Compensation Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compensation Plan - Research Paper Example For example, the ‘All-Employee Option Plans’ which are currently being regulated in sixteen of the nations where Unilever maintains its presence, the workforce has been granted with an incentive to enhance performance levels and meet targets and objectives so as to become eligible for financial rewards (Unilever Group Annual Report and Accounts, 2003). Accordingly, the company has also designed a plan to cater to the classification of senior and top executives who have maintained their presence in the company for significant periods and thus, have greater tenure. Thus, the plan declares what is defined as a the platform that awards senior officials â€Å"’between 0% and 20% of the original conditional award† after the completion of a specified period (Unilever Group Annual Report and Accounts, 2003). The rationale behind the establishment of an ‘equity based compensation plan’ that is further subcategorized into six classifications can be explained by associating the concept with Unilever’s policy of fair compensation. In accordance with this agenda the company aims to continually assess workforce issues, internal mechanisms and labor practices to improve and enhance the transparency of the compensation system on a concurrent basis in 180 nations of operations (Unilever, 2014a). Consequently, the data retrieved with respect to these matters would be compiled the following year so that the formulation of solutions can be conducted to cope with current issues. 2. According to the research presented by Balken and Gomez-Mejia (1990), the decision-making process regarding internal consistency of compensation system is reliant upon several factors, one of which is characterized by the identification of the organizational strategies that must be maintained to guide the company towards the achievement of objectives. Consequently, from the perspective of employees a fair, just or

Environmental Effects of Pesticides Essay Example for Free

Environmental Effects of Pesticides Essay Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their target species, including nontarget species, air, water, bottom sediments, and food.[1] Pesticide contaminates land and water when it escapes from production sites and storage tanks, when it runs off from fields, when it is discarded, when it is sprayed aerially, and when it is sprayed into water to kill algae.[2] The amount of pesticide that migrates from the intended application area is influenced by the particular chemicals properties: its propensity for binding to soil, its vapor pressure, its water solubility, and its resistance to being broken down over time. [3] Factors in the soil, such as its texture, its ability to retain water, and the amount of organic matter contained in it, also affect the amount of pesticide that will leave the area.[3] Some pesticides contribute to global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer.[4] [edit] Air Pesticides can contribute to air pollution . Pesticide drift occurs when pesticides suspended in the air as particles are carried by wind to other areas, potentially contaminating them.[5] Pesticides that are applied to crops can volatilize and may be blown by winds into nearby areas, potentially posing a threat to wildlife.[6] Also, droplets of sprayed pesticides or particles from pesticides applied as dusts may travel on the wind to other areas,[7] or pesticides may adhere to particles that blow in the wind, such as dust particles.[8] Ground spraying produces less pesticide drift than aerial spraying does.[9] Farmers can employ a buffer zone around their crop, consisting of empty land or non-crop plants such as evergreen trees to serve as windbreaks and absorb the pesticides, preventing drift into other areas.[10] Such windbreaks are legally required in the Netherlands.[10] Pesticides that are sprayed on to fields and used to fumigate soil can give off chemicals called volatile organic compounds, which can react with other chemicals and form a pollutant called tropospheric ozone. Pesticide use accounts for about 6 percent of total tropospheric ozone levels.[11] [edit] Water In the United States, pesticides were found to pollute every stream and over 90% of wells sampled in a study by the US Geological Survey.[12] Pesticide residues have also been found in rain and groundwater.[3] Studies by the UK government showed that pesticide concentrations exceeded those allowable for drinking water in some samples of river water and groundwater.[13] Pesticide impacts on aquatic systems are often studied using a hydrology transport model to study movement and fate of chemicals in rivers and streams. As early as the 1970s quantitative analysis of pesticide runoff was conducted in order to predict amounts of pesticide that would reach surface waters.[14] There are four major routes through which pesticides reach the water: it may drift outside of the intended area when it is sprayed, it may percolate, or leach, through the soil, it may be carried to the water as runoff, or it may be spilled, for example accidentally or through neglect.[15] They may also be carried to water by eroding soil.[16] Factors that affect a pesticides ability to contaminate water include its water solubility, the distance from an application site to a body of water, weather, soil type, presence of a growing crop, and the method used to apply the chemical.[17] Maximum limits of allowable concentrations for individual pesticides in public bodies of water are set by the Environmental Protection Agency in the US.[3][17] Similarly, the government of the United Kingdom sets Environmental Quality Standards (EQS), or maximum allowable concentrations of some pesticides in bodies of water above which toxicity may occur.[18] The European Union also regulates maximum concentrations of pesticides in water.[18] [edit] Soil Many of the chemicals used in pesticides are persistent soil contaminants, whose impact may endure for decades and adversely affect soil conservation.[19] The use of pesticides decreases the general biodiversity in the soil. Not using the chemicals results in higher soil quality,[verification needed][20] with the additional effect that more organic matter in the soil allows for higher water retention.[3] This helps increase yields for farms in drought years, when organic farms have had yields 20-40% higher than their conventional counterparts.[21] A smaller content of organic matter in the soil increases the amount of pesticide that will leave the area of application, because organic matter binds to and helps break down pesticides.[3] [edit] Effects on biota [edit] Plants Nitrogen fixation, which is required for the growth of higher plants, is hindered by pesticides in soil.[22] The insecticides DDT, methyl parathion, and especially pentachlorophenol have been shown to interfere with legume-rhizobium chemical signaling.[22] Reduction of this symbiotic chemical signaling results in reduced nitrogen fixation and thus reduced crop yields.[22] Root nodule formation in these plants saves the world economy $10 billion in synthetic nitrogen fertilizer every year.[23] Pesticides can kill bees and are strongly implicated in pollinator decline, the loss of species that pollinate plants, including through the mechanism of Colony Collapse Disorder,[24][25][26][27] in which worker bees from a beehive or Western honey bee colony abruptly disappear. Application of pesticides to crops that are in bloom can kill honeybees,[5] which act as pollinators. The USDA and USFWS estimate that US farmers lose at least $200 million a year from reduced crop pollination because pesticides applied to fields eliminate about a fifth of honeybee colonies in the US and harm an additional 15%.[1] On the other side, pesticides have some direct harmful effect on plant including poor root hair development, shoot yellowing and reduced plant growth [28]. [edit] Animals Pesticides inflict extremely widespread damage to biota, and many countries have acted to discourage pesticide usage through their Biodiversity Action Plans.[citation needed] Animals may be poisoned by pesticide residues that remain on food after spraying, for example when wild animals enter sprayed fields or nearby areas shortly after spraying.[9] Widespread application of pesticides can eliminate food sources that certain types of animals need, causing the animals to relocate, change their diet, or starve.[5] Poisoning from pesticides can travel up the food chain; for example, birds can be harmed when they eat insects and worms that have consumed pesticides.[5] Some pesticides can bioaccumulate, or build up to toxic levels in the bodies of organisms that consume them over time, a phenomenon that impacts species high on the food chain especially hard.[5] [edit] Birds Bald eagles are common examples of nontarget organisms that are impacted by pesticide use. Rachel Carsons landmark book Silent Spring dealt with the loss of bird species due to bioaccumulation of pesticides in their tissues. There is evidence that birds are continuing to be harmed by pesticide use. In the farmland of Britain, populations of ten different species of birds have declined by 10 million breeding individuals between 1979 and 1999, a phenomenon thought to have resulted from loss of plant and invertebrate species on which the birds feed.[29] Throughout Europe, 116 species of birds are now threatened.[29] Reductions in bird populations have been found to be associated with times and areas in which pesticides are used.[29] In another example, some types of fungicides used in peanut farming are only slightly toxic to birds and mammals, but may kill off earthworms, which can in turn reduce populations of the birds and mammals that feed on them.[9] Some pesticides come in granular form, and birds and other wildlife may eat the granules, mistaking them for grains of food.[9] A few granules of a pesticide is enough to kill a small bird.[9] The herbicide paraquat, when sprayed onto bird eggs, causes growth abnormalities in embryos and reduces the number of chicks that hatch successfully, but most herbicides do not directly cause much harm to birds.[9] Herbicides may endanger bird populations by reducing their habitat.[9] [edit] Aquatic life Fish and other aquatic biota may be harmed by pesticide-contaminated water.[30] Pesticide surface runoff into rivers and streams can be highly lethal to aquatic life, sometimes killing all the fish in a particular stream.[31] Application of herbicides to bodies of water can cause fish kills when the dead plants rot and use up the waters oxygen, suffocating the fish.[30] Some herbicides, such as copper sulfite, that are applied to water to kill plants are toxic to fish and other water animals at concentrations similar to those used to kill the plants.[30] Repeated exposure to sublethal doses of some pesticides can cause physiological and behavioral changes in fish that reduce populations, such as abandonment of nests and broods, decreased immunity to disease, and increased failure to avoid predators.[30] Application of herbicides to bodies of water can kill off plants on which fish depend for their habitat.[30] Pesticides can accumulate in bodies of water to levels that kill off zooplankton, the main source of food for young fish.[32] Pesticides can kill off the insects on which some fish feed, causing the fish to travel farther in search of food and exposing them to greater risk from predators.[30] The faster a given pesticide breaks down in the environment, the less threat it poses to aquatic life.[30] Insecticides are more toxic to aquatic life than herbicides and fungicides.[30] [edit] Amphibians See also: Decline in amphibian population In the past several decades, decline in amphibian populations has been occurring all over the world, for unexplained reasons which are thought to be varied but of which pesticides may be a part.[33] Mixtures of multiple pesticides appear to have a cumulative toxic effect on frogs.[34] Tadpoles from ponds with multiple pesticides present in the water take longer to metamorphose into frogs and are smaller when they do, decreasing their ability to catch prey and avoid predators.[34] A Canadian study showed that exposing tadpoles to endosulfan, an organochloride pesticide at levels that are likely to be found in habitats near fields sprayed with the chemical kills the tadpoles and causes behavioral and growth abnormalities.[35] The herbicide atrazine has been shown to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites, decreasing their ability to reproduce.[34] [edit] Humans See also: Pesticide residue Pesticides can enter the human body through inhalation of aerosols, dust and vapor that contain pesticides; through oral exposure by consuming food and water; and through dermal exposure by direct contact of pesticides with skin.[36] Pesticides are sprayed onto food, especially fruits and vegetables, they secrete into soils and groundwater which can end up in drinking water, and pesticide spray can drift and pollute the air. The effects of pesticides on human health are more harmful based on the toxicity of the chemical and the length and magnitude of exposure.[37] Farm workers and their families experience the greatest exposure to agricultural pesticides through direct contact with the chemicals. But every human contains a percentage of pesticides found in fat samples in their body. Children are most susceptible and sensitive to pesticides due to their small size and underdevelopment.[36] The chemicals can bioaccumulate in the body over time. Exposure to pesticides can range from mild skin irritation to birth defects, tumors, genetic changes, blood and nerve disorders, endocrine disruption, and even coma or death.[38] Some pesticides, including aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, and toxaphene, are considered POPs.[39] POPs have the ability to volatilize and travel great distances through the atmosphere to become deposited in remote regions.[39] The chemicals also have the ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify, and can bioconcentrate (i.e. become more concentrated) up to 70,000 times their original concentrations.[39] POPs may continue to poison non-target organisms in the environment and increase risk to humans[40] by disruption in the endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems; cancer; neurobehavioral disorders,[39] infertility and mutagenic effects, although very little is currently known about these chronic effects. Some POPs have been banned, while others continue to be used. [edit] Pest resistance

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: essays research papers

Charlotte Bronte makes use of nature imagery throughout "Jane Eyre," and comments on both the human relationship with the outdoors and human nature. The Oxford Reference Dictionary defines "nature" as "1. the phenomena of the physical world as a whole . . . 2. a thing's essential qualities; a person's or animal's innate character . . . 4. vital force, functions, or needs." We will see how "Jane Eyre" comments on all of these. Several natural themes run through the novel, one of which is the image of a stormy sea. After Jane saves Rochester's life, she gives us the following metaphor of their relationship: "Till morning dawned I was tossed on a buoyant but unquiet sea . . . I thought sometimes I saw beyond its wild waters a shore . . . now and then a freshening gale, wakened by hope, bore my spirit triumphantly towards the bourne: but . . . a counteracting breeze blew off land, and continually drove me back." The gale is all the forces that prevent Jane's union with Rochester. Later, Bront†°, whether it be intentional or not, conjures up the image of a buoyant sea when Rochester says of Jane: "Your habitual expression in those days, Jane, was . . . not buoyant." In fact, it is this buoyancy of Jane's relationship with Rochester that keeps Jane afloat at her time of crisis in the heath: "Why do I struggle to retain a valueless life? Because I know, or believe, Mr. Rochester is living." Another recurrent image is Bront†°'s treatment of Birds. We first witness Jane's fascination when she reads Bewick's History of British Birds as a child. She reads of "death-white realms" and "'the solitary rocks and promontories'" of sea-fowl. We quickly see how Jane identifies with the bird. For her it is a form of escape, the idea of flying above the toils of every day life. Several times the narrator talks of feeding birds crumbs. Perhaps Bront†° is telling us that this idea of escape is no more than a fantasy -- one cannot escape when one must return for basic sustenance. The link between Jane and birds is strengthened by the way Bront†° adumbrates poor nutrition at Lowood through a bird who is described as "a little hungry robin." Bront†° brings the buoyant sea theme and the bird theme together in the passage describing the first painting of Jane's that Rochester examines. This painting depicts a turbulent sea with a sunken ship, and on the mast perches a cormorant with a gold bracelet in its mouth, apparently taken from a drowning body.

Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchitis :: Health Medicine

Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchitis Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchi. It may develop suddenly, following a head cold (acute bronchitis), or it may persist or return regularly for many years, causing progressive degeneration of the bronchi and lungs (chronic bronchitis). Certain people are more susceptible than others; Men are more of a target to bronchitis than women, out numbering them 10 to 1 cc the reasons are unclear. Of course smokers are 50 times more likely to get chronic bronchitis than nonsmokers. Acute bronchitis is a bacteria or virus infection, often following a cold smoking. People who have acute bronchitis usually have a mild fever, soreness under breast bone, irritated by coughing. First they have a dry cough then the cough later brings up green and yellow mucus. The cough may persist to 4 to 6 weeks. Chronic bronchitis is produced by other chronic problems: sinusitis, smoking, TB, etc. The Bronchi becomes thick, inelastic, and accumulate mucus and pus in lower part of lungs instead of bringing discharges up and out. The result is chronic cough, shortness of breath, sometimes spasm, and frequent infection. In acute bronchitis, the basic symptoms are a head cold, fever and chills, running nose, aching muscles and possibly back pains. This is soon followed by the obvious persistent cough. At first the cough is dry and racking and eventually becomes phlegmy. The persistent cough is worse at night than during the day, and when the person breathes in smoke and fumes. The main symptoms most recognized in chronic bronchitis is, again, a cough, with sputum, often occurring in paroxysms. Other symptoms in chronic bronchitis are dependant on how much, or how little, emphysema is present. This disorder causes the lungs to become overstretched, making the breathing process difficult. The chronic bronchitic with no emphysema tends to be overweight and often has a bluish tinge to his or her lips due to lack of oxygen. Shortness of breath only occurs during exercise and other strenuous activity. The bronchitic with a great deal of emphysema, who has lost a lot of his or her oxygen cc exchanging ability, due to the condition, is short of breath at all times. The bronchitic with emphysema very often are underweight and, as the disease comes worse, develops a barrel chest. The Chronic bronchitic also wheezes because of the obstruction. NOTE: Emphysema is a state of overdistention of the tiny air-containing sacs of the lung. The cause of bronchitis are from viral or bacterial infections which spreads to the chest.

Differences between the Compensation and Benefits Programs used in U. S. and Germany

Compensation refers to the salary and/or wage structures and programs such as job descriptions salary, bonus-based benefits programs, merit based programs and commission-based programs (Patricia & David 125). Compensation and benefits are provided either as variable pay and/or base pay. Stock option plans In Germany, stock option plans are only available for leading employees and German board members. These are usually in the form of phantom stocks, stock appreciation rights or convertible bonds (Ohle 1). At the moment of their exercise, these stock options are taxable.In German stock options are granted in two forms whose difference is primarily based on the tax treatment on them. Stock options in U. S encompass Non-Qualified Stock Options, Put Options and Incentive Stock Options. However, a great percentage of these stock options are not exercisable immediately and are non-transferable thus making it impossible to readily determine their fair market value. This implies that stock o ptions are not taxable when granted in the context of U. S (Patricia & David 127). Operational retirement provisionsUnlike U. S, Germany has operational provisions for its retirement pension plans through which employers make it possible for their workers to change some of their wages into retirement operation plans. This revolves around various models such as the assistance funds, direct insurance, pension funds and direct benefits. U. S lacks such provisions which are not bound to taxation. In German’s case, the most common retirement operational provisions encompass plans such as the 401 (k) and the cash balance plans (Ohle, 1).On a different note, the pension program of US was not made such as to offer old age insurance by itself while that of Germany is considered to be primarily a grant for a basic insurance. Thus private and operational retirement plans are very vital to American retirees unlike for Germans. Private retirement provisions In Germany, there are a social security programs to which employees’ payroll taxes account for half of the contributions while the employers contribute the other half.These include long-range nursing care, unemployment benefits, pensions and health insurance and are the four major German social security parts (Ohle 1). Other social security programs cover social indemnity catered for by the government and the accident insurance handled by the employer. The U. S system on the hand comprises of: the state program for children’s health insurance, supplementary security income, temporary assistance for needy families, health insurance for the disabled and aged, unemployment benefits, state grants for medical assistance programs (DOL 1).The U. S social system is majorly funded through payroll taxes and the overall program is divided into three main parts: survivors, retirement and disability insurance. Unemployment benefits The unemployment program in U. S is funded by the federal and state unemployment taxes paid by employers. Unemployment benefits in Germany are divided into two categories: the unemployment insurance (UI) applicable to previously employed workers who were insured during their tenure; and the unemployment assistance (UA) which comes after UI and has no time limit. The U.S unemployment benefit system differs from the one in Germany in that it covers a wide range of areas not covered by the German program (DOL 1). This is because the U. S program includes a self employment assistance package for the re-employment period, trade readjustment allowance, extended benefits, and assistance for the unemployment due to disasters. Heath care insurance The compensation and benefits program in Germany encompasses a mandatory contribution towards social security in terms of payments to the legal state health care insurance program.However, big salaried employees can opt to join a private health care system rather than the state health care system which is also considered a bene fit to some extent. On the other hand, U. S. has a different health care program known as the Federal Employees’ Health Benefits (FEHB) that enables eligible employees to be part of a group plan for health insurance (Patricia & David 131). U. S also has two other options contributing to health insurance unlike Germany. These include: life insurance under the standard additional and family options and the long-term care insurance paid for fully by the employees. Leave and public holidaysThe terms of employment in German usually include a minimum of twenty-four paid leave days annually for those employees working six days a week on full time basis and 20 days to those working 5 days a week (Ohle, 1). Public holidays however vary form state to state. This includes other paid and protected leave days such as sick leave and maternity leave. U. S on the other hand has different terms when it comes to leave and public holidays. For instance, the U. S Family and Medical Leave Act doe s not entitled employees to any leave provides for a job-protected 12 weeks unpaid leave per any twelve month period incase of care emergencies.

Contemporary Art Answer Essays - Post-Impressionism, Free Essays

Contemporary Art Answer Essays - Post-Impressionism, Free Essays Contemporary art is art produced after 1946 up until this present day. It seems to overlap modern art as modern art did not necessarily diminish until later on. For example, Jeff Koons would be considered a contemporary artist because he has been producing art after 1946, in our lifetime. Of course, with every time period, new art ideas will almost always receive backlash from the media and may be considered shocking. For example, in 2015 when Sacramento was set to erectan $8 million public sculpture (Coloring Book) by HYPERLINK "artnet.com/artists/jeff-koons/" \t "_blank" Jeff Koonsoutside its new basketball arena, not everyone was a fan of the plan. It was intended to capture a child's ecstatic enjoyment of the world, but other artists and critics had mentioned that it does not feel inspired by the movement that created the arena and it does not represent our city or where it's going. Many do not seem to see the enjoyment he is portraying in his work, much like his Balloon Dog.Not only do we see this backlash in this period of contemporary art, but also in previous periods of art, such as post impressionism (modern art). Paul Gauguins Self Portrait with Halo and Snake (1889) caused quite a stir due to Gauguin representing himself as a saint, or saint-like, by including a halo above his head. Of course throughout the decades art has constantly been changing due to the technological advances and the changes that have been made in society as well; art is always responding to real things. Paul Gauguins Self-portrait with Halo and Snake was influenced by HYPERLINK "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e" \o "Ukiyo-e" Japanese wood-block printsand HYPERLINK "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloisonnism" \o "Cloisonnism" cloisonnism, completed several years after he had visited Tahiti. HYPERLINK "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Portrait_with_Halo_and_Snake" \l "cite_note-conisbee-14" In the painting, Gauguin wears the saffron colored robe of a Buddhist monk, perhaps influenced by Van Gogh's earlierSelf-Portrait Dedicated to Paul Gauguin (1888). During that time period, art was heavily influenced by Japanese prints and the impression other artists had left behind in their paintings to inspire other artists in the future. In this current period of contemporary art, Jeff Koons art is inspired by popular culture subjects and reproductions of banal objects; Balloon dog made from stainless steel with a transparent colour coating. His piece that was supposedly meant to be displayed outside the basketball arena was influenced by the enjoyment a child possesses in such simple things in life, much like his other art pieces such as his giant balloon figures. As mentioned before, both artists have received backlash and controversy for their artwork and it is safe to say that almost every artist should expect some sort of a backlash for their art in any time period or context. Art is never perfect and never will be perfect; others may see your artwork diffe rently than you do and interpret its meaning differently than intended. Therefore, although some viewers may be able to have a certain likeness to an artists artwork, the piece will never gain full acceptance of its entire audience. Some art can be appreciated in hindsight as a comment of that time period. Paul Gauguins self-portrait may have created backlash in his time period, but as we intellectually study its meaning and the influence of the piece, we can determine the intentions he or other artists had during that time period. Many people often find Jeff Koons art quite odd, such as his sculpture Coloring Book and Balloon Dog, but in the next time period of art, they may look back and study its meaning and intentions, predicting the motives he and possibly other artists had during that time period. Jeff Koons is a great example of a contemporary artist who intends to show the simplest pleasures in life through his artwork, allowing anyone to understand its simplicity and enjoy every moment of it. Jeff Koons Balloon Dog Paul Gauguin Self Portrait with Halo and Snake

Bush Tax Cut essays

Bush Tax Cut essays After a great 8 years under President Clintons fiscal discipline in the government, we have had a great economic surplus that included other huge surpluses as well. President Bush wants a huge tax cut that obviously can increase interest rates and recreate the loss of consumer and business confidence that had the same deficits during the late 80s and early 90s. While President Bushs proposed tax cut of roughly $2 trillion seems extremely favorable, the reality is that it will hurt the future of our country greatly. Robert E. Rubin, former Secretary of the Treasury, knows a lot about our money and can easily see that President Bushs huge tax cut can create a huge error in economic policy. When looking over the last 20 years and how we have done with fiscal discipline and without fiscal discipline, we can find many clues that our nation has benefited from fiscal discipline. First off, we have gained greatly when our nation has been committed to fiscal discipline and lose greatly when it is not. Another reason is that we have a huge duty to not pass on the burdens of a huge national debt and recession to the next generation, when we can act and stop problems from happening today. In 1993 when President Clinton restored fiscal discipline, there was a huge economic transformation. This transformation included the creation of many new jobs, rising incomes, low inflation, lower percentage of unemployment, and much of todays large current surpluses. Fiscal discipline also contributed greatly to the restoration of confidence by consumers and business that resulted in increase demand, increased investment in new technologies, increased productivity, and sustained growth in gross domestic product. These extremely favorable conditions all occurred because of fiscal discipline and by brining in a huge tax cut of $2 trillion we are seriously threatening the fiscal soundness currently in the federal governmen...

The Voyager Mission

The Voyager Mission In 1979, two tiny spacecraft were launched on one-way missions of planetary discovery. They were the twin  Voyager spacecraft, predecessors to the  Cassini spacecraft at Saturn, the Juno mission at Jupiter, and the New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. They were preceded in gas giant space by the Pioneers 10 and 11. The Voyagers, which are still transmitting data back to Earth as they leave the solar system, each  carry an array of cameras and instruments designed to  record magnetic, atmospheric, and other data about the planets and their moons, and to send images and data for further study back on Earth.   Voyagers Trips Voyager 1 is speeding along at about 57,600 kph (35,790 mph), which is  fast enough to travel from Earth to the Sun three and a half times in one year. Voyager 2 is   Both spacecraft  carry a gold record greeting to the universe  containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. The two-spacecraft Voyager missions were designed to replace original plans for a Grand Tour of the planets that would have used four complex spacecraft to explore the five outer planets during the late 1970s. NASA canceled the plan in 1972 and instead proposed to send two spacecraft to Jupiter and Saturn in 1977. They were  designed to explore the two gas giants in more detail than the two Pioneers (Pioneers 10 and 11) that preceded them. The Voyager Design and Trajectory The original design of the two spacecraft was based on that of the older Mariners (such as Mariner 4, which went to Mars). Power was provided by three plutonium oxide radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) mounted at the end of a boom. Voyager 1 was launched after Voyager 2, but because of a faster route, it exited the Asteroid Belt earlier than its twin. Both spacecraft got gravitational assists at each planet they passed, which aligned them for their next targets.   Voyager 1 began its Jovian imaging mission in April 1978 at a range of 265 million kilometers from the planet; images sent back by January the following year indicated that Jupiters atmosphere was more turbulent than during the Pioneer flybys in 1973 and 1974. Voyager Studies Jupiters Moons On February 10, 1979, the spacecraft crossed into the Jovian moon system, and in early March, it had already discovered a thin (less than 30 kilometers thick) ring circling Jupiter. Flying past Amalthea, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto (in that order) on March 5th, Voyager 1 returned spectacular photos of these worlds. The more interesting find was on Io, where images showed a bizarre yellow, orange and brown world with a least eight active volcanoes spewing material into space, making it one of the most (if not the most) geologically active planetary bodies in the solar system. The spacecraft also discovered two new moons, Thebe and Metis. Voyager 1s closest encounter with Jupiter was at 12:05 UT on March 5, 1979, at a range of 280,000 kilometers. On to Saturn Following the Jupiter encounter, Voyager 1 completed a single course correction on April 89 1979, in preparation for its rendezvous with Saturn. The second correction on October 10, 1979, ensured that the spacecraft would not hit Saturns moon Titan. Its flyby of the Saturn system in November 1979 was as spectacular as its previous encounter. Exploring Saturns Icy Moons Voyager 1 found five new moons and a ring system consisting of thousands of bands, discovered a new ring (the G  Ring), and found shepherding satellites on either side of the F-ring satellites that keep the rings well defined. During its flyby, the spacecraft photographed Saturns moons Titan, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea. Based on incoming data, all the moons appeared to be largely composed of water ice. Perhaps the most interesting target was Titan, which Voyager 1 passed at 05:41 UT on  November 12th at a range of 4,000 kilometers. Images showed a thick atmosphere that completely hid the surface. The spacecraft found that the moons atmosphere was composed of 90 percent nitrogen. Pressure and temperature at the surface were 1.6 atmospheres and -180 ° C, respectively. Voyager 1s closest approach to Saturn was at 23:45 UT on November 12,  1980, at a range of 124,000 kilometers. Voyager 2 followed up with visits to Jupiter in 1979, Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1986, and Neptune in 1986. Like its sister ship, it investigated planetary atmospheres, magnetospheres, gravitational fields, and climates, and discovered fascinating facts about the moons of all the planets. Voyager 2 also was the first to visit all four gas giant planets. Outward Bound Because of the specific requirements for  the Titan flyby, the spacecraft was not directed to Uranus and Neptune. Instead,  following the encounter with Saturn, Voyager 1 headed on a trajectory out of the solar system at a speed of 3.5 AU per year. It is on a course 35 ° out of the ecliptic plane to the north, in the general direction of the Suns motion relative to nearby stars. It is now in interstellar space, having passed through the  heliopause boundary, the outer limit of the Suns magnetic field, and the outward flow of the solar wind. Its the first spacecraft from Earth to travel into interstellar space. On February 17, 1998, Voyager 1  became the most distant human-made object in existence when it surpassed Pioneer 10s range from Earth. In mid-2016, the  Voyager 1  was more than  20 billion kilometers from Earth (135 times the Sun-Earth distance) and continuing to move away, while maintaining a tenuous radio link with Earth. Its power supply should last through 2025, allowing the transmitter to keep sending back information about the interstellar environment. Voyager 2 is on a trajectory headed out toward the star Ross 248, which it will encounter in about 40,000 years, and pass by Sirius in just under 300,000 years. It will keep transmitting as long as it has power, which may also be until the year 2025.   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Color of my personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Color of my personality - Essay Example In recent times, psychologists have pointed out that hereditary factors being more central specifically for personality traits like emotional tones. Nevertheless, acquisition of values, beliefs and expectations seem more ascribed due to the socialization process and early childhood experiences. The green persona is straightforward and does things right for a fast time. They like a neat surrounding, therefore, keep everything in order. They are the most creative and rely heavily on their intuitions. They spend most of their time articulating and discovering new ideas thus embrace the brainstorming sessions since it involves coming up with new ideas. Moreover, the mental impediments that deter other personality colors do not restrict them. Consequently, the combination of their creative nature and absence of mental deterrents prompts the establishment of opportunities and solutions that meets needs of every participant. They are agents of change in the society though they seek it in a more peaceful environment unlike the yellows that are not collaborative. The greens are proponents of growth and prosperity (DiTullio,

Pro's and Con's of Colleges going tobacco free Essay

Pro's and Con's of Colleges going tobacco free - Essay Example The fundamental cause of this tremendous increase in the population of young smokers every year is social influence. Since children and young adults spend a considerable part of their day at schools and colleges, smoking peers and friends at schools and colleges are the prime source of influence for the non-smokers to take up smoking. This imparts the need for the concerned authorities to consider making the colleges tobacco free. The subject of this analysis is the pros and cons of colleges going tobacco free. Other than the fact that I smoke, I do not know a lot about my analysis. After thinking about it, I decided I wanted to know more about the pros and cons of colleges going tobacco free. In order to make informed decision and achieve favorable results, it is customary to evaluate the pros and cons of making the colleges tobacco free. This paper achieves this purpose and inculcates a better understanding of the usefulness of banning tobacco in the colleges. I think my main audie nce will be young college students. I really don’t know what my audience already knows about this topic being that I don’t know much about it myself just yet. I think the statistics I add will be convincing. Some of the questions that I intend to answer in my analysis include; How does this affect smokers rights? When did the policy begin? What colleges/states are mandating this policy? Causes and Effects of Tobacco Ban in Colleges Many colleges around the world have banned tobacco whereas many others are considering banning it. The College of DuPage (COD) is one such colleges that has recently imposed ban on smoking. The main reason why the COD went tobacco free on 6 August 2012 was the immense concern of the college about the health and safety of everybody who is associated with the college including the workers, the students, as well as the visitors. There is considerable amount of research that has found the health risks of both active and passive smoking. Another reason for making the college tobacco free is to cut down the costs associated with cleaning and maintenance of the college, damage caused by the possible outbreak of fire, costs of medical insurance, and the costs of students’ absenteeism (Martin). The pros of tobacco ban in college include improved health and safety of the students, staff, and visitors, cleanliness of the college’s environment, decreased tendency of non-smokers to start smoking, reduced students’ absenteeism, and reduced risk of fire outbreak whereas the cons of tobacco ban in college include absenteeism caused by students’ tendency to smoke off-campus, accuse of discrimination, and students’ and/or staff’s dissatisfaction. Pros of Tobacco Ban in the College There are numerous pros of tobacco ban in the college are numerous. They are discussed as follows: Improved Health and Safety Smoking is a potential risk of health both for the smokers and the non-smoking people around them. Smoking is known to be a cause of lung cancer, mouth cancer, and increases people’s tendency to do heavy smoking and subsequently start substance abuse. Cleanliness Tobacco ban causes the atmosphere to be carbon free thus providing the students, staff, and visitors with a fresh and clean air to breathe. Also, with the tobacco ban imposed, students cannot throw cigarette

Uninary tract infection ,hysterecomy,cirrhosis,Diabetic,cast Case Study

Uninary tract infection ,hysterecomy,cirrhosis,Diabetic,cast care,lntermittent claudication, eczema, - Case Study Example A teaching session is planned to be undertaken with Amy & her mum on prevention of constipation. Q2. Maria Poulos, a 40-year-old woman with two children, consulted her doctor about experiencing menorrhagia and occasionally metrorrhagia for the past 5 months. She was diagnosed with leiomyomas and a total abdominal hysterectomy was recommended. Q4. Sally Smith, aged 14 yrs, has been admitted for review of her diabetes. Sally’s diabetes has been rather uncontrolled lately and her parents are extremely worried. She is now on insulin TDS and her diabetes appears to be more controlled. You are on night shift and are doing a round of checking the patients - you check Sally and find her unresponsive, cold & clammy. Q5. Tara Smith aged four (4) years had a fall off the monkey bars at her day care centre. She fell on her outstretched arm which resulted in a Greenstick fracture of her distal R) radius. She is to have a synthetic cast applied to her forearm for 3-4 weeks. Bob underwent a left femoral–popliteal bypass graft 5 years ago and is complaining of intense right foot pain for past 6 weeks. He states â€Å"I sleep in the recliner with my right leg hanging down to get some relief from the pain†. On assessment he

Managing Virtual Teams.A Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Virtual Teams.A Case Study - Essay Example Running a virtual company can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. The employees are given greater freedom to complete their work task based on their own schedule. In general each employee has greater flexibility over their daily routine. Employees that telecommute get a change to spend more family time due to the fact that their homes become their home offices. It is very important you trained your employees to learn how to manage their time adequately. Telecommuting requires self-discipline in order to be able to meet the work deadlines of the job. In the news media business information travels fast, thus companies need employees that can stay on top of the latest trends. In order to manager a virtual staff you need to keep the lines of communication open. I recommend that you switch your cellular phone provider or change the plan in order to give all employees phones with unlimited minutes. The employees need to stay united and being able to call each other for support in work related matters should be encouraged. As part of their home office equipment each employees must have a printer, fax machine, copier, digital camera, desktop or laptop computer, and broadband internet access. All the materials must be provided by the company since moving to a virtual environment should not cost the employees any out of pocket expenses.

Working Mothers Benefit Familes Vs Stay-at-Home Mothers Benefit Essay

Working Mothers Benefit Familes Vs Stay-at-Home Mothers Benefit Families - Essay Example One major reason for which working mothers have been praised is the influence that they have on their children. It has been observed that the children of working mothers have a generally positive attitude towards women. The thoughts on sex and gender roles are also less rigid as compared to their counterparts. Their daughters and especially have an acquired and greater self esteem and a more positive view of themselves as workers in the society at large. Meanwhile, the sons acquire a positive attitude of shared roles that they take to their own marriages. The overall effect of working mothers would be an increased number of women in the labor force, as equal partners with men. This would mean that the attitudes of children and their psychologies would be less focused on their sexes or gender (Valente, 272). Additionally, working mothers, contend that there are more positives than negatives to being a working mother both from a family and a personal standpoint (Valente, 270). Such a situation ensures that the woman gets a varied life that is not confined to the home. Unlike staying at home mothers whose experiences are the same, working mothers say that the interactions that they have with their husbands are mostly at a peer to peer level, the financial position of the family is complimented and as a result the needs of the family are quickly and easily met. The typical day of a working mother involves the duties of a mother in addition to her responsibilities as a worker. Such women sometimes get the advantages of both sides but the disadvantages of only one side, being a working mother. While it is true that they may employ the services of a housekeeper or baby sitter, there are others who do not. Moreover, such a move would detach them from their families and children if their whole focus is on their careers. On the contra side, there are quite a number of women who are opting or reconsidering the idea of becoming stay at home

Managing Virtual Teams.A Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Virtual Teams.A Case Study - Essay Example Running a virtual company can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. The employees are given greater freedom to complete their work task based on their own schedule. In general each employee has greater flexibility over their daily routine. Employees that telecommute get a change to spend more family time due to the fact that their homes become their home offices. It is very important you trained your employees to learn how to manage their time adequately. Telecommuting requires self-discipline in order to be able to meet the work deadlines of the job. In the news media business information travels fast, thus companies need employees that can stay on top of the latest trends. In order to manager a virtual staff you need to keep the lines of communication open. I recommend that you switch your cellular phone provider or change the plan in order to give all employees phones with unlimited minutes. The employees need to stay united and being able to call each other for support in work related matters should be encouraged. As part of their home office equipment each employees must have a printer, fax machine, copier, digital camera, desktop or laptop computer, and broadband internet access. All the materials must be provided by the company since moving to a virtual environment should not cost the employees any out of pocket expenses.

Systems analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Systems analysis - Essay Example How are they ever going to reach out to far-sought village areas in third world countries while innovating itself the way no other company has ever exceeded them? If such is the case, then Google has to expound the global reach of the internet not only literally but as well as figuratively. Reaching novel systems analysis and design also requires the need for first world countries to reach out to third world entities who are unable to out-race their first world counterparts. Information technology has not only been confounded to software and hardware problems, requirements, design, and analysis. With the fast rise of developed nations, companies like Google are also socially responsible for reaching out to rural communities and bring them outside their shells, gradually introduce them to global technology, and make them an active integral part of information technology. In today’s systems analysis and design, there is a need to emphasize social responsibility in order to accom plish one’s mission, vision, and goals. And what makes Google ahead of everyone else is that they were able to realize the need to devote their time, effort, energy, and resources to rural communities in India to be able to send the message that Google is here to help.

Personal Ethics Statement Essay Example for Free

Personal Ethics Statement Essay My personal ethics statement includes my values and ideals important to me as an academic and in everyday life. My ethics are personal beliefs and morals that reflect and define the person I am. The decisions and choices I make every day should be consistent with integrity and respect toward others. These ethics will ensure my happiness and peace if I keep and hold these values. I believe the value of equality for people regardless of race, religion, and handicaps ensure that all people can be treated fairly. Treating people with respect and dignity while holding myself accountable to these principles will ensure that I treat others as I want to be treated. My preferred ethical lens is the reputation lens. I listen to my intuition and determine what character traits and virtues will best serve the community. The equality of a community is important to ensure a fair and balanced society for all. All people should contribute and develop a voice in a community by actively participating and finding common ground thru diversity. I believe in examining each situation in its own context rather than applying same solutions for the whole community. My blind spot possessing unrealistic role expectations either on myself or others means that I need to pay close attention to my expectations of other individuals. My expectations may not be the same as others, so not forgetting the people make mistakes same as me. Keeping in mind that I am not in control of every situation and that other people are capable of resolving problems or events that I may believe are only accomplishable by me. Trusting other people’s choices and decisions will help in overcoming this blind spot. My strengths include courage and steadiness in the face of obstacles. I avoid rash decisions and at the same time have courage to face unknown or untested waters. I value friendship and keep close connections with people I trust and value. I appreciate those who work alongside and help to encourage me. I value equality and demonstrate compassion for others in need. My weakness include; entitlement, hardness of heart, and confusion. Believing that I am entitled to special privileges and persuade others that my role gives me pecial rights are inconsistent with good character traits. Hardness of heart comes from experiences of people that did not live up to my expectations. I must develop and practice mindfulness not to be confused on the role that I am identified. Identifying my weakness is important, it allows for self-reflection and improvement. The values I hold, and the resultant behavior allows me to listen to my intuition and determine what traits and virtues will serve the community. My values define me and my behaviors are a reflection of whom I am. My behaviors also affect others in relationships either casual or professional. The choices I make are behaviors and reflect me. My personal ethics determine my course of action allowing me to see more clearly and finding balance in my life. Exploring and digging deep into my own emotions will allow me to discern decisions I make. Keeping an open and honest heart in all situations and reexamining my ethics will allow for improvement and correction. I believe that all these things will help keep me focused and grounded to help with better decision making and improve my quality of life.

Skills And Competencies Of Change Leaders Management Essay

Skills And Competencies Of Change Leaders Management Essay This essay analysed the skills and competencies of change leaders with the support of literature references and real life examples. Later, the essay focussed on the challenges of change leaders during the implementation of their skills and competencies on change processes, and how these skills and competencies are varying across different levels of leaders in an organization. Finally, the conclusion is drawn on the basis of critical analyses on change leadership and identified the possibility of acting as a change leader by anyone. Introduction For the past two decades, the amount of significant change that the organizations faced in order to survive has tremendously increased, and many of the researchers argued that this situation will continue and demand more of future leaders (Wren Dulewicz, 2005; Senge et al., 2002). Leadership is such a crucial component for undergoing these changes, and identifying the key components of leadership is important for the success of these transformation efforts (Beer Nohria, 2000). Kotter (1996) considered that, leadership is the key to creating and sustaining the successful organization, because it helps the organization to shape its future and sustain its growth. In addition, leadership competencies are also essential to lead the change processes in an effective way (Christensen Overdorf, 2000). According to Sanchez et al., (1996), leadership competencies have a cognitive aspect, in terms of knowledge and skills the leader possesses, and an action aspect that enables a leader to depl oy their competencies in a coordinated manner. Leaders competencies and skills will influence the actions, structures and processes that enhance the change and it further strengthen the effectiveness in implementing change (Gilley et al., 2009). This essay will critically analyse whether anyone can adapt these leadership skills and competencies which is necessary to be a successful change leader. The analysis will be done based on the references of academic research that has been already conducted in this field. Necessary Skills and Competencies to be a change leader Leadership is different from management; leadership complements management but it does not replace it. Because management is about coping with complexity but the leadership is about coping with change (Kotter, 1990). The leadership-skill requirements will vary based on the leaders positions and their levels. The most important skills where the leaders need to be possessed are cognitive skills, business skills, strategic skills and interpersonal skills. Across all the leadership levels cognitive skills are founded to be more important. In addition, interpersonal skills are required for a leader in greater degree than business or strategic skills (Sparks Gentry, 2008). For example) during the group work on simulation game, the leader of the successful team had contributed a great part by understanding the views of the team members and through the organization of team meeting. This helped the team to bring out fruitful ideas and plans uniquely and also it helped the group leaders to emphasize their cognitive and interpersonal skills effectively. Compared to other skills, the significance of business and strategic skills is more required for the leaders in managerial level (Sparks Gentry, 2008). Possessing these leadership skills in change management has been linked to bringing about effective and successful organization change. Although, some of the factors are considered as the barriers for the success of the change, they are lack of understanding of change implementation techniques and the inability to alter ones leadership style or organization functions (Bossidy Charan, 2002; Gilley, 2005). The other barriers identified by the analysis include the inability of the leaders to motivate others to change, poor communication skills, and failure to reward or recognize the individuals who make the effort to change (Kotter, 1996). Hence the ability to understand and manage the change processes is valued as a necessary capability of change leaders. Many of the scholars defined this ability as a social intelligence skill, which is the ability to understand ones own and others feelings, behaviours and thoughts in interpersonal situations and to respond appropriately, which includ es emotional ability (Burke, 2002). Finally, leaders thoughts and skills are manifested through the actions of implementing change across the organization. In this stage, the leaders need to be aware about avoiding coordination issues when the different functional groups in an organization work on a common task. Because lack of coordination will raise conflicts in implementing change and it reduce the success (Kuhl et al., 2005). For example, while working for the multi-product task, the lack of coordination across the leaders from different departments affected the implementation of change. There were lot of conflicts aroused in allocating the budget across each department of the organization and hence it led to the ineffective change implementation. As per Zaccaro (2002), effective leadership requires social reasoning skills to understand, judge and diagnose social situations accurately, and relational competencies to respond to the change and manage them successfully. Since change implementation involves the understanding of multiple level of people (i.e., individual, group and organizational), social-emotional competency is regarded to have a direct impact on the capacity to lead change. It acts as a greater predictor of leading change than managing complexity. Social-emotional competency includes observing the employees views, providing constructive feedback, encouraging the cooperation among team members, maintaining effective interpersonal relationships with others and treating others with respect to regardless of their position or rank (Mathew, 2009). For example) while working for the simulation game, in some of the groups, there was a long debate happened among the team members about the implementation of change strategi es with different views and hence conflicts aroused. The leaders of those teams were also failed to maintain cooperation within the team. This led them to choose inappropriate change strategies and directed towards failure to reach their target. But while enquiring the team who reached the target, I came to knew that the team leader had delegated the roles to each team members based on their knowledge about the game and by providing constructive feedback on their views. This helped them to maintain a good cooperation within the team without giving the ways for any conflicts and also it provided a way to reach their target within the time limit and budget. Within a change specific context Higgs and Rowland (2000, 2001) indicated a cluster of change leadership competencies associated with coaching and developing others. In addition, Giglio et al. (1998) also emphasized the importance of leaders coaching role in the change process. Because a good leader should motivate their employees in order to make them aware of the change process. This will be done by providing appropriate coaching to them. According to Hudson (1999), coaching skills enable leaders to approach situations from new perspectives and to question the status quo. Moreover, the leaders who coach their employees can enhance their renewal capacity and resilience, which has significant influence on organizational success. Finally and more importantly it allows others to make and learn from mistakes. Huq (2006) argued that the leadership competencies can help to create the six sigma cadre in an organization. He argued that the personal and corporate competencies play a vital role in creating this six sigma cadre. Personal competencies include the technical knowledge and charisma of the leader. Whilst the corporate competencies include the combinations of skills and knowledge or experience that enable a leader to implement the change program successfully. However, the available evidence shows that, even the experienced leaders were deviated from these competencies in some circumstances. The most recent examples of sudden corporate implosions (Enron, Lehman Brothers) have apparently raised concerns about the nature and influence of bad leadership. Higgs (2009) have identified that the causes of this leadership failure were due to combination of personal flaws and performance shortfalls. While exploring this concept, he also identified a range of causal factors for these implosions which are skill deficiencies, being insensitive to others, betraying trust, arrogance and being overly ambitious. He argued that the personal flaws were more vital than skill deficiencies as drivers of derailment. Finally, Northouse (2010) emphasized the importance of charismatic/value-based leadership in change management. Value-based leadership reflects the ability to inspire, motivate and to expect significant performance from others on the basis of core values of the change process. This kind of leadership comprises being visionary, decisive, inspirational, trustworthy, self-sacrificing and performance oriented. The powerful example of value-based leadership is the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. Challenges on implementing leadership Skills and Competencies during change Initiating and managing organizational change is a significant challenge for todays leaders. The leaders role in change process is to make their employees to understand about the need of change. Understanding organizational change involves analysing types of change within the organization. No matter its size, any change has a ripple effect on an organization (Gilley et al., 2009). At the macro level, frequent organizational change focus on strategy and business models, technology, product and services, structure, processes, culture, acquisitions or expansion or downsizing (Lewis, 1994).Consequently, it challenges the leaders of all level in an organization in terms of managing the complexity of the change (Biech, 2007). One of the challenges that good leaders often face is solving the unsatisfactory performance of the staff in an effective way. Leaders who failed to clarify their expectation to employees and to respond openly against the performance problems are considered to be an ineffective leader (Redfern, 2008). While working on the multi- product task, in some of the groups, the leaders did not clearly respond against the performance problems of their team members. It is not possible to expect all the members in a group to work effectively, but the leaders could give prior instructions to the each individual about their expectation from them. Hence many of the groups lacked the complete participation of all the members in their team. As an effective leader, they should make all the team members to get involved in a work to achieve success. The crucial challenge that many of the leaders consider is the resistance to change, and it have a noticeable impact and influence upon the success of an organizational change project. Resistance is commonly regarded as a behaviour which is not congruent with the attempts of the change leader (Bartunek, 1993). In this case, the leaders should analyse the resistance from motivational perspective and, more particularly, from an identity-based perspective, that is examining the employee attitudes to the change and their own attitudes to the resistance (Dijk Dick, 2009). Some of the literature evidence suggests that changing organizational behaviour is the fundamental challenge for a leader while leading organizational change (Argyris, 1993; Kotter Kohen, 2002; Burke, 2002). Burke (2002) emphasized that leaders should deal with competition for resources, power and political dynamics; dispel resistance; and exemplify desired behaviour change. Finally and more importantly, the distinctive feature that leaders need to possess is the ability to identify the right person for the right job and to train employees to succeed at their jobs. To succeed consistently, good leaders need to be skilled not just in evaluating people but also in evaluating the abilities and disabilities of their firm as a whole. During change implementation the leader must ensure that the right message has been communicated through right approach. Implementation is perhaps the most adverse phase of change. In this stage, communication plays a significant role during the throes of the implementation phase. Without an effective human communication, the change process cannot be implemented successfully. Hence the implementation of change challenges communication skills of a leader (Russ, 2008). In addition to communication challenge, the leaders may also face the challenge on time constraints to implement the change. This kind of challenge impacts the success of the change process, because a change process which is not completed in time budget cannot be considered as a successful process (Meyer Stensaker, 2006). For example) during the simulation game, many of the groups were not able to reach the specified target in time. Hence the teams which did not meet the target in time were considered as unsuccessful te ams. An effective leader used to display effective leadership behaviours in order to reduce the stress on change work, such as coordination with other leaders in an organization, concern for wellbeing of the staff, frankness and willingness to involve in two-way feedback, and self-awareness. They recognize and give importance to effort of others in an organization and support their initiatives. They will share problems, engage colleagues in their solutions, and try to achieve the goal in a way that further problems do not arise (Redfern, 2008). But in real-time implementation, conflicts may arise between the change leaders of different departments or between the change leaders and employees. However, it can be avoid using open communication and through mutual coordination (Higgs, 2009). For example) even when implementing the multi-product task, such kind of misunderstanding aroused between the leaders from different departments due to different leadership behaviours. But the conflict cou ld be avoided by focussing towards the organizations objective rather than focussing on leaders departmental objectives. This could be done through effective negotiation and careful consideration of organizations current key change requirements. The central aspects of the change leadership are creation and promotion of commitment and trust. It is the leaders role to bring conditions for learning by stimulating fruitful conversations. Fruitful conversation can take place only when the relationships are characterised by trust, commitment and integrity. Hence the challenge of change leadership is promoting commitment, trust and integrity in firms. Obviously, change leaders cannot promote these qualities unless they themselves possess these qualities (Nilakant Ramnarayan, 2006). The managers who focus solely on managerial tasks may fail to provide strong leadership or to sustain the performance. Because over management of employees could lead to impairment of motivation (Redfern, 2008). Hence the leaders should learn to acknowledge the sustainability challenges and then develop appropriate skills and competencies to meet those challenges (Ferdig, 2007). Leadership skills of different levels Based on the literature references on change leadership, many of the researchers suggests that, an effective leadership depends on three basic personal skills, they are technical, inter-personal and conceptual skills. Technical skill is knowledge about specific type of work or activity and the inter-personal skill is ability to work with people. Finally, conceptual skills are abilities to work with different ideas and concepts. Leaders from different management level require different proportion of these basic skills. Leaders from top management level mainly require inter-personal and conceptual skills rather than technical skills, whereas the leaders from supervisory management level require greater proportion of technical and inter-personal skills than conceptual skills. But the leaders from middle management level require all these three basic skills in equal proportion (Katz, 1955; Northouse, 2010). As per the research conducted by Sparks and Gentry (2008), leading employees towards change and resourcefulness were found to be important for leaders across different managerial levels. Leading employees towards change includes setting clear performance expectations, delegating the change work to employees based on their skills and being patient and fair with employees. Resourcefulness includes being a strategic thinker; being a flexible problem solver during any stage of change implementation; understanding and working efficiently with top management. Charismatic leadership usually emphasize the leaders at top management level during change (Waldman et al., 2004). But some of the literature evidences implies that not only top-executives can motivate employees by formulating a compelling vision or by providing a behavioural role model, but also non-executives at lower management levels can possess charismatic leadership during change (Michaelis et al., 2009; Seyranian Bligh, 2008). Conclusion The above analyses and findings revealed that effective leaders should possess cognitive skills, business skills, and strategic skills for the successful implementation of change. But the available evidences show that, even the experienced skilled leaders have failed to possess the above leadership skills in certain circumstances. The corporate implosions of Enron and Lehman Brothers were illustrating the same. In addition, during the simulation game, many of the team leaders were not able to lead their team towards success. This was due to lot of conflicts and misconception prevailed within the team while implementing the change strategies. Apart from this, some of the barriers also exist against change leaders which impacts the change processes directly. They are lack of understanding of coordination in team, poor communication, inability to identify the right person for the right job and inability to motivate others. And the analysis on leadership competencies shows that the social-emotional competency has a significant impact on leading change across the organization. However, many of the challenges exist in implementing the leadership skills and competencies during change. They are resistance to change, changing the organizational behaviour, communication challenge, time constraint challenge, and finally challenge in promoting trust, commitment and integrity in organizations. While working on multi-product task, the team leaders were faced these kinds of challenges in implementing the change. Hence, these kinds of issues, barriers and challenges on change raised the question that whether anyone can act as a leader during change. Because, the above analyses and evidences shows that many of team leaders often faced issues while implementing the change and even the experienced leaders were also failed to lead the change effectively at some situations. So it is not possible for anyone to be a successful leader of change. The skills, competencies and behaviour of a person can only determine whether they can act a change leader or not.

Philosophy - The Dialectical Method :: miscellaneous

Philosophy - The Dialectical Method There are a lot many descriptions for the word dialectic. By viewing all of them what I have ended up concluding in the given context, i.e. Socrates’ Dialectical Method, is that: Dialectic is a variety of languages, conceivably a sort of a composition of the languages in this variety. The word comes from Ancient Greek dialektos, which is derived from dialegesthai, meaning to discourse, converse, and talk. By this root of the word, in this context, I deduce that Dialectics is a method in which people from different walks of life, contained by different personal philosophies (languages) are set together to discuss on a single word, sentence, thought, topic etc. explaining their personal views supported by logical reasons defending their argument. This discussion is meant to have all the possible view points on that particular subject with in a group of people and finally to deduce a definition for the subject which is acceptable by all the individuals involved. The ultimate goal for having Dialectic seems to search for the real the truth. Socratic Dialectical Method Well for this I think first we should know what nature Socrates had, it will help us knowing the uniqueness of Socrates’ method. Socrates was a man of the Periclean age, which witnessed one of the periodic â€Å"bankruptcies of science.† Cosmological speculation, which had been boldly pursued from the beginning of the 6th century, seemed to have led to a chaos of conflicting systems of thought. People had turned away from pursue of science and concentrated themselves not with truth but with making a successful human life. In this time of chaos and individualism, Socrates was the most realistic person in sight. He was always searching for more than the meanings of things already had. He wanted proof of what was defined, proof which would give logical reasons for it self. He was ‘an inquirer’, unsatisfied and still looking for truth. Unlike others he was not self-centered, always ready to be corrected. His nature of being broad minded reflected his way of teaching people, which actually seems to be learning by them. This is the beauty of his method, called as The Socratic Dialectical Method. Procedure Socrates did not call people towards him self, he went out towards them and asked them their views instead of lecturing and forcing his thoughts on them. It was a dialogue form discussion, where individuals brought up their view points on a particular subject set by Socrates.

Pervasive Computing: IBMs Autonomic System and the Cautions Necessary

Pervasive Computing: IBM's Autonomic System and the Cautions Necessary Pervasive computing is here. It is being integrated into our society in as many ways that can be thought up. Chips are popping up in everyday objects. Cars, planes, ships, phones, PDA’s, refrigerators, and soon a person’s hat, shoes, and clothing. This is all well and good, the advancement of technology is something that has always and will always be a constant in our culture. The need for more interconnectivity is becoming more apparent in business, schools, and personal lives. IBM is working on a project, called Autonomic Computing, which will create a universal standard for technology and the integration of electronic devices. One of their claims for the necessity of the project is a quote, â€Å"Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them." - Alfred North Whitehead. They say that we make cultural advances by taking the processes and procedures we have now and automating them, thus giv ing the freedom to explore new and unique ways to complete the left over processes and procedures. The advancement of the culture is a necessity for any society, but the relinquishment of control of certain processes has to be regulated. IBM says that the problem is because of the rapid expansion of information and technology we as humans cannot keep up with the increase. Access to information is becoming rampant through the creation of wireless and handheld devices. These devices need a standard of production and connection to provide the greatest effect. IBM’s solution is a computer network that is â€Å"flexible, accessible, and transparent.† (The Solution, IBM Research) The system will... ...lems are cause for worry. Humans ultimately need to have the control over the system, having the option to monitor and observe the system, limit its sphere of influence, or completely deactivate the system. Bibliography 1. http://www.research.ibm.com/autonomic/ Autonomic computing; IBM, 2. http://www.doorsofperception.com/projects/chi/ â€Å"The design challenge of pervasive computing,† John Thackara Doors of Perception, April 2000.. 3. http://www.nathan.com/thoughts/unified/unified.pdf Information Interaction Design: A Unified Field Theory of Design, Nathan Shedroff, Chief Creative Officer, vivid studios, 1994 4. Halligan, Tom., (1999) â€Å"Lose the remote, take in some oxygen.† Electronic Design. p. 16 (database: Applied Science & Technology Abstracts 1983 – Present) 5. Electronics industry index from www.encyclopedia.com

Analysis of Peter Berger’s The Sacred Canopy Essay

Peter Berger’s The Sacred Canopy utilizes a version of social constructivism as the foundational framework of its argument. In accordance with his previous work, The Social Construction of Reality, Berger’s version of social constructivism states that human knowledge is explainable in social terms since it is causally determined by various social factors. Social reality, in this sense, is seen as generated by the actual and empirically ascertainable fixed habits of thought prevalent in a given society which are fixed since they are considered as the causal product of certain aspects of social reality. In this case, its â€Å"determinacy is derived from certain laws specifying the causal, social determination of cognitive processes† (Berger and Luckmann 12). This implies that human knowledge is not dependent for its determinate content upon some infinite hierarchy of negotiated agreements, nor is it fixed by standards of rationality that are themselves relative to the social setting in which knowledge evolves. According to Berger and Luckmann, â€Å"society is an objective reality (and) man is a social product† (23). In other words, social reality is a human construction since man and his habits of thought are shaped by social factors. Humans create social institutions, as they are iterated and typified. In this sense, social reality determines man but man also determines social reality. Within this scheme, social reality is not a social fact but it is something produced and communicated. Society is thereby a product of humans and humans are products of society. However, it should be noted that, humanly constructed worlds are constantly threatened by their creators’ â€Å"self interest and stupidity† (Berger 29). If such is the case, in order for society to maintain order there is the necessity to formulate [and in a sense construct] internal supporting structures. In Berger’s The Sacred Canopy, he argues that legitimation stands as the most important internal supporting structure (29). Berger notes that legitimation stands as the rationale for the creation of institutional arrangements (29). This can be further understood if one considers that legitimations belong to the objective side of our dialectic social relationship. Through repetition and their objective status, legitimations continually reinforce the institutional arrangements prevalent within a given society. Such a process stands as the anchor for the new [the children] and the forgetful as well as for the periods of collective or individual crisis where the veil between meaning and chaos grows particularly thin. In the same manner that legitimations reinforce social institutions, plausibility structures may also be considered as upholding such legitimations. Plausibility structures refer to the specific social processes that continually reinforce and reconstruct both the legitimating world as well as the result of such a world [the legitimated world] (Berger 45). The correlation between the plausibility structure as well as the process of legitimations are evident if one considers that when the plausibility structures are strong, the legitimations are simple and when plausibility structures are weak, the legitimations are stronger. Berger notes that religion [as a social institution] has been shown to take effect in both situations [instances wherein the plausibility structures are strong and weak]. It is within the aforementioned context that Berger considers the strength of religious institutions. Berger notes, â€Å"Religion is the human enterprise by which a sacred cosmos is established† (25). Such a statement can be understood if one considers that the steadfastness of religious institutions lies in its ability to locate human phenomena within a cosmological framework thereby providing the support for religious institutions a universal [in the sense   of cosmic] status. Such a status, due to its universal cosmic character thereby has the capability to transcend the mundane experiences of life thereby providing a new dimension for the analysis of human experience (Berger 35). According to Berger, the importance of such is evident if one considers that by providing human existence with various dimensions [e.g. physical as opposed to the spiritual], the socialized individual is given a framework of understanding reality [in its different levels] that enables the assumption of the possibility of the existence of peace and security within his role in society. In line with this, Berger notes that to locate an individual outside the protective spheres of a religiously legitimated world is tantamount to making him â€Å"deal with the devil† (39). In accordance with the aforementioned function of religion, Berger notes that one of the reasons that religion serves, as a prevalent [and effective] method of legitimation lies in its function as a powerful agency of alienation (87). Alienation refers to a condition wherein an individual forgets that he is co-creator of his world (Berger 85). It is important to note that alienation stands as â€Å"an overextension of the process of objectivation† in the dialectic relationship between self and society (Berger 85). Berger notes that through the objectivation of legitimations, alienation renders them virtually unassailable as long as an alienated conscious can be maintained. Within such a context, de-alienation may only occur as a result of the demise of a particular institutional framework. In relation to this, Berger notes that the function of religious legitimation is that of enabling theodicy wherein theodicy refers to the explanations of the human condition [e.g. life and death]. Theodicy, in this sense, is highly irrational since it necessitates a surrender of the self to the ordering structure of society (Berger 54). Consider for example the most prevalent form of theodicy: Christian theodicy. Within the framework of Christian theodicy, an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent entity [God] is depicted as suffering for humanity. Such a theodicy is questionable in relation to the existence and prevalence of various forms of disasters [both natural and unnatural]. In addition to external assailants of religious plausibility structures, Berger argues that Protestantism itself carried the seeds for its own destruction (129). In its critique of Catholicism, Protestantism enabled a more rational, individualistic world divided into secular and sacred spheres (Berger 123). As the secular sphere expanded to encompass everything outside of the church, Christianity became marginalized in a pluralistic society. It is within this context that the concept of pluralism arises. According to Berger, pluralism refers to â€Å"a social-structural correlate of the secularization of consciousness† (127). In addition to Protestantism, industrialization tends to lead the political order away from the influences of religion (Berger 130). This process compartmentalized religion into the private world creating a pluralistic market situation. Such a situation thereby fails to enable the continuance of the universal cosmological ordering function of religion. This is evident if one considers that within pluralistic conditions, various [and different and sometimes contradictory] conditions of truth exists. Such a condition, according to Berger, leads to a relativistic conception of reality which leads to a relativized theodicy and hence an unstable conception of reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As was mentioned at the onset of this paper, the aforementioned conception of social reality rests upon the framework of a socially constructed reality. It is within the context of this framework that I will assess the viability of Berger’s aforementioned claims as specified in his book The Sacred Canopy. Within the aforementioned context, a socially constructed conception of reality fails on the grounds that it accounts for all bodies of doctrine in a non-discriminatory fashion. This is possible since Berger perceives â€Å"‘reality’ and knowledge as initially justified by the fact of their social relativity†. Schutz’s influence here is apparent since such a conception is based upon an envisioned existence of â€Å"multiple realities†. Rationality then is perceived as relative in so far as the system allows the demarcation of individuals into social groups, which are seen as having different conceptions of rationality â€Å"on a pattern of a neat one to one correspondence†. However, if such a one to one corresponds occurs, how is it possible to consider the conflicting frames of reference [in relation to understanding reality] as different individuals converge within a social sphere. In the aforementioned context, the individuals specified may be specifically construed as individuals who belong within different religious groups. In a sense, the problem with the above conception of reality fails on the grounds that, in the same manner that a particular theodicy fails within a pluralistic society, such a conception of reality fails within a pluralistic society itself since in order to assume the existence of religious institution as a institutional structure which enables legitimation, it is important to account how such is possible within a society with varying [yet conflicting] theodicies. This can be best understood if one considers that, the aforementioned conception of reality fails on the grounds that even if it seems â€Å"to supply us with the fixed laws in terms of which the outcome of hypothetical cognitive processes can be determined†, these laws are fixed by the social context of the cognitive process. This however leans towards a form of epistemic hierarchy since the laws will also be constructed via a particular society’s presupposed notion of the existence of social construction. In Collin’s words, â€Å"we cannot define social fact as the product of a hypothetical societal discussion (since)†¦the laws†¦would rely for this hypothetical prediction are themselves social constructions, the outcome of societal consensus† (23). This thereby leads to the problem of regress. Works Cited Berger, Peter. The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Anchor Press, 1990. Berger, Peter and Thomas Luckmann. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise of the Sociology of Knowledge. California: University of California Press, 1967. Collin, Finn. Social Reality. London: Routledge, 1997.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying in Foreign Universities

During this era, students who have completed their secondary studies may want to further their studies in local universities or foreign universities. The students may either find a job after leaving their school or further their studies in university. Some of the well to do students may opt for foreign universities. But there are advantages and disadvantages while students pursuing their studies in foreign universities.The advantage of pursuing studies in foreign universities is, they have better exposure and wider knowledge. Foreign universities are prestigious and reputable. They hired experienced lectures to teach the students, resulting the students improved tremendously, as the students will understand the topic easily. The university has a big and cozy school compound for students to release their stress. They are also providing with complete facilities for students such as well equip library, research center, free wi-fi spot and many more for students to access. Students will be able to do their project or assignment while using these facilities.The other advantage of pursuing studies in universities is they can acquaint new friends from other parts of the world. Students will have to leave their beloved parents and friends when they head to overseas. However, universities will organize some social activities to allow the new intakes to meet their new friends before they start their semester. The new intakes will be able to find their new friends here during orientation through hobbies and common interest. If the students have depended on their family members at home to do their daily chores, he or she will have to seek their friends when they are abroad.Last but not least, the crucial advantage of pursuing studies in foreign universities is to be self- independent that is once students leave their cozy home, there will be no one to wash up their clothes, tidy up their messy room, prepare and cook delicious meal and no one to greet them good morning nor good night. Therefore, students have to manage things, make decision and do all their housework by themselves.Besides the advantages, there are also disadvantages. The disadvantage is that their parents have to pay an expensive fee in order for them to complete their education abroad. Some the students may come from a medium family and has the opportunity to pursue their studies in foreign universities but they faced financial constraint to pay for their school fees. This forced them to get part time jobs in order pay their own fees. It will be tough for them as they have to rush to the working place after their studies. Some of them just gave up and they packed their bags and headed back to their own country due to financial problem. However, they are still some of them who studied hard while struggling with the fees problem, as they trusted there is always a rainbow waiting for them after the rainstorm.The next disadvantage is students may be homesick. They may feel lost when they are new in the unfamiliar city. They will feel anxiety if they cannot adapt to it. This may cause students to lost their initial aims, their fighting spirit and they start fleeing to places to escape from the reality such as pubs. This is will ruin their education if they cannot extract themselves from that negative emotion. In conclusion, everything has its pros and cons in it where there is always advantages and disadvantages of pursuing studies in a foreign universities and one may excel if one work hard despite far away from home.

Raytheon Corporations New International Market in South Africa Research Paper - 4

Raytheon Corporations New International Market in South Africa - Research Paper Example When it comes to devising the most effectual security solutions, Raytheon Corporation employs all its proficiency at its disposal. Raytheon Corporation exploits all its advanced technological expertise and partnering with its experienced teammates and clients in the security field. As an integrator, Raytheon Corporation employs software solutions and equipment that are best suited to meet particular security requirements by clients. The key aspect of Raytheon Corporation’s growth can be attributed to its strong dedication to the international marketplace (Raytheon Corporation, 2014).  With the present global economy, the risk of expanding into other nations can be high; however, South Africa may be a strategic spot in Africa owing to its transportation location and its stabilizing economy. With the South African government being the main target of this expansion, this move may also be the most favorable for Raytheon Corporation. The South African government has the full capa city to expend whatever may be required to aid in maintaining the safety of its assets. South Africa possesses a huge potential to do business with since it has a relatively stable political and economic system. Moreover, South Africa has an excellent position in the African continent; for this reason, it makes transportation by sea more cost efficient and easier.  South Africa’s current exchange rate stands at one U.S. dollar against 10.5432 South African Rand (Oanda, 2014). The political risk in South Africa would be minor since there have been close political ties between the U. S. and South Africa since 1994. With these well-built political ties among the two countries and the multiple ambassadorial trips that are taken by both parties since 1994, the risk of immediate losses owing to politics would be little. Moreover, there is also a local U.S. embassy established in South Africa, to address various diplomatic

Pest analysis that influences the grocery market in the uk Essay

Pest analysis that influences the grocery market in the uk - Essay Example By use of PEST model, the analysis will expound on the following macro factors: political, economical, social and technological factors prevailing in the market. UK’s grocery market has been positively impacted by the government regulations. As a pertinent congruent of the UK’s economy, the government has instituted regulatory policy framework aimed at monitoring the sector. The regulatory framework provides the guidelines for a myriad key of keys issues including business registration, health and hygiene standards. Through the integration of EU provisions by the Food Standard Agency (FSA), UK’s grocery industry is subject to food hygiene standards, business set up, food safety and marketing guidelines. The government has further revised the competition law in accordance with the provisions of European Commission’s white paper dated 2014. Under article 101 of EU’s treaty on the functioning of the European Union, grocery enterprise are banned from engaging in agreements that could either lead to prevention or restriction of competition in the subject market (IGD, 2015). The Scottish independence referendum w as also a key factor in UK’s grocery market in 2014. With the prospective of a positive vote for the independence of Scotland, grocery stores were bound to experience increased overhead cost that would have eventually been passed to Scottish consumers. The positive outlook of the UK‘s grocery market has been underlined with the intensified competition in the industry. UK’s economy continues to recover from 2013 with the real GDP growth projections for 2015 and 2016 standing at 2.5 % and 2.3 % respectively (PWC, (2015). Consequently, UK’s economic growth has given rise to disposable income of UK consumers thereby leading to heightened consumer purchasing power. The leading grocery stores in the UK have further globalized their operations to fortify their financial resources through

Thread Rolling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thread Rolling - Research Paper Example From this paper it is clear that the outcome of transferring the material molecules into thread shape instead of weakening through material removal is the thickening of the molecules at the threads critical parts, mostly in the roots and at the pitch diameter flank. The result of this all is an improvement of the quality of the thread form. Furthermore, the burnishing act that takes place at the steel dies results into a production of a magnificent micro-finish. The internal and external threads assembly is improved by the superior finish. It as well minimizes the wear between mating components thus a life extension results. A smooth finish as well results to an advantage of having rolled threaded components over the threaded components.As the discussion stresses the process involved in the thread rolling is known as the infeed roll threading. The thread types involved are pipe threads/ 600 thread type, machine screw type threads. The forms involved in the process are UNR, UNJ, AND U NC, for classes 1A, 2A, and 3A. The metric forms in the process of roll threading are DIN and ISO. The minimum size for the thread is 2mm, and maximum diameter is 63mm. The pitches in roll threading are fine, coarse and extra fine. The material hardness is cold rolling on depending material size and type. Roll threading results to flight safety threads and left and right hand while the volume that results is 1 to 100,000 pieces.

Wimm-Bill-Dann in Russian Market Research Paper

Wimm-Bill-Dann in Russian Market - Research Paper Example By the end of 1999 the wages of common people tumbled by 30% and their pensions by 45% in value. These factors had a cascading effect on the economy resulting in high fuel and grain prices, which coupled with inefficient agricultural production that almost halved livestock rendered supply of raw milk the weakest link in the supply chain for the dairy industry. While it was estimated that 35%-80% of a family budget was spent on food, the economic situation in the country demanded that producers keep their prices low. The other factors that had a bearing on competitive rivalry were access to financial resources, wider product range and efficient distribution. This in turn meant tight management controls on production and distribution costs especially to reach produce to regions where the purchasing power was lower than in cities like Moscow. Sources of competition (Five forces): Before WBD arrived on the scene the Russian dairy sector was either regional or city-centred. They were making packaged milk, kefir (a fermented dairy drink), soured cream, butter, cream, and cottage cheese. The packaging technologies available to the small players were not able to provide long shelf life and limited their geographical reach. As the regional dairies were catering to markets as far away as 500 miles, under utilisation of production facilities, high logistics and distribution costs pushed up the prices. The economic crash of 1998 and the erosion of the rouble made the consumer highly price sensitive. WBD spotted a business opportunity in the situation. By expanding its product range and longer storage facilities the company felt that it could reach wider markets, offer low prices and utilise business opportunities offered by a liberalised economy. WBD actively pursued the policy of regional expansion, expanded its product portfolio and continuous advertising helped the company capture 30% each in the national dairy and juices markets. The situation also prompted western companies to relocate their production facilities to Russia in order to trim costs and be able to compete there. Therefore during this period the company had to contend with the entry of new international players such as Campina, Danone, Erhmann and Parmalat. WBD relied on branding, quality control, expanding product range and continued diversification as the strategy for fighting competition. The recovery of the economy in the new millennium saw changing trends in consumers becoming wealthier, more westernised, inclined to spend more and demanding high end products. Consumers began demanding healthy diets, more products with biologically active ingredients, special product lines for children with various multi-vitamin and other supplements. SWOT: As WBD set its sights on becoming the nation's leading food producer early on the company had a head start on competition. The company began implementing the idea by a multi-pronged strategy: product development, distribution, quality control, packaging, marketing and geographical expansion beyond Russia's borders into other CIS countries like Kyrgyzstan and