Corporate Downsizing Essays (2616 words) - Unemployment,

Corporate Downsizing Corporate Downsizing Organizations in every segment of business, industry, government, and education are downsizing. Downsizing is and has been a controversial phenomenon in the last few years. The controversy that surrounds downsizing may be better described as a debate in organizational theory about whether change is adaptive or disruptive. The issues which establish the outcome of the controversy include why the downsizing is taking affect, how it is implemented, and what steps are taken to enhance its effects on organizational performance. The reasons for corporate downsizing are presented in many forms. Some companies downsize due to technological changes such as automation, which brings about the need for a reduction in the production workforce. Others may feel that competitiveness with other companies warrants the need for a reduction in the workforce. Financial setbacks due to customer demand, market shares, and loss of revenue could also initiate the need for downsizing. Whe n will it end? Experts say it won't. For instance, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was established as a universal trade agreement between the US, Cannada, and Mexico to allow free imports and exports. It was also established with the intent to help poor countries, like Mexico, export their products for economic reasons. In my opinion, it has strongly contributed to America's massive downsizing phenomenon. Companies that have experienced financial setbacks and losses seem to relish the idea that they can downsize the workforce here in the states, move operations into places like Mexico, hire cheap labor, and export their product back to the states, while making bigger profits. The sad part about this is that it is true, and NAFTA is largely responsible for this type of downsizing. Is this ethical? That remains to be seen. The truth is that unless an organization was designed expressly for the purpose, it is not in business to provide employment. Jobs are the by-produc t of successful organizational endeavors, not their intended output. If the decision to downsize is a response to competitive pressures, it will appear impatient or premature to those who must leave. If it is perceived as anything less than a well developed strategic response to demands on the organization, then it fails to show employees need for the criteria. Downsizing can sometimes seem to be about creating victims and displacing blame rather than accepting responsibility and choosing moral and ethical ways to implement the outcome. Management wants a quick cut that protects he company's assets, yet it wants to be gentle and compassionate to those who are let go. These two objectives are self-canceling, and to accomplish the first requires considerable compromise on the second. Many companies wait until the day of the lay-off to inform its employees. They are concerned about sabotage and productivity. They seem to think that if they retain the bad news until the last moment that the employees will leave and the rest will get back to business. However, this method of a lay-off is the least favorable for the employees. If the company gives the employees notice of the cutback in the workforce, they will have time to plan for the financial problems, look for other work, and make other necessary arrangements to prepare them for the loss. It would be in the best interest of the company to give this notice to its workers. Being a survivor of downsizing can have its own ethical issues. Those who are left after the downsizing has occurred, may share perceptions about the ethics of the decisions leading up to the dismissal of those who left. They may experience feelings such as anger, guilt, fear, and even depression. These feelings could be brought on by having to take up the slack and doing more work. They could also be asked to learn new tasks and for the same or maybe even less money than before the downsizing. Asking people to do more for less money can seem un fair. In my opinion, companies and organizations sometimes put too much pressure on surviving employees. This can cause the decision-makers to seem insensitive to the reality that employees are people with full lives and responsibility outside the workplace. Call it outsourcing with a heart. DuPont on December 11,

Free Essays on Hinduism & Budhism Summaries

There are 750 million+ Hindus in the world, most concentrated in India (pearls.org). Before elaborating on what beliefs and practices Hinduism has, perhaps it is helpful to first consider the â€Å"familiar to a Westerner† features that it doesn’t have. There is no â€Å"founder† of Hinduism and no specific time it â€Å"began† (i.e. Jesus or Buddha’s birth). There is not a set of scriptures that has authority over all other texts of its religion (i.e. Bible, Koran, Torah). The lack of a central, relatively unchanged uniquely authoritative text has let Hinduism become a true â€Å"living† religion. Into one that is continually developing through the addition of contemporary wisdom. There is not a central figure or institution interpreting a doctrine based on holy text (i.e. Catholic church and the Pope). Additionally, no individual is or has been central to their belief or practices (i.e. Jesus or Mohammed) (pearls.org). The concept of livin g a â€Å"good life† is not based on instructions from God (i.e. Bible and Koran) (pearls.org). There is not a â€Å"correct† form of belief or worship (pearls.org). And lastly, Hinduism does not insist it is the only â€Å"truth†. As such, most Hindus are not out trying to â€Å"round up† others to their path at the bottom of the mountain - they are busy climbing (Smith, p. 73). What Hinduism does have is an amazing array of beliefs and practices creating a unique tradition spanning over a long and rich history chocked full of mythology. The Hindu tradition has been evolving over 3,000 years and accepts â€Å"†¦significant contributions entering the tradition continually.† (Earhart, p. 723). Hinduism â€Å"remembers the cumulative experience of ages† rather than specific events or people throughout the centuries (Earhart, p. 727). That is not to say no events and people (Gods, Goddesses, rishis (the ancient sages), and ghosts) are important in Hinduism. The texts in Hinduism are regarded as â€Å"i... Free Essays on Hinduism & Budhism Summaries Free Essays on Hinduism & Budhism Summaries There are 750 million+ Hindus in the world, most concentrated in India (pearls.org). Before elaborating on what beliefs and practices Hinduism has, perhaps it is helpful to first consider the â€Å"familiar to a Westerner† features that it doesn’t have. There is no â€Å"founder† of Hinduism and no specific time it â€Å"began† (i.e. Jesus or Buddha’s birth). There is not a set of scriptures that has authority over all other texts of its religion (i.e. Bible, Koran, Torah). The lack of a central, relatively unchanged uniquely authoritative text has let Hinduism become a true â€Å"living† religion. Into one that is continually developing through the addition of contemporary wisdom. There is not a central figure or institution interpreting a doctrine based on holy text (i.e. Catholic church and the Pope). Additionally, no individual is or has been central to their belief or practices (i.e. Jesus or Mohammed) (pearls.org). The concept of livin g a â€Å"good life† is not based on instructions from God (i.e. Bible and Koran) (pearls.org). There is not a â€Å"correct† form of belief or worship (pearls.org). And lastly, Hinduism does not insist it is the only â€Å"truth†. As such, most Hindus are not out trying to â€Å"round up† others to their path at the bottom of the mountain - they are busy climbing (Smith, p. 73). What Hinduism does have is an amazing array of beliefs and practices creating a unique tradition spanning over a long and rich history chocked full of mythology. The Hindu tradition has been evolving over 3,000 years and accepts â€Å"†¦significant contributions entering the tradition continually.† (Earhart, p. 723). Hinduism â€Å"remembers the cumulative experience of ages† rather than specific events or people throughout the centuries (Earhart, p. 727). That is not to say no events and people (Gods, Goddesses, rishis (the ancient sages), and ghosts) are important in Hinduism. The texts in Hinduism are regarded as â€Å"i...

Argumentative Research Paper on Censorship Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Argumentative on Censorship - Research Paper Example nts for and those against censorship citing various examples of countries where censorship has been applied and the resulting consequences of those censures. Censorship will be defined and its various forms identified and defined. Positive attributes will be examined on the backdrop of human welfare and society as well as the negative attributes. Upon evaluation, a conclusion will be reached as to the significance and overall effect of censorship. Censorship is the omission or suppression of material/ information deemed harmful, objectionable and inappropriate from the general public. The restricting party can be a government, a government institution or media outlet. These organizations judge whether material released or to be released is offensive directly or indirectly to any section of the public such as children, women, a specific ethnic community and workers. However, reasons for censorship can vary dependent on the censoring body and the target population. Censorship can be of several forms. They include moral censorship, military censorship, political censorship and political censorship. OReilly and Parker (2003) note that, â€Å"In moral censorship, material of obscene nature and questionable morally is removed, while in military censorship tactical and military intelligence and secrets are kept from the public to prevent the information from being available to the enemy and used against or to the detriment of the n ation† (p.2). Political censorship involves the withholding of information by governments and political leaders from their subjects/ citizens as a means primarily of exerting control and dominion over the population. In religious censorship, material deemed objectionable by a sect or its leaders is removed. Information may be from another sect or religion. Corporate censorship conducted and executed mostly by media executives who remove or prevent the publishing/ distribution of information that portrays their businesses or business partners in

Relaxation and Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Relaxation and Learning - Essay Example It is in these instances when learning a lesson or analyzing data from work necessitates the conditioning of a calm, open mind. There is thus nothing like getting one’s self into a relaxed, tranquil disposition in order to make the most out of a learning or thinking activity. Coming from a particularly taxing workday and before tackling the books for the next day’s lesson, I look forward to a warm soak in the tub. The lukewarm water and moisturizing suds not only wash off the day’s dirt and grime, but also its worries and consternations. A good 15 minute soak, coupled with measured deep breathing, feels like what a baby probably feels while it is in its mother’s womb; warm, secure, floating in perfect quietude. And maybe, some soft music and the scent of aromatic candles are welcome additions to soothe the other senses. At least three days in the week, I don running shoes and take a morning jog around the neighbourhood or in the park. There is nothing like the rhythmic pounding of concrete and a cool evening (or morning) breeze on your face as you savor the sights, sounds and smells of the neighbourhood/park. Running, for some reason or another, helps you sort your thoughts and think through problems, so that after a good run the world seems right again. At times when soaking in the tub or jogging in the park are not just practicable, I find that creating a mental picture or remembering an inspirational line helps put things in perspective and prepares me for heightened concentration. My favourite mental picture is that of gently rolling waves lapping the shore of a beach deserted but for a few people: white sand, blue sea, reclining chair, tall glass of iced tea in hand. This technique is useful for minute-long â€Å"mental vacations† to quickly get one into the proper mental frame for learning. Even during the process of learning, there is sometimes need to resort to quick calming techniques especially

Managing Organizational Deviance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managing Organizational Deviance - Assignment Example Ethics in an enterprise include salespeople being honest, just and fair to all. Some individuals may perceive sales ethics as being an oxymoron or rather a contradiction depending on a number of factors including the culture of the people, the product itself, way the product or service is produced and delivered to customers as well as the behavior of the salespersons. The factors listed above are varied across cultures, nations and every action have both benefits and costs, which may render sales ethics an oxymoron. However, sales ethics is not an oxymoron. In most cases, it is the behavior of a salesperson, who connects the company and the customer (consumer) that largely contributes to the debate whether sales ethics is an oxymoron. If a salesperson creates and sustains a relationship that is based on honesty, commitment and trust, then the customer will be a lifelong and sales become ethical. The reason why sales ethics is oxymoron First, nothing is perfect. At times, matters beyo nd the control of the sales persons hamper him or her from delivering their value proposition. For example, if a salesperson promises a customer that the product will be delivered in an hour’s time and it delays, the salesperson will appear a cheat. But the delay may be occasion by traffic jam or breakdown among other genuine reasons. Secondly, the goals of the salesperson may make sales ethics a contradiction. This is true when a salesperson is driven by temptation and greed in the sense that he or she wants to make more commissions at the expense of the value delivered to the customer. For example, if a salesperson is fast-talking and extremely convincing, he or she often sells products to customers that have no value. According to Blocher (2008, 34), most adverts and salespersons do not reveal the complete story of products or services, which the buyer may not like. As a result, the customer purchases products or services that they do not need in the first place and they w ill feel cheated. Thirdly, salespersons may report inaccurate sales. In an enterprise, there are various forms of rewards systems which include salary, promotions, and bonuses. Among the salespeople, these systems are put in place based on their performance. However, it can result in employees being involved in unethical behavior. In order to attain sales targets employees may opt to use unethical practices such as using pressure and recording false sales. Lack of transparency may be costly to a company in the long run. It may spoil the sales, personal credibility and interfere with sales (Thorne 2008, 224). Such unethical behaviors may become persistent leading to other unethical acts, which may drive the company’s sales down significantly (Kidwell and Martin 2005, 44). Fourth, competition drives companies and their salespersons to act against good morals. Duska (2007, 90) attest that the perception that every business is in a competition, and focuses mainly on how to improv e profits may conflict with the existing ethics.  

Negative effects of illegal immigration

Negative effects of illegal immigration Identify the negative effects of illegal immigration. Offer a solution of how illegal immigration could be reduced. Illegal immigration is the movement of people across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. It involves crossing international political borders through water, land and air inappropriately. Also here we can include the entrance to another country in the right way but refusing to leave after the expiry of the visa. The effects of immigration are felt strongly in states where large numbers of immigrants have settled in relation to others. Illegal immigration affects the Nation and the lives of the natives in different ways and such negative effects are: Crimes that is committed from illegal immigrants when they related in criminal activities which lead to increase crime rates. Such criminal activities are the dealing with drugs and the stealing of identification documents from the citizens to enable them get work. Another effect is that they utilize social services such as schools and health insurance and the result is that the government has to bear the costs from the utility of those services. Trafficking and exploitation affect also the nation because immigrants smuggle people into it. Many people every year are smuggled into the countries and most of them have no legal documents or have their papers and identification documents taken by those who smuggle them in, especially women and children. Exploiters can force women to do illegal jobs under payment and under their working conditions. The young children are traded in the market for adoption with mafias coordinating the activities and the majority of them are trafficked to be sold off to those people who are not interested in going through the process of legal adoption. Another problem is the diseases because most illegal immigrants do not undertake the necessary medical testing and that results to carrying illnesses into their host countries. The competition between the illegal immigrants and the citizens of the country on the job opportunities that were available and that happens because the illegal immigrants accept less than the required minimum payment and do the job without asking other benefits such as insurance. Another thing that we have to notice here is that illegal immigrants accept to do a job that other citizens are not willing to do, thats why the economy depends on them. All these results negative to the citizens because the employers prefer to hire someone with low payment and without insurance covering. Illegal immigrants cause many damages to the people personal properties and to the public areas. Such damages are: the stealing of properties, break into peoples houses, vandalize public areas etc. and that damages must covered from the citizens or from the government. Some areas become very dangerous because of the big percentage of illegal immigrants and these areas are insecure for people to go there for work or for a walk such as Omonoia square in Athens. It is very difficult to find a solution for the illegal immigration but there are some methods of reducing it. One method is to building security barriers on the borders to prevent immigrants from entering the country illegally. The borders, sea and land should be checked more strictly. The police can play an important role by arresting those immigrants when they are found to be in the country illegally without the proper documents and send them back to their countries. Also police should arrest those people who help them to pass illegally in the country. The national authorities must be always informed in cases that illegal immigrants committed a crime, when they destroy properties or when they use violence over people. Employers should not hire any immigrant without verifying that his documents are legal but this is difficult and the reason is that employers prefer to hire those people because they pay less money. There is still an argument as to whether illegal immigration has negative or positive effects to a country. Some people argue that illegal immigration is good for any country because of the low payments and others claim that illegal immigrants take their jobs and damage the country in different ways and one example is the overpopulation. It would be better to restrict the illegal immigrants from the country because from the time that they cross the borders illegally many problems occurring to the country.

Web Credibility :: Teaching Technology Internet Papers

Web Credibility Visualize the following scenario for a moment: You have entered what appears to be a library. The tens of thousand of rows and stacks of books seem endless. They are the focal point, an overwhelming, cartoonish image. The shelves seem ever-expanding by turns, and sag under the weight of the multi-colored volumes represented by all colors, forms and textures imaginable. There are some signs on the shelves that call out topics: Medicine, Science, Literature. Something is missing though, and the sheer number of books—the lure to peruse, to begin pulling and skimming is making it hard to concentrate on what it is; but it becomes apparent soon enough. There are no librarians and no help desks. No databases, library catalogs, no guidance at all. There is nothing to do but read, and once you open the books many seem to be missing the first several pages. At first reading, it may seem untoward to compare this surrealist library to the Internet, but consider the Internet by characteristics; by what it is, and what it isn’t, as a tool for research gathering, and it's not so far a reach. Choosing to begin a paper with an image rather than statistics, is a scheme to avoid the known, and to begin to promote consideration of what educators may or may not recognize about Web page credibility or the identification of credible Internet sources, why they should take the initiative, and what information they should utilize when educating their students, just as they would if undertaking a fundamental composition assignment. The Why of Teaching the Internet Now we have the Information Age, whose poster child is the internet. It seems to be all things to all people and thus can't be quantified or subjected to easy ethical questions. It is new territory, and the uncertainty of Internet ethics is far reaching. The Internet is for the most part unmanaged, unedited, unsupervised; anyone can post information on the Internet for all to see. Opinions can parade as hard facts; people with far-flung ideas can easily find an audience; photos, jokes and drawings of any ilk can be published†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Emmans ) This quote, from 2000, along with strong notions of overall growth, of sources and users, represents, for most educators, the known of the Internet. It highlights the ever-expanding shelves in the library above; the lack of available expertise when choosing sources, the absence of publishers, reviews (in the missing front pages of the books) and clear paths through the maze of open choice.

Comparing The Kite Runner and Angelas Ashes Essay

Depression cause a down fall on a person’s emotion. This is easy to understand in the novels Angela’s Ashes and The Kite Runner. In these two stories a person will encounter with the feelings of abandonment and death. In the kite runner Amir was depressed that he and baba had to leave Kabul. He was wondering if he was going to forget his homeland along the line. He mentioned, â€Å"I only knew the memory lived in me a perfectly encapsulated morsel of a good past a brush stroke of color on the gray, barren canvas that our life had become † The Russians invaded Afghanistan so baba and Amir had to leave to find safety. It was very hard for them to leave their homeland and go to Africa. They had to leave all their belongings and life behind n start fresh in a different country. In Angela’s Ashes Angela’s family McCourt’s they saw they were living in poor conditions .Angela’s mother sent money so they al could board a ship to Ireland and start new and leave America behind. They left Brooklyn behind for nothing because when they got to Ireland the living conditions stayed the same. Malachy spends all of his money at the bars and he always shows u to work drunk. Now there are no more jobs in Ireland so he has to abandon his family and go to England to get a job there. Amir from The Kite Runner went back to Afghanistan to visit Rahim Khan because he was very sick. While he was telling him about his family he asked about Hassan so Rahim had to tell him the he got murdered by Taliban. Amir had lots of things going threw his head. He regrets not being in touch with him band for not sticking up h imp years ago. Baba became sick with cancer and he dint want any treatment, he wisent scared to die he knew he lived his life with many accomplishments. Amir father also died now he had no one to get help from when he need guidance. There were many deaths in Angela’s Ashes. When Margret was born Malachy was able to bring food home. It was his only daughter and he was very happy, but when she died everything turned to the worst. Later Oliver one of the twins died. They dialed with many deaths in their family but every time it was harder, Oliver’s death caused depression in the family. The Kite Runner and Angela’s ashes have related themes, the theme of depression stands out, threw the loss of their loved ones, and abandoning their home land these two novels show different events that took in different parts of the world that made people depressed.

Research and testing on animals essays

Research and testing on animals essays Humans are the only hunters who kill when they are not hungry. This is a quote by Steven Spielberg. He was referring to the millions of animals that have been killed every year in the name of testing and research. The use of animal research has been an ongoing debate for many years. Is it right to use animals for research? To me, this is a very tough subject. My initial thought is absolutely not, but then there is that one part of me that says that some animal research that has been conducted has been used to create vaccines and medications that have been useful to me. I dont know though that it is right to harm and even kill other living creatures for our gains. I was reading an article off the internet that had an unknown author. He asked a few simple questions, then made what I thought to be a very good point. He asked, How many of you people have animals at home? A very simple question. Then he asked, What do you do when the animal gets sick? Thats an easy question too. You take it to the vet. Now he asked, How difficult is it to get your sick animal to swallow a pill that is going to help them? Having two dogs and a cat, I know it can sometimes be impossible. His last question was, knowing how hard it is to get an animal to take medication that would help it, why would you try to force something on the animal that would very well harm or even kill it? To me, this just doesnt sound like the right thing to do. As I was reading over the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals, I found many things that were a little disturbing to me. Many of the guidelines refer to having the animals euthanized . The quote by Steven Spielberg is true. These animals are dying for as far as I am concerned, no reason. Another point that was made in the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals is in section five of the guide ...

Invasion of the Zebra Mussels essays

Invasion of the Zebra Mussels essays There has been an incursion into the sovereign territory of the United States of America. The Zebra mussel, an animal much akin to the clam, has colonized nearly every hard surface in the Great Lakes area, and many rivers and streams attached to them. These invaders arrived on ships from England, pumped out through the ballast. Zebra mussels are from a different environment (England), thus they are classified as an exotic species. These pesky animals threaten the entire Great Lakes ecosystem. The invasion has created many problems for the local ecosystem. First of all, Zebra mussels take the food for which native species already compete. Each mussel consumes about a liter of different types of plankton. Small fish lose their food, and their numbers dwindle. Big fish no longer have small fish to eat, and the entire food chain is disrupted. Now that the natives dont have enough food to go around, mortality rates are going up and they are starting to die out. Another problem theyve created is clogging on industrial units. They reproduce en mass and attach themselves to anything they find, including docks, boat ramps, and waste pipes. All the industries in the area now have to worry about scraping these mini-invaders off. Yet another problem theyve created is contaminated drinking water. The intake pipes in Lake Michigan and elsewhere are covered with mussels. Without being removed, they contaminate water and move on to clog up city pipes. Still another problem is their colo nization of rock reefs. With the mussels being several inches deep in places, their waste is poisoning the area and fish that would normally lay their eggs there must look elsewhere for nesting areas. Now natality is down and mortality is up. A final problem they cause is damage to property. By latching onto boats and other floating objects, they can and will damage them. They cause innumerable problems, so now the ...

Case study of Mcdonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case study of Mcdonalds - Essay Example The rapid decline of revenues and deteriorating market position of 1990s could be contributed to number of factors like highly competitive global business environment, tough market conditions, tough labour conditions, lowering of costs of products, lack of new products etc. But under the stewardship of James Cantalupo, who took charge in 2003, the firm started making a definite turnaround. Efficient exploitation of the internal resources of the firm was the major contributory element which helped it to regain its market. McDonald’s corporate strategy mainly relies on creating value through customer satisfaction. It has been able to gain effective leverage against its rivals by exploiting its internal resources which are: brand equity, quality products and exemplary service. It has evolved into the best fast food centre through customer satisfaction and meeting their changing preferences. The use of technology and uniformity in its products has been the hallmark of its fast food across the world. The unmatched efficiency in the delivery of its services and the uniform quality of its food has become the unique feature of all its outlets. They provide quality food at low prices and give ‘value’ to the customers. Indeed, McDonald is the first food chain that has truly become global in its operation and values. The managerial leadership realized the importance of identifying the changing eating habits and accordingly introduced changes within its products. The burgers have been its main products that it has maintained by customising it as per the preference of the customers. It has also introduced wide variety of salads and healthy food in its menu while at the same time, localizing the products by adding local flavour. They differentiated the products by customising it according to the demands of the customers. The use of technology and uniformity in its

Psychological Perspectives on Organisation Essay

Psychological Perspectives on Organisation - Essay Example Hence, the knowledge of core psycho analytical concepts becomes important tools to the leadership for understanding the organizational behavior. The understanding of psychoanalytical concepts provides invaluable information regarding the socio-psychological factors that adversely affect the performance outcome of the workforce. Unconscious and repression, transference, envy and rivalry are few major concepts that considerably influence the human nature and consequently the behavior of the organization. Freud, the eminent socio-psychologist has contributed extensively towards understanding of these core psychoanalytical ingredients so that the one is better able to analyze human behavior within the prescribed social norms. Social scientists have corroborated that the psycho-analytical perspectives are important tools for understanding the hidden dynamics of human relationship, especially with regard to corporate culture, social defenses, leadership imperatives, motivation and other paradigms associated with organizational behavior (Levinson, 1972, 2002; DeBoard, 1978; Czander, 1993; Gabriel, 1999). The understanding equips th e leadership with the necessary knowledge to promote confidence building and strengthen interpersonal understanding with the group, within the organization. The theory of cognition tries to explain why and how the events take place and subsequent pattern of behaviour of man under certain condition involving emotional and metaphysical reaction. The role of brain and conscious and unconscious activities of the mind are seen to be the responsible for the general behaviour of man. The conscious and unconscious working of our mind is strongly co-related with our experience of the object reality. The conscious mind understands and interprets the sensations according to the partial or total recall of the events. On the other hand, sub conscious mind may or may not