Evaluation Of Microsofts Csr Policies And Activities

Evaluation of Microsoft’s CSR policies and activities Microsoft is one of companies that take social sustainability seriously and try to make a change in this world through its policies and activities. Its efforts pertaining ethical business conduct and policies has remarkable. Internal controls as defined by COSO achieve three main goals: Effectiveness efficiency of operations Reliability of financial reporting Compliance with applicable laws regulations. Thus far, Microsoft has been achieving this goal through strong internal controls through rigorous and periodic internal audits, multiple authorization levels, and employee performance scorecard. This also helps the company in complying with SOX Section 404 and PCAOB Auditing Standard 5. These internal controls cultivate ethical decision making by setting guidelines to follow. As we are moving from physical information storage to digital methods, the threats to privacy and security increase. Recent online privacy with NSA, Apple’s iCloud and Target’s data breach has instilled a fear of losing sensitive data to hackers. Microsoft’s internal controls, strong terms and conditions, and vigorous screening and data protection policies help build customer trust. Microsoft protects customer data to the extent that government has to issue a warrant/court order to obtain any information. Another major success for Microsoft is the YouthSpark program. Through its YouthSpark Program Microsoft has provided educational andShow MoreRelatedMicrosoft Internal And External Factors1652 Words   |  7 Pagesranging from personal computers to gaming devices, Microsoft has demonstrated its ability to adapt to internal and external changes. Analyzing the the current internal and external factors related to the business environment of the organization. An evaluation of the business environment in which, Microsoft operates in is very important for the progression of the company. The business environment factors are essentially divided into two groups: internal and external factors. These are events or situationsRead MoreStrategy and Society9783 Words   |  40 PagesAdvantage and Corporate Social Responsibility The Idea in Brief Many firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are counterproductive, for two reasons: They pit business against society, when the two are actually interdependent. And they pressure companies to think of CSR in generic ways, instead of crafting social initiatives appropriate to their individual strategies. CSR can be much more than just a cost, constraint, or charitable deed. Approached strategically, it generates opportunityRead MoreMicrosoft - Strategic Management5346 Words   |  22 Pagesmarketing tactics; both the U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission found the company in violation of antitrust laws. Known for its interviewing process with obscure questions, various studies and ratings were generally favorable to Microsofts diversity within the company as well as its overall environmental impact with the exception of the electronics portion of the business. History Paul Allen and Bill Gates, childhood friends with a passion in computer programming, officially establishedRead MoreNokias Failure5185 Words   |  21 PagesIndustry Overview amp; Lifecycle | 6 | Porter’s 5 Forces Model | 7 | PESTEL Analysis | 9 | Industry’s Profitability condition, products and services and KSF’s | 12 | Industry Participants | 12 | Industry Competitors | 14 | Critical Evaluation of Nokia | 14 | Internal Analysis: SW Identification | 17 | Business Model Canvas | 19 | Implication of Strategy at Nokia | 22 | Company’s Structure and Control System | 24 | Reasons behind Low Performance | 24 | Strategy RecommendationsRead MoreSupply Chain Management29872 Words   |  120 PagesChapter 13: Financial and Operating Reports............................................................. 55 Chapter 14: Research Studies..................................................................................... 73 Chapter 15: Performance Evaluation .......................................................................... 83 Chapter 16: Firm Management and Advice................................................................. 85 Appendix: Web-Based LINKS Access...........................Read MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages4 9.2 Building the team (.1.3) [3.5.3] [App G.2 Building teams] 9.4 Managing the team 9.3.2 Team building activities 9.2.4 Virtual teams 9.3.3.1 Team performance [9.4.2.2] 9.4.2.3 Conflict management 9.3.2.6 Recognition and awards Defining the Project 4.1 Project charter 5.1 Gather requirements 5.2 Defining scope 5.3 Creating a WBS 5.4 Tools and techniques 6.1 Define activities 9.1.2. Responsibility matrixes 10.1 Communication planning (.2.3.4) [App. G-4] Chapter 12 Outsourcing Read MoreCase Study148348 Words   |  594 Pagesstudy hours available will also influence the course design and the use of text and cases. †¢ †¢ For long programmes (50 hours +) it should prove possible to use the text and cases extensively and to supplement the course with other materials and activities. For shorter programmes, a more selective use of the materials is possible. For example, a course concerned largely with strategy formulation could confine the use of the text to Chapters 1–10 (or 11) and the associated illustrations, case examples

The Catastrophe of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Free Essays

On April 26 1986, the reactor Unit 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was not working properly. When workers tried to fix this problem in reactor 4 by shutting down the its power regulating system and its emergency safety systems, this caused the most serious and dangerous accident in the history of nuclear power generation. The Chernobyl accident released large amounts of radioactive materials into in the atmosphere, which were carried by air currents. We will write a custom essay sample on The Catastrophe of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant or any similar topic only for you Order Now Soon after this catastrophe, these radioactive materials were spread by the wind over many countries, which polluted their atmosphere. The release of radioactivity had a deadly effect on people’s health and the environment; thus, before building such a plant, safety and emergency procedures must be guaranteed. The radioactive materials, which have been released from the accident, affected people’s health for several years. The Russian government admitted the release of radioactivity, when the Swedish monitoring stations reported abnormal high levels of wind transported radioactivity as clarified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The government had to evacuate many areas and declare it as a † Forbidden zone † to protect people from radioactivity. Initially the accident caused the death of 32 people(B. Hummer,Nils â€Å"Chernobyl the accident† – http//:bcf. usc. edu/meshkati/chernobyl. html). The radioactive materials released from this accident are 200 times as much radioactivity as the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions (Dahl,Birgitta â€Å"The Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster† http//:scf. usc. edu/~melan). Its human death losses and the amount of the radiation released into the environment, raised a large number of problems not only for the treatment of severely exposed persons, but also The decisions that had to be taken considering the population. Thus, the number of people who were suffering from cancer was increasing and the number of thyroid cancers among children also increased in the most affected area: Belarus, Ukraine and Russia (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). Indeed, for several years, babies were born deformed and thousands were suffering from illnesses and cancer (which takes 8 to 10 years to appear), scientists and doctors were alerted because after only four years thyroid cancer increased much more than their expectations and its growth was more quickly than they expected and its pattern was different from the patterns known till now (Specter,M. Willy â€Å"The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power accidents† `The New York Times`, Sunday march 31,1996). All these factors have increased diseases among the people living in the exposed area and the workers involved in clearing the site after the accident. In my opinion, it is extremely difficult to imagine the psychological effects of Chernobyl accident on the people who experienced it. In addition, this emotional stress and other psychological factors are the main possible cause of people’s illnesses after the accident and in the future. The radiation did not only affect people’s health but it polluted the environment and the territories beside the reactor. The area beside Chernobyl was heavily polluted because 70% of the radioactive substances fell on it (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). As stated by Najmedin Meshkati, a nuclear scientist; â€Å"The most dangerous thing was the food pollution (cesium, strontium, plutonium and americium) in milk and meat products are with concentration several hundred times higher than pre accident levels and often above the permitted levels and it will not disappear before 300 years†. Although, people know that these regions are heavily polluted and that meat and milk products have accumulated high quantities of radioactive substances, more than 1. 8 million people are still living there (Specter,M. Willy â€Å"The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power accidents† `The New York Times`, Sunday march 31,1996). They drink radioactive fluids, eat radioactive substance (cesium131) will stay in the food and liquids and will not disappear completely before 300 years†. The consequences of these substances will not be noticed but after many years and it will not only affect the present generation but also the future generation. To insure maximum safety, emergency systems should be guaranteed before building any nuclear power plant. Thus, authorities must not ignore the possibility of the occurrence of an accident. The failure of workers to identify the problem between the systems to insure safety, and their failure to cooperate with each other is unacceptable. Workers must be trained to deal with real emergency situations in order to respond fast and to control it. However, after Chernobyl, solutions to insure the safety of large-scale technological systems have fallen into the categories of management and cost control (B. Hummer,Nils â€Å"Chernobyl the accident† -http//:bcf. usc. edu/meshkati/chernobyl. html). The cost to clean up the mess caused by the nuclear power plants are much more expensive than to install a new emergency system. Thus, the cost to maintain safety is negligible compared to the cost, which they have to pay if an accident happened. Moreover, authorities must be strict concerning the regulations of nuclear power plants. Many improvements in radiation protection and emergency preparations have been made, possible by the Chernobyl experience (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). The lessons drawn from the Chernobyl accident are valuable: human’s life is precious. Thus, human must learn from their mistakes and know how to prevent their happening especially if these mistakes may cost innocent people’s lives. An accident such as the catastrophe of Chernobyl is a descrase for humanity, that’s why we cannot afford such mistakes again. Because some mistakes are unforgiving. How to cite The Catastrophe of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Essay examples

Go Ask Alice Essay Example For Students

Go Ask Alice Essay The novel, Go Ask Alice, is basically about a 15-year old girl who subjects herself to drugs. At first she is in love with Roger and comes from a loving home, but is also very curious about drugs. She ends up running away, which didn’t last, comes home just in time for Christmas, clean of drugs, starts up again and runs away. After all that she goes through, she loses her grandparents in the time period of two months, and ends up in a mental institution. After she pleads that it was only an accident she finally gets to go home. At the end she decides not to keep a diary anymore and she died three weeks later of an overdose. Significance of the Title: In my own opinion, I believe that the title, Go Ask Alice, means that you can ask Alice anything about drugs if you are curious. Once you learn of her mistakes, maybe you won’t follow in her footsteps and ruin your life, like thousands of teenagers do every year, by reading about what happened to her when she was curious about using drugs and what they would do for her. In her diary, I believe she is trying to tell us that drugs are not the answer to solving your problems. Impressions and Changes in the Main Character: My first impression of the narrator was that she was a sweet, talented young woman. It seemed as though she had it all; a loving, caring family, great friends, and then it happened. Once she tried the drugs was when her whole life and personality changed completely. She ended up in the mental institution by tripping out, only it was by accident and in the end, she lost her life. Memorable Passage: There were a lot of memorable passages that I will remember from this story, but one that I will always carry with me would have to be the following passage: â€Å"December 3 – Last night was the worst night of my? it was no wonder he was out of control. † Pages 67 – 68. That made a great impression on me. Thinking that if I were anywhere close to subjecting myself to this kind of tragedy, I will remember this passage always. Significance of Reading This Story: One of the discoveries that I learned in the story was that a thousand teens die each year by subjecting themselves to drugs. Also, I learned that subjecting yourself to drugs will not solve any of your problems. One change in my life is that now I know I will not ever let myself be the least bit interested in drugs, not even if my life is gone to nothing. My parents have told me that teenagers are always willing to try new things, and very often, it happens. With drugs being the topic here, I do believe that I will never let myself ever be the least bit interested. This book really had nothing very enlightening. It was very sorrowful and bitter. One affirmation I made after reading this book is that teens are going to be curious about anything. Some of them will be curious about drugs when they have nothing else going for them. After they start, thinking things will get better, they will actually only get worse. Therefore, in conclusion, I believe that drugs are not an answer to any prayers. In time, your life will only get worse if you subject yourself to using drugs.

Santiago Old Man Sea free essay sample

A tragic hero is one that has a major flaw and for whom the audience usually feels pity, sympathy, empathy, and compassion. The tragic hero is someone great, but not perfect. They are often a noble person in terms of birth but also in terms of their character. The flaw in the character is what often leads to his/her downfall. When the hero falls, it is at least partly if not completely his own fault. On the other hand, its not because he is a bad person but because of the character flaw he has or because of plain bad luck. What happens to the hero is too harsh. The character flaw that might have caused the downfall doesnt deserve the punishment that he gets. If the hero lives then through the experience he realizes what caused his downfall and what he could have done to prevent it, so he grows and learns through the misfortune. We will write a custom essay sample on Santiago Old Man Sea or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The classic example is Macbeth. While there were other factors contributing to his downfall, one of the main ones was his ambition to be king. That was his tragic flaw and caused him to be open to his mothers manipulation. After that, everything kind of went downhill, to understate the situation a bit There are many examples of how Santiago was tragic hero in the old man in the sea. Santiago in the old man and the sea was known as a loser he did not have any friends but he did mentor a young boy named manolin and had the worst of luck. Santiago was outlawed by manolins parent because he had the worst of luck because of this the boy could not go fishing with him because his parents thought he was too unlucky. Santiago hadn’t caught a fish in 87 days and everyone said he would never catch a fish again but Santiago didn’t believe them. Santiago decided to go out to the deep deep waters and try to fish because he wanted to get a monster marlin on the line to prove himself. When Santiago was out in the deep ocean he had hooked a marlin and was fighting the marlin for 3 days. Santiago had the struggle of when he had the marlin up beside the boat of having the marlin was too big to fit into the boat so Santiago had to pull the marlin beside the boat until he got to shore. Unfortunately when Santiago was close to shore a group of sharks ate the marlin with all that was left of the marlin was its head. Santiago was a very unlucky being in the old man and the sea. In the beginning of the novel, he had not caught a fish for 84 days. He was thought to be the most unlucky type of luck. This is a prime example of how Santiago was a tragic hero is the book the old man and the sea.

Motivation Profiles Paper

Motivation Profiles Paper Motivation is a set of factors that activate, direct, and maintain behavior, usually, toward a goal (Carpenter Huffman, 2010). Thus, motivation is a moving force that activates human behavior and directs it to the achievement of a certain purpose. There are three major theories of motivation that explain the forms that motivation can take and the sources of different types of motivation. In this paper, we are going to compare the differences between four hypothetical individuals who want to obtain a promotion at their place of employment.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Motivation Profiles Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first one is Ella, whose motivation can be accounted by a biological theory of motivation. The second one is Marcello, whose actions and behavior coincide with the psychosocial theory of motivation, and the third one is Masoko, whose actions are characterized by an interactionist the ory of motivation. At the end, we are going to analyze the sources of motivation of the fourth individual Sam, who has a realistic combination of motivating theories, which give rise to various factors inspiring him to pursue a promotion. Finally, we will explain how the factors of each motivation theory might interact with each other. Thus, the first question under consideration is the sources of motivation for Ella, Marcello and Masoko. Ella is characterized by a biological theory of motivation: This biological theory of motivation (The Intuition Theory), suggests that motivation levels are regulated by neural pattern recognition events. Subconscious drives impel people to achieve excellence, or to spend exceptional energies on services to humanity† (Thomas). In other words, the biological motivation is based on our basic needs such as food, for example. Thus, the Ella’s motivation is caused by her will to survive. It is quite possible that her motivation is triggered by the fear of poverty and inability to support her family. According to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (motives), Ella’s sources of motivation are the bottom of the pyramid. Marcello’s behavior is characterized by the psychological theory of motivation which can be explained by incentives and cognition. â€Å"Incentive theory holds that external stimulation motivates people to act to obtain desirable goals to avoid undesirable events† (Carpenter Huffman, 2010). According to a cognition theory, the motivation is affected by how we interpret our achievements. In this light, the source of Marcello’s motivation may be his esteem needs to achieve success and gain approval among his relatives, friends or fellow workers.Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Perhaps, he was the best students in the class, and now he cannot let himself to be co nsidered unsuccessful. Thus, the sources of his motivation are external factors (everybody considers his successful) that influence his psychological state and encourage acting in a particular way to prove that he is worth his status. Finally, Masoko is associated with the interactionist theory of motivation. This theory presupposes that one’s behavior and actions are shaped by social interactions and everything that happens in the society. Thus, we can come to a conclusion that Masoko’s desire for promotion was shaped by the social opinion that â€Å"if one wants to be a part of a society, he/she should take an advance position and achieve new goals†. Thus, Masoko considers that promotion is necessary and it is his social duty. Consequently, different educational background, personal peculiarities, social level, psychological characteristics formed in childhood and goals in life shaped the main sources of motivation for those people. Ella’s sources of mo tivation are psychological and mixed with basic instincts. Marcello’s sources of motivation are psychological and partially social which come from his childhood and educational background as well. Finally, Masoko’s sources of motivation are purely social; they are shaped by his desire to be an active participant of the social development. And prove his ability to make a valuable contribution to society through his social status. Different emotions serve as motivators for individuals: Emotions occur as a result of an interaction between perception of environmental stimuli, neural/hormonal responses to these perceptions (often labeled feelings), and subjective cognitive labeling of these feelings (Huitt, 2001). However, emotions can reinforce the motivation. Thus, Ella, Marcello and Masoko experienced different emotions affecting their motivations. According to Carpenter Huffman (2010), â€Å"psychologists define and study emotion according to three basic components â €“ psychological, cognitive and behavior†.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Motivation Profiles Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, Ella’s emotion is fear of losing job and not being able to support basic survival needs. Marcello’s emotions are based on cognitive components. As a result, he anticipates getting the promotion to feel satisfaction with his position. Masoko’s emotions are based on behavior component, as he tries to behave according to social norms and get a promotion to perform his social responsibility. Depending on the sources of motivation, Ella, Marcelo and Masoko will put forth different types of effort. Thus, Ella might show her persistence to demonstrate that she is capable to make any amount of job. Marcello might show his intellectual dominancy comparing with other candidates, and Masaco might demonstrate his organization and leadership qualities to s how that he can be valuable part of society. These differences in the efforts are explained by the personal motivations and psychological characteristics of every candidate. Another individual is Sam. He has a realistic combination of motivating theories, which give rise to various factors inspiring him to pursue a promotion. In this light, seeking for promotion, he is guided by biological, psychological and interactionist components. So, he seeks promotion to have an appropriate level of living, realize his mental capacity and elevate his social level. None of the components is dominant, thus, he will be more conscious on the emotional level and work out better strategy to achieve his goal. The Sam’s effort will be more effective and he will demonstrate different talents and abilities applicable to the desirable position. In fact, factors of each motivation do not go separately but interact with each other. However, some of the factors can dominate depending on the situation , current needs and even age and sex of the applicants. For example, the one, who does not have a need to support family and does not experience the money shortage, can be motivated by psychological need of self-realization. At the same time, the one who lack money will be probably guided by biological motivation. Analyzing everything mentioned above, we can come to a conclusion that in different situation people can be motivated by different factors. The sources of motivation can be formed under the influence of various factors, such as educational background, events that happened in the childhood, peculiarities of the social environment, etc. The motivational factors always interact with each other and influence our emotions (and vice versa) and the types of efforts we apply to achieve our goals. List of References Carpenter, S., Huffman, K. (2010). Visualizing psychology, 2nd Ed. New York: John Wiley Sons.Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Huitt, W. (2001). Motivation to learn: An overview. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from edpsycinteractive.org/topics/motivation/motivate.html Thomas, E. A biological theory of motivation. Effective mind control. Web.

Inertia and the Laws of Motion

Inertia and the Laws of Motion Inertia is the name for the tendency of an object in motion to remain in motion, or an object at rest to remain at rest  unless acted upon by a force. This concept was quantified in Newtons First Law of Motion. The word inertia came from the Latin word iners, which means idle or lazy and was first used by Johannes Kepler. Inertia and Mass Inertia is a quality of all objects made of matter that possess mass. They keep doing what they are doing until a force changes their speed or direction. A ball sitting still on a table wont start rolling around unless something pushes on it, be it your hand, a gust of air, or vibrations from the surface of the table. If you tossed a ball in the frictionless vacuum of space, it would travel on at the same speed and direction forever unless acted on by gravity or another force such as a collision. Volker Mà ¶hrke / Getty Images Mass is a measure of inertia. Objects of higher mass resist changes in motion more than objects of lower mass. A more massive ball, such as one made of lead, will take more of a push to start it rolling. A styrofoam ball of the same size but low mass may be set in motion by a puff of air. Theories of Motion From Aristotle to Galileo In everyday life, we see rolling balls come to rest. But they do so because they are acted on by force of gravity and from the effects of friction and air resistance. Because that is what we observe, for many centuries Western thought followed the theory of Aristotle, who said that moving objects would eventually come to rest and needed continued force to keep them in motion. In the seventeenth century, Galileo experimented with rolling balls on inclined planes. He discovered that as friction was reduced, balls rolled down an inclined plane attained almost the same height rolling back up an opposing plane. He reasoned that if there were no friction, they would roll down an incline and then keep rolling on a horizontal surface forever. It wasnt something innate in the ball that caused it to stop rolling; it was contact with the surface. Newtons First Law of Motion and Inertia Isaac Newton developed the principles shown in Galileos observations into his first law of motion. It takes a force to stop the ball from continuing to roll once it is set in motion. It takes a force to change its speed and direction. It doesnt need a force to continue moving at the same speed in the same direction. The first law of motion is often referred to as the law of inertia. This law applies to an inertial reference frame. Corollary 5 of Newtons Principia says: The motions of bodies included in a given space are the same among themselves, whether that space is at rest or moves uniformly forwards in a straight line without circular motion. In this way, if you drop a ball on a moving train that is not accelerating, you will see the ball fall straight downward, as you would on a train that was not moving.

Inherent Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Inherent Risk - Essay Example following paragraphs explains the importance of external auditors as well as internal auditors in the reducing or even eliminating the errors and frauds that stain the financial statements. The first step that the auditors do is to base their audit programs on the inherent risk of each item listed in the financial statements . This topic will further be explained in the following paragraphs(Courtney, Briggs,2004, p139). The company is owned by stockholders. Stockholders can invest their hard earned money in Qantas Airways Ltd. by just visiting the Australian stock exchange and paying for the number of shares of stocks pegged at the hours stock market share. Products. Qantas Airways Limited. is engaged in the transport of air passengers and cargo. The company provides international, domestic as well as internal or regional transport of air passengers and cargo In Australian airspace as well as outside Australia. The company also is engaged in other business activities aside from ferrying human beings from one corner of the world to another. The other financial activities include subsidiary investments in QantasLink and Jetstar. The company is also engaged in the business of inflight catering as well as holiday and travel activities. The above income statement shows that the expenses generated for the year ended June 2007 was 12,756. And, the expenses generated for the year ended June 2007 was 11,593.50 Plus, the expenses generated for the year ended June 2007 was 10,757.70. The inherent risk of this accounting item is that one or more of the accounting staff could recorded an expense in the journalisation stage of the accounting process when there is no right for such recording to occur. Generally accepted accounting principles and international accounting standards states that expenses should be recorded only if the corresponding use of an asset has also occurred. In addition, the accountant could have recorded an expense such as salary expense giving the

Fracking oil prices in USarticles literature review

Fracking oil prices in USarticles - Literature review Example senior representative at the Energy Department, the CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, a task force member, the GM of the Midland BMW franchise, and the owner of Rusty’s Oilfield Service Company reveal more information about this change in America’s energy sector (Krauss and Lipton, 2012, p. 4). Dow and Jones writer Daniel Yergin sheds light on the same issue by asserting that today’s â€Å"unconventional-natural-gas revolution† converted a shortfall into a huge surplus and changed the natural gas enterprise (Yergin, 2011, p. 2). Yergin’s article cites an independent shale gas producer from Houston David Wessel as proof of this revolutionary change. Since Wessel began extracting in the early 1980s, he has witnessed an immense change in production and market growth over the past decade in contrast to the 1980s and 1990s (Yergin, 2011, p. 5). Jeffrey Folks, from American thinker, agrees with Krauss, Lipton, and Yergin about the decreasing oil costs across the world caused by fracking in the United States. Like Krauss and Lipton, Folks cites statistics from Bloomberg, CBC, the Wall Street Journal, Trading Economics, Forbes, and EIA (Folks, 2014). These figures point the rise in the production of barrels daily to fracking in the United States. Folks compares this effect to the hypothetical absence of fracking in the United States and Canada. This comparison leads the article to contend further that this fracking revolution may carry on for decades as the United States’ economy revels in growth (Folks, 2014). H. Sterling Burnett of the National Center for Policy Analysis echoes Folks’ insights about the effect of fracking today in contrast to traditional oil production over the past ten years (Burnett, 2013). With the help of graphs representing recoverable natural gas and daily oil output, the article proves how even electricity providers are shifting to natural gas as a key source of power. This role could not have been possible today without an immense

Classification of Beer Essay Example for Free

Classification of Beer Essay Whats more refreshing on a hot summer day than a nice cold beer? Or how about drinking a nice cold one with some buddies after work at a local bar, sound nice doesnt it? Beer has been around for many years and will probably be around for many more. A beer is any variety of alcoholic beverages produced by the fermentation of starchy material derived from grains or other plant sources. The production of beer and some other alcoholic beverages is often called brewing. Most every culture has there own tradition and the own take on beer, thus producing many different styles and variations. Simply put, a beer style is a label given to a beer that describes its overall character and often times its origin. Its a name badge that has been achieved over many centuries of brewing, trial and error, marketing, and consumer acceptance. There are many different types of beer, each of which is said to belong to a particular style. A beers style is a label that describes the overall flavour and often the origin of a beer, according to a system that has evolved by trial and error over many centuries. According to the type of yeast that is used in the beers fermentation process, most beer styles fall into one of two large families: ale or lager. Beers that blend the characteristics of ales and lagers are referred to as hybrids. An ale is any beer that is brewed using only top-fermenting yeasts, and typically at higher temperatures than lager yeast. Because ale yeasts cannot fully ferment some sugars, they produce esters in addition to alcohol, and the result is a more flavourful beer with a slightly flowery or fruity aroma resembling but not limited to apple, pear, pineapple, grass, hay, plum or prune. Stylistic differences among ales are more varied than those found among lagers, and many ale styles are difficult to categorize. Top-fermented beers, particularly popular in the British Isles, include barley wine, bitter, pale ale, porter, and stout. Stylistic differences among top-fermented beers are decidedly more varied than those found among bottom-fermented beers and many beer styles are difficult to categorize. California Common beer, for example, is produced using a lager yeast at ale temperatures. Wheat beers are often produced using an ale yeast and then lagered, sometimes with a lager yeast. Lambics employ wild yeasts and bacteria, naturally-occurring in the Payottenland region of Belgium. Other examples of ale include stock ale and old ale. Real ale is a term for beers produced using traditional methods, and without pasteurization. There are five main sub-catagories of ale beer which are: barley wine, bitter, pale ale, porter and stout. Despite its name, barley wine is indeed an ale. It has a hearty, sweet malt flavor which is offset by a strong and bitter flavoring from the hops for balance. Bitter ale has heavier hopping, dryer hop finish, light in alcohol content and if they are higher alcohol they are know as ESB (extra special bitter). Pale ales share a pronounced hop flavor and aroma with low to medium maltiness, and there is also a good deal of fruity esters. The Porters name comes from the Porters at Londons Victoria Station. They would frequently mix several styles of beer into one glass and drink large quantities of the mixture. A style was eventually created to approximate this blend and came to be known as a porter. The porter is a good beer for those who want a full flavored, dark beer without the bitterness from the roasted barley that a stout now possesses. Finally, there is the stout, a dark copper to very black in color ale. It has a rich and complex maltiness with noticeable hop bitterness. The two main ingredients are the dark roasted barley and black malts. Lagers are the most commonly-consumed category of beer in the world. They are of Central European origin, taking their name from the German word lagern, which means to store. Lager yeast is a bottom-fermenting yeast, and typically undergoes primary fermentation at 7-12Â °C (45-55Â °F) (the fermentation phase), and then is given a long secondary fermentation at 0-4Â °C (30-40Â °F) (the lagering phase). During the secondary stage, the lager clears and mellows. The cooler conditions also inhibit the natural production of esters and other byproducts, resulting in a crisper tasting beer. Modern methods of producing lager were pioneered by Gabriel Sedlmayr the Younger, who perfected dark brown lagers at the Spaten Brewery in Bavaria, and Anton Dreher, who began brewing a lager, probably of amber-red color, in Vienna in 1840? 1841. With modern improved fermentation control, most lager breweries use only short periods of cold storage, typically 1? 3 weeks. Most of todays lager is based on the Pilsner style, pioneered in 1842 in the town of Plzeo, in the Czech Republic. The modern Pilsner lager is light in colour and high in carbonation, with a mild hop flavour and an alcohol content of 3? 6% by volume. The Budweiser brand of beer is a typical example of a pilsner. The five main sub-catagories of lagers are: pilsner, bock, helles, dunkel and Oktoberfest. Pilsners defining elements were the extremely soft water that was pumped locally and the unique aromatic hops that were also grown nearby. Pilsners are malty sweet, and well hopped. Caramel flavors are often noticed accompanied by medium to high bitterness. Pilsners have a good amount of carbonation and are clean and crisp. Bock beer is a hearty beer with high alcohol content. Contrary to the rumor, bock beer is not whats cleaned out of the bottom of the vats at the end of the year! Bock beer has a pronounced malt flavor with just enough hop bitterness to tame the sweetness. Bock beer is matured for a long period of time during the second fermentation. Helles is a pale lager that is light in color, not taste or calories. It is low in alcohol and intended to be an everyday or session beer. Only a mild, short lived bitterness should be expected. Dunkel is basically a helles with additional roasted malt added for color and a toasty, chocolate-like taste. Last but not least, Oktoberfest or marzen. This beer is amber in color and is slightly heavy. It is malty sweet as typical with beer from southern Germany and Austria. There is low to medium bitterness but enough to offset the sweet. Hybrid beers are the last of the three main types of beers. Hybrid or mixed style beers use modern techniques and materials instead of, or in addition to, traditional aspects of brewing. Although there is some variation among sources, mixed beers generally fall into four sub-categories: fruit and vegetable, Herb and spiced, smoked, and speciality. Fruit beers and vegetable beers are are a variety of mixed beer blended with a fermentable fruit or vegetable adjunct during the fermentation process, providing new qualities. Herb and spiced beers add herbs or spices derived from roots, seeds, fruits, vegetables or flowers instead of, or in addition to hops. In a smoked beer a brewer will fire his malt over a wood fire and let the smoke absorb into the grains. This imbues a smoky character in the taste of the brew. Specialty beers are a catch-all category used to describe any beers brewed using unusual fermentable sugars, grains and starches. With all of the different brewing techniques and styles and forms of ingridents there is almost and endless world of beer. Beer is diffently the ultimate social drink and it has been proven for years. Beer can be anything from dark, fruity and mysterious to light, crisp and refreshing. Beer tasting is an art and should always be respected. So respect your beer and have fun. Go to your local bar today with a few buddies and begin on your own beer journey.

Abraham Lincoln And Jefferson Davis Essay -- Compare Contrast American

Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis Works Cited Missing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this report I compare two great historical figures: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, steered the Union to victory in the American Civil War and abolished slavery, and the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. Abraham Lincoln was the President of the Union, and Jefferson Davis struggled to lead the Confederacy to independence in the U.S. Civil War. Lincoln was treasured by the African Americans and was considered an earthly incarnation of the Savior of mankind (DeGregorio 20-25). On the other hand, Davis was both admired and hated. Lincoln had a different view of how the U.S. should be in abolishing slavery. Davis was a politician, president of the Confederate States of America, and also a successful planter. He had beliefs for the South to continue in the old ways with slavery and plantations. Both Lincoln and Davis had strong feelings for the protection of their land (Arnold 55-57).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Abraham and Jefferson Davis shared several differences and similarities. Lincoln was known to have an easy going and joking type attitude. In contrast, Davis had a temper such that when challenged, he simply could not back down (DeGregorio 89). Davis had been a fire-eater before Abraham Lincoln's election, but the prospect of Civil War made him gloomy and depressed. Fifty- three years old in 1861, he suffered from a variety of ailments such as fever, neuralgia, and inflamed eye, poor digestion, insomnia, and stress. Lincoln also suffered from illnesses during the war. He had severe cases of headaches and stress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both presidents had a lot of pressure of them due to the fact of defending their region. Lincoln had difficulties growing up because of the deaths early in his childhood, poverty, and little education. Davis; however, studied at a Roman Catholic school in Kentucky and at Transylvania University, and entered West Point in 1824. Davis seemed to have had an outreaching environment to his success. The major difference, personality wise, was Davis's weakness in his inability to get along with other people where Lincoln was a well liked and easygoing man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both men shared a common bond in their education towards war. Davis served at frontier military posts and in the Black Hawk War before resigning in 1835. L... ...sident, we prospered in many ways. His actions brought about great challenges that he, and the following fathers of our country would go through. The combining of both races and more freedoms would stir troubles for many years to come. Although his actions stopped slavery, it didn't stop the harsh treatment of the black race which carried out for decades. Lincoln's Presidency was dominated by the war. The country was going through major changes socially and economically. Though Davis led the South through dramatic changes, no change has ever had more importance than the abolishment of slavery. Both the North and the South gained knowledge from this horrid experience of war. Lincoln's achievements—saving the Union and freeing the slaves—and his martyrdom just at the war's end assured his continuing fame. Both men have made their historical marks due to their great deeds, and ways they both sacrificed their devotion to shape our country. I agree with most historians that Lincoln had qualities that made him a great American statesman. His keen intellect, humor and boldness, and compassion all contributed to his presidency in unifying the nation and extending freedom.

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” – Selfish Grandmother

Grandparents are the parents of one’s own parent. Grandparents spoil and care for you whenever your parents are not. In some situations, grandmothers are more involved with the grandchildren than any family member. In â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, the main characters is the Grandmother and her son, Bailey. The son’s family goes on a family vacation to Florida. The grandmother tags along after she insisted not to ride along. She didn’t want to be left alone at home and wanted to keep the kids company on the ride to Florida.Throughout the whole story, the family experienced certain events that the grandmother is to blame for the family’s fate and tragic ending. She told stories to the children about the old days and compared it to present day in the story. Also she insisted to make a couple stops and gestures that could have been avoided if she did not come on the trip. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is an ironic title for this short st ory by Flannery O’Conner. The southern Gothic writer wrote about the things she observed in Georgia. Her stories were far from the normal because her ending fates of the characters were dramatically disastrous.Clearly stated, the grandmother is to blame for the family’s fate because of the unexpected effort to stop at the plantation house, the cat a board the car ride, and recognizing the Misfit and his fellows. Bailey and his family resided in Georgia. The road trip was expected to be a success, but made a tragic turn at the end. They left Atlanta with the grandmother, Bailey, his two children, June Star and John Wesley, and the mother of the children with the youngest child in her arms. The grandmother sat in the middle of the back seat with John Wesley and June Star on either side of her.Bailey and the children's mother and the baby sat in front. Their planned vacation to Florida had an additional unplanned member in the car. Pitty Sing, grandma’s cat, was th e uninvited member, who sat on the grandmother’s lap in the back seat. The grandchildren listened to the grandmother’s childhood stories of Tennessee as they focus on their comic books. Halfway to Florida they made their first stop at The Tower and decided to eat dinner. After dinner, Bailey and his family continued their journey to Florida. As they drove off, the grandmother continued telling her stories.She started one childhood story about a plantation that she spent most time at a young age. The kids got interested in her story because she spoke about the house having a secret panel where silver was hidden. The kids were excited and wanted to know more. The grandmother noticed a plantation with very similar features like the one she visited a lot. Her announcement of recognition made the kids beg. â€Å"The baby began to scream and John Wesley kicked the back of the seat so hard that his father could feel the blows in his kidney† (O’Conner, 1080).As s tated above, the screams of excitement and curiosity of the children and the convincing grandmother persuaded Bailey to turn around and go down the dirt road where the entrance of the house with the secret panel stood. The grandmother finally convinced her son to go up the dirt road because she kept describing the rush of joy to see the house with the secret panel was nearby. The grandmother’s insistence to stop at the plantation house by driving down a road off the highway is one supporting fact proving that slowly all the events caused by the grandmother will be the reason for the family’s fate.On the quiet road, everyone kept to themselves all the excited as they watched the trees pass by. Bailey asked, â€Å"how further more†, and the grandmother replied, â€Å"Not much further. † The grandmother thought to herself as she remembered that this plantation house they were driving to be actually in Tennessee and not in Georgia. Instantly, â€Å"the thoug ht was so embarrassing that she turned red in the face and her eyes dilated and her feet jumped up upsetting the valise in the corner. The instant valise moved the basket under it rose up Pitty Sing, the cat, sprang onto Bailey’s shoulder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (O’Conner, 1081).After she realized this drive down the road was unnecessary and held it in because she knew Bailey and the children would be upset. Driving over a long hill, she rendered to what would actually be on the other side of the hill. Since the plantation house didn’t exist. When Pitty Sing jumped onto Bailey, he was so surprised and lost control of the car. The car with the whole family flipped twice then landed in the ditch off to the side of the road after the big hill. Again the grandmother is responsible for another event the family has experienced.The cat jumped on Bailey causing the car to crash. This could have been prevented if she would have left Pitty Sing at home like Bailey requested because he did not want the cat with them on the family vacation or if she could have stayed home since she did not want to go to Florida, but Tennessee instead. But then again, the grandmother seemed it was alright and nothing would be wrong with bringing the cat. Moments after the chaos of the accident had settled; Bailey spotted a car coming from the end of the road. The car approached the family and parked near the car and the family.Three individuals came out the car and looked into the ditch onto the family. The whole family was in pain and hurt from the car flipping. They screamed for help as the three walked down to them. The grandmother noticed that one of the individuals was someone she knows or saw before. She realized and spoke out loud that all three men were convicts that have escaped from prison and were driving down to Florida to hide out. The leader of the trio was the Misfit. He told the grandmother that the best thing she could have done was stay quiet.The two accomplice s of the Misfit took Bailey and his son, John Wesley, into the woods. Soon after the mother, the baby, and June Star were walked into the woods. Gunshots went off in the woods. â€Å"The Misfit's statements and actions take to a much more blatant extreme that which is hinted at by the grandmother's behavior†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Owens). Leaving the grandmother alone and last to kill by Misfit since the other two men were in the forest. She kept reminding him how good of a man he was to stop and help them. She exclaimed to Misfit, â€Å"You’ve got good blood!I know you wouldn’t shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus ought not to shoot a lady. I’ll give you all the money I’ve got! † (O’Conner, 1086). Misfit had enough of her yapping and shot her dead with three gunshots to the chest as she lay in the ditch. â€Å"In her final moment, the Grandmother reaches out and touches the Misfit, whispering ‘You're one of my own chil dren! ’. The Misfit's final commentary on the grandmother is that ‘she would of been a good woman . . . if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life’† (Overview: Wilson).The family’s fate ended with them being murdered by the Misfit and his companions. The grandmother could be perfectly blamed for this whole event because if she would have stayed home, left the cat behind, and not recognize the Misfit. The tragic and sad finale was the final situation that the grandmother will ever put the family into ever again. The â€Å"good man† the grandmother claimed the Misfit was and his two friends are murderers. Throughout the story the ironic title is connected to all three situations the grandmother placed the family in causing their ending fate of death. She is selfish and pushy; in fact, her desire to see a house from her childhood results in the family's death at the end of the story† (Overview: Wilson). Clearly stat ed, the grandmother is to blame for the family’s fate because of the unexpected effort to stop at the plantation house, the cat aboard the car ride, and recognizing the Misfit and his fellows. Persuasion was a key part that played by the grandmother throughout the short story of O’Conner. The moral of the story helps the reader realize that it is â€Å"hard to find a good man†. ? Works CitedO'Conner, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find. † Literature and Ourselves. 6th ed. New York: Pearson, 2009. 1075-087. Print. â€Å"Overview: ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find'. † Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 24 Sep. 2012. Owens, Mitchell. â€Å"The Function of Signature in ‘A Good Is Hard to Find. ‘. † Studies in Short Fiction 33. 1 (Winter 1996): 101-106. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 61. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resour ces from Gale. Web. 24 Sep. 2012.

College Rhetorical Analysis Essay

In this lengthy article â€Å"Guns Don’t Kill People, the Mentally Ill Do,† that was published in the Townhall Daily, the author, Ann Coulter, argues about a major prevailing issue today, gun control. She believes the problem isn’t the guns themselves, but the mentally disturbed people. Coulter credits the declining mental health system as the main setback. She supports her argument by providing tragic examples from mass shootings that took place in the past. One example was the 2011 shooting that took place in Tucson, Arizona where the shopping mall shooter, Jared Loughner was so obviously disturbed that he stated â€Å"If I stay long enough to make the yearbook, I will be voted the Most Likely to Commit Murder.† She also explains the most recent shooting that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary. The shooter, Adam Lanza, first shot his mother on the morning of December 14, 2012 because she supposedly was trying to have him committed to a mental institution, which is what triggered his rage. After he cold-bloodedly killed his mother, Lanza progressed on to Sandy Hook Elementary and proceeded to murder twenty children and six administrators. Coulter is a conservative columnist and political commentator who has mostly written about government and legal issues. A number of her articles are targeting a particular audience. For example, liberals, Barack Obama, the National Rifle Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) just to name a few. Seven of Coulter’s best works are on the New York Times bestsellers list. Similar to this article, some of her previous works are written about gun control issues and targeted toward Obama and the Senate Democrats. Obviously, this is not the first time the issue has come up that Coulter has written about it. Some of her best works on gun control include â€Å"Ending Gun Violence Requires Commitment, Not All of it Voluntary,† â€Å"Negro’s with Guns,† and her most current article â€Å"Guns Don’t Kill People, the Mentally Ill Do.† What motivated Coulter to write this article were the many cases of mentally disturbed people carrying out mass shootings and the world glorifying the murderers with press, while the NRA was taking the blame. She states, â€Å"Innumerable studies have found a correlation between severe mental illness and violent behavior.† She provides evidence from these studies with statistics. For example, â€Å"Thirty one to sixty one percent of all homicides committed by disturbed individuals occur during their first psychotic episode.† She adds, â€Å"Which is why mass murderers often have no criminal record. There is no time to wait with the mentally ill.† Coulters purpose for writing this argument is to persuade her audience that closer tabs need to be kept on people who are suspected as being the least bit mentally disturbed. She believes if it is made easier to emit people into mental institutions, there would be less violence. Coulter also argues that if one is suspected as being mentally disturbed, it should be simple for them to be evaluated by a psychologist. Coulter’s intended audience is the general population, Barack Obama, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Throughout various parts of her argument she pleads to individuals working in the mental health field to put more effort in separating mentally disturbed people from civil society. During a time like today, where mass shootings have happened within the last few months, are people more prone to pay attention to gun control issues. Especially on the forum that this article is published on. Most people that comment on â€Å"Guns Don’t Kill People, the Mentally Ill Do† are supporting Coulter’s argument. This argument first appeared on January 16, 2013 after Coulter did some researching about mass shootings i n the past. It responds to the most recent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. Coulter states, â€Å"Enough is enough, the public needs to know and understand the danger behind mentally ill individuals.† Her main claim is that there aren’t enough precautions being taken when it comes to suspecting someone of being mentally disturbed. There are several reasons given in support for her claim. Seung-Hui Cho, who committed the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, had been diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder as a child and placed under consistent treatment but the college was prohibited from being told about Cho’s mental health problems because of federal privacy laws such as HIPPA laws (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Another example is when one of Loughner’s (Tucson, Arizona shooting) teachers, Ben McCahee, filed numerous complaints to the school against him, hoping to have him removed from class. McCahee stated, â€Å"When I turned my back to write o n the board, I would always turn back around quickly to see if he had a gun.† Coulter goes on to say, â€Å"Committing Loughner to a mental institution would have required a court order stating that he was a danger to himself and society.† Ann Coulter adds to the examples when she informs the audience of James Holmes, the Aurora, Colorado shooter. He was under psychiatric care at the University of Colorado long before he shot up a movie theater. After Holmes made threats against a professor, he was asked to leave the campus, but he wasn’t committed. Coulter claims â€Å"People knew he was deeply troubled and just pushed him into society to cause havoc elsewhere.† Finally, when talking about Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook shooter, she states â€Å"Connecticut’s laws are so restrictive in terms of the proof required to get someone committed that Lanza’s mother would probably not have been able to get him help even if she had tried.† The article, â€Å"Guns Don’t Kill, the Mentally Ill Do† was found on a website as an essay. It is a lengthy article that includes an intro, a thesis, support paragraphs, and a closing paragraph reproving the thesis. Coulter represents herself as a respected columnist who is very educated on laws, especially regarding civil rights. â€Å"A Connecticut native, Coulter graduated with honors from Cornell University School of Arts & Sciences, and received her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School, where she was an editor of The Michigan Law Review. She is the legal correspondent for Human Events and writes a popular syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. In 2001, Coulter was named one of the top 100 Public Intellectuals by federal judge Richard Posner. After practicing law in private practice in New York City, Coulter worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she handled crime and immigration issues for Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan. From there, she became a litigator with the Center For Individual Rights in Washington, DC, a public interest law firm dedicated to the defense of individual rights with particular emphasis on freedom of speech, civil rights, and the free exercise of religion.† Ann Coulter is a very trusted columnist. She uses facts based on mass shootings in the past and provides evidence by using statistics and quotations from insiders. Although Coulter doesn’t invoke an emotional response, she bases much of her article on morality. â€Å"Guns Don’t Kill, Mentally Ill Do† is a satirical piece due to her ridicule to the ACLU throughout her argument. In conclusion, Coulter argues that there is much more precautionary steps that can be taken when someone is suspected of being mentally ill. She closes the argument by stating â€Å"It is nearly impossible to have mentally disturbed people separated from society because the ACLU has decided that being psychotic is a civil right.† She adds, â€Å"Consequently, whenever a psychopath with a million gigantic warning signs commits a shocking murder, the knee jerk reaction is to place yet more control on guns. By now, guns are the most heavily regulated product in America. It hasn’t worked. There are still subway tracks, machetes, fists and bombs.† For example, the most deadly massacre at a school in United States history was at an elementary school in Michigan in 1927. It was committed with a bomb, by a mentally disturbed man.

The Hospitality and Tourism Market in Victoria State Australia

The Hospitality and Tourism Market in Victoria State Australia Introduction The tourism and hospitality is one of the fastest growing industries in Australia. The industry takes a larger portion of the economy and plays a vital role in the Australian economy. The tourism industry not only operates nationally but also fully participates in the global market economy. The industry is currently recording massive improvements especially due to the recovery in the world economy from the disastrous economic meltdown that was previously.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Hospitality and Tourism Market in Victoria State Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Victoria tourism and hospitality industry stands out to be the second largest in the whole of Australia with flourishing businesses ranging from restaurants, cafes, hotel services, bars, pubs, clubs as well as well furnished apartments. The industry is famous for its high quality and customer friendly facilities that provi de customers with the desired comfort (Kayler, 1995, p. 178). Factors influencing the growth of the industry The global economic recovery has led to the tremendous growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in Victoria. Victoria is also renowned for its quality restaurants and hospitality facilities that highly attract more tourists and visitors. In addition to this, the industry incorporates a number of organizations and institutions that provide important information to their potential visitors and thereby making known worldwide the quality services provided in Victoria. Such organizations include the Baking Industry Association of Victoria and Artisan Bakers Association among others (Bergin and Jago 1999, p. 342). Also the foreign investment regulations within the state are moderate and highly promote investment from the foreigners and therefore this has attracted many investments from both the foreign and local investors. In addition to the above factors, tourism in Victoria has also been influenced primarily the reduction in the oil prices, which led to the subsequent reduction in airline surcharges and therefore leading to decrease in the airfares charges, especially regarding longer routes. This as a result has led to the increase in the number of tourists visiting the state. Generally, Australia has improved its aviation facilities in the recent past, especially routes linking to the international countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. The increased capacity has translated into more visitors and tourists visiting the country.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More SWOT Analysis of the Victoria state As outlined before, the tourism and hospitality industry in Victoria is the second largest in Australia and the most famous because of the quality services offered by their ultra-modern facilities. The industry has a workfo rce of more than 115000 workers who accounts for a good percentage of 4.4% of the total labor force within Victoria State. In Victoria State, hospitality and tourism incorporates a number of businesses whose services are tailored toward meeting the consumer’s ever increasing demands (Bergin and Jago 1999, p. 342). They include accommodation facilities, restaurants, cafà ©, bars and pubs, catering services, facilities for hosting meetings and events both for business purposes, managing, and coordinating tour operations, providing relevant information to tourists, conducting tour guiding, managing holiday parks, conducting and organizing cultural tourism, casinos, and caravan park operations. The state of Victoria is within the southern region of Australia that is widely known both locally and internationally as a key tourism destination. Therefore, the strategic location of the state is an added advantage to them (Kayler, 1995, p. 178). The state has the aging population as t heir working population and due to inadequate skilled personnel within the young population, it means that most of the old staff is retained and this might lead to inefficiency and low output. There is need for skilled and experienced personnel within the young population to replace the old aging population Target market The target market for all the products and services mentioned above is mainly from both the international and the local tourists. For instance, a fall in the growth of tourism will translate into a reduction in the growth of the hospitality industry. This is due to the fact tourists, both local and international, play a major role in the utilization and consumption of the products and services offered in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the hospitality industry is highly dependent on tourism. On the other hand, tourism also relies on the hospitality industry to some degree. For instance, high quality and attractive services offered in the hospitality industry ca n be used as an attraction to tourists who will visit these facilities in order to enjoy the wonderful services offered by them (Bergin and Jago 1999, p. 342).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Hospitality and Tourism Market in Victoria State Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Victoria State covers only three percent of the Australia’s landmass and has a population of approximately 5.13 million people. In addition, almost half of the entire population is below 35 years and therefore forming a good market for the tourism and hospitality industry. The presence of a young population is a good sign that the industry shall continue flourishing due to the available of the domestic market. Victoria also receives a larger number of international tourists who account for 25% of the all tourists visiting Australia. For instance, the state received 1.5 million tourists last year. Therefore, apart from the dom estic tourists from within Australia, Victoria also receives a relatively large number of tourists. Most of their international tourists come from North America, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Singapore, and New Zealand. Pricing strategies Victoria has gone a step farther by embracing the online booking provisions in their tourism industry. The proposed system that is already in use is a national booking platform for both the international and the local tourists. The system is known as the Tourism Exchange Australia (TXA) that contains a large database of all the products and services provided by the Australian tourism and hospitality industry. All the businesses listed by the Australian Tourism and Data Warehouse (ATDW) will have their products and services accessible online and booking made possible because the data warehouse contains all the vital information including the prices for the services and products. All the locally developed booking systems are also linked to this e xchange system that enables online selling of the services and products and therefore increasing the sales for the industry. The system also supports online establishment of agreements between the tourism industry and the prospective buyer and therefore making it more effective. Operators of the respective businesses can access the database and update their prices for the various services and products (Kayler, 1995, p. 178). Promotional practices Domestically, the government and other institutions related to the industry have come up with strategies that are aimed at publicizing the industry to the Australian population. Some of the ways embraced by the state to advertise its tourism industry include play Melbourne campaign that advertises Melbourne as a city with hidden treasures. This has been achieved through a number of ways including using local media and press and media. This is extended to the online websites and is meant to encourage local tourists from all over Australia to dare visit Melbourne and discover the treasures that lies within the city.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is part of the larger Victoria jigsaw campaign meant to promote Victoria’s tourism and hospitality industry locally, within the Australian population and also reach to the international community. Also there are committees put in place to facilitate and coordinate regional campaigns. The publicity campaigns are aimed at branding all the cities and towns within Victoria as unique places worth visiting (Stabb, 1999, p. 123). On the international scale, various campaigns and strategies have been formulated to see to it that the State’s tourism and hospitality industry is well known to the international community. There is an international marketing division, Tourism Victoria, which works closely with the other stakeholders within the industry in marketing Victoria to the international countries. The division formulates winning strategies to market the industry in international countries. It has offices in other countries that fall within their target markets. This is to help in easier coordination of advertising activities in those countries and keep in touch with the potential customers (Kayler, 1995, p. 178). Tourism Victoria works handy with Tourism Australia, Australian Airlines, major industry stakeholders in liaison with the Victorian tourism industry in a bid to sell the industry to the prospective tourists and visitors. The international marketing strategies are carried out in two ways including the trade and consumer strategies. Both strategies are meant to assisting in attaining an increase in familiarity by the potential consumers on the tourism and hospitality facilities within Victoria. They are also targeted at branding Victoria as the leading tourist destination as far arts and cultures, events, recreation, catering, and wine services are concerned (Rose, 1991, p. 412). In consumer marketing, Tourism Victoria has a stronger influence on all activities conducted by Tourism Australia in the foreign markets. In some instances, the d ivision runs autonomous brand campaigns to advertise Victoria to the international community. There is a website tailored to provide relevant information to those aspiring to visit Victoria as well as advertising it as the main destination point for all tourism activities. There are both written content and video on the website to provide the required information. The information available is in different languages so as to reach as many people as possible. In trade marketing, Tourism Victoria works in partnership with Australian based inbound tour operators by organizing and coordinating workshops and trainings to familiarize them with available tourism opportunities within Victoria. The division also organizes trade fairs and exhibitions to their prospective consumers both nationally and internationally. Tourism Australia also in partnership with local and international airlines carries out cooperative promotions for publicizing Victoria’s tourism potential to the internati onal countries. This is done with most of the airlines and distribution networks and therefore widening their market by creating awareness among the potential consumers globally (Kotler, Bowen and Makens 2010, p. 441). An official website managed by the state provides a variety of information to the potential visitors concerning the tourism facilities in Victoria State. There is a provision on the same website under tourism for the local tour operators and stakeholders in the hospitality industry to showcase their businesses on the website and display the range of products and services they offer. This form of online marketing is meant to cover as many businesses as possible and advertise them to the both local and international communities. Conclusion and recommendations From the information in the sections above, it is true that the tourism industry in Victoria has well established framework to support their activities at the same time ensure sustainability in the industry. The st ate has played a significant role in ensuring that Victoria continues not to be only Australia’s tourism destination point but also the world’s most attractive tourist site. However, there are still shortcomings that need to be correction to ensure long term improvement and growth in the sector (Kayler, 1995, p. 178). Even though the industry seems to be on an upward trend, more is required for the industry to start operating at its optimum and therefore maximize on the available opportunities in the industry. Both the government and the various stakeholders in the industry have a role to play in ensuring success of the industry. Therefore, the following are some of the recommendations that need consideration in order o reap maximally from the tourism and hospitality industry and make Victoria a tourism haven in the whole of Australia and the world at large. The accreditation system put in place to certify operators in the industry needs improvement. The current system of accreditation has not had any impact on the service delivery to the final consumers. Some of the operators, even after receiving accreditation, are still rendering poor services to their customers. A good number of businesses have untrained personnel who do not meet the requirements for the industry. Therefore, the government should consider such factors as employee skills and knowledge as well as availability of quality facilities before accrediting the operators. Also continued vetting should be thorough to ensure that accredited operators maintain the required standards of service provision to their customers (Bergin and Jago 1999, p. 342). The government in partnership with the respective shareholders should build a competitive digital capability that will ensure Victoria competes favorably with the other international competitors. This can be achieved by incorporating more competent personnel in managing online marketing and coming up with ways of expanding the service so a s to cover the entire global market. The government should encourage investment into the tourism industry by offering more incentives and subsidies that will attract both the local and foreign investors into the industry. This will facilitate the expansion of the industry and therefore fasten its growth. The government can also partner with the other stakeholders in developing the infrastructure, especially the transport and communication network within the state so as to open Victoria to the rest of the world. The various tourism sites should have a good transport system (Bergin and Jago 1999, p. 342). The government should encourage domestic tourism and give more attention to the training of personnel to work in the industry. Regular workshops and trainings help sharpen the skills of those working in the industry and inform them of the current trends and emerging issues in the global market. The state should work handy with the other states to eliminate cut-throat competition, esp ecially on the international market. It will also give them a common bargaining front and therefore lead to reduction in trade barriers imposed on them by the international countries (Baum and Hagen 1999, p. 299). Reference List Baum, T. and Hagen, L., 1999. Responses to Seasonality: the Experiences of Peripheral Destinations. International Journal of Tourism Research, 1(5), pp. 299-312. Bergin, S. and Jago, L.J., 1999. Accreditation of Adventure Tour Operators: The Consumer Perspective 1999 CAUTHE National Research Conference. Adelaide Bureau of Tourism Research. Kayler, T.W., 1995. Tourism Accreditation and Quality Assurance: Strategic Directions for Victoria. Tourism Victoria. Kotler, P., Bowen, T.J. and Makens, C.J., 2010. Marketing for hospitality and tourism. 5th ed. Sydney: culinary and hospitality industry publication services. Rose, R., 1991. What is Lesson-drawing? Glasgow: Centre for the Study of Public Policy. Stabb, C., 1999. Review of Membership for Involvement in Coop erative Promotions Funded by Tourism Victoria. Tourism Victoria.

A Study of Ethics in Relation to Business Practices

A Study of Ethics in Relation to Business Practices Combining ethics and business can be difficult at times, for every business’ goal is to make profit and certain ethical issues might be overlooked in order to avoid complications that might obstacle the company’s activities and jeopardise its revenue opportunities. The relationship between ethics and business has been discussed by many experts, such as Friedman (1970), who argued that a manager’s decisions should be driven by money, however they should not ignore the basic rules onto which every modern society is based. This may sound like a good solution to the ethical issues most companies have to deal with nowadays. A number of practical solutions to the ethical problems encountered by leaders who manage a group of individuals was given by Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who certainly didn’t run a company, yet analysed and discussed the duties of a leader, placing great importance on their morality and virtues, as every leader should be virtuous to deserve the name, as the pointed out in his Nicomachean Ethics. In the first place, it would be useful to analyse the meaning of the adjective â€Å"ethical† before applying it too liberally. Ethics comes from ancient Greek â€Å"ethos†, which means â€Å"character†, intended as the common belief that guides and determines the actions, behaviours and thoughts of a community. Ethics are not â€Å"absolute†, as different communities can have different opinions as to what is ethical and what is not, so before conducting a critical study on the relationship between ethics and business, it should be clarified that when it comes to business, western countries are the ones which dictate and set the standards for what is ethical, as Miriam Schulman (n.d.) correctly observed. Now, ethics and law do not always go hand in hand, as law can sometimes be unethical and a good action which may seem morally right could be deemed illegal by a country’s code, e.g. when Hitler ran Germany, the holocaust, albeit unethical, was permitted by the law, whereas helping a prisoner escape was considered illegal, even though arresting someone and forcing them to work without giving them a salary just because of their religious beliefs or nationality is absolutely unethical. Every manager should be able to distinguish between what is legal and what is ethical as to make decisions that do not simply conform to the law, but are also ethically â€Å"right†. Ethics, in fact, has to do with what concepts such as good, bad, right, wrong, fair and unfair. German philosopher Marx described the whole production process, explaining how the worker alienates themselves when manufacturing/creating something, whatever this is, emphasizing the importance of equality as opposed to meritocracy. That is the main reason why Marx’s theories have been questioned many times, for it is not easy to tell whether equality is ethically correct, seeing as people who possess qualities that others don’t and work harder than others deserve to be given more responsibilities and rewarded accordingly, as Michael Young (1958) observed. Human society and business alike are dynamic, which means that they tend to change alongside with people and governments’ needs, expectations and actions. It is their complexity that makes corporate ethics such an interesting, yet critical subject that every human resource manager should understand in order to make decisions that might benefit the company without damaging their employees in any way. In the following paragraph, a few cases will be analysed and discussed as to show what kind of issues may arise when business ethics are violated and determine whether Human Resource Management is compatible with them. Psychological implications in human resource management Managing an organisation’s employees is no easy task and requires specific skills, without which a manager might severely damage the company they work for. In fact, because employees are not to be seen as mere workforce, but also and mainly as individuals who have ambitions, needs, expectations, problems and feelings, a human resource manager, in fact, should know that when it comes to managing people, theoretical issues, as well as practical ones, are faced. Therefore, a deep understanding of the human psyche and behaviour is required, which is why psychology plays a very important role in human resource management, as Suraj Kumar (2011) pointed out. Job dissatisfaction is not to be underestimated, for all humans tend to adapt to new situations and, when they find themselves in unpleasant ones, research has revealed that they do whatever they can to reduce dissatisfaction. These defensive mechanisms may negatively affect a company, leading to bad performance, absence, low productivity, withdrawal behaviours and, last but not least, lack of loyalty, in the sense that employees will leave the company as soon as given an opportunity to do so, damaging the company, which will have to invest time and money in the finding and training of new employees. (Rosse, J. G., Saturay, S. L., 2004) O’Toole (n.d.) argued that Aristotle’s theories on leadership and ethics could be adapted to modern times and used by managers to make fair decisions that will benefit the companies they work for and the employees they supervise. To do so, they should ask themselves what they would want if they were in the employees’ shoes, how they would like to be treated, what kind of treatment and incentives would help them express their potential, whether they would like their opinions to be kept in consideration when important decisions that might affect their careers are made and so forth†¦ Moreover, Aristotle, as well as other thinkers, such as Socrates, maintained that a leader (and mankind in general) should not be enabled to rule other people unless they know themselves and are virtuous. According to Socrates, self-knowledge is an ability that prevents failure from happening. In light of such enlightening observations, it would be useful to analyse a few contemporary cases. Western companies and ethical issues Nike and forced labour Nike Inc. is a popular and successful sportswear brand and equipment supplier whose net income, as of 2010, was over US $1, 900 billion (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2010). The company has been harshly criticized for manufacturing their products in countries such as China, Vietnam, Mexico, Cambodia, Pakistan and Indonesia, where, according to Locke (2002), not only adult employees underpaid, child workers are used especially in stitching centres. Even though Nike’s code of conduct says that the company provides healthy and safe workplaces for all their workers, ensures that nobody below the age of 18 can sign a labour contract with them, does not use any form of forced labour, respects their employees, does not practise discrimination and commits to providing their employees at least the minimum wage plus benefits (Kochan, A. T., Schmalensee, R., 2003) , Australian Channel 7 News (2008) revealed numerous cases of forced labour involving the American company and a few years later Associated Press (2011) published an article reporting cases of forced labour and employee abuse at some of Nike’s plants in Indonesia. Are forced labour, abuse and child labour ethically correct? Obviously not, seeing as freedom is not just a privilege, it is a right for the simple reason that everyone is born free, even though many factors contribute to shaping humans’ judgement and choices throughout their lives. According to English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1651), a person is free when they can decide to do something even though they could have done otherwise. That is what free will, intended as liberty, is. Gap and child labour With regards to child labour, the employment of people below a certain age, which is not always 18, is seen as a form of exploitation in most western countries, for, ethically speaking, children are weaker than adults and should not be made to work hard, especially considering that several western companies, such as Nike and Gap (The Guardian, 2007) have been criticised for collaborators with contractors which employ children, force them to work under horrible circumstances and treat them nearly as slaves, in terms of minimum wage and abuse. It goes without saying that these practices are unethically correct, as we are all born equal and a person should not exploit and abuse of another one. As reported by The Guardian (2007), after the child labour scandal, Gap confirmed its code of conduct, promising to put an end to its collaboration with those contractors found guilty of child labour and abuse and to withdraw thousands of products which had been manufactured by children. Two other interesting cases are those of HM and Zara, two popular clothing retailers which have been accused of using cotton which might be picked by children in Uzbekistan and Bangladesh, where they are forced to work under horrific conditions. They both responded to these accusations stating that their codes of conduct banned child labour, however ensuring that raw materials are not picked by children is a very difficult thing to do, for most underdeveloped and developing countries fail in guaranteeing that unethical practices, such as slavery and child labour, are removed. (Independent Television News 2009) Nowadays, ethical behaviour and commitment to moral values (non-economic ones) are often used by companies to promote their services and/or products. However, Adam Smith (1952) argued that businesspeople’s ultimate goal is to make the public believe what they want to believe as to raise prices. That is why sensitivity to ethical issues is often included by companies in their marketing strategies. Try as they might, governments can not monitor corporations’ sensitivity to ethical issues, as ethics regulates details of human actions and behaviours which governments can not control. (Berle, A. A., Means, G. C., 1932). Utilitarianism and business Utilitarianism is a philosophical trend initiated by Jeremy Bentham (2005) and John Stuart Mill (2009), who spoke thoroughly about ethics, their relationship with business and human rights, maintaining that a right action leads to a good consequence, therefore, the ethical worth of an action can be gauged by its outcome. Unlike other philosophers, such as Hume (1975) or Locke (1997), who simply maintained that every action has a consequence without giving recommendations as to what is the most ethical thing to do, Bentham and Mill argued that, when faced with a decision, everyone should carefully consider their options and the consequences implied by each of those options and finally choose the one that will generate the greatest felicity. Only by going through this specific decision-making process can one be certain of being making an ethically correct choice. According to Richard Mervyn Hare (1981), most people tend to use intuitive, instead of deductive, moral thinking to make de cisions, as in doing so, happiness is maximised. However, when it comes to more delicate matters, such as human rights, managing and supervising other people and ensuring that employees are treated fairly not only because employee dissatisfaction is known to increase the likelihood of failure, but also and mainly because it is right to treat employees fairly, a more deductive and critical thinking method is required. Applying the utilitarian principle to business and human resource management in particular, a manager should consider their various options, asking themselves what the various courses of each action might be, what costs, risks and harms they would imply, not only for the company, but also for its stakeholders, employees and themselves and all those who might be somehow affected by their decision. The main problem managers are usually faced with is to avoid potential conflicts of moral rights. In order to do so, a manager should ask themselves what choice they have the moral right to make in relation with the current circumstances, what moral rights the other party have and whether there is a conflict of moral rights between themselves and the other party. Should there be a conflict of any kind, the manager should whether their rights or those of the other part deserve precedence. Job enrichment and employee motivation While ethics are often overlooked especially during negotiations, when information that might jeopardise the success of a merger, just to name one, is withheld, managing employees is a completely different matter. In fact, keeping account of ethics when making decisions that involve employees, elaborating strategies that will affect them or simply assigning tasks is essential to the creation of a stimulating and productive working environment. According to American psychologist Hertzberg (1993), job enrichment is the best method to motivate employees, ensure their loyalty and cooperation whilst letting them express their abilities and fulfil themselves. In order to create a pleasant working environment that stimulates employees and benefits the company, a manager should make sure that each employee is given the opportunity to perform different tasks of varying difficulty, faces challenges and receives constant feedbacks. Communication is key to the encouragement of ethical behaviour and motivation, as through it, a manager can provide merit recognition. Among the other things, a manager should provide their employees with adequate resources to perform their assigned tasks well, give clear instructions, let employees know what the corporate mission is and make them feel involved in the decision-making process, provide them with enough freedom, rewards, incentives and encourage them and, last but not least, ensure job variety so that every employee can express their abilities and feel self-fulfilled. (Mione, P. ) Now, in order to create a positive working environment where the manager takes actions that display their virtues, instead of their vices (dishonesty, greed, laziness, selfishness, neglect†¦), ethical behaviour should be motivated. Therefore, it is important that the manager should set the example among employees and develop a programme that rewards good behaviours and penalises bad ones through penalties and sanctions. Rules and expectations that define what is acceptable and what is not should be written down and communicated to employees, as to anticipate bad behaviours. At the same time, good behaviours should be rewarded through incentives and praised. Participative management techniques should be used to motivate ethical behaviour and, in order to assure justice when it comes to disagreements and conflicts, these should be handled impartially and formally. The company should also create an effective method for employees to file complaints and report unethical or illegal behaviour so that they won’t have to go to the ombuds office every time a workplace issue arises. Regardless of the efficiency of its method, which might also include an ethics hotline and website, the company should use an ombuds office to investigate complaints with confidentiality, ethics and objectivity. Conclusion Ethics differs from country to country, being a framework of rules which define what is right, wrong, good, bad, acceptable and unacceptable. Corporate ethics in China is different to corporate ethics in France, which does not mean that one of them is wrong, whereas the other one is right, since ethics goes hand in hand with culture. Therefore, a relativistic approach is sure to be the most appropriate one to study ethics without letting personal prejudices and opinions influence the course of the analysis. Ethical norms evolve and, nowadays, consumers are sensitive to ethical issues, such as forced labour, diversity, discrimination and child labour, which is why western companies such as Nike (Associated Press, 2011) and Gap (The Guardian, 2007), which have been accused of violating basic ethical norms, have had to revise their codes of conduct and reassure consumers that their products, despite being manufactured in underdeveloped and/or developing countries, where governments still find it difficult to eradicate slavery, forced labour and other unethical practices. Now, when it comes to human resource management, ethical behaviour is strongly recommended for research (Hertzberg, F., 1993) has proved that it plays a very important role in creating a productive working environment. While ethical norms are often overlooked during negotiations, it is crucial that a manager should be virtuous, set the example among their employees and take actions that will produce the greatest benefit f or the company, its employees and themselves. In this regard, three principles should be applied in order for the manager to make decisions that display their virtuous traits and benefit those around them: the utilitarian principle, the right principle and the care ethics principle. In other words, before taking an action, a manager should ask themselves whether that action will do the greatest good for those who will be affected by it and evaluate all the different options, then, they should ask themselves what action they have the moral right to take and, finally, whether their choice â€Å"cares† for their needs and those of the people with whom they have working relationships (coworkers, stakeholders, supervisors, suppliers, employees and so forth†¦) That is why every working environment should be regulated by ethical norms and employees should be encouraged to obey them through incentives and rewards, which will ensure their satisfaction and loyalty, which have been proved to greatly contribute to the enhancement of employee performance, hence to the corporation’s success. (Judge, T. A. et al., 2001)

Issue 20 from taking sides clashing views on political issues Essay - 1

Issue 20 from taking sides clashing views on political issues seventeenth edition - Essay Example How much privacy can we maintain without actually jeopardizing national security? My position stands on the answer to what is warrantless and what is not. Our history shows that innocent people have experienced an invasion of their privacy because of human error regarding whether or not their behavior, contacts, and connections can be considered â€Å"terrorist activity.† Nowadays, it seems like everyone and everything is potentially terroristic and a threat to national security. Extremist opinion and attitude, one way or the other, exist even amongst those who are nothing close to what can be deemed a terrorist. Legally, what is warranted is underlined by the words â€Å"probable cause.† Probable cause is a sticky matter that can come under the consent of a judge, and in cases of emergency, can be exercised in the absence of that permission. Wiretapping, as legalized eavesdropping, is badly in need of judicial oversight. Without the legally necessary protections in place, wiretapping is wide open to abuse and leaves open the possibility of misinformation and unnecessary interrogation. It also effectively closes the door to those doing investigative work, because those who may be caught disclosing information will withdraw, retract, and retreat from all contact when they know the door is open for them to be exposed and possibly killed, even when they are inside informants helping the innate cause. In the topic book, Al Gores states, â€Å"Republican as well as Democratic members of Congress should support the bipartisan call of the Liberty Coalition for the appointment of a special counsel to pursue the criminal issues raised by warrantless wiretapping of Americans by the President.† Since then, the battle has been over the Patriot Act and whether its broad-sweeping secret legal interpretation differs so much in the public