Business - Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business - Decision Making - Essay Example For example, the depreciation in the value of a car as time passes and the distance it is driven is done by simple regression. But this type of situation rarely exists since there are many complex factors or variables that exist in the real world. If we want to calculate the future earning of a person taking only his years in school is simple regression, but it is not accurate since other factors like age, qualification, industry, experience are not taken into account. If we take all these factors into account the situation becomes more complex and hence multiple regressions would have to be used. Linear regression is used in similar circumstances as a simple regression. A relationship between height and weight of adults can be presented in a linear regression. The heights and weights are marked on a graph and a straight line is drawn through the middle. On the other hand nonlinear regression (NLREG) is used in more complex situations. "NLREG is a powerful statistical analysis program that performs linear and nonlinear regression analysis, surface and curve fitting." (NLREG). After the taking over of Company W, WidgeCorp is supposed to be one of the leading industries under marketing of snack foods and beverages. Their style of management and business decision-making was different from the company W. The WidgeCoThe WidgeCorp wanted their employees to collect relevant information's by doing statistical analysis and make use of the information gathered for decision making and further action, unlike the company W which actually relied on experience and judgment of their managers. (Problem, 2008). By the next year, within the industry, the sale of snacks and cold beverages are supposed to be the largest product segments, and these 2 categories will become driving force of the industry. The cold beverages are acquiring space in almost all shops with a high proportion in hotel groups and restaurants. Cold storage machines grew at an even more impressive 42% in 1999, with this growth coming at the expense of shelf-stable products. According to the National Restaurant Association, revenues from restaurants as far as cold beverages are concerned are expected to reach $321 billion in 1999. This cold beverages industry is concerned as a large and healthy industry in our economy, and suppliers to this industry are expected to benefit from this growth. The chances of progress of a industry which is fast moving and innovative which can introduce enhanced products to the restaurants and other needy customers stand to gain significant market share in a relatively short time span. The company can market its cold beverages to three distinct market segments including; distributors, branded sandwich and juice manufacturers, and end users, whose main focus will be on restaurants and hotels. (Vending services business plan, 1996-2008). According to AC Neilson figures, in the cold beverage industry there has been a continuous increase in sales figures. The market saw considerable growth in , rising by 214% in 2002 and 2003, A survey commissioned by the company Squeeze last year showed that 53% of Irish people drink fruit juice almost daily. Sales figures intimated that Britain now consumes 2.2 billion

CRIMINAL DISCUSS 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CRIMINAL DISCUSS 7 - Essay Example For a defendant to be considered a person with diminished capacity, they must demonstrate a reduced mental capacity. This could be from a disease, mental retardation or substance abuse. Anything that keeps the person from determining right from wrong can be a cause for diminished capacity (http://law.yourdictionary.com/capacity). In order to prepare a legal defense for a person suffering from diminished capacity, I would begin with documenting the cause for the diminished capacity. If the defendant was a steroid user, I would create a history or steroid use. How long have they been taking them? Where did they come from? Why did they start using them? I would then research the possible effects of steroid use in order to prove that steroids can affect a person’s mental capacity. Once this has been researched, I would connect the effects of steroids and the person’s crime together to show that the defendant was not able to distinguish right from wrong during the time of the crime. I would have to prove that the defendant was experiencing the effects of steroids at the time of the crime. It would also be pertinent to have an expert on the effects of steroids as a defense witness during the trial process. As the paralegal on the case, I would research experts in the field in order to select the best one based on the defendant’s crime. In terms of diminished capacity, I think there should be two different levels. One is for people who truly have a mental issue such as developmental delays or mental retardation and one level for those who choose to purposefully alter their mental state by using substances. I agree that if a person has a diminished capacity due to something that has altered their state of mind, they should still be convicted. I also like the idea that they will be convicted of a lesser crime. That seems fair to

The benefits of paid parental leave

The benefits of paid parental leave In 2007, around 280 000 mothers gave birth in Australia and around 175 000 of these were working mothers who intend to work again. Consequently, there is a significant number of working mothers who require taking leave from work. There have been debates in Australia over a proposal of a statutory scheme that would offer paid parental leave to parents. The concern of paid parental leave has been significant because of the increasing womens part on jobs, family income sources and children carers. Womens participation in work has increased compared to the past. Female aged 25 to 34 years had increased from 45 to 70 per cent from 1978 to 2008 whereas mens participation in the same age range fell by 4 per cent (Commonwealth of Australia, p. 5.6). There are three proposed objectives for a paid parental leave, such as the wellbeing improvement of families, especially child and mothers health, associated with leave from work around the baby birth and secured financial during that period; enc ouragement of women to return to the workforce by the social welfare and tax system; and by the norms of community, having family time is the basic human rights for many people including fathers and the importance of caring and valuing children. This paper will discuss the major issues and models with regard to paid leave and the methods to assess these models. Paid parental leave provides benefits for parents, especially for mothers. From the mothers point of view, paid parental leave allows her to take a longer leave from job than she could otherwise have afforded and to enjoy extra financial assistance. However, problems arise with the paid parental leave. The first major issue is that the mothers attachment to the job might be deteriorated along with extended period a home; her skills will decline and as a result will create obstacles to her return (Commonwealth of Australia, p. 5.17). Moreover, the impacts of paid leave on labour market also broaden beyond parents too. For instance, paid leave affects employees wage rates and may discriminate against women because employers alert that female employees might have children in the future. There are incentives for discrimination on women if paid parental leave actually increases the costs to the employers. The absence of employee inflicts costs on employers, this may include leave administ ration costs, hiring and training replacement costs which will reduce the productivity level (Commonwealth of Australia, p. 24). However, on the employee side, the incentives to stay inside labour force and to choose occupation and employer are determined by the costs and benefits of these choices, which unnecessarily a monetary value. People outside the labour force get welfare transfers and benefits from untaxed work that they do, but they might be marginalized socially and economically. However, people inside the labour force get wages and benefits from parental leave and childcare rebates, but it might be difficult to balance between the importance of caring and working. The second issue of paid parental leave is concerned with the impact of paid generosity and leave duration. More generous payments increase the financial support for women and encourage them to return to work. On the other hand, greater generosity increases the length of leave from work. At some circumstances, the employment benefits are eroded by excessive absence from work which would reduce work skills and productivity. Moreover, female labour wages would increase slowly if female labour supply increases while demand is not following due to the paid parental leave (Commonwealth of Australia, p. 5.2). Employers might also reduce wage when excessive absence from work increases costs for employers. Therefore, the productivity, wages and female labour skills rises as long as the duration of leave is not excessively long. Third issue is the paid parental leave concerns with the equitably issue. In principle, paid leave should pay attention to the fairness in both horizontal and vertical dimensions (Commonwealth of Australia, p. 1.19). Horizontal equity refers to individuals and families in similar economic situations and being treated similarly whereas vertical equity refers to individuals and families in different economic situations and being treated in a different manner. However, equity is difficult to achieve in practice. People will be treated differently for different situations and it is inevitable. For instance, paying paid parental leave to working mothers may be seem as equitable but not equitable for women not working in the legal labour force. Replacement wages paid by employer seems to be more equitable for low income earners than a government-funded scheme that pays the minimum wage. Fourth major issue of paid leave in Australia is that only one-third of women labour force is eligible for the paid leave because women in Australia is highly segmented and in part-time employment, all of which are reducing females eligibility to paid leave (Baird, M., 2002). Fifth issue is the payment of parental leave. A payment equivalent to their minimum weekly income is justified if the objective is to assure their demand. However, full income payment is justified if the objective is to assure their social and economic independence (Frank, M., p.317). The final issue is regarding the funding source. There is an argument over which parties responsible to fund the leave as small employers cannot afford and thus women will be discriminated in work force. Australia has the lowest level of women labour force participation in the OECD (AEU Federal, p.2). If women labour force is declining, this will raise the inflation and reduce productivity and there will be a shortage of labour supply. Thus, women with paid leave tend to return to work than those without and will push-up the labour supply. To illustrate the paid parental leave, it is important to compare the different parental leave models in different countries. The Swedish parental leave system is seen to be a good model because of its commitment to developing equality between men and women and because of its generosity of payment. The Swedish allows parents a twelve-month of absence from work in regard to birth and parents either father or mother receive 90 per cent untaxed of their salary for their first nine months of leave (Allen, J.P., p.248). Whereas in Germany, parents are allowed to take leave for a shorter time of period only compared to Sweden because women in West Germ any have not entered the labour force as many as other industrialized countries. Only women are eligible to receive the leave payment and that also depends on their incomes. However, the United States is among the few industrialized countries that do not provide employment benefits, including sickness benefit, health insurance benefits, and paternal benefits. Therefore, to compare the equality issue between these three countries, the paid parental leave provided in Sweden and Germany helps female labour force to enter and remain at work, whereas female labour force tend to exit the labour force in the United States. Sweden is the most generous in paid parental leave and should be considered as a model in Australia whereas the U.S. fails to provide equality and support for parents and children. There are several models with regard to paid leave. First, 52 weeks paid parental leave starts with 26 weeks paid leave now, 39 by 2012 and 52 by 2016. Second, 26 weeks basic paid maternity and supporting parent leave as follows: (i) Basic Paid Maternity Leave (BPML) provision in which Australia should provide paid basic maternity leave of 24 weeks for all working women, and (ii) Basic Paid supporting Parent Leave (BPPL) provision in which Australia should provide basic paid partner leave of 2 weeks for all supporting partners. Third, the paid partner leave: use it or lose it in which partners who do not use their paid leave will not be able to reallocate it to mothers. This system induces fathers to take leave efficiently. Fourth, the existing paid maternity leave. Fifth, the basic payments through employers in which government provide payment similar to employers for employee and taxable. Payment through employers is desirable because all factors of employment will not be missed ou t. Sixth, the simultaneous leave in which parents can take leave simultaneously. Finally, the provision of rights to be protected from discrimination and the rights to return to work after their leave (Hill and Pocock, p.11). There are two methods to evaluate financial of paid leave and they have to be implemented simultaneously to provide the most effective paid leave policy. First, the income of financial contributor should not be affected. Second, the method should not create negative economic incentives. For example, an employer pays for his employees leave and financial method encourage the employer not to hire a female worker who would likely to take the leave (Frank, M., p.319). To summarize, paid parental leave is a system that provides benefits for mothers who give birth to achieve specific social and economic outcomes. There are three proposed objectives for a paid parental leave, such as the wellbeing improvement of families, especially child and mothers health, associated with leave from work around the baby birth and secured financial during that period; encouragement of women to return to the workforce by the social welfare and tax system; and by the norms of community, having family time is the basic human rights for many people including fathers and the importance of caring and valuing children. To help inducing the benefits of paid parental leave, it is necessary for financial assistance for mothers in order for them to spend time with their newborn babies, rather than just taking financial assistance, limit their leave and exit the labour force. The paid leave system has particular objectives that are valued differently to individual. In order to deliver those objectives efficiently, the system should provide incentives for mothers to increase the absence time from work to be with their child and to return and remain to the workforce. Parental leave would be a crucial system to encourage labour market efficiency and would represent the equality between men and women in the workforce.

Beating Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome (SCID) Essay

Imagine living your entire life contained within a plastic bubble. Contact from the outside world, including your parents, is lethal. Rather than feeling the warm touch of a human hand, the clammy cold of laboratory gloves comforts you to sleep. Is this living or this surviving? You make the call. SCIDs is an acronym for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Persons born with SCIDs lack the ability to fight off infections. SCIDs creates a situation in which the common cold is just as deadly as pneumonia. This family of diseases is obviously debilitating and life-threatening. That is why finding a cure is imperative. This disease is not contagious, it is genetic and is thus acquired through the simple role of the genetic dice. There is absolutely nothing we can do about this sad syndrome, or is there... We can look to gene therapy: an exciting and revolutionary new field of research and medicine which may reveal the key to unlocking a myriad of genetic diseases. This paper will explore the problems posed by SCIDs and the answer offered by Marina Cavazzana-Calvo and Salima Hacein-Bey. Their work in gene therapy has great potential towards bursting the bubble on SCIDs. Immune System Introduction So, you ask, what does it mean to have SCID? Well, in order to answer this question, we have to go through a quick tour of the immune system. The immune system of the human body is comprised of a vast array of cells that fight off diseases (antigens) that are harmful to the well-being of the body. In an individual with a properly functioning immune system, the body has multiple genes that encode specific instructions for the proper design and function of the cells of the immune system. T... ...g gene. Thus, the non-functional gamma-c chain of these patients was corrected to function like a normal gamma-c chain. The researchers then took the corrected cells and returned them to the patients. Did it work? Yes. The results show a dramatic increase in a variety of major immune system cells. Where are they now? Both patients left protective isolation after approximately three months of treatment. After an 11 month analysis, both patients appear to be growing well. No side effects (of any kind) have been reported. Basically, both patients have achieved a nearly perfect recovery in less than a year! On a third patient, similar positive results have been achieved after 4 months of treatment. Drs. Cavazzana-Calvo et. al. have BURSTED THE BUBBLE ON SCIDs!!! Of course, long-term analysis must be completed in order to see the duration of this treatment.

HR Employee Resourcing Essay

Talent management is defined as a sub-set of hr functions. . There are a lot of definitions to what talent management is for some it is similar to succession planning and to others it is incorporated attempts to develop attract and keep hold of the best people. A lot of companies select different ways of human resources guidelines to fit into their talent management structure although most consist of performance management, succession, recruiting and development. Krueger,2007 : Rothwell & Kazanas 2003 suggest that managers need to come up with a definition for talent management that meets their own organizations unique needs. Talent management does not automatically indicate poignant talented individuals upwards in the place of work. It is the opposite organizations have to make sure talents are placed at the best place that suites their talent. The purpose of this assignment is to research issues related to talent management this report will also concentrate on one big question which is â€Å"will the HR department be replaced by the talent management department†. The talent management process emerged in the early 90’s it has adopted in organizations continuously as several industries have come to the realization that their employees skills and talent are what makes the business capital. It has been put into practice to unravel employee retention. It is said that the main concern today is that organizations put a lot of energy in drawing workers in their companies that they spend a smaller amount of time into preserving and expanding talent. In order to understand talent management one must first look at how it was revolutionized. stage1 – personal development, this business function was to hire, pay and make sure employees had essential benefits. Stage 2 – strategic HR involves recruiting the right candidates, educating employees, bonuses and communication of a worker’s health and happiness. At this stage businesses become conscious that strategic hr role was indeed large and very important. At this point hr became more than a business function. Stage 3 – As new problems started arising a new process and systems was required this is where talent management comes in. strategic topics that organizations face now are * How to make recruiting extra efficient  * How can leaders and managers be develop ed in supporting culture introducing value This diagram is an example of a roadmap to effective talent management. (A Successful Start with your Performance management System This roadmap to performance management can help you navigate your company’s path to adopting, implementing and succeeding with performance management. Along the way, you will bolster internal communication, inspire enthusiastic, long-term, productive employees, and greatly reduce the administrative burden of annual employee performance and salary reviews. Issues related to talent management Perfomance management Fully realised, performance management is a holistic process bringing together many of the elements that make up the successful practice of people management including, in particular, learning and development. But for this very reason, it is complex and capable of being misunderstood. In their CIPD textbook, Armstrong and Baron define performance management as ‘a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. As such, it establishes shared understanding about what is to be achieved and an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure that it is achieved.’ They stress that performance management is ‘a strategy which relates to every activity of the organisation set in the context of its human resource policies, culture, style and communications systems. The nature of the strategy depends on the organisational context and can vary from organisation to organisation.’ Conclusion The facts are that employees who don’t know what they are doing get left redundant whilst employees that can adopt, work fats and bring in money get looked after by the company. Different organizations whether small large or medium will only attain the best results and aim by drawing in and holding on to the best talent. So after thorough research I have come to the conclusion that yes, talent management is going to take over the HR department

Lord of the Flies Analysis Essay

Golding’s novel and its exploration of temptation on a deserted island can be examined within a broader understanding of mankind and social order. Patrick Reilly from the University of Iowa Press states, â€Å"Lord of the Flies depicts the disintegration of a society whose members play rather than work. † (Reilly 138-61) The inclination to give in to temptation is depicted in biblical passages as far back as Adam and Eve. When they are told not to eat an apple from the tree of knowledge, they do so anyway because temptation drives them. Temptation can also be witnessed in the modern world. Even within a structured society that upholds rules and boundaries, the urge to act on impulse is inevitable. For example, people that cheat on their husbands or wives may be tempted by jealousy, revenge, and excitement. They can resist, but the drive to cheat is too strong for some. Even minor infractions such as speeding to get to work on time stem from temptation. Overall, temptation and its consequences play a huge role in societal behavior, and there is no way to evade it. â€Å"He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. (Golding 64) This powerful quote describes Jack immediately before he brutally murders a nursing sow. Bloodlust, defined as a desire for bloodshed, and temptation, the craving to have or do something that should be avoided alters Jack’s mind. The pigs that the boys hunt and kill in Golding’s novel Lord of The Flies represent how temptation can lead one into savagery and bloodlust. As early as chapter one, temptation arises because of the basic need to eat and survive. The group is reluctant to kill a pig, let alone draw blood from a living thing. Their sense of morals is strong, and Jack is unable to kill the first pig they encounter. Golding states, â€Å"He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause†¦the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm. The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be. The piglet tore loose from the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth. † (31) This shows that Jack was uncertain whether or not to kill the pig and missed his chance. When questioned about his hesitancy, Jack defends himself by stating â€Å"I was going to†¦I was choosing a place. Next time–! † (Golding 31) However the boys recognize the truth. Jack doesn’t kill the pig because he cannot bear to see a living creature bleed and die. As time on the island passes, temptation to hunt and kill grows. Before the pig hunt in chapter 4, the boys decide to paint their faces with island shrubbery to conceal themselves. As shown in this quote, they feel â€Å"liberated from shame and self-consciousness† (Golding 64) The group is still uneasy at the thought of bloodshed and must hide behind their masks to finally kill a pig. The mask compelled them† (Golding 64) After this pig hunt, a change from civilization to primitivism, from good to evil begins to take place. Golding states, â€Å"There were lashings of blood†, said Jack laughing and shuddering, â€Å"you should have seen it!†¦ We’ll go hunting everyday—â€Å" (69-70) Each subsequent pig hunt gets increasingly violent and savage. Even Ralph, who has resisted what he believes to be immoral, now eagerly participates. Golding writes, â€Å"Ralph talked on excitedly. ‘I hit him all right. The spear stuck in. I wounded him! ’ He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all. (Golding 113) After hitting the boar on the snout with the spear, he is overwhelmed with exhilaration and takes pride in himself by gloating. Ralph’s conscience is deteriorating as his primal urges begin to surface. The ensuing hunts are no longer about survival and basic human needs. Instead, violence, savagery, and bloodlust are the motivators. Golding writes, â€Å"The sow staggered her way ahead of them, bleeding and mad, and the hunters followed, wedded to her in lust, excited by the long chase and the dropped blood. † (135) As savagery escalates, the boy’s behavior becomes increasingly demented and uncalled for. For example, one of the killed pigs is offered to the beast. Jack decapitates the pig’s head and places it on a spear as depicted in the following quote; â€Å"This head is for the beast. It’s a gift. † (Golding 137) The head soon rots and becomes covered with flies and insects. It becomes the â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, a symbol of evil and temptation. It also depicts the deterioration of the group. As the head rots and becomes corrupt, so do the boys. Caught up in this violent escapade, the boys forget to watch the fire and miss a crucial chance of rescue. In Chapter 9 the boys are in a complete frenzy during a monstrous storm. They are delusional and murder Simon in blind rage, believing he is the beast. As shown in The Lord of the Flies, temptation for power, for control, and to do evil leads to destruction, savagery, and grief. Skylar Burris informs us that Golding delivered a lecture on his personal explanation for the collapse of a civilization. She reports that Golding believes the breakdown is due to the inherent evil present within all human beings (Burris 1). Golding’s view of man’s basic instinct toward evil and the vicious nature of temptation is a powerful theme.