Hurricane Sandy: What Went Wrong Essay

Hurricane Sandy introduced herself to the United States in October of 2012. The super storm began its course in the Southeast, and moved all the way up to the Mid-Atlantic. The aftermath of this storm caused massive amounts of devastation to homes, businesses and shore areas. It left families grieving for those who were lost, and left a nation feeling sorry for those that were now homeless. The preceding actions that took place after the storm are what might be remembered most about this devastating storm. Epic Failure The post storm relief effort of Hurricane Sandy or lack of it is what is making news today. The lack of both a tactical and strategic plan from important leaders of our country has left victims of the storm still struggling to pick up the pieces nearly three months affect the storm. With strategic planning, â€Å"issue x is staring us in the face and we need some way to help us think about its resolution, or else we will be badly hurt.† (Bryson, 2011) But months after the storm it seems that our leaders are still thinking and not reacting. In parts of Long Island, many are still without power. New York councilmen, Mark Cuthbertson was quoted saying, â€Å"This was among other things an epic failure of communication.† (Cuthbertson, 2012) A failure of communication all comes back to a lack of planning. Everyone knew this storm was coming and the possible effects it could have so there really shouldn’t have been an excuse for a lack of communication. A benefit concert held at the famous Madison Square Garden was held to give relief to those affect by the storm. The concert producers announced the benefit performance â€Å"raised about $50 million for people affected by Hurricane Sandy.† (Mckinley, 2012) To this day however, no one really knows where that money has gone. Perhaps there giving little by little to victims but not a significant amount to start the rebuilding process. Everyone has begun to assume where the money has gone. This money was raised to help the victims out immediately, but no one has seen anything yet. Organizations like FEMA have also made mistakes after hurricane Sandy. While FEMA did give some emergency checks to some victims, the process to get any money from the organization was faulty. Many of the victims lost a lot of property if not everything. FEMA seemed to be giving a lot of the victims the run around. They were asking for documentation that many lost in the storm, which allowed FEMA to slow down the process of giving this relief money. Instead, Joel Rose of the National Public Radio reported, â€Å"FEMA is encouraging victims to apply for a low-interest loan from the small business administration.† (Rose, 2012) Many victims choose not to do this, because they were out of work and would have to pay back the loan. Relief efforts were also interrupted by politics. President Obama passed a bill giving 50 billion dollars in relief money. Many Republicans voted against this bill because they felt it puts the country into more debt. Republicans argued, â€Å"it’s spending that’s traditionally been untouchable, but it’s still spending.† (Keith 2013) They agreed to vote for the bill as long as the bill was offset by cuts elsewhere. Conclusion/ Summary The hesitation of the United States leaders in regards to planning are the key to what went wrong after Hurricane Sandy. The inability to show us where relief money is going has caused uproar. The faulty application process of FEMA has caused more headaches then relief. If money was raised it should be spent and spent on relief immediately. A plan should have been outlined and shown to the victims with a timeline of when, how and where the relief effort and rebuilding will occur. Hesitation only gives doubt to Americans, and that seems to be what is happening. References Bryson, John. M. Strategic Planning For Public and Nonprofit Organizations (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass, 2011 Cuthbertson, Mark. N.P.R. Group Probes Delayed Power Restoration Post Sandy, December, 2012, http://www.npr.org/2012/12/12/167029241/commission-probes-n-y-power-loss-after-hurricane-sandy Keith, Tamara. N.P.R. House Takes Up Sandy Relief Bill After It Was Dropped By Previous Congress, January, 2013, http://www.npr.org/2013/01/15/169452224/house-takes-up-sandy-relief-bill-after-it-was-dropped-by-previous-congress Mckinley, James. The New York Times. 12-12-12 Producers Say Concert Brought In $50 Million, December, 2012, http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/12-12-12-producers-say-concert-brought-in-50-million/ Rose, Joel. N.P.R. Some Sandy Victims Tied Up With Bureaucracy, November, 2012, http://www.npr.org/2012/11/15/165233716/some-sandy-victims-tied-up-with-bureaucracy

Importance of Employee Retention During a Recession

Importance of Employee Retention During a Recession Introduction During a recession companies have to constantly protect and plan for financial attacks from increased expenses, decreased sales as well as customer and especially employee retention. Management must realize that their employees are suffering just as their businesses are with increased expenses and costs for everyday items. All parties must work cohesively to transition through a down economy. Employers must be aware that their employees will be looking for other employment if the company is not providing the tools time and training in order for them to perform their jobs well.This is especially important during recessionary times when the focus needs to be on customer and employee retention. Numerous studies have found and experts agree that â€Å"company culture† is the leading factor in employee satisfaction and retention. Companies must embrace the importance of employee retention through the implementation of various retention practices so that they will be better prepared to continue to grow and be successful even through recessionary times.Companies that grasp that concept and incorporate an environment where employees feel empowered, motivated and engaged will result in greater productivity and teamwork and therefore greater customer loyalty. Company Culture Company culture and in several instances lack of a positive company culture appears to be the leading factor in the retention ratio of employees remaining versus voluntarily leaving a company. The culture of a company is defined by many different aspects. Organizations that focus on employee retention and management programs have found some surprising indications.Employee retention has been a challenge for all companies big and small and across industry lines. Many have researched and studied the reasons why some companies have better retention rates than others similar. Many experts agree that a basic foundation of proven retent ion and management skills being implemented and used effectively will result in a higher retention rate. The consensus of decades of research has found that â€Å"high retention has little to do with formal programs and everything to do with culture† (Duggan, 2010).Companies that aim to make sure theirs is a company that values its most valuable asset, its employees. Years of analysis on employee retention and human resource directives have shown that an environment where employees are valued assets and treated as such as well as one where talent has been developed with the proper tools, time and training show higher retention levels over time in any economic environment. â€Å"Among those who strongly agreed that they work for a manager who cares about their well-being, 94 percent said they intend to stay with their current employer.Of those who strongly disagreed that their manager cared about their well-being, just 43 percent planned to stick around† (Ryan, 2010). A well known gem known among informed and effective management is that employees do not leave companies they leave bad managers. With this knowledge companies should be able to make sure their focus and goal should be to ensure that their company and its management is effective, dependable and respected leaders. This focus in the long run will ensure there is a positive company culture that will allow them to maintain their most valued asset.Importance of Solid Human Resource Practices The human resource department should take the lead when implementing policies, disciplining employees and layoffs or terminations within a company and especially during a down economy. The human resource department can ensure that policies are implemented smoothly and within legal guidelines. They are there to ensure that company policies and procedures are communicated effectively. â€Å"HR must take the lead in workforce management, including, when necessary, conducting layoffs or terminations of em ployees in a systematic, ogical and effective manner â€Å"(Lieber, Spring 2009). Companies are finding that by developing their current pool of employees they will be better able to weather any market trends whether up or down. Employers should focus on making sure that employees receive regular feedback from their managers. Informal weekly meetings are a great start to fostering positive relationships between managers and their staff. Studies have found that consistent communication helps to ensure that employees are comfortable with positive and not so positive criticism.Communications and how effective companies are at communicating new policies and procedures help to foster a level of trust and openness within the entire company. An environment where employees are encouraged to voice their concerns and receive proper feedback ensures that employees are engaged in their positions and in the success of the company. Any positive, proactive measure implemented by human resources, as long as done with honesty, will help to engage employees and contribute to a positive company culture. Misconceptions of Employee RetentionEmployee retention is one of the most important factors in any companies’ success. Along with its importance come several misconceptions as well as adverse effects as a result of them. The majority of employers believe that employees would never consider leaving their jobs during a recession. In fact, a survey conducted by Salary. com showed that 65% of employees admit to passively or actively looking for a new job already (Throckmorton, n. d. ). Experts are in agreement that many times companies focus on retaining their high level executives during difficult times.An article in the Mckinsey Quarterly emphasizes that companies should instead turn their focus on retaining the â€Å"key employees† (Cosack, Guthridge, Lawson, 2010). Key employees are defined as ones that are normal performers and are critical to the company’s success overall. Key employees are not necessarily the high level executives; they are normal performing employees that are critical to the overall success of the company (Cosack, Guthridge, Lawson, 2010). Collectively the departments support the entire company and share in the company’s success.Employers tend to believe that employees are also less engaged in their positions during a down economy because they believe that employees have fewer employment options. This is another misconception. In a study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership and Booz Allen Hamilton found that employees are more engaged in their positions during a recession. Conclusion As one can conclude maintaining a high and effective retention rate is a challenge for most companies no matter the condition of the economy.Companies that are serious about their success will always value their most important asset, their employees. Successful companies will have embraced the challenges and will enga ge their employees. Companies with effective and ethical leaders will be laying the foundation for long-term success of the company in a any economic environment.References Duggan,  M. (2010,  August). Best practices: Retention. Drug Topics,  154(8),  21. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  2137959661). Lieber, L. (2009). How to manage terminations and layoffs in a recession. Employment Relations Today (Wiley), 36(1), 95-102. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Cosack, S. , Guthridge, M. , & Lawson, E. (2010). Retaining key employees in times of change. McKinsey Quarterly, (3), 135-139. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Throckman, R. (n. d. ). Are You Worrying about Retention During the Recession? You Better Be! Retrieved from http://www. strategichrinc. com/articles/rentention-recession. htm. Ryan, J. (2010). Keeping Employees Happy in a Post-Recession World. BusinessWeek. com, 5. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.

Bipolar Disorder Role of Nursing Profession in Care

Bipolar Disorder Role of Nursing Profession in Care With the increasing incidence and prevalence of mental disabilities like bipolar disorders in Australia (Geller. B, DelBello. M, 2008). the nursing profession will have to attain the knowledge and skills required to care for individuals who have bipolar disorder via a multidisciplinary approach across all nursing settings; acute care, aged care, specialist mental health and community settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines disability as â€Å"The inability to engage in any substantial, gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death, or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months† (World Health Organization, 2010). The term disability is such a broad term, where generally an individual suffering from a disability is known to suffer either mentally or physically. Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that affects an individual’s psyc hological or behavioural patterns and is known to have a long-term affect upon an individual. The Australian Psychology Society, a leader in providing information in regards to mental health issues to the public, defines â€Å"Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, [as] a mental illness that seriously affects the way a person acts, thinks and feels. It is generally characterised by a cycle of mood swings between elation and depression, varying from mild to extreme. Extreme elation is called ‘mania’ † (The Australian Psychology Society, 2010). Bipolar is the sixth leading cause of disability among illnesses and is associated with both high mortality and morbidity costs (Geller. B, DelBello. M, 2008). It affects one in fifty Australians, where gender and age characteristics do not influence the disorder to predominantly affect one of these specific groups (Better Health Channel, 2010). There are a range of factors that contribute to the disorder, w here genetics, biology, lifestyle and environmental factors can all play a role in the development of the disorder (The Australian Psychology Society, 2010). Some of which are explored below: Although the underlying mechanisms have not been extensively researched and proven, research has identified that there is a strong genetic predisposition (Better Health Channel, 2010). Research has shown that â€Å"relatives of people suffering from bipolar illness are 10 to 20 times more likely to develop either depression or manic-depressive illness than the general population† (Bipolar Genetics Collaboration, 2005). One biological theory that has originated suggests that â€Å"brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that help regulate mood, called serotonin and nor-epinephrine are thrown out of balance†, therefore it can trigger and cause an episode of mania followed by depression (Better Health Channel, 2010). Research has shown that environmental factors can also have an impact o n an individual’s susceptibility of developing the disorder. Some evidence suggests that â€Å"this disorder varies seasonally, with mania being more common in spring and depression more prevalent in winter† (The Australian Psychology Society, 2010). Other literature suggests that childhood trauma can contribute to an individual obtaining bipolar disorder (Etain et al, 2008). Lifestyle factors can also exacerbate bipolar disorder and cause an individual to be more susceptible to developing it later in life. Bipolar disorder events of mania and depression can be triggered by the stressors in one’s life where each individual has their own triggers for such events (The Australian Psychology Society, 2010)

Analysis of online community Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis of online community - Thesis Proposal Example But it is vital that all of us ask this from ourselves. Is this all really for the ‘good’? Should we keep allowing eradication of family and moral values in the name of technology? It is time we start considering the real issues that we face from technology. In this paper we will discuss Facebook and why how much popular it is among the young generation of today. We will also discuss the problems social networking in general and Facebook in particular is causing to the society. Facebook is posing great danger to human society and is destroying the youth by engaging them in futile activities and hindering intellectual development of younger generation. The internet age has provided the world with newer activities. It has contributed to a change in daily life. People prefer to use internet technology to communicate with each other instead of meeting people in person. Now the generation that has been born in the age of technology generally prefers to communicate through internet. This generation is also technology oriented therefore they want to make their lives easier. Companies have made use of this technology to cater to this market. Many online games and social networking sites have come up in order to provide entertainment to the people that are technology oriented. In this wave of internet activities many social networking sites have also come up and the most famous social networking site of today is Facebook. The social networking site has 700 million users worldwide (Paul para 1). This number shows how popular the networking site is throughout the world. It has attracted people through its unique feature. People can upload and share pictures, and the status sharing feature is particularly famous among the young people. It has actually given the young generation everything they wanted. They can talk to their friends share pictures and upload videos. It has actually catered to the demands of the younger generation and

Leadership and Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Leadership and Management - Assignment Example Management and leadership emphasizes on building efficient organizational activities which will maximize the productivity of the company. The complexity of the healthcare organization could be sensed with the help of the management theories, facilitating better control and coordination in the functioning. Management theories are proposed with a view to provide differing schools of thoughts to the organizational managers for managing their organizations. However, management is an art, not a science, so the managers could find different strategies for the different situations, issues, etc., that may arise in an organization as well as for the different employees working there. That is, instead of following a similar strategy for all the situations, issues, employees, etc., relevant strategies could be followed in line with the situational theory. In addition, other management school of thought such as Contingency theory, Classical theory, Behavioral theory, Systems theory and Chaos the ory also imply on adopting different strategies. It will help the managers to choose the right type of theory that would best meet the requirements of the issue in hand and employees who are involved in. Speaking of employees, successful management theory would provide the managers efficient ways to coordinate with the human resources department of the organization to bring out the best in their employees. Similarly, various leadership theories such as Mark Follett’s Situational Leadership Theory, or White & Lippitt’s Authoritarian, Democratic and Laissez-faire Theory, or Eric Berne’s Transactional Leadership theory provide similar perspectives of how leader should act according to the situations in hand. It is essential for the leaders to evaluate the inner traits and behaviors of the employees, and then exhibit appropriate leadership traits. â€Å"Setting a direction, motivating and inspiring people, being credible and visionary, and anticipating and coping w ith change are also characteristics associated with leadership.† (Clarkson 2009). Challenges in practice: While practicing management and leadership in a healthcare organization, both technical and adaptive challenges are bound to occur. It is essential to realize that an effective management is required to solve the technical challenges while the adaptive challenges need to be handled by leadership. It is essential for them to identify and allocate among themselves the challenging issues related to healthcare organization such as safety, quality of services, clinical knowledge and skills. Thus, they need to share and distribute the resources for achieving the objectives. Task II Motivational Theories: By providing optimum motivation, healthcare

Peak Points in World War I and II Research Paper

Peak Points in World War I and II - Research Paper Example But even if these causes are known, no one can still fully know the extent of the war. By way of approximation, World War I involved more than thirty nations, affecting at least a billion and a half people. Of the estimated sixty-five million soldiers in battle, more than eight million were said to have been killed (489). This is not to count the countless number of civilians who died from hunger and disease outside the warfront. A peace document was signed after World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, which deserves examination. We shall conduct this examination in order to answer important questions: What did the document intend to serve? Can it be blamed for subsequent revolutions, dictatorships and bitter clashes that led to World War II? Treaty of Versailles The peacemakers of World War I faced very numerous post-war problems, which called for urgent solutions. Among the demands were the remapping of the war frontiers, disarming Germany and making it pay for the great damages it caused through a world war. On the other hand, there was the urgent task of rebuilding nations, even if Europe was financially bankrupt and diplomats and politicians alike were unclear on the right goals for and ways of social reconstruction. A peace document was finally drafted for these aims, but there was a general feeling that only time could test its real worth. Historians give credit to President Woodrow Wilson for the post-war peace plan he boldly presented to the U.S. Congress in January 1918. The plan consisted of twelve points, which included among other provisions: open covenants for peace to end secret treaties, freedom of the seas, reduction of armaments, impartial adjustments of colonial claims, complete freedom for Russia, restoration of Belgium, righting the wrong done to France, freedom for people of Austria-Hungary, opening of the straits at all times, independence of Poland and a general association of nations to guarantee independence to great and small nations a like. (Nevins and Commager 399). In Autumn of 1918, Germany basically accepted these points, which became the substance of a final peace agreement known as the Treaty of Versailles. In the Treaty of Versailles, the main personalities were Woodrow Wilson of the U.S., David Lloyd George of the U.K. and George Clemenceau of France. Politically, these three were liberals, but outside Versailles they received heavy criticism from political propagandists. In the U.S., President Wilson was attacked by the Press for leaving the country at a critical time of war to be personally present in Versailles. Reacting to this strong criticism, the U.S. Senate did not ratify the signed treaty and its provision to set up a League of Nations. In France, the French people refused to elect Clemenceau for presidency in France. Following the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Wilson stressed the need for openness among nations, but this was disregarded by way of secret treaties made among states. In mapping of Europe and Western Asia, the boundaries set by the treaty were on the whole acceptable, but there were many nationalities in Eastern Europe who disagreed with the set boundaries. To solve this difficulty, minority rights treaties were signed but these were not well enforced. On the payment of reparation, Germany was obliged to pay $31 billion, which was way beyond the nation’s capacity to pay. Consequently, when the 1930 global depression set in, Germany

Risk Tolerance & need to diversify Research Paper

Risk Tolerance & need to diversify - Research Paper Example Large Company stocks, also referred to as blue-chip stocks or large-cap stocks, refer to the stocks of large publicly traded companies (Leach and Melicher, 2011, p.249). Long term corporate bonds in most cases refer to debentures which offer a higher yield compared to other investments but investors of such bonds are prone to interest risk and credit risk. Long term government bond refers to those bonds which mature in more than 10years. US Treasury bill is a transferable debt contract issued by the US Government that ensures trust and fulfillment of claim of receivable return at the end of the period. Such investment is made for a period of one year or less than one year, and is exempt from local and state taxes (Boston Institute of Finance, 2005, p.105). If my decision is to invest in the current portfolio of mix of stock, bonds and treasury bills in equal proportions, despite of the divisions between fixed earnings and volatility of earnings of the securities, the entire portfolio would give an average (avg.) expected return of 14.78%, with risk of 8.88% associated with it, as per time horizon and risk tolerance. Impact on future Investment Decisions The decision of future investment and formation of portfolio with diversification depends on the characteristics of the investor, the characteristics of the securities in the portfolio and its risk return trade-off which will determine the proportion of investment to be made in each security, observation of the historical performance of the securities, and the time horizon of investment. An investor can be broadly classified into risk averse investors, risk prone investor, and risk neutral investor, based on their degree of risk preference. Risk averse investors prefer security to earnings than risk accompanied by high returns. Such investors prefer to invest more in bonds and treasury bills which will carry a guarantee of return at the end of period with low risk; as such investors try to avoid risks. Some inve stors who prefer to bear risk and avail the high return associated with it belong to a class of risk prone investors. Such investors prefer to invest in risky securities with high returns, such as equity, so as to avail the benefit arising out of it. There is another class of investors known as risk neutral investors, as they do not make any differentiation between debt and equity and opt to invest equal proportion in each (Haslem, 2009, p.158). If I am a risk averse investor, I shall prefer maximum investment in treasury bills and bonds, as this will assure a fixed percentage of returns at the end of the period with low risk associated with it. Thus, 80% of the investment is to be made in treasury bills and bonds, and 20% in company stocks. The proportion of investment in long-term corporate bonds differs from long term government bonds and US Treasury bills, as because long term corporate bonds is a bit risky than the others. If I am a risk neutral investor, I shall prefer equal p roportion of investment in both stocks and bonds (i.e. bonds and treasury bills), with an expectation that if return from stock is higher I shall benefit from my investment, and, if investment in stock fails to provide return, then benefit earned from the fixed income bearing securities would help to offset some portion of the loss. If I am a risk prone invest

Art work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art work - Essay Example From the artwork, I can see a lot of amazing things. First, I see a very large compound composed of a building that looks like a temple. It stands out conspicuously located for everyone to clearly see exactly what it is. From inside, there are other panels and small dragons which surround the Monkey. Also identified is a well-curved sculpture of Buddha. This is quite symbolic because it has a significant role to play in the lives of Chinese Buddhists who regard the Dragon Monkey as a spiritual figure in their religion. Basically, as already hinted, the artwork can be related to the book Money: A Folktale of China in which the author was aiming at providing a detailed story of the mysterious and magical paths of the Dragon Monkey in his pursuit for heavenly powers. As examined by Wu in this book, the Dragon Monkey passed through a very long journey before eventually becoming a spiritual figure in Buddhism. At one point, Wu describes the dragon, ‘This determination it was that led him to leap clear of the toils of Re-incarnation and turned him at last into the Great Monkey Sage, equal of Heaven’ (Page 14-15). This shows that he was a respected religious figure whose powers were legitimately granted and above those of anyone else. From this statement, the Dragon Monkey was indeed a respected and revered deity amongst the Buddhists. The descriptions given in the book relate to the panting. The compound shown in the painting clearly shows how religious these people were. Also, the attachment given to the dragon indicates that it was Buddha himself who would determine how he would control the life of his followers. When he chose to use the Dragon Monkey, everyone had to accept because he was their overall father. In conclusion, the lessons learnt from the Ceiling from the Hall of Great Wisdom (Dazhidian) at the Temple of Wisdom Attained (Zhihuasi), Beijing and Monkey: A Folktale of China proves that art is

Analyze of Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze of Two Kinds by Amy Tan - Essay Example There are many characters throughout the story, but the main focus of the story is about the relationship between Jing-Mei and her mother. By presenting the story like this, Amy Tan is able to divulge in how each character reacts to the other one. This would simply not be possibly if the focus was on a wider range of characters. Some of the other support characters are Lindo Jong (Jing-Mei’s aunt), Waverly Jong (Jing-Mei’s cousin), and Mr. Chong (Jing-Mei’s piano teacher). All of these characters are crucial to the story because they provide background to the relationship that Jing-Mei and her mother go through. Waverly Jong is an important character because she is everything that Jing-Mei is not—bright, smart and talented. Waverly’s mother’s role is mainly to point this out to Jing-Mei’s mother so as to further push her towards controlling Jing-Mei. Mr. Chong is perhaps the one character who is light-hearted; he does not overly push J ing-Mei and tries to make playing the piano fun. The setting of this story is in California back in the 1960s. Not only is this an area that received a large amount of immigrants, but older people reading the story may be able to relate to it because it is similar to what they experienced back then. Another reason why the setting is so important is because of the way that immigrants were generally perceived back then. This helped to set up the basis of the story where Jing-Mei’s mother wanted to push her to become a child protege. This was perceived to be a way out of the typical stereotype of a Chinese immigrant and a way to assimilate into American society. The structure of Two Kinds is one than is simplistic and easy to read. After the narrator jots down an experience, she then gives her own opinions and reasons why she felt the way she did. This helps the reader to understand why she felt what she did. Also, there are plenty of quotes from the mother, giving the reader a chance to understand where she was coming from. It is not until the end of the story that the reader realizes that the main character in the story is retelling it from when she was a child. The author could have chosen to mention this point at the start, but I think that is makes the story seem more real by reading it as though it could happen today. Amy Tan uses more of a narrative style in this story to get her point across. This style allows the reader to become involved in the relationship between Jing-Mei and her mother. Because there are opinions of both the daughter and the mother that are offered, the reader is able to weigh up for themselves who is in the right and who is in the wrong. While Jing-Mei disagrees with the choices that her mother made for her, the tone displayed towards her is one of frustration yet respect at the same time. Jing-Mei’s attitudes toward her mother change in a positive way as the story progresses. The piano was the main symbol of this stor y. At the beginning, it was shown contempt by Jing-Mei because of the way her mother harassed her about playing it to perfection. By the end, however, Jing-Mei was able to fully respect the gift that it was and even took the time to sit down and play it. Also, the names of the two songs played at the end (â€Å"Pleading Child† and â€Å"Perfectly Contented†) are symbolic of the way that Jing-Mei’

Google in China Essay Example for Free

Google in China Essay In 2006, China attempted to move away from socialism and declared itself committed to economic reform and to opening itself to the outside world. Expanded personal freedoms for its citizens, however, China still maintained a harsh enforcement of political and religious regulations ? Membership in the WTO put China back on the map as a possible market for Western companies ? Yahoo! first American Internet company to enter China in 1999. Uncensored Internet information was not welcomed by Chinese authorities and government officials immediately implemented rules restricting access to content deemed improper or harmful, and monitored Internet usage of its citizens ? Included many private citizens in their surveillance efforts, and implemented public propaganda campaigns to create atmosphere of fear from reprisal and self-censorship ? Tom MacLean director of International Business for Google Inc. or last nine months; starting to worry about his job security after a storm of criticism resulting from decision to agree to subject Google’s search results to Chinese authority scrutiny ? Felt that he and his team had been mindful of political pitfalls they could face in implementing their strategic plan in China; level and intensity of subsequent backlash and disapproval was unexpected ? Elliot Schrage, Google’s vice president of Global Communications and Public Affairs, efended Google’s censorship agreement as necessary, while at the same time admitting decision conflicted deeply with Google’s core principles, and that it was something they were not proud of ? Congressional hearing planted seeds of doubt in MacLean about Google in China decision. Starting to question if Google was endorsing censorship by conforming to the Chinese authorities’ rules, if Google was acting as a tool for the government, if Chinese citizens were actually better off a fter Google’s decision to enter China, and whether censorship decision did go against their stated corporate philosophy ? Top leadership claim Google’s decision was made based on information currently available at the time; were not afraid to revisit that decision if necessary ? MacLean has only one day before attending a meeting where he would be questioned on the development and implementation of Google’s China strategy and asked for his suggestions for future courses of action ? MacLean under a lot of pressure to act, but his instinct is to stick by his strategy and let it play out a bit longer; hoping that Senate hearing would be the last bit of publicity for a while Problem Identification: (Write in complete sentences from now on) Key Identify major problem(s) and any minor contributing problem(s) ? Google’s launching of Google China and agreeing with Chinese government’s censorship demands has tarnished their reputation and public image (major) ? Lots of bad publicity generated globally; makes them look like hypocrites ? Caught between alienation of a potentially extremely lucrative international market and an ethical dilemma of global proportion ? Company ridiculed for its professed â€Å"don’t be evil† motto; critics blame Google for supporting a country with a regime known for its numerous, well-documented abuses of human rights and oppressive measures; violation of internationally recognized norms (minor) ? What should MacLean say at the meeting to justify his strategy? ? Has it become necessary for Google’s top leadership team to revisit decision in light of new information and circumstances? What should we do? Under a lot of pressure to act†¦. soon Inferences: Key Read between the lines and make some assumptions about the case that re suggested but not explicitly provided (read between the lines) ? Decision by Google to select China as its international target at this particular point in their political and social history is suspect, however, in accordance with their long-term global strategy, they could not pass up such a tremendous opportunity ? Censorship decision was necessary to maintain th eir position as global search-engine market leaders and to fend off advances from major competitors such as Yahoo! (who already have an established foothold in China) and Microsoft ? Capable of weathering out the storm of criticism without major negative financial implications ? In time, entire episode will simply â€Å"blow over† as media moves on to something else ? For long-term gain, worth putting up with short-term pain ? Actions can be justified if given the proper â€Å"spin† ? No irreparable damage has been done to the company’s reputation ? International business risk associated with decision can be managed General Case Ideas: Key Link applicable course material/theory to the case State applicable theory (the â€Å"what†) ? The global economy (Chapter 1, pages XX) Cultural influences on global business (Chapter 3, pages XX) ? Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Market Screening Process handouts ? Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility in International Business handout ? Government and political influences on global business (Chapter 4, pages XX) ? Managing international business risk (Chapter 21, pages XX) Make relevan t connections between course theory and the case (the â€Å"so what†) ? There are four major categories of the international business environment that MNCs should consider when deciding on potential expansion markets: 1. Geographic Conditions (climate, terrain, seaways, natural resources) 2. Cultural Social Factors (accepted behaviours, values, and customs; language, education, religion, social relationships) 3. Political and Legal Factors (type of government, political stability, government policies toward business) 4. Economic Conditions (type of economic system, general education level of the population, types of industries, level of technology) ? The two of these that are most applicable to this case are: Cultural Social Factors The more similar one’s own culture is to another in history, language, religion etc. , the less difficult it is to conduct business in that society. But when societies differ on most of these characteristics, the potential for difficulty grows exponentially. For most American businesses in China, this potential is very high. There will be innumerable, unforeseen challenges, even when there is an honest effort to learn about and understand China and its people. When doing business in China, many cultural and social considerations must be addressed. Political and Legal Factors China has been under the communist party rule for many decades. The communist party exercises absolute power over legislations and economic and cultural institutions. Unlike western economies where the government promotes transparency for doing business, in China rules and regulations are not so transparent. Strict laws and patents in economies of the west protect domestic and foreign businesses, whereas in China, the legal system is loosely defined, giving rise to various loopholes in the law. When doing business in China, many political and legal considerations must be considered. Conclusion and Recommendations: Key Suggest specific and implementable solutions to solve identified problems ? Maintain status quo regarding decision †¦but go into damage control mode ? Hire an internationally-experienced and renowned public relations firm to present the situation in a more positive light (â€Å"spin doctors†) ? Counter bad publicity by using the media to your advantage. Issue a series of press releases arguing that it would be more damaging to pull out of China altogether; address criticisms directly and clearly explain the rationale of your decision ? Argue that censorship is necessary to keep the Chinese government from blocking Google altogether, and that Google can play a role more useful to the cause of free speech by participating in Chinas information technology industry than by refusing to comply and being denied admission to the mainland Chinese market ? Highlight the fact that Chinese authorities have restricted citizens to opular search engines such as Altavista and Yahoo! in the past, and that while removing search results is inconsistent with Googles mission, providing no information at all would be even more inconsistent with their mission ? More public visibility of Yahoo founders Page and Brin as well as CEO Eric Schmidt. Delivery of consistent message through carefully orchestrated television and print ad campaigns and appearances a t national and international industry forums ? Alter public perception through increased promotion of Google’s philanthropic work ? It is not Google’s job to fix governments but to provide the best service to users and the best return possible to its stakeholders. By choosing to do business in China, it is their job to serve the Chinese people in their best, albeit restricted, manner given current political climate ? If we didnt do it, someone else would have ? Emphasize that censorship issues are not restricted to China and that Google also had to do similar things in Germany as well as in their own home country to meet legal requirements ? Stand together as an industry. Enlist rival’s assistance with similar issues and common interests. Get Bill Gates, billionaire founder of Microsoft, to stand up for arch-rival Google and argue that state censorship was no reason for technology companies not to do business in China. Get Gates to issue public statement that the Internet is contributing to Chinese political engagement, as access to the outside world is preventing more censorship ? Close its China offices and abandon market

Comparing National and Personal Security

Comparing National and Personal Security Why national security is more important than personal security. What if national security was gone tomorrow? Some people would automatically assume the worst.Although we wouldnt be invaded by another country   in a month or be any more likely to be attacked as a country,the people of America would be in a great deal of danger. When a natural disaster strikes a populated area,the first people to respond are firefighters,paramedics,and police officers.Even in the event of the area being completely leveled,they still have to keep order and keep the civilians safe.Without them,most people who are stranded or in need would never be found or die,although many times civilians help in search and rescue.Its obvious that American emergency services plays the defining role of how many people survive a natural disaster,and are employes of the government,even if their pay comes from taxpayers.Besides wanting to help its people,the only reason the United States   government would have to send help to civilians after a disaster is national security,which is the belief that the government and parliaments should protect its people through various means and powers. Of all the powers Congress has,the most they have has to do is with national security,like investigations and declaring war,so its apparent that national security is important to the United States government.But with great power comes great responsibility.A natural reaction to the United States government protecting its people from crisis is going too far. Luckily,there are limitations to what they can do.For example,the 4th amendment stops the government or government workers from searching your body,belongings,home or other possessions without reasonable cause or a warrant from a judge and the 5th allows the right to remain silent.Even in cases like executive order 9066 (japanese american civilians   locked up after Pearl Harbor) or Guantanamo Bay (prisoners tortured after and for information on 9/11) where personal rights were crushed under a boot of national security,it was all in an attempt to keep the people safe.Yes,the 2 two events above were horrible and should have n ever happened,but the intents were still good. In 1915,german submarines sunk a United States ship,leading Congress to declare war on Germany,showing a successful national security response as Germany had killed Americans and were a threat to the nation.Similarly,after the attack on Pearl Harbor Congress once again declared war in a response to a threat to national security.When 9/11 occurred many inactive veterans would step back on the battlefield since the attack on the Trade Towers was a national crisis,falling under a national security matter.If the government had not reacted in the way they did,there would have been many more attacks like the ones above. Not every occasion where national security overtakes personal rights is bad. When a shooter and his wife were killed after killing 14 people in San Bernardino, the FBI recovered an Iphone from one of the bodies.When they demanded Apple, the famous company that makes the phones, to help them crack the phone by making a back door,they said no. If they did help,they could have potentially saved lives, but there personal right to say no prevented that, stopping the FBI from doing their jobs because the phone could have helped they find more shooters/information. Many people are also skeptical of national security because of how secret and over powered they think it is. But this isnt necessarily the case. No matter if everyone in the world saw and recorded someone blowing up a building,the terrorist would still have to right to a trial in the United States and someone would have to prove, without a reasonable doubt, that he did in fact blow up the building, according to the 5th amendment of the United States constitution. And to make it even harder for national security,due to the same amendment, the terrorist wont have to testify against himself/herself, so all the evidence must come from someone/something else.Much criticism of national security comes from the secrecy and the reluctance of the United States government to release information to the public.Although it is only right for a countrys people to fully   know of the problems plaguing national security,many times the secrecy is absolutely necessary.It is to ensure that Unied S tates methods and analysis of receiving and decoding information are not revealed to other nations.For example,on July 17 1950, at the peak of United States fear Julius Rosenberg was arrested for allegedly passing Russian secrets to Russia.About a month later his wife was arrested as well.They He worked for the United States Army Signal Corps and was an engineer, making him seem ordinary.During their trial however, a majority of the evidence presented was weak and didnt seem to be nearly enough to send them to the electric chair for the crimes they seemed to not have done.But nearly forty years after the trial,evidence that was classified at the time was released to the public,revealing that the United States had been listening in on Russian transmissions and Julius Rosenberg (wifes role still unknown) had indeed been giving Atomic secrets to Russia.If   the United States government had released the information during the trial to the public to appeal to their personal right to know if the Rosenbergs were actually guilty or not,the Russians would have known that they were being listened in to and the United States would have lost any future oppertunities to gather any infromation.It is also important to note that the Rosenbergs have avoided death by admitting to their espionage. Even with some of the necessary secrecy, National security still isnt as secret as most people think it to be.In the United States,about one point four million people have access to top secret information.Although this sounds scary, contradictory to public assumption, top secret is not the highest level of secret information.There are multiple levels of sensitive information clearance higher than top secret including sensitive compartment information and special access programs. In the end, national security is more important than personal rights because without it, the government would have little reason to help its people and would most likely end up working for itself instead of their people. References Constitute. Constitute, Constitute Project, www.constituteproject.org/constitution/United_States_of_America_1992. Executive Order 9066. Britannica School, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 9 Feb. 2009. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Executive-Order-9066/473853?opensearch=executive%20order%209066. Accessed 15 Feb. 2017. Okita, Dwight. In Response to Executive Order 9066: All Americans of Japanese Descent Must Report to Relocation Centers. Breaking Silence: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian-American Poets, edited by Joseph Bruchac, Greenfield Review Press, 1983, p. 211. LitFinder, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LITFsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CLTF0000508187WKit=rasid=0c318a462d4449dbc9f55f57ba1a9a13. Accessed 15 Feb. 2017 The Powers of Congress. Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, www.ushistory.org/gov/6a.asp.