power in its budgeting functions (Billington, 42). Thus, through the support of his appointees to the bureau, Franklin Roosevelt was able to reduce funding to other departments of the governments that he found necessary, so that he

The importance of remaining respectful of others, and learned that Essay

The importance of remaining respectful of others, and learned that understanding the impact of diversity in the customer service environment is essential - Essay Example Thirdly, the foreign capital enjoyed by nations under a trading umbrella allows their entrepreneurs to import or export knowledge and technology so as to help boost productivity in their respective nations. Fourthly, financial globalization principles allows foreign entrepreneurs to undertake business in capital and banking markets hence help in boosting quality of financial services. On the contrary, financial globalization has its own drawbacks. For instance, as nations get into trade ties with global financial systems, unfavourable financial shocks in one nation may be absorbed by another in form of contagion effects which may easily drag a country’s stable economy to a catastrophe. â€Å"Globalization also poses complications on the operations of banks and other businesses as it complicates management of exterior resources and liabilities† (Cline, 2010). In an effort to manage the negative effects posed by financial globalization, governments all over the world have developed multifaceted networks with the sole purpose of averting negative financial effects posed by financial crises. The roles of such networks put forth by governments include: oversight, monetary regulation and lending. However, such interventions have rarely worked towards averting financial crises to the expectation of many

Trends In Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Trends In Organizational Behavior Essay Business ethics embodies a particular manner of how ethics influences decision-making. It normally affects a company’s management by virtue of ethical expectations, both inside and outside the company. Management decisions are also constrained by the awareness of ramifications that result from a lack of ethics (Boyd, 2004, p. 35). This is the primary reason that most companies have adopted or established internal ethics codes for the compliance of all employees. The manager of today is challenged to meld the demands of the organization and the needs of the individual worker into a functioning whole. Education in today’s work environment will be successful if we formulate activities that are engaging as much as they are educational, and if we adapt to new technologies that will help complement classroom interaction. Drive and resilience are especially important when someone sets out to do something no one else has done or when that person faces setbacks and failures. Ethics in the workplace can involve people who negotiate and face situations in their work or dealings with other people in which ethical dilemmas arise. The individuals in these cases are faced with ethical questions in their relations with customers, employees, and members of a larger society. More often than not, the answers to these questions are difficult because it involves weighing of values. Conflicting values in a given situation are not capable of compromise. One has to choose one over another. Sometimes, the ethically correct course of action is clear, and hopefully individuals act accordingly. But the answers are often not simple. The dilemma is most commonly presented when ethical concerns come into conflict with the practical demands of business. This ties up with learning, just as importantly since this involves self-examination from the employees and up the organizational chart, seeking for strengths and maximizing it, zooming on mistakes and inefficiencies and eliminating or minimizing them, and after every step of improvement, includes patting everyone involved at the back and rewarding them for a job well done. If the managers knew what makes their employees unsatisfied and unhappy, they can offer more to the existing and incoming batches of employees. Again, as stated early on in the paper, it all boils down to responsibility. As Kimmel mentions, â€Å"Being responsible for a â€Å"piece of work† requires an employee to have a strong sense of self-direction and work. It needs a willingness to take personal responsibility for getting a piece of work done† (Kale, 1996). But for the true self-directed employee, this can be pure bliss. Responsibility is the key word here for these individuals, whether male or female, are also good team members. Technostress is a new term coming up these days in reaction to technology and how or lives are changing due to its influence. For several years now, as technology has become an increasingly prevalent part of our lives, technostress impacts people’s lives, their family and their work environment. Because technology lets us do so much, today we take on too much and end up feeling overwhelmed and never finished. We feel invaded by technology on all fronts, ringing of cell phones, incoming faxes and those of others around us. We tote our laptops on vacation and bosses expect employees to be connected to them as often as possible. Thus, personal and work boundaries are blurred. With technology, we have come to embraced all the concomitant stresses that go with it. (Mueller 2001) maintains that workplace stress has increased as technological advances have increased. He reveals that workers are now allowing workplace stress to invade their personal lives. As an example, he further opines that the working women in the UK think that the new technology makes their lives even more hectic. The advent of mobile phones and email have left women feeling under greater pressure to juggle work and home commitments, leaving less time for themselves. As a result, a growing number of career women are suffering from what has been dubbed frantic life syndrome. From the viewpoint of managers, technology is attributed to the profits gained. Thus, when these dont happen, the easy way out is to claim that it is the workers fault. That technology investments do not reliably produce benefits is well established, as is the interpretation that the problem lies in management and computer industry strategies rather than the workers utilization One needs to know that the productivity paradox or shortfall is a general problem, and not just at the workstation (Mueller, 2001).   In order to avoid this technostress, people need to establish some boundaries between work and home. Technology may allow you to work at home, but this in effect makes it more difficult to get away from work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The process of learning anything new means that one is open for growth. Growth brings changes. Negotiating is a learning experience and the result, if one really works at it, is growth and change. It is a sense of personal readiness to try something new, to experiment, to take the risk—possibly to get a lot of benefits, possibly to fall on one’s face. Both are realistic possibilities. Yet each time one negotiates successfully, one build confidence to tackle situations that are more important. It may take time before one begins to feel capable of negotiating. But when one finally learns that there is no need to passively accept the things that happen, that can help change conditions and improve situations such that events will seem much less overwhelming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   REFERENCES Boyd, M. W. (2004). Business Ethics for Unseasoned Entrepreneurs: Trends and concerns for professionals and stakeholders. Proceedings of the Academy of Entrepreneurship, 10(1), 33-36. Kale, S. (1996). How culture, organizational culture and personality impact buyer-seller interactions. In P. N. Ghauri J. -C. Usunier (Eds.), International business negotiation (pp. 21-137). Oxford, U.K.: Pergamon. Mueller, J., (2001) Technology and Stress. Stress News,   July 2002, Vol. 13 (3), International Stress  Management Association. University of Calgary. Alberta, Canada. Retrieved Jan. 8, 2007 at: http://mueller.educ.ucalgary.ca/TS2001/

Robot Lobstrocities :: Technology Machines Papers

Robot Lobstrocities â€Å"Check this out,† Joseph Ayers, a biology professor at Northeastern University says as he turns on his laptop. The soundtrack from the 1975 film, "Jaws" plays in the background. On the screen is a grainy image of a moving creature lumbering towards a huge pile of bricks, easily maneuvering itself over them. The music reaches its climactic conclusion and a lethal claw dominates the screen. Fortunately it’s not a monster; it’s just a lobster. For Ayers, lobsters are fascinating creatures that has inhabited his life for most of his career. For more than a decade his team has worked on building a fully autonomous robotic lobster with the same behavioral patterns of the real thing. Funded largely by the US Navy, the hope is that it will one day be used for underwater mine detection as a less expensive and more efficient system to current methods. Hours were spent analyzing lobster behavior and its legs, claws, abdomen and tail movements. These observations were then converted into mathematical components, correlating the movements with the nerve signals that actuated them. In essence it makes a computer program act as the lobster’s brain. A big step from the field of artificial intelligence, the project is all about reverse engineering the biological functions nature has taken thousands of years to evolve and develop. â€Å"We’re probably one of the few laboratories in the world to get artificial muscles to work. To actually control a freely behaving robot. The other thing that’s different about our robot is that it really is controlled by the rules the nervous system works by, instead of the list of instructions to control the behavior, unlike AI based robots,† said Ayers. Starting out as a young biologist from California, Ayers is now one of forefront researchers of biomimetics, which takes ideas from nature and implements them into new technology. His project stemmed from his graduate days when he first studied the behavior of the lobster. Both sides of Ayer’s office are crammed with books on marine biology. It is a typical college professor’s office, except for the lobster claw mobile hanging from the ceiling. On the wall, a child’s drawing of lobster. A Superman comic book featuring, the Lobster Man. It’s obvious that Ayers has an affinity with these crustaceans. He admires their nervous system and adaptability to the sea. Their complex movements and ability to move on every surface of the sea floor.

perspective :: essays research papers

Perspective I understand perspective as being your own understanding as well as your own interpretation of anything you read or witness. It is also your own insight and beliefs on the hidden nature of things. Perspective is the way you and only you analyze a situation. It can be shared with other’s who share your same perspective, as well as being shared with other’s who have their own insight which will be a total opposite of yours. In 1965 Malcolm X had made a statement â€Å"you have to be careful, very careful, introducing the truth to the Black man who has never previously heard the truth about himself, his own kind, and the white man†¦ The Black brother is so brainwashed that he may even be repelled when he first hears the truth†. Reading Malcolm X’s statement as well as absorbing many of the material I’ve accumulated in class I strongly believe having a perspective is important, but having your own perspective is even more important. When having your own beliefs you won’t be so gullible, as well as easily fooled on what’s being done to you or around you, You’ll have a clear insight and won’t be taken advantage of. Having your own outlook, you could make changes that are more helpful to you and others, rather than harming you and what’s around you. In the past, when the Negroes were uneducated and didn’t know any better they had no perspective and were easily fooled thinking everything was the way it was supposed to be. For instance the white man took the Africans and had them believing in the Christianity religion. This was brainwashing the Africans to believe god has made them inferior to the white man. By having no perspective of there own they believe d this perspective and remained a slave, thinking they was doing the right thing. Now having a clear thought, we don’t let harmful things get passed us without attempting to make correction for the better. For example when the racism was a huge issue, and we were severely mistreated by many whites as well as the Police Department in the late 60’s and 70’s, an organization by the name of the Black Panther Party was formed. They had fought for our rights as well as our right to be treated equal to others. Having a perspective we are now able to serve and make beneficial changes for others as well as ourselves. perspective :: essays research papers Perspective I understand perspective as being your own understanding as well as your own interpretation of anything you read or witness. It is also your own insight and beliefs on the hidden nature of things. Perspective is the way you and only you analyze a situation. It can be shared with other’s who share your same perspective, as well as being shared with other’s who have their own insight which will be a total opposite of yours. In 1965 Malcolm X had made a statement â€Å"you have to be careful, very careful, introducing the truth to the Black man who has never previously heard the truth about himself, his own kind, and the white man†¦ The Black brother is so brainwashed that he may even be repelled when he first hears the truth†. Reading Malcolm X’s statement as well as absorbing many of the material I’ve accumulated in class I strongly believe having a perspective is important, but having your own perspective is even more important. When having your own beliefs you won’t be so gullible, as well as easily fooled on what’s being done to you or around you, You’ll have a clear insight and won’t be taken advantage of. Having your own outlook, you could make changes that are more helpful to you and others, rather than harming you and what’s around you. In the past, when the Negroes were uneducated and didn’t know any better they had no perspective and were easily fooled thinking everything was the way it was supposed to be. For instance the white man took the Africans and had them believing in the Christianity religion. This was brainwashing the Africans to believe god has made them inferior to the white man. By having no perspective of there own they believe d this perspective and remained a slave, thinking they was doing the right thing. Now having a clear thought, we don’t let harmful things get passed us without attempting to make correction for the better. For example when the racism was a huge issue, and we were severely mistreated by many whites as well as the Police Department in the late 60’s and 70’s, an organization by the name of the Black Panther Party was formed. They had fought for our rights as well as our right to be treated equal to others. Having a perspective we are now able to serve and make beneficial changes for others as well as ourselves.

Google Versus Microsoft: Clash of the Technology Titans

Google founded by Larry Page, Sergey Brin and established at 1998, they focus on cooperation in internet services and products such as search, software and online advertisement and mobile phone. Microsoft Corporation is a software corporation that improves manufactures, produce PC, supply, licenses and aid variety products and service involve to computing. They are found by Bill Gate and Paul Allen at 1975, they are the most powerful American software company worldwide and attract various customer. Microsoft and Google have been the most powerful technology brands worldwide in America until now.Both of them have specific features, achieve on the market and attract many customers in the world. However, each of them wants to be on the top and dominates the technology market so the conflict is definitely happen. 1) Define and compare the business strategies and business models of Google and Microsoft. Google were only a search company at that time, but with new system PageRank search al gorithms which are analyzed relationship between websites by the number of specific pages and the essential within those pages.Also, with online advertising service, Google can earn various profits like posting the content of any company on the top of website, using Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and so on. Also, the company extents infrastructure and adopt acquisition that permit them to require the fastest search speeds and variety of Web-based products. With those strategies, they make Google become the best searching service in the world. Moreover, Google believes that online application is going to be big businesses in the future, because its center searches and search-advertising business mature.Also, with the development of internet may allow computing tasks in order to be enforced through the website, we can sit on computer and remote control as well as save data centers rather than our desktop. It is called as cloud computing and it is core to Google’s business model moving for ward. Microsoft achieved on the market through the strength of its Window operating system and Office desktop productivity applications. Also, they diversify their operating system and adopt acquisition lots of company to extent their position as well as produce various products that mix more specific features.In addition, they supply variety software for desktops and servers. They are also corporate with mobile phone industries. Microsoft and its products are nevertheless staples for businesses and users look to develop their productivity with computer. For the business model, Microsoft has achieved in establishment the model of desktop computing. Microsoft’s objection is research and development the Internet but they need to convince users to keep using the desktop as the focal point for computing tasks. 2) Has the Internet taken over the PC desktop as the center of the action? Why or why not?No, the internet cannot be taken over by the PC desktop. Because of, consumer may use mobile phone, notebook and so on in order to connect internet immediately at anywhere. Especially, 4G is recently released so it allows user can access internet at the fastest speed or Wi-Fi is also a best way to connect internet. With the positive effect of internet, user can save, download and store data which is called as cloud computing or send data to other person on our mobile phone or notebook. Therefore, consumer does not need to spend lots of time on desktop to perform computing tasks.Therefore, the internet makes people’s life become easier and comfortable. 3) Why has Microsoft attempted to acquire Yahoo? How does it affect its business model? Do you believe this is a good move? Microsoft wants to acquire Yahoo because they desire to improve its Internet presence. Yahoo is internet corporation which is essential development in web portal, Search engine Yahoo, social media website, advertisement, Yahoo! New and so on, they are one of the most famous brand worldwi de. So, if Microsoft acquires Yahoo, they can improve in promotion, news, service, web-design.In addition, Microsoft wants to ruin the threat of an advertising deal between Google and Yahoo. Google is a one of the most dangerous opponent to Microsoft. Also Google’s technology keeps improving and arise lots of profit per search. Therefore Microsoft needs to reduce the development as well as presence of Google on the market. Turning to Microsoft’s new goal, they must achieve in innovate and disrupt in search, win in display advertisement, reinvent portal and social media experiences. Yahoo is a company that consist all of these elements and it appropriates to Microsoft’s campaign.They would focus on developing the internet by acquiring Yahoo. However, desktop computing from Microsoft should be affected because the market share of desktop on the market is decreasing significantly while the important of internet is wider. As a consequence, the market share in Micros oft would be gone down too. In my opinion, this is a good move for Microsoft. Although, the number of user for desktop computing is decreasing significantly but if they acquire successful Yahoo which is focus on internet. Microsoft can diversify their product and service into new ways.Internet is growing so fast year by year and attracting a huge number of users worldwide, so Microsoft should follow the needs of users to increase the market share as well as revenue. 4) What is the significance of Google Apps to Google’s future success? Google Apps is a series of Web-based applications that include Gmail, immediate messaging, calendar, word processing, presentation and spreadsheet applications (Google Docs) and tools for building collaborative Web sites. These systems are more simpler and not complex rather than Microsoft’s Office applications.Google offers those applications for free to arise attractive and improve the Google’s presence on the market. Meanwhile, customer must pay for Microsoft’s Office applications and they are quite expensive. Therefore, with Google Apps, they can compete and minimize the power of Microsoft. In addition, with the development of internet, Google allow user download their application for free on internet. Also, Google Apps interact with Iphone, Galaxy S3,4 to bring their applications closer to consumer. Google offers Premier editions which is cost $50 per year per user whereas Microsoft offers $500 per person to own their applications.Therefore, Google offers a cheaper price than Microsoft. In the future, Google Apps may attract many consumer rather than Microsoft and help Google gain more profit and push up the power of Google. However, Microsoft Office had been built and spent various dollars for a long year ago to research and develop, attract a huge number of user and they know how to use these application. As a result, consumer may be hard to switch to Google Apps because it is a new systems, us er has to learn how to use it and probably generative error at anytime. Therefore, Microsoft Office is a big barrier that prevents the development of Google Apps in the future.5) Would you use Google Apps instead of Microsoft Office applications for computing tasks? Why or why not? No, I would not use Google Apps instead of Microsoft Office application. In my opinion, Google Apps is quite a new system, it is simpler and cheaper than Microsoft Office. However, Google Apps is designed for users who use computing task at the first time. It is all about fundamental version of Microsoft so consumer will learn how to use computing task efficiency. But, Microsoft Office had been existed for a long time ago and attracted many consumer as well as high level of satisfaction.Nowadays, most people use Microsoft Office as their first choice, they can pay for them, and even it is quite expensive. But the operation and system from Microsoft Office are very professional and interact fully with comp uting tasks. Even when consumer uses Macbook, Imac, they download software from Microsoft like window 7, 8 to use Microsoft Office. Although, Apple create iWork but there are little people use that system. Therefore, I will follow Microsoft Office and continue to use it as my best choice. 6) Which company and business model do you believe will prevail in the epic struggle?Justify your answer Both of Microsoft and Google are the most popular on the market worldwide. Microsoft has built and developed computing tasks for a long time ago. Also, their product and service are draw attraction from many users, they satisfy consumer’s need and what they want. In addition, Microsoft diversifies to mobile industry by cooperate with Nokia. They are also creating lots of special software that many consumers use such as window 7, 8, XP. Microsoft believes that desktop computing will dominate the market in the future but with the developed internet, desktop computing is no longer use.Intern et is now the most important for consumer. Google is a company that very good in development their product and service related to internet. With search engine, advertising, web-base, Google Apps, Google App Engine (allow programmer creates their own application), they allow user performs computing task through internet, user can use mobile phone, notebook to connect internet and integrate with these applications. With this business model of Google, they attract various users worldwide and improve the presence of Google. Therefore, Google may prevail in this dispute compare to MicrosoftConclusion Microsoft is stronger in development computing task, desktop and software. They have satisfied consumer and attracted many users. However, Google makes all computing task through internet. This is a thing that Microsoft cannot be better than Google. Because of internet is the most necessary thing in people’s lifetime. Therefore, computing task operates through internet is extremely im portant. And Google achieved on this way. Therefore, they will keep growing in the future, invent modern products, services, software and interact with mobile industry. Google Versus Microsoft: Clash of the Technology Titans IntroductionGoogle founded by Larry Page, Sergey Brin and established at 1998, they focus on cooperation in internet services and products such as search, software and online advertisement and mobile phone. Microsoft Corporation is a software corporation that improves manufactures, produce PC, supply, licenses and aid variety products and service involve to computing. They are found by Bill Gate and Paul Allen at 1975, they are the most powerful American software company worldwide and attract various customer. Microsoft and Google have been the most powerful technology brands worldwide in America until now. Both of them have specific features, achieve on the market and attract many customers in the world. However, each of them wants to be on the top and dominates the technology market so the conflict is definitely happen.1) Define and compare the business strategies and business models of Google and Microsoft. Google were only a search company at that time, but with new system PageRa nk search algorithms which are analyzed relationship between websites by the number of specific pages and the essential within those pages. Also, with online advertising service, Google can earn various profits like posting the content of any company on the top of website, using Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and so on. Also, the company extents infrastructure and adopt acquisition that permit them to require the fastest search speeds and variety of Web-based products.With those strategies, they make Google become the best searching service in the world. Moreover, Google believes that online application is going to be big businesses in the future, because its center searches and search-advertising business mature. Also, with the development of internet may allow computing tasks in order to be enforced  through the website, we can sit on computer and remote control as well as save data centers rather than our desktop. It is called as cloud computing and it is core to Google’s business model moving forward. Microsoft achieved on the market through the strength of its Window operating system and Office desktop productivity applications.Also, they diversify their operating system and adopt acquisition lots of company to extent their position as well as produce various products that mix more specific features. In addition, they supply variety software for desktops and servers. They are also corporate with mobile phone industries. Microsoft and its products are nevertheless staples for businesses and users look to develop their productivity with computer. For the business model, Microsoft has achieved in establishment the model of desktop computing. Microsoft’s objection is research and development the Internet but they need to convince users to keep using the desktop as the focal point for computing tasks.2) Has the Internet taken over the PC desktop as the center of the action? Why or why not? No, the internet cannot be taken over by the PC desktop. Because o f, consumer may use mobile phone, notebook and so on in order to connect internet immediately at anywhere. Especially, 4G is recently released so it allows user can access internet at the fastest speed or Wi-Fi is also a best way to connect internet. With the positive effect of internet, user can save, download and store data which is called as cloud computing or send data to other person on our mobile phone or notebook. Therefore, consumer does not need to spend lots of time on desktop to perform computing tasks. Therefore, the internet makes people’s life become easier and comfortable.3) Why has Microsoft attempted to acquire Yahoo? How does it affect its business model? Do you believe this is a good move? Microsoft wants to acquire Yahoo because they desire to improve its Internet presence. Yahoo is internet corporation which is essential development in web portal, Search engine Yahoo, social media website, advertisement, Yahoo!New and so on, they are one of the most famou s brand worldwide. So, if Microsoft acquires Yahoo, they can improve in promotion, news, service, web-design. In addition, Microsoft wants to ruin the threat of an advertising deal between Google and Yahoo. Google is a one of the most dangerous opponent to Microsoft. Also Google’s technology keeps improving and arise lots of profit per search.Therefore Microsoft needs to reduce the development as well as presence of Google on the market.Turning to Microsoft’s new goal, they must achieve in innovate and disrupt in search, win in display advertisement, reinvent portal and social media experiences. Yahoo is a company that consist all of these elements and it appropriates to Microsoft’s campaign. They would focus on developing the internet by acquiring Yahoo. However, desktop computing from Microsoft should be affected because the market share of desktop on the market is decreasing significantly while the important of internet is wider. As a consequence, the market share in Microsoft would be gone down too.In my opinion, this is a good move for Microsoft. Although, the number of user for desktop computing is decreasing significantly but if they acquire successful Yahoo which is focus on internet. Microsoft can diversify their product and service into new ways. Internet is growing so fast year by year and attracting a huge number of users worldwide, so Microsoft should follow the needs of users to increase the market share as well as revenue.4) What is the significance of Google Apps to Google’s future success? Google Apps is a series of Web-based applications that include Gmail, immediate messaging, calendar, word processing, presentation and spreadsheet applications (Google Docs) and tools for building collaborative Web sites. These systems are more simpler and not complex rather than Microsoft’s Office applications. Google offers those applications for free to arise attractive and improve the Google’s presence on the mar ket. Meanwhile, customer must pay for Microsoft’s Office applications and they are quite expensive. Therefore, with Google Apps, they can compete and minimize the power of Microsoft. In addition, with the development of internet, Google allow user download their application for free on internet.Also, Google Apps interact with Iphone, Galaxy S3,4 to bring their applications closer to consumer. Google offers Premier editions which is cost $50 per year per user whereas Microsoft offers $500 per person to own their applications. Therefore, Google offers a cheaper price than Microsoft. In the future, Google Apps may attract many consumer rather than Microsoft and help Google  gain more profit and push up the power of Google. However, Microsoft Office had been built and spent various dollars for a long year ago to research and develop, attract a huge number of user and they know how to use these application. As a result, consumer may be hard to switch to Google Apps because it is a new systems, user has to learn how to use it and probably generative error at anytime. Therefore, Microsoft Office is a big barrier that prevents the development of Google Apps in the future.5) Would you use Google Apps instead of Microsoft Office applications for computing tasks? Why or why not? No, I would not use Google Apps instead of Microsoft Office application. In my opinion, Google Apps is quite a new system, it is simpler and cheaper than Microsoft Office. However, Google Apps is designed for users who use computing task at the first time. It is all about fundamental version of Microsoft so consumer will learn how to use computing task efficiency. But, Microsoft Office had been existed for a long time ago and attracted many consumer as well as high level of satisfaction.Nowadays, most people use Microsoft Office as their first choice, they can pay for them, and even it is quite expensive. But the operation and system from Microsoft Office are very professional and intera ct fully with computing tasks. Even when consumer uses Macbook, Imac, they download software from Microsoft like window 7, 8 to use Microsoft Office. Although, Apple create iWork but there are little people use that system. Therefore, I will follow Microsoft Office and continue to use it as my best choice.6) Which company and business model do you believe will prevail in the epic struggle? Justify your answer Both of Microsoft and Google are the most popular on the market worldwide. Microsoft has built and developed computing tasks for a long time ago. Also, their product and service are draw attraction from many users, they satisfy consumer’s need and what they want. In addition, Microsoft diversifies to mobile industry by cooperate with Nokia. They are also creating lots of special software that many consumers use such as window 7, 8, XP. Microsoft believes that desktop computing will dominate the market in the future but with the developed internet, desktop computing is no longer use. Internet is now the most important for consumer.Google is a company that very good in development their product and service  related to internet. With search engine, advertising, web-base, Google Apps, Google App Engine (allow programmer creates their own application), they allow user performs computing task through internet, user can use mobile phone, notebook to connect internet and integrate with these applications. With this business model of Google, they attract various users worldwide and improve the presence of Google. Therefore, Google may prevail in this dispute compare to MicrosoftConclusionMicrosoft is stronger in development computing task, desktop and software. They have satisfied consumer and attracted many users. However, Google makes all computing task through internet. This is a thing that Microsoft cannot be better than Google. Because of internet is the most necessary thing in people’s lifetime. Therefore, computing task operates through inte rnet is extremely important. And Google achieved on this way. Therefore, they will keep growing in the future, invent modern products, services, software and interact with mobile industry.