How individuals, institutions, governments and business acquire financial resources - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 697 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Organizations or intermediaries that help the financial system operates efficiently and transfer funds from savers and investors to individuals, business and government that seek to spend or invest the funds. Financial Markets: These are the physical location or electronic forums that facilitate the flow of funds amongst investors, business and governments Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How individuals, institutions, governments and business acquire financial resources" essay for you Create order Investments: It involves sale or marketing of securities, the analysis of securities, and the management of investment risk management of investment risk through portfolio diversification. Financial Management: It involves financial planning, asset management, and fund raising decision to enhance the value of business. Course Work: Question No. 1: Net Present Value: It is basically the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows. NPV is used in capital budgeting to analyze the profitability of an investment or project. If the NPV of the project is positive, then the project should be accepted. However, if NPV of that project is negative, the project should probably be rejected because cash flows of that project will also be negative. Calculations for Alice and Wonderland Limited: The market weighted gearing of Alice Ltd pound;1 ordinary shares amounts 500 million GBP = owns 500 million shares. Market value of shares = 500-4 = pound;2000 million Market value of bonds = 5.7-93 = pound;530.1 million Market value of debt = pound;530.1 million Total value = 2700+530.1 = pound;3230.1 million Fraction debt = 530.1/3230.1 = 16.4% Fraction equity = 2700/3230.1 = 83.6% Asset beta for Alice Ltd Assets beta = (2700/ (2700+530.1-.65))-1.5 = (2700/ (2700+344.565))-1.5 = (2700/3044.565)-1.5 = 0.887-1.5 = 1.33 Wonderland equity beta Beta wonderland = 1.33 (1 + (0.35-0.65/0.65)) = 1.33 (1 + 0.35) = 1.33- 1.35 = 1.796 Cost of equity Using CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model), the formula for cost of equity is Cost of equity = risk free rate + beta- (market return risk free rate) Cost of equity = 3.5% + 1.796- (12% 3.5%) = 3.5% + 1.796-8.5% = 3.5% + 15.27% = 18.77% CAPM: It is a model which describes the relationship between risk and expected return and that is used in the pricing of risky securities. This model says that the expected return of a portfolio or of a security equals the rate on a risk-free security plus a risk premium. If this expected return does not match or beat the required return, then the investment should not be undertaken. The security market line plots the results of the CAPM for all different risks (betas) Cost of equity for Wonderland Inc. = 18.77% Capital Asset Pricing Model Cost of equity = 18.77% Cost of debt = 8% Fraction debt = 35% Fraction equity = 65% WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital): Corporate assets are financed by two ways either by debt or by equity. WACC is the average of the costs of these sources of financing, each of which is calculated by its respective use in the given situation. By taking a calculated average, we can see how much interest the corporate has to pay for every penny a corporate finances in the project or in its business. WACC can be calculated as follow: WACC = Fraction equity cost of equity + fraction debt cost of debt- (1 T) WACC = 0.65-0.1877 + 0.35-0.8- (1 0.35) = 12.2% + 0.35-0.8-0.65 = 12.2% + 18.2% = 30.4% NPV for Wonderland Theme Park: Admission price = 25- (0.3-20,000) + 15-(0.7-20,000) = 150,000 + 210,000 = pound;360, 00 Contribution from food and drinks = 10-20,000-0.4 = pound;80,000 Contribution from gifts and souvenirs = 7-20,000-0.45 = pound;63,000 Revenues = pound;503,000/day Revenue Projections Annual revenues = 503,000-365 = pound;183.6 million Revenues at year 0 = pound;183.6 million Revenue at year 1 = 183.6-1.05 = pound;192.78 million Revenue at year 2 = 192.78-1.05 = pound;202.4 million Revenue at year 3 = 202.4-1.05 = pound; 212.52 million Revenue at year 4 = 212.52-1.05 = pound;223.146 million Revenue at year 5 = 223.146-1.05 = pound;234.3033 million Wonderland can secure a loan of pound;400 million at 8% fixed rate. Thus the company will pay an interest on the loan which is tax-free. Hence this must be excluded from the taxable income similar to capital allowance. Hence the company will pay pound;32 million as interest every year. The after tax realizable value of the non-current assets after five years of the project is given to be between pound;100 million and pound;200 million. This is assumed to be pound;150 million. NPV= initial cash outlay of -250 -net working capital of -60= net cash flow of -310 Critical Analysis: Going with the NPV rule for single projects, the negative NPV of cash flows indicates that the theme park project should not be undertaken.

Genocide An International Crime - 2054 Words

Genocide is a horrific, systematic destruction of people that affects the international community because of its severity and violation of human rights. Genocide is considered an international crime because its consequences rattle the world. Genocide can occur for many reasons. The reasons vary from a group feeling threatened, to sending a warning to others, or to simply gain power among the community. Another reason for the occurrence of genocide may be to gain wealth, whether it is economical or territorial. If a group sees another as a barrier between their wealth and power they will do whatever it takes to exterminate the threat. In this paper, I will focus on the Rwandan Genocide that occurred in 1994 and the impact it had on the victims. Genocide was defined in 1948 by the United Nations as an international crime. Prior to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany, there was no definition for the word genocide. The international world realized that this was a major crime that could not go unnoticed and needed to start defining and prosecuting perpetrators. The UN identified genocide as the killing of groups, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting on the group actions to bring physical destruction, preventing births within the group, or forcibly transferring children from one group to another (Campbell, 2009). Any one of these acts executed with the purpose to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group isShow MoreRelatedThe International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide2250 Words   |  9 Pagestheir will. This essay will look into relevant case law, analysing and evaluating judgments of a particular case in relation to the stolen generation being a form of cultural genocide. This essay will also critically analyse arguments and evidence that surrounds the topic as to whether the stolen generations was a form of genocide made by the Australian Government at the time. II Kruger v Commonwealth The matter of the Alec Kruger and other plaintiffs against the Commonwealth of Australia was heardRead MoreThe Armenian Genocide Committed By The Ottoman Empire1579 Words   |  7 PagesThe Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire against its minority Armenian population from 1915-1917 left an estimated 1.5 million dead and to date, not one individual has been tried for these egregious crimes. The mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in World War I and Jews by the Nazis in World War II shocked the conscience of the international community and led to the creation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), in order toRead MoreThe End Of The Cold War1069 Words   |  5 Pagesreconciliation period were accountability and reconciliation. To facilitate this in two different post conflict environments, two respective tribunals were established. These tribunals were known as the ICTY (The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, est.1993) and ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, est.1994) . The ICTY was formed to address the conflict in former Yugoslavia. The situation started when two of the six republics of Yugoslavia, Slovenia and Croatia, declaredRead MoreInternational Community Is Culpable For The Rwandan Genocide1376 Words   |  6 PagesTutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered during the Rwandan genocide (Destexhe, 1994). The international community failed to prevent or stop this slaughter. Considering the horrific nature of this genocide and the vast number of victims, there is a question whether the international community is culpable for the Rwandan genocide; specifically, the role of its key players, the US, the UN, France and Belgium. I will argue that the international community is culpable and focus on three reasons for thisRead MoreCrimes Against Humanity : Genocide1414 Words   |  6 Pages Crimes against Humanity final Name: Institution: â€Æ' Crimes against humanity Introduction The law is credited with ensuring that people get justice and fair treatment in the legal system. The law prohibits the occurrence of different forms of crimes by prosecuting people that are found to participate in such incidences. One of the areas that have continued to have significance across the globe is international legal systems. Different crimes have been experienced in some parts of theRead MoreForensic Anthropology In War Crimes. The End Of The Twentieth1199 Words   |  5 PagesForensic Anthropology in War Crimes The end of the twentieth century was a particularly dark time in history in regards to human rights abuses and genocide. In 1948, the United Nations proposed and approved the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). This convention, put into force in 1951, confirmed that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law and that the contracting parties would undertake actionsRead MoreRwanda Genocide : The First Conviction1264 Words   |  6 Pages Rwanda Genocide: The First Conviction Kaylee Schmit Ms. Sandbulte Advanced Composition January 11, 2016 Kaylee Schmit Ms. Sandbulte Advanced Composition January 11, 2016 Rwanda Genocide: The First Conviction Rwanda is a small country in Africa, made up of three ethnic groups: the Hutus, who held the majority of the population; the Tutsis were only a small portion of the population; and there were also very few Twa. All three groups spoke Kinyarwanda. There were differences in theRead MoreThe And Punishment Of The United Nations1640 Words   |  7 PagesGermany, the international community pledged that never again would it allow monstrous crimes against humanity or genocide to take place. The United Nations recognized the need for an international criminal court to prosecute and punish persons responsible and to help end impunity for these perpetrators of the most serious crimes against humanity. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. By 1951, international treatiesRead MoreDo We Need An International Criminal Court?1227 Words   |  5 Pages Do we need an international criminal court ? The International Criminal Court (ICC), governed by the Rome Statute, is the first interminable, treaty based, international criminal court established to help end exemptions for the perpetrators of the most serious and heinous crimes of concern to the international community. The ICC was mandated in July of 1998 but was bought into force by July of 2002.1 The Rome Statute is a mutual treaty which serves as the ICC s foundational and leading documentRead MoreThe Death Of Genocide : The Annihilation Of Minorities Essay1548 Words   |  7 Pages Genocide is the systematic mass murder of an ethnic, race, religious, or national group based on discriminatory preconceptions (Payne 33). The heart of genocide is destruction: the annihilation of minorities. Minorities have always been the scapegoat for most governments in times of crisis or when the government has been mismanaged. Minorities are even considered non-human. The annihilation of a specific target group does raise to question why and how this would be carried out. A genocide happens

Deregul;Ation Of The Electrical Industry Essay Example For Students

Deregul;Ation Of The Electrical Industry Essay Deregulation of the Electrical IndustryThe roots of modern day regulation can be traced all the way back to thelate 1800s and found in the form of antitrust. By the beginning of the 20th century, the U.S. government had formed the interstate Commerce Commission to regulate the railroad industry, and shortly thereafter, many other regulatory commissions were founded in the transportation, communication, and securities fields. The main goal of these regulatory commissions was to create a reasonable rate structure that would be appealing to both producers and consumers. While this system has worked for many years, it has recently come under heavy criticism, with many people pushing for open competition among electric power producers. Although once believed to be an impossible proposal, competition among electric power producers is finally a reality in a few areas. Massachusetts is just one state where legislation implemented to create competition among electric power producers is not only favored by the people of the state, but has also provided significant rate reductions as well. The attempt at regulating price in the electric industry is a troublesome one. The objective is not only to minimize the cost to consumers, but also to create a rate structure that will entice the electric company to remain in the industry. The regulatory commission wants the electric company to have a reason to innovate so that they will be able to provide cheaper power in the future. However, if the commission captures all gains from innovation in the form of lower pric es, then the electric company has no incentive to undertake any type of innovation. Therefore, a compromise must be reached which would provide adequate incentives for firms to undertake cost-reducing actions while at the same time ensuring that the price for consumers is not exorbitant. The term regulation refers to government controlled restrictions on firm decisions over price, quantity, and entry and exit. Each factor of an industry must be regulated for producers and consumers to truly benefit. The control of price does not mean setting one fixed price, but rather entails the creation of a price structure for purchasing electricity during peak and non-peak times. The control of quantity refers to the governments attempt to control the amount produced or in this case the amount of electricity produced. For example, in the electric industry, it does not make sense to have a lot of small power plants produce electricity. However, at the same time one company can not be allowed to monopolize the industry and set prices at its own discretion. Another factor in this problem is the control of entry and exit in the electric industry. By controlling who can enter the industry, the government can control who produces the electricity and how much of it they produce. However, the effectiveness of regulation has begun to be questioned, and created the evolution of a more competitive market. Ever since the Public Utility Act of 1935, which in turn created the Federal Power Commission, the role of electric utility regulation and its effectiveness has been questioned. Since that act was passed into legislation, the question has always remained: has electric regulation made a difference? Major studies done throughout the 20th century found conflicting results. A study published in 1962 and conducted by Stigler and Friedland compared the price of electricity in states with regulation to the price in states without regulation. However, at the time all states had electric re gulation, so Stigler and Friedland had to go back to the 1920s and 1930s to find states without regulationTheir finding was as expected. In 1922, the average price of electricity was 2.44 cents per kilowatt-hour in states with regulation. However, in states without regulation, the average price increased to 3.87 cents per kilowatt-hour. While many would say that prices could vary for reasons other than regulation, Stigler and Friedland controlled the analysis of other variables and found that no significant difference in price existed. Other critics felt that this study was done in a time when regulation was just getting started, and that regulators in the present day are more effective. Two other studies which found different results were those conducted by Meyer and Leland and another done by Greene and Smiley. In their study, which used data from 1969 and 1974, Meyer and Leland utilized econometric estimates of demand and costs to find hypothetical unregulated prices. Their concl usion was that the regulated prices were significantly lower, but that even lower prices were demanded. In a similar study conducted by Greene and Smiley, they found that unregulated prices were 20-50% higher than actual regulated prices. Although these studies seem to reach conclusions that support regulation, the alternative finding by Leland and Meyer that even lower prices were demanded seems to be an indication towards open competition among electric producers. Soon thereafter, the trend toward competition between electric producers began to emerge. Life And Times Of Alexander The Great EssayHowever, even though the law seems to have many more benefits than it does negatives, it has come under recent criticism. Many opponents of the law feel it is not doing its designed purpose, and consumer backlash was so great that Issue 4 asking whether or not the law should be repealed. An organization called The Campaign for Fair Electric Rates, backed by failed congressional candidate John OConnor and consumer advocate Ralph Nader, led the effort to repeal the law, calling it the biggest consumer rip-off in Massachusetts history. The big issue involved in the attempted repeal was lawmaker reneging on their promise to protect consumers by allowing utilities to recover 100% of their bad investments. Because deregulation will cause some utilities to lose money on investments in power plants or on contracts they made when they expected to keep selling power at a regulated price, the question becomes do they deserve compensation for these st randed costs, which may approach $200 billion nationally? For instance, utilities spent more than $5 billion building the Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire, which produces 1,150 megawatts. In contrast, private developers have proposed more than 50 new plants, which combined would produce 30,000 megawatts, and the cost of these projects is estimated at slightly more than $15 billion. The utilities argue that public regulators approved those expenses and that the state can not back out on them now, stating that many plants have already begun to implement the new law, including selling most of their power plants. Repealing the law now, they argue, would create utter chaos. Therefore, a provision was written into the law allowing for utilities to recover all of their stranded costs over a 10-year transition period. While proponents of the law were hoping for a 30% rate reduction, of which two-thirds would have come from consumers not having to pay for most of the utilities strande d investments, they will now have to settle for a guaranteed 15% rate cut, hopefully with more to come through competition. The question now on everyones mind is: has the law served its purpose and reduced electric rates? In a study done by Standard and Poors DRI entitled Economic and Environmental Analysis of the New Massachusetts Electricity Law, and released on September 2, 1998, it found that the new has triggered substantial economic and environmental benefits. According to the study, electric rates will decline by almost 28% by the year 2010 as a direct result of retail competition and industry restructuring. The DRI, a conservative report when compared to others, predicts that consumers will save $470 million in 1998 alone, and increases that estimate to at least $550 million per year in future years as a result of the new law. Also, the study predicts the Commonwealth to achieve higher economic output and employment growth triggered by the estimated $10 billion consumers and businesses will save on electricity costs. By 2010, there will be over 60,000 more jobs, a $19.6 billion gain in consumers cumulative real discretionary income, and lower price inflation. All of this forecasting appears to put the law in a favorable light, but many want to know how its working now. According to the Massachusetts Electric Company, its 970,000 customers have saved a total of $67 million on their electricity bills in the first six months of the new electricity law. On September 1, savings for the companys customers increased to more than 15%, or a total savings of $25 million per month, one full year ahead of the required rate cut. This was due to the companys affiliates selling their power plants. SummaryBy examining the early results of the Massachusetts Electricity Law, along with projections such as the ones provided by Standard and Poor, one can determine that the deregulation of the electric industry has been long overdue. The deregulation of the electrical industry proves that any industry can and should be deregulated. It also proves that competition of the utility companys is in the best interest of society as a whole and that no industry should be allowed to exist without it. Economics Essays

The Odyssey Vs. The Aeneid Essays - Greek Mythology, Epic Poets

The Odyssey Vs. The Aeneid Comparisons: The Odyssey Vs. The Aeneid Virgil was a creative genius from his time, but it can be understandable that many of his works may have been influenced from previous works of literacy. A comparison of Virgil's, The Aeneid, and Homer's, The Odyssey, will help to show the different aspects of Roman and Greek cultures. It will also help to illustrate the effects the Greeks had on Roman culture. There are many differences and likenesses between these two epics. Greek culture and literature had a great dominating influence over Roman life, therefore, the influence of style and the stories written by Virgil adopted many of the old Greek ways. However, Virgil did not imitate, he gave a new meaning to the works that he borrowed and added his own thoughts and opinions that expressed and explained Roman life to the rest of the world. The Aeneid is not only a personal epic about Aeneas, but also exaltation and beautification of Rome and the future of the people. There is a greater emphasis placed upon the founding of Rome rather than the actual adventure of Aeneas. Virgil's epic shows that he had a great admiration and pride in Rome and its people. Homer used the story of The Odyssey to express his understanding of human nature and the world that humans live in. His techniques were used to express his ideas and beliefs. Homer's poems were accepted as the ultimate authority for information about mortality and early history.5 The introduction of epic poetry begins with an invocation. This is where the writer states the theme of his work and asks for divine aid in telling the story . During the time of Homer, an invocation was used as a prayer based on the belief that art and poetry were a sacred act of creation. In Virgil's time, the invocation was only used because it was a tradition in epic poetry. The change in Virgil's invocation reveals his different approach to this epic. This new subject reflects the role Aeneas plays in Rome and the influence the gods have over his future. For example, Virgil begins his epic asking for godly inspiration to tell his story correctly: ?Tell me the causes now, O Muse, how galled In her divine pride, and how sore at heart From her own wound, the queen of gods compelled him-? The Odyssey's invocation also announces the theme of his poem and he too asks for godly inspiration, except Homer uses real prayer to ask for this assistance. ?Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plunders the stronghold on the proud height of Troy.? Both of these pieces show similarities in their form and structure, but the statement that is being expressed is completely different. Homer uses more of a mythical, spiritual aspect, while Virgil uses a more formatted approach and less sacred emotions. Many of the situations from the Homeric poems are embraced in The Aeneid. They were however changed by Virgil throughout his writing of the epic. Some examples are the shipwreck, the tale told by the hero at the banquet, and the descent of Aeneas/Odysseus into Hades. The shipwreck, in the Aeneid in Book 1, is when Aeneas and his ships left Sicily, on the last part of their journey to Italy. Juno bribed Aeolus, the king of the winds, to cause a furious storm that would cause their ships to become overtaken by the sea. In The Odyssey, the shipwreck is told in Book X. Odysseus and his men landed on the island of Aeolus, the king of the winds. As a gift, from Aeolus, Odysseus received a large leather bag that contained all the vicious winds, which could drive his ships off course. When one of Odysseus' men opens the bag, the ship is blown off course and destroyed. Notice the same name used for the god Aeolus. Aeneas is asked to tell his tale at the banquet held by Dido, in Book 1, Aeneas tells his tale to Dido in Book 2. Odysseus tells his tale while he is among the Phaeacians. He tells his tale in Books IX, X. XI, and XII.

Organisational Change and Development

Introduction So as to be able to achieve organizational goals and objectives, it’s important for the organization to embrace effective interventions. Organization development interventions are aimed at increasing the performance and output of the organization. So as to be successful, organization development interventions should affect the whole organization and should go down to the individual level.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Change and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The interventions should be sponsored by the head of the company and should be supported by the organization’s staff. Interventions that should be implemented in this case should involve respect for employees and the administration, having a working administration in the organization, having trust and open channels of communication between the administration and employees. The interventions must be ab le to support open confrontation of problems that are facing the organization. Major stakeholders in the organization must also participate actively in the interventions. This will somehow give the interventions a bit of weight and seriousness Dustdar (2006). Management For any company to prosper, proper management should be implemented. Management is defined as the act of leading and directing all or part of an organizational structure through the deployment and use of resources; human, financial, material intellectual or intangible. It involves providing guidance and letting others follow through. Poor management often leads to chaos and confusion among workers in a particular company or organization, leading to misuse of available resources and hence low production Dustdar (2006). Problems noted Bladetech Australia is a manufacturing company that after a while of being a productive company has seen its growth rate dwindling. It is noted that the company has began failing due faci ng direct competition from the Korean Manufacturing of windscreen wipers and as a result causing the Australian government to reduce its tariffs. As much as the tariff reduction would help consolidate the global competitiveness of Australian companies as a whole, it also makes them four to five percent less competitive than other economies in the world. Bladetech therefore may suffer a great loss to the Korean company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bladetech a need to have better use of support functions and resources involved in new product development. This is an issue noted that has led to the inflexibility of the structure and service operations such as engineering and design. The lack of flexibility in a manufacturing company, or any company for that matter should be an issue of concern as it may lead to dysfunctional relationships between different departments in the company and miscommunication. This leads to failure in the company as a whole because it is the departments that make up the organization. Another problem facing Bladetech is the lack of proper and aggressive marketing. Marketing is an important aspect in the development and growth of a business venture. It is through marketing that a company attracts its potential customers and investors more so advertises its products creating new opportunities for market expansion. Badetech has failed in actively trying to expand its marketing horizons leading to it having limited access to its products. Bladetech has poor structure and the lack of co-ordination among the departments. The general manager is viewed as the overall overseer of the three departmental heads; operations, sales and marketing, and human resource management, under which operation and sales and marketing managers are concerned with the departments of engineering and design, manufacturing and distribution. Apart from havin g a disorganized structure, there is weak managerial competence and training at all levels of employees in the company. This has led to disunity between the various departments due to unconstructive criticism and comments towards each other. The efforts employed to initiate several training and change programs have seemed futile due to the negative attitude from the affected parties which has as a result provided almost no solution.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Change and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The manager operations points out that the marketing and the HRM fields are at fault. He notes that the marketing field engages in expensive marketing that he implies might not be necessary because he probably does not seem to see its results, whereas HRM involves itself in training and development courses. The major problem here however is the issue of pointing fingers. This partic ular manager blames his failures on his fellow colleagues without acknowledging any efforts that might have been put out by them towards the improvement of their firm. He further fails to concede that one of his teams a need attention to achieve improvement Spedding (2008). The main constraints affecting the operations group is the lack new ideas and innovation, the time taken to implement the ideas and the time it takes to come up with new products Williamson (2004). This has been greatly fuelled by the lack of proper technological assistance and the slow adoption of the latest technologies and current management practices. These management practices have been characterized by the head of operations who actually maintains that a need for an expert in organizational development is merely a waste of financial resources! According to the manager of sales and marketing, the major issue facing his field is the lack of proper rewards to him and his subordinates who often are dedicated to lengthy working hours Nuthall (2010). This has led to loss of productive force hence poor production. He further comments that his proposals for improvement have been met by strong rejections from the other fields. The lack of support of the various departments is seen as the problem here that has hindered the development of the company. It can be concluded here that each department is after individual benefits other than the general growth of the company Bates (2005). The problems affecting the accounting and financial field as mentioned by its manager is bombardment of too many changes in the field in a short spun of time. It the lacks the newest system of financial technology that might be useful in updating its financial records and is not welcoming to future changes in its operations Burrow (2008).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unfortunately, management in this department does not exhibit the confidence and assertiveness that is key to any employee that hold an important post. She avoids one on one discussion about the issues affecting her field and prefers to communicate via email. The issue with this kind of communication method especially when dealing with important matters is the information might be missed or not clearly understood. In general, the key problems facing the company are as listed: Poor organizational structure. Poor communication channels among the departments in the company. The lack of proper marketing strategies. The lack of incentives for workers. Presence of incompetent employees. The lack of new and improved technologies. The lack of new ideas for innovation. In order for Bladetech Company to move forward in their quest for improvement, there is a need for providing probable solutions to the problems that are affecting them by evaluating each individually and noting their roots S tatt (1999). Bladetech structural organization might not be viewed as a strong one in that there is only one overseer that is supposed to manage and direct operations of the other heads. This problem might be taken care of by introducing assistants to all levels of managements. This improves the chances that the head is overwhelmed by too much work hence losing track of the activities of the subordinates North (1997). Bladetech needs to work as a unit in terms of communication. Listening skills need to be used to facilitate better relations between the fields. Heads of department should try to hear each other out and try to understand the challenges that face individual fields before disregarding their opinions and wishes. This will generate better working environment comfortable to each employee Jeston (2006). Recommendations The company should improve its marketing strategies. This can be done by looking for ways to expanding market for their products, looking at the current compe titive pricing of the product in the available market and try to regulate their prices that is being fair yet competitive. Bladetech sales and promotion field should try to look for better opportunities outside and view this venture positively, not as a cost but as a means of creating awareness of their products in the global market Thomas (2011). Orientation is the most important part of the first day of an employee at a company and must be done effectively so as to ensure that new employees easy find and identify a place for themselves at the organization. There are however some improvements that the company can make to the program so as to ensure that the new employees are well oriented. The company should have extended the time that is allocated to employees for the orientation. This would give employees more time to get used to their jobs. This can help foster productivity. The orientation process should also be made broader. Instead of having a board room meeting the company s hould organize a number of activities for orientation. This is because people learn best from processes that allow them to see, feel, touch and be one with whatever they are being oriented into. This will also promote productivity and faster settling in by employees. Incompetent workers should be dealt with accordingly. First of all, uncooperative behaviour should not be condoned as this contributes to poor work ethics. Individuals exhibiting such behaviour should have their terms or contracts terminated with immediate effect. The company’s discipline system recruitment rules to guidelines that are in the form of company policies which dictate what employees are allowed to and what they are not allowed to do. The rules are enforced in all departments of the organization. This has increased awareness of employees towards disciplinary measures that the organization takes Thomas (2011). The discipline program also contains a number of steps that are geared at correcting wrong em ployee behaviour. The system has two types of warnings and reprimands that an employee could receive for any form of misbehaviour. These include verbal and written reprimands. The discipline system contains elements such as suspensions without pay where by the reprimanded employee is supposed to take some time off their work without pay and serious offenses may invite a direct dismissal of the employee. This system is effective because it keeps all employees in check and ensures that they are all well disciplined at work. Relevant training sessions and courses should be offered frequently to maintain the credibility of the human resources and to keep up to date with the current technological know-how Barrile (2007). The company also needs to update all its technological equipments so that they may be at par with their competitors Stokes (2006). Management should understand that technologies are bound to change frequently and should therefore work to enable their fields to quickly ad opt these sudden changes Longenecker (2006). This involves greatly the financial sector which is prone to breaking under these sudden changes. Bladetech need to improve management of its financial sector by introducing aggressive individuals who are up to date on the newest forms of technologies Bates (2005). The company must integrate new individuals with new ideas into their work force. This will provide ideas on the improvement of their products and their performance hence better products. It requires these individuals to research other companies’ products in order to find new ideas in producing their own improved version of the products. This may also alleviate competition which was seen as a major hindrance towards the development of the company Drucker (2007). This intervention improves the productivity of the company by modifying the existing organization structures. So that the organization can be able to achieve its goals it is important that it changes its structure . By changing the structure the organization will be able to regain control of management and employees as well. This will increase the organizations efficiency and performance Spedding (2008).The implementations of these interventions require a dedicated process. As it may be costly to integrate new forms of technology, financial back ups are needed. This also requires agreement and support of each individual in the company. They should be ready to accept and implement the changes that come along with the implementations for the overall benefit of the company’s productivity. Bladetech management should incorporate the government in its dealings overseas. This will help promote its products and increase its marketing options. Employee diversity is also a major setback to employees working together. Therefore the organization should be able to harmonize all its employees so as to be able to achieve its goals. Employee relation intervention would be very important when there ar e many conflicts at the work place, when there is recruitment of new employees and low employee morale. The organization could implement this on the individual level and also on a personal level. These include: Individual coaching and Counselling: the organization could choose to hire a professional to coach and counsel individuals in the organization. Individuals could be coached on the importance of working together with their colleagues. Counselling may also offer a chance for individuals to voice their complaints about the work place. Mentorship Programs and Visionary Leadership: the organizations top brass for example, the CEO should have a mentorship program for the organizations employees. Management should lead the other employees towards meeting the organizations goals. Leadership and mentorship should be by example. The company should also address employees as a group. The organization should resolve all conflicts that exist between employees. The organization must encoura ge dialoguing and an open communication line between employees. The organization should encourage team building and offer incentives for teams that have good performance Barrile (2007). It is also important to increase employee performance so as to increase the overall performance of the organization. The organization’s goals offer the reference to performance. The organization should clearly state its objectives and the progress to the goals must be monitored regularly. The organization should have a feedback system that tells employees hoe close or how far they are from the organization’s objectives. So as to be able to meet this objectives employee performance is critical Barrile (2007). The first step to performance management is the statement of the organization’s performance goals. The organization must have clearly stated and defined goals. Employees should be made aware of these goals. The next step would be coming up with a performance plan. The company must routinely monitor and track this plan. The organization should evaluate performance and reward where due. The performance plans of the organization should be open to development. They should allow for improvement. Morale Boosting and employee Motivation: the organization can use incentives and gifts to motivate employees. The organization should propose a system which offers employees financial incentives which are pegged on the profits made by the company. This will increase work input and output. This will in turn increase the company’s profits. Employees participating in the scheme directly affect the company’s profits. The organization must ensure that the scheme motivates the selected employees to be more productive. The goals and ambitions must be realistic and attainable. The organization must spell out goals that can be achieved. It would be best if the goals were based on the history of the company. If the goals are set too high it would demoralize emplo yees Barrile (2007). The organization should provide a suitable climate for the development of employee careers. Promotions should be given upon merit not based on years of service. This will enhance career development for hardworking employees. It will also act as a motivating factor. The organization must also plan for leadership and management. Only qualified employees should be promoted to leadership and management positions. This will ensure that the organization has competent leadership and thus increase the company’s productivity Williamson (2004). Benefits are offered by employers so as to make the employee’s stay at the company comfortably and will be more inclined to staying at the company. Other benefits that are offered by employees are so as to enable employees to be able to balance their work and social life outside work. This allows employees to have time for their family, friends or whatever they is important in their lives (Ivancevich, 2010). The main intention of these benefits is to make sure employees are highly motivated and have the morale to work. This is because the benefits are out to make employees happy and if employees are happy at the work place they will increase their work input as well as their work output. The benefits are also beneficial to the company since they ensure the company retains its critical employees. By being able to retain critical employees the organization remains strong towards the path of reaching its goals and objectives. Work life programs help to bridge the gap between work and the personal life of an employee. These programs create a balance between work and the personal lives of employees. This leads to an increase in productivity and work output and creates a better place for employees to work in. There are various options of work life programs for example adjustable work arrangements, salary bonuses and discounts foe employees. Good work life programs highly motivate employees to work bet ter and to love their jobs. Conclusion Organization Development interventions require a leader who is actively participating in the in the interventions. The organization should not implement the above discussed interventions without a good leader. It will negate the need to implement them. A leader is needed to guide and inspire the change required in the organization. The leader should be a visionary. As discussed early they should commence from the apex of the organization. They should start with the CEO and go all the way down to the lowest employee. The organization should also constantly reward employees who embrace the interventions. This will motivate all employees to embrace change Williamson (2004). Reference List Barrile Steve,and Terry Cameron. 2007 Business Management: Corporate Management, People and Change: VCE Units 3 4. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia. Bates,Bronwynne. 2005.Business Management: Fresh Perspectives. Cape Town, South Africa: Pearson E ducation. Burrow, Jim, Brad Alan Kleindl, and Kenneth E. Everard. 2008. Business Principles and Management. Mason, OH: Thomson Learning. Drucker, Peter Ferdinand. 2007. The Practice of Management. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Dustdar, Schahram, JoseÃŒ  Luiz Fiadeiro, and A. Sheth. Business Process Management: 4th International Conference, BPM 2006, Vienna, Austria, September 5-7, 2006: Proceedings. Berlin: Springer, 2006. Print. Jeston, John, and Johan Nelis. 2006. Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines to Successful Implementations. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Longenecker, Justin Gooderl, and Justin Gooderl Longenecker. 2006 Small Business Management: an Entrepreneurial Emphasis. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Longenecker, Justin Gooderl. 2010. Small Business Management: Launching Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning, Nieuwenhuizen, C.,and Barney Erasmus. 2007. Business Management for Entrepreneurs. Cape Town: J uta. North, Klaus. 1997. Environmental Business Management: an Introduction. Geneva: International Labour Office. Nuthall, P. L. 2010. Farm Business Management: the Core Skills. Cambridge, MA: CABI North American Office. Spedding, Linda S., and Adam Rose. 2008. Business Risk Management Handbook: a Sustainable Approach. Oxford: Elsevier/CIMA, Statt, David A., and David A. Statt. 1999. Concise Dictionary of Business Management. New York: Routledge. Stokes, David, Nicholas Wilson, and David Stokes. 2006. Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship. London: Thomson Learning. Thomas, Christopher and Dianne. 2011. Organisational Change Development Transformation. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Williamson, David. 2004. Strategic Management and Business Analysis. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heineman. This essay on Organisational Change and Development was written and submitted by user Ronald Nunez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Reflection on Buddhism and Ones Life Essays

Reflection on Buddhism and Ones Life Essays Reflection on Buddhism and Ones Life Essay Reflection on Buddhism and Ones Life Essay Essay Topic: Siddhartha Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Reflection on Buddhism and one’s life The mystery in all Buddhism followers takes us back to the very beginning, which is at the conception of Buddha. Buddha’s mother, Maya had a dream that showed her that an animal in the form of a white elephant and with six tusks had entered her womb. After consulting with her gods, (Das, 11) she learnt that the white elephant symbolized great wisdom, and loyal power, and she would soon bear a powerful child. Her pregnancy grew, and unlike other women, she did not experience pains during labour. Infant she gave birth while standing. This truly demonstrated that this child was unique. After the birth of the boy, it was further realized that he was extra ordinary since as an infant he was the same size as a six-month-old baby. He also had thirty-two marks of a great man. Normally these meant the child would either be a powerful king ruling quarter of the world or a Buddha. The child was then named Siddhartha that depicted ‘he whose purpose is accomplished’. Sadly, se ven days after his birth his mother died and her sister took over in raising the boy. The boy grew up in a royal family and had all he desired at the incarceration of the palace. After this, the four encounters, which are also known as the noble truth, came to being (Wilkinson, et al, 25). One time when Siddhartha was riding his chariots outside the palace, he saw a very ill man and a corpse being carried by mourners. The site traumatized him and immediately he wanted to leave home to became an ascetic, and forsake kingship. When Siddhartha was almost thirty years of age and seven days away to being crowned as the next king, he made plans of his escape. At the time, he had already gotten his first son. It was difficult for him to leave, but he had already decided. He managed to escape without anyone noticing with the help of superficial powers. The first six years after leaving, he spent with two famous ascetics, trying to learn their system to get a lasting solution to human suffering. However, he did not feel like he accomplished his mission, so he further joined a company of five other ascetics for more learning. He still did not get the satisfaction he seeked. One day when he was relaxed, he looked back into his youth and settled into a calm and peaceful state by letting his mind settle. He realized that his feeling of peace was the one thing he had been seeking (Nhat, Ha?nh, 50). This is where the Buddhist mediation theory came into being leading to the cessations, which are known as four noble truths The first noble truth stated that life is full of suffering and hence at some point in life everyone gets to experience suffering (Bstan-?dzin-rgya-mtsho, 23). The second noble statement was that suffering is caused by attachments. This meant that it is the attachments that we bind ourselves with that cause suffering. For instance, if we bind ourselves with anger and ignorance, suffering will surely follow us. Thirdly, the noble truth stated that abandoning our attachments brings release to suffering. This clearly teaches us that if we learn to let go of bindings such as pain and anger, we can attain peace, which in return reduces suffering (Novak, Philip, 69). Finally, the last noble truth tells us that we can release bindings by practicing the eight fold paths which consists of, right opinion, right intension, right conduct, right effort, right concentration, right speech, right livelihood and right mindfulness This particular Zen Koan is rather interesting as it proves to us that mindfulness is particularly important (Huikai, 62). It states that on a windy day, two men were arguing about a shaking banner. The first said, â€Å"The banner is moving and not the wind†. While the second said that, the wind was moving and not the banner. A third person happened to pass by and uttered to them that it was neither the wind nor the banner that was moving but the minds of the two men. To avoid suffering one should perceive to live a life filled with good morals, charitable behaviour, mediation, perseverance and most importantly keep the four noble truths at heart. Work cited Bstan-?dzin-rgya-mtsho. The Four Noble Truths. New York: Mystic Fire Audio, 1997. Sound recording. Das, Gupta S. Buddhism, Reflection on Religious Conversion. New Delhi, India: Cyber Tech Publications, 2010. Print. Gard, Richard A. Buddhism. New York: G. Braziller, 1961. Print. Gethin, Rupert. The Foundations of Buddhism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Internet resource. Hirota, Dennis. Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism: Creating a Shin Buddhist Theology in a Religiously Plural World. Albany, N.Y: State University of New York Press, 2000. Internet resource. Huikai, and Thomas F. Cleary. No Barrier: Unlocking the Zen Koan : a New Translation of the Zen Classic Wumenguan (mumonkan). New York: Bantam Books, 1993. Print. Humphreys, Christmas. Buddhism. London: Cassell, 1962. Print.. Nhat, Ha?nh. The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy Liberation : the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and Other Basic Buddhist Teachings. New York: Broadway Books, 1999. Print. Novak, Philip. The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions. San Francisco, Calif.: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994. Print. Wilkinson, Philip, and Steve Teague. Buddhism. New York: DK Pub, 2003. Print

1st and 2nd amendments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

1st and 2nd amendments - Essay Example 1st and 2nd amendments The first amendment is very important because it demonstrates the framers intention of making America a truly democratic state by providing several individual rights to its citizens. It first clause makes religion a subject of individual preference and thus coercion to follow the doctrines one particular religion is a state offence. The second clause endorses free speech and makes freedom of speech a legal right of its citizens. The third clause ensures constitutional right to citizens of the states to present a petition to the government to redress their grievances. It also gives them the right to make their protest in group demonstrations, held peacefully. The first amendment thus advocates strongly for freedom of religion and freedom of expression thereby not only making free religion and freedom of speech a legal right but also legitimizing peaceful mass demonstration against any injustice. Watergate Scandal has been one the most famous case where freedom of speech and expression was used by the press to expose President Nixon which resulted in his impeachment. In the famous case Edwards v Aguillard, 1986, the religious doctrines and ideas, called creation-science, were taught in the name of science and scientific facts under the act ‘The Louisiana Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act’ in complete violation of the amendment. It was challenged by a group of scientists and became one of the landmark cases in the history of Louisiana.