Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Organization Prohibits Discrimination And Harassment Essay

The objective of this assignment is to determine how organization prohibits discrimination and harassment in their workforce. As Human Resources, this assignment is going to review the policies, procedure, and regulation of how Sheridan College provides a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment. This assignment will narrow down the information to inform faculty members’ knowledge on following the academic policies and respect the reputation of Sheridan College. Sheridan College is a unique institution that adapt student’s skills and knowledge on areas of studies. . Sheridan College has four campuses located in the Greater Toronto Area. The main location that this research will focus on is the Hazel McCallion Campus, which is located in Mississauga, Ontario. There are approximately 480 faculty members that are employed at McCallion Campus. These employees maintained a high level education in a specific area of studies to service those who are international, and domestic students Instructor, who are employed at Sheridan College has obtain high level education within a specific areas of study. The requirement for these instructors are having a University Degree, preferred Ph.D. or Masters of Education degree, plus Valid Ontario Teacher’s Certification. For a professional educator, it is their duty to present themselves professionally, having the skill to operate new software’s, and maintaining 5 or more years of experience in areas of study. (SheridanShow MoreRelatedEmployment Law Compliance Essay1007 Words   |  5 Pagesemployment law. Organizations understand they must stay in compliance or face numerous consequences. There will be five employment laws I will discuss in this memo. They are as follow: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, and sexual harassment in the workpl ace. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The ADA prohibits employersRead MoreHcs430 Employees Handbook Essay1732 Words   |  7 PagesEmployee Handbook Non-Discrimination XXX HCS/430 – Legal Issues in Health Care: Regulations and Compliance University of Phoenix CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY: I  certify that  the attached  paper is my original work and has not previously been submitted by me or anyone else for any class.  I further declare I have cited all sources from which I used  language, ideas, and information,  whether quoted  verbatim or paraphrased, and that any assistance of any kind, which I received while producingRead MoreDiscrimination In The Workplace Essay1565 Words   |  7 PagesDiscrimination is a topic that has been around for a very long time. Most people today do not realize how discrimination affects everyone around them and might even happen to them from time to time. â€Å"Discrimination means treating a person unfairly because of who they are or because they possess certain characteristics such as age, gender, race, disability, religion, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and marriage and civil partnership† (EOC 2017). There are many typesRead MoreGender Discriminatio n In The Workplace Essay1239 Words   |  5 Pagesbarrier that female employees face is gender discrimination. As an example, gender discrimination is the mistreatment of an employee because of their gender. According to the report s release by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR, 2017), on average, women that are employed full-time earn approximately 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. Additionally, the IWPR report tracks that â€Å"gender and race discrimination in the workplace show discrimination in pay, hiring or promotions which continueRead MoreThe Rights Opportunity Commission Has Filed Suits Against Private And Public Practices1726 Words   |  7 Pagesdiversity is seen all aspects of life, majorly in the workplace. A rising issue in America has been making headlines; discrimination in the workplace due to sexual orientation. Sexual orientation refers to â€Å"a person’s sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted † (Google). There has been a disturbing and substantial growing rate in the discrimination and harassment of gay and transgender individuals in the workplace as well as throughout the hiring process with limited attentionRead MorePomodoro Ltd: Case Study923 Words   |  4 PagesPomodoro. Ltd. HR White Paper Contents I. Introduction 2 II. Equal Opportunity Statement 2 III. Zero Tolerance Anti-Harassment Policy 3 What Is Sexual Harassment? 3 IV. Disabilities 5 V. Drug-Free Workplace 6 Introduction Pomodoro strives to be an industry leader in the treatment of our staff. Each and every person in our human resources team will be treated as Pomodoros most valuable asset. This policy guide has been prepared to outline the companys policies towards employment relatedRead MoreWorkplace Discrimination Essay examples1339 Words   |  6 PagesWorkplace Discrimination Discrimination occurs when an employee suffers from unfavorable or unfair treatment due to their race, religion, national origin, disabled or veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Employees who have suffered reprisals for opposing workplace discrimination or for reporting violations to the authorities are also considered to be discriminated against. Federal law prohibits discrimination in work-related areas, such as recruiting, hiring, job evaluationsRead MoreWhat Elements Of Law Are Important For Other Workers At Treton Represent Discrimination And Harassment? Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pagesof other workers at Treton represent discrimination and harassment? What elements of law are important for Treton to consider? In this particular case, Mr. Maalick received very clear and convincing racial and religious discrimination from both his supervisor and from his co-workers. The employees of Treton blatantly violated the Civil Rights Act and the Equal. Employment. Opportunity Commission. These acts do not allow, under any circumstances, discrimination based on the idea of race, color, sexRead MoreFederal Law And Government Policy1532 Words   |  7 PagesLaw and government policy is instilled in order to maintain the rights of employers as well as, their employees. There are three sections in legal framework that makes up a properly structured organization; first, there is Home Depot, which has the right to modify employee work terms for legitimate business reasons. Second, there is the employee, who has the right of protection from harmful business practices, and lastly, there is the government of Canada, which balances both employee and Home DepotRead More Employment Laws and Regulation Essay12 90 Words   |  6 Pagesbenefits. It is therefore expected for employees to be on the forefront in supporting and adhering to them. Likewise if an organization applies effectively these laws, it can benefit massively from dynamic, healthy, motivated, and productive employees. It therefore goes without saying that managers, just like employees, should promote these laws and thus ensures the organization conforms to them. Generally these laws govern the workplace actions of employers and employees. It ensures a fruitful and

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Rene Descartes (1596-1650), A Philosopher Of The 17Th...

Rene Descartes (1596-1650), a philosopher of the 17th century, was notorious for several traits such as a squint fetish, gambling, keeping his address private, and arguably most importantly, his understanding of the mind-body interaction. Descartes found life to be too distracting and began to obtain a reputation of a wanderer, requiring â€Å"peace and quiet†(30) for his studies. Descartes’s perception of the mind-body interaction was far from conventional; however, became accepted by many scientists of his time. Descartes’s view of the mind body interaction is supported by other researchers of his day who studied the brain, nerves, and the senses. Scholars have argued for years about how the mind could possibly be distinguished from the†¦show more content†¦The acceptance of Descartes’s theology resulted in processes of inquiry shifting from â€Å"subjective metaphysical analysis to objective observation and experimentation†(31). Scientis ts were now accepting the mind and body as two separate entities that although unambiguous, are able to interact in the human organism. Undoubtfully, Descartes was influenced by the mechanistic zeitgeist of his day which was reflected in the advancement of automata and mechanical clocks. Descartes would spend hours on end toying with different automata including pressure plates causing water jets to activate appliances, activating them to make sounds and move about. â€Å"When Descartes described the operation of the human body, he referred directly to the mechanical figures he had seen†(32). Moreover, other researchers’ work supported and contributed to the understanding of Descartes’s view of the mind-body interaction. Hall worked with beheaded animals to observe their movement by stimulating nerve endings. His findings showed that â€Å"different levels of behavior arise from different parts of the brain and nervous system†(47). Gall studied protrusion s on the surface of the skull that were said to correspond with a behavior or characteristic of that person. Flourens’s research involved meticulously damaging areas of the brains and spinal cords of pigeons and assessing the results. Gall, Hall, and Flourens’s conclusions relate to Descartes’ view of the mind body interactionShow MoreRelatedRene Descartes: French Mathematician and Philosopher Essay1855 Words   |  8 PagesRene Descartes: An Author Study Rene Descartes was a 17th Century mathematician and French Philosopher whose lifes work focused on providing a new prospective on the human perception of reality. The definition of this reality is seen as Descartes greatest life goal. Coined as the Father of Modern Philosophy, (Cunningham Reich, 2010, p. 385), Descartes laid the groundwork the philosophy and reality as we perceive it today. Descartes autobiography, Discourse on the Method of Rightly ConductingRead MoreDescartes Essay example757 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes Is our education complete once a degree has been earned? Have we learned all there is to know? Can we be sure of what we have come to know? Only a completely self-assured person might answer yes to these questions, but for Rene Descartes (1596-1650) the completion of his formal education left him feeling and thinking he was still ignorant about the certainties of human experience and existence. This prominent Renaissance philosopher conquered the world of uncertainty in a workRead More Descartes Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pages In the early 17th century a philosopher named Descartes, questioned his existence. His life was dedicated to the founding of a philosophical and mathematical system in which all sciences were logical. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Descartes was born in 1596 in Touraine, France. His education consisted of attendance to a Jesuit school of La Fleche. He studied a liberal arts program that emphasized philosophy, the humanities, science, and math. He then went on to the University of Poitiers whereRead More history of algebra Essay1199 Words   |  5 Pagesthe algebra of today. European countries did not obtain information on algebra until relatively later years of the 12th century. After algebra was discovered in Europe, mathematicians put the information to use in very remarkable ways. Also, algebraic and geometric ways of thinking were considered to be two separate parts of math and were not unified until the mid 17th century. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The simplest forms of equations in algebra were actually discovered 2,200 years before MohamedRead MoreEssay about Baroque Period (1600-1750) General Background890 Words   |  4 Pagesand subtlety—largely as a product of the Catholic Church patronage of the arts Aided by philosophy, mathematics, and newly developed instruments and experimental methods, Baroque astronomers, mathematicians, philosophers, and writers, fueled the scientific revolution of the 17th Century by proposing world views that challenged conventional assumptions and questioned established Church dogmas. The scientific advances of this period had a profound impact on all spheres of human activity includingRead MoreThe Impact of Scientific Revolution on Physics as an Independent Field of Study1214 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION The early period of the seventeenth century is known as the â€Å"scientific revolution† for the drastic changes evidenced approach to science . The word â€Å"revolution† connotes a period of turmoil and social upheaval where ideas about the world change severely and a completely new era of academic thought is ushered in. This term, therefore, describes quite accurately what took place in the scientific community following the sixteenth century. During the scientific revolution, medieval scientificRead MoreAnimal Testing678 Words   |  3 PagesAristotle. Other physician-philosophers such as Galen (130-200 AD) engaged in public vivisections, which was a popular form of entertainment. The purpose of vivisection was to develop theories of human anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. In one of Galen’s experiments on an animal, he demonstrated that arteries actually contained blood, disproving earlier physician’s belief that the arteries contained air. A French philosopher named Renà © Descartes (1596-1650) experimented occasionallyRead MoreSpinoza’s Criticism of Descartes’ Substa nce Dualism2166 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"God is the only substance that can exist or be conceived.† Spinoza’s criticism of Descartes’ substance dualism By: Jawad Samimi 01/04/2012 Substance dualism is often called ‘Cartesian dualism ‎and is the assumption that mind and body are really distinct substances. Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) was the first early modern philosopher to hold that a thinking-thing is entirely different form an extended thing and mind can exist without the body. Cartesian dualism, which started the famous mind-bodyRead Moreexistentialism Essay3317 Words   |  14 Pagesï » ¿Existentialism provides a moving account of the agony of being in the world. The spirit of existen- tialism has a long history in philosophy. But it be- came a major movement in the second half of the 20th century. Existentialism is not a systematic body of thought like Marxism or psychoanalysis. Instead, it is more like an umbrella under which a very wide range of thinkers struggled with ques- tions about the meaning of life. Much of the appeal and popularity of Existential- ism is due toRead MoreCompilation of Mathematicians and Their Contributions11615 Words   |  47 PagesNationality: Greek Title: â€Å"Father of Geometry† Contributions: * Published a book called the â€Å"Elements† serving as the main textbook for teaching  mathematics  (especially  geometry) from the time of its publication until the late 19th or early 20th century. The Elements. One of the oldest surviving fragments of Euclids  Elements, found at  Oxyrhynchus and dated to circa AD 100. * Wrote works on perspective,  conic sections,  spherical geometry,  number theory  and  rigor. * In addition to the  Elements

Monday, December 9, 2019

Personal Statement A Look at My Life Essay Example For Students

Personal Statement A Look at My Life Essay I could define myself in numerous ways however the best way I could ever define myself is as a lawyer. When flickering through my yearbook you would constantly stumble across entries such as ËÅ"you will make a great lawyer one day Hannah. It has been clear to me from a young age that law would be my chosen career path. The funny thing is, no one ever found this surprising perhaps had even predicted that I would pursue a career in law. I have an undeniable talent of absorbing and understanding information and subsequently being able to form strong arguments from this. In many cases people were left doubting themselves due to my convincing arguments and strong willed debating abilities. This has lead myself and others to believe that I would accelerate in this field. The aspect of the law Im particularly interested in is commercial, world trade and competitive law. Throughout the years a number of factors have increased my desire to study law. The law shapes society, without this framework disorder would cause universal chaos, our lives are directly regulated by the law. Lawyers dedicate their lives to restoring order and fighting for justice, if that isnt inspiring enough I dont know what is. Due to the fact that I have an obvious interest for law I have done copious amounts of further reading, it fascinates me how dynamic the law is. American law immediately grasped my attention as it is so intertwined with the English law, if given the opportunity to study this nation in more depth, I would gain a broader knowledge of this 21st century superpower that we share so much with and are influenced by in every aspect of our lives. Throughout my school years I constantly excelled in all aspects of school life. I would describe myself as a well-rounded person. I left school with outstanding academic results. However, I was also a member of every sports team, I achieved awards for my strong leadership skills as captain. Outside of school I have been a member or Worcester swimming club, Worcester rowing club, Worcester Warriors, Barnt green sailing club and Worcester Zodiacs netball team. I am a very dedicated and motivated person, with a natural competitive streak. In school I also took roles that had a level of responsibility such as senior prefect, throughout my final years I carried out this role effectively and with respect to authority and consideration of the desires of my fellow pupils rather than for personal gains. When continuing onto higher education I considered skills I would need therefore chose subjects that would complement my choice. History has helped me to hone arguments and given me the analytical skills that enable me to effectively examine evidence. English has helped me to understand the development and barriers of language alongside helping me to enhance my communication skills. Lastly, I study photography because it helps the mind develop creatively which I feel could help me to approach situations from a different perspective. All these skills would be transferable when studying and practicing Law. Additionally, I have participated in a number of extra-curricular activities. I currently work as a barista at costa coffee however I am currently training to become a barista maestro (a key holder and shift leader) which involves a number of additional responsibilities that I was granted due to my devoted hard work and reliability. This role has demanded a degree of commitment, integrity and competence; it has given me the opportunity to develop numerous skills such as stress management, time balancing and patience. Overall, I feel I have acquired valuable skills and experiences from my life ventures; qualities that would contribute significantly when studying a law degree at university partnered with my burning passion for the law and everything it entails. `

Monday, December 2, 2019

Native American Oppression in North America free essay sample

The implication of the population as savages helped in the displacement and genocide of the indigenous peoples. The Native Americans faced a lot of discrimination in North America during colonization, consisting of different forms of propaganda causing short-term and long-term effects in the present day. In 1492, a Spanish expedition headed by Christopher Columbus sailed for India to sell, buy, and trade rich spices and other goods, inadvertently discovering what is today North America. European conquest, large-scale exploration and colonization soon followed. This first occurred along the Caribbean coasts on the islands of Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Cuba, and later extended into the interiors of both North and South America. Eventually, the entire Western Hemisphere came under the control of European governments, leading to profound changes to its landscape, population, and plant and animal life. From the 16th through the 19th centuries, the population of Indians declined from epidemic diseases brought from Europe, genocide and warfare at the hands of European explorers and colonists, displacement from their lands, internal warfare, enslavements, and a high rate of intermarriage. We will write a custom essay sample on Native American Oppression in North America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Epidemics of smallpox, typhus, influenza, diphtheria, and measles swept ahead of initial European contact, killing between 10 million and 20 million people, up to 95% of the indigenous population of the Americas. European expansion also caused many Native American tribes to lose their homes as they were forced by the government to live in certain areas called Indian Reservations. They were often poor and on the verge of starvation on these reservations. Many American Indians had to choose to assimilate to the culture of the colonists in order to live. The phrase â€Å"Kill the Indian, Save the Man† coincides with the assimilation. There were many tools to help with the assimilation of the natives such as boarding schools for Native American children, missionaries to introduce Christianity, and the strategic killing of their main food source, the bison. The Dawes Act was introduced in 1887 to get Native Americans to live like white Americans. Reservations were broken up into allotments that were given out to individual families and the families were supposed to farm and build homes on their allotment in order to support themselves. The plan failed due to the fact that some of the land was unsuitable for farming ranching and some Natives refused to adopt a different way of life. Propaganda was a very powerful tool when it came to the oppression of American Indians. The term propaganda is derived from the Latin propagare, to propagate, to reproduce, to spread, with the meaning, to transmit, to spread from person to person. One form of early propaganda against Native Americans is the painting American Progress by John Gast in 1872. The painting depicts the iconographic image of Columbia, the American angel floating above the land, leading her pioneers westward. The angel image, intended as a personification of the United States, floats ethereally over the plains, stringing telegraph wire with one hand as she travels, and holding a schoolbook under her other arm. Ahead of her in the West is a great darkness populated by wild animals: bears, wolves, buffalo and Indian people. All are considered wild and savage, and fleeing away from her light. In her bright-light wake, as the figure progresses across the land, come farms, villages and homesteads and in the back are cities and railroads. The light of â€Å"civilization† dispels the darkness of â€Å"ignorance and barbarity†. American Indian people are portrayed along with the wild animals as the darkness, all of which have to be removed before Columbia can bring the prosperity promised to the United States. United States covert agencies working with the mainstream media often used â€Å"grey and black propaganda† to distort or fabricate information concerning the groups they had targeted.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

TRIANGLE FIRE essays

TRIANGLE FIRE essays Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, NY, NY-1911 Near closing time on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, a fire broke out on the top floors of the Asch Building in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Within minutes, the quiet spring afternoon erupted into madness, a terrifying moment in time, disrupting forever the lives of young workers. By the time the fire was over, 146 of the 500 employees had died. The survivors were left to live and relive those agonizing moments. The victims and their families, the people passing by who witnessed the desperate leaps from ninth floor windows, and the City of New York would never be the same. The images of death were seared deeply in their mind's eyes. Many of the Triangle factory workers were women, some as young as 15 years old. They were, for the most part, recent Italian and European Jewish immigrants who had come to the United States with their families to seek a better life. Instead, they faced lives of grinding poverty and horrifying working conditions. As recent immigrants struggling with a new language and culture, the working poor were ready victims for the factory owners.(ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/). The Triangle Waist Company was one of the largest shirtwaist manufacturers at the time of the fire. Located in the top three floors of the ten-story Asch Building in Greenwich Village, it usually employed 900 workers. On the day of the fire, only between 500 to 600 workers were there. When the fire was out, 146 were dead. How the fire started no one knows. On the three upper floors of the building were 600 employes of the waist company, 500 of whom were girls. . The fire began small, but attempts to put it out failed. The fire jumped from debris pile to debris pile, eating up the fabric used in making the shirtwaists. The workers began to rush to the stairways and elevators. Some made it down the eight flights of stairs, though at least one door leading to the stair...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Concavenator - Facts and Figures

Concavenator - Facts and Figures Name: Concavenator (Greek for Cuenca hunter); pronounced con-CAV-eh-nate-or Habitat: Woodlands of western Europe Historical Period: Early Cretaceous (130 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and 2-3 tons Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Triangular hump on lower back; possible feathers on forearms About Concavenator Discovering a new genus of dinosaur is rare enough, but discovering a new genus of dinosaur possessing a never-before-seen anatomical feature is a once-in-a-lifetime event. So imagine the wonderment of the Spanish team of researchers that recently dug up Concavenator, a large theropod of early Cretaceous Europe that sported not one, but two, extremely odd adaptations: first, a triangular structure on its lower back, just above the hips, that may have supported a sail or fatty hump; and second, what appear to be quill knobs on its forearms, that is, bony structures that probably supported small arrays of feathers. So what accounts for these strange features? Well, the 20-foot-long Concavenator was a close relative of Carcharodontosaurus, which was itself related to the huge, sail-backed Spinosaurusso the hump/sail on this new dinosaur shouldnt come as a surprise, even though it was situated much further down the spinal column than on other dinosaurs (another surprise: until recently, these types of theropods were thought to be restricted to South America and Africa). As for the quill knobs, those are more of a mystery: to date, only much smaller theropods than Concavenator, mostly dino-birds and raptors, have shown evidence of arm feathers. Clearly, the feathers on Concavenators forearms (and probably only on its forearms) were meant for display rather than insulation, which may provide clues about the subsequent evolution of feathered flight.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Female genital mutilation and human rights Term Paper - 1

Female genital mutilation and human rights - Term Paper Example The UN is clear in its condemnation of the practice, stating unequivocally that it violates the basic human rights of girls and women and denies them of their physical and mental integrity, their right to freedom from violence and discrimination, and sometimes even their lives. At the same time, however, the UN recognizes that FGM is deeply entrenched in many cultures in the world, and as a result, difficult to end without respecting these cultures’ values and systems of belief. How, then, does the condemnation of FGM by many international organizations such as the UN and WHO fit into cultural relativism? This paper will seek to reconcile these two seemingly contradictory ideas. How can these organizations condemn such a practice without alienating large groups of people? First, I will provide evidence that FGM does indeed violate the human rights of the girls and women who are forced to withstand it. Then I will illustrate how the concepts of cultural relativism fit into it, and how those interested in promoting the health and welfare of women and girls all over the world can use these concepts to eradicate it. As WHO states, FGM â€Å"reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women† (â€Å"Female† n.p.). The UN states that FGM violates the rights of both children and women, and cites two major UN proclamations, the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 1989 Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC). The UN clearly states that FGM violates the CRC because it compromises the â€Å"right to life, the right to physical integrity, the right to the highest attainable standard of health (including, with maturity, reproductive and sexual health), as well as the right to freedom from physical or mental violence, injury or abuse† (Lewnes 15). It is also a violation of the child’s right to development, protection, and full

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Questions regarding weather Risk, breakeven exchange rate, Essay

Questions regarding weather Risk, breakeven exchange rate, - Essay Example In fact, this sort of trading would be comparable to trading the varying values of stock indices, currencies, interest rates and agricultural commodities. However, the inception of the  weather derivatives has made weather a tradeable commodity (Stephen Jewson, Anders Brix and Christine Zeihmann, 2005). Weather derivatives are financial instruments that can be applied by individuals or organizations as component of a risk management strategy to decrease the risk associated with adverse and unexpected weather conditions1. It is different from the crop insurance that is generally used for high risk coverage. The weather derivatives are mainly used for low risk events. Until recently, insurance has been the main tool used by companies for protection against unexpected weather conditions. But insurance provides protection only against catastrophic damage.  Insurance does nothing to protect against the reduced demand that businesses experience as a result of weather that is warmer or colder than expected. Farmers can use weather derivatives to hedge against poor harvests caused by drought or frost; theme parks may want to insure agains t rainy weekends during peak summer seasons. Hence the CEO of ADLA must use weather derivatives. For example, a company might use a weather derivative to hedge against a frost ans heavy wind velocity (a low-risk, high-probability event). In this case, the company knows its revenues would be affected by that kind of weather. But the same company would most likely purchase an insurance policy for protection against damages caused by a flood or hurricane (high-risk, low-probability events).  Ã‚   In contrast to the various outlooks provided by government and independent forecasts, weather derivatives trading will give this company (ADLA) a quantifiable view of those outlooks and hence protects the interests of the company against adverse weather elements. Over the counter trading weather derivatives are privately

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Workplace Violence and Harrassment Essay Example for Free

Workplace Violence and Harrassment Essay Whether you are an employer or an employee, everyone is responsible for workplace safety. Within Canada, each province, territory, and the federal government, have Occupational Health and Safety legislation establishing rights and responsibilities for employers and employees. However, this legislation has not made workplaces safe and healthy in general. Here are just a few examples of workplace violence, workplace harassment and domestic violence that employers and employees are facing today. 1.â€Å"Patrick Clayton a recipient of WCB benefits entered the Edmonton WCB office and held eight people hostage at gun point for 10 hours before surrendering to police† (Edmonton Journal, 2009). 2.â€Å"Pierre Lebrun, an Ottawa Transit worker, walked into work, shot four of his co-workers and injured two more before he took his own life. Mr. Lebrun alleged he was harassed because of his speech impediment† (Branswell, 1999). 3.â€Å"Lori Dupont, an OR nurse, was romantically involved with colleague Dr. Marc Daniel for 2 years. When the relationship ended, a disgruntled Dr. Daniel viciously stabbed Ms. Dupont 7 times in the chest at work. Minutes later, he self-administered a drug overdose and died 3 days later† (Schmidt, 2006). Almost 1 in 5 violent incidents in Canada occurs at work which amounts to approximately 356,000 incidents of violence each year in the workplace (Statistics Canada, 2007). â€Å"Customers, clients, patients, students, workers, intimate partners, or family members may hurt, threaten, or harass workers while they are on the job† (Labour, guide 3, 2010). Harassment has become a growing concern both in the workplace and in society. The norms and values in society have changed. Actions and words that were acceptable or tolerated before, are not anymore. Everyone needs to be aware of their rights and where they can turn for help and support. When a person is feeling victimized they can become withdrawn from their family and friends as well as not attending work. At the same time those doing the harassing need to know that there are consequences to face for their actions. All employees and management need to be made aware of how serious this issue has become and that harassment is not only from internal employees but can also come from customers, outside contractors and any member of the public, in all workplaces. To this end, the government has placed greater onus and responsibility on the employer to act not only on reported events, but also unreported known issues of harassment and violence in the workplace. Look more:  problem cause solution speech essay Relevant Theories and research On June 15, 2010, the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, specifically Bill 168 required all employers to examine the risks related to workplace violence, workplace harassment and domestic violence, in response to the increasing displays of harassment and violence affecting larger groups of people. Bill 168 required all employers to comply by ordering them to implement a policy and process to address these issues and ensure the health and safety of all their employees (Labour, workplace, 2010). But before companies can even provide support for their employees, there has to be policies and procedures developed and put into place to address the issue of workplace violence and harassment. To do this, employers need to educate themselves on what workplace harassment and violence is. The definitions and scope of what constitutes workplace harassment and violence have changed. Workplace Violence is defined as a physical force or an â€Å"attempt to exercise physical force against a worker in the workplace that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker† (Labour, key, 2010). This includes threatening behaviour, verbal or written threats, harassment, verbal abuse and physical attacks. Workplace violence extends beyond the traditional workplace and can include off site work related social or business functions or client homes. Workplace harassment means â€Å"a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome. This includes sexual harassment, bullying, teasing and intimidation† (IAPA, 2009). Domestic violence is defined as a â€Å"behaviour used by one person to gain power and control over another with whom he or she has had an intimate relationship. This â€Å"may include physical violence, sexual, emotional, psychological, intimation, verbal abuse, stalking and using electronic devices to harass and control† ( Labour, guide 6, 2010) The sources of workplace violence or harassment can be divided into four categories (IAPA, 2009): 1.External Threat – incidents where an individual has no relationship with the workplace and threatens or commits an act or harassment in the workplace. 2.Clients, customers or visitor Acts – an incident resulting from a client, customer or visitor at the workplace who becomes violent, threatens or harasses an employee. 3.Employee to Employee – acts of violence or harassment resulting from employment relationship. 4.Domestic Violence incidents that occur in the workplace that arise from a personal or intimate relationship between two individuals. In a guide prepared by the Law Society of Upper Canada, for addressing harassment and discrimination (LSUC, 2009), the Ontario Human Rights Commission (2000) was quoted â€Å"the best defence against human rights complaints is to be fully informed and aware of the responsibilities and protections included in the Code†. It further establishes that the adoption of effective harassment and discrimination policies and procedures along with the design and delivery of the program assists in creating a respectful work environment for everyone and also reduces the risk of liability for employers. Significant harm can be caused by inappropriate response to claims of harassment and violence, not limited to compounding the victim’s experience, affecting the victim’s relations with peers, violating the privacy of the victim, negative repercussions on the business, high absenteeism, loss of business, and legal costs attributed to these claims. In a policy statement published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (Pediatrics, 2006), it said that, although the common belief is that sexual harassment is perpetrated only on women, in 2001, 13.5% of sexual harassment charges reported to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the United States, were reported by men. According to information gathered by the SASHA Sexual Assault Centre in Hamilton, ON (SASHA, n.d.), â€Å"one in four women and one in ten men have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace.† In addition, only â€Å"8% of those who are harassed at work report the harassment.â⠂¬  According to an article by Karen Hughes in Gender, Work Organization (2002), she found that women sexually harassed by customers were a significant problem. Her research focused on a study of 63 female retail service workers and 20 security workers and she found that while these women had been sexually harassed by customers, they were constrained in dealing with the behaviour due to the policies and procedures that the employer placed on customer satisfaction. The women were also reluctant to confront the harasser and instead resorted to avoidance or became less friendly, which affected their job performance. According to Queen’s University Human Rights Legislation Group (2010), employers can no longer rely on the â€Å"grey area† of workplace issues. Tribunals and courts have tackled these grey area excuses such as workplace culture of joking, promise of confidentiality, and complainant did not come forward, by tackling them head on, removing them from the grey area and rejecting the excuses. A Description of the Practical Implications Effects on the Employee Harassment is a relevant issue as it can create low productivity for an organization and the morale of employees can drop. The victim may feel shame from being controlled and humiliated. The silence of co-workers is easy to understand because they fear that if they say something, they might be next. Harassment and violence can cause a host of stress related health problems. The employee may suffer from anxiety, disrupted sleep, loss of concentration, post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression or panic attacks. Left untreated and with prolonged exposure, the person could experience migraines, develop ulcers or have cardiovascular stress-related diseases occur; causing the transformation of social factors into damaging biological consequences. These effects of stress related health problems on the employee lead to increased tardiness, absenteeism and sick leave. When they do make it too work they tend to be unproductive, as Jennifer McCarthy (2010) stated â€Å"Harassed employees waste between 10 to 52% of their time at work dealing with, or thinking about, their problem†. Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are lost in wages and reduced productivity. Additional negative effects of harassment and violence are reduced job satisfaction, job withdrawal and decreased career salience. Harassment can also affect the relationships the victim has with family and friends. When a person is harassed they can become depressed, vulnerable, and angry. This could include a loss of self esteem which affects them at work and home and could lead to the development of anti-social behaviour. Other negative effects include decreases in job involvement, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and in organizational citizenship behaviours. The act of reporting workplace harassment and violence in itself may cause the employee distress; doubly impacting their health, behaviour and productivity. Employees may be reluctant to report customer harassment to employers. Instead they may resort to avoidance behaviours or be less friendly which potentially may impact their performance on the job. This could lead to poor performance reviews when the aggressive customer fills out a survey and expresses their disgruntled view point. In some cases, the employee will request a work transfer in order to get away from the situation. In extreme cases, employees will lose their jobs either voluntarily or through constructive discharge. Effects on the Organization So why should employers care? Effects on the Organization include harm to image and reputation that may lead to people mistrusting the enterprise. This evaluation could weaken the market value of the brand and social image. The organization could experience difficulty in employee recruitment, training and retention, because of the harm to the company image. These problems, if not corrected would reduce commitment, morale and productivity, because the negative emotional atmosphere of the company would have a mutual influence on all personnel. A persons mood will affect ones working attitude. This in turn leads to reduced productivity and increased team conflict. It could lead to strained management-employee relations, because distrust would manifest itself. When employees begin to question what is happening in the workplace and their concerns are not addressed due to reduced communication in the workplace, this would cause things to become even worse. Employee turnover causes the loss of talented people for an enterprise, increasing the negative effects and costs of trying to replace the lost worker. It increases the use of Employee Assistance Programs, thus increasing costs of healthcare or benefits paid by the organization. EAP is intended to help employees solve issues affecting their health, happiness, working performance and the problems of success. But, by not addressing the issues of workplace violence and harassment and eliminating them, EAP cannot improve employee productivity, nor reduce employee absences. Short term/long term disability and drug plan costs that should be used for external health issues affecting the employee are instead being spent on an internal issue that should be addressed. Prevention costs are infinitesimally small compared to the high cost of an incident of workplace violence or harassment. Without policies and procedures in place, there could be extreme consequences for the employer as well as the individuals involved, as shown in the examples at the beginning of this report. The company could also be held responsible for paying out on harassment and violence related lawsuit. Significant harm can be caused by inappropriate response to claims, therefore, it should be emphasised that the goal of an employer’s response should make the alleged harassment stop and to restore the desired workplace environment. Employers should also be mindful that if there is an investigation, remedial action will not protect it from litigation if the action taken was inadequate for either the complainant or his/her coworkers. The employer has the duty to respond when they have been alerted to issues of harassment in the workplace. Recommendations The first step for any organization is to put in place a strong harassment policy that is developed by managers and employees. This written policy should include a clear definition of harassment as well as clear expectations of expected employee behaviour. Management and employees should work on creating the policy as a joint effort. The policy should also include corrective actions and stipulate that violation of its terms may result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment. Corrective action could range from demanding an apology for the complainant, providing counselling and/or training to the harasser and other staff to disciplining or dismissing the harasser. Some other alternatives available to the employer and employee are changing the location, assignment or reporting relationship between the complainant and harasser. As well as creating a policy, contacts must be made available 24/7 so a person has somewhere to turn for help since in many cases, the employ ee is not going to respond immediately to the harassment. Instead they will do so at a time that they feel they are in a safe environment, such as home or after work hours. Lines of communication must be opened up for all management and employees with methods set up to protect everyone’s privacy who is involved in the complaint. All employees and management must be encouraged to speak up whether they are a victim or a witness. All employees should also be informed on how to file a complaint and to document each incident including place, time and any witnesses. This falls into play whether it occurs in or outside the workplace. Training and information sessions should be scheduled to educate all employees on the policy and procedures in dealing with harassment and include a discussion period to clear up questions. The employer can use workshops, orientation sessions, films, brochures, posters, e-mail, memos and other tools to educate current employees. A copy of the policy and contact information should also be distributed to each employee as well having the information posted in areas where everyone has access. To ensure that you have advised all employees, have employees sign a commitment pledge acknowledging receipt and understanding of the policy. This will also support the employer’s due diligence should an issue arise at a later date and they must reprimand an employee for harassment and/or violence. It would also reinforce for the employee that the employer has taken this issue seriously. The policy should reinforce the timeliness for reporting a complaint in order to maintain the integrity of the information and witnesses, though it should be understood that the act of reporting may also add to the individual’s distress. It should be stressed that everyone is responsible for due diligence in reporting and responding to harassment and violence in the workplace. Threat assessments should begin before an individual is hired through background, police and reference checks. In some industries, the background and police checks should be done annually. Exit Interviews would help employers identify harassment related exits. Hiring a third party to conduct the interviews would give an unbiased picture and recap of the interview. In addition, this education should not be a one-time occurrence. On-going information sessions, training and reminders should be done at regular intervals so that everyone knows what their rights and responsibilities are in a harassment-free workplace. Conclusion In our report, we described why we chose this topic and why it is relevant. Workplace harassment and violence is everyone’s responsibility. We provided relevant theories and research. To address the escalating problem of workplace harassment and violence, the government has introduced legislation that requires employers to create policies and procedures to increase the awareness and social responsibility of harassment and violence in and out of the workplace. We described the effects workplace violence, harassment and domestic violence have on the employee and the organization. We also provided recommendations for the workplace to eliminate harassment and violence including developing a policy and providing training to existing and new employees. Employers and employees need to understand and be aware of their rights and responsibilities. Victims need to know where they can turn for help and support. Harassers need to know that there will be repercussions for their actions and workplace harassment and violence will not be tolerated. Violence and harassment have no place in the workplace. References Branswell, B. (1999). Ottawa capital shocked-massacre leaves five dead, Maclean’s. Retrieved from http://business.highbeam.com/4341/article-1G1-54384942/death-ottawa-capital-shocked-massacre-leaves-five-dead Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2006). Anti-harassment policies for the workplace: an employer’s guide. Retrieved from http://www.chrcccdp.ca/publications/ anti_ harassment _toc-eng.aspx Committee on Pediatric Workforce. (2006). Prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace and educational settings. Pediatrics 118: 1752-1756. Retrieved from http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;118/4/1752 Hughes, Karen D. (2002). Something to deal with: customer sexual harassment and women’s retail service work in Canada. Gender, Work Organization. Volume 5, Issue 4 (pp. 207-219). Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-0432.00058/abstract Journal Staff. (2009). WCB hostage-taking ends peacefully, The Edmonton Journal. Retrieved from http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/ Police+respond complaint+Edmonton+office/2128080/story.html IAPA. (2009). Workplace violence, Resource Article. Retrieved from http://www.iapa.ca/main articles/2009_worplace_violence.aspx Labour Government Ontario. (2010). Employment Standards – Health and Safety. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/wpvh/appendix_c.php Labour Government Ontario. (2010). Employment Standards – Health and Safety. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/wpvh/appendix_d.php Labour Government Ontario. (2010). Guide. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca./ english/hs/pubs/wvps_guide/guide_3.php Labour Government Ontario. (2010). Guide. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca./ english/hs/pubs/wvps_guide/guide_6.php Labour Government Ontario. (2010). Key terms concepts. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/wvph/concepts.php Labour Government Ontario. (2010). Workplace violence. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca./english/hs/pubs/wpvh/violence.php McCarthy, J. (2010). Harassment in the workplace. Solutions Newsletter, 35. Retrieved from http://www.familycounsellingcentrebrant.com/files/4085936294896818.pdf. McShane, S.L., Steen, L.S. (2009). Workplace emotion, attitudes, and stress. Canadian Organizational Behaviour. Mcgraw- Hill Ryerson (pp.77 -96) Namie, Gary. (2003). Workplace bullying: escalated incivility. Ivey Business Journal. November/December 2003. Retrieved from http://wpb-res.com/res/2003_Namie.pdf Queen’s University. (2010). Human rights legislation group – workplace harassment. Retrievedfrom http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/legislationgroup/highlights/dutytorespond.html SACHA (n.d.). Statistics. Sascha sexual assault centre. Retrieved from http://www.sacha.ca/home.php?sec=17sub=43 Schmidt, D. (2006). A killing at hotel-dieu. Windsor Star. Retrieved from http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/features/dupont/news/story.html?id=0a88d4d2-18bb-4ef5-bab5-4073ef937d03p=2 Statistics Canada (2007). Study: criminal victimization in the workplace. The Daily. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/070216/dq070216a-eng.htm The Law Society of Upper Canada. (2009). Addressing harassment and discrimination: guide to developing a policy for law firms or legal organizations. Retrieved from http://rc.lsuc.on.ca/pdf/equity/modelHarassmentPolicy.pdf Thorup, P.J. Ceaser, R.L. (n.d.). Addressing workplace harassment in Canada. The Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved from http://canadian-lawyers.ca/Understand-Your-Legal-Issue/Labour-and-Employment/Addressing-Workplace-Harassment-in-Canada.html

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Simple Networking :: essays research papers

Simple network wiring Thesis statement This report is to include the basics of the physical wiring of computer networks. Outline I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction A. Professional wiring. B. Using hubs. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Body A. Saving money. B. Tools needed. C. Proper placement. D. Connectors. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion A. Plug in and go. B. Good luck -Page 2 Simple network wiring Professional wiring can cost hundreds of dollars per connection and there never seems to be enough drops. A year after most companies upgrade their network wiring, they find themselves needing to once again rebuild. With three to six drops per office, this can be a healthy bill for the company. There is a better way. Use hubs anywhere you would have put extra drops. Drops are the actual runs of wire that run into the room. Each cable that comes from the main backbone cable, or central point of connection is the â€Å"Drop†. Use the hub to plug everything into. For simple nets you won't need a filtering bridge or router, just a plain unfiltered hub. If you have a DSL or cable model connection, you may want a firewall. In large nets routers are crucial so that heavy internal traffic in one group does not slow down people in other groups. But hubs can be added most anywhere, and are a great way to save on extra wiring. Hubs are available from most any computer mail order, or a good local shop. It is a good idea to get more ports than you need now. Hubs can be 10 or 100 Megabit per second, or able to auto-switch between the two. An 8-port 10/100MB Ethernet hub is now about $37.00. That is far less than a single drop. It is less than -Page 3 just the wire and connectors for the 7 added drops you get. 100MB hubs are a bit more, around 50.00 for the Linksys 8 port. But it is still less than wiring. The general principle is to pull one or 2 drops to each relevant wall, and when you need more just stick in a hub. If you use a hub and put the drops into the inside walls between the rooms, or in the corners they will reach two, or in the center, four interior walls from one point. By doing this you can get by with fewer â€Å"real† drops and save the company money. Say a company wanted 150 drops. A realistic figure for an average first time drop is around $350.00. That would come to $52,500.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Adrift In A Moral Sea: Should We Help The Needy?

In his article, Hardin presents a compelling argument why we should not help the needy: we cannot afford it. And by all means, I agree with Mr. Hardin. The bottom line is it is not in our interests to help the needy. It may be that sympathetic people’s hearts are bleeding with the fact that 790 million of the world’s population is chronically undernourished and starving when all over the world it is standard procedure for stores to routinely dispose food that they were not able to sell for the day. We see them in pictures or news clips: the poor in Africa burning under the sun, the hungry children in Asia going through the piles of garbage looking for food. We feel sorry for them, but we are happy we are not them, that by some contingent force we ended up being born in a wealthy country. We may want to send them food and clothing and other parcels with wishes of peace and love, but if we really want to help them, then I think we should give them what they really need. Most of the â€Å"needy† come from developing and in-transition countries, whose histories are characterized by civil wars, revolutions and struggles for freedom from colonizers, then struggles for freedom from tyrants; and whose financial records show glaring foreign debt. The World Bank recorded that for every dollar that the developing world receives in grants, it pays $13 for debt servicing. In the Jubilee Year of 2000, Pope John Paul II called for the cancellation of all foreign debts so that the poorer nations can focus on rebuilding and strengthening their economies and governments and providing services to their people rather than being harassed to pay their foreign debt that they acquired because of the colonization trend (and almost all developed countries had colonies), and of the two World Wars which they were mere casualties of. It seems to me then that if we really are serious about helping the poor, then we should not be giving them food or grants – we should be repaying them for ravaging their natural resources and enslaving their ancestors, for subjecting their nations to the highest form of discrimination and robbing them of their rights, and for destroying their lands and lives with our selfish wars. And the payments should be adjusted as per inflation and with interest. Of course, no one will agree to that. If we did not let the Jubilee Year weaken our resolve, why now? If we cannot even admit our mistake at Vietnam and apologize, why should we humble ourselves before the poor of the world, even if they are the majority? Let us think of the food program and the foreign assistance to other nations as our way of making it up to them. That is the best that we can do, since handing over our wealth is out of the question. The thing is, even with the food program, there is hardly any improvement in the hunger problem, and even with the grants the poverty levels and the population issues remain. In The State of Food Insecurity in the World, it is acknowledged that there have been significant improvement in agriculture technology and by all means, there is more food than ten years ago. But the problem of hunger persists because there are adequate infrastructures and mechanisms – roads, shipping systems – to deliver the food to people. There is a vicious cycle of hunger, poverty and overpopulation, but do we solve their problem? According to the Population Reference Bureau, the less developed world has on average a population growth rate of 1.5 compared to the .1 of the more developed world. Apparently, high mortality rates, the lack of food and adequate resources are not stopping them from producing offspring. In Darwin’s survival of the fittest, they seem to be doing just fine. I may be accused of being simplistic in my argument, but the needy have governments, and more than that, they have their own minds. They should know by now that there is not enough food where they are, there are very few opportunities, and so if they wanted to help themselves maybe they should focus more on looking for food and work than having babies. If their governments cannot take care of them, should ours do? Presently, we are facing our own social security issues; why would we want to trouble our government with providing for other people when there is an impending danger that we might not be having enough for the future? And why even dwell on the hunger in Africa when in our country there are hungry, homeless people? As Hardin pointed out, there is not enough space in the lifeboat. Either they make their own lifeboat, or they learn to swim to an island, what is important is that they should do something rather than just accept their fate of drowning just because the metaphor says so. It is a battle of survival, of preserving interests. If helping the needy will not cost anything and even placate our moral sensitivities, then we will help them. But as it turns out, we cannot afford to feed the millions of hungry people. Everything that we give them we take from our future stock, from that which we hope to give to ourselves in our old age, to our children and to our grandchildren. And when faced with giving to strangers or looking after our own families, nobody is the Good Samaritan. WORKS CITED: 2005 Human Development Report, United Nations Development Programme Global Development Finance, World Bank, 1999 The State of Food Insecurity in the World. Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Family Drama

Living with family is similar to living to living in the royal palace. There is always going to be guards watching over you’re every move, and certain standards you need to live up to. You will enjoy the luxury of an elegant house, clean laundry and slightly bigger budget, but it will slightly defer from the king and queen realm. It will affect every detail of your life, right down to the way you talk, the food you eat, how often your friends can visit and how much freedom you have. You will quickly discover that if your sovereign isn’t happy you’re not going to be happy either. I recently graduated from high Scholl, got a job, and started saving up some money for college. I decided to move in with my parents, and what I have learnt is that its good being around family, but it’s never a good idea to live in with family. I get no respect from my parents. They treat me as if I’m still in high school, or should I say elementary school. My mom talks to me any how she pleases, no matter where we are , or, who is around. Last month was my birthday, so I decided to invite a few friends over just to chill and have a good time. Hoping that my parents would leave so I could have the house for myself, they decided to hang around. It was so awkward for me. My dad he just came and sat in the living room watching the TV, even thou they have one in there room. My mom kept complaining about the type of music I was playing. After a while my mom started butting in people’s conversation and disrespecting my friends telling them how they aren’t good enough to hang with me and how much of a dirt bag they are. I was so embarrassed. She was so disrespectful, I don’t know if they don’t want me to have a social life or they just like being mean to me. As expected living under someone else’s roof can be quite a challenge, especially if they are close family. I am a single child so you can imagine how hard it if for me to have any privacy what so ever. I really felt cross the line the other day when my mom decided to open my mail. I ordered some condom and other such items online with my own money( of course, which goes without saying) my mother couldn’t stand that I had any mail coming in or anything that she didn’t know what it was, so what does she do, she opened it. Then she judgmentally confronted me about them. I shocked embarrassed and very angry about that violation of my privacy. I should not have been surprised, this kind of things are typical for my mother she just like to be all up in my business. The clothes I wear, the food I eat, the color of my room, where I go, how I got there and people I hang with, these are just a few things that your parents have control over when you’re a child, but as you grow older they still seems to want to maintain that control. It is difficult for them to adjust to that and thus causes a lot of conflict. My friends and I decided to dress up as sexy doctors and fire fighters for Halloween, just to change up from what we normally do each year. The biggest sin in the eyes of my parents to be sexy. We had a big argument, because I was determine to wear what I wanted to, not only because it was what we had plan, but also a way of proving to my parents that I’m grown and can do whatever I can. My dad decided that if I left the house looking like a â€Å"hooker† I’m not to set foot back in his house, I didn’t even think of the after effect of it all I just back my stuff. As a I was about to leave, he decided to grab my stuff, I was so mad I push him and he slap me in the face. We started fighting and my mom called the police. Luckily no one went to jail, but we were warned. I love my dad and I didn’t mean for things to get out of control like that. All that could have been avoided if I was living on my own. Relatively speaking, as a child growing up, I enjoy living with my parents, they were my best friends, but as a bird grows older they have to leave the nest. In order to have a good social life and worry free about what you do and how you to it, its better to

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Body Farm

The Body Farm The University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Facility, otherwise known as the Body Farm, was created to analyze the decomposition process and see what takes place after death. The facility aids in teaching and exploring areas of death that were once unknown to forensic science. Without the body farm, many questions would still remain unanswered in the world of forensics.Dr. William Bass founded the establishment in 1971 after realizing that there were not any other institutions investigating the science of body decomposition. This began almost eleven years before he founded the institute. Bass worked in Kansas primarily dealing with skeletal remains. Skeletal remains were found more often in Kansas because of the low population level; or in other words, it took longer for people to find deceased bodies. It wasn't until he relocated to Tennessee, a more densely populated area, that he began dealing with bodies that were less exposed to the elements.English: Roma Khan doing prelim inary work on decom...Once given the chance to deal with more evidential remains, he saw the need for investigating the process of decomposition. He propositioned the dean of the University of Tennessee to the idea, and was initially granted an acre of land, that was formerly used as a pig farm, about 45 minutes outside the university. The institute has since grown to three acres of land and is now surrounded by razor-wire.The body farm is home to about forty dead bodies all subjected to different theoretical physical environments that decomposition can take place. The cadavers arrive from two sources; unclaimed bodies left at the medical examiner's office and people who have chosen to donate themselves. Surprisingly, over 300 people have willed their bodies to the farm- in personal efforts to help further scientific advancements. The number of bodies donated increases every year, with surges of popularity created...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 The Immigration and Nationality Act, sometimes known as the INA, is the basic body of immigration law in the United States. It was created in 1952. A  variety of statutes governed immigration law before this, but they werent organized in one location. The INA is also known as the McCarran-Walter Act, named after the bills sponsors: Senator Pat McCarran (D-Nevada), and Congressman Francis Walter (D-Pennsylvania). The Terms of the INA The INA deals with Aliens and Nationality.  Its divided into titles, chapters, and sections. Although it stands alone as a single body of law, the Act is also contained in the United States Code (U.S.C.).   Youll often see references to the U.S. Code citation when youre browsing the INA or other statutes. For example, Section 208 of the INA deals with asylum, and it is also contained in 8 U.S.C. 1158. Its technically correct to refer to a specific section by either its INA citation or its U.S. code, but the INA citation is more commonly used. The Act kept many of the same immigration policies from earlier statutes with some major changes. Racial restrictions and gender discrimination were eliminated. The policy of restricting immigrants from certain countries remained, but the quota formula was revised. Selective immigration was introduced by giving a quota preference to aliens with much-needed skills and relatives of U.S. citizens and alien residents. The Act introduced a reporting system whereby all U.S. aliens were required to report their current address to the INS each year, and it established a central index of aliens in the U.S. for use by security and enforcement agencies. President Truman was concerned about the decisions to maintain the national origins quota system and to establish racially constructed quotas for Asian nations. He vetoed the McCarran-Walter Act because he regarded the bill as discriminatory. Trumans veto was overridden by a vote of 278 to 113 in the House and 57 to 26 in the Senate. Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965 The original 1952 Act has been amended many times over the years. The biggest change occurred with the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. That bill was proposed by Emanuel Celler, cosponsored by Philip Hart, and heavily supported by Senator Ted Kennedy. The 1965 amendments abolished the national origins quota system, eliminating national origin, race or ancestry as a basis for immigration to the U.S. They established a preference system for relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and for persons with special occupational skills, abilities or training. They also established two categories of immigrants who would not be subject to numerical restrictions: immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and special immigrants. The amendments did maintain the quota restriction. They expanded limits to world coverage by limiting Eastern Hemisphere immigration and by placing a ceiling on Western Hemisphere immigration for the first time. Neither the preference categories nor the 20,000 per-country limit was applied to the Western Hemisphere, however. The 1965 legislation introduced a prerequisite for the issuance of a visa that an alien worker will not replace a worker in the U.S. nor adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed individuals.   The House of Representatives voted 326 to 69 in favor of the act, while the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 76 to 18. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the legislation into law on July 1, 1968. Other Reform Bills Some immigration reform bills that would amend the current INA have been introduced into Congress in recent years. They include the Kennedy-McCain Immigration Bill of 2005 and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. This was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and co-authored by a bipartisan group of 12 senators including Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John McCain. None of these bills made it through Congress, but the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act toughened up border control and clamped down on welfare benefits for legal aliens. The REAL ID Act of 2005 was then passed, requiring proof of immigration status or citizenship before states can issue certain licenses. No less than 134 bills regarding immigration, border security, and related issues were introduced in Congress as of mid-May 2017.   The most current version of the INA can be found on the USCIS website under Immigration and Nationality Act in the Laws and Regulations section.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Memo - Essay Example I've prepared an analysis about the use of vulnerability assessment systems and intrusion detection systems in your company, just like you asked me. You specifically asked whether the use of both systems will be a waste of resources and a duplication of efforts. My analysis suggests that VAS and IDS have separate internal functions for the security of the computer systems and both must be a part of a computer system for complete security control. Vulnerability assessment systems are those security scanning tools that assess level of threat that can penetrate a system. The main job of such tools is to scan networks, servers, firewalls, routers, and applications and report system vulnerabilities. "Generally, the tools can detect known security flaws or bugs in software and hardware, determine if the systems are susceptible to known attacks and exploits, and search for system vulnerabilities such as settings contrary to established security policies". (Becker, 1999) New threats are discovered each day thus the vulnerability assessment tools must be updated regularly. Any new weaknesses such as security flaws and bugs would need to be patched in the system so that no holes left for malwares, viruses, spywares etc. to infect the system. Another feature of a vulnerability assessment system is that it generates reports which can tell a user what and where weaknesses exist and how to fix them. (Becker, 1999) Intrusion Detection Systems Vulnerability assessment is the first step in securing the system from threats by taking appropriate security precautions and patch-ups. However, new threats are raised everyday and some might pass through the vulnerability precautions. Therefore the next logical step is to "monitor the system for intrusions and unusual activities". Intrusion detection systems automatically raise the alarm in case of a security breach and inform the Computer Incident Respond Team for their help. "By analyzing the information generated by the systems being guarded, IDSs help determine if necessary safeguards are in place and are protecting the system as intended". Important to note here is that IDS don't protect the system, they just pinpoint the location of the attack and collect the information related to the attack and the attacker. (Becker, 1999) IDS tools are used by the CIRT to generate both technical and management reports since it provide background information on the type of attack and the attacker. IDS can also give recommendations to the management about the courses of action to take to seal the breach. (Becker, 1999) Example The difference can easily be understood by the following example. Vulnerability assessment just checks how susceptible a person is to catching a cold in winters. The vulnerabilities that the system can find is that not enough warm clothes are worn and heater is not being used. The intrusion detection system checks that cold air in hitting the person directly which may be harmful, and the point of intrusion was the chest of the person. So a person gets the information from the vulnerability system that he needs to have a heater and wear warm clothes and from the intrusion

Friday, November 1, 2019

Topic selection and statement of problem Assignment

Topic selection and statement of problem - Assignment Example ystem can be defined as a personnel system applied in the process of hiring and promoting government employees based on merit to obtain the highest efficiency in public personnel functions. The application of the merit system in the public education sector has brought about unending controversies especially with the merit pay issue. The merit pay systems emphasizes on the fact that teachers are to be paid for their achievement in the classroom as opposed to their seniority or the number of ed-school credits that they have collected as it has been done from the 1920s period. Reformers in the education system including the government have emphasized that the merit pay will encourage high performing teachers to do well and drive the lazy ones away, thereby improving the performance of public schools. However, teachers’ unions have continually opposed the move stating that there is no objective way of measuring the classroom performance of a teacher. In addition to this, opposing views have pointed to the fact that the merit pay system has a high chance of failing especially because of issues of supervisor bias or favoritism (Gratz, 2009). The merit pay has proven to be productive especially in the private sector where it has been applied since the 1980s. The growth of international economic competition made U.S. corporations to measure indicial worker performance and introduced pay incentives based on work output to motivate employees to perform better. This practice has gone on up to the present day where new performance criteria have been implemented with multi-faceted compensation plans for the highly performing employees (Ritter & Barnett,  2013). The public education monopoly has resisted the merit pay proposal because of the fears that it may lead to biases and unfair treatment of teachers. However, pilot studies carried out, such as those done in Cincinnati’s public school system have proven successful. The merit pay system is relevant for the study of

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Collaboration Photography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Collaboration Photography - Assignment Example The scene is mechanical, and captivating at the same time, and through right angle shoots outs the object confronts the subject directly and the use of light and shadow brings more focus on the object. Though people consider black and white photography is often treated as the poor relation of color, it can make a photo look captivating. A distraction brought out by color in the photo is eliminated by the use of the black and white photography; a studio brings out the best of the colors. In fact, the black and white boils to major concepts: removal of distraction, contrast, pattern, texture and lighting. Color photography unlike the black and white one does not effectively provide patterns, in fact, slight ones go unnoticed. On the other hand, a black and white Photoshop provides more vivid capturing patterns, as the viewer’s attention is more focused on the shapes formed by the elements in the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Fedex Express In Vietnam Commerce Essay

Fedex Express In Vietnam Commerce Essay This thesis aims to evaluate and formulate business strategy for FedEx Express in Vietnam to further promote the companys competitive advantages. Fred R. Davids Comprehensive strategic management Model is used for this strategic formulation. At the first stage of this process, FedEx Vietnam quantitative evaluations of internal, external environments and its Competitive Ability Profile are created. A strategic group of five managers and specialists who are knowledgeable in air express transportation industry is formed up to determine factors of each matrix and weight/ score of each attributes of these components. Data from this input stage shows the companys Internal Factor score shows companys weakest points are operating under agency contract. FedEx External Factor score reveals the company is responsive to external environment. However the level of responsiveness to competitors and administration style in Vietnam is not high. In Competitive Profile Matrix, FedEx ranks the second position among the four market leaders. The areas that company needs to look into for improvement is customer service and marketing. With the data from input stage, SWOT matrix and Grand strategy matrix are used to formulate all applicable strategies. At final stage of the formulation process, all alternative strategies that were selected in matching stage are put in Qualitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) to determine which strategies out of given alternative strategies are more attractive. With the result, the thesis goes to some recommended tactics for some key functions to implement the two selected strategies for FedEx in Vietnam. RATIONALE THE RESEARCH As an infrastructure service, air express transportation playing more and more important role in the global economy. In Vietnam, the economic booming and dramatic growth of international trade bring very high demands for air express transportation. This demand is critical in both terms of transportation capacity and quality of service. Being in Vietnam for more than 17 years, FedEx Express the world leading air express transportation company, has been operating under agency contract with Seabornes Logistic. This business model gave FedEx an excellent access to Vietnam market at start up. However after more than 17 years of development, in new business context with stronger competition and higher customer demand the company is facing with following challenges: Gap between customer needs and the ability of the operation team Various customer demand for value added service versus the current core products Harder competition from main competitors This situation requires FedEx VN to review its strategy for necessary adjustment in order to maintain the good growth and steadily expand its market share. And that is my purpose to choose this topic for my thesis. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The research has 3 main objectives: Review strategy formulation models and theories that are applicable to the practical business. Evaluate FedExs competition ability in the context of Vietnam air express industry. The research will propose recommendations for FedEx business strategy in Vietnam from now to the year 2018. This research will answer the following questions: Why FedEx need to change its business strategy in Viet Nam? What is attractive strategy for FedEx Vietnam to 2018? RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Fred R. Davids strategy formulation framework is used for the strategy evaluation and selection. The model includes three stages: input stage, matching stage and decision stage. In the input stage, a team of strategists with participation of fifteen members from regional and FedEx Express Vietnam sales, marketing, customer service and operation management was formed up. The team discussed and agreed on list for internal factors (for Internal Factor Evaluation IFE Matrix), external factors (for External Factor Evaluation EFE matrix) and key success factors (for Competitiveness Profile Matrix). After the three matrices created, members of the team score weight and rate of each component factor independently. The collective IFE, EFE and CPM are made up by average the score from each team member. These matrices then are brought to team discussion for final review and comment. Secondary data from FedEx profiles, industry surveys/reports and related information from Internet was used for the team analysis and evaluation. In the matching stage, outcome of the input stage is used to generate feasible alternative strategies. SWOT matrix and Grand Strategy Matrix are the two techniques in this stage. Result of matching stage is a consolidated work sheet with all alternative strategies. The strategies which are applicable in both matrices are picked up for analysis in Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). In QSPM strategist can determine which strategy is most attractive to the firm base on attractive score. This is the last stage of the process. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS The research is for business strategy of FedEx Express in Vietnam from now to 2018. However strategic management is a continuous process containing of strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation. But in the scope of this research, the thesis will focus on some business strategies recommendation for FedEx Express Vietnam only. Given the scope of the thesis, detail implementation plan and evaluation/feedback for continuous improvement which are equally important to ensure a successful strategy were not deeply mentioned in the research. Without evaluation and feedback, management cannot get all employees involved in the strategic management process and hence cannot take full advantage of the process. CHAPTER I: THEORICAL FRAMEWORK Strategy and Business Strategy Definitions Strategy is not a new concept. In modern economy, when talking about business, strategy is usually the first thing to be mentioned. It is considered as cornerstone of business which determines failure or success of a firm. Thereve been a lot of definitions by scholars and researchers over the world. In an article What is strategy? on Havard Business Review in 1996  [1]  , Micheal E. Porter defined strategy as creating fit among a companys activities. The success of a strategy depends on doing many things well not just a few and integrating among them. If there is no fit among activities, there is no distinctive strategy and little sustainability. Regarding corporate strategy, a definition by Kenneth R. Andrews in 1998  [2]  supposed Corporate strategy is the pattern of decisions in a company that determines and reveals its objectives, purposes and goals and it produces the principle policies and plans for achieving those goals, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue. Strategy also defines the kind of economic and human contribution it intends to make to shareholders, employees, customers and communities. Another definition by John A. Pearce in 2000, a strategy reflects companys awareness of how, when and where it should compete, against whom it should compete and for what purpose it should compete. In all mentioned definitions, strategy and business strategy are almost the same in a corporate or entrepreneur scope. So, in general, a business strategy defines how a business/firm will go to succeed in its industry and market against its competitors. So, it should represent the ways that the management can make to define and secure the future of that business. In particular, a business strategy defines the scope of business, objectives, offering values, competitive advantages to meet customer needs as well as succeed now and in the future. Furthermore, a business strategy should include both objectives to be accomplished and the actions must be done to follow that direction. Business Strategy Management Business strategy management is defined as the set of decisions and actions that result in the formulation and implementation of plan designed to achieve a companys objectives. In general, business strategy management process includes three steps: Figure 1: Strategy management process Source: Strategic Management, Statistic Publishing House 2007  [3]   The formulation step includes analysis of current situation, forecast of future status to select and set up an appropriate strategy. Implementation is a process to achieve strategic target(s) by using strategy formulation that set out in previous step. To make the strategy working well, an important step is evaluate and adjustment. At this phase, the implementation is analyzed to see if there is any area that firms need to change to make the strategy more adaptable. Business strategy management helps enterprise clearly determines its objectives and how to archive it. It is instrumental in archiving high performance, cost effective and action oriented. With setting up of short term objectives in supporting for long-term ones, the process involves all members of the company, from front line employee to senior management level. This in return will enhance the firm to prevent troubles. Manager will get support from subordinates in forecasting of the strategic planning and in monitoring of the implementation stage. The involvement of employees in strategic formulation also improves their knowledge of the productivity reward relationship in all strategic plans hence, it heightens their motivation. The strategy management also helps the firm better adapt to changes of environment. The movement of environment, especially for those fast moving factors, usual creates opportunities as well as risks to the firm. Continuous strategic management which requires managers to analyze and forecast of the near and far future environments, helps manager to better manage and make the best of opportunities while minimize the risk that firm may have to face with. However, business strategy management process usually requires a lot of time and effort from managers. This might has a negative impact to operational responsibilities. Manager must be trained to minimize this impact by scheduling their duties to allow necessary time for strategic activities. Business Strategy Formulation Process: To give out strategic decision, it requires a comprehensive study on internal and external environments of a firm in regard to the firm objectives. Going to further details of the formulation process, it can be divided into 3 stages: Figure 2: Strategy formulation process Source: Strategic management concept and case, Fred R. David 2007  [4]   Input stage In this stage, firm has to gather all basic input information that is required to formulate strategy. They include External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE), Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) and Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM). External Factor Evaluation: EFE summaries and evaluates both macro and industry (micro) environments. Base on that evaluation, strategist can determine opportunities and threats to have appropriate solution. The aim is to promote opportunities and avoid or reduce impact of the threats. Macro Environment: PEST model is a good tool for evaluation. The components of this model include: Political: The direction and stability of the political factors are major consideration of managers in formulation strategy. Political factors define legal and regulatory frame in which the firm operates in. It includes law and regulation on fair trade, minimum wage, pollution, patent, trade mark and many other actions. Economics: This regarding the nature, environment and direction the countrys economy in which a company operates. The factors to be evaluated include interest rate, inflation rate, finance policy, unemployment, risk level of investment, level of integration of the economy to world economy or to international organization that it is member of, trade balance, GDP growth rate and trends in growth of each economic sector. Social: demography, social structure, life style, education, religion, etc are social factors that affect a firm. Technology: Technological change can have a big impact on the industry that a firm operates. Creative technological adaptations can lead to possibilities for new products, for improvement of existing product. Industry environment: Michael Porters Five Force Model is the tool for this analysis. Competitors: This is the major determinant of competitiveness of the industry. Factors to be evaluated are number of competitor, rate of industry growth, economic of scale, sustainable competitive advantages and fixed cost allocation per value added etc. Suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers is measured by determining supplier switching cost versus the firm switching cost, degree of differentiation of inputs, present of substitute inputs. Customers: Bargaining power of customers is the ability of customer to force prices down, ask for more higher quality service and play competitors off each other. The level of this power depends on customer volume, switching cost, availability of substitute products and differentiation of products. New entrants: The new entrants bring threat of higher level of competition. This threat is measured through barriers to entry, switching cost, economics of scale, product differentiation, capital requirement etc. Substitute products: The existence of replacement product brings in threat of customer to switch to other alternatives. The determined factors are relative price of substitute, customer propensity to substitute, buyer switching cost, product differentiation. Figure 3: Industry environment (Porter Five Forces Model) Porters Five Forces Source: Mindtool.com  [5]   After gathering information, all external factors are quantitatively evaluated with weight and rating score. Weight of a factor would indicate the relative importance of the factor to be successful in the firms industry. A weight assign to a factor can be from 0 to 1 with condition that total weight of all factors is 1. Rating score measures responsive level of the firm to respective factor. It ranges from 1 to 4 with 1 = poor response, 2= below average response, 3 = above average response and 4 = superior response. Figure 4: Steps to develop EFE matrix Select key external factors. Weigh importance of the factors from 0 to 1. Total weight of all factors must be equal to 1 Rate the level of response of the firm to each external factor from 1 to 4 with 4 is the highest rate Calculate weighted score for each factor (TAS). TAS = factor weight * rate Total weighted score for the firm The total weighted score (TAS) is equal to weighing score time rating score. The firms EFE TAS is sum of all external factors. This TAS shows the responsiveness of the firm to the external environment. If the score is 2.5 up, it means firm response to the environment well. Internal Factor Evaluation IFE summaries and evaluates major strengths and weaknesses in all areas of a firm. This includes: Human resource: The areas to be evaluated are ability to formulate and implement the firms strategy of it management at all level, readiness of the work force to implement that strategy, capacity of the organization structure in adapting with the changes of business environment. Tangible asset: Finance resource, facility, vehicle, raw material, etc. These items are normally reflected on company balance sheet Intangible asset: These are not assets that we can touch and see, but they are very often critical in creating the firms competitive advantages like brand name, company reputation, technical knowledge, patent and trade mark. Functional groups: Capacity and performance of each function of the firm like marketing, sales, finance, RD, operation, quality managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Similarly to EFE matrix, the IFE matrix is developed via 5 steps Figure 5: Steps to develop IFE matrix Select key internal factors. Weigh the importance of the factors from 0 to 1. Total weight of all factors must be equal to 1 Rate the level of response of the firm to each internal factor from 1 to 4 with 4 is the highest rate Calculate weighted score for each factor (TAS). TAS = factor weight * rate Total weighted score for the firm The total IFE TAS of the firm shows how strong the firm is. If it is from 2,5 upward, it means the firm is in strong status. Competitive profile Matrix CPM identifies a firm major competitor and their particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firms strategic position (David, 2007). Different from EFE, critical success factor in a CPM are broader. They dont include specific or fact data and even just focus on internal issues. The critical success factors in a Competitive Profile Matrix also are not grouped into opportunities and threats as they are in EFE. This provides internal strategic information that is also very important to the firm. Matching stage By matching and aligning key external and internal factors, this stage will generate all feasible alternative strategies. The technique use in this stage includes Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Matrix, Grand strategy Matrix. Other matrices like Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix, Internal-External (IE) Matrix, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix can be considered to use in this matching stage. SWOT Matrix The SWOT analysis was made popular by Andrew (1965). Through evaluating of components of a firms internal and external environments, this analysis enable the firm to approach its most feasible and applicable strategy to get its strategic objectives. By answer the question how the company makes the most of its strengths, circumvent its weaknesses, capitalize on its opportunities and manage its threats, SWOT model provides an efficient tool for the company long range planning base on qualitative analysis rather than merely base on quantitative forecast (Edmund P.  Learned, 1965). SWOT matrix presents a mechanism for facilitating the linkage among company strengths weaknesses threats and opportunities in the market place. It also provide framework for strategy formulation with its 4 types of strategies: SO (Strengths-Opportunities) strategy, WO (Weaknesses-Opportunities) strategy, ST (Strength-Threats) strategy and WT (Weaknesses-Threats) strategy (Figure6). Figure 6: SWOT/TOWS Strategic Alternatives Matrix External Opportunities (O) 1. 2. 3. 4. External Threats (T) 1. 2. 3. 4. Internal Strengths (S) 1. 2. 3. 4. SO Maxi-Maxi Strategy Strategies that use strengths to maximize opportunities. ST Maxi-Mini Strategy Strategies that use strengths to minimize threats. Internal Weaknesses (W) 1. 2. 3. 4. WO Mini-Maxi Strategy Strategies that minimize weaknesses by taking advantage of opportunities. WT Mini-Mini Strategy Strategies that minimize weaknesses and avoid threats. Source: Mindtools.com  [6]   Manager can develop these 4 strategies by answering: SO How can his firm use its strengths to take advantage of the opportunities? ST How can his firm take advantage of its strengths to avoid real and potential threats? WO How can his firm use its opportunities to overcome the weaknesses you are experienced? WT How can his firm minimize its weaknesses and avoid threats? Grand Strategy Matrix Grand Strategy Matrix can be used by firm to select applicable strategies from all 15 principal grand strategies base on evaluating of two dimensions: competitive position and market growth. The two dimensions of Grand Strategy Matrix make up a 4 quadrant axis. Quadrant I is for firms which have strong competition position and operate in rapid growth industry. Aggressive strategies like market penetration, market development, and product development strategies are effective choice for the firm to further promote its competitiveness. The firm can also choose vertical integration to acquire business of its supplier or customer if it has excessive resources. If the firm in this Quadrant is too heavily committed to a single product, it can reduce the risk by using concentric diversification to expand its business through acquiring or generating related business in term of technology, market or product. Quadrant II represents for firms that have a weak competitive position in a rapid growth industry. These firms must evaluate its present position to the marketplace and determine what make them to be ineffective in competing in the market. The firms should firstly apply intensive strategies like market penetration, market development, product development to improve it competitiveness. Using horizontal integration to acquire similar firm(s) operating at the same stage of the product-marketing chain is also a suitable alternative in case the firm lack of a distinctive competence or competitive advantage. In the worst case when there is no chance for competitiveness improvement, divestiture or liquidation should be considered. Quadrant III is for firms operate in slow-growth industries and have weak competitive position. To avoid of further lost or even bankruptcy, the firm must take drastic changes. Retrenchment should be the first strategy that the firm considers to cut cost or reduce asset. Other options for firms on this quadrant are divestiture or liquidation. Quadrant IV is for firms that have a strong competitive position but are in a slow growth industry. Diversification to more promising growth areas is the efficient strategy in this case. The firms can pursue concentric diversification strategy to expand its business to related areas or conglomerate diversification strategy to acquire business that not synergic to its current one but have high profit margin. Figure 7: Grand strategy Matrix Rapid Market growth Quadrant II Slow market growth Strong competition Position Weak competition Position Quadrant IV Quadrant I Quadrant III Source: Formulation, Implementation and Control of Competitive Strategy, Pearce/Robinson, 2000 Decision stage At this final stage of strategy formulation, Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is used to evaluate feasible alternative strategies identified in Stage 2 with input information from Stage 1. Evaluation through QSPM reveals the relative attractiveness of alternative strategies and thus it is base for selecting specific strategies. This technique allows top managers to assess alternative strategies objectively based on a firms internal strengths/weaknesses and external opportunities/threats (David, 1986). In QSPM, left column consists of key internal and external factors from Stage 1, and the top row includes feasible alternative strategies from Stage 2. Information of key internal/external factors and weight of each factors are extracted directly from the EFE Matrix and IFE Matrix. The top row of a QSPM includes alternative strategies derived from matrixes that used in Stage 2. These matching tools usually generate similar feasible alternatives (David, 2007). QSPM determines best strategy to the firms by calculating total attractiveness scores (Multiply Attractiveness Score with Weight of each factor for each alternative strategy) and sum Total Attractiveness Scores of each alternative strategy in the QSPM table. As mentioned above, weights of the internal and external factors are directly transferred from IFE and EFE matrix in Stage 2 and Attractiveness Scores (AS) are defined as quantitative values with 1 for not attractive, 2 for somewhat attractive, 3 for reasonably attractive, and 4 for highly attractive. Figure 8: Qualitative Strategic Planning Management (QSPM) model Internal factors Weight Strategy alternative Strategy 1 Strategy 2 AS TAS AS TAS 1 2 3 External factors 1 2 3 Total attractive core Total Attractiveness Scores will show the relative attractiveness of each optional strategy, considering the impact of the adjacent internal or external critical success factor. The higher the Total Attractiveness Score, the more attractive the strategic alternative is. The Sum Total Attractiveness Scores reveal most attractive strategy in each set of alternatives (Figure 8).