General Electric Essays

General Electric Essays General Electric Essay General Electric Essay The firm operates In four primary business segments; Energy, Technology Infrastructure, Capital Finance and Consumer / Industrial. Headquartered In Fairfield, CT, General Electric has grown over the past 122 years into a financial behemoth realizing revenue in excess of $146 billion in 2013. Throughout its existence, General Electric has demonstrated an inconsistent record in terms of ethical governance and responsible business practices. Leek many of its peers, the firm endured a number of scandals, particularly in the late uses and Into the sasss. In response to these Issues and In accordance with the Serbians-Solely Act passed In 2002, General Electric has transformed Its business practices and Is now recognized as one of the more respected players in the world of corporate governance and honorable business practices. Contemporary business practices exercised by the firm have earned numerous accolades including: #6 Best Global Brand (Interbrain) #10 Most Admired Company (Fortune) #180 Greenest Company (Newsweek) To understand how this corporate evolution occurred, we need to understand the organizational structure and managerial best practices utilized by General Electric and the nature of the legislation that necessitated this institutional change. What is Serbians-Solely? The Serbians-Solely Act of 2002 (SOX) is a federal law that mandated new or enhanced standards for all U. S. Public company boards, management and public accounting firms. Drafted In response too number of high-profile corporate scandals that occurred In the late SASS and early sasss by LLC_S_ Senator Paul Serbians and U. S. Representative Michael Solely: the legislation imposed several powerful exchanges designed to curb corporate malfeasance and to protect investors. The most significant of these mechanisms included indivi dual certification of corporate financial statements by top management, increased penalties for fraudulent activity and the separation of auditing and consulting functions in outside business agencies. Mum. Sallow. Com) The overarching effect of this legislation was the increased scrutiny of flannel statements submitted by publicly traded companies and growing corporate auditing expenditures. (Sadism,2007) Board Composition: structure and governance General Electric has been a progressive company in terms of Board composition and governance. (see composition matrix- attached)For decades, the company has demonstrated a desire to promote diversity In governance from three primary perspectives: gender, race and age. : In Dalton, General Electric had historically satisfied many of the obligations outlined in the Serbians Solely legislation well in advance of its passage including listing the definition of individual committees and the number of committee meetings. (General Electric Annual Report 2000) One potential conflict that exists with the General Electric governance strategy is the ambition of President / CEO and Chairman roles. This is a practice that the company has exercised since Ralph Cordoned combined these responsibilities In 1958 challenge that exists within the Board structure of General Electric is the lack of term limits. Nominated individuals are approved annually through a majority of votes present and may continue to serve indefinitely. This issue was debated recently when shareholders proposed a 15 year term limit of Board service along with separation of the CEO / Board Chair role. The measure was defeated in a lopsided vote held during the companys April 2013 Board meeting. (Casts, 2013) re-sox (2000) * no mission or governance statement listed post-sox (2003) The role of Gees Board of Directors is clear: to oversee how management serves the long-term interests or shareholders and other stakeholders. Today (2013) The primary role of Gees Board of Directors is to oversee how management serves the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders. Board Size 19 15 17 Inside vs.. Outside # of Committees 7 5 # of Meetings 10 13 14 Audit Committee Consisted of outside directors. Held 5 meetings in 2000. Reviewed the activities and independence of Gees independent auditors as well as the firms financial reporting recesses. Composed of independent directors. Held 11 meetings in 2003. To review the activities and independence of Gees external auditors the activities of Gees internal audit staff Also reviewed Gees system of disclosure controls and procedures. Composed of independent directors. Held 12 meetings in 2013. Primary responsibilities include: selection of independent auditor, review the independent audit, oversee the firms financial reporting activities and accounting standards. Tenure unlimited Compensation Combination of cash stock. $75,000 annual base plus $2,000 per meeting . Compensation committee. Removed contingent service reward of 5,000 shares. Combination of cash, stock other. 250,000 base. Average compensation = $302,457 The moral of the story as it relates to Board structure and Governance within General Electric is that while the firm did work to shore up its regulatory and oversight positions post SOX; the company had exercised the basic principles outlined in the legislation for some time. Performance Metrics Executive General Electric has functioned for decades under the philosophy of hiring, motivating, rewarding and retaining its executive leaders through compensation. The many has maintained an executive compensation model that includes salary, bonuses and stock options as the vehicle to achieve this goal for decades. While the total compensation packages at the highest levels of leadership are not as lucrative as they once were General Electric has adapted its compensation policies in order to remain competitive and compliant in an evolving business environment. 2000- Jack Welch In the year 2000, Jack Welch stood without peer in the world of American business. Recently named Manager of the Century by Fortune Magazine, (Calvin, 1999) General Electric increased revenues to nearly $130 billion. During this year Mr.. Welch earned $16,700,000 in salary and bonus. In addition, Mr.. Welch was granted 3,000,000 stock options which became exercisable upon retirement as well as 850,000 restricted stock options. The later options were granted by the board in appreciation of 20 years of service to GE. Furthermore, Mr.. Welch was granted a split-dollar life insurance policy contingent upon execution of a personal consulting contract (up to 30 days annually) at the discretion of the acting CEO. Final terms of the consulting contract and retirement package are not listed, but the value is estimated to be north f $420 million. 2003 Jeffrey Melt Jeffrey Melt emerged as the new CEO of General Electric following a highly publicized succession process in 2001. Perhaps due to his relatively short tenure to this point, but more likely due to the passage of the Serbians-Solely Act; overall executive compensation was revised at General Electric in 2003. In addition to a more responsible base salary, executive bonuses and stock options were much more clearly outlined and defined in the 2003 proxy statement. While the Board Compensation Committee does state: We rely upon Judgment and not rigid deadlines or formulas or short-term changes in our stock price in determining the amount and mix of compensation elements for each executive officer official documents include an element of specificity not previously available to investors. Mr.. Melt was paid a $3,000,000 base salary and bonuses totaling $4,325,000 a 10% increase from the previous year. In addition, Mr.. Melt was granted 250,000 performance share units in lieu of stock options. This is the most significant change related to executive compensation policies that occurred at General Electric post SOX. Recognize the unique position of the GE CEO. The committee believes that the CEO of GE needs no retention compensation, and that his equity compensation should be focused entirely on performance and alignment with investors. This change in policy effectively linked 50% of the Coos equity compensation directly to the companys cash generation performance; the remaining 50% would only convert to shares if specific shareholder return metrics were met. In short; the better the performance of the firm the better the compensation for Mr.. Melt. Finally, select executives at GE (including Mr.. Melt) were granted 3-year performance incentive awards. These awards would be paid only upon achievement of unlisted specified goals related to: earnings per share, revenue growth, return on total capital and cumulative cash generated. 2013 Jeffrey Melt Today, the evolution of executive compensation continues at General Electric. The 2013 Proxy Report provides a thorough and defined description of all elements and metrics used to determine final executive compensation. Following essentially the same compensation model initiated in 2003, Jeffrey Melt realized total compensation (including projected pension value) of $20,592,769. Leadership, Ethics Firm Values General Electric is a perfect case study in the evolution of an American business. Formed in 1892 primarily as an electric company, the firm has grown into a global dynamo. Today the company operates in several areas including finance, appliances and power systems. This type of evolution and growth does not happen by accident, it is the result of visionary leadership a quality that has existed within GE for a century. Founded by one of this countrys greatest innovators, General Electric has embodied the vision of Thomas Edison since its inception. The company has dabbled, innovated and revolutionized a number of industries throughout its existence. This truth is a testament to the men that have lead the organization throughout the years. (see past leaders attached) More recently, present-day General Electric has been molded primarily by two individuals who utilized their personal skill to direct the company through a challenging time. Jack Welch (1980 2001) Jack Welch Joined GE in 1960 as a Junior chemical engineer. Early in his tenure, Welch considered leaving the organization citing a frustration with an overwhelming bureaucracy that existed within the firm. Welch was convinced to stay and worked his ay up the ranks becoming Chairman and CEO in 1980. Welch became one of the most successful executives in the history of the United States during his tenure, growing the value of the company by 4000%. He accomplished this by imposing leadership efficiency practices throughout the company. Welch promoted strong businesses by limiting bureaucratic inefficiencies, trimming inventory and closing factories. His governing philosophy at GE was that a company should either be number 1 or number 2 in a particular industry or it should get out of that business. Welch adopted Motorolas Six Sigma quality program in 1995 to further streamline operating efficiencies. In addition, Welch instituted a rigorous method of assessing organizational performance and leadership termed Session C. The goal of this organization. During Jack Wheels tenure, General Electric became wildly profitable and became recognized as the preeminent organization in terms of operating efficiency and profitability. Mr.. Wheels methods, while successful were generally autocratic and focused on two specific issues: profitability and legal compliance. Jeffrey Melt (2001 present) Jeff Melt was groomed to lead General Electric from a young age. Millets father worked for GE in the Aircraft Engines Division. After receiving his A. B. In Applied Mathematics from Dartmouth College, Melt earned an M. B. A. From Harvard. Jeffrey Melt formally Joined General Electric in 1982 and began his professional ascent. Following a public and high-profile transition; Melt was challenged with the difficult task of replacing legendary GE CEO Jack Welch in 2001. Melt was immediately dealt two unparalleled challenges upon assuming the position the terrorist attacks of September 1 1, 2001 and to a lesser extent the public backlash attached to the prominent accounting scandals that occurred at the turn of the century. Melt began to create an impact immediately, adopting a more people- oriented approach to management than the efficiency-minded approach that had governed GE for the preceding two decades. Melt launched a series of effectiveness-oriented measures that encouraged innovation and risk-taking. Melt also began to look to developing markets in search of opportunity. Finally, Jeffrey Melt moved Gees operational focus to areas not previously considered: concentration on long-term growth over short-term gains, infrastructure development with an emphasis on green energy and increased marketing efforts focused on social responsibility. The contrast between these two vastly different yet extremely effective leaders provides an interesting snapshot of the effects of the evolution in American business following the corporate scandals of the late sasss and early sasss. While General Electric was not directly attached to a major scandal during that era, the timing of Gees leadership transition was fortuitous. While there is certainly room for a chicken vs.. Egg debate regarding the change in managerial philosophy at GE; the change in leadership at the top of the company definitely provided an opportunity to shift course in the post-SOX business world. Corporate Sustainability Social Responsibility Similar to many traditional American manufacturing powers, General Electric did not exercise sustainable business practices for the bulk of its existence. This, of course, was not uncommon in American industry. However, at the turn of the century, the first mention of social responsibility appeared in a GE company document. Integrity: the Spirit and the Letter of Our Commitment was a comprehensive document outlining the companys policies related to privacy, supplier relationships, working with governments, environment, health and safety. The initial draft of this document was essentially a rule book seeking to achieve legal compliance in the various nations where General Electric conducted business. The following year, (2001) two share owner proposals sought to amend and bolster the Integrity statement Share Owner Proposal No. 2; which attempted to improve the quality of life for employees and their communities by allowing collective bargaining, eliminating discrimination intimidation and promoting free labor, as well as Share campaign initiated by the General Electric Company that downplayed the dangerous effects of PCs dumped in the Hudson river by the company. The GE Board of Directors voted against both proposals. The reality of the Boards actions demonstrates that the early years of General Electrics sustainability and social responsibility programs were based in superficial statements only. In 2003, General Electric launched an interactive, electronic version of its Annual Report. This new medium included a section devoted to the Citizenship initiatives active within the company. The two paragraph overview acknowledged the need for a modern corporation to practice environmental compliance, leadership in corporate provenance and high ethical standards. The document lists various social programs supported by the organization and its employees including nebulous philanthropic and volunteer efforts. While a step in the right direction, an outside observer may still question the level of commitment GE expressed to its sustainable programming. The strategy did not contain the measurable, quantifiable objectives required to effectively execute a large-scale sustainability program. (Epstein, 2003) Today, General Electric has created and maintains a robust, independent website dedicated to corporate sustainability. Www. Sustainability. Mom outlines Gees commitment to long-term sustainable business practices including: internal processes, (people, governance, compliance and health safety) sustainability initiatives (health, energy climate, water and natural resources) and progress (public policy, grassroots activism, lobbying, human rights and research). Most importantly, the site lists and outlines performance metrics used to govern thei r processes including the GRIP 63 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The end result of the GE sustainability program has been a complete remake of the GE brand identity.

St. Johns College Annapolis Admission Data

St. Johns College Annapolis Admission Data St. Johns College in Annapolis, with test-optional admissions, does not require students to submit scores from the SAT or the ACT. The school has holistic admissions, meaning that it looks at various aspects of an applicants application, not just grades and scores, but essays, academic history, extracurricular activities, etc. Students will need to submit high school transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a personal essay. With an acceptance rate of 53  percent, St. Johns admits the majority of those who apply. For more information about applying, including full requirements and important deadlines, be sure to visit the schools website, or contact the admissions office. Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) St. Johns College Annapolis Acceptance Rate: 53  percentSt. Johns College is Test-OptionalTest Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 610 / 730SAT Math: 570 / 710What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 27 / 33ACT English: 30 / 34ACT Math: 25  / 31What these ACT numbers meanTop Maryland colleges SAT comparisonTop Maryland colleges ACT comparison St. Johns College Annapolis Description Founded in 1696 and chartered in 1784, St. Johns College in Annapolis has a rich and distinct history. Despite what the colleges name might suggest, St. Johns has no religious affiliation. The colleges 36-acre campus sits along the water in the center of historic Annapolis, Maryland. The  United States Naval Academy  abuts the campus. St. Johns College is not for everyone. All students have the same curriculum  and all graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in the liberal arts and sciences. The heart of a St. Johns education is reading and discussion focused on mathematics, languages, science and music. All students will graduate with an in-depth understanding of important works of Western civilization. The college has an impressive 8 to 1 student/faculty ratio. Seminars average about 20 students and are taught by two faculty members, and tutorials and labs have 12 to 16 students. Grades are not emphasized at St. Johns, and while students will read many books, they will never use a textbook. The great majority of St. Johns graduates go on to law school, medical school, or graduate school. Students at the Annapolis campus have the opportunity to study at a second campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 484  (434 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 55 percent male / 45 percent female100 percent full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $50,353Books: $750Room and Board: $11,888Other Expenses: $750Total Cost: $63,621 St. Johns College Annapolis Financial Aid (2015 -16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 100  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 99 percentLoans: 64  percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $29,502Loans: $6,052 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Liberal Arts and Sciences (all students at St. Johns College have the same curriculum) What major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 82  percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 70  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 76  percent Intercollegiate Athletics Programs Mens Sports:  RowingWomens Sports:  Rowing If You Like St. Johns College, You May Also Like These Schools: Reed College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBrown University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphNew York University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphGoucher College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphPrinceton University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphYale University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSwarthmore College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWells College: Profile  Amherst College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphJohns Hopkins University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphVanderbilt University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

ExxonMobil and Rosneft Arctic Collaboration Essay

ExxonMobil and Rosneft Arctic Collaboration - Essay Example The entire project is at risk from a large number of factors that span the financial, compliance, strategic and operational domains. The project is set to create an open framework that allows information and expertise sharing along with data availability and accessibility. Another aim is to augment oil reserves and to ensure oil supply as per global demand. Similarly the project looks to develop world class expertise and to come to an agreement that is beneficial and protective throughout the life of the project. Another underlying aim for Exxon is to become a leading oil giant. A large challenge is to achieve cooperation across the table and to deal with a state controlled country. This may give rise to legal issues and the US Congress may be reluctant to support such an initiative. Environmental groups would also oppose efforts for exploration and the icy environment would be a large challenge to work with as well as problems in oil spills, waste disposal and oil transportation. Th e project would proceed as semi-sub drilling with daily costs of $700,000 producing some 160,000 barrels per day. A joint venture framework would be used as the political and economic climate of the US Russia relationship is precarious over the longer run. The largest risk anticipated by the project is price volatility in the international market given that the project stretches some two decades. The collaboration between Exxon Mobil and Rosneft Arctic Corporation is a very positive step in order to promote collaboration between the US and Russia. Moreover such collaboration can provide much required relief to the international energy markets as more oil is discovered and exploited. The Russian side has the territorial space and the jurisdiction while the American side has the capability to provide the technical expertise that is much required to carry out this project. The largest technical challenge will stem from the function of the TLP’s tendons under the

Is Schizophrenia a Biological Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is Schizophrenia a Biological Disorder - Essay Example Because of the scarcity of evidence that can be relied upon the disease is difficult to be identified with symptoms only. Because of its unpredictable nature also because of lack of knowledge about its causes this disease is rightly called cancer of mental illness. Some scientists believe that researchers were successful in finding out the biological background of the disease in 1990s. The modern diagnostic equipment are somewhat useful in identifying the biological root causes of the disease. But the whole truth is yet to be discovered. This disease was recognized and treated in its primitive forms about 3,000 years ago. Although the present name schizophrenia was not used in those days it was called dementia, and late demence precoce etc. But later on a German psychiatrist, Emil Kraepelin presented a theory to call it a single disease quite similar to dementia praecox. But the theory of Kraeplin was rebuted by Eugene Bleuler. Bleuler thought that it is not a single disease similar to dementia praecox. According to symptoms clinical picture schizophrenia is divided into five subtypes. A person suffering from schizophrenia may not have symptoms of a single category so the usefulness of this division to subtypes is still considered a not very effective and reliable Schizophrenia is quite common disease it accounts for almost 50 percent of most of mental disorders. This syndrome is equally common in men and women. ... A person suffering from schizophrenia may not have symptoms of a single category so the usefulness of this division to subtypes is still considered a not very effective and reliable Prevailing views about Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is quite common disease it accounts for almost 50 percent of most of mental disorders. This syndrome is equally common in men and women. It is observed that disease may attack patient in his or her 30s. But this is not a hard and fast rule. It can appear in the later age of the patient also. It is also said that most of the patients of this disease live in poorer areas of the cities. Some scholars think that the patients suffering from this disease can not survive financially in well off or middle class areas because of the disease so they have to move to the poorer areas. Others have a different view, they think that this disease most commonly cause by stress and anxiety related to financial problems, that is why most of the patients are from poorer areas of the cities. Common Symptoms Traditionally it is not easy for a therapist to assess and diagnose the person with this syndrome. The doctor would have to carefully review the symptoms prevalent in the patient. The doctors have to rely upon the information provided by the people closely affiliated to the patient. The doctors also confirm their assessment by keeping the person under observation and results of mental status are also used for getting correct diagnosis. Therapist mostly focus on thoughts disorders, deception. Patient can get preoccupied by illusions relate religion or beliefs. Many people with schizophrenia have disturbances in expressions and emotions. The patients may no feel no regard or connection with

Charles Darwin Essay Example for Free

Charles Darwin Essay Charles Darwin was a British scientist who came up with the idea of the theory of Evolution. He was also a botanist which would be one of the reasons what lead him towards inventing his Theory of Evolution. Why and How? Charles Darwin travelled to the Galapagos Island as a biologist. He travelled on a ship which was undertaking surveys of the Pacific Ocean. His voyage was to examine plants and animals on the islands through which he came up with Theory of Evolution. Charles Darwin came up with his Theory of Evolution after surveying birds on each island he went to. He saw finches but they all had different beaks, one finch had a long beak the other had a short beak and another had a dipping beak. After seeing all this Charles Darwin started thinking and so he thought why does one bird have a long beak and the other have a small beak. During his voyage on the beagle he carried on observing and found fossils and also saw consistent results for which he came up with the theory of evolution. His theory explained that all living things have a common ancestor. The finches he discovered had different beaks and so he came up with the conclusion that all of these finches had a common ancestor and then they a ll evolved from that common ancestor. Hypothesis Charles Darwin’s hypothesis was that every living thing has a common ancestor and that we all evolve from that common ancestor. His reason for us all evolving was that so we can adapt with the nature around us and survive. For example giraffes have long necks, according to Charles Darwin these giraffes had a common ancestor who had short necks from time to time a mutation resulted in a giraffe having a long neck. The reason being is so that, the giraffe could reach the trees better and get extra food and be more prone to stay alive and reproduce than all of the other giraffes. Eventually, the attribute would be passed down until generally most giraffes had long necks. Evidence and proof Jean Baptise Lamarck, who was a French naturalist, discovered his own theory before Charles Darwin discovered his Theory of Evolution. Lamarck’s theory was that organisms would pass their attribute down to their generations for example if someone was to loos their arm then their coming baby would be born without a arm and then it would get passed down the generation and then eventually you would find most people without an arm. Charles Darwin’s theory contradicted to Lamarck’s theory and so people didn’t believe in his Theory of Evolution. Also Charles Darwin lacked in evidence because he had no evidence that all the finches have a common ancestor or that all organisms have an common ancestor and so because of him not having enough evidence he lacked proof and so his theory wasn’t reliable.

Hore-Belisha :: essays research papers

As you look back and learn about the times surrounding World War II, you don’t come across the name Hore-Belisha, well at least I have not. Who was this man? What was his role, if he had one at all? My article digs into the presence of Hore-Belisha. I will hopefully be able to give you a good understanding of who this man was and what he did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His name was Isaac Leslie Hore-Belisha (1893-1957). Isaac was the son of a Sephardic Jew and became a major in the Royal Army Service Crops during World War I. As a college student, he was educated at Clifton and St. John’s College. He also became first post war president of the Union. Hore-Belisha, furthermore, worked as a journalist for Beaverbrook until winning Devonport for the Liberals in 1923. Isaac then went on to dividing the Liberal Party by organizing a new National Liberal Party to support The Ramsay Macdonald-Baldwin National Government. Hore-Belisha soon became a big name in the government as he became Financial Secretary to the Treasury. That position impressed Chamberlain, which would prove good later. Isaac then became Minister of Transport (1934-1937), in which he reduced road accidents by simply introducing a driving test, a Highway code, and pedestrian crossing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Isaac was a great governmental figure. Looking back at all his accomplishment, Hore-Belisha has done a lot for his English country. Therefore in May of 1937, Chamberlain chose Isaac for War Office. Chamberlain choice was quite unusual because of the fact that Hore-Belisha was Jewish, but Chamberlain had good reason. Chamberlain looked for a man to be Secretary of State that would stick to Chamberlain’s policy of limited liability. This policy would cause England to have no involvement in Europe. England wanted to stay a neutral country and this was its plan. In addition to staying a neutral country, limited liability would also reduce the cost of the Army to benefit the Navy, the RAF, and the taxpayer. So Chamberlain promoted Duff Cooper, present war minister, to the Admiralty and replaced he with Hore-Belisha. Now being young Jewish man in the cabinet, Hore-Belisha depended on Chamberlain’s support.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trying to prove he was more then Chamberlain’s little toy monkey, Isaac started to make some improvement in the military. Isaac improved recruitment by inaugurating reforms known as the radicalization of the Army. He then went on to make army life more attractive.

Censorship and Media

Censorship and the Media The media provide our access to news and information. The citizens of a nation need to stay informed and thus come to trust the media that brings the news and information they desire without fear that it is a lie, an agency of an evil foreign power or in any other way not the closest to the truth possible. Censoring the media is tantamount to mind control of the citizenry. This issue is everyone's problem. Thailand is in many ways a free country. However, a nation that has always tolerated a remarkable amount of censorship, and spawned dismaying numbers of self-appointed guardians of taste and morality.Since governments almost always have an interest in controlling the free flow of information, official censorship is something that must be constantly guarded against. In our society, large corporations are a more common source of censorship than governments: Media outlets killing stories because they undermine corporate interests; advertisers using their finan cial clout to kill negative reports; powerful businesses using the threat of expensive lawsuits to discourage legitimate investigations.The most frequent form of censorship is self-censorship: Journalists deciding not to pursue certain stories that they know will be unpopular with the boss. In contrast to state censorship, which is usually easy to recognize, self-censorship by journalists tends to be obscured. It is particularly murky and dangerous in the emerging media environment, with routine pressures to defer to employers that have massive industry clout and global reach. In some parts of the world, the media are controlled by the government.This means that no one can broadcast or publish anything that the government considers to be immoral or harmful, or that threatens the country's stability (i. e. , the government's own power base). This is what we usually think of when we hear the word censorship. Democratic countries, on the other hand, take pride in upholding the principl e of freedom of speech. People are free to speak and write whatever they wish, with some carefully defined exceptions. But there is another controlling power at work in a market economy – the power of money.For example, in North America most mainstream publications depend on two income sources: subscriptions and advertisers. Both influence decisions about content. Readers must find the content relevant, interesting, tasteful, and entertaining or they will drop their subscription. Advertisers will cancel their accounts if they consider the content to undermine or challenge their message about the product they sell. For instance, the tobacco industry has enormous advertising power in the U. S. , with annual expenditures of over $5 billion (or $75 for every adult smoker).Since cigarette advertising was banned on radio and TV in 1970, most of this money has been spent on expensive ads in the print media. Some will argue that censorship is unconstitutional. In the first Amendment to the American Constitution, all people are guaranteed the right to freedom of speech. For example, censoring of albums and V-chip technology, it does not technically violate the Constitution, it does violate the spirit of the Constitution. The First Amendment in the American Constitution suggests that all people also have the right to have their opinions heard in their original form.It does not say anything about whether or not a person has the right to censor that which offends them, as many attempts at censorship are. If these violations of Constitutional rights continue, dire consequences could result. The censorship of media is helping to sterilize music, television, and books. If this trend continues, we will soon be seeing only one kind of entertainment, light, romantic, insubstantial. All of the daring that has driven all of the great human artistic achievements through history will be lost as promising young artists are squashed by efforts to censor their work.However, tod ay's parents are too busy to do anything more than set down their children in front of a TV set or stereo and leave the parenting to the media. Education is the key to â€Å"protecting† children, and those who don’t know any better. Some people grew up watching violent movies and reading Stephen King novels, and they have never done anything extremely violent in their lives. At first the use of filtering software may seem like a simple, reasonable solution, free from any threat to the freedom of expression of adults.Once one examines this proposal more thoroughly, serious problems arise when filtering/blocking software providers select the sites and program the categories to be blocked, since this constitutes permitting a private company to make censorial decisions for the public. The frequently proposed alternative solution is to have the filtering/blocking software block sites on the basis of self-classification — what the industry has dubbed self-labeling â⠂¬â€ by each individual who operates a web site, bulletin board.As residents in a nation, and inhabitants of a global megalopolis, there are questions which the control of content on the Internet forces us to confront regarding the issue of how far we are willing to have freedom of expression and communication in an adult world governed by a standard designed to protect the possible, but apparently indemonstrable harm that might be done to children or other adults: do we really wish to control freedom of access of intelligent teenagers, much less some adults who have access only to public, filtered terminals, from participating in small discussions between a group of interested adult individuals; do we condone restricting in any way access to the online equivalent of libraries, museums, universities, and agencies disseminating news; do we wish to inhibit a multitude of other useful services becoming available on the Internet, to such a standard? That's why the Internet makes a lot of people very nervous. Because it can't be effectively, and efficiently, controlled. It is wrong to assume that the Internet has no rules, and is friendly to the exchange of objectionable materials. In fact the Internet is a `virtual community' of users with a distinct culture incorporating diverse views but finding consensus in opposition to censorship and access control. There is also strong opposition to the exploitation of children; in fact, many Internet users have cooperated in attempts to identify those who create and distribute child pornography.But, consider these possible analogies to the Internet: — The Internet is a vast mail system, like a post office. Would you favor a law that required postal authorities to open each piece of mail and evaluate its acceptability? — The Internet is a huge library system. Would you favor a law that would restrict information a library can provide? — The Internet is a collection of virtual communities. Would you favo r a law that required routine searches of your community? I do, however, believe in such â€Å"censorship† techniques as movie ratings and album advisory labels. These, in actuality, are not censorship, but actually help the artist to exercise creative freedom.These warnings help parents to decide if a work is appropriate for them or for their children. Consequently, more is acceptable artistically. For example, an album such as rapper â€Å"Ludacris† would never have been able to be released before the advent of the warning label. So, in that sense, warning techniques help to protect artists' freedoms, as well as the innocence of children. Bibliography: Johnson, Lorraine ed. Suggestive Poses: Artists and Critics Respond to Censorship (Toronto: Toronto Photographers Workshop and the Riverbank Press 1997) Marotte, Bertrand â€Å"Censorship Hot Topic at Conference† Southam News Background in Depth, February 13, 1996. http://www. southam. com/mmc/waves/depth/tech/c ensor0213. tml Samson, Gareth â€Å"Illegal and Offensive Content on the Information Highway† Http://insight. mcmaster. ca/org/efc/pages/doc/offensive. html Shallitt, J. â€Å"The Real Meaning of Free Speech in Cyberspace. The Internet: Beyond the Year 2000,† http://insight. mcmaster. ca/org/efc/pages/doc/b2000. html Sterling, Bruce: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, February 1993 http://www. magnet. gr/internet/guides/bruce. html Theall, Donald: Beyond the Word: Reconstructing Sense in the Joyce Era of Technology, Culture and Communication (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995) 91-109 Wisebrod, Dov: Controlling the Uncontrollable:Regulating the Internet (1995) http://www. Catalaw. com/dov/docs/dw-inet. htm

Power and Politics in Organizations Essay

Abstract In organizations there are various powers, conflicts and political intrigues at play. Some of these powers may not appear not amount to something much to the untrained eye but those privy to these power struggles know that they go a long way in shaping the destiny and the future of an organizations. When there is a change of leadership in an organization e. g. in cases where the C. E. O is retiring or moving elsewhere, the successor will want to impose his business philosophy on the organization. He does this by wielding his legitimate authority (that of being C. E. O or the boss). He or she may do this by rewarding those employees who embrace his or her business style and coerce those whom they feel are stubborn to their authority. Coercion will oftentimes involve threats of firing or demotion or promotion stifling against errant employees. Employees who are depended upon for the company to run smoothly (i. . those who own expert power) may survive the onslaught because the executive officer may not want to jeopardize company operations. This however, may be temporary if the executive officer looks for suitable replacements for the errant expert employees and then forces the incumbent out of the company or into positions less glamourous. In this assignment, I have looked into a case involving a blue chip company in East Africa called Safaricom Ltd and the power s truggles between the incumbent C. E. O and top level expert employees. Safaricom says the two resigned but they might have been the first victims of the new C. E. O’s no nonsense approach to business. Before his resignation, Mr. John Barorot had been Safaricom’s Chief Technical Officer. He was one of the longest serving employees having joined the company in 2000. The other person who seems to have received the sack was the Chief Information Officer Mr. Robert Mugo. The power and political intrigues within the company saw the exit of the two with analysts indicating that Mr. Collymore viewed them as a challenge to his authority in the company. He used his legitimate power to get the two to resign. Mr. Barorot opted to resign rather than go through a new rigorous talent assessment procedure. This indicates the presence of coercive powers in the company. Despite their expertise in their various capacities, Mr. Barorot and Mr. Mugo could not rely only on their expert power to retain their jobs. Hence, they were trounced by the legitimate power wielded by the Chief Executive Officer.

Affects of Gun Control Laws essays

Affects of Gun Control Laws essays How Are Gun Control Laws Affecting Our Society? On April 16th, 2014 the Jenkins family turned in for the night. They hear something in the front room. It sounds like someone is breaking into the window in their living room. Mr. Jenkins gets out of bed to check what is going on. He enters the front room to find a man standing with a gun in his hand, pointing it directly at him. Mr. Jenkins has no form of protection in his house because in the year 2010 the government passed a law to make guns illegal. This scenario could happen to you if guns are outlawed in the United States. Guns are a major source of protection in the U.S. today. Without guns many more people would die and criminals would be the only ones to have control over them. Being very controversial, Gun Control is one of the leading debates in the Constitution today. According to an article in Issues and Controversies, The Second Amendment ... reads: a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed (Update 8). Robbery and assault victims who use a gun to resist are less likely to be attacked or to suffer an injury than those who use any other methods of self-protection or those who dont resist at all. The Issues and Controversies Article also states, U.S. Citizens now possess a guessed amount of 230 million firearms [which is] roughly a ratio of a single firearm per American citizen (Update1). It would be overly complicated for the government to get rid of every citizens gun. A person is entitled to stand their ground and meet any attack made upon them with any deadly weapon, in any way and with as much force needed to prevent great bodily harm or death. Senator Larry Craig, a board member of the NRA, stated, the peoples liberated status of America cannot exist without the right to the people...

How to Avoid Embarrassing Editing Marks on Your Documents! MS Words Track Changes Program

How to Avoid Embarrassing Editing Marks on Your Documents! MS Words Track Changes Program Ever get a document back from an editor that has tons of red or blue lines (maybe even some green ones), and have no idea how to get rid of them all, or view the document the way it’s supposed to look?   This article is for you! [Thanks to Larry Sochrin, MBA Admissions Consultant at The Essay Expert, for contributing instructions for Mac users.] Dont Submit a Document that Looks Like This! Why I Love Track Changes Microsoft Word has a very useful feature called â€Å"Track Changes† that keeps track of changes that an editor makes to a document, and allows subsequent readers to see what changes were made. When the â€Å"Track Changes† feature is turned on, anyone who opens the document can see every change made to the original document, whether to fonts, page formats, margins, and text. Track Changes also has a â€Å"Comments† feature that allows explanations and suggestions to be entered in the margins of your document. The value of Track Changes to me as an editor is that my clients can see what I’ve changed, and I can see the changes they make. I do not then have to go through their resume word by word to see what alterations have occurred. It’s also easy to accept or reject changes, without having to change individual fonts or colors. Gone are the days of manually inserting a strikethrough to indicate a deletion! The Dangers of Track Changes Track Changes can be troublesome too. You don’t want to send a document with lots of red lines and bubbles all over it to an employer or a school (many people have embarrassing stories of doing this)! The recipient then sees all the suggestions, changes, and possibly the original language and mistakes that needed changing. As part of proofreading and preparing the final draft of a resume, cover letter, or essay, take the following steps to ensure that you do not inadvertently send a marked up copy to an employer: Directions for MS Word 1)   Check to see if there are any comments or tracked changes in the document: Go to the â€Å"Review† tab and click on the window that says â€Å"Final Showing Markup.†Ã‚   Go to the â€Å"Show Markup† menu and make sure there are check marks in all the boxes (otherwise you might not see the comments or formatting changes when you look at â€Å"Final Showing Markup†) NOTE:   If the window says â€Å"Final† and you do not see any redlines, this does not mean they are gone! Make sure you are viewing the markups before determining that your document is clean. 2)   If you do not see any changes or comments and you do not make any other changes to the document, you’re good to go. 3)   However, if you do see comments and tracked changes, you can do one of two things: Change â€Å"Final: Show Markup† to â€Å"Final† and save the final document as a PDF. This solution works if the place you’re submitting your resume accepts .pdf files. Accept all the tracked changes and delete all edits and comments (unless you only want to accept some of them, in which case see step 4). NOTE: You need to delete edits SEPARATELY from comments! Under the â€Å"Review† tab, go to â€Å"Accept† icon and accept all changes. Under the â€Å"Review† tab, go to the icon that says â€Å"Delete† (next to the â€Å"New Comment† icon, and click â€Å"Delete All Comments in Document.† 4)   If you want to accept some changes and delete others, you can accept or reject changes and comments one at a time by right clicking on them individually. You will get a drop-down menu with choices of what to do. 5)   Repeat Step 1. Directions for MS Word 2008 for Mac 1)   Check to see if there are any comments or tracked changes in the document: Go to the â€Å"Review† tab and find the Markup Options  drop-down menu. Make sure there are check marks next to the first three items shown   (otherwise you might not see the comments or formatting changes when you look at â€Å"Final Showing Markup.†) 2)   If you do not see any changes or comments and you do not make any other changes to the document, you’re good to go. 3)   However, if you do see comments and tracked changes, you can do one of two things: 1. Change â€Å"All Markup† to â€Å"No Markup† and save the final document as a PDF. This solution works if the place you’re submitting your resume accepts .pdf files. 2. Accept all the tracked changes and delete all edits and comments (unless you only want to accept some of them, in which case see step 4). NOTE:   You need to delete edits SEPARATELY from comments! Go to the Accept  menu with the green checkmark, and select Accept All Changes. Go to the Delete  menu with the red X, and select â€Å"Delete  All Comments in Document.† 4)   If you want to accept some changes and delete others, you can accept or reject changes and comments one at a time by clicking on the icons with the left arrow or right arrow to move to the previous or next change and then click on the drop-down menus with the green checkmark or red X to   accept or reject each individually. 5)   Repeat Step 1. Important notes for all versions of Word: If you accept all changes before reviewing the document and there is a comment in the middle of your document like â€Å"(dates?)† then that change will be accepted and become a part of your document! Make sure you respond to all questions and make any revisions needed inside your document before accepting all changes. *ALWAYS* proofread your final document at least 3 times!   As much as The Essay Expert and other editors attempt to ensure that your documents are perfect, final approval is ultimately your responsibility. If you don’t want all your future edits to show up as marked on your document, turn Track Changes off by clicking on it.   It’s a toggled function.   Click it on, click it off. Finally, when you receive an edited document, whenever possible accept or reject the changes before making your own edits!   This practice will make it much easier to look at the NEW edits you have made to the document. Have Track Changes questions? Embarrassing Track Changes stories? Please share in the Comments below! Save

Risk management case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk management case - Essay Example A table would be a suitable way to present your answers, with columns for the risks, the strategy and the type of strategy For such company as XYZ Ltd that specializes in technological devices for customers with visual impairment, risks in project implementation can be associated with its planning, cooperation with the provider of services, TECHNO Company in particular, the quality of components chosen by TECHNO and risk of losing potential customers due to the high competition in this sphere. Raz, Shenhar and Dvir (2002) consider that project risks are characterized by undesired events such as delays, excessive spending or unsatisfactory project results. Hence, for XYZ Ltd if the project planning in terms of developing of new watch would contain difficulties in using a new specific feature of voice recognition by the customers with certain disabilities, that will create the risk of usefulness of the entire project. For that purpose an advantage will be in arranging the watch the way to be easy in use by people with visual impairment. Despite the fact that in the present many techniques and suggestions were introduced for project execution, there are still gaps from various perspectives, which require managers to be responsible for making a progress of project (Razaque, Bach, Salama & Alotaibi, 2012). For XYZ Ltd, such approach is given to the third company-provider, TECHNO, which is responsible for developing of innovative speech recognition component using cheaper technology. The risk here is that while cooperating with TECHNO, XYZ can lose customers in other products if the new watch technology will be developed by TECHNO in the wrong way and the needs of customers will not be expected. As the main strategy of managing such risk can be tracking and combining of efforts of both companies in order to develop a good product. The other risk from XYZ Ltd perspective can be associated with the quality