Affirmative Action...Why essays

Affirmative Action...Why essays In the beginning of the 1960s minorities and women were treated as though they were sub-human. They were thrown in jail for no reason, given stereotypes by the majority, and cursed upon in the streets. An uprising began to occur called the Civil Rights Movement. They called for the fair treatment of all men regardless of race. In the following years, President Lyndon B. Johnson took steps to write what is to be known today as the Civil Rights Act of 1965. With this bill came affirmative action. Affirmative action enabled minority men and women to get jobs that they would otherwise never get. To Johnson, affirmative action grew from the belief that the Constitution guarantees more than just an end to illegal. The act tried to create a just method of obtaining jobs during the racial times of the 1960s and 70s. In 1965, President Johnson used the term affirmative action to inform federal contractors to treat job-applicants and employees without regards to their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (La Noue). In the preceding year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed simply to make laws fair to all races, sexes, and religions; or color-blind. However, such a movement went further than merely giving equal opportunities to everyone. The United States took upon itself the responsibility to give opportunities to minorities by giving them favors such as: hiring, promotion, college admission, and the awarding of government contracts. Such policies did not express the true meaning of equal opportunities, which was introduced in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and provided for a means in which all people would receive equal treatment, but rather took its own steps into a form of discrimination. Affirmative action is hinder on Americas working world by taking away job opportunities form those peoples that are more qualified to hold that position. Imagine that you have just gra...

Moneygram Strategic Management Essay Example

Moneygram Strategic Management Essay Example Moneygram Strategic Management Paper Moneygram Strategic Management Paper Business administration and management characterizes the process of leading and directing the systems within an organization by exhausting available resources extensively so as to achieve the objectives of the business operation (Cemal, and Keskin, 2003). It most of the time includes the conceptualization of business plans and monitoring its execution for assessment and evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of the business transactions. Strategic management is the process of identifying and enumerating the aims of the organizations in order to come up with sound business policies and plans from which the profit of the business organization will be fully maximized (Appelbaum, St. Pierre Glavas, 1998). The advances in technology and the fast modernization of the world, in general, opened new and very promising avenues of business opportunities not just in an individual’s locale but also abroad. A lot of business-minded individuals from different countries with different nationalities and cultural orientation have and continuously defied the geographic boundaries that exist between continents. This is evident in the growing number of internationally-operating business firms all over the world run by entrepreneurs of varying race and culture. The information man has successfully rebelled against intercontinental borders and the challenge that confronts him the most, deals with how to fit and blend in the new cultural environment in which their businesses are situated. This paper presents critical analysis and discussions regarding the management strategies and options of the case of Moneygram in line with the money transfer market liberalization. As such, the business strategies of the company were examined along with the confounding variables that directly and indirectly affect the entire management and operations of the business enterprise. SWOT Analysis Strengths. Along with the Money transfer market liberalization Moneygram was granted exclusive markets weighing up to 50 grams instead of the 100 grams allowance. This opened possibilities for a 5% increase in revenue of the company.   Since the restructuring and the commercialization of the formerly state-owned business was made possible through legal changes on the overall structure of the services, the changes that transpired within the company are supported by the law. The company highlighted the improvements in the business aspect of the organization through modern technological infrastructure to modernize the company. These technologies make it possible for the business organization to function efficiently and serve the large customer-base who depends on the energy products and services of the general public as well as the commercial establishments in the region (Hunter, 2003). Extensive investments in automation and standardization of the management improved the quality of t he services offered and the value of customers being served.  Ã‚   Since the operations and projects initiated by the company are conducted and facilitated following the international standards, the products and services it offers are controlled and monitored with the aim to maintain quality and reliability through the certifications that the organization was able to earn. Weaknesses. However, the Money transfer market liberalization resulted to increased number of competitors in the domestic as well as in the international Money transfer market as entry of new firms into some postal activities along with finance and telephony services emerged which are characterized with privatization and competition. The changes in technology and consumer needs allowed greater market segmentation in line with logistics and express developments. Moreover, the wide array of services that the company is engaged in makes the management of the whole enterprise cumbersome. The Press Distribution Money transfer subdivision of the company was reported to lag in terms of earnings and productivity compared to the other Money transfer subdivisions which include the Money transfer communication, direct marketing, value added services, and Money transfer international that illustrated contributions to increased operational efficiency and productivity of Moneygram. Opportunities. With the Money transfer market liberalization, Moneygram was provided with opportunities for international Money transfer market penetration across the entire globe. This means increased number of customers for better profitability and revenues not just in the financial, express, and logistics market of the company but more security on its Money transfer division. The prospect of engaging and investing in various productive research initiatives and development endeavors will generate the company large return of investment. The company’s high asset value and economic worth may serve as a good compensation for development efforts of the organization to support and secure long-term plans and strategies. The success of these researches and development efforts will contribute to the business organization’s competitive advantage in the state energy industry. With the advances in technology, Moneygram can continue its investments on modernization to improve and broaden the available services as well as the customer satisfaction among the clientele through increased service quality and customer value. This could likely result to continuous increase of profit and revenues from the company’s Money transfer subdivisions and the needed improvement for the Press Subdivision to earn competitiveness for the benefit of the entire business operation. Threats. Existence of new market competitors addresses the possibility of better operations strategy from other companies in the Money transfer industry as the major intimidation to Moneygram. This highly threatens the entire effectiveness of the operations utilized by the company in addressing the needs of their customers. As such, business relations among customers and suppliers demands strategic selection of business options. Moreover, the development efforts and research initiatives and projects that the company invest in order to maintain continuous operation and competitive position call for wise selection of business opportunities as well as skilled leadership and risk management skills among its decision-makers. Macro-environment Analysis PEST Analysis. In relation to the liberalization of the Money transfer market across the globe, the political trends and characteristics illustrate a high probability of initiating the full implementation of the free market structure for the Money transfer market. This is in line with the successful liberalization of other goods and services internationally in order to eliminate economic frontiers between economies. The fulfillment of the Money transfer liberalization initiative is expected to result to increase of real potential competition among business firms involved in the Money transfer industry to experience (a) general decrease on the prices of the services offered, (b) greater quality of products and services variation, and (c) continuous innovation and development in product designs, services methods, as well as in production and distribution systems. As such the company could take advantage of its position as one of the leading most competitive Money transfer companies in the region to increase efficiency and productivity as well as customer satisfaction. The economic situation has long been characterized with highly active and dynamic exchange of goods and services through increased participation of business firms in line with the globalization trends. Contract management and outsourcing strategies have been the result of the complex and sophisticated demands of the market and the objectives of business companies to offer excellent customer value through quality products and services. Generally, the international market consist competitive and innovative businesses that are interconnected through partnerships and agreements. In this regard, Moneygram can develop further its diversification initiatives particularly in establishing chains of operations. Labor could be outsourced to cut expenditures and create opportunities for service innovation to strengthen the quality of the services offered The economic description of the region is reflective of the present socio-cultural trends that characterize its people. As active consumers of products and clients of services, the market was provided with the continuous supply of products and services that meets the complex needs and ever-changing requirements and specifications of the public. With the technological infrastructure that characterizes the operations of Moneygram, service quality and customer value and satisfaction can be increased. The services of the company should be in synch with the sophisticated lifestyle of the people through creating means of more efficient service delivery and innovative logistics. These market demands include quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. This further resulted to trends in technological advancement particularly on production and delivery of products and services to meet customer requirements and to increase the productivity and revenue of the businesses. Technological advancements in the form of effective tracking and monitoring equipment of the goods and services being delivered, heightened security efforts, and the utilization of the electronic media to transact highly demanded services online should be considered by the company to adapt with the modern social setting it operates in and meet the needs of the customers. For Moneygram, the management should be able to take means of identifying of the stakeholders, the priorities of the stakeholders; understanding of the stakeholders’ perspectives and incorporating the stakeholders’ perspectives to the future plans of the company (Smith, 2003). Moreover, the company should cultivate growing consumer markets to promote growth and development of the business organization. This will address the expansion possibilities of the organization to serve not only the locale consumers but also provide services to a larger customer base. As such international relations and the overall business practices and trends all over the world should be investigated so as to make sound decisions that will realize the goals of the company. Furthermore, the company should continue cultivating community relations and environmental efforts to increase market visibility and improve brand strength. These will be realized through community programs that will advertise the humanitarian causes of the company in the form of public releases (Crook, Ketchen and Charles, 2003). Charity and scholarship programs are good examples for the management to promote and improve community relation. Advertising messages that translates the environmental concerns that the company shares to the public is likewise advisable to take into account and undertake. Business Level Strategies. Service delivery is an interactive and dynamic process that from the consumers point of view is much more than a passive exchange of money for a particular service. Characteristics of services (e.g., intangibility, heterogeneity, simultaneity, and perishability) often require customers to be actively involved in helping to create the service value either by serving themselves or by cooperating and often working collaboratively with service personnel. In high-contact systems customers can influence the time of demand, the exact nature of the service, and the quality of service (Chase, 1978; Lovelock Young, 1979). If consumers somehow become better customers that is, more knowledgeable, participative, or productive the quality of the service experience will likely be enhanced for the customer and the organization (Bowers, Martin Luker, 1990). In this regard, the company needs to strengthen relationship with suppliers and increase market share. This effor t will result to parallel business interests that will contribute to the company as well as the suppliers’ business objectives (Henrik, 2003). Contract agreements and other business transactions should present advantages and benefits for both parties. Efficient delivery of products and services through premeditated and tactical supply chain management initiatives should be prioritized. As the nature of financial management become more and more complex in this information and efficient communication era of international business, finance managers face a wide array of challenges, opportunities and options for him or her to enhance the investing and financing activities of the organization as well as the inherent risks and circumstances of the decisions that will be made. The challenge now for companies is to explore the options and take advantage of the opportunities while taking caution in managing the risks (Macmenamin, 1999). As such, the company needs to keep operational expenses within budget to be able to devote the necessary financial resources to both exploration and marketing activities of the company. Financial management decisions that will supply for the internal and external business operations of the corporation should be closely monitored to be able to control the flow of cash. Investing on profit-generating projects as well as training-specific progra ms for the human resources of the company will ensure extended success(McCarthy, 2003). Moreover, Moneygram should enhance marketing campaigns and take advantage of company control over the international Money transfer industry competition. The company should initiate efforts to come up with sound advertising and promotional strategies that will bring the people closer. These will include projects and programs that will highlight the humanitarian mission of the company. The use of all available marketing and communications materials particularly the different forms of mass communication technologies will be necessary to realize these plans. Lastly, there is a need to improve technological innovations to increase efficiency as well as quality of the service. This will include investments on machineries and equipment that will necessitate the increased and efficient operation of the business organization’s management system. Financial assistance on human resources particularly to knowledgeable and skilled individuals should be accorded in order to improve the overall business operation as well as the engineering, monitoring, and control aspects of the business.

Evaluate the formal mechanism whereby law is changed Essay

Evaluate the formal mechanism whereby law is changed - Essay Example One source of laws in the U.K. is the Parliament which gets bills passed through parliament and transformed into law – these are known as statute laws. Another source of law is common law, which comprises a body of law that has been developed over several years on the basis of judgments given in the courts in previous years – this is known as common law.1 Constitutional law in the UK is based upon constitutional conventions, which may not have statutory authority but do have binding force, much like judicial precedent.2 Laws are made by Parliament, where an MP or Lord can introduce a bill. When a bill is passed, it becomes an Act of Parliament and has statutory force. The process of getting a bill passed through the U.K. Parliament and being transformed into law is a long process3. Bills are drafted by lawyers at the Parliamentary Council Office and may be preceded by Green or White Papers.4 Before the actual drafting of a bill, the Government initiates a period of consultation with experts and the draft of the provisions of the to-be bill are made available to concerned members of the public and to organizations so that they can propose their suggestions. Issues raised in Green and White papers may be debated in Parliament before a bill is drawn up. Therefore, when a bill is presented in Parliament, it is no longer a rough draft but a polished document. A bill in Parliament passes through seven different stages before it becomes law5. A bill originates in the House of Commons, where any member may propose it. The First reading is the stage where the title of the Bill is read out in Parliament and copies are printed and circulated. The next is the Second Reading stage where the House debates upon the principles and points contained in the bill. At the Committee stage, the House examines the Bill in detail subjecting it to a line by line scrutiny and making necessary amendments so that its language will be

Benefits on Sring Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Benefits on Sring - Speech or Presentation Example While there are many breakthroughs that have been made and that make lives easier, the S-ring will transform the financial world by reducing or possibly eliminating any visits to banks or even carrying liquid cash. Due to the technology incorporated in the device, the S-ring will provide a faster access to the required information thus saving time. Since you may be worried about the safety of your money when using this device, that sector has also been catered for by the S-ring technology. The S-ring will use one of the most secure verification ways, which is your fingerprint. This device will only accept a specific user’s fingerprint so as to authorize a transaction. The personal information being accessed when transacting would be secured so that any third party would not access it. Therefore, the user may rest assured that their money is secure. There will be ease of access when using the S-ring. This is because it will be easier for the user to purchase stuff that does not exceed a specified amount. For more personalization, as the user, you can set the maximum amount of funds available to this technology. When using the technology, the users will be required to hold hands. This will lead to more interactions as well as bonding of people. This implies that the S-ring will foster better social relationships as well as social networking. For improved reliability, the device will enable instant access to users’ banking systems. The S-ring’s account can be connected to multi banking channels instantly when the transactions are being made. The user should not worry about the security of their money because the device will be highly secured and the data will only be shared between individual banks. To further keep the users at ease, the device will make use of the most up to date banking security systems to ensure that intrusion possibilities are eliminated. Financial transactions between different banks can be achieved through a

Product Designs & Development Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Product Designs & Development - Dissertation Example As the report declares each and every product in business is offered with an intention of making profits as it fulfills the consumer’s need. As such, a well conceived product is bound to sell more, have wider reach, increase market share, improve profit margins and possibly carve out new opportunities for the business. In other words product design is a crucial element in the production or manufacture, and by extension marketing of physical products. A product should be designed to meet specific needs of the society with other factors taken into due consideration. There is therefore a correlation between product development, social culture and business success. According to the essay findings China as a country has for long maintained its culture of Confucianism and Socialism even in the business environment. Confucianism demands submission to authority and near absolute obedience in every situation. This culture of course has its pros and cons when adopted in the business setup. While several independent surveys have been conducted concerning product development and people’s culture, none has been conducted to establish the relationship between the two. This study seeks to bridge this gap with focus on art and craft businesses in China. This study will be limited to art and craft businesses within the borders of China and will hence preclude any businesses engaging in art and craft or DIY products outside the country.

Skills as a photographer

Skills as a photographer Annie Leibovitz was born in Connecticut on the 2nd of October, 1949. She was one of six children born to Sam and Marilyn Leibovitz, a dance instructor. In 1967, Leibovitz registered at the San Francisco Art Institute. She developed a love for photography while on a trip to Japan with her mother in the summer of her sophomore year. That autumn she started classes in photography [1]I was totally seduced by the wonderment of it all, she told a writer for Art News. To see something that afternoon and have it materialize before your eyes that same day. There was a real immediacy to it. I lived in the darkroom. A trip to Israel helped her to really develop her skills as a photographer. While she was still a student at the institute, Rolling Stone magazine gave Leibovitz her first commercial assignment after she approached Jann Wenner, in 1970, the founding editor of Rolling Stone magazine, which he had recently launched. The assignment was to take a picture of the Beatles musician John Lennon. The black and white image of the unkempt rock star was released on the cover of the 1971 issue on January 21st. In 1973 when she was only 23 years old she was given the job of being the magazines main photographer. She held this position for ten years. In 1974 Rolling Stone began printing the magazine in colour and Leibovitiz changed with it. [2]In school, I wasnt taught anything about lighting, and I was only taught black-and-white, she told ART news in 1992. So I had to learn colour myself. Using colour Leibovitz created her own signature style, the colours can be described as brilliant perhaps because it printed well. Some of the famous musicians she photographed include Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and Patti Smith. At first her photographs of celebrities were like snapshots, where she tried to capture her subject in the moment. But she soon noticed her ability to put people at ease and help them to let down their guard. She encouraged her subjects to pose for her doing eccentric or silly things which revealed much more of their personalities than a straight portrait ever could. One of Leibovitzs secrets to her success is researching her subjects before she has he photo shoots with them. She reads or watches their works if possible sh e spends time observing their daily lives. However one of the shots that really created her standing as a top photographer is her photo of John Lennon hours before he died. In 1980 leibovitz was sent to take a photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Leibovitz had originally planned that the couple would pose together nude. Even though Lennon happily obliged, Ono refused to take off her clothes, much to the disappointment of Liebovitz. She decided to work with Yoko Ono clothed and Lennon naked I was thinking that they had never been embarrassed to take their clothes off, that they could do a nude embrace, says Leibovitz, who was photographing them for a Rolling Stone cover to mark the release of Double Fantasy, their first album in five years.[3] John took his clothes off in a few seconds, but Yoko was very reluctant. She said, Ill take my shirt off but not my pants. I was kinda disappointed, and I said, Just leave everything on. We took one Polaroid, and the three of us knew it was profound right away.. The final image shows John Lennon nude, curled around a fully dressed Yoko Ono. This shot was used for the cover of the commemorative issue of the Rolling Stone. Another project which helped push her to the top was her documentation of the Rolling Stones 1975 world tour. The photographs she created while she lived and travelled with the band have been described as being [4]some of the most eloquent images ever made of the world of Rock and Roll.. This project helped give Leibovitz a big name among the top photographers. However she unfortunately became involved with drugs, being part of the groups entourage and with the burden of her career pushed her towards the usage of cocaine. She has been quoted in Vanity Fair that [5]I went on that [Rolling Stones] tour to get to the heart of something, to see what it was like. People always talk about the soul of the sitter [in a photograph], but the photographer has a soul, too. And I almost lost it. It took Leibovitz almost five years to get over the tour, which she did and her career continued to take new heights. In one interview Leibovitz talks about the effect being on the Rolling Stones tour aff ected her [6] Ive been on many tour buses and at many concerts, but the best photographs Ive made of musicians at work were done during that Rolling Stones tour. I probably spent more time on it than on any other subject. For me, the story about the pictures is about almost losing myself, and coming back, and what it means to be deeply involved in a subject. You can get amazing work, but youve got to be careful. The thing that saved me was that I had my camera by my side. It was there to remind me who I was and what I did. It separated me from them. Over time she became known for her picture of celebrities, some of these photos include Whoopi Goldberg with only her face, arms, and legs peeking out of a bathtub full of milk and the artist Christo wrapped in fabric as if he was in one of his own pieces of art. Andy Grundberg a well known photography writer and critic has pointed out that Leibovitz exaggerates the distinctive characteristic of [the celebrities] public image in a way thats funny and deflating. One of her most controversial photographs was a 1992 Vanity Fair cover. It featured the actress Demy Moore who was nude and pregnant. http://www.answers.com/topic/annie-leibovitz , 12:15, 04-12-09 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/annie-leibovitz/life-through-a-lens/16/ , 12:30, 04-12-09 http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6478087/behind_the_photo_john_and_yoko, 12:40 04-12-09 http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/ewb_09/ewb_09_03807.html, 12:45, 04-12-09 http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/ewb_09/ewb_09_03807.html, 12:57,04-12-09 http://kottke.org/08/09/annie-leibovitz-on-photography 14:30, 04-12-09

Patriot Essay -- essays research papers

Martin, a veteran of the French and Indian War, thinks of himself as a battle-weary peacenik (his eldest son joins the army against his wishes), but if he believes in liberating the colonies from the tyranny of King George III, he believes even more fervently in smiting the holy bejesus out of the soldiers who have torn his family apart. That these aristocratic oppressors happen to be the same redcoats who are fighting to quash the American Revolution is, shall we say, a matter of the highest moral convenience. Written by Robert Rodat (''Saving Private Ryan'') and directed by the heavy-tromping blockbuster maestro Roland Emmerich (''Independence Day,'' ''Godzilla''), ''The Patriot'' is set in fields, forests, homes, and backwaters, and there's something at once canny and reductive about the way that it personalizes the bloody birth of a nation. The filmmakers know that the last thing contemporary audiences need is another square-shouldered Classics Illustrated lecture that regurgitates the righteous and idealistic mythology of Why We Fought the British. At the same time, I'm not sure that I want my history dragged into the colonial trenches by a filmmaker like Roland Emmerich. ''The Patriot'' has some fierce and exciting moments, and it's held together by Gibson's haggard slow-burn charisma (he talks in his ''low'' voice), but the movie is also demagogic and crude. It's a fife-and-drum ''Gladiator'' without elegance -- the Revolutionary War turned into a big, hammerheaded s...