The Corporate Culture in Merrill Lynch

The Corporate Culture in Merrill Lynch Ethical issues in the legal case of Merrill Lynch In 2005 and 2006, a group of complainants filed racism charges against Merrill Lynch. They did it for the benefit of former Black American financial advisors and financial trainees (Hartman DesJardins, 2013).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Corporate Culture in Merrill Lynch specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The claims stated that Merrill Lynch was involved in favoritism, which limited Black Americans from getting business prospects and clients’ accounts. As a result, the Black Americans received lower salaries and felt demeaned. The organizational culture at Merrill Lynch did not favor the Black Americans. In 2005, only five percent of all the financial advisors were Black American and very few of them were employed as brokers. The lawsuit also stated that Merrill Lynch hindered career growth of the Black Americans (Craig, 2007). They received no promotion hence they did not advance in their career. Consequently, the Black American employees were demoralized and their work was affected negatively. Racism was wrong because it allowed practices that were a hindrance to getting employment prospects. A statement of whether the ethical issue is wrong or not and why Showing favoritism based on race is unlawful. It is against federal laws for a company to practice racism. The law protects employees against racism in all aspects of employment and work conditions. A lawsuit can be filed against a company that discriminates certain individuals from promotion and other employment gains. Discrimination is wrong because it hinders capable persons from taking leadership opportunities in the corporate level. Racism is also wrong because it makes the company lose many business prospects (Craig, 2007). If the management is composed of people from different races, it will have a wide range of ideas and views. Therefore, it will benefit from the prospe cts that a multicultural setting gives. If a company does not support a multicultural leadership, the company may lose considerable profits. In addition, a bad organizational culture is created that does not embrace a multicultural system.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Laws and government regulation to avoid the ethical problem, and the internal controls that might have prevented this situation Laws and government regulation are required to avoid the ethical problem. If a company has racial discrimination, a lawsuit can be filed against the company. To avoid racism at Merrill Lynch, certain practices could have been adopted. Merrill Lynch could have planned trainings on racism, diversity, and employees’ rights. As a result, the workforce could be aware of their rights, and federal laws that pertain to employment. In addition, Merrill Lynch could have endor sed policies that fight against racism such as affirmative action. Moreover, Merrill Lynch could have encouraged a culture that embraces diversity (Ferrell Fraedrich, 2009). The company could have accomplished this goal by giving employment opportunities and promotions to both Black and White Americans on equal terms. Merrill Lynch could also encourage team-building activities among employees. Team building would help workers get the opportunity to know each other and appreciate the skills of other employees. Merrill Lynch could also form partnership with the right organizations to identify racism in the company and address it appropriately. Was the problem more a matter of individuals gone wrong, or was it more systematic and organizational? The problem at Merrill Lynch was more systematic and organizational. Systematic discrimination is a trend in the structure of a company, which shows bias to individuals of a particular minority group such as women and black Americans. Systemat ic discrimination covers all aspects and procedures in the organization. The problem with Merrill Lynch was systematic and organizational because there was a very low percentage of Black Americans who worked as financial advisors. Moreover, the few who were employed remained stagnant in their career growth. Therefore, this was a problem with their organization structure and culture, which did not allow cultural diversity (Craig, 2007). Reference List Craig, R., (2007). Systemic Discrimination in Employment and the Promotion of Ethnic Equality. The Netherlands: Hotei PublishersAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Corporate Culture in Merrill Lynch specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ferrell, O., Fraedrich, J. (2009). Business Ethics 2009 Update: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. USA: Southwestern Cengage Learning Hartman, L., DesJardins, J. (2013). Business Ethics: Decision Making for personal Integrity Social Respons ibility. USA: McGraw Publishers

What Do You Do for Fun Interview Question

What Do You Do for Fun Interview Question Its almost a guarantee that your interviewer is going to ask what you like to do for fun. The college interviewer might ask this question in one of many ways: What do you do in your free time? What do you do when youre not in school? What do you do on your weekends? What makes you happy? This is not a trick question, and many kinds of answers will do well. If youre doing an interview at all, its because the college has a holistic admissions policy, and the interviewer is simply trying to get to know you better. College is about much more than academic classes, and the admissions folks want to know how you keep yourself busy when youre not doing schoolwork. The most attractive students are those who do interesting things in their spare time. Bad Interview Question Answers So, when you answer the question, make sure you actually sound like you do interesting things in your spare time. Answers like these will not impress: I like hangin with my friends. (Do you actually do anything with those friends, or do you just take up space on our little planet?)I do Facebook in all my free time. (Whether its Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, or some other social platform, this response is true for many students. But too much online time is a major source of poor academic performance in college, so you wont want to highlight your online addictions during your interview)I like partying. (Another activity that, if abused, has caused many students to fail out of college)I watch lots of TV. (Many of us watch too much TV; dont highlight that fact during your interview)I dont have any free time. (This answer is true for some highly involved students, but it is an evasive answer; what would you do if you did have free time?)Ive been reading all of the Greek classics. (Good for you, but really? Colleges like good scholars, but they also want students who occasionally take their heads out of their books) Youll also want to avoid insincere answers that may be about important activities, but that clearly are not fun. Cleaning dishes at a local shelter or scooping poop at an animal rescue are admirable and important activities, but probably not fun. That said, there certainly is a lot of personal satisfaction in helping others, but youll want to frame your answer to make it clear why such activities bring you  pleasure. Good Interview Question Answers In general, the best answer to this question will show that you have passions outside of the classroom. The question allows you to show that you are well-rounded. Within reason, it doesnt much matter what you do in your free time as long as you do something. Do you love working on cars? Playing a pick-up game of soccer? Hiking in the neighboring mountains? Experimenting in the kitchen? Building rockets? Playing word games with your younger brother? Painting sunsets? Surfing? Note that this question is not necessarily about your extracurricular activities such as theater, varsity athletics, or marching band. Your interviewer will learn about those interests from your application or activities resume, and youre likely to get another question about those interests. This doesnt mean you cant answer with a discussion of your favorite extracurricular activities, but you should view this question as an opportunity to reveal a side of yourself that appears nowhere on your application. Your transcript will show that you are a good student. Your answer to this question will show that you are also someone who has diverse interests that will enrich the campus community. Explain WHY the Activity is Fun Finally, be sure to follow up your answer with a discussion of why you answered the way you did. Your interview isnt going to be impressed with this exchange: Interviewer: What do you like to do for fun?You: I like swimming.Awkward silence Assume the interview is also asking you WHY you like the activity. Think how much better the interviewer gets to know you with a response like this: Interviewer: What do you like to do for fun?You: I love swimming. Theres a lake up the hill from my house, and I spend time there every day when the weather permits. I really enjoy the exercise, and I also like being surrounding by nature. When Im in the water its so peaceful. I get most of my best thinking done when Im swimming. In fact, one reason Im interested in Wellesley College is that Ill be able to keep doing what I love in Lake Waban. A Final Word on College Interviews Interviews are typically a pleasant exchange of information, and they arent designed to trip you up or be confrontational. That said, you will want to be prepared to answer some of the most common interview questions before you set foot in the interview room, and youll also want to avoid these common interview mistakes. In general, its a good idea to do an interview, even if its optional, but youll want to do enough preparation so that you make a positive impression.

Critiquing Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critiquing Evidence - Essay Example Cardiac arrest also causes neurological injury through several mechanisms. These mechanisms include reperfusion that leads to reoxygenation injury and perfusion failure which triggers cerebral ischemia. However, hypothermia can reduce the effects of reoxygenation and reperfusion. Hypothermia also decreases the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen and provides protection against cerebral ischemia. Sometimes, mild induced hypothermia is considered beneficial to the myocardium. A small reduction of temperature affects the micro vascular blood flow in a drastic way. Several animal studies of AMI suggest that myocardial function can be improved through the mild induced hypothermia condition in the absence of cardiac arrest. However, not all the animal studies demonstrate a reduction in the myocardial damage after the induced hypothermia. Â  There are also several feasibility studies which have been performed on several individuals. These patients have undergone a primary PCI after a certai n period, after the induction of hypothermia. These studies also faced certain limitations. Some of the limitations associated with the procedure include the use of less accurate techniques such as the nuclear imaging and measuring equipments. All the studies that have been performed till lately confirm that the effect hypothermia on neurological upshot after cardiac arrest has improved, hence; this has reduced the mortality rate. The authors also talked about some of the predicaments related to the study.

How hubris and empathy are exhibited in all 3 short stories Essay

How hubris and empathy are exhibited in all 3 short stories - Essay Example Three short stories are presented in this paper written by some of the well-known short story writers of our time: The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne; Killings by Andre Dubus, and; Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor. In all these short stories, the theme of hubris and empathy are so interwoven with each other that one would not have much impact without the presence of the other. The short story Good Country People pits hubris and empathy, albeit largely pretended, between two of its major characters. One is a 32-year old girl who, embittered by an incident that took one of her legs when she was still a child, pursued higher learning and used it to shield herself from the agony of being different. She adopted a haughty and condescending attitude towards those who are simple and less bright fancying herself to be beyond them. Stomping around defiantly with a wooden leg attached to one of her legs, she is deprecating, for example, against the simplicity and naivetà © of others even towards her good-natured mother. Her arrogance was put to a test when she met the other character, a supposedly Bible salesman, who she disparagingly refers to as one of those ‘good country people’ whose â€Å"naivetà ©Ã¢â‚¬  she is planning to exploit. What initially attracted her to the young man was his claim that he is suffering from a heart ailment, a condition she is also suffering and which has compelled her to stay home rather than put her PhD to use teaching in universities. This makes her feel that she is sharing something in common with him and additionally, despite his ‘ingenuousness’ he seems to understand the importance she attaches to her artificial limb. However, instead of her playing the young man, it turned out that she is the one being played by him. Confident that she is in control, she allowed him to lure her to a secluded barn with the plan

What Has Astronomy Done for You Lately Essay Example for Free

What Has Astronomy Done for You Lately Essay In the article â€Å"What has Astronomy done for you lately† it opens my eyes up to all the relative ways astronomy contributes to our society today. It is mentioned in the article that the funding for space launching and research for the program estimates around $8 billion. During these stringent economic times some question regarding the funding of these programs based of the actual need and benefit. Many people seemed to think that there was nothing that the universe actually contributed to our day to day lives. That idea stands to be corrected. In this article it points out several different ways that Astronomy and keeping it funded acts as an instrumental piece in many things that we rely on today. One way astronomy has made a contribution to our daily lives is the use of the GPS. Albert Einstein was an influential part of the creation and use of the GPS system that we know today, based on his theory. The first operational GPS system that was used was in 1978. Due to all the experimental success and the research put into the atomic clocks makes it what we now use today. In being in the era of technology we have done away with paper maps and now rely on GPS to get us to and from our destinations. The GPS has not only assist in saving lives but the industry is also estimated at half a billion dollars. Another attribute of Astronomy was the creation, discovery, and use of wireless internet. It started with a physicist by the name of Stephen Hawking and his predictions and research of the evaporation of black holes. Then after, others attempted to complete his research to find the evaporating black holes. Their attempts came with no success. John O’Sullivan, a physicist, joins a radio physics department after the failed attempt to detect exploding black holes. He and a team design a Fast Fourier Transfer (FFT) chip and receive a patent for it. The FFT chip is then used as a reliable basis of the wireless network. WIFI as we know of today was discovered due to failed attempts of tracking faint signals of exploding black holes. The treatment for cancer is another aspect on which astronomy research has contributed to. Studies were being conducted on how the Sun produces atoms and how various atoms block different wavelengths of light. In 1992 a team of collaborators studied how atoms in the layers of the Sun and other stars interact with the light trying to escape known as the Iron Project which succeed the Opacity Project. Later they discovered that with different wavelengths some atoms interact strongly with radiation especially in the X-ray region. Combining this observation with small amounts of the gold atom correctly placed could flood and kill cancerous tumors. This development could definitely make the treatment of cancer less painful. This article has provided me with a bigger appreciation on the contributions of Astronomy. Just because it isn’t up front and in your face doesn’t mean that it isn’t beneficial to us. From the GPS, Cancer treatment, and Wireless Internet Astronomy has made a large contribution on many aspects of life.

Acid Mine Drainage :: science

Acid Mine Drainage For hundreds, even thousands of years, human beings have mined for metals and stones, and with the advent of greater technology as well as greater needs, the demands for these resources continue to grow. While these resources benefit our lives in many ways, the effects of mining can be detrimental, and one such effect is the topic of this essay, acid mine drainage (A.M.D.). The causes of A.M.D. will be discussed, along with some of the physical and biological problems associated with it. Some prevention and remediation treatments will also be considered. Acid mine drainage refers to water (leachate, drainage or seepage) that has come into contact with oxidised rocks or overburden that contains sulphide material (coal, zinc, copper, lead). (Keller, 2000; U.S.G.S.; U.S.E.P.A., 2002). A common sulphide is pyrite, or iron disulfide (FeS2), and throughout this essay it will be pyrite that will be the primary sulphide considered. Acid mine drainage is not a new phenomenon, early mining techniques utilized gravity to avoid water pooling, resulting in the water becoming polluted by acid, iron, sulphur and aluminium (U.S.E.P.A., 2002). It is most commonly associated with coal mining, especially with soft coal, coal that has high sulphur content. The pyrite that is present in coal seams will be accessible after surface mining when the overlying surfaces are removed or in deep mines that allow oxygen access to the previously inaccessible pyrite-containing coal (D.E.P. 1, 1997). After pyrite is exposed to air and water, sulphuric acid and iron h ydroxide are formed, creating an acidic runoff (D.E.P. 1, 1997; 2 2002). When the water comes into contact with the pyrite, the chemical reactions that take place causes the water to increase in pH which will dissolve heavy metals which stay in solution. However, when the pH levels reach a certain stage, the iron can then precipitate out, coating sediments with the characteristic yellow, red or orange colourings (D.E.P. 2, 2002; U.S.G.S.; U.S.E.P.A., 2002). The rate that A.M.D. advances is also influenced by the presence of certain bacteria (Doyle; U.S.G.S). A.M.D that has dissolved heavy metals such as copper, lead and mercury can contaminate ground and surface water. Especially at risk are mines that are located above the water table (Keller, 2000; D.E.P. 2, 2002). The sources of water that get polluted can be surface water that permeates into the mine, shallow ground water flowing through the mine or any water that comes into contact with the waste tailings produced by mines.

Charter Accounting Essay

Mr John Potts is a chartered accountant who owns his own firm. Potts works in all fields associated with business and finance in the private sector. He also employs workers to work in his firm assisting him in all aspects of his work. His office is just a five minute drive from his house which is an advantage as he can go to and from his house when necessary. He usually works from 9am to 7pm however, these hours are flexible. Mr Potts has a choice of working at his office or working at home. The activities he does include maintaining accounting records and preparing accounts and management information for small businesses (accountancy); advising clients on business transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions (corporate finance); advising clients who are in financial difficulty to help them turn the business around or to handle the disposal of the business (corporate recovery/insolvency); detecting and preventing fraud (forensic accounting) and much other activities. In order for Mr Potts to be able to complete his tasks, he uses some technologies which assist him with his work life, social life and personal life. Technology 1 – CCTV Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is the use of video cameras to transmit signals to a certain place so an area is fully monitored for safety of others and crime. The most measurable effect of CCTV is not on crime prevention, but on detection and prosecution. Several notable murder cases have been solved with the use of CCTV evidence, making the environment a safer place for the public. CCTV – Work Related Use John Potts has many CCTV cameras around his workplace. The signal is sent to many monitors in his office and his study at home. This is so he can monitor outside activities and keep an eye out for any crimes that may occur. When Potts is not able to attend his office, he is still able to access the images from his study at home. Using the images, he can contact his security guards to check a specific area in his building. The advantages of having installed cctv cameras is that he can see what is going on around his building, therefore he does not have to be everywhere at all times. Another advantage is that he can access the images from home when he is unable to go to his office. This technology also has some disadvantages. One of these is that he will occasionally get worried of any crimes near his building which forces him to constantly check his monitors. This may be interfering with his social life as he would be too worried about his workplace. Another advantage is that the signals may not be received all the time due to incomplete installation of the cameras. This technology has improved the working style of Mr Potts as he is able to keep an eye out for any unusual events taking part around his building. Technology 2 – Personal Digital Assistant (HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld) The HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld (PDA) has many features which aids many businessmen. First of all, the PDA has a 4 inch touch screen display and has a stylish design making it a great deployment platform for enterprise applications. Secondly, using the integrated 802.11b/g wireless networking, Mr Potts is able to connect to the Internet and access his email. He is also able to connect Bluetooth peripheral such as headsets or keyboards. He is also able to use applications like Word, PowerPoint and Excel Word, PowerPoint and Excel on his PDA using Microsoft Office Mobile. Also, Mr Potts is able to store his business-critical information with high-capacity SDIO and Compact Flash. The advantages of this device are that it’s very ideal for businessmen as it is like five devices in one. Having many uses, the PDA benefits mostly businessmen who need access to the computer while on the move. A disadvantage of this device is that it is an ideal item that is of interest to many muggers in the world today putting you in danger due to being in possession of this device. Personal Digital Assistant – Personal Use Mr Potts is always on the move, around the city and very often he travels abroad for job purposes. When he is waiting for his flight, he does not need to carry his laptop with him all the time as his HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld (PDA) is an equivalent to his laptop. He is able to connect to the internet using Wifi which allows him to browse the internet to entertain herself by listening to music and watching videos. The advantages of this device are that it is more ideal as it is much smaller. He is still able to access his emails and many documents without the need of carrying a laptop. A disadvantage of this device is that he will need to extend his memory capacity constantly as he uploads a lot of information to his device which helps him with his job. Another disadvantage of this device is that he has to be very careful as the device is very fragile; the screen can be cracked. Also he is in danger of having his personal information known if he is not careful with his device. Personal Digital Assistant – Social Use Due to the wireless technology, Mr Potts can connect to the internet and use his email address to sign into Windows Live Messenger and chat to his friends. His device works exactly like a computer as he often sends, to his family, many photographs of famous landmarks that he took while he was abroad. Other than this, Mr Potts uses his PDA mostly for work related activities. Personal Digital Assistant – Work Related Use When it comes to Mr Potts’s job related activities, his PDA is the ideal device. While he is away abroad, his personal secretary sends him copies of documents by email. He later retrieves these documents from his PDA. He very often makes many spreadsheets on his laptop. This is also possible to do on his PDA which he does. His PDA can also create word documents which is very beneficial to him as he doesn’t need to go to his computer at all times or carry a laptop when he can carry a palm sized device which enables him to do everything that he can do on his laptop. But unfortunately, Mr Potts is required to expand his memory as the capacity may not be enough after having many documents on his PDA. When Mr Potts has access to his computer, he usually sends documents that he believes that he will need later to herself by email. He has sent almost all important files to herself by email. This is done so he can access and download them onto his PDA when he is away from home or access to a computer. Mr Potts’s PDA consists of important details of his clients, individual clients and business clients, such as phone numbers, addresses etc. If he did not have this device however, he would have had to carry a small notepad, writing in the details every time. This wastes paper and time as he has to search for a client’s details. This device is ideal to store information like this on it as he can quickly find someone’s details by entering a few letters of their name. The PDA will then narrow down the search until Mr Potts can view the details. A disadvantage of having a PDA in possession is that he has to take it almost everywhere with him as it contains relevant information. He has to be very careful with his valuable device as it may contain confidential information which can be accessed by anyone if he loses or misplaces his device. Technology 3 – Mobile Phone (Nokia N95) Another device used by Mr Potts is his mobile phone, Nokia N95. The Nokia N95 is a smart phone with many unbelievable features. First of all, the multimedia abilities. The N95 has an outstanding music player that supports MP3, WMA, RealAudio, SP-MIDI, AAC+, eAAC+, MIDI, AMR, M4A and True Tones. Next is the Internet. The N95 has built in Wi-fi which can be used to gain access to the internet. The web browser displays the webpage in full whereas other phones display simplified versions of the webpage. Another feature of this smart phone is the integrated GPS. Below the 0 key on the N95’s keypad is an integrated GPS receiver. The phone is shipped with navigation software and maps are free to download over the internet. Mobile Phone – Personal Use Mr Potts is really into his music. He listens to his mp3 tracks via the music player on his Nokia N95 which supports the formats mentioned above. He also uses his phone to entertain herself by watching many videos at DVD like quality on the 2.6 inch screen. Another feature on this phone widely used by Mr Potts is the 5 mega pixel camera located at the back of the device. With this, he is able to capture great pictures at amazing quality. An advantage of this is that when he is away and needs to take photos, he does not need to take another device, a camera; instead he can take his phone which enables him to take many pictures at an equivalent quality of his own camera. The smart phone also has a Flash Player. With this software in the phone, Mr Potts is able to put many games onto his phone which will keep him busy entertaining herself for a long time. Mobile Phone – Social Use As he is often out and about he is not seen at home for many hours. While he is on his lunch break, Mr Potts uses his time to make quick phone calls home to chat to his wife and his son. An advantage of this device is that when Mr Potts has not got his laptop or PDA, he is still able to talk to his friends over Windows Live Messenger by connecting to the mobile internet. Another advantage is that he saves a lot of coins as with his phone, he has many free minutes which allows him to make many calls whereas if he was not in possession of a mobile phone, he would have had to carry coins around with him to use a payphone. A disadvantage of this device however is that this can increase his phone bill. Mobile Phone – Work Related Use Mr Potts is a very busy man, always working. He needs to make many phone calls, which is part of his day to day life, spending many hours on the phone to his clients. Without his N95 it is almost impossible for Mr Potts to go to work as he receives many phone calls often concerning his job. If he is ever in a situation where he has forgotten his laptop or PDA and cannot access his email account to download files, he is still able to do so with his phone by connecting to the mobile internet. He can also make quick notes on his phone which remind him what he needs to do and when he needs to complete specific tasks by if he has forgotten to take his PDA with him. Technology 4 – Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Microsoft Office Excel 2007 is an influential software used to produce and format spreadsheets and to analyze and distribute information to make more informed decisions. This new software has many features which include ? Chart Formatting tools which help create and format professional-looking charts with greater ease using fewer clicks. ? Support for PDF and XML Paper Specification (XPS) file formats helps convert spreadsheets into a fixed file format for easier sharing. ? Report management features help protect confidential business information while ensuring people can view the data they need. ? Chart Formatting tools help you create and format professional-looking charts with greater ease using fewer clicks. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 – Personal Use Mr Potts records his day to day spending on a spreadsheet using Microsoft Office Excel 2007 to calculate a budget for his family to spend so he can cut down costs for unnecessary things. He first records the amount spent for a couple of months. He then calculates and produces a budget and attempts to stick to that budget for a couple of months. He then records this and then compares both spreadsheets and sees where the unnecessary spending has occurred. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 – Social Use During his breakfast, Mr Potts spends his time doing many crossword puzzles and also does these puzzles in his spare time. He expands his interest by making his own crossword puzzles on Excel. He then sends them to his friends making them spend their spare time completing the puzzles and requesting them to send back reviews via email so he can improve his work. Also, Mr Davison buys and sells many shares on the stock market and keeps tracks with his data by recording his information onto a spreadsheet. Mr Potts has an interest in gaming and creates many games using excel. Along with the crossword puzzles, he sends it off to his friends and again receives many reviews which suggest ideas which may lead to him improving the games and enhancing gaming experience. As mentioned previously, Mr Potts sends documents to herself to his email so he can access them later. These documents also include the crossword puzzles and games. He plays them on his laptop while on his lunch break. Whenever he does not have access to his laptop, he plays the game with his friends on his PDA. The game opens up as a spreadsheet file which is supported by his HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld as it has Microsoft Office Mobile. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 – Work Related Use Mr Potts produces spreadsheets for many of his clients (individuals and businesses) advising them on tax planning within current legislation to enable them to minimise their tax liability and he also calculates clients’ tax liabilities. Some of the activities that Mr Potts performs that may use Microsoft Office Excel 2007 are ? Producing reports and recommendations following internal audits or public sector ‘value for money’ audits. # ? Preparing financial statements, including monthly and annual accounts. ? Preparing financial management reports, including financial planning and forecasting. ? Advising on tax and treasury issues and many other tasks. To perform activities using Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Mr Potts needs access to his computer. He produces these files on his computer at home or at his office. Mr Potts produces spreadsheets with the company of his client to provide him with any certain information. This is done by inviting his client to his office and working at his computer or he meets up with his client at their house and works on his laptop. As mentioned before, Mr Potts sends important files to herself by email so he can access them later. When he is free, he often spends time finishing off his spreadsheets. Occasionally, as he is on the move he does not take his laptop, however he is still able to complete his tasks by connecting to the internet by the integrated wireless technology on his HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld and accessing the files from his email account and downloading them onto his PDA. He is able to complete this spreadsheet as his PDA has the Excel application provided by Microsoft Office Mobile. In conclusion, I suppose that without the help from the above technologies and other technologies, Mr John Potts will find it very difficult to complete his day to day life. As mentioned previously, he is not able to perform many tasks without the aid of the above technologies. For example, without the help of his PDA Mr Potts cannot easily access his client’s personal details. Also, without his computer/laptop he is not able to complete any other tasks. Due to the aid provided by these technologies, Mr Potts has been able to develop his personal, social, and work life.

Nordstrom: Dissension in the Ranks? Essay

Q1) What is the cause of the problems described in the case? How serious are these problems? The main problems of Nordstrom are its compensation and incentives policies that are distorted. This company uses a Sales-per-Hour ratio as the leading in performance evaluation and work compensation. This performance indicator is not properly balanced by other important factors, such as customer satisfaction, it just focus the sales and the number of hours worked. The integral part of the problem is also the differentiation of â€Å"non-sell† and â€Å"selling† hours. The lack of transparent performance measures also spelled trouble for the employees of the company. They are always working a lot, not being paid for the extra hours of work and the measure used by the SPH are not the best ones. Nordstrom’s employees work off the clock and those hours are not paid. To have the excellent customer satisfaction that the company has, employees have to pay a lot of attention to their customers. They spent a lot of hours with them with a personalized contact and all of these hours are not paid. The employees are who build the image, the strong customer loyalty and their desires are not being valorized. The failure of management to professionalize the relationship between management and employees is another problem. Employees are expected to work beyond the prescribed working hours without pay in order to comply with company requirements. Nordstrom is concentrating only on numbers, they are developing a company culture where it seems that quantity mattered more than quality. This compensation and incentive system brought some consequences to Nordstrom. The lack of a clear distinction between â€Å"selling time† and â€Å"non-sell† leads to a big pressure to the employees since the SPH ratio doesn’t reflect the effort and work made by the salespeople. This leads to employee complaints and lack of motivation to work in the company. Also, the existence of such fear competition could lead to undesired behavior such as stealing credits for sales from another sales staff. This motivation policy was one of the Nordstrom proud systems but became more a liability than an advantage. Employees started to complain and soon this system became the target of law suits that damaged Nordstrom reputation and brought negative media attention to the company. Nordstrom was known has one of the best places to work and with this unhappiness expressed by salespeople that reputation started to drop off and the turn-over rate  increased. The focus of the law suits was the pressure maid and lack of compensation for the extra hours worked. Employees were encouraged to work extra hours but were not compensated for them. Nordstrom was targeted with several law suits and always denied the allegations made by the unions. Later, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries stated that Nordstrom systematically violated state wage and hour laws, giving reason to the unions that took legal actions against Nordstrom and it had no other choice but to review their record-keeping procedures and compensate the worker’s loss. Later, due to the decrease of the company’s financial value as the stock price went down, another law suit was filled again against Nordstrom. This time it came from some stockholders that claimed to have suffered financial losses due to Nordstrom Management’s failure to take care of their labor problems and the claims maid. This law suit armed even more Nordstrom reputation.

All my sons review Essays

All my sons review Essays All my sons review Essays All My Sons One of the themes of the play is â€Å"lying hurts everyone† based on what I’ve seen from the movie most of it was built upon a lie. Not just a little lie, but a lie that changes everything for everyone. Based from what I’ve seen it lead to a man being wrongfully imprisoned, a family being torn asunder, and a man’s greed. Through various conversations in the story the lie starts to unravel from a mother finding out that a son in which she thought to be missing that he was dead, to a son finding his father willing sent out faulty equipment knowing that it would be possible that the equipment would be used†¦.killing a lot of people. The worst way to the lie affected everyone was that one of the main families son’s went to war and read a paper saying what had happened and he commits suicide because he really couldn’t believe that his father would do such a thing. This action literally tears the family apart from the mother whom clinged onto the faà §ade of her son still living, to the father for a lack of better words â€Å"blowing his brains out† after discovering this for himself. The younger son also felt the affect from his brother’s suicide. This in my opinion was all based upon a lie to feed the greed of the father. What’s worse is he claims that he â€Å"did if for his family†. It’s my opinion that no matter the reason the lives of your family are just as valuable as everyone else. They’re just people and no life is more important that another’s. He felt otherwise and the

Definition and Examples of Reported Speech

Definition and Examples of Reported Speech Reported speech is the report of one speaker or writer on the words spoken, written, or thought by someone else. Also called reported discourse. Traditionally, two broad categories of  reported speech  have been recognized: direct speech  (in which the original speakers words are quoted word for word) and indirect speech (in which the original speakers thoughts are conveyed without using the speakers exact words). However, a number of linguists have challenged this distinction, noting (among other things) that theres significant overlap between the two categories. Deborah Tannen, for instance, has argued that [w]  hat is commonly referred to as reported speech or direct quotation in conversation is  constructed dialogue. Observations Reported speech is not just a particular grammatical form or transformation, as some grammar books might suggest. We have to realize that reported speech represents, in fact, a kind of translation, a transposition that necessarily takes into account two different cognitive perspectives: the point of view of the person whose utterance is being reported, and that of a speaker who is actually reporting that utterance.(Teresa DobrzyÅ„ska, Rendering Metaphor in Reported Speech, in Relative Points of View: Linguistic Representation of Culture, ed. by Magda StroiÅ„ska. Berghahn Books, 2001) Tannen on the Creation of Dialogue I wish to question the conventional American literal conception of reported speech and claim instead that uttering dialogue in conversation is as much a creative act as is the creation of dialogue in fiction and drama.  The casting of thoughts and speech in dialogue creates particular scenes and charactersand . . . it is the particular that moves readers by establishing and building on a sense of identification between speaker or writer and hearer or reader. As teachers of creative writing exhort neophyte writers, the accurate representation of the particular communicates universality, whereas direct attempts to represent universality often communicate nothing. (Deborah Tannen, Talking Voices: Repetition, Dialogue, and Imagery in Conversational Discourse, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Goffman on Reported Speech [Erving] Goffmans work has proven foundational in the investigation of reported speech itself. While Goffman is not in his own work concerned with the analysis of actual instances of interaction (for a critique, see Schlegoff, 1988), it provides a framework for researchers concerned with investigating reported speech in its most basic environment of occurrence: ordinary conversation. . . .Goffman . . . proposed that reported speech is a natural upshot of a more general phenomenon in interaction: shifts of footing, defined as the alignment of an individual to a particular utterance . . . ([Forms of Talk,] 1981: 227). Goffman is concerned to break down the roles of speaker and hearer into their constituent parts. . . . [O]ur ability to use reported speech stems from the fact that we can adopt different roles within the production format, and it is one of the many ways in which we constantly change footing as we interact . . ..(Rebecca Clift and Elizabeth Holt, Introduction. Reporting T alk: Reported Speech in Interaction. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Reported Speech in Legal Contexts ​[R]eported speech occupies a prominent position in our use of language in the context of the law. Much of what is said in this context has to do with rendering peoples sayings: we report the words that accompany other peoples doings in order to put the latter in the correct perspective. As a consequence, much of our judiciary system, both in the theory and in the practice of law, turns around the ability to prove or disprove the correctness of a verbal account of a situation. The problem is how to summarize that account, from the initial police report to the final imposed sentence, in legally binding terms, so that it can go on the record, that is to say, be reported in its definitive, forever immutable form as part of a case in the books. (Jacob Mey, When Voices Clash: A Study in Literary Pragmatics. Walter de Gruyter, 1998)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - Essay Example In-depth analysis of domestic violence is therefore required to establish the causes, effects and how to help the victims cope after the act. Traditionally, wife beating was a sign of love and respect in society (Jaffe, 2006). It was a normal practice hence the authorities could not intervene when a wife was being beaten. Men were also endowed with all resources hence power over women. Domestic violence can be classified as physical, emotional, sexual, economic and psychological violence but all forms of violence have an element of control. Johnson (2008) argues that there is a relationship between gender and domestic violence. Men are muscular in nature and hence inflict greater harm to women than women do to men and hence domestic violence is considered as women’s problem (Davis, 2006). Men are supposed to provide and protect the family against enemies hence it is intimidating for a man to be abused by his wife and therefore would rather suffer silently. They don’t report the incidences hence statistics show that only a few men are battered by their wives. Domestic violence can be as a result of economic dependence, psychological disorders, drugs and alcohol abuse or due to cultural influence. Schwartz (2004) observes that women who depend on men for survival are at a risk of economic violence. Any behavior against a man’s wish is punished by denial of financial assistance. Psychological disorders are known to aggravate the occurrence of domestic violence especially when combined with drug and alcohol abuse. People who suffer from this disorder are unable to control their emotions such as anger and hence a slight provocation leads to violence (Jaffe, 2006). Some women also lack proper defense mechanisms and hence cause severe harm to their husbands when they get a chance to apprehend them due to prolonged anger (Bankroft, 2003). Culture plays a vital role in aggravating domestic violence. Wife beating was a norm