Politics Of The 1900 Essays - Sex Industry, Economic Ideologies

Politics Of The 1900 The events that occur in Upton Sinclair's book ?The Jungle? were same things that people in the early 20th century had to deal with everyday. For example labor was exploited to the employers benefit. Political corruption and prostitution were some main points in the book. The most important idea, the book supports socialism over capitalism as an economic and social structure. These things are what they had to go through and will be further explained. The labor force was exploited to the employers' benefits. The workers didn't have any set wages. ?A very few days of practical experience in this land of high wages had been sufficient to make clear to them the cruel fact that it was also a land of high prices, and that in it the poor man was almost as poor as in any other corner of the earth; and so there vanished in a night all the wonderful dreams of wealth that had been haunting Jurgis. What had made the discovery all the more painful was that they were spending, at American prices, money which they had earned at home rates of wages--and so were really being cheated by the world!? There were unsafe working conditions that the workers had to tolerate day after day the company had no care of. . The injury was not one that Durham and Company could be held responsible for, and so that was all there was to it, so far as the doctor was concerned. Also was no job security, the workers fear of being fired anytime of the day. For example, due to their overproduction in the summer, the workers were forced to shut down in the winter making the workers unemployed when they need financial support the most. Political corruption and prostitution were some things that went on in the story. The politicians didn't care about anybody but themselves and the vote that they get. ?Whose fault was it that at the hours when workingmen were going to their work and back, the cars were so crowded that the conductors could not collect all the fares? And besides, the companies were thieves, people said--had stolen all their franchises with the help of scoundrelly politicians!? Also prostitution was a big problem also. Young girls who are just trying to survive or women who have to families need means to support them were forced into prostitution as an easy way of getting money. ?Marriage and prostitution were two sides of one shield, the predatory man's exploitation of the sex pleasure.? ?If she had no money, she was a proletarian, and sold herself for an existence.? The book also supports the idea that socialism over capitalism as an economic and social structure. The book shows that the working class is lowest end of society, but if the workers can make a difference. If they pull together and fight the system they will win their freedom. ?When a Socialist was elected to office he voted with old party legislators for any measure that was likely to be of help to the working class, but he never forgot that these concessions, whatever they might be, were trifles compared with the great purpose--the organizing of the working class for the revolution.? These were some of the things that went during that time. It was a hard time for the immigrants but it turned out that these immigrants were the ones that made this great country America. Without them we wouldn't be at where at without them.

The Virgin Blue Company

The Virgin Blue Company Introduction Managing the marketing process is an issue that companies have to contend with in the new dynamic and competitive environment. Performance of most businesses in contemporary environment is gradually shifting to the need of superior marketing strategies that are able to respond to the market needs in the most appropriate way.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Virgin Blue Company-Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, this research intends to look at how management of marketing process can be enhanced in the increasing competitive business environment. The research will be a case study on Virgin Blue Company, which is an airline company based in Australia. Manage the Marketing Process Virgin Blue Company sees itself as possessing a humble background and beginning especially for being the first type of company to initiate the first and unique sustainable low far airline in Australian s kies (Virgin Blue Company n.d). The company, through steady progress, has evolved and grown to become a recognized company in the world as innovator and leader in the global aviation industry. Blue Virgin Company started its operations in on 31 August 2000, with initial two aircrafts to start with (Virgin Blue Company n.d). It operated one route and had 200 team members who collectively shared a clear and concise goal of changing in the most drastic way the air travel in Australia (Virgin Blue Company n.d). As a way of revolutionalizing aviation industry with regard to way of doing business, the company reduced the airfares by almost 50 per cent while at the same time introducing genuine Guest service to the flying public, coupled with a strong commitment to being the best in the business (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Company’ mission indicates what the company is trying to achieve, what is the purpose of the company, and why it exists, hence, mission statement constitutes a sho rt statement that says what a company stand for and it outlines a company’s strategy that becomes a key referential tool by company’s members in making key decisions (Griffins and Goffar n.d). Virgin Blue Company’s culture has been created based on the company’s core values. For instance, the company expresses that â€Å"the big secret to Virgin culture is simple there is no secret, where creation and maintenance of an enviable culture has been the top secret of the company and this has been done by infusing the company’s core values into everything the company does where we get that right and the Virgin culture just follow† (Virgin Blue Company n.d, par.3).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company’s values have been infused with everything that the company takes part in. For instance, the company works hard and participates in everything necessary to provide work environment characterized by the â€Å"right policies, processes, systems, communications, facilities, benefits, interesting work, fair pay, and reward and recognition to support our people and our business operations† (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Virgin Blue Company has code of conduct and practice that it has established and acts as guide to business conduct in the organization (Virgin Blue 2010). One of the director in the company summarizes â€Å"all personnel are required to support the quality of Virgin Blue and to take an active role in identifying and facilitating opportunities for improvement where the ultimate commercial success of the company is intrinsically linked to both perception and reality that the company operate safely, surpassing both the competitors and the required regulation and legislation† (Virgin Blue 2010, p.1). Code of ethics at Virgin Blue outlines key responsibilities members have to demonstrate and these responsibilities have been categorized into groups of: underlying values for the company, business integrity, which stress virtues of honesty, integrity, and fairness with regard to reporting, political involvement, and competition (Virgin Blue 2010). Brett Godfrey, CEO of Virgin Blue Company observes that the company has greatly moved away from organizational structures, instead the company work more brilliantly to establish a lesser organizational hierarchical in the workplace (Brett n.d). Instead of an organizational structure and hierarchical, Virgin has instead embraced structure that is kind of pie chart and not the traditional and usual triangle structure. The CEO of Virgin goes on to state that, as a leader he lacks confidence and is non-believer in organizational charts and instead advises that all leaders in the company should view themselves to be equal to each other. The company has an established marketing department headed by marketing manager an d a dedicated team that is responsible to all aspects with regard to brand, product, and retail media advertising in television, radio, and related online campaigns (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Marketing objectives at Virgin Blue are built on the principles of SMART, which stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely objectives. First, Virgin Blue has pursued its marketing objectives through strategic alliances with other companies (O’Sullivan 2011). Strategic alliances have been favored by the company mainly to create extensive marketing channels and networks in region the company cannot afford to go it alone (O’Sullivan 2011).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Virgin Blue Company-Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time, Virgin Blue, upon its establishment, rested on the philosophy of endeavoring to be low cost, but offer reasonable services. In addition, the initial marketing strategy of the company based on these objectives was motivated by prevalence of market domination by airlines like Qantas; hence, Virgin Blue adopted an aggressive marketing expansion based on low costs which in actual were about 30 to 40 per cent less that that of Qantas (Bamber 2006). As part of implementing market plan, there is need to carry out monitoring, controls and adjusts process, which can be undertaken using different tools such as â€Å"developing a financial forecast of revenue using statistical models, past sales data, executive judgment and surveys of consumer trends† (Cooper and Argyris 1998). After this has been done, there is need to carry out estimation of â€Å"costs such as market research costs, promotion costs, product development costs and distribution costs† (Cooper and Argyris 1998). At Virgin Blue Company, the management and overall organizational culture encourages working together of departments hence sharing of inf ormation is key to the success of the company. The company further encourages ‘cross pollination’ of ideas and communication, which in turn leads to working and implementation of strategies at the company more easy (Brett n.d). On large scale ‘silo mentality’ has been discouraged, which has opened up communication channels to be more easy and frequent. Evaluate International Marketing Opportunities Virgin Blue currently controls about 33 per cent of the airlines market in Australia where the company global marketing strategy has been simple perceived to largely involve offering of easy-to-understand, low priced carrier and at same time use of low-cost business model that generate high profit margins (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Virgin Blue brand stand exceptionally in a situation that has numerous opportunities only when appropriate environmental scanning had taken place. Situation analysis according to Michael E. Allen in the book titled ‘How to promot e and advertise’ observes that it involves describing what is happening in the markets in which the company operates and competes and also the company’s products and distribution trends (Allen 2006). Situation analysis for Virgin Blue Company can be grouped into macro-environment situation; market situation; competitive situation; target buyer or end user situation; product/service situation; and lastly, distribution situation (Allen 2006). In order to carry out this situation analysis more effectively Virgin Blue may employ two critical situation analysis tools: SWOT analysis and PEST analysis. SWOT Analysis Virgin Blue can be assessed with regard to Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) as follows. The strengths of the company include: the company has relatively low cost structure; the company has out-won its competitors given its low fare offering policy; further the company as compared to the competitors boost of having a management team that posses s significant and beneficial airline experience that continue to be utilized in the company (Asian Travel Tips, 2003).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, other related strengths of the company include presence and possession of strong brand in the market as compared to some of its competitors; presence of unique culture and the overall enthusiasm of the organization that has endeavored it to customers; and lastly commitment and general productivity of its workforce (Asian Travel Tips 2003). With regard to weakness, first Virgin Blue Company is not an Australian owned company an aspect that sometimes has affected the company’s operations especially with regard to legal and political policies in the country. Second, the overall Virgin Group financial structure has continued to change and remain fluid translating into impacts in other Group’s units like Virgin Blue Company (Grant 2004). For instance the company’s structure of ‘stand-alone’ financing of each company has executed a lot of pressure on individual companies resulting into accumulation huge debts (Grant 2004). This situation has lef t Virgin Group vulnerable to bad debts in one part of the group that in turn swiftly infect the rest of the companies (Grant 2004). Being part of the Virgin Group, Virgin Blue has not been immune to these debts. With regard to opportunities, Virgin Blue Company has some opportunities in its way. For instance, the fact that international security has become an issue especially after the 2001 terrorist attack in USA, international tourism declined and this particular situation translated into the number of domestic travels increasing (Isik-Vanelli 2003). At the same time, the collapse of Ansett Company has provided unexploited opportunities which with adequate and appropriate strategies Virgin Blue can create a contingency for success. Moreover, all indications point to the possibilities that the route network and service frequencies are destined to expand, an opportunity Virgin Blue can exploit to expand in the Australian market (Isik-Vanelli 2003). Lastly, the increasing market orie ntation towards leisure travelers still has few players who can adequately exploit hence Virgin Blue Company is presented with an opportunity to venture in the area. At the same time, threats that face Virgin Blue Company largely originate from the increasing competition in the airlines market. The main fierce competitor for Virgin Blue Company in the Australian Market is the Qantas which has eclipsed Virgin Blue Company (Virgin Blue Holdings Limited n.d). Qantas airlines given its expansive network and huge financial base has continued to offer much lower fares as compared to Virgin a situation that has immensely executed pressure on Virgin Blue (Virgin Blue Holdings Limited n.d). Other threats facing Virgin Blue company has to do with the government initiatives to liberalize airlines in Australia, a situation that is going to see increased entrance of low-fare companies thus increasing the competition environment. PEST Analysis PEST is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social an d Technological factors which are used to assess the market for a business or any organizational unit (Chapman 2006). Assessing the Virgin Blue Company with regard to PEST, the following information is generated. With regard to Political-Legal effects affecting the company, it can be deduced that Australian overall liberal policy has created an environment that favor and motivate new entrants to enter the Australian market (Slide Share In. 2009). At the same time, Australian international aviation policy is seen to be ‘multiple designations’ where at the same time the deregulation that has been taking place since 1990 has led to more controlled form of competition between the two rival competitors Qantas and Virgin Blue (Slide Share In. 2009). With regard to economic factors, it can be deduced that since the events of September 11 2001 in USA, international tourism has continued to suffer as more customers hold back due to security concerns. Further, other economic issu es such as increasing fuel costs has continued to pose challenge to Virgin’s policy of low-cost fare whereby the increased fuel costs has in turn affected the basic costs of flights which in turn affects the likeability of customers to book a flight (Slide Share In. 2009). Socio-Cultural factors on the other hand that impact Virgin Blue has to do with the current situation of tightening of labor market specifically with regard to skilled fields that forces the company to increase its employee motivation. At the same time it is predicted that the demand for personnel in other and distant countries will lead to the need to initiate foreign-language training (Slide Share In. 2009). Lastly, the technological impact in the increasing information world requires Virgin Blue to institute appropriate technologies for its services. For instance, online booking is a technological aspect the company will need to explore. On overall, the growth of information industries is creating knowle dge-dependent global society and information is gradually becoming the primary commodity for the success of industries (Slide Share In. 2009). Manage International Marketing Programs SWOT Analysis and PEST Analysis forms the two critical assessment and evaluation tools Virgin Blue Company can use to identify opportunities and threats which in turn can lead to formulation of appropriate marketing objectives especially with regard to international markets. SWOT Analysis in nature concentrate on international assessment of the company, in other words, it largely dwells on micro-environment analysis of the company. On the other hand, PEST Analysis makes assessment of the external environment of business where the emphasis shifts from micro-environment to macro-environment evaluation. Therefore, the results generated from the two assessments become critical in postulating the company’s marketing and overall strategies especially with regard to corporate strategy of the company. Vi rgin Blue after successful assessment of SWOT and PEST, the following international marketing objectives of the company can be pursued. According to Richard Branson, the Virgin Group founder asserts that â€Å"Virgin Blue has already proven its ability to operate successfully in a competitive market and the directors are confident that this will continue in the future† (Asian Travel Tips, 2003, p.1). Given this observation it can be deduced that Virgin Blue company need to create and develop business travel market that has focus on fulfilling the needs of leisure travel market (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). At the same time, with increasing entrance of new competitors Virgin Blue can create new and unique ultraslow cost carriers so that it can be in position to challenge its competitors offering low fare services such as Qantas and JetStar (Asian Travel Tips 2003). Another marketing objective that can be formulated in the future involves instituting a new carrier such as Virgin L ight Blue that has potential and capability of serving regional airports that in the current state are not served and this should also include secondary metropolitan airports. Furthermore, Virgin Blue need to formulate marketing objectives that reflect desire to provide domestic air services in all parts of Australia and also international services to countries like New Zealand, Vanuatu, any many more (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). Lastly, the marketing objective Virgin Blue should concentrate on involve online marketing and this should involve implementing a better IT system that enables customers to book ticket and holiday much easier through the web (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). In order to manage risks which in large part are presentable in threats the company face. Managing risks will need the company to increase the quality of its services and products in order to out-perform the competitors. At the same time, offering low fares should be within the economies of financial position of the company. The Asian market appear promising and prospective with forecasting indicating that any venture in the market has the potential to realize about 20 per cent increase. But how well can Virgin Blue exploit these opportunities given its current position? One possible and viable international marketing operation structure the company can adopt involve joint venture with an Asian countries airline. Virgin Blue needs to bring on board new airline partners to penetrate and exploit the Asian market. This aspect is necessary given that all indications point to the fact that international cooperation that in turn will results into growth of the market size (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). In order to successful succeed in international market; Virgin Blue Company needs to develop an international marketing communication strategy that will be critical in the promotion of the company and its products and services. The main aspects that the communication strategy should have include: asse ssment of marketing communication opportunities, analysis of marketing communication resources, setting marketing communication objectives, developing and evaluating alternative strategies, and lastly, assigning specific marketing communications tasks (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2007). Conclusion Increasing competition in the Australian airline market has resulted into companies adopting various marketing strategies that are intended to position their businesses at an advantageous level in winning customers. Virgin Blue Company has adopted cost leadership strategy, which in turn has been rewarding for the company. In summary what the company need to know is that, airline market is becoming more competitive, dynamic and price elastic while at the same time not compromising quality of the products and services offered. Therefore the company needs to device other marketing strategies based on the market situation, customer needs, company objectives, consumer needs, and overall business en vironmental situation. International marketing is challenging but again the company needs to create and implement an international marketing communication strategy that is able to incorporate the corporate strategy of the company together with external environment the company face. Reference List Allen, M. E., 2006. How to Promote and Advertise. Lotus Press. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=MElRZd39LNACpg=PA36dq=international+marketing+trends+and+situation+analysishl=enei=bFdUTeXABsjcsgaGjMmECQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDsQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=international%20marketing%20trends%20and%20situation%20analysisf=false . Asian Travel Tips. 2003. Virgin Blue lodges prospectus for IPO. Web. Available from: asiatraveltips.com/travelnews03/1011VirginBlue.shtml . Bamber, G. J., 2006. Marketing Strategies and Labor-Market Behavior of Full-Service and Low-Cost Airlines: An Australian Study. Sydney: Griffith University. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com /viewer?a=vq=cache:tNlRMwAT4ycJ:www.ctw-congress.de/ifsam/download/track_20/pap00767.pdf+Marketing+strategies+used+by+Virgin+Blue+airlinehl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESh7c0nhru6vO6Xud42DXtk4HSitx5Yz4-5CuwhdGV40Hi4CtW9oIU7gs0sfRmOWlI85qvAVCLsMX5A7bFTzS5OjfKePcJWes7gn2JcV6rnIcBuXtjE1NzeOMLYDEY5HgNpyoMeYsig=AHIEtbSZU5DFb3LpXdUsNIhyINum3lTRrw . Brett, G., N.d. Culture and Measurement: Passion and Performance. CEO Forum Group, Sydney. Web. Available from: ceoforum.com.au/article-detail.cfm?cid=6269t=/Brett-Godfrey-Virgin-Blue/Passion-and-performance . Chapman, R. J., 2006. Simple tools and techniques of enterprise risk management. MA: John Wiley and Sons. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=2XWcqAhqlDgCpg=PA116dq=PEST+Analysishl=enei=wAdVTY3EG9COswbQ6u3bDAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=PEST%20Analysisf=false . Cooper, C. L. and Argyris, C., 1998. The concise Blackwell encyclopedia of management. MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Web. Available from: http s://books.google.com/books?id=5KQleK86BS4Cpg=PA405dq=how+a+company+monitors+and+reviews+its+marketing+mixhl=enei=c4JMTeDkGMeRswbdw5DHDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Czinkota, M. R. and Ronkainen, I. A., 2007. International marketing. OH: Cengage Learning. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=YreJ42YFjb0Cpg=PA392dq=international+marketing+communication+strategyhl=enei=KSVVTaOSIMzysgahjfXdDAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=international%20marketing%20communication%20strategyf=false . Grant, R. M., 2004. Richard Branson and Virgin Group of Companies. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:vrgGBWyq62IJ:www.blackwellpublishing.com/grant/docs/15Virgin.pdf+Market+weakness+of+Virgin+Blue+Companyhl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESgHl4Gjx538gkOZIGx2pbCfVkSVuXA7HYmO0KVxjhfTnxorcRGN3xe2sGgqzrB1iydudrV8Oe7TVga54n93btTUsAx8UXBuANtMYiSZOIY1DWjZ3xeAoJt_eoLGnhyjV19ncxNQsig=AHIEtbSkowzA08zuBfi5tGG wFAg-bucy5A . Griffins, G. and Goffar, A., N.d. Commercial Organizations. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:IaIJlt9tjwkJ:www.accaglobal.com/documents/introduction.pdf+Virgin+Blue+company+mission+statementhl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESh2CE_PFMYc8PzYaTTGT2E9zBBA5-dJrKG1sDQmiG3h9lFcUKP_SGDYxKjGIXUrU89KtsViLePo0ciNWnFf2RGafYQUn0GjADPCf72dlNuQe-mC9RDKEszgrqlmDvlFXAIz30E0sig=AHIEtbQBS6c2xYBkG6BhN12ZazaZjm4Zdw . Isik-Vanelli, H., 2003. Marketing Plan for Virgin Blue. MBA Paper, Bond University, Australia. Web. Available from: grin.com/e-book/26496/marketing-plan-for-virgin-blue-1 . O’Sullivan, M., 2011. Virgin Blue hooks up with regional Skywest. Sydney Morning Herald. Web. Available from: investsmart.com.au/news/news.asp?function=printDocID=SMH110111EA787396S69Action=Display . Slide Share In. 2009. A Comparative Analysis and Strategic Response to: The Australian Airline Industry. Web. Available from: slidesh are.net/lovebaby193/competitve-analysis-presentation . Virgin Blue. 2010. Guide to Business Conduct. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:4xM1Uo6bRIoJ:www.virginblue.com.au/cms/groups/e-commerce/documents/internetcontent/p_012408.pdf+Code+of+Conduct+and+Practice+at+Virgin+Bluehl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEEShOaoBWECuOFkx05bSIyRlvAVVKOJbf9IJDbK_1T2GJmdRxJwmqSoQ3vgdSGE5DYkzWQMC0QZfQIqUBVkNfrc7EaV5Fs22_sFAOeKR-uo3F1NQNUgMG1TI8tOOeK8M8aADNJcl8sig=AHIEtbQ3D97lo7XaGj8py7B7W4q01CyVTw . Virgin Blue Company. N.d. The Virgin Blue History. Web. Available from: virginblue.com.au/AboutUs/Virginbluecorporateinformation/TheVirginBluehistory/index.htm . Virgin Blue Company. N.d. Culture and Values. Web. Available from: virginblue.com.au/AboutUs/Careers/Cultureandvalues/ . Virgin Blue Holdings Limited. N.d. Top Competitors of Virgin Blue. Web. Available from: hoovers.com/virgin-blue/ID__103709/freeuk-co-factsheet.xhtml .

Question and answer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Question and answer - Assignment Example In this particular sense, standardized nation is imparted to the customer by seeking to employ best practices that will exhibit quality customer care, support, and other related benefits in tandem with the service that is provided. Although it is true that it is more difficult to categorize and classify standards with respect to services, this is in fact being done within a litany of different industries and will be represented more and more in the coming years. The underlying reason for the global matrix design almost always maintaining a transitional nature has to do with the fact that the current rate of business growth and development, not to mention the devolution of consumer demand and dynamics of business, are nearly continually in flux. As a direct result of this flux, it is necessary for the matrix design of any industry or business that seeks to integrate with the consumer to remain relevant and evolve alongside the aforementioned changes. In the eventuality that a global matrix design is not transitional and does not provide a degree of evolutionary change with the aforementioned external forces, it is very likely that the firm or business entity in question will lose its competitive advantage and will be unable to match the consumer demands that are represented throughout the market. This will in turn provide unique opportunities for those firms that do have a global matrix design that is transitional and can react to the unique changes that are being represented. As can readily be noted, the current marketplace is one that requires continual differentiation is means of matching the competition and providing for the needs of the consumer. Because of this, is in turn necessary for the firm to seek to satisfy many different elements of wants. In this way, the reader can come to a further appreciation with respect to the way in which differentiation relates to operation management. Within such a definition understanding, product design,

Upstream, Downstream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Upstream, Downstream - Essay Example According to the discussion â€Å"Rule of capture† illustrates ground water; landowners have the resources, and the right to use water under their land. Surface water usage is regulated by the Texas state. Individuals or organizations using the surface water must continuously get water right permission from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). For the Colorado River basin, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) grants the water usage rights. Due to the worse drought conditions LCRA and TCEQ implemented an emergency relief partnership. This ensures efficient water usage by all stakeholders in Texas. The Austin area of the state utilizes water for diverse purpose. These include industrial usage, domestic usage, and agricultural usage. The continuously increasing population is the Austin area calls for efficient water usage plans to be effectively implemented. TCEQ usually directs the LCRA to change the water plan, so as to effectively manage the downstream releases. This ensures efficient water usage in the state by all the stakeholders. TCEQ has the authority of controlling surface water like spring deliveries. Controls minimizing deliveries negatively affects wildlife and agricultural activities. For instance, the rice industry in Texas is negatively affected but to inadequate irrigation water supply. The TCEQ action is a painful decision, as a result of inadequate rainfall that led to reduction in water volumes of Highland.

Legalization of Marijuana in the USA Research Paper

Legalization of Marijuana in the USA - Research Paper Example Firstly, it is the drug’s therapeutic effect and a range of implications that make it so valuable. Using cannabis for medical purposes is nothing new. Indeed, the first written references of its medical usage date back more than five thousand years ago. THC in marijuana helps to relieve pain, reduce nausea and promote appetite. In 2010, the Congressional Research Service report indicated that marijuana has positive effects on patients with chronic diseases. In Michigan, for instance, cannabis is used in the treatment of glaucoma and hepatitis C, while in Rhode Island physicians prescribe it for patients with HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. Medical marijuana is highly applicable to relieving various disease-related disorders such as muscle spasticity, nausea, anxiety, and chronic pain. Moreover, marijuana is not as addictive as one might believe. In fact, only 9% of marijuana users become addicted, compared to 15% alcohol drinkers and 32% smokers (Welsh). Secondly, ke eping marijuana illegal is expensive. It is hard to believe, but current marijuana policies cost taxpayers as much as 42 billion dollars per year (Hardy). For instance, Utah laws state that possession of an ounce of cannabis and less can lead to six months in jail. The laws also enforce taxpayers to cover expenses for every individual who is imprisoned for the use, possession, or distribution of marijuana. As it has been estimated in a Harvard study, nearly 7 billion dollars are spent annually on catching marijuana offenders (Miron). On the contrary, if cannabis were legalized and taxed like other commercial goods, the federal government would receive huge amounts of money that then could be used for other important social needs. Overall, the tax revenues drawn from marijuana would exceed 8 billion dollars annually if taxed like alcohol or tobacco (Fairchild). Furthermore, legalization of marijuana would boost the emergence of a highly lucrative industry and create job opportunities .

Benefits of Activity Based Costing, ABC

Benefits of Activity Based Costing, ABC Activity Based Costing (ABC) is an accounting method that assigns costs to activities according to their use of resources, rather than products or services. This enables resources and other related costs to be more accurately attributed to the products and the services which they use. It does not change or eliminate any costs, in the other way; it provides detailed information on how costs are consumed. The main benefits of Activity Based Costing are providing understanding into the fastest growing and least visible element of cost-overhead. We can also improve profitability by monitoring total life-cycle cost and performance so that we can improve the effectiveness of budgeting by identifying the cost of different service levels. In addition, ABC costing does encourage continuous improvement and total quality control because control and planning are directed at the process level and it links the corporate strategy to operational decision making. By using ABC costing, we can also eli minate waste by providing visibility of non-value added activities. Besides that, ABC costing help to improve make or buy, estimating, and pricing decisions which based on product cost that reflects the manufacturing process. Although there are many benefits of ABC costing, there are also a few limitations. (J. Antos) Limitations of Activity based Costing There are a few limitation of using ABC costing. First, we may consuming more time to collect data for example data concerning numerous activity, collecting data, checking data, and entering them into the system. Besides that, once implemented, the activity-based coting is costly to maintain for example the cost of buying, implementing, and maintaining activity-based system. This system may make waste visible which some executives and managers do not want their boss to see because it may be difficult to set up and establish, particularly if that organization is using more traditional accounting method. Furthermore, it can be time consuming if all activities are to be costed and also it may provide too much details which obscuring the bigger picture. Activity-based costing data can easily be misunderstood so it must be used carefully especially when it is used for decision making. Before making any significant decisions using activity-based costing data, managers must recognize the co sts which are really relevant for the decision at hand. (Ray H. Garrison, 2008) Value-Added versus Non-value-Added Activities Every organization requires information to allocate resources, monitor the actions taken, set priority and make decisions. Activity-base costing provides the accurate cost information by allocating overhead costs. However, activity-based management is focusing on enhance the use of ABC from product costing to a comprehensive management tool that concentrate on decreasing the costs and concurrently improving processes and decision making. After that, a refinement of ABC used in activity based management is the classification of activities to value-added and non-value-added. A non-value-added activity can de defined as the production or service related activities that can be eliminated with no deterioration of product attributes ( Miller, 1992). Non-value-added activities are activities that simply add cost to or increase the time spent on a product without increasing the market value of the products. Activities such as the storage of inventory, building maintenance; inspection and inv entory control are examples of non-value-added activities in manufacturing companies. Examples of non-value-added activities in service industry consist of bookkeeping, billing, traveling, advertising, cleaning, taking appointment, reception and etcetera. According to David and Robert (1995), making non-value-added activities visible is one of the advantage of activity based management but it is the most difficult to achieve. Value-added activities are activities that increase the worth or market value of a product or service to customers. For instance, activities like engineering design, machining, packaging, performing surgery, providing legal research for legal services and etcetera are categorized as value-added activities. When people understand and accept the reasons why an activity is classified as non-value added or value added then the clarity and understanding between value-added and non-value-added activities are achieved (Miller,1996). Cost Hierarchy In Activity-Based Costing A cost hierarchy classifies costs into different cost pools on the basis of different type of cost driver or cost allocation bases or different degrees of difficulty in identifying cause-and-effect or benefits-received relationships(Horngren et al. p 142, 1999). There are four levels to identify cost allocation bases or cost drivers, the classification is shown as follow: Unit-level activities: these activities can be defined as resources sacrificed on activities performed on each individual unit of a product or service (Horngren et al, 1999). For instance, manufacturing operating costs such as energy and repair which have relationship with the activity of running a machine are unit-level activities. Batch-level activities: Activities performed for a group of product units or services rather than to each individual unit of product or service (Horngren et al, 1999). Examples of batch-level cost in manufacturing are setup cost and procurement costs. Then, the number of setups or setup time is examples of cost drivers in batch-level activities. Product-sustaining activities: These activities are defined as resources sacrificed on activities that performed in support of an entire product line, but not performed every time when a new batch or unit of products is produced (Horngren et al.,1999). Design costs and engineering costs are examples of product-sustaining activities in manufacturing industry. Facility-level activities: Activities required to support or sustain the organization as a whole and cannot be traced to individual product (Horngren et al, 1999). The example of this activity includes home office general administration costs. In fact, the successful classification of these activities provide managers a structured way of thinking about the relationships between activities and the resources they consume. Activity Based Costing for Service Industries and Small Business It is widely known that activity based costing has been used by most of the large corporation such as manufacturers. In fact, activity based costing has been widely implemented by small business and service industries such as banks, airlines, hotels, hospitals, insurance companies, financial services firms, accounting firm, railroads and etcetera. However, activity based costing has seemed to be more successful when implemented in large corporation rather than using in small business. According to Henrick noted, he mentioned that companies with not so much products and markets are not seemed to get as much advantages from basing costs on activities as companies operating with diverse products, service lines, channels and customers. Actually the primary objective of activity based costing in small industry is no different with manufacturing company. The objective is to figure out the key activities that generate costs and to record how many of those activities are performed for each service provided. Then, managers are able to generate data to provide better budget and concurrently the expenses of a company are known better. The prevalent approach to identify activities, activity cost pools, and cost drivers is the same for manufacturing company and service companies. In addition, the classifying of activities as value-added and non-value added, and the effort to decrease or eliminate non-value added activities are used in service industries too. Since service industries and manufacturer companies are using the same objective of activity based costing, then why sometimes it is difficult in adopting activity-based costing in service industries? The difficulty of implementing activity-based costing in service comp anies is that a larger proportion of overhead costs are company-wide costs that cannot be directly traced to specific services provided by the company. (Weygant.) Besides that, many of the expenses in service industries are caused by product (services) such as savings account and home mortgage. However, many expenses for service functions are caused by demands by individual customers rather than service demands. Thus, customer behavior which is the feature distinguishing these systems from activity based costing as used in manufacturing companies has to be taken into account when implementing ABC system in services industries( Cooper and Kaplan, p. 467, 1991). Service companies offer differentiate services in order to satisfy customer needs. Each service, with its characteristics, makes different demands on the organizations resources. Thus, service companies have to improve their service quality and the variety in service line. Concurrently, service companies have to focus on customer economics far more than manufacturing companies. The cost of marketing, selling, delivery and serving of the products might be customer specific in manufacturin g companies. In contrast, for service companies, even the basic operating costs of standard service are determined by customer behavior (Cooper and Kaplan, pp234-235, 1998). Therefore, a fine ABC system for Service Company will provide the information for the measurement of costs and profitability at the customer segment level and market level. Since small business and large companies are using the same objective of activity based costing, then why does small business get less benefit from using activity based costing compare with large corporation? In fact, lack of knowledge and technical people in adopting the activity based costing system in small business may lead to unsuccessful of using this system in small business. Moreover, activity based costing software is expensive.   Most ABC practitioners find that special-purpose ABC software is required to make the task manageable. At $6,000 and up for one package sold by ABC Technologies, software can add significantly to outlays for this type of accounting technique ( Mark Henricks, 1999). So, small business considers using ABC is wasting of money due to not so much profits and products differentiation for their products. Thus, they omit using ABC. Developing Of New Approach to ABC Activity-based Costing system used in large corporation and service industries for the current grouping of costs and analysis of profitability of product (service) tend to be complex, costly and hard to adjust to quickly changing business environment. For example, ABC system used in several years ago in large financial service firm required seven hundred employees at more than one hundred facilities to submit monthly survey of their time. Thus the company employed 14 full time people just to collect and process the data and concurrently prepare management reports which took more than thirty days to prepare (Kaplan Anderson, p 3, 2007). Some employees questioned the accuracy of product and activity cost calculations due to long time to prepare reports and complexity of ABC system. As a result, operation, marketing and sales managers spent time to argue the correctness and accuracy of calculations instead of making decisions improving effectiveness of processes, profitability of produ cts and customers and capacity utilization. Therefore, Kaplan and Anderson developed new formulae of activity-based costing namely Time-Driven Activity Based Costing (TDABC). It was designed to eliminate the problems in ABC system implementation and operation in large entities. Thus, Kaplan and Anderson who was the author of the new formulae identified the following problems with conventional ABC model: ( Kaplan Anderson, p 7, 2007) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It was costly and long time had to be taken for interviewing and surveying process. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Data for the ABC models were subjective and hard to validate. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It was expensive to store, process and report the data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Most of the ABC model were local and did not provide an integrated view of company-wide integrated profitability opportunity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The ABC model could not be easily uploaded in order to accommodate the quickly change of business environment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The model was incorrect when it ignored potential for unused capacity. Conclusion A Traditional Costing System is an accounting system that assigns overhead to products on the basis of predetermined plant wide volume of unit based output rates such as machine hour and direct labor. (Jerry J. Weygandt., Donald E. Kieso., Paul D.Kimmel., 2002) In contra, ABC system is using the different way to identify activity cost pool by allocating overhead, after that, the costs are assigned to products using related cost drivers that measure the activity consumed. ABC system bring a few benefits for managers in a company which provide more accurate product costs, better cost control and better data for decision making .(Ray H. Garrison., Eric W. Noreen., 1997) However, this system also has several limitation which is the difficulty involved in gathering data relating to cost drivers and activities centers. Although there are a few limitations, ABC system is a useful accounting system under certain conditions and it is a suitable costing system to use. The redesign and setting up a new costing system is a very important decision to a company because these require substantial cost and much more effort to achieve. Therefore, managers should be very careful when implementing new changes in costing system. (Jerry J. Weygandt., Donald E. Kieso., Paul D.Kimmel., 2002)

American Caplitalist Governement Essay -- essays research papers fc

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." (Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence) When Thomas Jefferson wrote these words, he wrote them with the intent of establishing a new government that would not give anyone favoritism over others. After 224 years, this idea is still believed in by the citizens of America, but not practiced by their government. As the year s passed, the values of America have slowly altered to materialism. The people trusted our government to make the best decisions for the entire country, but some decisions seem to favor the wealthiest citizens rather than all of the citizens. Not to say that the government is completely corrupt, but their priorities seem to have a monetary value, and they must pay for it some how. As a country with a capitalist government, one that has the main focus of making profit through free markets, money has an unfortunately big influence on policies that are made by the government. According to the public, which was based on middle-class adults in the US, business editors and college students, the general consensus came out to be that they believed that "capitalism must be altered before any significant improvements in human welfare can be realized." This can be seen throughout history in the positions taken by the government about free markets, unionization, and . The United State s of America's government is hyper-capitalistic, because the markets are freer than in any other country. We consume more and are more dependent on working. The markets in the US have not always been so free. In the beginning we had small markets that people did not depend so much on because of the fact that they were all farmers and sharecroppers. The existence of slavery was in very recent in history... ...d States put down its unions. In the United States, we have always believed that all men are created equal. Americans, however, know that even though we were created equal, we are not treated equally. The rich are the V.I.P to the government. They are taken care of well, and pampered with money and privileges that the other hard working Americans deserve more than them. We are in the age of profits, and if the government does not see any monetary value in something, they will not bother with it, even if it is its own people. Bibliography Peterson, Robert A.,Gerald Albaum, and George Kozmetsky.Modern American Capitalism. New York: Quorum Books, 1990. Perlo, Victor. Superprofits and Crises: Modern U.S. Capitalism. New York: International Publishers, 1988. Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward, Chapter 3 from Poor People's Movements: Why they Succeed, How they Fail,(Vintage, 1977), pp96-180. Lembcke, Jerry. Capitalist Development and Class Capacities: Marxist Theory and Union Organization. New York:Greenwood Press, 1988. Joel Roers and Joshua Cohen, On Democracy, (Penguin, 1983), Chapter Six, "Democracy", pp146-183. "Industrial Revolution" Encarta Encyclopedia

Physically old but young in mind Essay

â€Å"Physically old but young in mind† Late adulthood is a developmental stage where senior citizens belong. It is the period beginning in the sixties or seventies and lasting until death based on our psychology subject. It is the time of adjustment to decreasing strength and health, life review, retirement, and adjustment to new social roles. People are said to be senior citizens when they reach the age of sixty or sixty-five because those are the ages at which most people retire from their work. As teenagers we should respect those people who are now in this stage of their life. One of the simplest reason to respect the elders is that we love them . They care for us when we are sick , cook for us , care for us , talk to us teach us and love us more than life itself. We love them , we follow them and their words .They show us their love by the acts of kindness and care , we show it by respect . Respect is part of love, love doesn’t exist without respect and respect is one of many signs of love. To let the elders know you care, just respect their words and actions. This will cement your relation and trust will multiply in no time. Life becomes easier for us when we have our elders on our side during our struggles. Also, when we have grandmothers and or grandfathers we want them to be happy. We do all things and spend a lot of time for them to enjoy the last years of their lives. But sadly, many people send or put them in a hospital or home for the agent maybe because they think that it’s a waste of time if they will take the responsibility of taking care of these elders. Being in a senior citizens stage, one must not think that he will stop exploring about things. Living in the past memories alone is to stay inactive. In order to stay active, one must find new interests; create within him a love for life; must not be content to simply watch life move on; rather he must be willing to take part in it. Anyone of us can stir up a new spirit of interest and enthusiasm with in. If one starts to think of himself as being too old to make a new start, this is merely an excuse. One may take up a hobby, call up old friends or relatives, start writing a blog or journal, learn a new art or technology, lead a spiritual life or involve oneself in all other activities one wanted to do, but could not do due to a genuine lack of time before retirement. Senior citizens should involve themselves in engaging activities to stay fit and prevent memory loss because at this stage of  life, they may be prone to diseases, syndromes and sickness. Seniors that participate in group activities may share laughter and joy. This develops a bonding experience between them. Playing games can be the answer to relieving depression, anxiety and loneliness. Technology has evolved where game consoles can read the motion or activity of your body. Senior citizens who have never played video games may be intimidated because of the game or complex control schemes. However, there are now games on the market specifically for seniors that are fun and some are even group oriented. Other games provide challenges such as crossword puzzles, Sudoku or brain teasers. These can enhance a senior citizen’s memory. Seniors also have the opportunity to go on trips and discover things they couldn’t before. This could be due to obligations or responsibilities such as work or being a full-time parent that didn’t allow them to pursue travel earlier in life. Retirees may obtain the free time to explore other cultures in different states or continents. They can go on aerial tours or on cruise vacations to see famous landmarks and experience the world. They also need to exercise, and gardening provides that source. According to â€Å"Senior Journal,† gardening is acceptable for seniors to meet the physical activity requirements needed to stay in good health. The report came from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Gardening has a calming effect because seniors are creating and nurturing flower beds or growing their own herbs and vegetables. Another help for senior citizens is t he regular massage therapy that can relieve stress, improve posture, circulation, relax muscles and control pain. Therapeutic massages provide relief of daily tension associated with stress and can help with the recovery process of various medical conditions. Another very popular activity for the elderly is ceramics. Many ceramic projects only need light sanding and painting, resulting in a beautiful and rewarding finished piece. This type of project offers a wonderful way for seniors to pass the time either at home. Other suitable crafts for senior citizens includes painting, photography, sewing, scrapbooking and many others. Playing games and solving puzzles are also an excellent cognitive activities for older seniors. These types of activities engage the brain keeping it stimulated and vital. This includes dominoes, card games, chess, scrable, bingo, jigsaw puzzles crossword and sodoku. By adapting these activities and games to the needs of  their limitations, many seniors are able to enjoy the health and social benefits of staying active. The benefits may include Mental stimulation that keeps the mind fit and challenged, Reestablishing recognition skills, Enhancing the senior’s memory, A healthier and longer life, Social interaction and friendships, Lower rates of depression, and A reduction in muscle and joint pain. What get’s old is body, not mind and soul. Soul does not age, and age of mind is a choice. One can be physically young but drained out in mind or physically old but young in mind. It is the people who really develop their own adjustment in whatever condition of life.

Security Chief at a Manufacturing Company

You're the security chief at a manufacturing company that makes small metal hand tools. The plant employs roughly one hundred people. Management has told you that many tools have disappeared. According to company records, the plant produces approximately fifty thousand per day, but far fewer are actually being shipped out. After double-checking the figures to ensure their accuracy, you have concluded that pilferage is the only possible explanation. A meal detector positioned at the employee exit near the time clock would catch anyone trying to smuggle tools out of the factory.Because the purchase cost of a metal detector is prohibited, you have decided to rent one. Anyone caught stealing will immediately be fired, and a note to that effect will become part of the individual's personnel file. You don't want to create an atmosphere of hostility, but you do need to inform the employees about these developments. Write a memo to be posted on the main bulletin board and sent via e-mail. De ar Employees, Due to recent record inconsistencies, the manufacturing company will be reviewing supply and product expenses.Recently brought to our attention is the shortage of production inventory leaving our warehouse plant. Significant security protocols will be implemented as precautions to help reduce cost wherever possible. We ask all employees to keep an open eye for suspicious behavior. Employees caught taking company supplies for personal use, would be grounds for immediate termination and appropriate legal disciplinary actions. Any incident will be reviewed, recorded, and filed for future reference. We thank you for being a part of our company. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please contact management. Respectfully, -MD

Evaluation of PEP Essay Example

Evaluation of PEP Essay Example Evaluation of PEP Essay Evaluation of PEP Essay Overall I enjoyed completing the circuit training and was very pleased with the way in which the PEP developed all the different aspects of my fitness.  The chosen method of training and the specific exercises were relevant to the game of basketball and the level of intensity was suitable for me. The overload and progression worked well and definitely made me work hard. I now understand how to implement gradual changes to the intensity without risking injury and fatigue. I also have a better understanding of the need for adequate recovery time and the importance of a proper cool down period. Before following this PEP is used to only spend time warming up. The exercises were followed safely and the quick safety check of equipment was carried out each session.  The retest results how I have improved in all areas of fitness. I was particularly pleased with the vertical jump and flexibility results. These improvements have allowed me to be more effective in the matches I am playing and I am starting to make less mistakes in my passing skills. I also seem to be more effective when in a ruck situation. However I still feel I need to develop my upper body strength.  I found the evaluation of each session useful and will continue to do this in the future, not only for training but matches to make my goal setting more effective. The PEP helped my levels of motivation as I wanted to constantly strive for improvement as well as my levels of concentration. Because I was getting tired I found I had to focus on the technique and I have started to transfer this to the game situation which has helped my skill performance.  I will continue to incorporate circuit training into my overall programme and aim to gradually increase the work intensity, after reducing the recovery time between the circuits. The session, although demanding was actually much better than last week. I even managed to complete two circuits on the pull-up station without stopping. This may have been due to the fact I felt highly motivated as this was the last session and was very focused on completing the exercise if I could.  The warm-up and cool-down both went well and I really noticed a  difference in my flexibility over the course of the PEP.  Considerations for next session  Now I have actually trained properly and followed a structured training programme I think I will continue to do so. I have seen a difference in my fitness levels and enjoyed seeing the improvement.

Telecom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Telecom - Essay Example However, to serve simplified organizational goals that are specifically identified by smaller organizations, the need to design and establish a workable R & D that could address the mission and goals of the organization and within an identified budget would suffice. Smaller organizations can update themselves of telecommunications trends using various medium. As emphasized by Sachenko â€Å"organizations are becoming internetworked enterprises that use the Internet, intranets, and other telecommunications networks to support e-business operations and collaboration within the enterprise, and with their customers, suppliers, and other business partners† (1). In an article written by Rubin, it was disclosed that â€Å"small companies spend proportionally more of their revenues on research and development than large ones† (par 1). Likewise, in another study, Klein revealed that â€Å"small and midsize companies don’t know how to capture qualified research expenses and quantify them. Also, in most small companies, the R&D is heaviest up front, when they are developing products and services† (1). In this regard, small organizations could solve the problem by availing of R & D tax credits. As explained by Klein, " if you’re a startup and you don’t have research expenses for the previous three years, you can use 6 percent of your qualified research expenses to offset your tax liability, if you have any. If you don’t have tax liability, perhaps because you have no income as a startup, you can claim the credit prospectively and carry it forward into a year when you do owe taxes. The great thing is that there’s a 20-year carry-forward provision for this credit† (1). Therefore, through availing of R & D tax credits, the amount of tax liability could be minimized depending on the income of the small organization. Likewise, by being aware and recognizing which R & D

Executive report describing how information technology impacts the Essay

Executive report describing how information technology impacts the Real Estate Industry - Essay Example Online purchasing for instance has reduced the number of agents, retail stores and warehouses needed - these very services were thriving a couple of decades ago. On the other hand, access to the most unusual information, the most uncommon places, the rarest of books and even personal web logs are now just a click away. Hence, the value of a product, service or piece of information has undergone an overhaul since the onset of the Information Technology revolution. Added, these values even after changes are not static but yet in the process of stabilizing, allowing for large potential differences between current value and future value. Traditionally, real estate value has been known to depend upon criteria such as size, location, amenities, and even climatic environments, and now, information technology is an added consideration. Cyberspace technology enables interested clients to browse through properties of their choice using various search options such as zip code, size, amenities and budget. It is also possible to take a virtual tour of the property, its interiors and its neighborhood.