Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Microsoft Antitrust Essays - Microsoft Litigation, Free Essays

Microsoft Antitrust Essays - Microsoft Litigation, Free Essays Microsoft Antitrust Is Microsoft a fetching business model to be emulated or the most destructive force in the software industry? Should the government apply the antitrust laws to the software industry or sit back and wait for dynamic market forces to solve anti-competitive problems? Discussions about Microsoft represent a larger-than-life dispute that speaks not only to the computer giant's impressive efforts to monopolize key elements of the software and electronic commerce markets, but to the larger issues of a high-tech society. Many partisans in debates over Microsoft are speaking to the broader issues and defending ideological views that will be tested as the debate over Microsoft's anti-competitive practices plays out. From my view point, there are some aspects of the dispute that seem clear and others that are anything but clear. First, it is clear that Microsoft has achieved its current market dominance through a combination of factors that include hard work, good luck, popular products, and an impressive array of anti-competitive or simply ruthless business tactics. It is equally apparent that some sectors of the computer industry undoubtedly benefit from this dominance not everyone sells products or services that directly compete against Microsoft in strategic markets, and the existence of a private monopoly for the desktop operating system (OS) simplifies life for some developers. And in the increasingly broad areas where Microsoft has targeted a sector for dominance, the results have been a demoralized software industry, a paucity of venture capital and stifled innovation. What is less than clear is what the government or the public should or can do about Microsoft's often brutal efforts to monopolize software markets. The Justice Department is now focusing on important but relatively narrow issues concerning Microsoft's 1995 antitrust consent agreement, whereby Microsoft agreed not to license Windows 95 on a per-machine basis (forcing computer manufactures to pay twice if they installed competitors' OS) and not to tie the purchase of the OS to the purchase of other Microsoft products. Justice is focusing on contractual agreements between Microsoft and computer manufacturers that require firms that distribute Windows 95 also to distribute Internet Explorer, a product Microsoft wants to replace Netscape as the most-used Internet browser. Microsoft's principle defense against the suit is to argue that Internet Explorer 4.0, a program that takes as much as 66 megabytes on a hard disk, is not an application at all but simply a part of the OS. Because more than 90% of PCs worldwide ship with Microsoft's OS, the issue of what constitutes the OS is an important dispute, given the Microsoft agreement regarding product tie-ins.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Acanthostega - Facts and Figures

Acanthostega - Facts and Figures Name: Acanthostega (Greek for spiky roof); pronounced ah-CAN-tho-STAY-gah Habitat: Rivers and swamps of the northern latitudes Historical Period: Late Devonian (360 million years ago) Size and Weight: About two feet long and 5-10 pounds Diet: Probably fish Distinguishing Characteristics: Stubby legs; long tail; eight digits on front flippers About Acanthostega One of the best-known of all the Devonian tetrapodsthe first, lobe-finned fish that climbed up out of the water and onto dry landAcanthostega nevertheless seems to have represented a dead end in the evolution of early vertebrates, the giveaway being that this creature had eight primitive digits on each of its stubby front flippers, compared to the modern standard of five. Also, despite its classification as an early tetrapod, its possible to oversell the extent to which Acanthostega was a land animal. To judge by certain anatomical featuressuch as its fish-like teeth and the lateral line sensory apparatus running along the length of its slender bodythis tetrapod probably spent most of its time in shallow water, using its rudimentary legs only to crawl from puddle to puddle. Theres another, alternate, explanation for Acanthostegas anatomy: perhaps this tetrapod didnt walk, or crawl, at all, but rather used its eight-digit forelimbs to navigate weed-choked swamps (during the Devonian periods, land plants began, for the first time, to shed leaves and other detritus into nearby pools of water) in pursuit of prey. In this case, the forelimbs of Acanthostega would be a classic example of pre-adaptation: they didnt evolve specifically for the purpose of walking on land, but came in handy (if youll excuse the pun) when later tetrapods, descended from Acanthostega, finally made that evolutionary leap. (This scenario would also account for Acanthostegas internal gills, as well as its weak ribs, which made it unable to poke its chest fully out of the water.)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Wealth and Industrial Attractiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wealth and Industrial Attractiveness - Essay Example This is followed by acquiring valuable materials. However, majority of the people makes wealth through coming up with a budget and different estimates of what they want to acquire and setting up a plan to achieve it. For instance, they come up with a budget on how to develop a concept and sell it to other people for money. After getting money, they diversify their investments in order to reduce the risks and uncertainties associated with inventing in one sector. With time these people are able to acquire valuable materials. Business environment is critical in the success of any business. Economic, social, political, environmental, legal, and technological components dictate how the customers, local administration, and the business interact. This is through creating a platform for the business to make profits without interference from external forces. Therefore, these components can be useful in acting as parameters to measure whether an investment in the industry can return the initial capital and make profits which are

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Chief Executive Officers Compensation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chief Executive Officers Compensation - Essay Example The term human resource management is not new. It has been widely used by scholars and managers to refer to the set of policies designed to maximize organizational integration, employee commitment, flexibility and quality of work4. In the sections that follow, I will attempt each of the questions as requested and there after I will provide a brief conclusion. In economic literature, the significance of information asymmetries, innovation and strategic behaviour has long been recognised. There exists a considerable literature on how incentives affect a variety of management problems and the methodology for analysis of incentive problems most notably the principal agent model (Turner and Muller 2006). CEOs are paid based on the job description given to them and since in America it is often believe that, they are the leaders they want others to emulate. In addition, it always costs more to hire a new person than keep the old one. Osborne, Hyman & Jack (2006:451) substantiate further that an effective human resource policy "is not only to find competent workers but also to motivate and effectively manage them, is recognised as important for the viability of the organisation". They argued th They argued that, problems emanating from conflict of interest are virtually general to all cooperative activities amongst individuals whether or not they occur in a hierarchical fashion as suggested by the principal agent analogy Because principal and agents are utility maximisers, there is every reason to believe that the agent will not always act in the best interest of the principal (Jensen 2003:86). This attempts to draw out contractual problems that can arise as a result of agents acting opportunistically when their interest departs from those of their principal (Jensen 2003). Thus, agency theory provides us with the rational for an effective human resource management policy. Thus, if American CEOs are paid more than their Japanese counterpart, it is just their own way to handle the opportunistic behaviour of the agent. Hyman & Jack stated that Corporations in the States save twice that much every year from an even more outrageous loophole, what executive excess 2008 dubs the "unlimited tax deductibility of executive pay." Top companies can essentially

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Sherlock Holmes Essay Example for Free

Sherlock Holmes Essay His appearance also, with his pipe and deerstalker, has become a widely accepted depiction of a detective. Many detectives since Sherlock Holmes have copied his basic appearance, also being depicted as wearing a cloak and deerstalker, and smoking a pipe. Conan Doyle uses the aspect of Holmes appearance to reflect his character; Watson describes him as having a hawklike nose. This comparison to a hawk suggests that Holmes is powerful, strong, and inescapable; Holmes is predatory, and he is hunting his prey. Further symbolism as to the depiction of a hawk is that large birds of prey are revered for their immense skill at catching prey, in a similar way to Holmes. Their speed and power, is that of Holmes. The United States of America use a bald eagle as their national bird and as part of the great seal of national congress; the eagle, as a bird of prey, symbolizes power. Throughout the Holmes stories, he exhibits an intelligence that goes beyond the traits of a common investigator. His powers of observation and deduction are most apparent when he meets his client Helen Stoner; There is no mystery, my dear madam, said he, smiling. The left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver. This shows how superior Holmes ability to observe and deduct information really is. This superiority is emphasised by Watson; serving as a filter between Holmes himself and the reader, Watson is able to emphasise Holmes abilities and to make him appear even more admirable. Conan Doyle creates the character of Dr Watson, whom we learn about as we read through the stories, as Holmess companion. He is always there with Holmes and assists him when he is in trouble. He occasionally helps Holmes solve elements of different cases and is reasonably good at working things out, however his powers of deduction are not nearly as powerful as Holmes; You reasoned it out beautifully, I exclaimed, in unfeigned admiration. It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true. Doyle uses this sense of inferiority to subtly elevate Holmes ability. Watson is always there for Holmes and he makes the stories more interesting by serving as a comparison to Holmes; Watson is a person who has a romantic, less practical imagination than Holmes. This contradictory attitude serves to exalt Holmes and the abilities of his concentrated mind. Watson is also used as a filter; Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson which is, I am afraid, a more common occurrence than anyone would think who only knew me through your memoirs. Through Watson we see only what Conan Doyle wishes us to see, this then means that when the mystery is revealed, it is even more awe-inspiring, since the reader, along with Watson, were oblivious to what was such an elementary conclusion. Holmes has a very prominent duality that is obvious to us as a reader; It saved me from ennui, he answered, yawning. Alas! I already feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so. Holmes took drugs on a regular basis while he was not working; he used them to help him relax. Holmes detests being unable to occupy his ceaseless mind and reverts to drugs to give himself a distraction from his boredom. Since first appearing in the Strand magazine, the Holmes stories have been enjoyed by many readers. These stories appealed to the Victorians because they offered an escape from the crime ridden society they lived in. Holmes never failed to solve a crime and offered them moral certainty. Although in current society we are more competent at solving crimes, Conan Doyles stories are still enjoyed as they are an entertaining, easy read for many modern day readers. I, for one, enjoy the old-fashioned, formal language used.   Matthew Gatehouse 10i 2 Friday 1st May 2008 1 | Page Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Lewis Carroll Essay -- essays research papers fc

Lewis Carroll is one of the most well known Nonsense Writers. Though using nonsense in poetry has been dismissed as simply "for entertainment purposes", most nonsensical poetry acts as an allegory, has deep symbolism and leaves the door wide open for varying interpretations. Lewis Carroll has utilized this sense with nonsense through his poems and prose found in his novels Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass . Through Carroll's interactions with his close friends and family, and the innovative and eccentric society and politics of the Victorian Era, he has created beautiful poetry with many different levels. The Victorian Era lasted from 1837 until 1901, which was the time during Queen Victoria's reign in England. The term Victorian has "conveyed connotations of ‘prudish', ‘repress', and ‘old fashioned'"(Landow 1). This era is now seen as a time of " great expansion of wealth, power, and culture"(Landow 1). This change in ideas and politics led to great change in democracy, and saw a rise in other modern movements. Since the era lasted for so long it is comprised of several different periods including Socialism, Darwinism, and scientific Agnosticism. The widespread use of opium during the Victorian period may have influenced or been reflected in Carroll's work. "In Carroll's time five out of six families used opium habitually"(Wohl 34). The Victorian Era, ideology, and politics had a great impact on Lewis Carroll's poetry. Lewis Carroll, formally Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was born at Daresbury, Cheshire, on January 27, 1832. His parents were Charles and Frances Dodgson. He was the oldest of 11 children.All through his life he loved to write, and take photographs. During 1854 Carroll continued to write and compiled a scrapbook of his best writings, called "Mischmasch". "Mischmasch" included a four line verse, titled "Stanza of Anglo-Saxon Poetry". Later this became the first verse of his nonsense poem "Jabberwocky". In 1855, Henry Liddell arrived as the new Dean at Christ Church and Carroll was introduced to his children. He had a son, Harry, and three daughters: Lorina, Alice, and Edith. Carroll had begun to photograph the family and had become especially charmed by the little girl Alice. Alice later b... ...nbsp; Works Cited Carroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. Norton Critical Edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1992. Connell, Kate. "Opium as a Possible influence upon Alice Books" 22 Mar 2000. The Victorian Web. <http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/victov.html>. Graham, Eleanor. Lewis Carroll and the Writing of Through The Looking Glass Great Britain: Puffin Books, 1981. Landow, George P. "Victorian and Victorianism" 23 Mar 2000. The Victorian Web. <http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/vn/victor4.html> Sewell, Elizabeth. The Field of Nonsense London: Chatto and Windus LTD., 1952.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

A Modern Modest Proposal

It is a truly depressing matter to witness the complete and utter destruction of Haiti. Since the earthquake, the nation has being slowing withering away. The people that inhabit the land are suffering terribly and enduring the most brutal conditions. Tent cities, populated by close to seven thousand people, are being subject to crime and the propagation of a multitude of diseases. Parentless children wander aimlessly, searching for any remnant of food or even a single droplet of water. If they do not find their precious water and food they will end up like many others who end up passing out due to starvation or dehydration and eventually dying. Only the fortunate have an actual place to call a home, if one considers four sticks embedded in the ground covered by old clothing a house. It is indisputable that a precarious situation exists in Haiti. Any moral human being must realize that action has to be taken. Haiti could serve as a valuable consumer market if the nation is restored back to a perpetual state of stability. It would aid every single American in that it could potentially boost our economy. It could serve as another place to have manufacturing done cheaply because Haitians are desperate for any job. We could use this nation for our advantage and integrate them as valuable aspects of our economy. The real question is not why should we help them; it actually is why should we not help this feeble nation. Haiti needs us great Americans to lend our hand and help them from their destruction and devastation. This predicament has engulfed the majority of my thoughts for the past few years. Constantly, weighing out the pros and cons of each and every situation. All of the other solutions just do not sufficiently mend the problems of Haiti, according to my calculations. This being true, the only plausible solution that would efficiently fix the immense amount of problems in Haiti is my proposal. It is reasonable to believe that the situation will only worsen. With new children being born due to the rape of women and the continuous manifestation of deadly infections it is becoming increasingly difficult for Haiti to recover. That is why direct and immediate action is imperative to the survival of this potential huge asset to America. My proposition is the perfect panacea for Haiti. It will bring an abrupt halt to all the problems in Haiti. No longer will a child have to scour the streets looking for food. No longer will mothers beg people to take their children to a safer environment. No longer will there be unconscious infants, due to dehydration and lack of nourishment, being lugged around by their elder siblings. The distress and chaos will come to an end if my modest proposal is followed with the utmost precision. It is now that I bring to you my modest proposal. It is simple really; slaughter the elderly, weak, sick, and the children, who are too young to fend for themselves. There is a plethora of uses that come from their bodies. First the bones can be used to build much more stable houses. They can act as a very sturdy shelter that will actually be able to withstand the rainy season, unlike their current houses built from simple cloth and sticks. Then the meat, which is not infected with disease, will act as valuable source of nourishment for the hungry. I have been reassured by an array of scientists that for every one hundred grams of brain there are: 78 grams of water, 10 grams of fat, 11 grams of protein, and 1 gram of carbohydrate. This will be an easy way to get the remaining population water and the necessary nutrition they need. I assure you that this is the most efficient way to provide shelter, food, and prevent the spread of disease. There is no feasible rejection to my proposal. All of those who claim there are alternative methods to helping the Haitians are mistaken. The idea that we should take more direct action in helping Haiti is laughable. I have ventured off into Haiti once to try and help them. I had success in helping a small population in Haiti. I gave them water, helped rebuild a school, and entertained the lonely children. But what does that do? Nothing. After all, they are still in desperation; constant help and gradually development of Haiti is not the answer, clearly. There has to be one defining movement that will drastically alter their condition of lives. People just tend to forget about problems that are not in the news. Due to the incurable attention deficit disorder that has cursed this country, Haiti requires immediate and drastic action. There is much humanitarian talk of alternative absurd methods to helping this country. One is attempting to fund raise in America and use that money to build hospitals and other necessary buildings. Another idea is to aid the Haitians in reconstructing their society rather than just throwing food and water at them; basically help them become a self-sustaining nation. â€Å"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a ifetime,† obviously this Chinese proverb is just nonsense. There have even been suggestions to try and work cohesively on an international level. With these foolish proposals it should be obvious that it is mine that is the most logical and efficient. I will be the first one to initiate my proposal. I am traveling this April to do so. I have been accepting donations to fund my purchase of the toxins that will kill those who need to be killed. So I call upon the people of America to rise up and overcome their ignorance and help this nation in a true state of need.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Rich vs Poor Essay

The American Dream, the idea that every citizen can be successful if they work hard, is believable to the degree that every student going to school has the same opportunity to learn the skills needed to succeed in society. But if the opportunity for students to attain a sufficient education is imbalanced, then the likelihood of success becomes very slim for some students. Today, inequality has become a serious problem among poor students and their wealthy peers across the country, and the dream of becoming a successful icon is moving farther out of reach for them. In order to succeed in life, one depends on his or her adolescent years and years in college that desperately lean on the socioeconomic status of the parents and not only the quality of education. The achievement gap between the rich and the poor is constantly growing wider, and if nothing is done to aid poor student population the gap will continue to increase resulting in economic consequences and possibly crime among low -income adolescences who can’t cope with school life because they need to support for their family. The problem America faces is the relationship of an underprivileged socioeconomic background linked to poor child development and education. For the longest time, education has been the major lane to success in the United States. One’s life depends a lot on the skills attained from school and from family background, and the lack of opportunities influences the development of children and their future endeavors. Contrary to the middle-class and upper class children, many underprivileged children are deprived of these equal opportunities. In fact, children from low-income families get very little chances to have a normal education at all, and higher education like college and private schooling is essentially an unattainable dream that they can imagine but it never actually comes true. Due to the lack of resources and finances the initial opportunities of people from low-income families are consistently worse than opportunities of the rest of American children. Reading Richard D. Kahlenburg’s â€Å"5 Myths About Who Gets Into College,† he states that a 2004 Century Foundation study found that at the most selective universities and colleges, â€Å"74 percent of students come from the richest quarter of the population, while just 3 percent come from the bottom corner† (495). Correspondingly, SAT scores play an important role in being admitted to a good university. Students who come from areas with high poverty rates and come from low-income families usually score, on average, â€Å"784 points lower than the more privileged and fortunate student body† (Kahlenburg, 495). Even when students from low-income families score high on standardized testing and receive admittance to a university, their families have trouble supporting their children’s education financially. Consequently, these children are basically forced to work to earn enough money to keep his/her family alive, so ultimately college is a very diffic ult education level to attain. Naturally, most people are equally as intelligent, but in society today it matters what environment one lives in and what quality opportunities are presented depending on social status. For most people summer is a time to relax, but if you want to keep up with your classmates maybe its time to pick up a book! During summer break there is a common decline in learning that students experience, and this is called the summer slide. Three researchers from Johns Hopkins University named Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, and Linda Olson, researched this issue thoroughly by performing longitudinal studies on Baltimore students from 1st grade through age 22. During the academic year, lower-class children achieved the same reading levels as their middle and upper class peers, but children from lower-class families diminished in reading skills once summer started. Children from more affluent families have more opportunities such as summer school, tutoring, and other programs that low-income children cannot afford. It is concluded: â€Å"two-thirds of the ninth grade reading achievement gap can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during elementary school† (Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, Linda Olson). Another recent study resulted in similar conclusions to the one completed by the researchers of Johns Hopkins University. In an essay written by McCombs, J. S., Augustine, C.H., and Schwar tz, H.L, they acknowledge that during the summer students in elementary school lose about a month of knowledge and skill, and even worse off, lower-income students can lose up to two or three  months. And so low-income students fall disproportionally behind in reading while their middle and upper income peers may even gain skills in reading because of the summer activities available for them. The worst part of it all is that summer learning loss is cumulative and as time progresses, low-income and higher-income students’ performance starts to segregate, thus contributing significantly to a wider achievement gap. If you notice, in Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, and Linda Olson study, they talk about lower-class children achieving the same reading levels as their middle and upper class peers in a given academic year. This goes to prove that it is not so much the school and poor teaching that causes such an increase in the achievement gap between the rich and the poor over the last few decades, but the way people make use of their summers and time spent away from school regarding socioeconomic status. Not only does this apply to summers and time from school, but also a child’s success in life greatly depends on his or her family background the years before school even starts. Children have the ability to effortlessly learn a new language or a subject in school because of their cognitive skills that work much better than in later years. So it is apparent that they receive the best environment and treatment from their parents in order to start kindergarten on the right track. What can we do about the problems lower-class children in early years face in relation to poor societal status and low-income? One effective way to narrow the achievement gap between the rich and the poor would be to make sure all students have admittance to a committed, cognitively motivating environment in the comfort of their own home and in preschool locations, so no matter where the children are they can feel safe and secure in these child- friendly areas. In order to do this, we need an economy that can provide poor families with sufficient incomes/wages. More jobs, more affordable health care, and child-care programs are also necessary to increase the average income of lower-class individuals and boost the socioeconomic status so many suffer under. Another good idea to enhance the lives of young children preparing for the educational world, are programs like the Nurse-Family Partnership where nurses help low-income, first-time mothers raise their children and learn skills need ed to become a good parent and give their children the best start in life possible. Getting a good start in life and being ready for Kindergarten years is a very crucial among peers  because, currently, the preparation gap for school considering middle and upper class students is much greater than lower-class students who do not have the resources necessary to catch up to their affluent pupils. Consequently, another solution that may tighten the gap between low-income students and high-income students, regarding preparation for early years of school, would be to start public education at an earlier age. At first the cost may appear to be quite expensive because of the extra years of schooling needing funding, but the social benefits of a decreased inequality gap could outweigh the costs of the extra years in the long run. In fact, it would not only reduce the inequality gap, but it would also upsurge the amount of women remaining at work after pregnancy, resulting in an increase in GDP as well. The best manner in reducing educational inequality is to guarantee that all children begin school on an even note. Schools do not have the power and the determination alone to fix the gap so it the state, federal government, and American citizens to put these issues on top of the list of economic duties. Without a proper education, students living in lower-class areas don’t ha ve the necessary tools that will help them escape the life they would otherwise resort to, crime, if school were not to work out. The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood by David Simon and Edward Burns is a good example of why improvements in education opportunities and achievement for low-income cities need to be made. Through the eyes of the protagonist DeAndre McCullough, we are introduced to the brutal, threatening conditions of inner city life, which many low-income students suffer from due to a number of socioeconomic problems they face. As a result of being a victim of these conditions, DeAndre has lost all motivation to think about his future, â€Å"Maybe he’d think more about his future if it were clear he had one.†(David Simon). He has accepted the fact that his life could end at any moment, ultimately resulting in a loss of purpose. This acceptance is reflected in others with similar situations, they turn to the streets because â€Å"In this place only, they know what they are, why they are, and what it is that they are supposed to do. Here, they almost matter†(David Simon). Children who are not born with the privileges rich peers have acquired, have a choice between joining the street life to get by or follow an educational route; but unfortunately in society today, the first choice is more promising. However, with proper motivation and  better learning facilities, young teenagers like DeAndre don’t have to make these assumptions. The achievement gap between the poor and rich is continuously widening due to the fact that low-income children can’t break out of their parents’ social status very easily while wealthy children have all the resources necessary to be prosperous. According to Stanford professor Sean Reardon, the difference in average academic skills of children in low-income and high-income families is â€Å"roughly 30 to 40 percent larger among children born in 2001 than among those born twenty-five years earlier† (Reardon). Low-income students usually end up just keeping their parents socioeconomic status because they cannot afford to attend nice schools and acquire all the outside resources and extra help necessary; vise versa, families with high income have a greater chance to send their children to sufficient schools and tend to have saf er learning environments than low-income individuals. It is the poor staying relatively still throughout the twenty-five years regarding increased income, while the middle/upper class group accumulates a lot of money, which, in turn, increases the income gap between the two groups. The increase in the income gap between poor and rich parents means that there is an increase in the achievement gap between poor and rich students. In recent years, a lot of focus has been put on preparing young children for next level education like Kindergarten and elementary school, because ensuring readiness is very important for a proper learning experience. However, let’s take into account all the negative aspects that normally play into the socioeconomic background of students in low-income families: 1) Low-income level of parents, 2) parents unemployed or have minimum wage jobs, 3) either parents never went to college or never even finished high school, 4) single mother/ father in prison (Willis, 2007). Low-income students from these kinds of families have a small chance of social mobility and will likely just follow in the footprints their parents left behind. Adolescences don’t have the motivation to try in school because they know where their life is going to be headed regardless. Many poor families would love to get off of welfare, live on the beach, achieve a better socioeconomic status, etc. but segregation between low-income families and middle/high income families forces the two groups to live in areas  corresponding to their income level. So even if poor students want to gain a sufficient education, they will have a lot of trouble getting it because poverty follows them wherever they go. As we already know, education opportunities of children from low-income families are consistently worse than those of the middle and upper class. Such a situation is very dangerous for the future of children because, currently, education is one of the major conditions that lead individuals to progress and a successful career. In fact, without good education, these children will not have good job opportunities and, therefore, the competitiveness in the labor market will be extremely low. And not only does poverty link to poor education, it also strongly correlates with meager health benefits. Poor health is affecting the low-income population due to low paying jobs having bad health insurance and not giving individuals enough money to get better insurance. Middle-class and upper-class societies are given better health benefits than the poor, less fortunate because they have more opportunities in attaining jobs with good health benefits. As a result, the lack of educational opportunities deprives them of future job opportunities and health benefits, and children from low-income families are stuck in a kind of vicious circle, from which only few can find the way out. The opportunities presented to the middle-class and upper-class population are a lot more abundant and superior quality. The Federal government and the state governments need to find a balance between the two economic groups and offer better schooling to the less fortunate so they can catch up to the standards of the better educated collection of individuals and families. This inequality of achievement between the social classes is leaving the poor in the dust as the middle and upper class individuals take advantage of all the necessities of a good education. Work Cited: Alexander, K. L, Entwisle, D., & Olson, L. (2007). Lasting consequences of the summer learning gap. American Sociological Review, 72, 167-180. Hernandez, D.J. (2011) Double jeopardy: Highways creation linked to the economy. Baltimore: Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kahlenburg, Richard D. â€Å"5 Myths About Who Gets Into College.† Read, Reason, Write An Argument Text and Reader. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. McCombs, J. S., Augustine, C. H., Schwartz, H. L, Bodilly, S. J., McInnis, B., Lichter, D. S, & Cross, A. B. (2011). Making summer count: How summer programs can boost students’ learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Reardon, S.F. (2012). The widening academic achievement gap between the rich and the poor. Community Investments: Summer 2012, 24(2), 19-39.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Report on Employee Benefits Essay Example

Report on Employee Benefits Essay Example Report on Employee Benefits Essay Report on Employee Benefits Essay Table of Contents Topic Page Number 1. Profile of AB Bank6 2. Organizational Objectives 9 3. Employee Objectives 9 4. Employee Benefit10 5. Categories of Employee Benefit in AB Bank10 6. Required or Mandatory Security10 7. Provident Fund11 8. Holiday Pay-11 i. Vacation11 ii. Leave of Absence11 9. Health and Insurance Benefits-12 i. Life Insurance and Auto Insurance12 10. Transport Facilities 13 11. Loan 13 12. Bonus 13 13. Recreation Facilities13 14. Neat and Clean Working Environment 13 15. Non-financial Benefits-13 i. Stock Benefits13 ii. ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)14 iii. Educational Benefit14 iv. Cafeteria Plan14 16. Reasons of Providing so many Benefits14 17. Comments and Recommendation 15 Executive Summery This report is on the employee benefits of AB bank. Employee benefits  are various non-wage compensations provided to  employees  in addition totheirnormal  wages  or  salaries. AB Bank commits to nation to take a lead in the Banking sector through not only its strong financial position, but also through innovation of products and services. It also ensures creating higher value for its respected customers and shareholders. The bank has focused to bring services at the doorstep of its customers, and to bring millions into anking channels those who are outside the mainstream banking arena. This bank is serving their employees to fulfill the employee’s need. Young employees tend to favour benefits that can be frequent or immediate use such as vacation days, holydays, and flexible working hours. Older employees are usually security conscious, preferring lif e insurance and retirement related benefits. AB bank’s purpose of giving the benefits is to increase the economic security of employees. All the benefit is really convenient to retain its human resource and motivating. AB Bank Limited is committed to focus to all its energy not only on its customer as well as its employee. Profile of AB Bank AB Bank Limited, the first private sector bank was incorporated in Bangladesh on 31st December 1981 as Arab Bangladesh Bank Limited and started its operation with effect from April 12, 1982. AB Bank is known as one of leading bank of the country since its commencement 29 years ago. It continues to remain updated with the latest products and services, considering consumer and client perspectives. AB Bank has thus been able to keep their consumer’s and client’s trust while upholding their reliability, across time. During the last 29 years, AB Bank Limited has opened 82 Branches in different Business Centers of the country, one foreign Branch in Mumbai, India and also established a wholly owned Subsidiary Finance Company in Hong Kong in the name of AB International Finance Limited. To facilitate cross border trade and payment related services, the Bank has correspondent relationship with over 220 international banks of repute across 58 countries of the World. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. In spite of adverse market conditions, AB Bank Limited which turned 28 this year, concluded the 2008 financial year with good results. The Bank’s consolidated profit after taxes amounted to Taka 230 cr which is 21% higher than that of 2007. The asset base of AB grew by 32% from 2007 to stand at over Tk 8,400 cr as at the end of 2008. The Bank showed strong growth in loans and deposits. Deposit of the Bank rose by Tk. 1518 cr ie. , 28. 45% while the diversified Loan Portfolio grew by over 30% during the year and recorded a Tk 1579 cr increase. Foreign Trade Business handled was Tk 9,898 cr indicating a growth of over 40% in 2008. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The Bank maintained its sound credit rating in 2008 to that of the previous year. The Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) awarded the Bank an A1 rating in the long term and ST-2 rating in the short Term. Innovative products and services were introduced in the field of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) credit, Women’s Entrepreneur, Consumer Loans, Debit and Credit Cards (Local International), ATMs, Internet and SMS Banking, Remittance Services, Treasury Products and Services, Structured Finance for Corporate, strengthening and expanding its Islamic Banking activities, Investment Banking, specialized products and services for NRBs, Priority Banking, and Customer Care. The Bank has successfully completed its automation project in mid 2008. It envisages enabling customers to get banking services within the comfort of their homes and offices. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. AB Bank has continuously invests into its biggest asset, the human resource to drive forward with its mission â€Å"to be the best performing bank in the country. † AB is recognized as the people’s choice, catering to the satisfaction of its cliental. Their satisfaction is AB’s success. Vision Statement To be the trendsetter for innovative banking with excellence perfection Mission Statement To be the best performing bank in the country Organizational Objectives Time-off benefits such as vacations, holidays, and rest breaks help employees reduce fatigue, enhancing productivity during the hours when the employees do work. Similarly, retirement, health care, and disability benefits may allow workers to be more productive by freeing then of concern about medical and retirement costs. If there benefits were not available, employees might elect to form a union and collectively bargain with the employer. Although collective action is legal, employers such as Intel prefer to remain nonunion). * Reduce Fatigue * Discourage Labor Unrest * Satisfy Employee Objectives * Aid Recruitment * Reduce Turnover * Minimize Overtime Costs Employee Objectives The real advantages to employees of employer provided benefits are lower costs and availability. For example, insurance benefits are usually less expensive because the employer may pay some or all of the costs, as Intel does. Group plans save the cost of administering and selling many individual policies. The insurer also can reduce the risk of adverse selection, which occurs when individuals sign up for insurance because they are heavy users. Actuaries- the specialists who compute insurance rates- can pass on these savings in the form of smaller premiums even if workers say the entire premium. Employee Benefit Today’s workers expect more than just an hourly wage or a salary from the employer. They want additional considerations that will enrich their lives. These considerations in an employment setting are called employee benefits. Employee benefits have grown in importance and verity over the past several decades. To get more from workers AB bank tries to give their best benefits to their works. The irony, however, is that while benefits must be offered to attract and retain good workers, benefits as a whole do not directly affect a worker’s performance. Benefits are generally membership based, offered to employees regardless of their performance levels. Categories of Employee Benefits In AB Bank Today’s organizations must satisfy the diverse benefit needs of their employees. They adjust benefit programs to reflect a different focus to chieve the goal of â€Å"something of value† for each worker. Banks operating in Bangladesh must provide certain benefits to their employees of whether they want to or not, they must be provided in a nondiscriminatory manner. AB bank is also giving some extra employee benefits with mandatory employee benefits in order to retain employees. Categories of emplo yee benefit in AB bank- Required or Mandatory Security Government requires that employers provide a certain limit of protection or a security floor for each employee. There are three primary area of compulsory security. Workers Compensation- AB bank is offering employee insurance that provides income continuation if a worker is injured on the job. It may cost more to subscribe to health coverage, the cost is still minimal compared with the costs of a disastrous illness. Provident Fund Over 90 percent of full time workers at companies with more than 100 employees are covered by retirement plans, according to the employee benefits Research Institute. Pension plan are considered rewards for long service and are not incentives to work more efficiently of effectively unless the premium is thee to a stock option plan, as scars is. AB bank’s retirement plans are used primarily to retain a loyal workforce. A fixed percentage of salary has been given by AB bank as pension. Holiday Pay After employees have been with an organization for a specific period of time, they usually become eligible for a paid vacation. AB bank provides pay for all established holidays such as Eid, Puja, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Christmas and other scheduled holyday. The reason behind paid holyday is to provide a break in which employee can refresh themselves. i. Vacation AB bank offers paid vacations that range from one to six weeks per year. In off poll, employees rated paid vacations and holidays as the third most important benefit behind medical insurance and pension. ii. Leave of Absence Leaves are given for – * Jury Duty- When a person is called for jury duty in the, that service is usually not optional, one must attend or face strict penalties. Employers are not allowed to fire an employee simply for being called to jury duty. AB bank employees are in a paid status of leave for the time they spend by serving jury duty. Election- Employees will get leave of absence during election. * Sickness- If any employee got sick during working days, then the employee will get leave of absence. * Maternity- If any female employee of AB bank becomes pregnant while in employment, she is entitled to take maternity leave. The entitlement to a basic period of maternity leave from employment extends to all female employees in AB bank (including casual work ers), regardless of how long she has been working for the organization or the number of hours worked per week. Health and Insurance Related Benefits It is big challenge for organization to maintain the adequate coverage by limited fund. Employers offer are various types of coverage including- * Life and Auto Insurance- Life and auto insurance is a valuable benefit to  offer employees. It plays a major role to attract and retain good quality staff. Employees of AB bank should have life and auto insurance. Health Benefit Cost containment method * Employee Co-payment * Employee Payment of Deductible * Self Funded Insurance * Wellness Program * Providing More Information * Restriction on Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Program Transport Transport facilities are always available for employees. But there are difference between transport facilities for the officer and employees. Loan Staff banking privileges, including special interest rates for car loans, sundry loans and home loans. Bonus AB bank gives bonus for all the employees and it is given in the two Eid. But how much get it’s depends on the position. Recreation AB bank tries to keep their employees enthusiastic all the time. Every winter there is a picnic for all the employees of AB bank outside Dhaka with full family. Neat and Clean Working Environment Working environment is a big factor for workers. Today’s workers like to work in a cool air fresh environment. AB bank offers a very neat and clean working environment and well furnished office. It’s very important to provide a healthy environment to keep employees healthy. Non-financial Benefits The use of a company car, company expense account, club membership, help in buying and selling a home and the use of company owned report condominiums are example of perks available to manager, executives, and some employees. AB bank offers several non financial benefits like- Stock Benefits Employee thrift, saving, or stock purchase investment plan are also popular. For example in a stock option plan am employee is often guaranteed the right to buy share of company stock at a discount or certain price. Employees who are working for AB bank for 20 years or more they will be eligible for stock benefit. Core employees will have these unique facilities. Employee is often guaranteed the right to buy share of company stock at a discount or a certain price. ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) When stock is provided as a pan of profit-sharing plan an employee stock ownership plan is developed. When AB bank get certain super benefit then provides some benefit to employee stock owner. Educational Benefit AB bank offers free courses to employees in areas such as computer skills upgrading, business writing and communication, and project planning and training. Cafeteria Plan Because of the verity of option in the benefit area many employers have shifted to or are considering cafeteria plan. As noted earlier cafeteria plan allows employees to pick and choose from a variety of benefit options much as a person choose food at a cafeteria. AB bank has their own cafeteria for the employees. Reasons of Providing so many Benefit We must realize that employees may be paying more for or getting less of the benefits that employers offer. Economic hardships are a reality, and cost cutting measures are mandated. Employees must be willing to accept less if they are to progress in the future. In todays competitive job market, health insurance and life insurance can be a highly effective means of attracting and retaining employees. Continuous improvements, increasing benefits and client work that employee’s value has all helped improve morale and loyalty. In AB Bank, the employees are reward for their valuable contributions with competitive salaries and benefits and great incentives. Comments and Recommendation AB Bank Limited, the pioneer private Bank of the country has created a sense of mass participation through its diversified activities over the last 28 years. Their numbers of client’s service recovers and supporters have been increase rapidly. Even their employee number is now around 2000. They are maintaining their banking business with their 82 branches. For its diversified banking service, it has got a wide range of publicity and created a special image the banking area in the country. ABBL has started making profit from 1985 to still now. Now they are the second highest profit making organization among the private commercial banks of Bangladesh. As because AB Bank believes in modernization, AB bank should pay overtime to the officer who works beyond the working hours and the bank should provide daycare center for children if possible.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Terminal Velocity and Free Fall

Terminal Velocity and Free Fall Terminal velocity and free fall are two related concepts that tend to get confusing because they depend on whether or not a body is in empty space or in a fluid (e.g., and atmosphere or even water). Take a look at the definitions and equations of the terms, how they are related, and how fast a body falls in free fall or at terminal velocity under different conditions. Terminal Velocity Definition Terminal velocity is defined as the highest velocity that can be achieved by an object that is falling through a fluid, such as air or water. When terminal velocity is reached, the downward force of gravity is equal to the sum of the objects buoyancy and the drag force. An object a terminal velocity has zero net acceleration. Terminal Velocity Equation There are two particularly useful equations for finding terminal velocity. The first is for terminal velocity without taking into account buoyancy: Vt (2mg/Ï ACd)1/2 where: Vt is the terminal velocitym is the mass of the object that is fallingg is acceleration due to gravityCd is the drag coefficientÏ  is the density of the fluid through which the object is fallingA is the cross-sectional area projected by the object In liquids, in particular, its important to account for the buoyancy of the object. Archimedes principle is used to account for the displacement of volume (V) by the mass. The equation then becomes: Vt [2(m - Ï V)g/Ï ACd]1/2 Free Fall Definition The everyday use of the term free fall is not the same as the scientific definition. In common usage, a sky diver is considered to be in free fall upon achieving terminal velocity without a parachute. In actuality, the weight of the sky diver is supported by a cushion of air. Free fall is defined either according to Newtonian (classical) physics or in terms of general relativity. In classical mechanics, free fall describes the motion of a body when the only force acting upon it is gravity. The direction of the movement (up, down, etc.) is unimportant. If the gravitational field is uniform, it acts equally on all parts of the body, making it weightless or experiencing 0 g. Although it might seem strange, an object can be in free fall even when moving upward or at the top of its motion. A skydiver jumping from outside the atmosphere (like a HALO jump) very nearly achieves true terminal velocity and free fall. In general, as long as air resistance is negligible with respect to an objects weight, it can achieve free fall. Examples include: A spacecraft in space without a propulsion system engagedAn object thrown upwardAn object dropped from a drop tower or into a drop tubeA person jumping up In contrast, objects not in free fall include A flying birdA flying aircraft (because the wings provide lift)Using a parachute (because it counters gravity with drag and in some cases may provide lift)A skydiver not using a parachute (because the drag force equals his weight at terminal velocity) In general relativity, free fall is defined as the movement of a body along a geodesic, with gravity described as   space-time curvature. Free Fall Equation If an object is falling toward the surface of a planet and the force of gravity is much greater than the force of air resistance or else its velocity is much less than terminal velocity, the vertical velocity of free fall may be approximated as: vt gt v0 where: vt is the vertical velocity in meters per secondv0 is the initial velocity (m/s)g is the acceleration due to gravity (about 9.81 m/s2 near Earth)t is the elapsed time (s) How Fast Is Terminal Velocity? How Far Do You Fall? Because terminal velocity depends on drag and an objects cross section, there is no one speed for terminal velocity. In general, a person falling through the air on Earth reaches terminal velocity after about 12 seconds, which covers about 450 meters or 1500 feet. A skydiver in the belly-to-earth position reaches a terminal velocity of about 195 km/hr (54 m/s or 121 mph). If the skydiver pulls in his arms and legs, his cross section is decreased, increasing terminal velocity to about 320 km/hr (90 m/s or just under 200 mph). This is about the same as the terminal velocity achieved by a peregrine falcon diving for prey or for a bullet falling down after having been dropped or fired upward. The world record terminal velocity was set by Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from 39,000 meters and reached a terminal velocity of 134 km/hr (834 mph). References and Further Reading Huang, Jian (1999). Speed of a Skydiver (Terminal Velocity). The Physics Factbook. Glenn Elert, Midwood High School, Brooklyn College.All About the Peregrine Falcon. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. December 20, 2007. (archived)The Ballistician (March 2001). Bullets in the Sky. W. Square Enterprises, 9826 Sagedale, Houston, Texas 77089.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Out line a plan to work with one client Assignment

Out line a plan to work with one client - Assignment Example The dependent variable can be withdrawn or varied as is necessary to the study. Single research design is the most applicable because it provides a framework for one on one work with a single client. Single research design focuses only on a single subject as the name suggests. As an alternative to group research design, single system design is structured differently in such a way that it can easily adapt to social work practice. As a result, it is the most accurate method of research on interventions and other social work practices (Royse, 2009). The process of single-system design entails identifying target problems, undertaking pre-intervention measures, providing the intervention, taking additional measures and evaluating the efficacy of the intervention. Multiple base designs will ensure that the client does not reverse to the old behaviors during the withdrawal phase. As the name suggests, multiple baseline designs introduces the baselines in sequence. For instance, the baseline for self-efficacy may last for four sessions while the baseline for parenting skills may last for seven sessions. These baseline sessions may overlap, allowing the researcher to determine the behaviors influenced by the intervention while controlling for the external events. On the other hand, Single-system design is the best choice since it focuses on the individual and not a group. Contrary to group design, single system is concerned with whether an intervention works for the client while the group design is concerned with the average change. It delivers a framework that allows the practitioner to asses and specifies the client’s goals, implement interventions, safely terminate with the client and perform follow up activities. SSD was created speci fically to address social work practice that group designs could not. As such, it is most suited for social practitioners especially in evaluations of efficacy of their programs with

Friday, November 1, 2019

Employees' Development plan supporting individual and organizational Research Paper

Employees' Development plan supporting individual and organizational effectiveness in an organisation - Research Paper Example Introduction The global financial crisis has turned some companies to scrimp on their budgets just keep them afloat in these difficult times. Many people have lost their jobs as a result of the budget cuts. For employees left to work to help their companies rise above the economic crunch, training and development are ensured in the expectation that it will contribute towards the betterment of not only the individual employee but of the whole organization as well. Employee development has been identified as key to improving overall organizational effectiveness. Jacobs and Washington (2003) have defined it as: â€Å"Employee development refers to an integrated set of planned programs, provided over a period of time, to help assure that all individuals have the competence necessary to perform to their fullest potential in support of the organization’s goals† ( 344). One organization that continues to reap success in spite of the economic crisis is McDonald’s Food Co rporation. This company has gained a reputation for excellent standards in food and service. Recently, it is also being known as a supportive employer offering a remarkable employee development program. Background of the Organisation McDonald’s was first developed by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in 1940. They concentrated on just a few products with their juicy hamburgers as their main seller. In 1954, Ray Kroc was appointed by the brothers to be the first franchisee in San Bernardino, California. He opened his first restaurant the following year in Des Plaines, Illinois and the McDonald’s Corporation was created (McSpotlight.org, 2010). The company upheld the highest quality in food, service, cleanliness and value that Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (Q.S.C. & V.) became the company motto since 1957. In 1961, Ray Kroc bought all rights to the McDonald’s concept from the McDonald brothers (mcspotlight.org). He also opened the Hamburger University in El k Grove, near Chicago where people intending to be in the business were given high quality training and development. Since then, McDonald’s kept growing in terms of business and innovative products and concepts that attracted the international market to acquire franchise stores in their countries. The awards reaped by the company throughout the years prove that McDonald’s is one company committed not only to the highest standards of excellence in the food service industry but also to being a great employer that motivates its employees to strive for their best performance. Literature Review on Learning and Employee Development Nowadays, people have more access to learning. More and more training courses are developed and offered in schools and online for people who want to go further in what they know to gain skills and knowledge in their own areas of interest. The term learning may be defined in a myriad of ways. â€Å"Learning is the act or process by which behaviora l change, knowledge, skills and attitudes are acquired† (Boyd, Apps, et al., 1980:100-101). Learning is not limited to schooling, especially for adult learners who seek knowledge from many sources other than schools. Knowles et al. (2007) theorizes that adult learning is organized around the notion that adults learn best in informal, comfortable, flexible and nonthreatening settings. Employees who engage in further learning have their own motivations that urge them to carry on. The motivation to learn is affected by the