Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Assignment - Essay Example Ebay is a monopoly in the online auctions market with no close competitors or substitute products. Ebay is considered as a good monopoly as it has able to derive down the cost of searching for buyers and sellers besides allowing small sellers to find effective resell market. It has therefore helped to reduce the information asymmetry in the market however, its partnership with PayPal as the only payment processing service for settling payments between buyers and sellers is considered as a relatively unwanted move to dominate two different segments of the market through single platform. Royal Mail of UK is a State owned postal service offering low cost inland and foreign postal services in UK. It is considered as a good monopoly because it has been able to derive the cost down for the consumers without effectively altering supply in the market. Reuters. iTunes Monopoly? Apples Jobs Ordered by Judge to Answer Anti-Competition Charges. 23 March 2011. 2011 March 2011

Labor Relations Project and Presentation Essay Example for Free

Labor Relations Project and Presentation Essay Labor Relations is a very delicate part of a business that should be properly reviewed and studied before implementing or changing a businesses conduct. Happy Trails is a medium-sized company that is trying to minimize cost to continue to serve its tenants with a cost effective service. Unfortunately cost has to be reviewed in all possible ways and strategies. We will be covering a few of the advantages and disadvantages of unionizing. A recommendation will be given to help guide Happy Trails. A review will also be conducted of the issues a union might raise during the organizing effort. The steps that should be covered by the LPN’s will also be presented. We will then present the labor practice that the LPN’s should avoid. We will then advise the independent living home management on what we feel they should do. We will cover the arguments and defense the hospital will rise to the unions organizing issues. Then we will take a look at what the company must do if they resist unionization. We will then see what unfair labor practices need to be avoided by management. We will finalize this paper by reviewing what activities Happy Trail management should and should not engage in. Advantages Disadvantages The advisement to unionize, or not, is a complicated stance. There are advantages and disadvantages on both sides of the decision. With a decision to unionize, the LPNs would be protected and guaranteed wages and certain work conditions. On the other hand, Unionizing immediately creates an adverse relationship between members and the employer sometimes out weighing the benefits. In the event that a group of employees has a community of interests coupled with concerns about their treatment as an employee by an employer for any reason, the employees have the right under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). Recommendation In this case, the recommendation for the LPN’s would be to unionize. This would protect them from being over (or under) worked, insure that proper wages and entitlements were established, as well as make sure Happy Trails was not expecting or giving RN level care through the lesser qualified LPNs. Steps to Unionize For the group of LPN’s at Happy Trails, the first step would be to contact the local healthcare union representative mentioned in the overview. This would be a perfect starting resource for information, questions and answers. This is also the step in which the union should become clear about what issues are important and expected to be addressed by the collective bargaining. For the LPN’s at Happy Trails, their issues should be concentrated on wages, minimum hours worked, overtime terms, benefits, as well as clearly understanding the scope of their expected duties. Secondly, the LPN’s would need to decide to join an already established industry union, or to create a union of their own. In either case, a sufficient number of authorization cards (or petition signatures) must be acquired, and the union must be voted in during a union representation election, or by asking the employer to voluntarily recognize the union. The National Labor Relations Board supervises and the union election, and certifies the results (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). The last step is to win a strong union contract. The LPNs in this case would need to negotiate wages paid, overtime payment terms, benefits, and minimum expected hours worked. Any union is only as valuable as the contract agreed upon. Unfair Labor Practices that should be Avoided by the LPNs Generally, most unfair labor practices are committed by the union or the employer. The only unfair labor practice the LPNs should avoid is to not try to coerce their fellow workers to join the union. Should Happy Trails Oppose Unionization? Although unionization of groups like nurses is typically non-traditional, over the past 10 years there have been many registered nurses’ groups that have unionized across the country because of the demand for their employment and the shortage of nurses. Because of the need to have every American be able to afford healthcare, licensed practical nurses are in demand more because of their lower wages. Happy Trails should not oppose unionization. There are many other healthcare facilities in the area who are working with unions Happy Trails would benefit by negotiating with a union also. Because of the unhappy nurses at Happy Trails, trying to block unionization would probably be the worse step for the organization take. Employees may feel that management’s trying to manipulate them and this can decrease employee morale. The nurses may go to any of the other facilities to seek work and representation by the union for better working conditions. If Happy Trails loses more nurses, it may be hard to recruit new workers. Steps to Resist Unionization Tactics and strategies must be implemented in order to resist unionization. One strategy that has been used in the past is to hire consulting firms, also known as union busters (Bennett-Alexander Hartmann, 2007). These firms use methods that discourage employees from voting to have union representation. This strategy is a costly one and should only be used if basic steps are not working. One important step to avoiding unionization is through employee relations (Thomas Associates, 2009). Employee relations programs have the employees best interest in mind. An effective program will help employee/employer communication, which can help resolve any issues or dissatisfaction. If step one does not stop union organizing, the next step is to prevent the union from gaining employee support. Throughout this step the company should inform the LPNs of the cons of signing a union authorization card. If the employees are informed and feel valuable to the company they will be less likely to sign a union card. Information can be provided through meetings, letters, and bulletin boards. If an election campaign begins because 30 percent of employees signed cards, the next step is to resolve any employee issues and to legally convince employees that their best interests are served by rejecting the union. Happy Trails would need to build a strong campaign and reinforce the value of the existing benefits and the excellent working conditions. Arguments against Unionization by Happy Trails Arguments Happy Trails can use against unionization include the following: †¢ Funding the workers’ salary if a union exists †¢ Relationships between employee and employer may be threatened with a union †¢ Union dues paid by employees is taken from their paycheck †¢ The union cannot guarantee anything What unfair labor practices need to be avoided by management? a) Management should not try to control or interfere with union affairs. They should not try to get their favorite/certain candidate to be elected to the union office. b) Management should not discriminate against employees who join or is in favor of brining in a union. They should not discriminate against employees â€Å"who exercise their rights under the law (e.g., terminating, demoting, or giving poor working schedules to such employees).† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, pg 666) c) Management should not interfere, threaten or restrain their employees from exercising their rights under the labor law legislation, for example, they should not tell employees that they are not allowed to have unions or they will be punished or terminated if they do bring a union). d) Management should not refuse to bargain with the union. And they should not refuse to bargain in good faith. †¢ Happy Trails’ management team may engage in any number of activities during the unionization. Which of the following would you advise? Explain why or why not? Activities during Unionization Promote LPNs, offer bonuses, and place some into leadership and management roles. Unionization can be a long process but is quite beneficial for the LPN’s. Unions are typically formed because employees are unhappy with their pay, working conditions, or poor benefits. For that reason the activity management should engage in is to actively promote LPN’s, offer bonuses, and place some into leadership and management roles. This is the best tactic to use and could benefit Happy Trails as well as the LPN’s. However, the company has to make sure the tactics do not interfere with the employees’ efforts to unionize. Raises and opportunities must be given to everyone, not just union supporters; otherwise the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) could view the act as illegal and as unfair labor practices. As long as the employer bargains in good faith no law has been broken. Tell employees salary increases must cease to finance the collective bargaining agreement. This option is not viable therefore I do not recommend it. Utilizing scare tactics and threatening to cease salary increases will do more harm than good. Strikes could occur, which would have a negative impact on the company. The LPN’s shouldn’t feel like they are being punished for going with the union. Explain current employee benefits to the LPN’s, comparing them to union promises. Though this option is informative it is timely. There are cons to being in a union such as dues and possible strikes. Providing information to employees could sway their decision especially if they are not familiar with the union practices. However, overall the union has benefited employees, which is why this method could be more wasteful than effective. Most union members have better benefits and pay than non-union members. The LPN’s are aware of the superior wages and benefits other LPN’s in the areas have received therefore there is not much to explain. Threaten to close facility due to union campaign Being that Happy Trails is a health care facility, closing the facility would not be practical. It would also be considered discrimination against employees if they closed the facility down due to the union campaign. The NLRA does not allow discrimination against employees for participating in union activities. By staying open, they have the upper hand and it would give them more opportunity to explain the disadvantages of a union to their employees. Assist in circulation of antiunion petitions. During a unionizing campaign an employer cannot assist in antiunion petitions. Assisting in this activity could be considered interference by the employer. Participating in these activities is illegal and viewed as unfair labor practices. Counter union exaggerated claims on flyers. We recommend the management not to send the flyers with exaggerated counter offers to union claims. The management is not supposed to â€Å"promise wage increases or other benefits if employees don’t join the union.† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, pg 673) And they are not supposed to e-mail, post or circulate any intimidating letters or leaflets (flyers). The management can however give pay raises or benefits, but they have to give them all across the boards, not only to the union supporters. However, this tactic is limited if the management decides to do this after the union has applied for the certificate or has given notice to the management to bargain its first agreement. Tell employees they do not need to talk to union organizers, that they may vote against the union, and that the independent living home does not welcome the union. We recommend the management to talk with the employees, and tell them that they have the option to join the union, but it’s not mandatory for them to join. They can also tell the employees that the independent living home does not welcome the union, but if the employees vote for the union, the management will follow the good faith bargaining agreement. Solicit employees to request the return of their authorization cards. We would recommend the management not to ask employees to return the authorization cards (badges) that mean you are letting them go. Employers can not threaten to fire, lay-off or terminate employees for supporting or joining a union. Tell employees they may be replaced if they vote for the union. We would recommend the management not to tell employees that they will be replaced if they vote for the union. That would mean the management is threatening the employees. Management can’t threaten to fire, lay-off or terminate employees for supporting or joining a union. Appeal to the employees to defeat the union. We would recommend the management to talk with the employees and tell them not to vote in favor of the union. The independent living home will do everything possible to raise the wages and benefits as much as possible if the union is defeated. The management has to be careful not to negatively influence the employees against the union. The management can also tell the employees, that if the union is organized, we will treat the collective bargaining process with full faith and not follow any unfair labor practices. The management also can state that we will follow exactly what the law requires. Statistics for union members in United States and California (Statistics, 2013): [pic] Conclusion When making huge changes that change an employees, benefits, pay, rights, and responsibilities it is very important and should be done very carefully. A company must remember how important these changes are to people and what issues could be created if the employees feel they are not being taken into consideration. When an employee feels violated they can go to extreme measure like becoming part of a union. A union can become a huge burden for a company and cost employees money. Many of the reasons why employees look at unions can usually be avoided and handled in house. Employees should also remember that a union cost money and they should search for a union that is worth their money. Unfortunately sometimes employees end up loosing more than winning when they become part of a union. If the people in the union are not doing their job and looking out for all employees then they might just be spending their money and not getting what they deserve. References: Bennett-Alexander, D. D., Hartman, L. P. (2007). Employment law for business (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Ch. 14-Labor Law. Pg. 666 673. Labor Union Statistics. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. http://www.bls.gov/ro9/unionca.htm Thomas Associates (2009). Avoiding Unions. Retrieved February 18, 2013 from http://www.employersattorneys.com/employment-law/California-employer-how-to-

Red Badge Of Courage Essay -- essays research papers

The effects that the physical environment, (nature) have on the main character, throughout any novel are so great. No one seems to notice the little details that slowly, yet gradually show, a main character's struggle, and the ironic role that nature plays in effecting their actions. Environment is always used some way, whether it is to help the main character cope with his or her struggle or, the strong emotional changes that it leaves the main character feeling after personal encounters with the cruel world. It happens more or less in every novel, although sometimes it's not as noticeable as others. In the Red Badge of Courage, main character Henry Fleming, is faced with many obstacles and tough situations that he must deal with. Nature and the physical environment around Henry, play a big role in the decisions that he makes, the actions that he takes and the re-evaluation of lifes values he later takes. The first large decision that Henry makes, is actually enlisting in the army. Crane, the author of the novel, doesn't make it appear as if this was a tough decision for Henry, although it was one of the largest, and the basis for the plot. Henry was bored of his life in the farm. Doing the same thing everyday was not enough action for him. He under estimated the power or war and thought that, that was the action he had been craving. Henry learns throughout the novel, that he had never been more wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After his enlisting in the army,...

Is Medical Marijuana a Good Thing?

Is Medical Marijuana a good thing? Medical Cannabis or as most know it, Medical Marijuana, is parts of the herb cannabis used as a doctor- recommended form of medicine. It also refers to synthetic forms of cannabinoids, which are a class of diverse chemical compounds that activate cell membrane receptors, like Tetrehydrocannabinol (THC), which is why it is recommended from doctors as well. THC is the psychoactive drug in Medical Cannabis that works with the central nervous and immune system to help reduce pain seen in different medical issues, like cancer patients or patients with AIDS. Medical Cannabis is illegal in most countries.In the United States, federal law outlaws, all use of herb parts from Cannabis, while some states have approved use of herb parts from Cannabis as medical cannabis in conflict with federal law. The United States Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has a right to regulate and criminalize cannabis, even for medical purposes. A person can therefor e be prosecuted for a cannabis-related crime. Medical Cannabis has been known to be used as a good thing as well, like to alleviate pain. Medical Marijuana is looked at from many perspectives, for example, physicians, medical organizations, and even government officials.They all have different views. Some think it is a good thing and others bad. It is also looked at as health risks and treatment options as well. Some people support medical marijuana because it helps with pain when dealing with certain diseases like HIV/AIDS or cancer. One supporting factor of medical marijuana comes from the, â€Å"Medicinal and Recreational Marijuana Use by Patients Infected with HIV†. There are many types of cannabis but the most commonly used for medicinal purposes are hybrids of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indicia, which are believed to produce differing therapeutic effects (215-216).Bendayan says, â€Å"Marijuana has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years in a wi de variety of condition. Physicians in ancient China used Marijuana to control pain in childbirth, as well as for constipation and appetite stimulation† (222). It has also been used for the treatment of chronic pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, mood disorders, and much more. It has been suggested that persons with HIV/AIDS are the largest group of medical marijuana users in both Canada and the United States.A study was done and it showed, as compared with placebo, marijuana and Dronabinol, a pill form of THC, dose increased daily caloric intake and body weight in HIV positive medical marijuana users. It also showed an improved ration of sleep within the patient as well. Another study was shown in the article, â€Å"Is marijuana medicinal? † Donald Abrams pronounces, â€Å"We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled study of cannabis for patients with HIV-related peripheral neuropathy at San Francisco General Hospital because preclinical studies and anecdotal patient reports said it was helpful† (38).After a 2-day run-in period, patients were to smoke cannabis or placebo three times a day for 5 days. Among 50 patients who completed the study, neuropathic pain decreased by about 34% with cannabis versus 17% with placebo. This plainly shows that smoking medical marijuana helps with pain. Another reason some people support medical marijuana is it isn’t a hard drug like most think it is and the Federal Government should not be involved.This Magazine discusses in the article, â€Å"High time a change: legendary pro-pot lawyer Alan Young prepared to fight the feds’ drug laws yet again†, how marijuana is not harmless as the federal government makes it out to be. He thinks that, â€Å"marijuana is relatively harmless compared to the so-called hard drugs, and including tobacco and alcohol† (Consiglio 6). He convinced the courts that prohibiting pot was unconstitutional for patients under medical supervision. Young also b elieves that if the Bill C-15 is passed, which states that if Canadians get caught with more than five marijuana plants then you shall be sentences for six months.Young strongly disagrees and thinks that they are trying to use the law to solve every problem. He makes a plan with three steps included. â€Å"First, he plans to strike down MMAR seed policies preventing patients from purchasing anything other than a single, domestic strain. Then, he'll fight to increase the grower-patient ratio (it's currently one-to-two). Lastly, and for Young most importantly, he plans to create an impediment for raids of authorized grows by requiting an initial Health Canada inspection† (Consiglio 6).He accepts that the bill will be upheld. He wants to help people that actually use marijuana correctly to be able to without the law being in the way. Philippines Daily Inquirer says â€Å"Advocates of medicinal marijuana, however, claim the weed is safer and has fewer side effects than pharmaceu ticals† (â€Å"Drugs Body†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). In Canada, where medicinal marijuana is legal; the herb is reportedly being prescribed for relief of pain or persistent muscle spasms. Marijuana’s highs and lows were both shown on medical marijuana. â€Å"Proponents for legalizing arijuana tout its pain-relieving benefits and use by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments; opponents stress that science has yet to prove the drug is safe† (CNN Wire). Six thousand studies have been shown about the cannabis plant, according to NORML, which is an organization that believes marijuana should be legalized. â€Å"Our bodies make natural cannabinoids, or active chemicals that cause drug-like effects through the body, according to the National Cancer Institute. The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — works in the same way as these natural chemicals†.Also another study was done with Type II diabetes; cannabis lowers the risk of having diabetes because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Men’s Health Magazine discusses, â€Å"how the active ingredient in pot may potentially prevent heart attacks. Harvard researchers pumped mice with cholesterol for 11 weeks, and then gave them low doses of THC† (â€Å"Pot Luck† 44). THC reduced inflammation in the rodents' blood vessels. On the other hand, The National Drug Abuse says that marijuana can put users at risk for heart attack or stroke because it increases you heart rate and it contains many carcinogens.Other researchers found that it cause people, especially teens to lose IQ points. â€Å"Adults who had smoked as teens tended to show more pronounced deficits in memory, concentration, and overall brainpower in relation to their peers† (CNN Wire). Mostly, marijuana is smoked for medical purposes or to take away stress. The good thing is, it’s at a low rate for addiction, and no possible ove rdoses have ever been reported. Some people oppose marijuana because they say it increases pain. â€Å"Medical News Today reported on a study that found that active ingredients such as those in marijuana tend to prolong pain.Medical News Today noted that this was surprising since marijuana often said to relieve pain. Researchers said that marijuana many be useful in some situations but conclude that it should be used with great care for pain relief in light of the study† (â€Å"Marijuana Use†). Also an experiment was done with rodents and human, explained in the issue of Science, which propose that these â€Å"endocannabinoids†, which are made in the human body from smoking medical marijuana can actually prolong pain rather than relieve it. Researchers recruited human volunteers to determine whether a compound that blocked endocannabinoid receptors would have an effect on the increased sensitivity to pain (hypergalesia) and tendency for normally non-painful stim uli to induce pain (allodynia) often reported in areas of the body near where acute pain has been inflicted† (â€Å"Marijuana Use†). The volunteers did not show reduction in perceived pain but has less hyperalgesia and allodynia. The results matched up well with the endocannabinoid hypothesis very well.Models showed that cannabinoids over-activating the pain system and it just doesn’t seem like a good idea to further increase this effect. Another reason people oppose medical marijuana is because it is based on science and politics. They also confirm that it has no medical use. â€Å"The FDA’s Opposition to Medical Marijuana Legalization Is Based on Science†, an article that was written about how marijuana has no medical use and it should be outlawed. The Drug-Free Action Alliance states, â€Å"Different organizations argue that marijuana should be evaluated for use in the same scientific manner as any other substance.The viewpoint states that at th e moment evidence indicates that marijuana has no medical use. However, the organizations argue that marijuana should not be legalized through voter or legislative initiative, because such initiatives are not scientific†. A lot of places including the American Medical Association (AMA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and even the American Cancer Society does not support smoked marijuana as medicine. The AMA believes that there should be more research into any therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids-based medicines. Medical organizations believe that safer treatments exist.For example, Marinol, which is taken orally, and it’s a synthetic version of THC. It is also available in all fifty states. â€Å"The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the sole federal agency that approves drug products as safe and effective for intended indications†. â€Å"Marijuana is listed in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the most restrictive schedule. The D rug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which administers the CSA, continues to support that placement, and FDA concurred because marijuana met the three criteria for placement in schedule I under 21 U. S. C. 12(b) (1) (e. g. , marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision)† (â€Å"Drug-Free.. †). There are alternative approved medications for treatment of the purposes of smoked marijuana. In the article, The FDA’s Opposition to Medical Marijuana Legalization Is Based on Politics reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement declaring that marijuana has no safe medical uses. Sidney Spiesel says â€Å"that this statement is not based on science.The best evidence, Spiesel argues, suggests that marijuana may have medical uses but that further study is needed. Spiesel contends, however, that the governmen t has blocked marijuana research. He concludes that the FDA's statement is based on politics, and he calls into question the objectivity of government science. † In both cases the FDA does not approve medical marijuana; it is clearly blames on both science and politics. My opinion of medical cannabis is I believe that it should be used for medical purposes because I consider that it could possibly alleviate pain.A doctor or provider should keep a check on how much is smoked by the user. They should also have random checks of the patient and how intense their pain is. I believe that your prescription should be taken away if you are caught selling it or abusing the drug. I know that marijuana makes people sleep well and have a hardy appetite and should be given for the right purposes, like anorexia. I think if we got rid of Marijuana, people would be doing harder drugs that could possibly turn into an addiction for them and may cause more deaths from overdose.I feel that there a re more supporting views when it comes to using marijuana medically. In conclusion, medicinal marijuana has many supporting and opposing views. The analysis conclude that medical marijuana can increase or decrease pain or should the federal government and FDA be involved or not. All of the outlooks have many supporting details as well. Medical marijuana is politically, medically, and scientifically viewed and different matters are discussed and laws are being made about this issue. Works Cited Abrams, Donald I. , and Jodie Trafton. â€Å"Is marijuana medicinal? † Internal Medicine News 15Apr. 2012: 38. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. Consiglio, Alex. â€Å"High time a change: legendary pro-pot lawyer Alan Young prepares to fight the feds' drug laws yet again. † This Magazine May-June 2010: 6. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. Drug-Free Action Alliance and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio. â€Å"The FDA's Opposition to Medical Marijuana Leg alization Is Based on Science. † Marijuana. Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from â€Å"Marijuana as Medicine. † 2011. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. Drugs body says no to legalizing marijuana. † Philippines Daily Inquirer [Makati City, Philippines] 14 Nov. 2012. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Highs and lows of using marijuana. † CNN Wire 7 Nov. 2012. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Marijuana Use Can Increase Pain. † Marijuana. Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from â€Å"Discovery That Active Ingredient in Marijuana Spread and Prolong Pain Has Implications for Medical Use of Drug and Concepts of Chronic Pain. † Medical News Today. 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Nov. 012. â€Å"Pot luck. † Men's Health July-Aug. 2005: 44. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. R Benda yan, et al. â€Å"Medicinal And Recreational Marijuana Use By Patients Infected With HIV. † AIDS Patient Care ; Stds 18. 4 (2004): 215-228. CINAHL with Full Text. Web. 26 Nov. 2012 Spiesel, Sydney. â€Å"The FDA's Opposition to Medical Marijuana Legalization Is Based on Politics. † Marijuana. Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from â€Å"All Smoke: The FDA's Statement on Medical Marijuana Isn't About Science. † Slate. 2006. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

Environmental Scan

There are two things that could affect an environmental scan; they are internal and external environments. Benefits can arise from doing an environmental scan on a business, which in turn can only add to the value of the business. Two companies will be covered; their internal and external environments will be described using an environmental scan. What competitive advantages each company has and what strategies(s) each company is using. How each company creates value and sustains competitive advantage through business strategy? What measurement guidelines each company is using to verify its strategic effectiveness? Also how effective are the measurement guidelines that each company is using? These two companies are Coca Cola and Wal-Mart. A environmental scanning (2011), according to Business Dictionary, â€Å" Careful monitoring of an organization’s internal and external environments for detecting early signs of opportunities and threats that may influence its current and future plans. In comparison, surveillance is confined to a specific objective or a narrow sector. The whole process can be seen as information seeking and managerial learning for the business. The internal environment for Coca Cola is inside the business’s control. There are some key attributes in this environment that include competence in production method, through management skills and successful communication. How can Coca Cola monitor the internal environments? They have to do an evaluation of the operations and take any action on the factors that cause inefficiencies on any stage of production and the consumer process. On the external side of it Coca Cola has to know that with the external environment it could affect the entire business, and the economy. Ups and downs in the economy, principles and attitudes from Coke’s consumers and demographic patterns greatly control the success of coke. What is competitive advantage? Competitive advantage (2011), according to Business Dictionary, â€Å" A superiority gained by an organization when it can provide the same value as its competitors but at a lower price, or can charge higher prices by providing greater value through differentiation. Competitive advantage results from matching core competencies to the opportunities. † Coke has a tough marketing sense and a brand name that you are sure to know. Wal-Mart has been able to maintain a competitive advantage allowing them to use many strategies. Their low prices is a very good strategy, it seems to be the best strategy they have had to date. Wal-Mart also treats their employees well, their aisles are well organized and clutter free. The technology that Wal-Mart uses helps them to stay ahead of the game, also there is the up to date inventory technology. Branding accounts for the highest percentage of Coca Cola’s value, its percentage is 80. Coca Cola has a strong global foundation In conclusion, by conducting routine checks on the business environment and keeping track of what is going on in the business will make a great impact on the business. A key element to a successful business is doing an environmental scan, understanding the risk and managing them appropriately.

The Little Engine that Could essays

The Little Engine that Could essays I sell here gentlemen, what all the world desires: power. Matthew Boulton, once boasted, speaking of his steam engine factory. James Watt, Boultons business partner significantly improved an inadequate form of the steam engine and marketed his new, more fuel-efficient invention (Ashton 25). Better engines were produced, and more uses were found for steam-power. Steam power fueled the Industrial Revolution by cutting manufacturing costs of goods significantly and quickening production (Ashton 26). The world was no longer dependent on manpower and horsepower. The steam engine forced the creation of railroads and improved transportation while causing a noticeable change in the economy. These changes clearly affected the way that people lived and thought about industry. This vital ingredient of the Industrial Revolution is still recognized as one of the greatest inventions of the time (Steele 47). The cost-effective and portable steam-engine powered the Industrial Revolution, an d consequently led to a significant change in Western commerce. The steam engine transformed the manufacturing world by making work significantly cheaper and more accessible. Prior to using steam power only animals, humans, wind, or moving water could be used to create power. However, animals and humans can not be harnessed together in large numbers to effectively create enough power. Wind and moving water both were usually found in the deep countryside, therefore once the goods reached the cities the cost was extremely high (Gordon 144). One steam engine was able to do the work of hundreds of horses (Siegel 18). On account of the steam engine, it was the first time in history that power was virtually limitless. This source of power was not only mighty, but inexpensive. William Blake, an economist during the rise of the steam engine wrote, Even a fit person can produce only a horsepower-hour o ...

How to Write a Horror Story 7 Tips for Writing Horror

How to Write a Horror Story 7 Tips for Writing Horror How to Write a Horror Story: 7 Tips for Writing Horror In our era of highly commercialized crime and thriller novels, it may seem like zeitgeist-defining horror books are a thing of the past. Indeed, Stephen King was once the perennial bestselling author in the world, and children in the 90s devoured Goosebumps books like The Blob devoured, well, everything.But let’s not forget there’s a huge base of horror fans today, desperate for their next fix. So if you’re hoping to become the next Crown Prince of Dread, your dream can still come true! And the first step is learning how to write a horror story. 7 key tips to writing a blood-chilling horror story 😠± 1. Tap into common fearsThe most important part of any horror story is naturally going to be its fear factor. People don’t read horror for easy entertainment; they read it to be titillated and terrorized. That said, here are a few elements you can use to seriously scare the pants off your reader.Instinctive fearsFears that have some sort of logical or biological foundation are often the most potent in horror. Darkness, heights, snakes, and spiders - all these are extremely common phobias rooted in instinct. As a result, they tend to be very effective at frightening readers.This is especially true when terror befalls innocent characters apropos of nothing: a killer traps them in their house for no apparent reason, or they’re suddenly mugged by a stranger with a revolver. As horror writer Karen Woodward says, â€Å"The beating undead heart of horror is the knowledge that bad things happen to good people.†Monsters and supernatural entitiesThese stretch beyond the r ealm of logic and into the realm of the â€Å"uncanny,† as Freud called it. We all know that vampires, werewolves, and ghosts aren’t real, but that doesn’t mean they can’t shake us to our core. In fact, it’s the very uncertainty they arouse that makes them so sinister: what if monsters are really out there, we’ve just never seen them? This fear is one of the most prevalent in horror, but if you decide to write in this vein, your story has to be pretty convincing.Societal tensionsAnother great means of scaring people is to tap into societal tensions and concerns - a tactic especially prevalent in horror movies. Just in recent memory, Get Out tackles the idea of underlying racism in modern America, The Babadook examines mental health, and It Follows is about the stigma of casual sex. However, societal tensions can also easily be embodied in the pages of a horror story, as in Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. Have you ever tried writing horror? Did you manage to scare yourself? Tell us in the comments!

Definition and Examples of Replacives in English

Definition and Examples of Replacives in English In  English grammar and morphology, a replacive is a word element that substitutes for another element within a stem. For example, the e in men (the plural form of man) is considered a replacive element. Replacives are  considered to be allomorphs, notes  Philip Orazio Tartaglia. More specifically, the replacive involved in going from goose to geese is an allomorph of the plural morpheme. Thus, we see that boys, cats, roses, oxen, sheep, and geese, all contain the plural morpheme though each contains a  different allomorph of the plural morpheme (Problems in the Construction of a Theory of Natural Language).   Examples and Observations The term [replacive] is particularly used in the label replacive morph or replacive morpheme to enable irregular forms such as men from man and sang or sung from sing to be described in morphemic terms, despite falling outside the straightforward rules for forming noun plurals or past verb forms by the addition of inflections.(Sylvia Chalker and Edmund Weiner, Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1994)Tooth and Teeth: One Word or Two?-  [A] synthetic, tooth-colored material the consistency of dough is chemically fused onto stained, chipped, widely spaced, or misshapen teeth and molded into whatever new shape is desired.(Justine De Lacy, The New Skin of Your Teeth. New York, August 3, 1981)- Consider then the sentences This tooth needs attention and These teeth need attention. Are tooth and teeth instances of the same word or of different words? In one sense they are clearly different: they differ in pronunciation, spelling, meaning and in their grammatical behaviour. In another sense, however, they are manifestations of a single element, and indeed they are traditionally said to be forms of the same word. We thus have two distinct concepts here, the second more abstract than the first: I will use word in the less abstract sense and introduce the term lexeme for the more abstract one. Thus I will say that tooth and teeth are different words, but forms of the same lexeme. . . .More precisely, we will say that tooth and teeth are different inflectional forms of tooth, and will speak of singular and plural here as inflectional properties. Similarly with verbs: sang and sung, for example, are respectively the past tense and the past participle forms of the lexeme sing.(Rodney Huddleston, English Grammar: An Outline. Cambridge University Press, 1988) Verbs Derived From Nouns[W]e treat noun plurals in English such as men, feet, mice, teeth as occurring with replacives (i.e. replacements which are morphemic). . . . Replacive morphemes . . . may consist of segmental or suprasegmental phonemes . . .. A rather rarer type of replacement is represented by the English series bath : bathe, sheath : sheathe, wreath : wreathe, teeth : teethe, safe : save, strife : strive, thief : thieve, grief : grieve, half : halve, shelf : shelve, serf : serve, advice : advise, house /haws/ : house /hawz/, etc. In each pair, the noun has a voiceless continuant, the verb a voiced continuant. If we agree to derive the verbs from the nouns, we set up three replacive elements . . .; but since these three elements exhibit a phonetic-semantic resemblance to each other, and since their occurrence is phonologically conditioned, we combine them into a single replacive morpheme.(Eugene A. Nida, The Identification of Morphemes. Morphology: Critical Concepts in Lingu istics, ed. by Francis Katamba. Routledge, 2004)

The Watergate Scandal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Watergate Scandal - Essay Example The Watergate Complex includes several administrative and hotel building located on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., but unlike hundreds other complexes of similar caliber the Watergate is known to almost any adult citizen in the US and abroad. In fact, the event was so important that the term 'Watergate' is more commonly associated with a series of political scandals that culminated in constitutional crisis than with the hotel. The Watergate Scandal occurred during the presidency of Richard Nixon and began with arrest of five burglars at the Watergate hotel complex in Washington, D.C. and ultimately resulted in dramatic resignation of President Nixon on the 9th of August, 1974.In the months preceding the Watergate break-in, Nixon and his administration had been extremely preoccupied with their public image, and took every possible step to avoid negative publicity. The preoccupation was reasonable: Nixon's policies regarding the Vietnam War generated much criticism, and the lea king of the documents concerning the US involvement in the Vietnam War submitted to the New York Times by Daniel Ellsberg in 1971 only fueled the criticism (Bernstein and Woodward 165).In order to prevent further leaks, Nixon established a special unit nicknamed the "Plumbers". The unit led by G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt (both of them were close to Nixon) took advantage of the situation to get involved in investigation of the private lives Nixon's critics justifying their actions with national security consideration. Evidently, the true motives underlying many actions of the Plumbers had more to do with protecting the President's public image from criticism and preparing the base for the forthcoming elections (Bernstein and Woodward 207). The Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP) was established in 1972 and in December the same year G. Gordon Liddy, one of the Plumbers, was appointed as general counsel to the Committee. This appointment made CREEP a powerful weapon in the hands of Nixon with Liddy behind most of CREEP's activities. In 1972, Liddy designed a serious intelligence operation against the Democrats. One of the steps within the framework of that operation was a small-scale burglary of the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate office complex (Westerfeld 35). On June 17, 1972, five burglars were arrested by police inside the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate office building in Washington DC. Four of the burglars were Cuban anti-Communists and one White House employee: they were caught during an attempt to bug the office. The Washington police convicted James McCord, Virgilo Gonzalez, Bernard Barker, Eugenio Martinez, and Frank Sturgis of 2nd degree burglary (WHT 820). The burglars had an impressive amount of tools and materials, namely a walkie-talkie, two 35-millimeter cameras, lock picks, pen-size teargas guns, advanced bugging devices, and 40 rolls of unexposed film. Besides, they also had $14,000 in hundred dollar bills that could be traced directly to CREEP (Bernstein and Woodward, 15-16). Therefore, it immediately became clear that those people had links to Nixon's Committee to Re-Elect the President. Thus, McCord was a former CIA officer employed by the CREEP as a security director. However, despite charges filed against Liddy and Hunt for their role in organization of the burglary no serious damage was done to CREEP's reputation. There were at least two reasons for that: firstly, the information disclosed at that moment was too incomplete which resulted in huge underestimation of CREEP's role; secondly, Nixon's leading positions during the pre-election period allowed him to successfully avoid any further investigations and accusations at that time (Westerfeld 45). Nixon read about the break-in on the 18 of June and the whole thing seemed so weird to him that he did not believe it and initially dismissed it as a political trick (Nixon 625-626). Charles Colson, a

Supply Network Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supply Network Strategy - Essay Example It also improves the relationship of each link in the chain and improves the benefits of all partners in the supply chain. Finally, a three dimensional network model of a supply chain can better show that dynamic nature of the behaviors and way of information, services, and materials. A network view guides those who are responsible for strategy design, implementation, and execution to see the difficult relationships of a typical supply chain into the future. This also helps in field of "economies of scope" between the business enterprises. According to above, Supply chain management is represented as a dynamic not as static. This view of Supply chain management has its crucial point on the logical and global attitude of business and its relationships. Information technologies are the facilitators. In which there is not least absence of performance. The theory of supply chain management has commands over the products or services that are beneficial for the company. It is also involved the procedure that is faster then the cost. The term management in Supply chain management has a conservative view of its managerial dimensions, these dimensions can be planning, organizing or controlling the over all activities but there is a very little knowledge about the management of service supply.

Financing New Ventures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Financing New Ventures - Assignment Example With such bans being effected by various airlines throughout the world, it translates to the loss of investment revenues. This bans implemented by airline also have serious consequences on crucial trade flows thereby making the prices of medicines and foods. To the investors this marks the beginning of hard times since their businesses both locally in the area that have been affected and abroad in the areas that have ban flights. Both direct and indirect consequence of the outbreak of Ebola has also contributed to the diminished tourism in the areas. The impact of Ebola outbreak is great, but its effect is will not last for long even though its impact will be felt. CDC is working to ensure Ebola outbreak is contained and controlled. With this great steps being taken by the necessary authorities, the fight against Ebola will win ion n the end. As an investor, even though the impact of this deadly disease has been felt worldwide, the process of investment has to continue. The outbreak of the disease is short term hence as an investor I will not pull out and will consider proceeding with my

Fashion and Consumer Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion and Consumer Culture - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Consumer Culture" concerns the consumerism and fashion. Factors include religion, beliefs, climate, gender, and economic and cultural situation, among others. Though fashion may change as dictated by society, clothes are more than just about warmth and protection. In fact, clothes have become a representation of particular cultures that create them. Clothes are considered consumer goods. But then again, more than being consumer goods, it defines the cultural class that wears them. It is one of those consumer goods that are being used as tools for social mobility as stated in the ‘Conspicuous Consumption’ theory by 19th Century economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen. In his book ‘The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study in the Evolution of Institutions, he says that luxury goods are tools to display economic power, and that such display of discretionary economic power is a means of attaining or maintaining a particular social sta tus. Moreover, as an elaboration, these consumer goods have become tools to provoke envy from other people. Ultimately, consumer goods, and fashion is one of them, is a means of displaying a buyer’s superior socio-economic status. In the article ‘Consumption and the Consumer Society’, it says that the average United States resident consumes 275 lbs. of meat, uses 635 lbs. of paper and uses energy equivalent to 7.8 metrics tons of oil. Forty-five years ago consumption was about half of current statistics. In the U.S. there are 2 persons.

Amy Chua's thesis concerning ethnic conflict and free markets Essay

Amy Chua's thesis concerning ethnic conflict and free markets - Essay Example Her hypothesis argues that a state turns into a hyperpower (a state of influence even higher than a superpower) only after it encompasses all ethnic and religious elements under an umbrella where all may co-exist in their own form without any pressure to conform. This, in her view, is the kind of democracy which would pave way for a journey inclined towards turning the state into a hyperpower. Similarly, once this diversity in terms of ethnicity or religion turns into conflict for existence and influence, the state is bound to lose its power and collapse. In order to critically analyze the hypothesis, the socio-economic scenario of the present day China would be taken as a case study and an insight into the ethnic and religious conflicts would be taken to see the deterrence behind China achieving its status of hyperpower. Prior to applying Chua`s hypothesis on present day China, the current power struggle dynamics in China need to be analyzed. Though apparently China is rising exponentially as one of the global economic powers of the world, it is also an undeniable fact the internal dynamics in China pose a threat to the long term development goal of the state, and owing to these internal dynamics, various negative indicators emerge which lead China towards a saturation point. These very internal dynamics deter China from reaching its true potential, despite diplomatic excellence and economic dominance in the world, its position isn`t as close to being a hyper-power as it should be. Since the past 30 years or so, China has been aiming to improve its internal development indicators and its progress in terms of dealing with its domestic issues (Hao & Cho 11). Yet, it`s a given fact that even today China faces many problems at home which include poverty, class gap, inequality, corruption, social reforms , demographic challenges, ageing population and environmental

Fashion and Consumer Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion and Consumer Culture - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Consumer Culture" concerns the consumerism and fashion. Factors include religion, beliefs, climate, gender, and economic and cultural situation, among others. Though fashion may change as dictated by society, clothes are more than just about warmth and protection. In fact, clothes have become a representation of particular cultures that create them. Clothes are considered consumer goods. But then again, more than being consumer goods, it defines the cultural class that wears them. It is one of those consumer goods that are being used as tools for social mobility as stated in the ‘Conspicuous Consumption’ theory by 19th Century economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen. In his book ‘The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study in the Evolution of Institutions, he says that luxury goods are tools to display economic power, and that such display of discretionary economic power is a means of attaining or maintaining a particular social sta tus. Moreover, as an elaboration, these consumer goods have become tools to provoke envy from other people. Ultimately, consumer goods, and fashion is one of them, is a means of displaying a buyer’s superior socio-economic status. In the article ‘Consumption and the Consumer Society’, it says that the average United States resident consumes 275 lbs. of meat, uses 635 lbs. of paper and uses energy equivalent to 7.8 metrics tons of oil. Forty-five years ago consumption was about half of current statistics. In the U.S. there are 2 persons.

Discuss the relevant ethical and legal issues based on the case study Essay

Discuss the relevant ethical and legal issues based on the case study - Essay Example Nevertheless, medication has its confines. Whereas these restrictions may change with developments in science and technology, it is misleading to behave as if medicine can defeat all illnesses and death itself. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) public view has been one of over-assurance; this is somewhat because of the incorrect resuscitation portrayal in TV dramas in which it is recognized as an epic event where the patient attains a remarkable recovery. Regrettably, this is not mirrored in the signs of subsistence to discharge. Within hospital cardiac-arrests, normally, less than one in 7 (15%) patients live on. This essay examines the ethical and legal issues of placing DNR adult without informing the patient or the family. The NFR order Expert assistance has been issued by the UK’s Resuscitation Council concerning the usage of advance NFR orders. They affirm that NFR orders must be rendered after contemplation of prime matters: the patient's recognized or ascertainab le desires; the possibility of successfully reviving the breathing and the heart of the patient as well as the patient's human-rights, such as the privilege to life plus the privilege to be uninhibited from demeaning treatment (Herbert 2008). A NFR order designates that cardiopulmonary resurgence will not be instigated during a patient's respiratory or cardiac arrest, but does permit for any other remedial interventions. Nonetheless, some liken having a NFR directive with the removal or denying of other therapeutic interventions that is not the purpose. This absence of precision causes fear amongst the overall public (Kerridge Lowe & Stewart 2009). There has been current public concern concerning the NFR orders usage after a number of cases where patients or even their families have objected that resuscitation directives have been included in their medical records without their consent or knowledge, mainly in the circumstance of old patients, a better example is Mrs Lily scenario . Two concerns have arisen: firstly, that of clandestine decision-making and, secondly, ageism. Following much debate within the media plus including Age Alarm, the Health Department dispensed a memo to every NHS trustasking that chief administrators guaranteed that suitable resuscitation policies that respect patients' privileges were briefed. Some investigations have revealed that, with escalating age, CPR has worse results, nevertheless; a more current study exhibited that oldness was not a noteworthy influence when considering the aftermaths of cardiac-arrest. Corresponding to this, other findings have established that patients above the age of seventy with slight or no co-existing severe ailment were as expected to live as fresher patients. Age, therefore, in itself ought not to be a contra-suggestion to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (Hayward, 2009). Advance directives An 'advance directive' provides patients the lawful right to provide, or deny, assent to particular medical cure s prospectively. Their use must ensure that health experts are sentient of specific patients' desires if their state should worsen and they undergo loss of psychological capacity. The British Medical Association (2000) issued a protocol of practice that specified that competent cognizant adults have a reputable legal entitlement to reject medical processes beforehand and that, where lawful and appropriate, an ’

The Political Philosophy of the Constitution Essay Example for Free

The Political Philosophy of the Constitution Essay From my own perspective I feel that the major ideas of the political philosophy of the constitution are to mandate non-partisan redistricting for elections to enhance electoral competition. For example: To reduce the role that legislative politics might play, five states (Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, New Jersey and Washington), carry out congressional redistricting by an independent or bipartisan commission. Two states, Iowa and Maine, give independent bodies authority to propose redistricting plans, but preserve the role of legislatures to approve them. Seven states have only a single representative for the entire state because of their low populations; these are Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Redistricting is also necessary within school districts, where attendance zones have grown (or occasionally shrunk) disproportionately to the occupancy capacity of each public school in the system. This always occurs when a new school is built or one is closed, but may also occur due to other shifts in population. These districts are necessary not only to balance enrollment, but also to coordinate school bus routes. Separate maps are usually kept for each level: elementary school, middle school, and high school, for example. This is not an inherently political process, however parents can become very upset when their children are moved from a school they like (or to one they dont), and occasionally elected school boards have been forced to change plans after protests. 2nd Eliminate lifetime tenure for federal judges in favor of non-renewable 15 years term for all federal judges. Judges and certain members of some senates or upper chambers (senator for life) most commonly have life tenure. The primary goal of life tenure is to insulate the officeholder from external pressures. And last a Political meeting which we know as a constitutional convention is a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution. An unlimited constitutional convention is called to revise an existing constitution to the extent that it deems to be proper, whereas a limited constitutional convention is restricted to revising only the areas of the current constitution named in the conventions call, the legal mandate establishing the convention. Constitutional conventions have also been used by constituent states of federations such as the individual states of the United States to create, replace, or revise their own Constitutions though several states have never held a national constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing amendments, the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified not by the state legislatures, but by state level conventions after it was passed by Congress, as described as an alternate method of ratification in Article V of the US Constitution. Furthermore, The systematic elaboration of the consequences for politics of suggested resolutions of philosophical dilemmas (or of the intractability of those dilemmas). The greatest works of political philosophy try to present those consequences in relation to fundamental cosmological, ontological, and epistemological issues. They articulate a view of human nature which links the cosmological with the political. On a less grand scale, political philosophy explores the political implications of particular disputes, for example about the nature of the self (see communitarianism; freedom; liberalism; and autonomy), or about the notion of moral responsibility (see punishment). There is obviously a close connection between political philosophy and moral philosophy, because both involve exploring the nature of judgments we make about our values; consequently, when it was thought on epistemological grounds that it was not the place of philosophy to explore these normative matters, political philosophy was declared to be dead. Contemporary political philosophy flourishes because the epistemological argument once thought fatal to it has Do we need a Constitution. Yes! we need a Constitution because The founding principles behind the Constitution, were values created by men enduring the stress and pressure of creating a new union aside from the rule of Great Britain. Much debate and thought about human values and the rights of a free people were instituted in the writing of this famous document that has endured in the United States for nearly 232 years. Although there have been a variety of amendments, the basic content has been respected and used to govern in the USA throughout history up to the present. The majority of citizens believe in this document to govern our country as its tradition is valued still by many. Just like the Bible is a guide to many religious denominations, the constitution is a guide to the structure, laws and behaviors influencing the culture in America. In conclusion I hope that my ideology on major ideas of the political philosophy of the constitution are true and not of opinionated facts. I obtained my REFERENCES from: Hampton, Jean (1997). Political philosophy. p. xiii. ISBN 0813308586. http://books. google. com/books? id=-. Political philosophy is about political societies. ^ Sahakian, Mabel Lewis (1993). Ideas of the great philosophers. Barnes Noble Publishing. p. 59. ISBN 1566192712. Kraut, Richard (2002). Aristotle: political philosophy. Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN 0198782001. (Cicero: a study in the origins of republican philosophy. .http://books. google. com/books. By the ninth and tenth centuries ^ Gellner, Ernest (1992). Plough, Sword, and Book. University of Chicago Press. p. 239. ISBN 0226287027. Natural Law and Calvinist Political Theory. Trafford Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 1412007382.

Democracy in Egypt

Democracy in Egypt Introduction: Democracy in Egypt In 2009, countries of the Arabian descent took to the streets in rebellion to the aristocratic leadership they have been subdued under for years. The wave of demonstrations and coup dà ©tats spread over North Africa with Egypt being among the countries that were affected. Two years later, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown by the government through a military coup. Egyptians sought to the streets proclaiming victory over the aristocratic leader’s exit from the palace. The President was acquitted with several violations of the human rights and other atrocities under his reign. (Bukay2007) It is purported that the struggle for democracy was fostered by the Western country of the United States with the primary aim to westernize the Arabian country. Some reports indicate that the dynamo effect of the revolution was because of the consequent subsequent revolutions in other countries. Nonetheless, the question remains whether democracy will prevail in the Arabian c ountry. Considering the cultural and the media factors, will Egypt’s struggle for democracy actually bear fruit? To this effect, the purpose of the paper is to analyze sources of information on the particular topic. The main purpose of the paper is to delineate the United States involvement in the democratic struggle in Egypt with reference to Putnam’s work on the Arabian countries’ revolution. Moreover, the paper will discuss why democracy will not prevail in the country provided that the cultural, historical, religious and ideological views still held firmly in the country. The democratic revolution It is purported that the United States has been at the forefront in the struggle or the support for the revolution in the North African countries. The U.S. supports a strong, affluent and democratic Egypt that responds to the aspirations of its peoples. It believes that the outcomes of elections and the shape of Egypt’s new democracy are for the Egyptian people to decide. The U.S.’s support for the transition to civilization is aimed at aiding the citizens in building democratic institutions as well as fair processes that offer greater opportunity. Moreover, provide for accountability plus the participation in political life. However, the United States does not support or fund any candidates or political parties. (Embassy of the US2015) The United States funded the after revolution events worth sixty million dollars for the programs supporting the revolution. The United States supports such endeavors in the name of partnerships. Therefore, the nation is focused solely o n the immediate priorities that the Egyptians had identified including holding of free and fair elections, empowering citizens to play a role in their country’s future and the protection and expansion of the universal rights. Moreover, the United States sought to expand in the civil society and the building democratic institutions that are transparent and accountable. The main agenda of the United States is to provide the support of the independent Egypt that represent the rights and the interests of the people. Nevertheless, are the good will intentions of the super power possible to relegate the democratic revolutions of the nation? Are the actions of the United States credible with the medieval factors that still govern the society such as religion and culture? There have been former studies conducted by political scientists on the success of such western countries in forging for the move to democracy in Arabian countries. Among them is Putnam whose main life’s work is to address the issue in the Middle East. Putnam’s view on Democracy and the Arab nations Putnam is a political scientist whose main interests were on the ideology of democracy and revolution. He performed a study on the equality of the Arabian countries and its significance to the development of the nations. In his studies, he argues that most students of the novel democracies, which have emerged over the previous decade and beyond, have emphasized the significance of a robust and active civil society in relation to the Alliance of democracy. This is especially in relation to the post-communist nations, scholars, as well as democratic activists who have also complained about the obliteration of norms of independent civic engagement, as well as a broad tendency toward reflexive reliance on the state. He purports that for the people who are concerned about civil societies’ weakness, within the post-communist and developing world, the developed Western democracies and particularly the UDS have generally been considered as models to be emulated. Nevertheless, over the previous several decades, it has emerged that the vibrancy associated with the American Civil society has declined. (Shafick2013) It is clear that democracy will never work in Egypt because of many reasons. The situation in the Middle East is now more dangerous and chaotic as compared to how it was years ago. The enthusiasm that was linked to yesteryear has now proved to be entirely misguided. Moreover, it has contributed to the chaos is Egypt, as well as anarchy in Libya. The people who are interested in being on the appropriate side of history, realize that they are on the erroneous face as far as the argument is concerned. This means that democracy is precisely not the solution for societies that are extremely involved and the fact that the Western keeps on meddling. That only makes matters immensely worse. The main arguments that democracy as it is understood simply cannot work within the Middle East nations where tribe, family, sect and personal friendships outplay the device of the state. Democracy cannot work in Egypt because all the Middle East nations have proved beyond reasonable doubt that they are s ocieties, which can never be controlled by the decree of law. Thus, some scholars have defined them as â€Å"favor for favor† cultures. This suggests that in Egypt what usually happens that whenever individuals face particular problems, they often seek help from relatives or people of their own tribe or who live within the same locality as them. Furthermore, such requests of seeking assistance are rarely refused because those people tend to have very strong ties. Moreover, in states where social security is ineffective, people’s future security only depends on the usual extensive family. Democracy will remain to be a dream in Egypt because is that state behind the chaotic structure lies the secret police, as well as the armed forces. They are known to hold the nation together under the protection of the president who rules. The leader maintains the various elements of society whole holding concessions to every group, but the leaders also possess authority,which can be exercised in relation to how the public can understand. Democracy has also failed to work in Middle East countries such as Egypt because the West has abjectly failed in understanding the inner workings of such nations, and that has brought about some disastrous impacts. Iraq can be used as a classic example. For instance, the invasion that occurred in Iraq only made matters worse in spite of the negative e deeds of Saddam. The fact that the US invaded that nation, the stability of the Gulf was destroyed, and it was an enormous impact since the Gulf had since 1979, depended on a tripod consisting of Iraq , Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Consequently, the Iranians now have the ability to govern the Gulf region. (Orttung Walker 2012) The term democracy can be defined as the system of governance where the people vote for their representatives in direct democracy or indirect democracy. It is explained that he Islamic culture is in line with the term democratic. Nonetheless, how is democratic if a large portion of the world’s political system is in opposition to the Islamic culture and laws? First, the law and the culture do not permit commoners or people of lower classes to hold any political positions in the government or any other post? Islamists argue that the parliamentary democracy and representative elections are not only compatible with the Islamic law, but it also encourages freedom. It is mostly done in two ways: either they twist the definitions to suit the apparatus of the Islamic governance such as the term democracy or they bend the reality of life in Muslim countries to f it their theories. (Amid2015) It is arguable that the term democracy has a myriad of meanings and a variety at that. Every culture molds its own democratic government and, therefore, a religious freedom can ensue. There is the argument that Islamic movements have internalized the democratic discourse through the concepts of shura –consultation- and ijma-consensus-. It is, therefore, implied that the ideology of democracy already exists in the Muslim nations. It is consequently, reaffirmed through the minority revolutions where the move to overthrow the Egyptian president was due to his dictatorial leadership and not due to westernization. The strong argument will be that he other Arabian nations that still follow the Islamic laws will not let the influence of the Western world become apparent. In addition, how will democracy be reached if issues such as women rights and freedom are far from being realized? Years and years of protests in the western world on the stringent Muslim laws and the forceful submission of the woman on the expense of the male superiority and liberties have been practiced. If the argument that the Arab nations are democratic, then the struggle and the support that the United States is offering is a waste of tax payers money at the expense of ‘democratization’ in Egypt. The idea of Islamic democracy in the relativism theory on Islamic culture and religion is accommodated in the Arab nations whose sole purpose is to avoid westernization. However, the ideology is not complete but the struggle by America is accommodative as well since change is a gradual process. Hence, the cultural aspect of the Islamic nations will be a barrier to the democratic revolution of the Islamic nations. (Zunes2011) Freedom of speech and the media Conversely, the media channels were at the forefront of the struggle for the democracy in the Arabian country. It was a breakthrough for the Egyptian country with the reports from the neighboring countries’ revolution and Libya’s anarchy. It brought about the wave of riot, and the military used the media primarily to enforce revolutions. From bloggers to media personalities the country was manipulated by the military to engage in the violent engagements around the country and mostly in the capital city, Cairo. The effect of the social media has deepened the imprint on the Egyptian society and politics despite the fact that most bloggers and media officials suffer from the freedom to air information on the country’s current issues. (Clay, 2011) Three years along the procession, there are still revolutions on the freedom of speech in the media docket. In February 2011, the highest commission of the Armed military directed a harsh order to the civil society routinel y portraying the democracy activists as foreign-backed troublemakers. It had also restricted the discussion of assorted views on the news along with analysis programs, and more generally blocked the pathway for improvement in key areas of the media division. In the mass to the centennial of Mubarak’s acquiescence, state media have presaged activists against insulting steps while asserting that the military would provide to protect the state. A recent example of this backsliding is the creation of the so-called National Military Media Committee, a body of eleven generals that will be accountable for as long as information about the martial to journalists and offsetting what it considers â€Å"biased coverage.† (El-Sherif2014) Such retrospective actions have been all the more unsatisfactory given the ciphers early last year that real development ought to be in the offing. Among the first steps in use after Mubarak’s upheaval was the abolition of the point of information executive official on February 22nd, 2011. The move made Egypt become one of the three nations in the Middle East and North Africa, together with Qatar and Lebanon that became short of an information official, a post that is characteristically associate d with restriction and cant. In July, though, the position was restored, and all through the subsequent half of 2011, the taboo on the debate of individual subject was reestablished in state media. At least five national televisions plus radio presenters have been taken off the air or confronted with prosecution difficult for the limits of permitted speech. Therefore, the issue of the democratic revolution of the state will be hindered with the military governance that seeks to guide the move of the nation to the next step. In addition, it is clear why the military and the country at whole are in retaliation to the revolutionary democratic move. The incidences where their fellow citizens have been mistreated and live cruelly in the western worlds. For instance after the terrorist attacks in the United States and the United Kingdom in London would soon prove to be difficult for the Democratic support to be futile. Americans and the Europeans were upset after the twin attacks in both continents with sentiments towards the attackers mostly being Arabians and Muslims origins discriminating those living in the areas. Therefore, the struggle by the United States to support the countr y especially will be futile with recognition by the citizens in this country being affected with the awful comments from the nations. It will, therefore, be difficult to endorse the democratic movement if such wounds are still new in the wits of the populace of the Islamic countries considering that the effect is still felt to date. â€Å"The Youth of January 25. In the wake of the revolution, the youth was at the forefront of the struggle of the democratic incidences. However, since the revolution culminated the youth have gone underground with no intentions of surfacing to enable the revolution. In fact, the crisis is not the standard radical problem of influential running out of steam. If something, the exact conflicting has happened: they had too much steam that has reserved them operating around in circles. That they were authentically stunned to observe the degree of the democratic system breakdown rising in the years after Mubarak’s subtraction is no news: it is gener ally familiar and acknowledged. Their mistrust of all sorts of authority, whether they are politicians, intellectual experts, or even elder people, persuaded them that they had to suspend onto their grounds of Utopian revolt, and not pay attention to the warning voices of unattractive understanding. Except these childlike leaders were thunderstruck on the several junctures when they instituted themselves on behalf of a losing preponderance in the face of a prearranged alternative. It is argued that the youth in Egypt have less to look forward to in terms of democracy if there is any hope of the western world. The ideology of the unstructured government is among the issues that will lead to the democratic movement’s culmination. The military is independent of other institutions of the government that enabled it to act solely without the remission of the other institutions. Moreover, the parliamentary community and the government operate differently without the involvement of the other subsidiary meaning there is no constitutional application for the transition of power if there is no president. Hence, it was able for the military to succeed the former President Hosni Mubarak. In addition, the division of the diverse political groups may be the reason why the devolvement of the political system will not digress to the democratic revolution. The Muslim Brotherhood is among the groups that constitute for the remission of the ruling ‘government’ in democratic ways of governance. The reason is because the ideology on the former management system was not efficient then and would never be efficient in the new Egypt. Egypt is becoming increasingly ungovernable. (Fadel2014) The realm cannot change its re asserted supremacy into legality, and as intrastate rivalry and unruly complaint political affairs overwhelm the following arena, the nation faces a political void with no clear resolution. Egypt desires an absolute reinvention of its biased sphere. In spite of the development of a controversial public liberty since 2011, Egypt still requires a proficient political division, without which it will be powerless to deal with entrenched institutional obstructions to democracy. The alliance that supports the July 2013 overthrow that conquered then-President Mohamed Morsi is portioning. A split is increasing amid groups that want to replicate Mubarak’s totalitarianism and those that bear a more self-governing future for Egypt. No one collection has monopolized the debate. List of references David bulky â€Å"can there be an Islamic democracy?† (2007) pp71-79 the Middle East Quarterly http://www.meforum.org/1680/can-there-be-an-islamic-democracy Embassy of the US â€Å"supporting Egypt’s Democratic transition† (2015) http://egypt.usembassy.gov/democracy.html S tephen zunes â€Å"Egypt’s pre-democratic movement: the struggle continues† (2011) open democracy https://www.opendemocracy.net/stephen-zunes/egypt’s-pro-democracy-movement-struggle-continues Christopher Walker Robert Orttung â€Å"For Egypt’s State media, the Revolution has yet to arrive† (2012) https://freedomhouse.org/blog/egypt’s-state-media-revolution-has-yet-arrive#.VUoMx5MYF_M Hesham shafick :Egypt’s January 25 revolutionary youth: where have they gone† (2013). https://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/hesham-shafick/egypt’s-january-25-revolutionary-youth-where-have-they-gone Rebecca A. Clay â€Å"Muslims in America post 9/11† American Psychology Association (2011) vol 42 no.8 pp 72. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/09/muslims.aspx Ashraf El-Sherif â€Å"Egypt’s post-Mubarak Predicament† (2014) http://carnegieendowment.org/2014/01/29/egypt-s-post-mubarak-predicament Shadi Hamid â€Å"The struggle for Middle East Democracy† the American University in Cairo (2015) http://www.aucegypt.edu/gapp/cairoreview/pages/articledetails.aspx?aid=20 Mohammed Fadel â€Å"what killed the Egyptian democracy† (2014) http://bostonreview.net/forum/mohammad-fadel-what-killed-egyptian-democracy

Reaching Up for Manhood :: Essays Papers

Reaching Up for Manhood Under-privileged, African-American boys are more prevalent in today's society than the typical person would like to recognize or admit. These boys seem to be faced with an ideal in which they need to follow or conform to as any and all cultures have. However, the problem is that for these boys, this ideal or way of living is believed to be met. Black boys growing up in Harlem are expected to act tough, not take any crap from anybody, and always seem to be strong no matter what they may be faced with. Along with this pressure to not express emotion and feeling, people wonder why they take this aggression out on their loved ones. Even though it may seem sexist it is a known fact that males are more likely to partake in violence than the average female. In order to prevent violence, it needs to stop before it starts. To do this, we start at childhood. The social, family, and educational environment must change for the better. This is not an easy task and no one is saying that it is going to take place over night. However, it is known that what we are, what we know, and how we act all reflects on the way in which we grow up and develop. Not to state the obvious, but I was raised very different from what the novel describes as an African-American male. Considering I am a Caucasian female, I was not raised with the attitude that I need to fend for myself. I did not need to learn self-defense in order to stay safe on the playground. My mother did not coach me on which ways to walk home from school. I didn't have to worry about it since the schools were well equipped with buses and money was not a problem for any of the school districts in the area I call home. I could not imagine telling a child not to go to the playground and play after school because it wasn't safe. If put in this type of culture, I would feel like I'd have to shield my child from everything when the reality of it would be that I am not the educator. The "tough" boys on that playground are the educators in a younger boy's eyes and the older boys come from homes that are either struggling or non-existing.

ALDI Business expansion through training and development Essay

Aldi (short for Albrecht Discounts) is a globally operating and expanding discount retailer with over 8,000 stores all over the world. The company was founded in 1913 in Germany by two brothers. In 1960 the former Albrecht KG was separated in Aldi Sued and Aldi Nord. The headquarters are located in Essen (Aldi Nord) and Mà ¼lheim an der Ruhr (Aldi Sued). Both companies still have a friendly relation and use the same brands occasionally but operate independently. Aldi Nord operates in Denmark, the Benelux countries, France, the Iberian Peninsula and Poland. Aldi Sued makes its business transactions in countries including Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, USA and Australia. In Austria and Slovenia Aldi is represented by Hofer KG. Overall Aldi is one of the world’s biggest grocery chains. The sales strategy is well known as they offer the opportunity to buy cheap and good/fresh food. The main focus is on key markets in Europe, North Am erica and Australia. Store layouts are simple and opening hours focus especially on the busiest times of the day. The retailer is a specialist in food, beverage and household items but within the years the portfolio was extended. The company acts now among other things for example, as travel agency. Many of the offered products are own brands. The number of other brands is limited to a maximum of two for an item. Therefore it is possible to keep the shops smaller and to sell a larger quantity of a specific brand. The slogan â€Å"Spend a little, live a lot† reflects the strategy of Aldi. In a nutshell to keep prices low they are not taking effort on presenting their variety of goods. Worldwide main competitors of Aldi are Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., METRO AG and Lidl Dienstleistung GmbH & Co. KG. Particular Austrian competitors are Zielpunkt, Norma and Penny. The strategy of the mentioned chains is similar. They are all driving their main business in the food industry as they are primarily competing on price in order to increase their market share. Main customers are bigger families, housewifely people and people with less income. The marketing mix of every business is different. Aldi focusses on providing high quality products that are cheaper alternatives to famous brands. Moreover, the advertising strategy is very simple and cost saving. Apart from a weekly newsletter of  special offers Aldi is not advertising at all. Primarily this low price grocery chains arose due to the increasing population and economic challenges. Therefore it was necessary to construct bigger plants which resulted in fewer and larger firms. This had a negative effect on farmer’s return and all of a sudden people started to concern about the products they were consuming. Aldi was very hard affected by these changes and implemented sustainable products. Now they offer especially in the diary product sector regional goods. Certainly important to mention is the simple organization structure of Aldi. The very flat management hierarchy allows leaders to get their people known. At Aldi managers should be open for new ideas, improvements and it is common to involve all employees in decision making. They represent a philosophy of promoting and supporting talents within the organization. Consequently the performance of each employee is recognized easier. As the responsibility is increasing within promotions it is essential to support a transparent and effective decision making system. Subsequent the discretion of the Aldi organizational chart. On the very top of the management is the Vice President followed by several Directors like Director of Warehousing & Transportation and Director of Administration. The District Managers are directly reporting to the Director of Operations and are leading the individual Store Management Teams. The number of Store Employees is based on the frequency of customer visits. Worth to mention is also financial situation. The revenue of Aldi was not published until 2000. Since 2001, Aldi Nord publishes its numbers in the Federal Gazette. Sales in Germany in 2010 amounted to 22.5 billion euros. Furthermore the worldwide turnover was 52.8 billion euros. Aldi Nord and Aldi Sued are completely family owned. The capital is very solid and Aldi has no liabilities. Aldi Nord owns all logistic centers. Leased objects are increasingly replaced by own objects. Aldi Sued also owns almost all buildings and land but had to borrow money for further expansion properties. So they left the path of total independence. The return on sales constitutes between 3 and 3.7 % in 2010. The core values and principles that the brothers founded are still important for decision making today. These are presented from the management team as follows: Consistency – leads to reliability. We mean what we say. We are consistent in our dealings with  people, product, price and all other aspects of our day to day professional life. Simplicity – creates efficiency, clarity and clear orientation within our organization as well as for our customers. Responsibility – stands for our commitment towards our people, customers, partners and the environment. It also includes principles such as fairness, honesty, openness, service orientation and friendliness. Aldi places great emphasis in efficient human resource development. In the daily sales business they try to keep everything simple and cheap. This can only be realized with an increase of company’s performance. Furthermore it demonstrates how the training and development program ensures that their employees have the required skills. First of all the goal is to identify training needs in order to be prepar ed for the future. It is mandatory to plan both, the number of workers and specific skills and requirements. The company can then recruit new staff and is furthermore able to ensure that training and development programs are ready when needed. Training needs are identified through constant monitoring of the company’s performance. Aldi expands rapidly and therefore it is necessary to recruit more than 4,000 people within the next 12 months. Therefore the retailer follows the strategy to offer industry-leading salaries to make sure that they also attract the best candidates. Clear and detailed job descriptions help the Human Resource Department to find people with the right set of skills and competencies. Moreover there is process of interview and assessment where managers will find out if the applying person fits. After the most suitable candidate is recruited the training period starts. Depending on the position different trainee programs are offered. For example as a district manager you have to participate in a nearly one-year long training. This program is divided into several different phases where knowledge and skills are being strengthened. Furthermore the new recruits learn about the philosophy of Aldi and its expectations of them to make them feel part of the family. The training and development continues throughout the career with internal and external training seminars. Besides the effect of higher business efficiency training can enhance and motivate staff. Promotions are quite encouraging as personal growth and development is very much appreciated and supported. On the one side Aldi expects an immediate contribution to the business but on the other side they provide special trainings to help developing their careers within the company. Over  85% of Aldi Directors are recruited within the company. They start after school or college and work themselves u p into the general management. Additionally, they offer also an international Expatriate program. This is especially for experienced District Managers who want to learn more about the business in an entirely different culture. Aldi is looking for individuals who are willing to develop themselves further. What is more is that Aldi offers an internship of 10 weeks. During this period interns are given real responsibilities and they have the opportunity to show their competencies and skills. This work placement is for students in undergraduate or graduate programs and is well paid. Internships are very common in such big companies as they offer options for both, the company and the intern. The company has the chance to test the employee for a few weeks and can then decide to offer high potentials a permanent position. However, this is also an advantage for temporary employees because they do not have to sign a permanent contract. Furthermore, Aldi uses on-the-job trainings to continue the training of the employees. T his form of education is taking place in the working environment. Skills are improved by dealing with daily challenges and employees get the chance to learn through re-equipment and materials. Another advantage is that feedback is given right after the accomplishment of the task. Besides also Aldi benefits by saving costs as they don not lose working time and a specific training is although provided. In a nutshell, on-the-job training is very economical. There are four different forms of providing on-the-job trainings: Coaching: The trainee will be trained by a senior employee. These coaches are providing instructions to the trainees to improve their knowledge about the daily work processes. Even though coaching is often used wrongly as a synonym for mentoring. Mentoring: Is characterized by a strong communication between the trainee and the mentor. The main role of a mentors is to guide and help the trainee. Additionally communication. Compared to coaching the relationship of these two parties is more personal. Job rotation: Means that employees are moved within different positions just for a planned period of time. As a result they should be able to gain a wider variety of knowledge and learn about the processes in other departments. „Sitting next to Nellieâ€Å": Is a training very special technique where skills are provided by working alongside to a colleague. This method is very popular. It shows much more  efficiently than reading or studying a written documentation. At Aldi the training follows the principle â€Å"tell, show, do†. First of all the process is explained by the manager followed by a demonstration. Subsequently the trainee has to conduct the task and the manager observes. All kind of positions follow this structure. Prospective area managers get the possibility to become acquainted with different departments. Thus the trainees understand how each department and processes relates to each other. In the trainee period of one year they are supported from an area manager and they get the possibility to represent the branch manager for four to six weeks. In addition to on-the-job trainings Aldi provides off-the-job trainings as well. As indicated, these trainings are taking place away from work. Whereas on-the-job training is very specific, off-the-job training transfers more general skills which are transferable and therefore can be used in many parts of the company. Aldi uses this kind of development for courses covering: Hiring Techniques: Recruitment, interviewing and selection Employment law Influencing skills Performance reviews (appraisals) Aldi Management System (how to develop and performance manage people) Off-the-job training shows positive outcomes like motivated staff and greater staff productivity. Moreover it provides employees with better skills and Aldi profits from improved customer service. Beside these positive aspects it must be admitted that off-the-job training creates higher payroll costs. These additional costs are shown in payments for the trainings organization, the training itself and absenteeism which has to be covered from other employees. Aldi decides whether on-the-job or off-the-job training is more suitable for the given aspect of training. In general the different internal and external training seminars accompany employees through their whole career. Aldi defines learning and growth as a career-long process where there is always an opportunity for more. An example for the combination of internal and external training is Aldi’s apprentice scheme. Beside the regular apprenticeship the trainees are studying for an NVQ (national vocational qualification) in Retail Apprenticeship. When the traineeship ends after 3 years the apprentices  gained Level 3 – advanced qualification. Due to the growth of Aldi, trainees have good opportunities to be promoted. Fully trained have the possibility to acquire a position as a deputy manager or assistant store manager. The next step on their career ladder is to become a store manager. All these forms of training provide employees with work-related knowledge and skills that are needed to carry out their jobs. Besides on-the-job and off-the-job training there is another possibility to educate the employees of a company. Development is similar to training as it supports personal growth and improves skills which are directly related to the job. Furthermore, employees gain qualifications and which results in a higher value in the job market. At first glance it looks as if companies do not benefit from development, but they do in every way. Beyond employees can be used more flexible. Additionally they are able to take over more responsibility. Moreover, people are considered to be an important member of the business. Hence, the company cares about the performance and capabilities of employees, which enhances motivation. Aldi is greatly aware that further development of employees increases the change of losing high potentials. Due to better knowledge people are more likely to leave as other companies often promise better career objectives. Nevertheless Aldi is conscious of this risk but in order to remain competitive they prefer to invest in human capital. As this food retailer has a lot of subsidiaries it is possible to offer its employees relocation to different international countries. This helps to develop all-round expert ise and motivation. At first, strengths and weaknesses of each employee need to be identified. Next step is to help them to improve their skills. To support this process Aldi launched an appraisal form. In this special system the manager and the employee evaluate the past and current performance. According to this process it is easier to decide which development is necessary or useful for the individual. A very important procedure is also the personal goal setting. At Aldi managers and employees work very close together to find the right targets. The discounter also tries to attract especially university students. Students have the possibility to prove their theoretical knowledge during a one year long working experience. They enjoy the first time to be part of a company. Moreover Aldi benefits greatly from this system. If the students are doing well they usually get a permanent job offer. In this  case no further recruiting process is needed and subsequent time and money can be saved. In a nutshell Aldi puts great emphasis on training and development. Even though the company does not have a human resource department, it is rewarded with number 6 in â€Å"The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2013†. 85% of all directors have been recruited within the company this shows that the firm has a strong policy for internal recruitment. So promotion is permitted to every employee. Another factor of success is that staff is recruited from schools or colleges. The appropriate on- or off-the-job training guarantees that recruits are well-trained and lays the foundation of the employees’ careers. The retailer’s global competitor Wal-Mart has a similar training and development strategy. Wal-Mart uses a training and development system inspired by Nike. The difference to Aldi is the e-training process, which is a web-based training concentrating on selling skills and product knowledge. Besides all these positive aspects some valuations of former employees on the internet tell another story. Zeit online reports that discounters like Aldi are fallen into disrepute and try to clear their names as good employers with training and development offers. On the one hand former employees are largely satisfied with Aldi’s further development, but on the other hand they claim that the promised prospects for promotions and career are rare. To guarantee that every employee gets equal career development opportunities, we would suggest a development account like Fraport AG uses. Fraport is the operator of the airport Frankfurt and organizes staff development with the so called Q-Card (qualification card). The Q-Card is a credit account for further development, which gives each of the 13,000 employees the chance to redeem â‚ ¬ 600 per annum for personal development. If the development credit is not consumed, it expires on their own responsibility. All in all, Aldi has an effective way to train and develop staff. Open communication of the career prospects brings orientation for recruits and employees. The flat management hierarchy combined with career possibilities enables the staff to take over responsibility. Training ensures well-trained employees and promotion is open to all staff. In respect of staff development Aldi deservers number 6 of the 100 Graduate Employers 2013. Primarily, people associate Aldi with cheap products, but hardly anyone knows that they care about their employees especially in staff development. (2739 words) Reference List: http://www.aldi.com/?aldiurl=true https://corporate.aldi.co.uk/en/responsibility/our-people/everyone-achieving-their-best/ https://www.hofer.at/ http://www.aldi.de/