Revisions of Coopers Model Essay Example

Revisions of Coopers Model Essay Over the years, several revisions have been made to Coopers original model. These are; Cooper and Baglioni (1988), and Robertson, Cooper and Williams (1990). The home/work interface aspect of the model was originally part of the individual differences section, but in 1988, this was incorporated as a sixth source of stress. The reason behind this was the increasing recognition that demands and conflicts from work could act as potential sources of stress at home and could also be transferred and influence work-related well-being. Also, in 1990, Robertson et al introduced coping strategies into the model as another aspect of individual differences. Although there are several features of the work environment, which have been associated with stress, Cooper and Marshall (1976) developed one of the earliest classifications which is still widely used today (Newell 1995). Criticisms Claire Harris (1998) criticizes Coopers model as describing a model of organizational stress rather than occupational stress. She argued that it was vague in relation to particular types of job-related stress. This is evident from the sources of stress, with only those intrinsic to job being occupational stresses and the rest being generic to organizations rather than occupations. Several researchers including Cooper have noticed this problem and have used the measurement of stressors for the particular occupation under study. Cooper and Bramwell (1992) for example, assessed mental health satisfaction and sickness absence from looking at a group of managers and shop floor workers. We will write a custom essay sample on Revisions of Coopers Model specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Revisions of Coopers Model specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Revisions of Coopers Model specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another criticism with this model is its simplistic left to right characterization of the stress process. In Lazarus Folkmans (1986) transactional model of stress, the extent to which a stressor in the environment results in strain outcomes depends on the interaction between the individual and their environment. The model also includes feedback loops which are not accounted for in Coopers model. Coopers model has also been criticized because it fails to show how individual differences relate to other parts of the model. Coopers model fails to account for organizational characteristics as moderators of the stressor strain relationship and does not indicate whether coping and personality have direct influences on stress outcomes or if they are combined to have an interactive influence. Although Cooper has incorporated individual differences in the model, further evidence is required to establish whether or not these differences have a direct effect or moderate strain outcomes. In addition to these criticisms, Coopers model does not account for other well known researched individual differences such as neuroticism (relating to well-being) and less researched factors such as extroversion and competence (Warr 1987). Conclusions Coopers 1986 model of work-related stress describes the main features of an individuals work and also of his/her home environment. He describes these in the Model of Stress at Work.  Although Coopers model is simplistic, it does give a general overview of how stress can influence an individuals relationships at work and at home.  It could be argued that Coopers model only concentrates on organizational stressors i.e. organizational structure, relationships at work, or career development. That being said, he mentions the feature of intrinsic to job, which is in fact related to occupational stress. Coopers model is still widely use today in the field of occupational psychology, but further revisions need to be made which describe the individuals coping strategies and personality, as they play a major role in the workplace with regards to a persons health. Further research also needs to be conducted on existing data and then it needs to be analysed directly with the H.S.E. References i)Brown et al 1999 Police Stress. ii)Claire Harris Msc Thesis (1998). iii)Daniels et al 2002 Stress Risk Report. iv)Jordan et al 2003 Practice stress in management. v)Parkes and Sparkes 1998 Organisational Stress Interventions.

Alcohol related crime drops after introduction of Essays

Alcohol related crime drops after introduction of Essays Alcohol related crime drops after introduction of new licensing laws (08 February 2006 16:06) Alcohol related crime has fallen in the months after the introduction of new licensing laws in England and Wales, according to the latest Home Office figures. Figures from the six-week Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC), which ran from November through the Christmas period, showed violent crime was down 11%. [pic]Critics of the licensing liberalisation, which began on the 24 November, had predicted longer opening hours would lead to soaring levels of violence as binge drinkers drank around the clock. However, the new figures show this has not been the case. Serious violent crime related to alcohol fell 21% during the period, which was the biggest drop of all previous alcohol crackdowns. Mark Hastings, director of Communications at the British Beer & Pub Association, said: "Clearly, the combination of flexible opening hours and law enforcement is having a positive impact. The projections of Government and the industry have proved far closer to the truth than the prophesies of the peddlers of doom and gloom." Culture secretary Tessa Jowell said: "Thanks to the new licensing laws, the police and local authorities have joined forces to use tougher powers to deal with the problem [disorder] at source." By Chris Druce In 08 February 2006 new licensing law was introduced. According to the Home Office figures alcohol related crime has fallen in the months after the introduction of new laws in England and Wales,. Moreover serious violent crime related to alcohol fell 21% during the period, because of longer opening of the pubs. As Mark Hastings, director of communication at British Beer and pub association, said: "clearly, the combination of flexible opening hours and law enforcement is having a positive impact. The projections of Government and the industry have proved far closer to the truth than the prophesies of the peddlers of doom and gloom." Culture secretary Tessa Jowell said: "Thanks to the new licensing laws, the police and local authorities have joined forces to use tougher powers to deal with the problem [disorder] at However it is still a problem for a many people. Research has shown that brief interventions are most effective when they are preformed by someone patients consider an authority figure, someone who they already trust or someone with whom they already feel comfortable. These interventions have been successful with both younger and older patients, and with both men and women. Interventions that include personal follow-up are more effective than a single-contact intervention. What alcohol does to your mind and body The immediate effects of alcohol on the human body are fairly apparent, but have you ever thought about the other side-effects? We don't just mean headaches and nausea - alcohol is thought to be highly calorific and can pose long term threats to our health. . Why does alcohol seem to make me put on weight? . What are the good and bad effects? . New research about alcohol Why does alcohol seem to make me put on weight? It's just a question of maths! Approximately 3,500 calories will produce one pound of fat. Alcohol is full of calories, so, two or three G&Ts a day for four weeks will fatten you up by about 4lbs. |Drink |Number of calories | |1 pint of beer or lager |180 - 300 | |1 vodka and orange |140 | |1 gin and tonic |140 | |1 whisky and dry ginger |145 | |1 rum and coke |145 | |1 glass of white wine |85 | Even worse news is that alcohol has no essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. [pic] What are the good and bad effects? Alcohol affects everyone's health in different ways - but the good things are still outweighed by the bad. Mind and emotions Alcohol is a drug that depresses the brain. We all know the cheeriness that can come with the first drink, but alcohol can actually cause severe depression. 'Letting go', another effect which can initially be pleasant, gets some of us into difficulties, because when our petty or angry side gets exaggerated by alcohol, friendships or marriages can be threatened. Does alcohol improve sex? Alcohol can certainly increase our desire and, by reducing tension, enhance our enjoyment. In men however, large doses of alcohol block the nerves necessary for erection. If this happens once or twice, a man can become worried about his sexual ability - which is a sure way to impair erections from then on - unless confidence is re-established with a sympathetic partner. In addition, the loss of inhibition that accompanies alcohol intake can lead to a failure to consider the

Analysis of Investment Proposition on Cochlear Limited

Cochlear Limited is a biotechnology-based company with listings in the Australian Securities Exchange and global operations in all five continents. CEO Chris Smith heads the company with its board of directors headed by Chairman Rick Holiday-Smith (Cochlear.com. 2016). Cochlear Limited provides hearing solutions through its implantable surgical and non-surgical hearing products. The company has extensive sets of patents and applications numbering over 1000 upon hearing aid and sound processing technology. The company’s major manufacturing base is located in Australia and Sweden while supplies and distribution chains in over 100 countries with its headquarters located in Sydney (Cochlear.com. 2016). The company’s global operations are mainly segmented onto three different sets of geographical areas comprising of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Americas (both North America and Latin America) and Asia Pacific. The company generated a revenue of A$ 925 million for th e financial period ended 31.12.2016 (Markets.ft.com. 2016).   The company provides solutions ranging from minimal degree of hearing constraints to sensory-neural hearing loss. Its primary products comprises of cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implant solutions. In terms of its products that are to be surgically implanted, Nuclear 6 is of primary significance owing to its ability to restore hear-ability in cases of complete hearing loss in both ears. The Cochlear Hybrid offered by the company provides hearing solutions for people unable to hear high frequency sounds through providing simulations using electronic synapses. The Hybrid processor offered by Cochlear assimilates and synthesizes external sounds and converts them into electrical and acoustics outputs for the patient’s ears.   The company develops the Cochlear Baha by taking into account people with high quantum of conductive hearing loss and one-sided deafness. Baha comprises of titanium hearing aids that are implanted surgically at the back of patientà ¢â‚¬â„¢s ears (Bloomberg.com. 2016). In terms of revenue generation, the company has displayed steady growth over the past four financial periods with reported revenues of A$ 752.72 million for 2012-13, A$ 804.94 million for 2013-14, A$ 925.63 million for 2014-15 (Markets.ft.com. 2016).The revenues for the period 2015-16 was to the tune of A$ 1.13 billion. The revenues generated in the current year displayed a increase of 22.14% over the past year, thereby highlighting efficient sales management and product pricing strategy. The forecasted revenues for the years 2017 and 2018 stands at 1.244 billion and 1.37 billion respectively at the average growth rate of 10.17%. Figure 1: Current and Prospective Revenues of Cochlear Limited The beta of a particular stock showcases the degree of volatility that the stock experiences as compared to prevalent market volatility. A beta that equals 1 displays same degree of risks as experienced by the market whereas a beta that is lower that 1 shows lesser degree of volatility and therefore is less susceptible to financial risks. On the other hand, a beta that is above 1 shows a high degree of volatility coupled with high prospects of returns. Figure 2: Stock price volatility between June 2016 and October 2016 Cochlear limited has a beta of 1.2, which specifies the fact that in case the financial markets raises by a margin of 100, the stocks of Cochlear will rise by 120. This also reiterates the fact that a fall in the market by margin of 100 will result in shares of Cochlear falling by 120 points. For investors that are seeking to earn high degree of returns, Cochlear presents prospective investments. Whereas in case of risk averse investors, including Cochlear in their investment portfolio may result in increasing the levels of portfolio risk The company has a market capitalization of A$ 7.234 billion as of October, 2016 with the total number of shares outstanding at 57.42 million. The company has an Altman Z Score of 2.989, thereby leading to an inference that the company is unlikely to be filing for bankruptcy in the near future based upon financial metrics. It is because an Altman score of 1.8 is considered the threshold below which the probability of filing for bankruptcy increases substantially. Whereas, on the other hand, a corporate entity with Z score of 3 or above has low or negligible probability of going bankrupt or filing for insolvency. Therefore, based on the parameters as regards to credit risks it can be construed that the company is likely to display satisfactory levels of solvency during the financial periods. Dividend yield is considered another parameter for taking investment decisions because of the fact that it displays whether the stocks of a particular company are overpriced or not. Hirshleifer, Hsu and Li (2013) mentions that stocks with high dividend yields are overpriced as compared to those having a low degree of dividend yields. Risk averse investors seek investments with low dividend yield thereby at a dividend yield of 1.8% it can be inferred that the stocks of Cochlear are underpriced. However, at dividend of A$ 1.2 for each outstanding share it can be displayed that for investors seeking returns from their investment in Cochlear, the company’s stocks are not an attractive proposition. The analysis upon the revenue generating capability of Cochlear Limited shows that at average revenue growth of over 10% the company has efficient operations and sales management. The genre of providing hearing aid solutions has lesser degree of competition for Cochlear globally. The Altman Z score of nearly 3 shows the fact that the company has virtually negligible risks of going bankrupt. Thereby, investors can be advised towards including shares of Cochlear onto their investment portfolio based upon their degree of solvency. Moreover, analysis of the stock’s beta, belonging to Cochlear, shows that the beta stands at 1.2 which therefore displays the fact that the company’s stocks are subjected to high degree of volatility. Based solely on the beta levels it can be construed that the stocks posses high degree of risks with probability of gaining high degree of returns. Overall, judging by the different sets of parameters it can be concluded that in case of investors seeking lesser degree of risks in their investments Cochlear can be construed as a attractive investment proposition. This is owing to high revenue growth, satisfactory levels of dividend yield and sustainable degree of returns despite a beta of above 1. Allen, E.J., Larson, C.R. and Sloan, R.G., 2013. Accrual reversals, earnings and stock returns.  Journal of Accounting and Economics,  56(1), pp.113-129. Bloomberg.com. (2016). COH:ASE Stock Quote - Cochlear Ltd. [online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/COH:AU [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Cochlear.com. (2016). Cochlear Hearing Implants | Official Website | Cochlear International. [online] Available at: https://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/intl/home [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Fama, E.F. and French, K.R., 2012. Size, value, and momentum in international stock returns.  Journal of financial economics,  105(3), pp.457-472. Google.ca. (2016). Cochlear Limited: ASX:COH quotes & news – Google Finance. [online] Available at: https://www.google.ca/finance?cid=671051 [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Hirshleifer, D., Hsu, P.H. and Li, D., 2013. Innovative efficiency and stock returns.  Journal of Financial Economics,  107(3), pp.632-654. Intelligent Investor. (2016). COH. [online] Available at: https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/company/Cochlear-Limited-COH-249441 [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Markets.ft.com. (2016). Cochlear Ltd, COH:ASX summary - FT.com. [online] Available at: https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/summary?s=COH:ASX [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Sorescu, A. and Sorescu, S.M., 2016. Customer Satisfaction and Long-Term Stock Returns.  Journal of Marketing,  80(5), pp.110-115. Getting academic assistance from

Identifying a Researchable Problem Research Paper

Identifying a Researchable Problem - Research Paper Example During physical activity, the body uses more oxygen than when one is passive. Regular physical activity will therefore lead the body to adapt to providing more and more oxygen into the blood stream. Reports by various scholars point out to the fact that children with reduced mobility have been diagnosed with asthma more than their highly mobile counterparts (Daniels, 2006). This revelation, combined with the fact that sometimes asthma is also common among obese children point out to the possibility that asthma may indeed be controlled through physical activity. This is because physical activity eventually makes the body to adapt to the increased intake of oxygen by developing mechanism which allows increased oxidation of blood. Such mechanism is postulated to be capable of limiting chances of alveoli constriction ad therefore greatly reduce the chances of asthma. Amongst the adolescents, increased physical activity may be seen as one possible way through which asthma may be contained . Statement of General Aims and Objectives The aim of the proposed study is to find out the connection between the role of physical activity and human health. From the fact that the human body usually adapts to conditions around it, this study shall aim at finding out the extent to which teenagers adaption to physical activity may reduce the chances of asthmatic attack for those who are already asthmatic. The paper shall focus on the role of physical activity in treating asthmatic ad related conditions in adolescents. The study shall also focus on what short term benefits physical activity may offer to asthmatic adolescents. The study shall assume that learned physical activity will go a long way to assist adolescents develop healthy lifestyles in their adult lives. Research Questions: Using PICO Model The study shall be conducted based on the guidance from the following research questions: 1. To what extent can asthmatic conditions be attributed to lifestyle? 2. Are adolescents who are less active physically likely to have health complications than their active counterparts? 3. What is the connection between patient diagnosed with asthma and physical mobility? 4. Can increased physical activity reduce the chances of asthmatic attack? 5. Do asthmatic adolescent who are engaged in physical activity show more progress towards recovery from asthmatic attacks? From the research questions, the study shall be conducted under the following hypotheses 1. Asthmatic condition in adolescents are majorly attributed to lifestyles 2. Adolescents who are less active physically are likely to have health complications than their active counterparts 3. Many patients diagnosed with asthma are usually physically inactive 4. Improved physical activity reduces the chances of frequent asthmatic attacks 5. Asthmatic adolescent who are engaged in physical activity are more likely to show more progress towards recovery from asthmatic attacks than those who are passive? Methods The stud y shall aim at working with adolescents. There shall be a need to seek approval from the school and parents from the sample that shall volunteer for the study. Much focus will be based on those adolescents who are already asthmatic. This will especially be so in order that a comparison shall be made possible. For reliability, rather than numbers, the study shall focus on different schools. It is anticipated that the target sample

Cryptography Application Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cryptography Application Methods - Research Paper Example This led to the emergence of debit and credit cards whose applications have since become widespread. This age of information has witnessed the emergence of cryptography a major protection method of applications. This paper will investigate some of the application methods of cryptography together with the systems application in a college university. In a university setup, cryptography has applications in ensuring secrecy in storage, integrity in transmission, authentication of identity and integrity in storage. The maintenance of the secrecy in storage requires a one key system whereby the user is responsible for the provision of the computer key at the start of the session. After this, the computer takes care of the decryption and encryption during the entire course of its normal use. Indeed, there are numerous hardware devices for automatic encryption of personal computers of all the information that the disk stores. Upon turning on a computer, a user must provide the encryption hardware with a key. Otherwise, the information will be meaningless even in the event that the hard disk is stolen. However, secrecy in storage is not without problems. In an event that the user forgets the key, then the encryption information become unusable. Apparently, encryption only occurs while the information is in storage and not when it is in use. The electronic money transfer has the danger of invasion by criminals who can tap a system and make false transfers. However, to realize integrity in the transfer of funds, there is need to perform an information checksum before submitting it in the form of encryption. Upon the receipt of this encrypted information, another checksum takes place for comparison after decryption. An agreement of the checksum is an indication that an alteration had occurred to the message. Forging this kind of information is easy. Since a lot of publications and intellectual works occur in universities, integrity in the

Wireless Laptops in the Classroom Essay Example for Free

Wireless Laptops in the Classroom Essay Internet has played a major role diminish the gaps between the different parts of the global village. It has affected almost every part of the human life. One of the major sectors that are being affected by this technology is education. It is not only developing the education sector, it is also affecting the students and their rate of understanding the things (David, 1998). Every student has its own capability of understanding. Technological advancements in the classrooms have changed the conventional ways of teaching, making teachers to invent more innovative ideas of teaching to meet the requirements of the students. While raising the bar for the teachers, it has also helped teachers to teach weak students introducing new methods. Every student has its own capability of learning and teachers follow the learning style according to the requirement of the students. Among the major concerns of the educational institutions the most important are the introduction of the internet and the digital notebook in the classrooms. It is bringing a digital revolution which is taking the education to a greater height. There are two schools of thoughts on this digital revolution which holds major concerns. One of them support this revolution and have a positive approach towards it (Rachel, 2005). It says that introduction of the digital notebooks and internet in the classroom helps the students and improves the quality of their learning. It provides facts to the sensing learners, concepts and theories to the intuitive learners, visual and verbal aid to the visual and verbal learners, step-wise approaches to sequential learners and over-look approach to the global learners. It provides students a larger platform to learn and interact. Students are connected to the world through this worldwide web. This web is like a stage where the minds of the students play their role and interact with all other characters on the stage taking each other to other level of learning, helping the weak ones and making a strong bond between each and everyone of them. This interaction makes their minds more creative and innovative. Students are not only dependant on the knowledge given to them by their teachers. It also develops the concept of multitasking among the students and they perform more than one task at the same time. On the other hand, the opposing school of thought opposes the introduction of laptops and internet connections in the classrooms. This school of thought says that this technology has more disadvantages than the advantages. This introduction of technology does not improves the learning ability of a child, it distracts him or her from the desired objective of learning. They support their arguments by claiming that students during lectures are observed playing games on the their digital notebooks, surfing through the websites or busy in online chatting with friends within/outside the classroom network. The opposition criticizing the use of the internet in the classrooms says that it provides students a large space to wander their minds rather than concentrating on the lectures given to them. They also say that what one can find on the internet? is just the information. Where as teachers provide students with the knowledge, combining the information with references and the practical experience faced by them. Contradicting with the concept of multitasking the opposing school of thought says that students get involved in so many tasks that they forget about their main task, on which they should be concentrating on. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that NO doubt that the introduction of digital notebooks and internet in the classrooms is a great achievement and provides great benefits to the students. There should be a check on the students to make sure that they are not using these facilities in negative ways. All not related websites should be blocked in the classrooms so that students concentrate and get the best out of it. Works Cited A Book David, E. Electronic Whistle-Stops. Praeger Publishers. (1998). Rachel, A. K. Innovative Approaches To Literacy Education. International Reading Association. (April 2005).

Grapes of Wrath :: essays papers

Grapes of Wrath It is said that everything is done for a purpose, and if that purpose is not obvious, it could be evident within oneself. In The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the story not only entails the tale of the tragically poor, but also an uplifting sense of discovery. The story tells not only of the physical journey to California, but of the characters' spiritual travels as well. By examining the lives of Jim Casy, Tom Joad, and Ma Joad, one will see the enlightening changes that mark their lives through the depression. Jim Casy's journey is an astounding one. He begins his life as a preacher, yet decides one day that his work is invalid; sinful, in some way. He says to Tom, "'I used ta get the people jumpin' an' talkin' in tongues, an' glory-shoutin' till they just fell down an' passed out. . . An' then - you know what I'd do? I'd take one of them girls out in the grass, an' I'd lay with her. Done it ever' time. Then I'd feel bad, an' I'd pray an' pray, but it didn't do no good. Come the nex' time, them an' me was full of the sperit, I'd do it again. I figgered there just wasn't no hope for me, an' I was a damned ol' hypocrite. But I didn't mean to be.'" (Page 28) He decides that he is not noble enough to continue his work, and grows distempered when others ask him to preach the word of God. He spends his time with the Joad family gratefully, but little else. He does no real work to help them out; he spends most of his time thinking to himself. Although Casy repeatedly confesses his guilt for doing nothing for the family, he makes no real efforts to contribute, and remains on the sidelines. However, when Tom trips a policeman that was threatening to take everyone to the station, Casy takes the blame. "Casy turned to Al. 'Get out,' he said. 'Go on, get out - to the tent. You don't know nothin'.' 'Yeah? How 'bout you?' Casy grinned at him. 'Somebody got to take the blame. I got no kids. They'll jus' put me in jail, an' I ain't doin' nothin' but set aroun'.' A l said, 'Ain't no reason for -' Casy said softly, 'If you mess in this your whole fambly, all your folks, gonna get in trouble.

Xmgt 216 Business Ethics Across Cultures

Abstract The following paragraphs will discuss business ethics from different cultural backgrounds. The focus of the backgrounds will be from the Mexican and Chinese aspect of proper business ethics. The articles, Double Standards: Mexico Business and Business Ethics in China are the two articles I will summarize to the reader. I will discuss the primary ethical perspectives of each country covered in the articles, as well as how the articles contributed to a better understanding of global ethical perspectives. Lastly, I will describe the business ethics of each foreign country.The two articles, Double Standards: Mexico Business and Business Ethics in China, brought an insight into ethics practiced in foreign countries, specifically the countries of China and Mexico. The United States of America has its own regulations and traditions that may, and have, conflicted, in an organizational setting, with the cultures and thoughts of their foreign partners. These â€Å"differences† in cultural beliefs or standards are evident in both articles, but the evidence that Globalization is an increasing desire for organizations is apparent as well.One article displays that in order to have success within a foreign country than we should allow natives of that country dictate the business ethical guidelines within that foreign office or division while the other article shows that a country is visibly being hypocritical of their own accepted guidelines and policies by saying one thing and doing the other. A different continent is not the only differences that Mexico and China are sharing. Both articles suggest accepting or understanding that certain business practices or ethics in these two countries as different but not necessary illegal.It also suggest that the entire core of an organization must stand firm on certain practices and not have to adjust for profitable business in a country as well. Though differences are evident amongst other countries’’ bel iefs and traditions, each country does what it feels will be morally, legally, and profitably positive for their own situation. Business Ethics in China Chinese business ethics and practices center, predominantly, on certain traditions and customs that are possibly considered unethical in the United States. There have been some students of China that argue and state theChinese account for their displays of obvious favoritism in business affairs to their traditions, more specifically to Confucius, who focuses on responsibility to family and that taking precedent over even laws (Schulman, 2012). There have been others that counter-argue that Chinese tradition itself saw favoring the family as the root of corruption and instead advocated laws that protect everyone equally, more specifically said by Mozi, who tried to replace the Confucian focus on the clan with a more universal caring (Schulman, 2012).The book, 18 Rules of International Business Ethics, published by Beijing: Renmin Uni versity Press in 2004 uses Chinese experiences for case studies and examples and supporting translation of classic business ethic text to Chinese towards developmental steps towards globalization success in foreign environments. Rule 1 in 18 Rules of International Business Ethics states if you strive to understand the values of different cultures, you will find common points (Schulman, 2012). This simply states that working towards learning and understanding one another is always a positive solution.The author of 18 Rules of International Business Ethics suggest against bringing in Western experts output and allowing the Chinese to develop their own codes so that their management and other employees may relate to it. Thus, Chinese traditions justify what may seemingly be considered unethical codes or decision-making by the United States of America. Business Ethics in Mexico Mexicans business ethics, as presented in the article Double Standards: Mexico Business, are considered hypocr itical and ethically inappropriate from an American’s perspective.The article, Double Standards: Mexico Business, states business logic is chiefly concerned with profit maximization, which can place ethics within the overall logic of self-interest (Adler, 2006). Discrimination is presumably illegal in Mexico, yet hiring process displays discrimination throughout the country. Employment want ads in Mexico regularly show favoritism of an organization’s desirable employee by hiring discrimination towards certain ages, physical looks, and gender. The individuals and organizations responsible for these discriminatory ads constantly deny their preferences as discriminatory intentions.A younger employee is desired because it is thought customers would interact better with a younger employee (Adler, 2006). These types of thought processes, and obvious use of hypocritical, discriminating actions used in the hiring process are ethical issues that can conflict with Americans†™ ethical outlook. It is a well-known, acceptable practice in Mexico to give pregnancy test to newly hired female employees justified because of the mandatory paid leave of absence (Adler, 2006). It seems Mexican business ethics tend to follow the idea of just staying legal as ethical enough.It is hard for American organizations to adopt these sorts of ethical practices when operating in Mexico’s territory. General Motors put an end to the pregnancy testing policies desiring a constant ethical standing throughout the whole organization. Mexico’s ethical business and practices leaves a lot to question from the United States of America’s standpoint. Ethical Perspectives and Understanding Global Ethical Perspectives The primary ethical perspectives that China and Mexico have, though different from our own beliefs, have helped the United States of America’s organizations towards effective globalization ventures.The article, Business Ethics in China, has sho wn favoritism towards family is considered following Confucius traditions and sayings. The article, Double Standards: Mexico Business, shows clear evidence towards discriminating practices and procedures, but with self-proclaiming of â€Å"justifiable† reasoning for preference when hiring employees. Understanding cultural differences is an absolute key in globalization. It has shown success for an organization to ensure cross-cultural training and to step back and allow native leadership and managers to set business ethics codes.By accepting business ethics that are customary of that particular foreign country, an organization allows managers and employees to better relate to the codes. Should an organization adopt the practice in some countries because it is merely legal? Could adopting the practice of a foreign country cause an inconsistency of ethics within the organization as a whole? Thus, an organization maintaining consistent ethical standards creates the opportunity f or success but understanding and adapting will help an organization in a foreign workplace. Comparing Business Ethics of Foreign Nations to the United States of AmericaMexico and China share different business ethics codes and practices than the United States of America. For the situation of Mexico performing pregnancy test before hiring a woman, an organization native to the United States of America would view this as unethical, even if it’s considered legal in Mexico. China shows favoritism towards family in organizational situations. This would be considered highly unethical in the United States of America. The United States of America has a set of business ethic codes that regulate against discrimination and bribery. American organizations understand the law and must follow the rules.It could be said that a country’s ethical views and practices are what make that country what they are. Differences aren’t always a bad thing but it can cause possible conflict in a business ethics situation. Countries should work together to learn about each other’s primary business ethics and try to adapt and compromise towards a similar set of ethical codes. Conclusion The articles, Double Standards: Mexico Business and Business Ethics in China, show that there is a lot to gain in understanding foreign ethics and adapting towards foreign ideas can increase the success of globalization.There is an obvious difference in how business is conducted in China and Mexico when compared to the United States of America but that is not necessarily bad. Organizations shouldn’t accept a policy that could question the consistency of its ethical values and practices but should attempt to understand why a foreign country practices the ethics it does instead. Cross-culture training is beneficial to an organization’s employees and managers that may be working in a foreign environment.An organization should do everything within its limits to understand foreign culture and traditions and properly train its employees to practice proper business ethics and regulations. The business practices of organizations in the countries of China and Mexico can help organizations in the United States of America create better business ethics for their personal benefit within their native country. References 1. Schulman, M. (2012). Buisness ethics in china. Retrieved from http://www. scu. edu/ethics/publications/ethicalperspectives/business-china. ht

Changes (John Updike’s “A&P”) Essay

Breaking away from the traditional is a struggle that contains several sacrifices and consequences. In John Updike’s â€Å"A&P,† Sammy is a young teenager who transforms his wishes into reality. At first glance, he seems like a normal teenage boy, but instead he is an observational character who is trying to find a way to stand up for himself. Throughout the story, he undergoes changes to reveal a different outlook for his future. Sammy demonstrates that he is a dynamic character through his views on the regular customers, his reaction to the girls, and in his decision to quit his job. First, the way Sammy sees the regular customers reveals that he is a dynamic character. In the beginning, Sammy is at the cash register checking out a â€Å"witch about fifty with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows† (Updike 18). The reader can tell Sammy has strong perspective on the customers that come in to the store. He sees them as disgusting, evil, lifeless and dead by the descriptions he gives the audience. As the story continues, Sammy looks down the lane and notices â€Å"the sheep pushing their carts down the aisle— [while] the girls were walking against the usual traffic† (20). The girls’ unorthodox direction represents Sammy noticing that the customers are followers– not wanting to break the cycle like the girls. From the description Sammy gives, the reader notices that he does not want to be like the customers, following the same rules, guidelines, and policies. By the end of the story, the girls are stopped by Lengel, the manager, when they reach the check-out lanes. The customers that were showing up, â€Å"like sheep, seeing a scene,† crowded around Stokesie’s lane to avoid any confrontation that was happening out of the usual (22). Sammy’s way of describing what the regular customers would do in a tough situation makes him wonder if this is the type of life he wants. The descriptions and views Sammy displays about the customers make him think twice about his surroundings. Next, Sammy’s reaction towards the girls reveals that he is a dynamic character. At the check-out, he notices that three girls walk in the store â€Å"in nothing but bathing suits† (18). As the girls head for the aisle, Sammy observes that they are not wearing shoes (19). He begins to check them out and discovers that Queenie has on a bathing suit with the straps down by her arms exposing her â€Å"clean bare†¦chest† (19). As they continue walking, he details how the girls look, from their â€Å"chubby berry-faces† to how their hair was not â€Å"fizzed right† (19). Sammy makes these vivid observations about the girls to show the reader how they stand out from the normal. The girls represent Sammy’s thoughts and views on how he wishes to escape from the ordinary. By the end of the story, Lengel comes up to the girls and confronts them about the way they are dressed. Queenie starts to blush and feel powerless when she realizes where her place is (22). At that point, Sammy stands up for the girls and quits. The reader can tell that Sammy is going out of his way to defend the girls and for what he believes in. Throughout the story, he wishes to escape and standing up to Lengel was a way. Sammy’s descriptions and bravery reveal that he is changing into someone different than the normal. Most importantly, Sammy demonstrates that he is a dynamic character when he decides to quit his job. By the end of the story, Sammy realizes that he is tired of being surrounded by what is normal. When Lengel asks Sammy if he has rung up the purchase in his hands, he starts to think about the process it takes for him to check-out a person in the line. â€Å"It’s more complicated than you think, and after you do it often enough, it begins to make a little song† he thinks to himself (22). By the detailed description given by Sammy, the reader can tell that he is tired, bored, and trying to find ways to make the ordinary fun. The first breakthrough Sammy makes is when he says, â€Å"I quit,† to Lengel after he dealt with the girls’ attire (22). Sammy’s message is clear and direct towards his manager, making the reader conclude he has finally stood up for himself. He starts to doubt his decision to quit, but sticks through when he sees the regular customers. At the climax of the story, Sammy heads towards his counter, and, â€Å"fold[s] the apron, ‘Sammy’ stitched in red on the pocket, and put[s] it on the counter† (23). Taking off the apron and leaving it behind shows the reader that Sammy has finally escaped from the normal and able to live a life that he has wanted. Even though Sammy decided to take a leap towards faith, he knows inside that the road ahead is going to be tough. Getting away from the normal can be complicated. The person will have to change certain situations and make them for their best interest. For Sammy, his views on the regular customers, his reaction to the girls, and in his decision to quit his job demonstrate that he is a dynamic character. With the help of the girls, he was able to stand up for himself and make a better future for his life.

Ideas of the Early Greek Philosophers essays

Ideas of the Early Greek Philosophers essays What kinds of questions did the early Greek philosophers ask? How are these kinds of questions related to science? Are these questions still relevant? The early philosophers asked questions about the origins, nature and underlying reality of thing. They investigated the causes of natural phenomena , the order and structure of the universe an the processes of change , of becoming and of being. The scientist seeks knowledge by asking the same kinds of questions as those that were asked by the early philosophers. Science and early Greek philosophy are related to one another by a common goal; the desire to gain an understanding of the laws of nature and the world in which we live. Certain philosophical questions first raised in the sixth century Greece are still relevant today because they are related to concepts that remain unresolved and continue to be debated by mankind. Still other questions posed by the early philosophers that no longer interest modern society may nonetheless also be considered relevant because they provided the conceptual framework necessary for future scientific investigations.(Lindberg 44) The early Greek philosophers began an inquiry into the nature of the world that continues to this day. The early philosophers began an inquiry into the nature of the world that continues to this day. The early philosophers asked about the worlds ingredients, its composition and its operation. They inquired whether it is made of one thing or many. They asked about its shape and location and speculated about its origins. They sought to understand the process of change, by which things come into being and 1 one thing seems to be transformed into another. (Lindberg 26) The principle question put forward by the Milesians, the earliest Greek philosophers was what is the simple underlying reality that can take on a variety of for...

Does the mixture of debt and equity in a firms financial structure Essay - 1

Does the mixture of debt and equity in a firms financial structure matter why - Essay Example There must be a certain proportion of debt and equity in the balance sheet of a company. Variation in the debt and equity ratio of the firm can be seen at the arrival of a firm’s tangible assets and the reduction of its intangible asset. A company with large amount of purchased goodwill forms heavy acquisition activities which may end up with forming a negative equity position for the company. Suppose a firm has a long term debt of $3000 and the value of its assets is $12,000, its debt to equity ratio is 0.25. This ratio indicates that the firm’s 25 percent assets have been financed through debt. If a company debt to equity ratio is greater than one, this means that majority of the firm’s assets have been financed by debt and therefore there are increased chances of bankruptcy. Such firms are considered riskier in terms of investment in the sight of investors and financial institutions. A company with a balanced debt to equity ratio is considered healthy in the eyes of the investors and lenders. The mixture of debt and equity is considered to be important with respect to the firm’s financial structure as it is used as a standard for judging the financial performances of companies. It measures the ability of the firm to be able to repay its debt or not. If the debt to equity ratio of a firm is increasing this indicates that the firm’s assets are rapidly being financed by the debt rather than the company’s own finances. The lenders and investors would rather give preference to companies with low debt to equity ratio because their interest would be better protected in the case of business decline. Therefore the companies with low financial leverage ratio are able to attract more investors (Debt-to-Equity Ratio). The optimal financial leverage ratio is 1. This means that all the long term liabilities of a company are equal to its assets. This ratio may vary from industry to industry, as it also

Process improvement plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Process improvement plan - Essay Example Any company or person operating a business needs the best operational processes to avoid time and resource wasting to ensure maximization of profit. Steps in attaining this process should be identified and recorded according to their performance. It should be noted that proper data collection will enhance effective data analysis towards improving the quality of data management. In a span of 5 weeks, cash flow was recorded showing all the processes involved during the day and the time it takes for each step. Metrics were established towards creating a flowchart that recorded the entire process that was created. According to the data, the process began on Monday and lasted for a period of five weeks. Metrics of the outcome was used to determine the control limits, intervals, and seasonal effects. Process Boundaries Process boundaries is usually established where a process begins and ends with input and output. The process of depositing many is sub-divided into: handing the cash flow pa ttern from the facility to the bank, ensuring figures indicated are of true reflection of the business activities, signing the form, heading to the bank, being served by the relations manager, confirmation of the deposit slip by the manager, head back to the firm and final preparation of the next day`s work. Therefore, this activities constitutions a process boundary since it began and ended and also has input and output. process configuration process metrics A metric is a measure that allows the project team or individual to evaluate various performance constraints within a process; hence, ensuring that monitoring can be done on the processes to check the quality and effectiveness (Guha & Kettinger, 1993). Control limits and processes metric will be used to guide the process improvement plan. The metric used to measure the process's flow was the time flow metrics. This test measures the alignment of the time allocated for each stage with the factors that may disrupt the flow of the process. In order to run a business successfully, it is important to know what is going on with the financial aspect of the business and make sure there is appropriate cash flow. Daily routine is heavily affected by Traffic jams, this cause interruption; 0On the other hand, driving to the bank and from the bank will also a factor to both processes. A process can be delayed if the owner wants to set up a meeting with other workers under his supervision, checking and proper clearance of account books to see if there are missing details. These factors disrupt the time schedule as allocated to each phase. (Wood, 1999) After a successful collection of the data needed the upper control limit, lower control limit, mean and standard deviation were computed. The mean is the average on record of the partaker`s action time. . The mean is from the data given is 93.75 Class limits Frequency Class limits Class limits-mean F2 80-89 2 84.5 -9.25 171.125 90-99 17 94.5 0.75 9.5625 100-109 0 104.5 10 .75 0 110-119 4 114.5 20.75 1722.25 120-129 1 124.5 30.75 945.5625 Standard deviation =2, 838.5/25= 10.89 Accepted mean = (25+10+15+10+30) = 90 minutes The accepted mean from the table is 90 minutes improved performance In the whole process to improve, the owner needs to understand the current state of the process and where he wants them to be in the future. Even if the process is