Blaming Rape Victims in the United States Essay - 1162 Words

Victim blaming occurs when a victim of a crime is held responsible, partly if not entirely, for the wrongful act committed against them. In the United States, victim blaming is most prevalent in circumstances of rape and other sexual assaults towards women. This stems from being a society that views women as lesser beings, as evidenced by unequal pay, under representation in the media, and an inadequate presence in government. When women are viewed as lesser beings and are not respected, violence against women prevails. The trend of blaming victimized women for the crimes committed against them exemplifies the broad issue of hatred towards the female gender in the United States. It is important to understand the root of the problem before†¦show more content†¦Later the Dean told one of the women to trust in God for justice and delete all email, texts, and calls between her and her rapist. (Dvorak). It is these accounts and so many more that exemplify the cruel world women live in, where stepping forward and admitting that they have been raped is one of the most ostracising things they can do. Far too often nobody constructively comes to the aid of a victimized woman. For example, recently a student of the University of Missouri named Sasha Menu Courey told a nurse, a rape crisis counselor, a therapist, two doctors, and a school administrator that she had been raped but nobody did anything about her abuse. She took her own life shortly after the attack (Dvorak). Additionally, Montana Judge G. Todd Baugh charged 47 year old teacher Stacey Dean Rambold with only 31 days in prison for his rape of a 14 year old student. Judge Baugh defended his sentence by saying that the student â€Å"was probably in as much control of the situation as the defendant†. Student Cherise Morales committed suicide six months after the prosecution (Lah). These trusted adults and members of the justice system have set a precedence for a dangerous idea: your rape does not matter and you are the problem. These women killed themselves because they were made to feel ashamed. They were ignored and blamed for actions of others, and what’s worse is that they were blamed for actions that causedShow MoreRelatedThe Issues Posed by Blaming Victims of Rape Essay1292 Words   |  6 Pagescontemporary North America, if one were to ask almost any member of society what were the most heinous crimes a human being could commit, almost assuredly rape would be listed amongst every top five. Maybe it would even be competing for the number one spot. It is highly unlikely, absurd even, to think that any reasonable being would not find rape (or the broader term of sexual assault used in Canada) to be an abhorrent act becoming of no real human being. However, knowing this: that is, that the vastRead MoreThe Monster That Resides Peacefully Among Us1630 Words   |  7 Pagesshe spoke about the incident and ran off. Filled to the brim with Scottish fight and determined to better the world, Lindsay promptly told her parents and the local authorities. Soon after Lindsay began to suffer from the common symptoms faced by rape victims and withdrew from her friends, her family, and her school due to severe depression. Through a lengthy trial, Lindsay was forced to hold up the underwear she was wearing under her clothes, verbally attacked by defense lawyers and her own accuserRead MoreThe Sociology Of Rape Culture1524 Words   |  7 Pagestheory, rape culture is a setting in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. The sociology of rape culture is studied academically by feminists. There is disagreement over what defines a rape culture and as to whether any given societies meet the criteria to be considered a rape culture. The notion of rape culture has been used to describe and explain behavior within social groups, including prison rape, and in conflict areas where war rape is usedRead MoreAn Assault On The Body And Mind1495 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"In the United States, rape is the most frequently committed but le ast reported violent crime† (Newman 205). According to the FBI, rape is defined as â€Å"unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman forcibly and against her will† (Futter, Mebane V). Seeing as though the legal definition of rape is limited, it makes it difficult for victims to prove that there was in fact a crime committed. In turn, this causes an influx of victims, as well as attackers. Society has distorted the true image of rape and madeRead MoreRape And Its Effect On Society1561 Words   |  7 Pagestheir victim of the rapists choosing. Rape is a type of sexual behavior that is considered a deviant act that is unacceptable to society. At least, unacceptable in the United States since committing this type of criminal deviant act could result in being arrested if caught. Being the victim of this deviant act can happen to anyone, at any age all around the world. The deviant individual that rapes their victim often rapes for a sense of control and power. Perhaps, the devian t individual rapes theirRead MoreThe Issue Of Rape And The United States Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican society 1 out of 3 women deal the issue of rape and are facing double-standards surrounding victim blaming. In contrast to men, women are often blamed for being in the wrong locations, being in the wrong type of clothing and around alcohol or drugs. Experts might say that the trend of blaming victimized women for crimes committed against them represents the overall issues of hatred towards the female gender in the United States. The crime of rape has been denied in our society throughout the manyRead MoreRape Culture Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesThe topic that I have chosen to discuss in this paper is the â€Å"rape culture† that occurs on college campuses throughout the United States; and the rationale society uses to normalize this egregious act. Rape culture refers to society’s existing idea that rape or sexual assault is inconsequential and only hap pens to individuals who behave a certain way. 1 in 5 women have experienced some kind of sexual assault throughout their college career, and most of them know who their assailants are; howeverRead MoreStop Blaming Victims for Sexual Assault1286 Words   |  6 Pagesdamned this earth, but never dared to question your code. Your victims took the blame and struggled on, with your noble curses as reward for their martyrdom-while you went on crying that your code was noble, but human nature was not good enough to practice it. And no one rose to ask the question Good?-by what standard?† Society’s view of sexual assault is shifting in a negative way in that members of society openly persecute victims of sexual assault, and certain types of popular visual media promoteRead MoreRape Culture: Attitudes and Assessments Essay1713 Words   |  7 PagesRape, it seems to be an uncomfortable word for most people to hear or talk about. Whether it’s just embarrassing or a sore subject most people just don’t like to talk about it. There is a certain stigma that surrounds rape and that is the main source of the problem. There is rape culture in this country that leads men and women in this country to believe that in certain situations rape is okay. Whether she was â€Å"dressed like she was asking for it† or was passed out drunk, these are not excuses forRead MoreRape Culture And Its Effect On Society Essay1342 Words   |  6 PagesRape Culture is Internalized in Our Society Society has normalized rape culture. In our society, victims of sexual assault are blamed for their own assault, while those that assaulted them are often given reassuring words. However, in our society, rapists are often times excused for their actions while actual victims of sexual assault are scrutinized. Rape culture is internalized in our society from a young age through the normalization of sexualizing women, the excusing of rapists and the blaming

Personal Statement For My Future Goals Essay - 2626 Words

This assessment requires me to reflect on past experiences in physical activity and how I have been involved in these activities in the past. And how these experiences varied by the contribution towards my own wellbeing. I will then evaluate this to make strategies for my future lifelong wellbeing in the future what it should look like. Physical activities and experiences that I paraitcaped in as I grew up I mainly found swim sessions, ball rush, golf and cricket as positive experiences as we did them with my family and younger friends which I really enjoyed doing I found rugby to become a negative experience for me. As in rugby my friends had stopped playing, as I was too small and got smashed from the larger players so I participated in other activities. Rugby is a national sport in New Zealand and I have the assumption of being played by large muscular males and most New Zealand children when growing up. Which in my case is not true as I’m more towards the ectomorph body shape which proves the assumption that the bigger mesomorph players tended to be better than I was at the time. A positive of this rugby expericne was that it is a sport that I’ve had not family influences to participate in it as many of the sports I do play have, which can be a positive from this experience. I’ve always enjo yed playing golf as I ve played it all my life since I was little. My dad introduced me to the game and I’ve been playing with him and my older brother ever since I startedShow MoreRelatedPersonal Strategic Plan For A Business Organization1282 Words   |  6 Pageswould be a personal strategic plan for myself in which visualizes me as a business organization, or as You, Inc. Therefore, to create a personal strategy one must examine a mission statement, vision statement, and understand the environmental scan to identify external opportunities and threats; in which, an individual or organization gathers information about the market, society, its competitors, and oneself. A mission statement defines an individual purpose for achieving certain goals. An individualRead MoreMy Passion For Christ Drive Everything That I Do933 Words   |  4 Pages2.1 Mission Statement. I am determined to allow my passion for Christ drive everything that I do. This includes being a good friend and investing myself into people more, asking the hard questions both in class and in life, and improving on my self judgement (being my own worst enemy). Included in this is, having more internal self-confidence. I will also take advantage of my strengths by accepting that imperfections are normal, and weakness will allow me to grow and trust more with all of thisRead MorePersonal Statement : Developing My Skills At This Point Have Centered Around Your Real Estate Investment Company953 Words   |  4 Pagestaken in researching and developing my skills at this point have centered around determine exactly what points to practice and include in my final paper. This has included reflecting on what I want my company to become, what risks I am willing to take, the amount of time and energy required to make it successful, the financial investment required, and weighing what option s I am giving up to pursue this course over other options. I have also been working on developing my writing skills when it comes toRead MoreMy Philosophy Of Professional Practice1416 Words   |  6 PagesMy Philosophy of â€Å"Professional Practice† statement My philosophy of professional practice statement is to give the maximum in work not only for the students but also for those that surround me. My philosophy is very simple to respect all people to respect me.Strive to help students think critically, facilitate learning with customized modifications, and help students use problem-solving strategies. My personal core of belief is always practiced active listening to assist the students better. ItRead MoreAnalysis Of Lee Canter s Video The Power Of Mission 985 Words   |  4 Pageswith why they chose this profession. The remedy is creating a mission statement that encompasses your teaching goals and posting it in the classroom as a constant reminder (Canter, 1993). The importance of having a strong mission statement should be expressed to all teachers. In order to be an effective teacher, one must have a mission statement that not only addresses their professional goals as a teacher but also their goals for reaching the children they impact daily. Being a teacher is one ofRead MorePersonal And Career Development Program1144 Words   |  5 PagesOver the past 24 weeks, the Personal and Career Development program and the internship helped me learn a lot about myself. The professional path helps me gained more confidence and experience and has given me a substantial opportunity to discover my practical and management skills. As a result, I learned about my thinking approach, decision-making ability, capacity, and time management skills. I become more confident in communicating with others, how to discuss and make effective decisions whileRead MoreDefining The Strategic Principle Of Mission Statements905 Words   |  4 PagesDefine the strategic principle of: Mission Statements. As the authors Dess, McNamara, and Eisner pointed out in the text book, the mission statements is a set of organizational goals that includes the purpose of the organization, its scope of operations, and the basis of its competitive advantage. (p.26) In other words, a mission statement communicates why the firm exists and how they are going to respond to their stakeholders. In order for a mission statement be successful it has to have the following:Read MorePersonal Financial Plan1082 Words   |  5 PagesPersonal Financial Plan Part 1 Laura Grundowski Abstract This paper will discuss the beginning of my personal financial plan. It will also outline said plan into a budget that will be put to use throughout the next few months. Budgeting is a vital part of managing one’s personal finances. When beginning to budget one must pinpoint the sources of cash inflows and cash outflows. Having knowledge of your personal financial situation is also necessary in managing personal finances. If doneRead MoreComprehensive Life Plan Essay1156 Words   |  5 Pagesspent my high school years dreaming of places I wanted to see, things I wanted to do, and people I wanted to meet. After graduation reality set in and I realized I abused my time in high school, making it difficult for me to transition into adult hood. I thought of what I was going to do rather than how I was going to get there; I could not have been more wrong. Therefore the importance of life planning has become a crucial component of seeing my dreams come true. Establishing attainable goals forRead MorePersonal Review And Reflection Paper1262 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Review and Reflection Paper During the journey of my education, it was important to review and reflect on the activities and learning objectives that were completed. The purpose of this assignment was to discuss what was learned and what needed to be improved for the seven assignments that were required for this course, identify three valuable strengths with supporting evidence, identify three areas that need to be strengthened with supporting evidence, and list three goals with specific

Faber s Three things Free Essays

A human pore lets sweat out and oxygen in. Information that is porous is an open thought that allows you to interpret anyway you want. For example, in a book that describes a character, you can imagine their appearance based on the details given. We will write a custom essay sample on Faber s Three things or any similar topic only for you Order Now Books at least allow the reader to put them down, giving people time to think and reason about the information they contain. TV might look more fun than books, but it never gives you a chance to think about the information in your own way and to reason your own conclusions. In our socio ¶y’, we have the same thing missing. For example, in our schools, and in standardized testing we lack quality of information. Teachers use Overprints, which are slide shows, to present their material, instead of boring lectures. Teachers use too much animation believing that they’re making their material more interesting, which actually distracts students from learning. On standardized tests, they ask what questions vs.. How and why questions which make them all multiple choice instead of short answer. Multiple choice questions don’t allow students to think outside of the box, or explain their thinking. In addition, social media promotes shallow thinking. On social media, you have Youth where people just post stupid videos, and then you have Mainstream which just has pointless pictures. Social media could be used for more engaging discussions, but people waste their time posting stupid things. So today’s society is similar to the way Faber describes their society in the book. Faber defines leisure to digest as not being overstretched and having time to think. In the book, Montage states that they have a lot of time off of work, but Faber points out hat their minds are consumed with unimportant information. For example, very large all-consuming billboards, stupid catchy jingles, and TV’s on all the walls of their homes are distracting them. When they aren’t bombarded with media, they are fearing for their lives because they are thinking about the dangers in the society. Similarly in our society, we spend too much time watching TV, going to school, and doing homework. Teenagers sleep as much as they can because teachers assign too much homework which makes them stay up late and get up early to go to school. Therefore, we don’t have the energy and brain space to think. Faber defines the right to carry out actions based on the other two items as people need to fight for their rights to do something about what they gather from the books. If they read and determine that something should be changed, then they would have the right to take action and stand up for what they believe in. In our society, people have limited say in decisions. For example, protestors get in trouble for standing up for their rights. Kids in school have little right to speak about tepid teachers. How to cite Faber s Three things, Papers

Contract Law Text - Cases - and Legislative

Questiuon: Discuss about the Contract Law for Text, Cases, and Legislative. Answer: Introduction: Saber, a business student found the last copy of the game Mars struck: Metal Squad in a local game store, worth $6.99. He knew the price of the game was $69.99 so he picked up the game and went to the cashier. The game was checked and the price was found to be $69.99. Saber took the storekeeper to the shelf and pointed the shop has offered the game at $6.99 and he has accepted the same, thus, creating a contract. The storekeeper stated it to be typographical error but Saber said he would bring a court action against the store if the game was not sold to him at $6.99. Saber said that it took him a lot of time and effort to reach to the store so he is ready to pay the price difference between the store price and the retail price. The storekeeper agreed to him. In Australia, the law of contract is defined as promises and set of promises that are legally binding. A contract is said to be valid if it includes the following essential elements: A promise or set of promises that are legally enforceable is a contract and to make the promises legally binding there must be an agreement; consideration; the intention of the parties to comply with the legal formalities and the parties to the contract must be legally competent to enter into the agreement. The contract must be a privity contract and must be enforceable by and against the parties to the contract The agreement is binding if there is consideration for the proposed promise.A contract must not include unfair or illegal terms. A contract terminates after completion of the contractual obligations or by an agreement between the parties or on violation of any of the contractual terms. In a contract, there must be an offer by one party and another party must accept the offer. An offer can be made to any person or a particular group of persons or even to the whole world. A person may withdraw his offer any time before the acceptance of the offer. However, before withdrawing the offer the person proposing the offer must communicate the same to the person. Therefore, an offer is a promise that is legally binding subject to the condition that the terms of the offer are accepted and there is no further scope of negotiation. When customers make offers to the seller it is called invitation to treat. Unlike offer, an invitation to treat has no legal binding between the parties as it only invites a person to make an offer. In the case of Pharmaceuticals v. Boots (1953)1 ALL ER 482, CA it is stated that goods in the display of a store are regarded as invitation to treat and not as an offer. An invitation to treat usually arises in cases where advertisements and store displays are involved. For example- an advertisement for jobs is posted on internet; it is treated as an invitation to treat. If a company offers a job to a person without any advertisement regarding the job, then it is an offer. In Fisher v Bell [1961], it is stated that display goods are not offers in any sense but are merely an invitation to treat. Application In the given case, first issue deals with the situation where Saber finds the last copy of the game Mars Struck: Metal Squad at $6.99. Now, according to the law of contracts, any advertisements or display of goods in a store are not treated as offers. They are treated as an invitation to treat and not an offer to sell as stated above in the case of Pharmaceuticals v. Boots (1953)1 ALL ER 482, CA. As stated earlier in Fisher v Bell, goods displayed in a store with a price tag on it are merely an invitation but not an offer. The display goods are treated as an invitation to treat, where the offer is made when customer takes the goods at the cash desk. The shopkeeper may not accept such offer. If the display goods are treated as an offer, then the storekeeper may be forced to become legally bound to some contracts, which he may be unable to fulfill. This would be unfair to the storekeeper in the sense that it will deprive him of his freedom to bargain. Here, Saber saw the game price in the display of the store and when he took the game to the cash desk, the storekeeper said the game is worth $69.99 and the price tag was a typographical error. The storekeeper is not legally bound to accept the offer of Saber as goods in the display of store is treated as an invitation to offer and not an offer. The storekeeper cannot be forced to accept the offer and form a contract as for a contract to be valid; it must be entered into with free consent. In the changed scenario, where Saber is willing to pay the price difference between the store price and original price and the storekeeper agrees to his offer, then a contract is formed and the attended becomes legally bound to fulfill his obligations to the contract. A contract is created when one party proposes an offer and the other party accepts the same. Here, both the parties have entered into such contract with proper understanding and free consent. In this situation, display goods in a store is an offer. Conclusion As per the Contract law, display goods in a store with a price tag attached to it are treated as an invitation to treat and it gives the shopkeeper freedom to bargain and to avert any unfairness or hassle. However, in some specific situations, display goods are treated as an offer if the term of the offer indicates an intention to be legally bound. If the shopkeeper is willing to pay the display price, then the display goods can be treated as an offer. Reference list Davenport, Shayne, and David Parker. "Business and law in Australia." (2012). Graw, Stephen. "An introduction to the law of contract." (2012). McKendrick, Ewan.Contract law: text, cases, and materials. Oxford University Press (UK), 2014. Munday, Roderick. "Fisher v Bell revisited: misjudging the legislative craft."The Cambridge Law Journal72.01 (2013): 50-64. O'Sullivan, Janet, and Jonathan Hilliard.The law of contract. Oxford University Press, 2016. Poole, Jill.Textbook on contract law. Oxford University Press, 2016.

The Three Faces Of Psycho Essays - English-language Films, Psycho

The Three Faces Of Psycho THE THREE FACES OF PSYCHO Psycho has no doubt become one of the most beloved horror stories of all times. It is an undisputed classic. It spins a well-known tale of how the person living next door, in the next room, or down the road just might not be all they seem on the outside. Psycho first came into the world as a literary novel in 1958. It would become Robert Bloch's signature piece. It told the story of a young woman named Mary Crane who was given the ultimate chance at the American Dream by stealing money from work and marrying the man of her dreams. It also told of her untimely demise at the hands of Norman Bates, quiet and shy hotel proprietor. The novel appealed to the public not only because of the suspense and horror of the story, but because the reader could easily identify with the characters. Mary-simply because everyone wants the American dream and will go to unreal lengths to achieve it at times. Norman-because everyone has had to live up to a parent's expectations and fallen short at one time or another. In these characters, we find a sense of loneliness and desperation. Shortly after the release and immediate success of the novel, Psycho, the master of film horror decided to introduce the book to the big screen. Alfred Hitchcock made Psycho into an instant horror classic in 1960. With an adapted version of the novel, a screenplay by Joseph Stefano, some character's names were changed and actors were hired, but the story remained the same. Almost forty years later, following the release of Hitchcock's Psycho, director Gus Van Sant brought the picture back to the screen. The big difference was that he added color and modernized the picture. Van Sant's goal was to remain true to the original picture, but took advantage of what the 90's culture had to offer. The base story of Psycho remains basically the same in the novel and film versions. A young woman disappears with money from her office to be used to create a better life for her boyfriend and herself. Along the way to meet her love, she stops at a roadside motel and meets the young owner Norman. After some deep conversation, she goes to her room and is murdered by Norman. It then becomes the quest of her younger sister to find her. Her sister, Lila, along with her boyfriend Sam, and an ill-fated private detective, they work to find the terrible secret of Norman Bates and the fate of Mary/Marion. The differences in the movies and the novel are subtle at times and at others, vast. Each director of the film chose to take different angles at some aspects of the story. Hitchcock was working within the confines of the late 50s and early 60s. One major change that was made in the movie was the physical appearance of the character, Norman. In the novel, Norman Bates is middle-aged man with a ?plump face?rimless glasses?scalp beneath thinning sandy hair.? (Bloch 10.) In the first screen adaptation, Norman became somewhat attractive. He looked like the boy next door. Anthony Perkins played the part that just by looking at Norman you felt sympathetic for him. He looked like a normal trustworthy person (Hitchcock, 1960.) Hitchcock was also creating a movie in a time where explicit sexuality and nudity were taboo. The now famous shower scene, where Marion is murdered, took seven days and over 700 camera angles to shoot. Hitchcock wanted to make sure that there were no actual slashing shots shown or any nudity (Hitchcock/Psycho Trailer.) That would be left up to the viewer to use their imagination. Hitchcock chose the design of the house, which stands behind the Bates Motel. He believed that it cast a sinister feel on the whole area. In comparison, the 1998 version of the story was subject to more leniency. Director Van Sant chose to add nudity and visible stab wounds to the shower scene (Van Sant 98.) In the novel, Bloch is very descriptive about how Mary undresses and looks at her nude self in the mirror. The shower scene itself is very quick lived. Mary hears the scream

Importance of Negotiation Skills

Importance of Negotiation Skills Negotiation Role The reason for the negotiation was to avoid a strike and make the management board meet their demand for higher pay and no intrusion in â€Å"non activity† time. As a member of the teacher’s union, the role of the negotiation would be to look into the benefit of the teachers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Importance of Negotiation Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Worksheet Questions Discussed Salary Teachers’ evaluation Employment security for teachers Work load Benefits Interests School Board: The interest of the school board is to maintain its budget and negotiate the best possible salary and benefits with the Teachers’ Union in order to avoid the strike. Teachers’ Union: The aim of the union is to attain the best possible offer in terms of salary, benefits, working hours, and teachers’ evaluation by receiving a new contract when the school reop ens after the summers. Parents’ Association: Want the schools to function normally and resume its operations on day-to-day basis. Points of Negotiations Category Previous Year School Board Offer Resistance Point Teachers’ Salaries (in $) 15240000 14411500 Higher salary + Higher cost of living +Higher Benefit Duration of Contract (years) 1 3 1 Work Load Pupil Ratio 32:1 Duty free time of 25 minutes Prep time Board wants teachers to do other activities during duty free time Not willing to do any other activity during the 25 minutes break Benefits Fringe benefits Reduce fringe benefits Higher paid leave in terms of childcare leave, bereavement leave, and other civic duties Teachers’ evaluation No Evaluation Third party Evaluation + Grant of tenure or layoff depending on evaluation Representation in evaluation design process + Access to evaluation data + Opportunity to challenge evaluation through official procedure Employment Security Lay-off of tea chers based on evaluation Lay-off member should be hired once hiring begins again + 60 days written notice before layoff Strategies: Compromise/ Accommodate/ Take it or leave it Tactics: Exchange of information, revealing the data related to wages, leaves, benefits, etc. of school teachers in other districts or states and present a comparison, admit to the problem of resistance and a strike, draw up a written scheme for the negotiation and the demands of the Union, and present the proposed agreement.Advertising Looking for report on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bargaining Mix: Fringe benefits to the teachers BATNA: Teachers from other schools Advantage: to attain a greater advantage and a better contract drawn for the teachers that has better pay and better benefits for all. Disadvantage: This may create a tussle between the management and the union, and this may affect the process of further or latter negotiation. Concession Points Increase in salary Reducing Prep-time and work day Increase in pupil teacher ratio Evaluation process of teachers has teacher representation Layoffs with 60 days written notice Bargaining Approach Interests School Management: The interest of the school management is to enter into a contract with the teachers’ union before the school reopens in order to avoid a strike and keep their costs low. Teachers Union: The aim of the teachers’ union is to attain the best possible contract with the school management with greater salary, fringe benefits, and higher employment security. Goal The main aim of the negotiation process of the teacher’s union is to increase salary, not increase working hours, and have representation in the layoff committee.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Importance of Negotiation Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The demand of the union is to increase salary, cost of living, or other benefits. Further, the union would resist any increase in the number of hours of activity of the teachers within their working hours. Layoff of teachers without a 60 days written notice period will be resisted by the union. Strategies The main strategy of the teachers’ union would be going ahead for collective value creation in order to attain a situation for mutual benefit. The main reason to avoid competitive negotiation, as both the bodies would be working hand in hand for value creation; therefore, a competitive negotiation may spoil the relationship between the two bodies and create further differences. A negotiation strategy needs to be employed that would help the union to attain the maximum possible demands without hampering the interest of the management. In this respect both aggressive and cooperative negotiation skills must be employed. At certain points negotiation goals are attained to the maximum and the best deal is attained by employing both the competitive and cooperative technique of negotiation. The process of negotiation that is to be employed would not be restricted to zero-sum, fixed-pie negotiation. The main aim of the strategy would be to employ an integrative negotiation strategy. An integrative negotiation strategy is one that helps in cooperative bargaining. When a stern or adamant stand cannot be fulfilled and does not become mutually beneficial, a cooperative approach must be employed in order to divide the pie to benefit both the parties. Therefore, this collaborative strategy of negotiation to be employed by the union will entail a win-win situation for both the parties. In this case study, the teachers’ union wants to attain a higher salary across all bases, increase in fringe benefits, and ensuring their free time and leaves. However, the school management intends to reduce the salary of the teachers, increase work hours in order to increase productivit y and layoff teachers who are not evaluated as good in order to do away with their liabilities such that they have fewer losses. Apparently, the interests of both the parties are contradictory, and if a competitive and aggressive stand is taken, like a strike, it would simply aggravate the situation, instead of drawing a solution. However, the collaborative process would ensure that both the parties agree upon certain points to a mutually beneficial degree and therefore, attain the best possible options.Advertising Looking for report on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The teachers’ union already knows that the management wants to cut costs, and therefore would likely assort to reducing benefits, increasing workload, and layoffs, as direct reduction of salary would aggravate the union. However, the union has other demands that would make the employment of the teachers more secure, increase their salary in accordance to the increase in cost of living, and increasing their benefits and employment security. However, the union is ready to compromise on certain issues such as increasing work hours or pupil-teacher ratio, or reduction of prep time for teachers. Compromise provides greater power to the negotiator and helps the negotiation when they commence with an opening offer . However, the union is ready to take an aggressive stand and call a strike if some of their unconditional demands are not met such as no changing of free time usage, layoff rules, and changes in teacher evaluation process. Therefore, an integrative bargaining process woul d help in creation of value for both parties and help towards a mutually beneficial outcome . Tactics First the Union must sets its bargaining range high. As conceded by Churchman . Therefore, the union will first divulge their bargaining range on three levels – â€Å"optimistic, realistic, and deadlock† . This would help the union to get the maximum possible power during the negotiation process. Then the tactics of the union would be to present the management with a realistic bargain. When a fair point of the bargaining would be reached, which many theorists believe as the mid-point of the bargaining range, a substantial outcome would be reached. Then the last tactics to close the deadlock would be on part of the union to provide to the management their â€Å"best and final† offer that would entail the maximum compromising points that the union was willing to do away with in order to reach an agreement. This compromise would demonstrate the union’s willi ngness for negotiation and the genuine intent to reach an agreement. Bargaining Mix The bargaining mix of the union would be based on the increase of salary of the teachers, and across all bases and increase cost of living allowances. Then the second issue would be the new evaluation process in which teachers’ union representation is called for and the evaluation process should be framed in such a way that if required the data of the evaluation can be accessed by the teachers and they could contest the evaluation outcome if not satisfied. The third point of bargaining was reduction of workload and the fourth was the increase of fringe benefits as demanded by the teachers’ union. BATNA The BATNA of the teachers’ union is to have higher employment security for the teachers and better work terms and higher salary for the teachers. The main aim of the teachers union was to attain higher employment security for the teachers as the management was devising a plan to la y off teachers with the introduction of the new third party evaluation process in a hassle free way. Further, the union also wanted to ensure the employability of the teachers who are laid-off by pushing the management to hire them when hiring is started again. The BATNA of the teachers’ union would not be set any higher as in many cases parties try to fix a very high BATNA and fail to attain it or lower it within the right time. This may spoil chances of optimum negotiation outcome. Negotiation Terms Beginning Offer The main offer of the union would be to increase the cost of living allowance of the teachers’ salary. The second would be to keep the break time of 50 minutes unchanged. The third would be to allow a member of the union to be in the evaluation committee such that he or she is in the process of formulation of the evaluation criteria. Further, no layoffs should be allowed without a written notice of 2 months. If any lay-off is done wrongfully, the union wil l have the right to contest it and challenge it. Further, the union would also make an initial offer to increase the benefits of the teachers in terms of increase of some of their paid leaves as in childcare leave. Target Point The target of the union was to attain a higher cost of living salary for the teachers, reduce layoffs an increase the employment security. Further, they also wanted to ensure higher benefits for the teachers. Further, they wanted union member’s representation in the evaluation committee in order to have some control over the evaluation scheme, process, and data. Further, they were looking for increasing paid leave for the teachers over and above what existed. Further, the union was aiming for a contract of 1 year. Resistance Point The points at which the union would put up a resistance were increasing the cost of living allowance. The other demands would include inclusion of a union member in the evaluation committee, access of evaluation data to the t eachers, and an official process to contest the outcome of the evaluation. The union is unwilling to reduce the duty free time or incorporate any addition service during that period of 25 minutes. The union wants additional 2-day bereavement leave for the death of spouse’s parents, paid leave in case they are detailed for any civic duty. Concession Points Lay offs The union is ready to support lay off as long as they are done in accordance with the proposed process of 60 days in advance written intimation. As long as their demand for agitation against uncalled for layoffs is met. Further, minimal layoff must be followed in any situation. Salary The union demanded $2250 across the board increase in salary. However, they are not adamant on increase in the overall salary and other allowances and are willing to accept certain concessions. Teacher Evaluation The teachers are not opposed to the concept of teacher evaluation as long as they have full representation in the evaluation committee and process. Workload The teachers were willing to allow for an increase in the workload of the teachers in terms of increase in pupil teacher ratio, reduction of prep-time, etc. References Beersma, B. de Dreu, C., 2002. Integrative and Distributive Negotiation in Small Groups: Effects of Task Structure, Decision Rule, and Social Motive. Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes , 87(2), pp.227-52. Brett, J.M., 2007. Negotiating globally: how to negotiate deals, resolve disputes, and make. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons. Churchman, D., 1995. Negotiation: process, tactics, theory. Boston, MA: University Press of America. Fisher, R. Ury, W., 1981. Getting to yes. New York: Penguine. Gosselin, T., 2007. Practical negotiating: tools, tactics, techniques. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Guasco, M.P. Robinson, P.R., 2007. Principles of negotiation: strategies, tactics, techniques to reach agreements. Toronto, Canada: Entrepreneur Press. Lewicki, R.J., S aunders, D.M. Barry, B., 2010. Negotiation. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Straus, D., 2003. Facilitated Collaborative Problem Solving and Process Management. In L. Hall, ed. Negotiation: strategies for mutual gain. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. pp.28-40.

To what extent do you agree with fischers thesis about the origins of Essay

To what extent do you agree with fischers thesis about the origins of world war 1 - Essay Example While the arguments which connect the First World War to the second are quite plausible and accurate, it seems difficult to ignore other situations which were developing in Europe as a prelude to The Great War. As per the ideas given by Fischer (1967), he suggests that the German elite as well as the Kaiser of Germany had expansionist ideas which could only be satisfied with war. Ever since the social democrats had started showing their muscle in Germany, the elite of the country knew that war would be required to quell their domestic issues as well as further their agenda of expansion (Hart, 1972). Essentially, the thesis presented by Fischer (1967) places the blame for the war on the German rulers who used the assassination of the Archduke as a framing device and a catalyst for making the declaration of war jus ad bellum. There is certainly evidence to support this since documentary evidence which are presented by Fischer shows that some people in power were calling for an expansionist approach and were looking for German domination over its European neighbours. Therefore, instead of foreign influences and political movements of alliances across the continent resulting in the inevitable situation of war, the war was created by Germany and therefore the blame for the First World War much like the Second World War goes to the Germans. Fischer (1967) points out connections which link Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm in the First World War with Germany under the regime of Hitler. The primary connection being the business alliances which benefited from the war in many different ways including the industrial manufacture of weapons of war as well as the economic activity required for keeping up the war effort. The argument presented by Fischer (1967) is an extreme end of the spectrum since it suggests that Germany willed the war upon Europe while the rest of Europe was unwilling to go to war but was dragged into it due to the various treaties that

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MARKETING - Essay Example h the technological advancements, the markets have also widened which makes marketing trickier as now there is a plethora of markets and every market has its own individual needs. Thus communicating with every market is different and requires the usage of different marketing tools. Clever combinations of these tools with the help of technology can increase sales manifold or mismanagement of these very tools can hamper sales. It is up to the firm how it wants to get their message across to the target market. However, Kim and Smith (2001, pp. 211-222) adds that incorporating technology has now become essential and every firm now needs to excel in it so that it can face competition globally. Toyota is adept at its marketing communications. This is because it has reached at the top as it is the biggest manufacturer and seller of cars in the world. However, as per Liker and Hoseus (2007) marketing communication have to be varied according to the market segment, their demographics and the economic factors etc. for instance when the firm marketed its car Yaris in the UK after their through market research they focused on women aged 25-50. Kotelnikov (2010) explains that they also relied on integrated marketing communications which means using several media together to get the brand message across to the target market. As per Schrage (2010) they had a pre launch gathering where , then trained the dealers regarding the message, developed personal relations with the media and then after the launch communicated their product to the target market with the same message. The result is that the message stays with the consumers for a longer time. A sales promotion is something that the firm doesn’t focus much on because of the product type. They do have regional sales promotions where they sell different models at a discounted price. This is however limited argue Liker and Hoseus (2007) due to the taxes involved in different countries which affect the prices. To increase the

Improving the Application Availability with ISO 9001 Research Paper

Improving the Application Availability with ISO 9001 - Research Paper Example This paper will address the aspects of ISO 9001 that serve to improve the performance of applications. 2. Introduction The current times can be termed as the technological era where software and application development has greatly improved the mode of business. However, the development of software to fulfill some specific need is not the sole purpose of the matter. The quality and reliability of the software also play vital roles in the provision of any service. It is due to this reason that several standards and guidelines have been formulated to judge the productivity and quality of any software. ISO 9001 is one of such standards that can provide complete guidance for production and maintenance processes. The conformance to the standard facilitates the improvement of the application availability. 3. Research Methods Descriptive approach has been adapted in the research study of the respective title. The requirements of the ISO 9001 standard have been studied and their impact on the productivity of the resultant service and application. An ISO 9001 compliant IT company was chosen to further investigate the impact of the adoption of the respective standard on the quality of products and services. 4. Analysis ISO 9001 is a comprehensive set of guidelines that form the basis of compliance for any organization that wishes to become certified with these standards. ISO 9001 focuses on the formulation of a quality management system that helps the organization to fulfill the requirements of the customers in an effective manner. These standards are regularly revised by the International Standards Organization to ensure that they comply with the continuing changes in the markets trends and technologies. The latest version of ISO 9001:2008 has lessened the main categories from 25 to only 5. According to International Organization for Standardization (2011), the 5 main clauses are; Quality Management System Management Responsibilities Resource Management Product Realizati on Measurement analysis and improvement 4.1 Analysis of an ISO 9001 Compliant Company Amadeus is a well renowned solution provider for the travel industry for the effective management of services. They are known to provide the solutions to some of the well known names in the travel industry. According to Amadeus IT Group SA (2008); the company has possessed a continuing commitment to the incorporation of technology in their business processes and operations; this earned them the ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2000. Amadeus has been one of the first companies of its kind to realize the importance of complying with the ISO standards and finally attained it in the beginning of the present century. They improved their services and infrastructure to comply with the standards of the certification. As a result of the compliance, their systems and customer service witnessed many benefits. The standard has facilitated the development and maintenance of solutions that are able to improve the operations of their clients’ businesses, increase their productivity and profits, earn greater market share etc. 5. Argument Approaches According to Microsoft Corporation (n.d.); application availability is considered to be the promptness of a software or platform to cater to the demands of the user with the desired reply or results. High application

Factors Affecting The Pakistan Tourism Industry

Factors Affecting The Pakistan Tourism Industry Pakistan appeared as a modern nation on 14 August 1947. There are four provinces and all four are gifted with heritage and culture. It is one of fertile and unique collections of majestic and rugged mountains, lush fields, deserts, rivers, lakes, seashores and landscapes enriched with friendly and hospitable people thus making it a heavenly destination for tourists with different tastes. Pakistan is known in the world of tourism because of the mountainous regions of the north, the Hindukush, Karakoram and the Great Himalaya who form the densest concentration of high peaks in the world. Kalam (Swat valley) in Pakistan is known as the Switzerland of Asia. The Hunza and Chitral valleys in Pakistan were the home to a small pre-Islamic animist Kalasha community who claim descent from the army of Alexander the Great (Mapsofworld.com). The historical and archaeological sites of Ghandhara and Indus Valley civilizations, Mohenjo-Daro, Taxila and the Mughal Empire are the examples of oldest ci vilizations in Pakistan. This multicultural nature of the country also contributes to the tourism industry in the way that it offers various traditions, customs and festivals for the tourists to explore and enjoy. Problem statement: According to the above paragraph, Pakistan seems to be a perfect place for tourists to be visited but still the tourists arrival is decreasing day by day if we take into consideration the years from 1995 till 2008. Aims and Objectives: The aim of my thesis is to find out the positive and negative factors which are affecting the Pakistan tourism industry and also the cause of tourists declining ratio. Find out the role of the government towards the development of this industry and suggest some strategies that can improve this sector and also discover the hidden potential of tourism industry. Another motivation behind this research is to examine and compare the economic effect of tourism in terms of money and job generation in our country as compared to the neighboring countries. Research Questions: The research questions are: What are the factors affecting tourism industry in Pakistan? How much potential Pakistan has got in tourism industry? How tourism industry created revenue and job for the country? What will be the strategies to develop the tourism industry in Pakistan? What the government should do to develop the tourism industry in Pakistan? Literature review and theoretical background: In this chapter, I will discuss some of the available literature and compare it with my research work giving a broader picture of the unique nature of the work and its practical usefulness. Literature review: Kakar et al. 2007, in their research thesis provided a relation between tourism and employment in Pakistan. The purpose of this research was to determine the rate of employment generated in different occupations from the tourism sector. The survey was carried out by personal visit to the hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, travel agents, car hire firms, tour operators and airline offices. They designed a questionnaire for this purpose. The survey was restricted in the sense that it was carried out in only two cities of Pakistan i.e. Swat and Abbottabad and secondly it was carried out in hotels and restaurants. No attempt was made to determine the total impact of tourism on different employment sectors like taxis, guides, entertainment, travel agencies etc. furthermore the statistical data provided on the number of hotels, number of beds and the number of people employed is limited in the sense that there is no proper information about the time/date/year in which the data was recorde d. Baloch (2007) in his research of managing tourism in Pakistan deals with the issue of diagnosing the cause of crawling nature of Pakistans tourism growth and suggest ways to develop this industry through natural, historical and cultural resources. The research was carried in Chitral valley only. The methodology used was recording the views of tourists, locals, hoteliers and data collection from Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Ministry of Tourism. The research is restricted in the sense that the deteriorating condition of this industry is explained only for 2006 and there is no proper statistical data provided for Chitral valley. The data was collected from the concerned departments and there is no proper findings obtained from the tourists and hoteliers. Although some of the studies found and discussed above are related to the tourism industry in Pakistan but there is hardly any research that focuses mainly on positive and negative factors effecting Pakistan tourism industry on a whole and compare this industry to its neighboring countries. Ill focus on factors effecting tourism, its impact on employment and the revenue earned for the whole country. The research will include statistical data for last fourteen years which will help in comparing the performance of this sector with other countries also. Theoretical Background: There are many positive and negative factors which are affecting Pakistan tourism industry. These are as follows: Positive factors: The tourists usually travel to see different places and things other like climate, nature, cultures, people, customs, arts, cuisines, languages, unique festivals, old historical buildings and sites etc. the reason why Pakistan has a great potential in tourism industry is that it posses every single thing that could meet the demand of visitors. Following are the types of tourism in Pakistan: Diaspora Tourism: According to Clarke (2003) the term Diaspora refers to a person who is from one country but originates from another and identifies with the country of origin. The term Diaspora can be approached from two different directions, as a typological tool and as a social condition. When the term is used typologically it refers to a group of people who have moved from one place to another and who still identify with their homeland. The homeland is just a metaphor, it may not even exist but it still carries significance for the individual. Clarke (2003) argues that Diaspora is people who have relocated for any of five different reasons; victim, labor, trade, imperial and culture. All of these reasons are in some way forced upon the individual, which is the central idea behind this type of approach to the Diasporas phenomena. For example, the British who immigrated involuntarily to the different colonies were imperial Diasporas. The typological approach to the Diasporas issue is that it disrega rds the differences within the different groups. So it is more accurate to describe Diaspora as a condition. The condition of being from one place but of another and identify with sentiments towards a homeland (Clarke, 2003) According to Ali Eteraz (2008), more than 7 million Pakistani people are living outside from Pakistan. Pakistan has got a large number of Pakistani Diaspora which can contribute a positive role in the economy of Pakistan. Apart from Diaspora, visiting friends and family tourism is also very important. Many of these Pakistani Diasporas have friends and families living in Pakistan, and they continue to visit these friends and families playing more positive role in the development of Pakistani tourism. Domestic Tourism: According to Richter (1989), many countries of the world take domestic tourism as a poor cousin and didnt pay much attention but according to Boniface and Cooper domestic tourism make up 80% of the world tourism flow. In Pakistan, there are many worthwhile places which not only attract international tourists but also domestic tourists. Heritage Tourism: Pakistan is a home to the most spectacular ancient cities of the world including the Indus and Gandhara civilization. Taxila, Moenjodaro and Harrppa, museums, Mughal heritage and the silk route, Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort (UNIC, 2011). Lahore Fort K Ali Figure 2: Lahore Fort (Source: http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/lahore_fort) Religious/ Spiritual or Pilgrimage Tourism: Pakistan is also famous for its shrines and temples. Each year not only Muslims from different countries come to visit the holy shrines but also the Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhist visit Pakistan for pilgrimage (UNIC, 2011). https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbug-jl2qWBJW1lx1Dd0s0jgNVgVsZk0XWq8Ld5bIagiprwitbyeIfDQmNEHJKXsLUqary_sQSHUgofNC48jzJoV7a0mCtUlIc4LJoi5XpTSvuow7B416_1HLHNEkiXhsUONJlA-CsfNa/s400/shrine-abdullah-shah-ghazi.jpg Figure 3: Shrines of Pakistan (Source: http://pak-istan.blogspot.com/2009/09/shrines-of-pakistan.html) Cultural Tourism: Besides archaeological sites and architecture masterpieces of Mughal emperors and British antecedents, Pakistani cuisine and festivals are yet another interesting part of rich Pakistani culture. The food streets in Pakistan are becoming a major source of attraction for tourists as they can enjoy the local Pakistani food as well as the colorful streets and people shopping in the streets at the same time. Famous food streets in Pakistan are Food Street Gawalmandi and Anarkali in Lahore, Melody and blue area Food Street in Islamabad, Burns Road in Karachi, and Ghantar Ghar in Peshawar. Festivals tend to provide celebration, joy, mental and physical refreshment to not only local people but also the tourists who come with the aim to explore and enjoy different cultures and festivals. Some of the famous cultural ceremonies and festivals of Pakistan include Lok virsa mela, Horse and cattle shows, Basant or kite flying, Festivals of lamps, Northern areas festivals including the famous Kalash festivals and Silk route festivals etc (UNIC, 2011). Food Street, Lahore Figure 4: Food Street Lahore (Source: http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/country/26292.php) Adventure or ECO Tourism: ECO or adventure tourism is the most significant part of the tourism industry as Pakistan is blessed with worlds most beautiful and renowned mountains, lakes valleys, glaciers and passes. Tourists not only enjoy the site viewing but also perform activities like skiing, hiking, surfing, camping and cruising. Mountaineering and trekking are the most exciting activities that tourists enjoy. World 2nd largest mountain K2 and Switzerland of Asia known as Swat valley is also located in Pakistan. Silk route is also included among Pakistan attractions as it is an ancient route connecting east and the west. Pakistan is also home to 31 natural and manmade lakes and reservoirs. The helicopter or train safari is also very famous among tourists as they travel to see the most spectacular views of landscapes and mines across the country. The helicopter safari is the latest means of travelling as it takes the tourists high in the sky so they can enjoy the highest peaks in the north and deserts in th e south (UNIC, 2011). click here to enlarge Figure 5: Ayubia (Source: http://www.offthemap.ca/diaster.php) Wild Life Tourism: There are about 14 national parks which give a beautiful glimpse of the rich Flora and Fauna of Pakistan. And there are 2 safari parks with various types of animals like tigers, lions, monkeys, elephants, giraffes, pythons, birds, deers etc (UNIC, 2011). https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHmGwe5mVqwe3_BqPH1OrxS7nQf6tmu5aFOkROcVbJsclO0-UrtxcV_Ncwu3rQGBchCg-5sJ_KMJ6hVn2En5pXU6Yw0msEhZBwQ8MeE9XVuemoSxvaNTZYeuXWkMcWsCHxhSqjXZjG8g/s320/CIMG2056.JPG Figure 6: Kund Wild Life Park (Source: http://kiranpalwasha.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html) Sports Tourism: Pakistan is popular as a tourist sports destination. Himalayan range which is the worlds highest mountain range in the world demands for professional trekking along with general trekking. Other types of sports tourism include white water rafting, wild boar hunting in deep forests, shandur polo games, mountain biking, golf, ice climbing, rock climbing, snowboarding, skiing, caving and pot holding etc. rich people and prince come from middle east for deer hunting in Pakistan. All the above mentioned factors contribute positively to Pakistan tourism industry but along with these, there are also negative factors which are affecting Pakistan tourism industry and have resulted in the loss of tourists arrival in Pakistan. Negative Factors: The negative factors effecting Pakistan tourism industry are the views and opinions of domestic and international tourists obtained via questionnaire and interview. According to the tourists, the biggest problem they are facing while travelling is security issues which include the current insurgency in Pakistan. Even the domestic tourists dont feel like travelling in their own country. Second issue of tourists decline is negative image of Pakistan portrayed by media to the outside world. Lack of infrastructure, ineffective promotional policies, inadequate tourists services and facilities, lack of initiatives by concerned government departments, inadequate knowledge and training of personnel in tourism sector, law and order situation especially in the high tourists attraction areas, inadequate infrastructure facilities, lack of incentives in the tourist sector, failure to show and project the positive image of the country via media to the outside world, low allocation of annual touris t budget, lack of development and facilities in the mountain regions, lack of understanding to the tourist needs, the overtaking and change of governments and administration within the country (army rule) and high inflation rate are the key points which have altogether made tourism an unsuccessful industry in Pakistan. The tourism Ministry is not playing sufficient role and tourist faces difficulties in getting timely visa and other informations. The tourism authorities must focus on this sector as tourism is the only sector, which can contribute substantially in the poverty alleviation and improving the living standards of the local community. Factors Effecting Tourism Positive Factors Negative Factors Security problems for the tourists Less marketing and publicity on international level Weak travel and tourism framework Low allocation of annual tourist budget High inflation rate Overtaking and change of governments Lack of initiative by concerned government departments Presence of tourist attractions Mountains Valleys Lakes Historical places Rich culture Rich food Salt mines Spring festivals 5 stars hotel chains Restaurants Handicrafts Museums Business environment Factors effecting tourism Figure 8: Factors effecting tourism

Sandvik AB :: Essays Papers

Sandvik AB Sandvik AB began operations as a small steel company in Sandviken, Sweden. The company, originally known as Goransson Hogbo Stal & Jernwerks, recognized early on the important role creating innovative techniques and products played in being successful. To this day, Sandvik maintains a firm commitment to research as a means of gaining competitive advantage. Unfortunately, competing with other innovative industrial firms in a small country like Sweden provides limited growth opportunities. The local environment made Sandvik realize growth would only be achievable through foreign market development. So over the next century Sandvik would expand to become one of the largest materials technology engineering companies on the globe. Sandvik’s expansion was facilitated through a strategy of unrelated diversification predicated upon innovation. Technologies, such as cemented carbide fueled, product development and gave rise to new business areas. Such advances, coupled with a strong emphasis on internationalization, drove growth for a long time. However, growth slowed during the 1970s and into the 1980s. Much of the growth achieved during this period was a result of acquisitions. Prior to the 1984 reorganization, Sandvik’s organizational structure consisted of divisions where managers had to report to both divisional management and functional management at the parent company. For a company known for its innovations, this reporting relationship created enormous bureaucratic waste and costs, as well as delayed decision-making. However, in 1983 the company established a decentralized structure, creating six business areas, two service companies, and three regional companies. Coromant emerged as the highest return business in the portfolio. Amongst the other business areas it served as a model for best practices and process innovation. Despite the success of his major initiatives, the current CEO, Clas Ake Hedstrom, is still looking for ways to further integrate and produce synergies amongst Sandvik’s business areas. Integration has already occurred or is being studied in human resources, marketing, and information technology. However, disagreement exists amongst managers over the amount and level at which integration is needed. Employees are also concerned about a return to centralized decision-making and loss of autonomy over their business area. Finally, it is still unclear how the cost, fit and significance of further integration may impact business area needs. The uncertainty surrounding these issues makes the whole idea of integration to create synergies questionable.

Alcohol abuse Essay

â€Å"National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. † Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 May 2014. â€Å"Alcohol Abuse and Addiction. † Alcohol and Tobacco: America’s Drugs of Choice. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Information Plus Reference Series. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 May 2014. â€Å"Drunkard Attacks Wife. † Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 40-42. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 May 2014. Alcohol abuse is the habitual misuse of alcohol. As children move from adolescence to young adulthood, they encounter dramatic physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes. Developmental transitions, such as puberty and increasing independence, have been associated with alcohol use. Some, adolescence take a dark turn, especially when underage drinking is involved. â€Å"Everybody is doing it† so they do it too. They drink because they want to change something about their lives , however they increases the risk of academic failure, and can cause suicide and homicide. Research shows that annually about 4,700 people under age 21 die from injuries involving underage drinking. People take drugs mainly for the reasons to fit in , in school, at work, the community , etc. They also do it to escape from reality or relax . Or so they could feel good among their peers at school. Also, they sometimes are curious and ask themselves â€Å" How does it tastes ? † â€Å" How would it affect me? † â€Å" Is it as bad/ good as everyone tells me? † . But the real reason is peer pressure, because many teenagers feel pressured to drink around their friends. Some short-term effects of alcohol are slurred speech, drowsiness, vomiting, headaches, breathing difficulties, decreased perception and coordination , blackouts and anemia . You can get all of these short-term from simply drinking alcohol. But in the other hand ,the long-term effects are unintentional injuries such as car crashes, or drowning. Increased family problems, broken relationships. They often tend to have short temper because they have been drinking to much and don’t tolerate as much things as they used to. They can get alcohol poising for drinking way too much alcohol. High blood pressure , stroke, and other heart- related diseases are also long-term effects . But the ones that caught my eye the most are liver disease, cancer of the mouth and throat, nerve damage, and permanent damage to the brain. In my opinion those are the worst ones that could happen to you, if you drink too much alcohol. Alcohol is linked to 75,000 U. S deaths a year, and shortens the lives of these people by an average of 30 years. Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable death in the united stated after tobacco use and poor eating and exercise habits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , estimated that 34,833 died from cirrhosis of the liver, cancer and other diseases linked to drinking too much beer , wine and spirits. Another 40,933 died from car crashes and other mishaps caused by excessive alcohol use. Researchers considered any man who averaged more than two drinks per day or more than four drinks per occasion to be an excessive drinker. For woman it was more than one drink per day or more than three drinks per occasion. Men accounted for 72 percent of the excessive drinking deaths in 2001, and those 21 and younger made up six percent of the death toll. Light or moderate drinking can benefit a person’s health , but heavy drinking increases the risk of high blood pressure , heart disorders, certain cancers and liver disease. Excessive drinkers are also more likely to die in car accidents. The United States aims to cut the rate of alcohol-related driving fatalities to four deaths 1 / 2 per 100,000 people by 2010, a 32 percent drop from 1998. There are many myths of alcohol use including that it improves sexual performance, the fact is that although you may think that drinking makes you better in bed, psychologically alcohol reduces your performance. Another myth is that you can drink and still be under control. That is a lie , drinking impairs your judgment , which increases the likelihood that you will do something you’ll later regret such as having unprotected sex , being involved in date rape, damaging property, or being victimized by others. Furthermore, teenagers often say that drinking isn’t all that dangerous, that is a myth. Reality is that one in three eighteen to twenty four year olds admitted to emergency rooms for serious injuries are intoxicated. And alcohol is also associated with homicides, suicides, and drowning , as mentioned before. But, the most common myth is that beer doesn’t have as much alcohol as hard liquor. Actually , a twelve ounce bottle of beer has the same amount as alcohol as a standard shot of eighty proof liquor (either straight or in a mixed drink ) or five ounces of wine. If you believe you or a friend may be experiencing Alcohol and/or substance problems there is help , it can be challenging but it is treatable. You can contact you’re counselor or you can contact psychological services and they could help you , I suggest do some research on which one is best suitable for you, and which one you feel more comfortable with. I strongly suggest that if you know a person with substance problems , let them know of the alcohol addiction treatment. Alcohol addiction treatment utilizes programs that help individuals who cannot stop drinking on their own understand what causes their alcohol addiction. Once they are knowledgeable about the cause and have the tools to break the cycle of alcohol addiction, they can begin to cope with the normal stresses of life. Alcohol addiction treatment means stepping out of your addicted life and into a supportive , comfortable, environment where you can begin life of sobriety. The drug & alcohol addiction treatment program includes expert diagnosis , detoxification, intelligent use of anti-addiction medicines, various neuro and psychotherapies , twelve – step facilitation, family involvement , health and nutrition education, and continuing life care support. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

THEATER essays

THEATER essays How different cultures affected English Theater Theater unites the past and present in a unique cultural experience. Theatre continues to thrive and has become an important subject for study in schools and universities. Reaching back in time and across the world, this ranging new history draws on the latest scholarly research to describe and celebrate theatres greatest achievements over 4,500 years, from festival performances in Egypt to international multicultural theatre in the late twentieth century. English theatre has been changed by different cultures throughout the world. The Father of drama was Thesis of Athens, 535 BC, who created the first actor. The actor performed in intervals between the dancing of the chorus and conversing at times with the leader of the chorus. The tragedy was further developed when new myths became part of the performance, changing the nature of the chorus to a group appropriate to the individual story. Aeschylus added a second actor and a third actor was added by Sophocles, and the number of the chorus was fixed at fifteen. The chorus part was gradually reduced, and the dialogue of the actors became increasingly important. The word chorus meant dance or dancing ground, which was how dance evolved into the drama. Members of the chorus were characters in the play that commented on the action. They drew the audience into the play and reflected the audiences reactions. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, who observed the basic human tendancy to imitate, recognized the origins of Greek theatre in the dithyramb, a hymn sung and danced to honor the god Dionysus. This had evolved from earlier ecstatic dances by female celebrants of shamanism. A chorus of 50 men and related episodes from the gods life performed the dithyramb at annual festivals of Dionysus. The Greeks of Athens invented Western drama. Athenian playwrights used myths and heroic l...

Smoking Is a Silent Killer Essays

Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Essays Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Essay Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Essay Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Researchers claim that smoking is detrimental to memory . Prolonged heavy nicotine use has a negative effect on day-to-day memory, according to research. Researchers from five universities asked smokers and non-smokers to rate their long-term memory, for example remembering to send birthday cards. They found that smoking significantly impaired memory, with heavy smokers reporting the most errors. The survey was carried out by teams from Newcastle, Wales, North Umbria, Westminster and Teesside universities. The survey nvolved more than 700 people. Researcher Dr Tom Heffernan, of the human cognitive neuroscience unit at North Umbria University, also tested everyday memory including remembering where people had put things. The teams also took into consideration how much people smoked a heavy smoker was classed as having more than 15 cigarettes a week and alight smoker between one and four cigarettes a week. Dr Heffernan said: The result of the study reveal ed that smokers reported more errors in their long-term memory than non-smokers with an additional ifference between non-smokers and heavy smokers. There was also a significant detrimental effect of cigarette use on everyday memory function. For example a typical heavy smoker reported 22% more memory-related problems than a non smoker and around 12% more problems than those who smoked only relatively a small number of cigarettes It is concluded that chronic, heavy smoking is associated with impairments in everyday memory, although the precise nature of the deficits are as yet unknown.

Congruence Model on Palm Inc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Congruence Model on Palm Inc - Assignment Example The marketing infrastructure is more responsive to Apple’s iPod and Blackberry products.   Palm is going up against some pretty fierce competition. The two major players are Research In Motion (RIMM) and Apple, Inc. (AAPL). To simplify the landscape, let’s say that RIMM’s BlackBerry products dominate the corporate market and Apple’s iPhone line dominate the â€Å"cool† or consumer market.   Smartphone Pre was positioned to be more of a consumer device like the iPhone rather than the corporate space. Although the Palm Pre is a great product the problem is that so is the iPhone. Apple marketing machine, the ecosystem of Apple products and iPhone integrate seamlessly. The iTunes and App Store allow the simplest and most robust media distribution to the iPhone. The result is not a good head to head matchup for the Palm Pre.   Comparing Palm as a company to Apple is not even close. Apple has multiple, fantastic product lines that are thriving and feeding each other (halo effect), where Palm has a single (for the most part) product that is going against the enormous challenging competition.   The Environment variable that has an impact on the organization is two competitive products in the market iPod and BlackBerry.

Metropolitan Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Metropolitan Museum - Essay Example It also has a dark violet footpath and a green foreground, with bananas on the left (Tinterow and Galitz 164) This paper aims at analyzing Ia Orana Maria (hail Mary) by Paul Gauguin and comparing it to Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints by Raphael Santi. This piece of artwork is an abstract art given the nature of its theme. This can be explained by the fact that it has its subject from reality but with presentation is different from the perspective in reality. The artist has widely made use of Post-Impressionism, which is the implication of colors and definitive forms with the aim of expressing emotions. This is highly evident in the choice of intensity of color on the faces of Jesus and Mary. This piece of art can be categorized as religious. This is because of the involvement of Jesus and His mother, Mary. Jesus and Mary are known to be associated with Christianity thus the reason for categorizing this piece of art as religious. The piece of art depicts an angel revealing the identity of Jesus and Mary to two Haitian women (Sayre 87). This picture might not have a narrative as we are informed that the artist based much of the content of this piece of art on a photograph of a bas-relief in the temple of the Javanese, situated in Borobudur. This piece of art is an oil on canvas painting with a height of 113.7 cm and width of 87.6 cm. it is located at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York USA. The art piece can be found on the credit line: Bequest of Sam A. Lewisohn, 1951(Sayre 63). Its identification number is 51.112.2. This piece of art was originally meant for some religious or cultural temple because of the religious nature of the subject. Have it had been in a temple the dimensions would have greatly changed. Both the height and the length would have decreased since it will probably not be used for public display. This would also be because the purpose would not have been commercial. This piece of art has Mary with baby Jesus on her shoulder as the focal point. The piece of art has its focal point to the right of the image (Sayre 183). This is to avoid making the focal point dull to look at. The artist also chose brighter colors, for the focal point just to make sure that it remained visible. The printing is also asymmetric because the artist restricts his decisions to the sense of balance. This is evident in the choice of color, texture, value, shape, and size. The artist has used implied line in the development of this painting. This has mainly been applied to emphasize on curves, for instance, on the faces of the people on the art piece the artist uses implied lines to show the nose and the eyelids. The artist has also used contour lines in drawing the angel. This significantly shows that the angel is in motion. This is because of the unclear nature of the angel’s image. The contour lines also help conveying an imaginary three-dimension nature of the angel’s image. The images in this piece of art are highly i llusive. The artist has applied simple overlapping in the case of baby Jesus and His mother, Mary. This enables the artist to achieve an illusionary two-dimension image. The artist has also used the relative size of the images to create an illusion on space. The two women relatively smaller than Mary in this piece of art depict them being further. This is done intestinally to illusionary create the

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Mark&Spencer Governance Structure Essay Example for Free

MarkSpencer Governance Structure Essay Corporate Governance 1. Group Board The boards role is what management is doing, holding them accountable for performance against the targets and standards, probing and challenging their thinking to make sure that they are on the right track. The Board works closely with management in thinking through their direction and long-term plans, the opportunities, the risks and making sure we are developing the right management team for the future. The non-executives provide independent challenge and review, bringing wide experience, specific expertise and a fresh, objective perspective. As members of the Board Committees, they play a crucial role in undertaking detailed governance work with a particular focus on shareholders. GROUP STRATEGY 1. Overall Group strategy and corporate vision, setting standards and creating a high-performance culture which maximizes value creation and minimizes risk. 2. Creation, acquisition or disposal of corporate entities or assets which are material to the Group. 3. Evaluation of the Group’s competitive position and opportunities arising from the strategies and strengths of competitors. 4. Development and protection of the brand, its values and business principles. 5. Extension of the Group’s activities into new business or geographic areas 2. Nomination Governance Committee To ensure that appropriate procedures are in place for the nomination, selection, training and evaluation of directors and for succession plans, with due regard for the benefits of diversity on the Board, including gender. Terms of Reference 1. To receive a bi-annual Company Chairmans report on board structure, size, diversity (including gender), composition and succession needs, keeping under review the balance of membership between executive and non-executive and the required blend of skills, experience, knowledge and independence on the Board. 2. To ensure the Group’s governance facilitates efficient,  effective and entrepreneurial management that can deliver shareholder value over the longer term. To review any departures from the UK Corporate Governance Code and explanations to shareholders as to how our actual practices are consistent with good governance. 3. To keep under review the leadership and succession needs of the organization with a view to ensuring the long term success of the Group. 4. To formally propose new executive and non-executive directors for the approval of the whole Board, following a formal, rigorous and transparent procedure for such an appointment. 5. To ensure that all directors undergo an appropriate induction program and to consider any training requirements for the Board as a whole. 6. To ensure that Board Committee membership is refreshed and that undue reliance is not placed on particular individuals when deciding chair/membership of committees. 3. Audit Committee Monitors the integrity of the financial statements and reviews effectiveness of internal controls, risk management and audit. Role The Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. Its primary functions are: To monitor the integrity of the financial statements of the Company and any formal announcements relating to the Company’s financial performance, reviewing significant financial reporting judgments contained in them. To review the Company’s internal financial controls and the systems of internal control and risk management. To maintain an appropriate relationship with the Company’s auditors and to review the independence objectivity and effectiveness of the audit process, taking account of the relevant professional and regulatory requirements. To perform his or her role effectively, each Committee member will obtain an understanding of the detailed responsibilities of Committee membership as well as the Companys business, operations and risk. The Committee can obtain its own independent professional advice as necessary. Audit Process 1. To provide an open avenue of communication between the external auditors, the internal auditors and the Board, meeting separately with both at least annually without management. 2. To keep under review the scope and results of the audit and its cost effectiveness and to report periodically to the  Board on significant findings. 3. To meet, as required, with the external auditors, the internal auditors and management in separate executive sessions to discuss any matters that the Committee or these groups believe should be discussed privately with the Audit Committee. External Auditors 1. To recommend to the Board, for annual shareholder approval, the appointment, re-appointment and removal of the external auditors, and to lead the process of putting the external audit contract out to tender, if appropriate, at least every ten years. 2. To assess their qualifications, expertise, resources, effectiveness, independence and objectivity and to review the auditor’s quality control procedures and steps taken by the auditors to respond to changes in regulatory or other requirements. 3. To approve the terms of engagement and the remuneration to be paid to the external auditors in respect of audit services provided. To review the nature and extent of non-audit work undertaken by the external auditors. In some cases the nature of advice may make it more timely and cost-effective to select them. They may also be appointed for consultancy work but only after rigorous checks to confirm they are the best provider including competitive tender and does not impair the external auditor’s independence. To confirm that the Committee approval process for non-audit fees has operated for the period under review. 4. To review with the Chief Finance Officer and the external auditors the scope and results of the external audit and any significant findings reported to the Committee in the management letter, receiving updates from management on action taken. Internal Auditors 1. To ensure that the internal audit and risk department is adequately resourced and continues to have appropriate standing within the Company, and to keep under review its members’ independence and objectivity. 2. To review with the external auditors and Head of Internal Audit and Risk, the internal audit program and any significant findings, including fraud, illegal acts, deficiencies in internal control or similar issues and review management’s responsiveness to the auditors findings and recommendations. 3. To monitor and review the effectiveness of the internal audit and risk function. 4. Remuneration Committee Recommends remuneration strategy and framework to recruit, retain and reward senior executives for their individual performance. Role To recommend to the Board the senior remuneration strategy and framework, giving due regard to the financial and commercial health of the Company and to ensure the Chairman, Chief Executive , executive directors and senior management, (currently together comprising Reward Levels H and G) are fairly rewarded for their individual contributions to the Company’s overall performance. Terms of Reference 1. To determine and agree with the Board, and taking such external advice as necessary, the appropriate policy for rewarding the Company’s Chairman, Chief Executive, executive directors and senior management. 2. To establish the selection criteria, selecting, appointing and setting terms of reference for any remuneration consultants who advise the Committee. 3. On behalf of the Board to prepare, and to place before shareholders at each annual general meeting, a report setting out the Company’s policy and disclosure on senior remuneration as required by the Directors Remuneration Report Regulations 2002 and other associated legislative or regulatory requirements. 4. To determine for each annual general meeting any aspect of remuneration policy should be brought to shareholders that requires their specific approval, eg share schemes, in addition to the remuneration report which will be submitted to shareholders annually for general approval. 5. To undertake appropriate discussions as necessary with institutional investors on policy or any other aspects of senior remuneration. 6. Annually to review and update its terms of reference, recommending any changes to the board and to evaluate its own membership and performance on a regular basis. * The remuneration of non-executive directors is determined by the Chairman and Chief Executive together with the executive directors. 5. Governance Group Supports colleagues by providing governance support and oversight that is meaningful, relevant and focused on ensuring the business is doing the right things the right way both in the UK and overseas. The Governance Group  engages across the business and comprises legal, audit and risk, insurance, archive, pensions, employee representative and secretariat, reporting on its activities regularly to the Board in the Group Secretary’s report. Giving guidance to colleagues on doing the right thing, the right way including ethics’ code: 1. Implementing practical and cost-effective responses to legislation and regulation. 2. Reviewing and making our policies and practices more accessible. 3. Minimizing trading disruption and legislative consequences. 4. Leveraging business initiatives and sharing best practice. 5. Negotiating contractual terms and protecting our brands and innovation. 6. Providing assurance on internal controls and visibility of key risks. 7. Minimizing insurance premiums, claims and fines. 8. Protecting and promoting our brand heritage. 9. Enabling the Company to meet its pension liabilities. 10. Assisting employee and shareholder engagement. 11. Supporting directors in their Board and Committee roles. Operational Governance 6. Executive Board Accountable for running the business, making sure we are doing the right thing day-to-day and delivering the Group’s strategy. It allocates capital and controls all non-property investments with a risk of material impact on financial results, brand or strategy. It keeps the Board regularly informed about the business and how we work with our different stakeholders. Its work is supported by a number of operational committees and functions. The EB exists to run the business and deliver the Group’s strategy as approved by the Group plc (public limited company) Board: To develop and review strategic opportunities and initiatives for the Group; to evaluate the Group’s competitive position and determine strategies to protect MS, its sub-brands, values and business principles and to consider the impact on key stakeholders; To manage the day to day business, responding to market conditions and trends with appropriate plans for pricing and promotions; To agree and deliver the Group’s financial and operational plans and forecasts; and to deliver these plans and monitor performance against the Group plan, financial forecasts and quarterly revisions; To act as the authorizing  Board for all non-property expenditure (including non-retail property investments e.g. warehousing) subject to the authority set out below. To recommend to the Group Board all expenditure in excess of this authority; To regularly monitor performance against pre-determined criteria to ensure non-property investments deliver required returns; To monitor the Group’s business processes systems and controls; To identify, evaluate, monitor and manage the Group’s risks (including financial, commercial, information security, HWDB, ethics and compliance, business continuity, fire, health and safety) to enhance the Group’s performance and its assets; To review leadership development and succession across the Group; to review HR strategy, including reward framework, employee bonus (excluding those determined by the Remuneration Committee), conditions of employment and pension schemes and people matters; To drive overall Group performance through setting and tracking their own clear objectives which are cascaded throughout the Group and changing ways of working; To review and update annually its terms of reference, recommending any changes to the Group Board and to evaluate its own membership and performance on a regular basis. 7. Management Committee To monitor the development of the Group’s work streams against the Group’s three year plan and to safeguard cross-functional co-operation of the work streams: to input to the Group’s strategic plan on an annual basis ; to cascade the relevant information to the business ; members of the management committee may be asked to present updates to the management committee to keep everyone informed 8. Property Board The property board ensures capital expenditure is allocated to the Group’s UK and International property portfolio (including Retail Property, Head Office Buildings and Core Investment) in line with the Group’s strategic goals and business priorities, whilst also ensuring maximum flexibility: To recommend to the Executive/Group Board the allocation of the property capital expenditure plan and the relevant investment policies on a three year cycle. To approve and control all UK property expenditure (including Retail Property, Head Office Buildings and Core Investment), projects, and programs  on a three year cycle, within delegated authority limits from the Group Board. To approve all International property expenditure (including Retail Property, Head Office Buildings and Core Investment) relating to joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries within delegated authority limits from the Group Board. To regularly monitor performance of all UK and International stores against pre-determined criteria to ensure property investments deliver required returns. To identify, evaluate and manage risks relating to property investment expenditure. To review and update annually its terms of reference, recommending any changes to the Executive Board and Group Board and to evaluate its own membership and performance on a regular basis. 9. Customer Insight Unit Influences decision-making by tracking marketplace trends, our customer barometer and customer views. The customer insight unit ensures customers to gain a real understanding of what they want, what they think and how they behave. The customer insight unit is vital in ensuring that our customers’ needs are recognized in any decision taken by the business. 10. How We Do Business Committee To ensure that ‘How we do business’ is an integral part of the business and the way it operates. Terms of Reference Its primary function is to oversee implementation of Plan A, the Company’s ‘eco plan’ launched in January 2007 which sets out 100 commitments across the challenges of Climate change, Waste, Sustainable raw materials, Fair partner and Health: 1. To provide leadership on HWDB across the business. 2. To ensure all parts of the business: †¢ Have assigned clear roles and responsibilities for delivering Plan A †¢ Have a resourced project plan for delivering all aspects of Plan A †¢ Report on progress in implementing Plan A on a regular basis †¢ Have robust data and evidence to support progress claims †¢ Gain the external assurance levels agreed by the Audit Committee †¢ Benchmark themselves against their competitors †¢ Understand stakeholder expectations on HWDB issues (customers, employees, shareholders, opinion formers) †¢ Have the resources and skills to implement the plan †¢ Are maximizing the communication potential of the issues they are managing. 3. To seek external stakeholder views on our overall performance and maintain an overview of external benchmarking and commentary on our performance. 4. To oversee any internal and external auditing of our performance. 5. To oversee external reporting on our performance and progress against our Plan A targets. 6. To provide the Board with an overview of the social, environmental and ethical impacts of the Group’s activities and how they are being managed. 7. To review and update annually its terms of reference, recommending any changes to the Board and to evaluate its own membership and performance on a regular basis. 11. Business Involvement Groups Every store and every business area has BIG representatives, elected by their colleagues to represent their views. Through the business involvement group network, the business informs, involves and consults employees so their views can be influence business change and decision-making. Commitment to BIG means that MS colleagues have the chance to voice their opinions and ideas, get answers and have their views represented when the business considers changes that affect them. This means they all have an opportunity to positively influence the business they are work in. 12. Fire, Health, and Safety Committee Promotes the safety and well being of our employees, customers and visitors and minimizes the risk of financial penalties. 13. Business Continuity Committee Role The Committee will keep under review the effective management of business continuity across the Marks Spencer Group with the objective being to galvanize the development and maintenance of effective means to continue business in the event of a significant interruption to business. It will provide leadership on BC policy across the Group and will ensure that the Policy is integrated into every aspect of the Group’s critical operations  around the world.