Inconsiderate Drivers free essay sample

Inconsiderate Drivers Inconsiderate Drivers are a hazard to everyone, they are a nuisance to the public and they should be subpoenaed. Drivers who constantly break laws with no regard of others safety and well-being should be removed from the road for the good of all. Several Factors can put anyone in the category of an inconsiderate driver. These factors include car maintenance, road-rage, and distractions. Firstly, car repairs can be a costly expense when owning a motor vehicle. While the upkeep of a vehicle is the biggest responsibility when owning one, it is often the most over shadowed. Broken tail lights are one of most common failures of inconsiderate drivers. Tail lights are supposed to provide illumination for follow drivers on the road. Without such lighting and display it can be very hair to see a car in a pitch black environment. Thousands of auto accidents happen every year because of improper turn signals. We will write a custom essay sample on Inconsiderate Drivers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Improper turn signals have a big impact on other drivers on the road. It can be the small thing that results in the very high car repair bill. The simple oversight of not looking before making a smooth turn can be the result in a personal injury or a traumatic death. Headlights are an effective way of communication between cars. Many drivers flash headlights to let the other driver know that they have the right away. Without having this form of communication it impairs many drivers from operating a motor vehicle at night. Secondly, road rage is the top cause of auto accidents every year. Road rage incidents often occur on the highway or interstate, the accident can be extremely dangerous because they can easily escalate with the addition of more cars. Rude gestures are a common occurrence between drivers, heated personalities and attitudes can make this a dangerous act if not handled properly. Being courteous on the road can save many lives, a simple wave of the hand can give another driver the appropriate gesture and show empathy. Sex while driving is very popular among people in today’s time. While engaged in the act it is very difficult to operate a motor vehicle and be responsible for yourself, passengers and other drivers on the road. The raw emotion during sex can be overcoming a prevent something as simple as a turn. Lastly, driving is hazardous enough without all the distractions plaguing the way. You cannot afford to take your eyes of the road. Texting while driving is big in USA. City ordinances as well as state laws have been put into place to remove the inappropriate behavior by inconsiderate drivers. It has been growing cause of auto accident related deaths in the past few years. Distractions can come in many other forms including music being too loud in the summer time. When the car next to you is vibrating because of your music, it’s a sign it’s too loud. While police are in place to serve and protect, they often make improper signals and flash their lights when not needed. Some police officers flash their lights just to pass a red light. This act should be punishable. Police should be held accountable for their actions as well as everyday drivers. In conclusion, inconsiderate drivers are a hazard to themselves and everyone on the road with them. Car maintenance, road-rage, and distractions are just some of the actions committed by these individuals. Certain actions should be disciplined. Everyone makes mistakes but when they are consistently done without learning from them, something is wrong.

What Happened To Commercial Farm Workers After The Famous Land Reform (Land Grab) Programme In Zimbabwe The WritePass Journal

What Happened To Commercial Farm Workers After The Famous Land Reform (Land Grab) Programme In Zimbabwe a. Statement of purpose What Happened To Commercial Farm Workers After The Famous Land Reform (Land Grab) Programme In Zimbabwe Introduction a. Statement of purpose Overview summary Background and context of the Study Significance of the Problem Research Questions Hypothesis Scope / Limitations Research Methodology Structure of the Project ConclusionsBibliographyRelated Introduction a. Statement of purpose The goal of this study is to explore the different ways through which the land redistribution programme in Zimbabwe affected commercial farm workers in the country. The study will examine the assumptions that farm workers were better off prior to the land redistribution programme in the country. The study is expected to analyse whether the land redistribution affected the farm workers negatively or not. It is important to note that the land redistribution programme had been expected decades prior to implementation. Considering the fact that the majority of farm land was owned and controlled by a few white farmers, redistribution was necessary in order to promote social justice (UNDP, 2002). The study will explore the various ways through which the land redistribution programme ought to have been carried out. Overview summary The first chapter of this study will present the problem to be addressed in a general introduction. Chapter two shall explore material that has been previously published on the subject by other authors. This literature review shall provide necessary background information that will enable readers to have a better understanding about what the study is all about. This will include the political history of land distribution in Zimbabwe and how farmland ended up in the hands of a white minority. Chapter three shall be the methodology, which will outline the methods through which this study shall be carried out. Chapter four shall report the findings of the study and then a conclusion shall be drawn in chapter five. Chapter five shall also include recommendations and the implications of the outcomes of the study. Background and context of the Study Historically, the land problem in Zimbabwe can be traced back to the colonial era when European colonialists and businessmen settled in Zimbabwe and began cultivating the fertile lands in the country (Chan, 2003). Long after Zimbabwe gained its independence from Britain, white farmers who had settled in the country remained there and continued cultivating the fertile soil in the country (Mutangi, 2010). Zimbabwe’s political elite in the ZANU PF party began addressing the issue. This sensitive issue attracted widespread local and international interest. When the land redistribution programme began, many black Zimbabweans welcomed it with a sigh of relief. Commercial farm workers were unaware of the fact that the land redistribution programme might cost them their jobs. The land redistribution programme resulted in massive unemployment of commercial farm workers. After the land redistribution programme was officially closed, many farm workers lost their jobs (FCTZ, 2002). Some of the new owners who took over the farms lacked adequate finances or/and expertise to manage a commercial farm. About eighty-five percent (85%) of the farms that were surveyed in a study conducted by the Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe (FCTZ) found out that there had been a drastic drop in productivity (FCTZ, 2002b). In a particular region of the country named Mashonaland West, FCTZ found that out of thirty farms sampled in the study, up to ninety percent (90%) of the farms had been taken over by the government (FCTZ, 2002). More than sixty percent (60%) of the 30 farms that were analysed had completely shut down (FCTZ, 2002). This implies that productivity at these farms had dropped to zero, and all the farm workers had lost their jobs. Although many commercial farm workers lost their jobs as a result of the redistribution programme, a historical background clearly outlines the context of this study and reveals that land distribution in Zimbabwe was unfair (Buckle, 2001). The land redistribution programme was designed to render justice to the black population that had been cheated for years. Meanwhile the land redistribution failure has been widely criticised, many politicians believe that the problem could have been tackled differently. The land reforms programme had disastrous consequences on the general Zimbabwean economy, which is dependent on agriculture as one of its major sources of foreign revenue and employment. By the time the land redistribution programme was officially completed in 2002, more than fifty percent (50%) of commercial farm workers had lost their jobs as a result of the land reforms   (Mutangi, 2010). At the end of the land redistribution programme, many of the farms were unable to achieve the same output as they had done in the past. This resulted in shortage of food, inflation and a surge in unemployment figures of commercial farm workers (FCTZ, 2002b). This affected not just the agricultural sector, but the entire economy considering the fact that agriculture is a major sector in the country. Significance of the Problem Scoones et al (2010) believe that the land redistribution programme received widespread stereotypical coverage. Although the programme did not achieve resounding success, the western media also politicised the subject. It is important to note that just about 6.7% of the commercial farm workers were offered land in the programme. Although there are varying figures on the number of farm workers who lost their jobs, the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) of Zimbabwe estimates that about 200,000 commercial farm workers lost their jobs (CFU, 2003). After the redistribution programme was complete in 2002, many commercial farm workers lost access to vital social services such as basic health care, housing and other minor privileges which they had enjoyed before (Chan, 2003). The new farm owners had a different perspective on the importance of welfare services to workers. Although workers were guaranteed accommodation by the new farm owners, the quality of accommodation varied from farm to farm (Kibble Vanlerberghe, 2000). Under the new farm owners, workers who were still in service suffered from housing insecurity. When some workers tried to resist eviction, this resulted in disputes and clashes between the new farm owners and the workers (Buckle, 2001). By mid 2002, up to 900,000 individuals, including women and children were victims of the evictions (Chitiyo, 2002). Many of these displaced farm workers travelled to urban centres to look for other means of survival. In the last quarter of the year 2002, up to ninety percent (90%) of commercial farm workers who had left their jobs moved to other areas of the country. Some of them were lucky enough to pick up unskilled jobs in the city (UNDP, 2002).   Some of them will go any lengths to cross over into South Africa, where they got a hostile reception from the local population there. This study is important because it looks at a phenomenon that affected close to a million people considering the number of farmers and their relatives that were displaced from their settlements. It is equally important because it looks at a subject that fuelled pol itical unrest and resulted in double digit inflation figures for Zimbabwe. After the land redistribution programme, Zimbabwe recorded a drastic cut in its GNP. Rationale for the Research Project This study will explore the weaknesses of the land redistribution programme in Zimbabwe. It will identify the weaknesses of the programme and then propose better ways through which things could have been done to avoid the negative impact the programme left on the lives of farmers. Although many studies have been carried out in different academic disciplines on the land redistribution programme in Zimbabwe, many of these studies have focused on the causes and impact of the programme. They mostly look at how the land redistribution programme affected farmers, farm workers, the economy, politics and society of Zimbabwe. Few studies have focused on alternative ways through which the land redistribution programme could have been implemented in order to avoid the chaos it brought into the life of the farmers and the economy at large. Research Questions In order to ensure that the study stays focused on its main objective, which includes the impact of the land redistribution programme on commercial farm workers, this study shall be guided by a set of research questions outlined below. At every phase of the study, the researcher will ensure that was ever is done is seeking to find answers to one or more of the following research questions:- i.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What has happened to farm workers that were removed from farms? ii.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What has become of their standard of living? iii.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How has this affected the education and upbringing of their children? iv.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How could the farming industry have benefitted from using the skills of the disposed farm workers? v.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why did the land reform programme fail? Hypothesis At the end of this study, the hypothesis shall either be confirmed or refuted based on the data gathered from this study. The hypothesis for this study includes the following:- a.)Commercial farm workers suffered as a result of the fact that the land redistribution programme was poorly planned an implemented. b.) Alternative ways of handling the injustices brought about by the inequitable distribution of land between blacks and white farmers would have brought justice without hurting farmers, farm workers and the economy. c.)The land redistribution programme was more of a political than a social problem that was why it backfired. Scope / Limitations This is an area that has been widely researched as it is of interests to many scholars from different disciplines. The proposed project will take the form of a research study that will be done using secondary research. This implies that it will look at information already gathered to express and clarify the points. This makes the task relatively easier for this study. The study also spans from the colonial period, when the land distribution patterns in Zimbabwe began in modern times, to the pre redistribution period. It also covers the post land redistribution era during which farmers began feeling the impact of the land redistribution process. I chose secondary sources as it is relatively easy to obtain yet it will answer the questions I need to answer in the research project leaving me enough scope to be able to consult different sources of information and to expand where I feel the is a gap. I am aware that some of the disadvantages of using secondary research include the fact that the information may not be complete as it relates to the researcher’s specific interest and I intend to address this by putting on additional information to ensure that my research is complete. One of the limitations of this study includes the fact that the study is about a controversial issue that has been politicised. As such, some of the data that has been previously published on the subject is characterised by the political bias of many of these authors. For instance, many of the publications authored by white farmers’ movements such as CFU, stress the damage caused by the land redistribution programme on the economy. Meanwhile many black authors stress the fact that land redistribution was characterised by historical injustices. In this light, it is challenging to distinguish between facts and the authors’ personal biases. Research Methodology This is qualitative study that will rely on secondary sources such as text books, journals and online sources for data collection. This is a topic that has been covered by many other researchers, making it relatively easier for the research to collect data. The study shall make use of qualitative methods to analyse the data collected for this study. Structure of the Project This study shall be structured into five chapters. Each of the chapters will address a particular aspect of the study. It shall be structured as listed below:- Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 – Literature Review Chapter 3 – Methodology Chapter 3 – Results and Interpretations Chapter 5 – Conclusions Conclusions The study shall conclude by summarising the entire research project. The conclusion shall only be based on information gathered from the study. Based on these conclusions, recommendations shall be made. These recommendations shall outline the various ways through which the land redistribution ought to have been carried out. It shall also identify the mistakes made by the Mugabe regime.   Bibliography Buckle, C (2001) African Tears: Zimbabwe Land Invasions, Johannesburg: Covos Day CFU (2003) The Current Status of Commercial Agriculture in Zimbabwe, Harare Chan, S (2003) Robert Mugabe: A Life of Power and Violence, London: IB Taurus Chitiyo, K (2002) Harvest of Tongues: Zimbabwe’s ‘Third Chimurenga’ and the Making of an Agrarian Revolution, Mimeo FCTZ (2002) Concession Informal Settlement: Mazowe District, Mashonaland Central, Harare FCTZ (2002b) The Situation of Commercial Farm Workers after Land Reform in Zimbabwe 91 Kibble, S and P Vanlerberghe (2000) Land, Power and Poverty: Farm Workers and the Crisis in Zimbabwe, London: CIIR Mutangi G.T. (2010)   Livelihoods after Land Reform in Zimbabwe Working Paper 13 The Changing Patterns of Farm Labour after the Fast Track Land Reform Programme: The Case of Guruve District. Livelihoods After Land Reform Programme Sachikonye, L. M (2003) The Situation of Commercial Farm Workers after Land Reform in Zimbabwe A report prepared for the Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe Scoones I., Marongwe N., Mavedzenge B., Mahenehene J., Murimbarimba F., Sukume C.(2010) Zimbabwe’s Land Reform – Myths and Realities. Weaver Press UNDP (2002) Zimbabwe Land Reform and Resettlement: Assessment and Suggested Framework for the Future, Interim Mission Report, Harare

How to keep yourself motivated for college life Essay

How to keep yourself motivated for college life - Essay Example Time management involves taking control of the time spent while doing every activity in the college. Effective time management can be achieved by considering the following options. Firstly, students should prepare a to-do list to guide them on different day-to-day activities. By following the program on the list, students get motivated by the accomplishment done on each activity. Secondly, students can achieve effective time management by scheduling dedicated time for different activities. For example, students should create dedicated study time where they only carryout personal studies. Further, students should identify committed time such as times spend in commuting to the lecture rooms or times spend in class work. By identifying committed time, students can be able to program different activities that do not clash in terms of time of occurrence hence enabling the students to perform the different activities at ease. Lastly, students can save time by developing good study habits and using the spare time available to them. Good study habits include taking necessary notes while in class and attending to all the lectures as required. This way, students can carry out exam revision very effectively using a short time. Farther, students can effectively manage their time by carrying small portions of class work to study during spare time such as time available while waiting in lines. On the other hand, students can be motivated for their college life by being focused on their studies. Identifying the reasons and benefits of being in the college forms the basis of motivation that result good focus on college goals. However, for students to develop good focus on college studies, they should consider implementing the following activities. Firstly, students should think about why they want to graduate on a particular course. Before joining college education, most students are motivated to work

The Crusades Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Crusades - Essay Example The first text comprises of an eyewitness account of the sermon of Pope Urban II and the details of Crusade as given by various Christian eyewitness. Pope’s sermon has been embellished with lots of imagination and gory details of mass killings of Christians by Turks in the city of Jerusalem. Robert The Monk’s account of Pope’s sermon is interspersed with gruesome details of the killing in order to incite Christians to take part in the war and avenge the desecration of Church. Baldric of Dol says that Pope had exhorted the Christian by telling them that ‘you may deem it a beautiful thing to die for Christ in that city in which he died for us’ (Allen and Amt, p44). Most importantly it tells that the crusaders not only fought for religious purpose but many had vested interests. Bohemond, a great warrior, had to be bribed by the Emperor with ‘land in extent from Antioch fifteen days’ journey and eight in width’ (Allen and Amt, p62). T he text shows that the crusades against Turks had defied human dignity with extreme brutality and violence. Indeed, Letter of Stephen of Bloise to his wife covers the religious fervor of the crusades and also describes the bloodshed and indiscriminate killing in the name of holy war. An Arab Syrian Gentleman and Warrior: Memoirs of Usamah gives insight into the Arab culture and shows a humane perspective of people who were viewed as barbarians during the period of crusades. He gives personal accounts of his experience of Christians with whom he had maintained good relationships. In a personal account, Usamah describes how Frankish physician had saved the life of the son of an Arab artisan, whose neck was afflicted with scrofula, a dreaded disease. The text gives a more civilized picture of Moslems in Jerusalem and shows that Moslems and Christians had co-existed peacefully as contrarily described in the earlier text.  

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 56

Journal - Assignment Example It is pointed out that the first Muslim college that was accredited might be biased with regard to Israel and the Jews. In this case the quality of education that it offers should be analyzed carefully. 3. The video articulates a peculiar statistics: more and more people claim that they do not belong to any religion. It is suggested that people decided to create their own interpretation of the world and live according to it. What is more important is that the contemporary society often sees religion as a certain attribute, but not a deep spiritual commitment. 4. This video points out that many people mix prejudice and patriotism. Thus, many know that America is currently engaged in armed conflicts with Islamic countries, but discriminating against Muslims in the United State should not be seen as a solution towards the problem. Moreover, the experiment showed that the majority of the people are indifferent towards discrimination and will not do anything about

The Character Of Henry Perowne In Saturday English Literature Essay

The Character Of Henry Perowne In Saturday English Literature Essay Ian McEwans Saturday is a novel that introduces the present-day world to readers through the perspective of its protagonist, Henry Perowne. Throughout this novel, readers are exposed to an impressive evaluation of what makes up life in this modern century, in which the future appears unpredictable for anyone. By reading every detail about this particular Saturday in the life of Perowne, readers begin to appreciate elements of life that may go unnoticed, the aspects that make each day unique. Perowne ends up interacting with all his family members on his one day off from work. His day is filled with thoughtful reflections and evaluations of the fine points of human behaviour in the modern life. McEwans portrayal of Perowne and his thoughts and actions are what drives this novel from beginning to end. Perowne is a model of a comfortable, contemporary man who lives in a present-day age of uncertainty. All he longs for are possession, belonging, and repition (McEwan 40). However, this un certainty of the future causes even content men such as Perowne to be thrown off into a world of chaotic events and brings out their strengths and weaknesses. The entire novel takes place in London on February 15, 2003. As Perowne, a man in his late forties, gets out of his bed at four oclock in the morning to look out his window, readers begin to sense some foreshadowing of the uncertainty that is waiting ahead of him. He watches a plane on fire fly over London during a post-9/11 time when words like catastrophe and mass fatalities, chemical and biological warfare and major attack have recently become bland through repetition (McEwan 12). But Perowne is not fully shaken by the event he witnesses. He comprehends that this obligation to the news adds to the unease of people in the contemporary world: Its a condition of the times, this compulsion to hear how it stands with the world, and be joined to the generality, to a community of anxiety. The habits grown stronger these past two years; a different scale of news value has been set by monstrous and spectacular scenes. The possibility of their recurrence is one thread that binds the days. The governments counsel that an attack in a European or American city is an inevitability isnt only a disclaimer of responsibility, its a heady promise. Everyone fears it, but theres also a darker longing in the collective mind, a sickening for self-punishment and a blasphemous curiosity. Just as the hospitals have their crisis plans, so the television networks stand ready to deliver, and their audiences wait. Bigger, grosser next time. Please dont let it happen. But let me see it all the same, as its happening and from every angle, and let me be among the first to know. (McEwan 176) However this 21st-century apprehension of a catastrophe about to happen fails to let people see the casual details that affect lives at a deeper and personal level. Perowne is surrounded by people that need his help. His mother is a dementia patient who cannot identify any of her friends or family. His patients at work come to him to rescue them from a sickness or mishap that they couldnt evade or control.He is determined to use science and his skills to better others lives, as well as his own since God chooses to afflict people with these tragedies. He never held a belief in destiny or providence, or in creationism. In its place, he believes that at every instant, a trillion possible futures are possible. To him, the unpredictability of possibility is more real than a God who is in control of the universe and everyones life outcomes. Perowne is introduced in the novel as a man who is happy and satisfied with his life. He lives in an enormous house in London, and leads a prosperous, upper-middle class life. He is content with his work as a respected neurosurgeon, his family of four, and particularly his successful wife: What a stroke of luck, that the woman he loves is also his wife (McEwan 38-9). Readers are then introduced to Perownes unease as a man. He observes the adventures that his married friends have with younger women and begins to think he may be lacking an element of the masculine life force, and a bold and healthy appetite for experience (McEwan 40). Perowne is very self-aware and is a habitual observer of his own moods (McEwan 5). He is a dreamer sometimes and lets a shadowy mental narrativebreak in, urgent and unbidden, even during a consultation (McEwan 20). He mocks at known postmodern suspicions: If the present dispensation is wiped out now, the future will look back on us as gods, certainly in this city, lucky gods blessed by supermarket cornucopias, torrents of accessible information, warm clothes that weigh nothing, extended lifespans, wondrous machines (McEwan 77). Perowne is so aware of the present that he even continues his amusing evaluation of contemporary life in the shower. The more time the reader spends with Perowne, the more one can see a man who is dedicated to doing the correct thing instead of doing the practical thing. McEwan portrays Perowne as a man who in some ways has got it all: happiness and success. However, in the end Perowne sees something in Baxters character that he himself has not got. He realizes through encountering the random yet chaotic events with Baxter that there has to be more to life than merely saving lives (McEwan 28). Baxter is gifted in something that Perowne is not-appreciating the meaning of poetry. It may have been love that changed and touched Baxter, not the scientific activity occurring in his brain. Perownes frame of mind changes throughout the course of the novel, and therefore throughout his Saturday. He goes from being cheerful to cross to optimistic. Schrodingers cat could either be alive or dead in a box, the war could either happen or not happened. Whatever the case may be, the world continues to go on anyway. As this particular Saturday in the life of Perowne unfolds itself, he demonstrates to readers that uncertainty of the future will always exist. It is something that cannot be predicted but can only be responded to.

When Filing for Bankruptcy in Canada :: essays research papers

This received a 27/28 in my OAC law class so, have a blast..... WHEN FILING FOR BANKRUPTCY IN CANADA The law sometimes seems to pervade all aspects of our lives and an involvement with bankruptcy and insolvency law has proved to be almost unavoidable for business people in Canada during the 1990's. In simplest term, corporate and individual bankruptcy law provides a set of rules to prevent chaos among the creditors of an insolvent corporation or individual. The legislation is a complex in part because those creditors fall into so many categories-secured creditors, unsecured creditors, government creditors, and so on-each with its own special rights and interests in the bankruptcy process. Canada's federal bankruptcy statute, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, also deals with corporate receivership. A receivership is not the same as a bankruptcy. By the same token, a receiver is not the same as a trustee in a bankruptcy. However, the two systems have a lot in common and a receivership of an individual or a corporation usually occurs at the same time as a bankruptcy. Corporations that have become insolvent can try to avoid bankruptcy and receivership by reorganizing their finances. The Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act deals with reorganizations and another federal statute, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, may offer relief to some corporations. Some of Canada's biggest news stories of the past few years have concerned the attempts of major Canadian companies such as Olympia & York, Algoma Steel, Grafton Fraser, Woodwards, Westar Mining, and Birks, to complete reorganizations. But the most well known companies were both Air Canada and Canadian Airlines. Air Canada, Canadian Airlines, and United Airlines are all commercial passenger air carriers. Beyond that, they have only a few similarities. All are old commercial carriers that were facing bankruptcy together until the Canadian Postal Service approved air travel for Canadian Mail in 1925. There, they reached a point of divergence that continues today. AIR CANADA Time Magazine's November 17, 1958 cover sported a diagonal banner across one corner reading "Jets Across Canada." (Goutierez, 1997). At the time of the article's publication, "Air Canada had earned a reputation as an industry leader, and this, coupled with the high-profile leadership of 'Mr. C.R.,' made Air Canada's imminent transcontinental jet service the catalyst for an exciting new era. Time wrote that although Pan Am had already flown jets across the Atlantic, C.R. Smith and Air Canada would usher in the 'Jet Age' for most Canadians with the introduction of

Acid Rain Case Study

Acid Rain: The Southern Company (A) Problem Statement In 1992, executives at the Southern Company have three years to formulate a robust and complex strategy that will involve massive capital outlay and substantial modifications to processes and procedures as it works to comply with provisions enacted in 1990 to the amendments of the Clean Air Act, while simultaneously ensuring they remain sustainable and profitable. Analysis The Southern Company is an American based electric utilities company in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.It is the fourth largest in the U. S. The case surrounds the challenges the company’s Bowen plant in Georgia faces as it attempts to conform to the new 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. The Bowen plant is a coal fired plant capable of producing enough power to serve residential, commercial, and industrial demands of over one million people. The Clean Air Act recognizes sulfur as a contributor to the acid rain problem and enacted a goal to reduce total national sulfur dioxide emissions to half of 1990 levels.The Act describes the cap and trade approach whereby companies are permitted to pollute a certain amount of sulfur dioxide compared to levels of electricity output they produce. Rainwater is naturally acidic with a pH of around 5. 7. Acid rain can be defined by anthropogenic acidification caused by nitrogen compounds and sulfur dioxide, formed as particulate matter released in man-made products such as smoke stack emissions and automobiles. Environmentalists have grown more concerned about the effects of acid rain which contains lower than normal pH levels in water.The effects of the lowered pH as surface water streams into rivers and threatens aquatic species, disappearance of sensitive coral reefs, disrupts microorganisms and natural acid buffers in soil, weakens tree roots, causes leaf loss, and corrodes limestone and buildings. The case serves to examine the methods and alternatives for which sulfur dioxide is utili zed, and the relation with its pollution within coal-fired energy plants. Through new provisions passed in the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Southern Company’s Bowen plant in Georgia will require strategic action in order to comply with the new law.They must reduce their sulfur dioxide emissions from 262,800 tons per year to 254,580 per year, as well as steeper reductions in subsequent years. If it does not, it will be allowed to buy allowances from other plants or companies to meet the legislative requirements. Conversely, the Bowen plant can work to significantly lower sulfur dioxide emissions and sell their excess pollution allowances to other plants or companies. To this end, the case discusses three options the Bowen plant is investigating in order to comply with the new Clean Air provisions, which are: 1.Option 1: Burn high-sulfur coal without scrubbers and purchase allowances 2. Option 2: Burn high-sulfur coal with scrubbers and sell allowances 3. Option 3: Burn low-sulfu r coal and have potential to sell allowances The Southern Company must consider certain ambiguities as they evaluate their options. First, the pricing of pollution allowances are established estimates and could vary depending on projected levels and future government protocol.Second, if the Bowen plant selects the option that would produce the greatest amount of pollution, it would counter the intent of the Clean Air Act and therefore, even if the option chosen is most advantageous from a profitability standpoint, the company should consider a balance of profitability and adherence to the progression of global conservation. The Southern Company has certain advantages in working toward a solution to bring their plants up to code and in line with new regulations. They have four plants in the southeast, representing a strong energy producing market share in the region.Each plant is in a different stage of code adherence, so the company has flexibility as it considers its options for th e Bowen plant. As a standard, the coal plants have low variable costs, and operate continuously with reliability. The Bowen facility offers affordable electricity, serving residential, commercial, and industrial segments. Some of the company’s weaknesses is they manage a large scale operation and a single strategic business decision may have downstream effects on other plants.In addition, they have dependencies on their external coal suppliers, the fact that their current operations and capital equipment only support emissions of sulfur dioxide requiring government regulation. As Coase indicates, â€Å"when property rights are not defined and enforced, or when transaction costs are high, the contentious parties can call on government to deal with the issue† (Myer), which is exactly what has occurred. Coase reminds us that external effects are reciprocal. There would be no acid rain harm if it were not for economic pursuit that values environmental use.In contrast, ther e would be no discharge of waste were it not for economic activity that values environmental use. Therefore, the focus of the acid rain dilemma is on the producers and users of electricity and the owners of coal companies and their employees, not the owners of the buildings, property tax collectors, environmentalists, or other interest groups wanting to place restrictions on environmental users. Recommendation: The recommendation for this case is largely represented in the Excel spreadsheet that accompanies this paper.Specifically, the lines 2 through 12 on the spreadsheet cite the assumptions that are common among all three options. Option 1: Burn High-Sulfur Coal without Scrubbers: Purchase Allowances Without utilizing the scrubbers, 266,550 tons of sulfur dioxide will emit into the atmosphere. It is impossible to meet input requirements of 8,338 tons of coal and still emit low enough levels to meet the Clean Air Act standards. Bowen’s coal varies widely both in delivered p rices per ton and in heat content per pound; therefore prices are expressed in dollars per ton.From 1992-1995, high sulfur Kentucky coal burned at $41. 46 per ton. From 1995-2016, the price was expected to fall to $39. 82 per ton. They would have to purchase pollution allowances in addition to paying the operating costs for this option. Summary of Assumptions| Description of Value | Cost per Ton – High Sulfur Coal (bottom of pg. 3)| 1992-1995 cost per ton is $41. 46; 1996-2016, price drops to $29. 82| Cost per Ton – Low Sulfur Coal (pg. 5)| For option 3: Starting in 1996, cost for low sulfur is $30. 37 per ton. | Estimated Price of Allowances (pg. )| 1995 allowance is $250; and increase 10% in 1996 on through 2016| Tons of High Sulfur Coal per Year (pg. 4-top)| Annual hi-sulfur coal needed to sustain operations (reference cell C8) 8. 338M tons| Tons of Low Sulfur Coal per Year (pg. 5)| Annual low-sulfur coal needed to sustain operations (reference cell C9) 8. 391M tons | Sulfur Dioxide allowances received /yr. (pg. 2)| 254,580 tons of sulfur dioxide in 1995-1999; and 122,198 in years 2000-2016| Revenue from electricity sales (pg. 4, option 2)| Reference value for option 2 that contributes to loss of 2% revenue (see option 2, line 41). 1551000000 kw*0. 056) = 1206856000| OPTION 1: HIGH-SULFUR COAL WITHOUT SCRUBBERS| Description of Value| Sulfur Dioxide Emitted (pg. 4)| Bowen plant burns 1. 6% sulfur by weight, burning 8. 338M tons, generating 266,550 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions. All years included| Allowances Bought (pg. 2)| Option 1 would require Bowen to buy allowances. Figure is 266,550 tons of sulfur dioxide generated minus the 254,580 allowances afforded, starting in 1995 – 2016| Allowance Cost (pg. 3)| Price of allowances bought times the price, starting in 1995 – 2016 | Fuel Cost| N/A|Additional Operating Cost| N/A| Lost Revenue| N/A| Pre-tax Total| Adds allowance, fuel, additional operating, and lost revenue costs (lines 19 through 22)| After-tax Cost| Adds 37. 7% tax rate starting in 1995 through 2016| Capital Cost| N/A| Depreciation| N/A| Total| After tax cost + capital cost – depreciation (if applicable)| PV| Present value year over year| NPV = | 266. 38 Millions| Option 2: Burn High-Sulfur Coal with Scrubbers and sell allowances Wet limestone flue gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment, commonly referred to s scrubbers, are as large as generators and expensive to install. The gas with 90% of the sulfur dioxide removed would then be vented to the air. Bowen could install the scrubbers during Phase 1 period, and allow them to sell allowances to other utility plants. During Phase 2, Bowen will have to meet the new requirements and would delay capital outplays of installing the scrubbers by five years, however, in Phase 1 period they would have to buy allowances or burn lower-sulfur coal. OPTION 2: HIGH-SULFUR COAL WITH SCRUBBERS| Description of Value| Sulfur Dioxide Emitted| Bowen plant burns 1 . % sulfur by weight, burning 8. 338M tons, generating 266,550 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions before scrubbers installed. Thereafter, beginning in 1995, emissions drop to 26,655| Allowances Bought| Option 2 would require Bowen to buy allowances. Figure is 26,650 tons of sulfur dioxide generated minus the 254,580 allowances afforded, starting in 1995 – 2016, hence allowance cost is much less than option 1, due to less emissions generated| Allowance Cost| Price of allowances bought times the price, starting in 1995 – 2016 | Fuel Cost| N/A|Additional Operating Cost (pg. 7)| Scrubbers add 0. 13 per kwh to operating costs for purchase of limestone and disposal of sludge| Lost Revenue| Additional energy consumption costs impact revenue by 2%| Pre-tax Total| Adds allowance, fuel, additional operating, and lost revenue costs (lines 36 through 39)| After-tax Cost| Adds 37. 7% tax rate starting in 1995 through 2016| Capital Cost| $143. 85M in year 0, $503. 61M in year 1, $71. 97M in year 2| Capitalized Value| $143. 85M in year 0, $503. 61M in year 1, $71. 7M in year 2 = added| Depreciation| Capitalized value * 14% depreciation (1995 – 1999); 2% depreciation (2000-2016)| Tax Benefit from Depreciation| Straight line depreciation | Total| After tax cost + capital cost + tax benefit from depreciation | PV| Present value year over year| NPV = | 309. 90 Millions| Option 3: Burn Low-Sulfur Coal. Compared with the coal burned at Bowen that contained an average weight of 1. 6% sulfur, the low-sulfur coal contains only 1% by weight, but its cost is greater than the expected 1996 cost of high-sulfur coal. There is a capital expenditure of $22. million to change the electrostatic precipitation used to control airborne particulate matter. Prices will rise after the year 2000 because in Phase 2 its price was expected to rise as the tighter control drove up demand. It will take more low-sulfur coal per year to generate electricity versus high-sulfur coal. The lo w-sulfur coal would still emit 167,650 tons of sulfur dioxide per year which is less than half the 266,550 tons of high-sulfur coal. The problem with low-sulfur coal is that it is rare and expensive to mine. OPTION 3: LOW-SULFUR COAL WITHOUT SCRUBBERS| Description of Value| Sulfur Dioxide Emitted| Bowen plant burns 1. % sulfur by weight, burning 8. 338M tons, generating 266,550 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions before scrubbers installed. Thereafter, beginning in 1995, emissions drop to 26,655| Allowances Bought| Option 3 would require Bowen to buy allowances. Figure is 26,650 tons of sulfur dioxide generated minus the 254,580 allowances afforded, starting in 1995 – 2016, hence allowance cost is much less than option 1, due to less emissions generated| Allowance Cost| Price of allowances bought times the price, starting in 1995 – 2016 | Fuel Cost| Additional low-sulfur fuel cost begin in 1996 – 2000 ($30. 7 per ton), and new rate from 2000 – 2016 ($34. 92 per ton)| Additional Operating Cost| N/A| Lost Revenue| N/A| Pre-tax Total| Adds allowance, fuel, additional operating, and lost revenue costs (lines 55 through 58)| After-tax Cost| Adds 37. 7% tax rate starting in 1995 through 2016| Capital Cost| $22. 1M one-time purchase for electrostatic precipitators | Depreciation| Straight-line depreciation beginning in 1997 of 14%| Tax Benefit from Depreciation| Capitalized value * 14% depreciation (1997 – 2000)| Total| Straight line depreciation |PV| Present value year over year | NPV = | 176. 98 Millions| From the suggested assumptions presented above, and the detail from the discounted cash flow Excel spreadsheet, a recommendation is evident to suggest the best option for the Southern Company to adopt, which is option 2 that yields the highest net present value. Continuing the processes of burning high emitting sulfur dioxide coal, with the investment of scrubbers is the most cost effective solution given the company’s conclu sion to retire the plant in 2016.The company must now decide whether to install pollution control equipment and generate excess permits for sale to other companies, or to emit larger quantities of sulfur dioxide, save capital costs, and purchase pollution permits. Considering the discounted cash flow analysis of a make versus buy decision, the company should also consider issues of expected cost minimization, questions of economic and political uncertainty, and the value of flexibility. The analysis depends on assumptions of the behavior of emissions permit prices over time, which a discussion of externalities (acid rain) links to the company’s cost of capital.Various factors complicate the decisions, including real options characteristics, emissions market evolution, substitute investment prices, and public policy. The company should develop a comprehensive risk assessment process that includes all the areas of significant risks to the Company, including potential price impa cts on customers, reliability risk, regulatory risk, impacts on customer behavior, reputational risk, etc. These integrated processes consider multiple environmental considerations and requirements rather than solely on the greenhouse gas regulations.Even though the Southern Company does not have a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, they should be committed to improving their environmental performance and the communities it serves by being a good environmental steward and working to conserve valuable natural resources. Further, Southern Company employees, customers, and the public, and the protection of the natural environment should be among the Company's highest priorities. The Southern Company is going to face major challenges throughout their daily operations as they implement option 2.The first challenge will be their ability to conduct traditional electricity business operations effectively while transforming the Bowen plant. The new regulations, changes in the energy environment, and transmitting electricity securely are all reasons that could affect their earnings. The Southern Company must work toward balancing the required costs and capital expenditures with their customer’s prices during the renovation period, with ability to sustain future profit margins.To begin the process of exercising Option 2 will require a firm commitment to install scrubbers and that plan needs to begin now with the creation of Requests for Proposals (RFP’s). Company executives have estimates of how long will it take to implement the scrubbers but do not address if they will require additional manpower to handle the maintenance for the scrubbers. The company should be prepared to add new labor which will stimulate additional jobs which will make for a positive public relations story.Option 2 will also place the company in a position light with the ability to sell allowances versus worrying about buying allowances. As society progresses, so too is the se nsitivity to pollution and operating a plant that exceeds the Clean Air Act requirements will position the company more favorably in the industry. The need to cut emissions to conform to Clean Air Act requirements and the anticipated high costs to conform will likely result in an emerging market for emissions trading. To this end, trade allowance prices are likely to increase, thereby potentially generating additional revenues for the company.The company should consider capitalizing on partnerships with environmentalists or green conscious companies by creating a marketing campaign that promotes the purchase of pollution credits so they are not sold to other polluters. Such a campaign could allow people and companies to buy pollution credits to support their social causes, such as students and schools and universities, as well as individuals buying credits for birthday, wedding, or retirement gifts. Because of the Clean Air Act provisions, coal-firing generating facilities must redu ce their greenhouse gas pollution before 2016; it is probable that he company should consider that coal-firing plant operations will not be profitable in the future. Therefore, in addition to implementing option 2 to conform to reduced emission coal fired electricity production, the company needs to consider exploration of other emerging markets for producing energy such as oil, nuclear power, natural gas, and renewables. The strategy process should anticipate cost, emissions, and performance characteristics of each of these options, as appropriate, for individual units.Further, the company should develop environmental strategy schedules that include long term emission control plans. Another avenue the Southern Company should be aware of is its ability to create mergers with other power-generating companies. It is likely in subsequent years, with regulation, alternative fuel sources, and technology advancement changing industry dynamics, power generating companies may see this speci al characteristic of mergers and acquisitions, which can significantly reduce costs while increasing generating capacity and market share.In closing, all three options are going to cause a certain amount of operating energy, management headache, and expense. It is option 2 that appears to be the least painful in that it forces the Southern Company to elevate their Bowen plant with the newest technology with the installation of scrubber systems, while also stimulating labor growth. It also allows the greatest ability to produce excess allowances (except for option 3) that can be sold for revenue.Option 3 is too unstable with the company having to terminate contracts with coal suppliers and convert to a low-sulfur coal product which is scarce and more costly. When the Bowen plant retires its operations in 2016, the company should have mostly converted from coal to newer energy sources, and can liquidate the remaining assets for a higher value versus not making equipment conversions wi th options 1 and 3.Finally, option 2 can be viewed positively by environmentalists, shareholders, and employees by signifying a committed investment in the Bowen plant. References: Reinhardt, F. , (1992). Acid Rain: The Southern Company (A). HBS No. 9-792-060. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Meyer, R. , and Yandle, B. , (1987) The Political Economy of Acid Rain Cato Journal, Vol. 7, No. 2. The Cato Institute

Famous Flash Fiction

Famous Flash Fiction Over the past few decades, flash fiction, micro-fiction, and other super-short short stories have grown in popularity. Entire journals such as Nano Fiction and Flash Fiction Online are devoted to flash fiction and related forms of writing, while contests administrated by Gulf Coast, Salt Publishing, and The Kenyon Review cater to flash fiction authors. But flash fiction also has a long and respectable history. Even before the term â€Å"flash fiction† came into common usage in the late 20th century, major writers in France, America, and Japan were experimenting with prose forms that put special emphasis on brevity and concision.   Charles Baudelaire (French, 1821-1869) In the 19th century, Baudelaire pioneered a new type of short-form writing called â€Å"prose poetry.† Prose poetry was Baudelaire’s method for capturing the nuances of psychology and experience in short bursts of description. As Baudelaire puts it in the introduction to his famous collection of prose poetry, Paris Spleen (1869): â€Å"Who has not, in bouts of ambition, dreamt this miracle, a poetic prose, musical without rhythm or rhyme, supple and choppy enough to accommodate the lyrical movement of the soul, the undulations of reverie, the bump and lurch of consciousness?† The prose poem became a favorite form of French experimental writers, such as Arthur Rimbaud and Francis Ponge. But Baudelaire’s emphasis on turns of thought and twists of observation also paved the way for the â€Å"slice of life† flash fiction that can be found in many present-day magazines. Ernest Hemingway (American, 1899-1961) Hemingway is well-known for novels of heroism and adventure such as For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea- but also for his radical experiments in super-short fiction. One of the most famous works attributed to Hemingway is a six-word short story: â€Å"For sale: baby shoes, never worn.† Hemingway’s authorship of this miniature story has been called into question, but he did create several other works of extremely short fiction, such as the sketches that appear throughout his short story collection In Our Time. And Hemingway also offered a defense of radically concise fiction: â€Å"If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them.† Yasunari Kawabata (Japanese, 1899-1972) As an author steeped in the economical yet expressive art and literature of his native Japan, Kawabata was interested in creating small texts that are great in expression and suggestion. Among Kawabata’s greatest accomplishments are the â€Å"palm-of-the-hand† stories, fictional episodes and incidents that last two or three pages at most. Topic-wise, the range of these miniature stories is remarkable, covering everything from intricate romances (â€Å"Canaries†) to morbid fantasies (â€Å"Love Suicides†) to childhood visions of adventure and escape (â€Å"Up in the Tree†). And Kawabata didn’t hesitate to apply the principles behind his â€Å"palm-of-the-hand† stories to his longer writings. Near the end of his life, he crafted a revised and much-shortened version of one of his celebrated novels, Snow Country. Donald Barthelme (American, 1931-1989) Barthelme is one of the American writers most responsible for the state of contemporary flash fiction. For Barthelme, fiction was a means of igniting debate and speculation: â€Å"I believe that my every sentence trembles with morality in that each attempts to engage the problematic rather than to present a proposition to which all reasonable men must agree.† Although these standards for indeterminate, thought-provoking short fiction have guided short fiction in the late 20th and early 21st century, Barthelme’s exact style is difficult to imitate with success. In stories such as â€Å"The Balloon†, Barthelme offered meditations on strange events- and little in the way of traditional plot, conflict, and resolution. Lydia Davis (American, 1947-present) A recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, Davis has won recognition both for her translations of classic French authors and for her many works of flash fiction. In stories such as â€Å"A Man from Her Past†, â€Å"Enlightened†, and â€Å"Story†, Davis portrays states of anxiety and disturbance. She shares this special interest in uneasy characters with some of the novelists she has translated- such as Gustave Flaubert and Marcel Proust. Like Flaubert and Proust, Davis has been hailed for her breadth of vision and for her ability to pack a wealth of meaning into carefully-chosen observations. According to literary critic James Wood, â€Å"one can read a large portion of Davis’s work, and a grand cumulative achievement comes into view- a body of work probably unique in American writing, in its combination of lucidity, aphoristic brevity, formal originality, sly comedy, metaphysical bleakness, philosophical pressure, and human wisdom.†

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer - Discussion Questions

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer - Discussion Questions The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer was published in April 2013Publisher: Riverhead468 pages may seem like a simple story of how friendships formed as teenagers during summer camp evolve over the years with the characters. In fact, the novel has many threads that book clubs might choose to discuss dreams expectations, secrets, relationships and marriage are just a few. If your group is in New York City, there is also a lot about life there over the decades. These questions are designed to spark conversation and help your group go deeper into Wolitzers novel. Spoiler Warning: These questions reveal details of the story. Finish the book before reading on. There are several secrets in the novel. The next few questions will explore some of these, but feel free to bring up others and to discuss the overall role of secrets in the novel with your book club. The Interestings is divided into three parts: Part I - Moments of Strangeness, Part II - Figland, and Part III - The Drama of the Gifted Child. Do you think these titles or divisions are particularly meaningful to the story?Jules is one of the main characters in the novel, and one of her biggest struggles is contentment and envy. Early in the novel, Wolitzer writes of Jules, What if shed said no? she liked to wonder afterward in a kind of strangely pleasurable, baroque horror. What if shed turned down the lightly flung invitation and went about her life, thudding obliviously along like a drunk person, a blind person, a moron, someone who thinks that the small packet of happiness she carries is enough (3).Then later, when Jules is reading Ethan and Ashs Christmas letter, she says, Their lives were much too different now for Jules to have kept up a sustained level of envy. Mostly, she had given up her envy, had let it recede or dissipate so that she wasnt chronically plagued by it (48 ).Do you think Jules ever conquers her envy? Do you think her experiences at Spirit in the Woods and friendships with the Interestings actually made her happier? Why or why not? What did you think of Dennis and of his relationship with Jules? Was it good? Did you sympathize more with him or with her?Did you sympathize with the ways the characters had to adjust their expectations about life, love, and greatness?What did you think of Ethans giving financial help to Jules and Dennis? Was that an appropriate expression of friendship? How can friends navigate very different financial realities?Did you have any camp or teenage experiences that were as forming as Spirit in the Woods?The biggest secret in The Interestings is that Goodman is still alive and in contact with his family. Why do you think Ash never told Ethan? Do you think he would have reacted differently to finding out if Ash had been honest with him?Do you think Goodman raped Cathy? Why or why not?Jonah also holds on to a secret from his childhood for most of his life that he was drugged and his music stolen. Why dont you think Jonah ever told anyone? How did this secret change the course of his life ? Ethan secretly loves Jules his whole life. Do you think he also truly loves Ash? What do you think about his other secrets contacting Cathy, doubting his love for his son? Are they as big as the secret Ash keeps from him? Why or why not?Were you satisfied with the end of the novel?Rate The Interestings on a scale of 1 to 5.

McDonalds as the leading global foodservice retailer Case Study

McDonalds as the leading global foodservice retailer - Case Study Example The following are their targets: Constant currency results exclude the effects of foreign currency exchange and are calculated by translating current year results using the previous year average exchange rates. System wide sales include sales at all restaurants both from company operated stores and franchisees. Return on incremental invested capital is a measure used to evaluate the overall profitability of all business units, the effectiveness of capital deployed and the future allocation of capital. The company's business strategy is tagged by management as the "Plan to Win". The plan is focused on customers and alignment of the company, its franchisees as well as its suppliers. The business model employed by the company enables them to consistently deliver locally-relevant restaurant experiences to customers and become an integral part of the company they served. The "Plan to Win" strategy is centered on being better, not just bigger - which has become the company's system wide mantra for six years now. It provides not just a common framework for the global business corporation but also allows for local adaptation. It is the corporate headquarters philosophy to think globally but to act locally. The company executes multiple initiatives in order to pull off their grand strategy. Every program focuses on the five key drivers of exceptional customer experience. The key drivers are people, product, place, price and promotion. The company aims at enhancing the restaurant for customers worldwide in order to grow sales and customer visits. The company's success factors include brand affordability, menu variety and beverage choice, convenience expansion, ongoing restaurant reinvestment and operations excellence. McDonald's Short Term Objectives McDonald's will continue to drive success and profitable growth in the years to come. They will further differentiate the brand, increase customer visits and grow market share by pursuing their short term objectives in three key areas. The areas include service enhancement, restaurant reimaging, and menu innovation. The company will leverage technology in order to make it easier for restaurant staff to quickly and accurately serve customer. They will also speed up the interior and exterior reimaging efforts as well as innovate at every level of their menu in order to deliver great taste and value to customers. (McDonald's Corporation, 2010) McDonald's Functional Tactics In the US, the company's functional tactics include strengthening the restaurant's core menu and value offerings such as the Big Mac, pursuing new growth opportunities in chicken, breakfast, beverages and snack options, and elevating the brand experience. New product offerings include Mac Snack Wrap, frappes and smoothies. They will be updating their technology with a new point of sale system; optimizing drive-thru service; enhancing restaurant manager and crew retention and productivity; and completing interior and exterior reimaging in about 500 restaurants. (McDonald's Corporation, 2010) In Europe, the company focuses on building market share by updating restaurant's ambiance through reimaging approximately 1,000 restaurants. They will be leveraging technologies such as

Leadership Paper Business Internship class Term

Leadership Business Internship class - Term Paper Example The apparent vacuum in leadership manifests in the employees poor performance and low productivity. The management seemed to have credibility issue as employees are resistant from any initiative that comes from the Management. Tardiness is also high and so is absenteeism while employee attrition rate is alarming and is costing the management time and resources in training new employees. There is also an apparent discord within the organization as petty quarrels are prevalent among the employee which prevents them to work as a cohesive team. Morale is also low. From what I can deduce from how I was oriented and my initial observation with few casual interviews from employees, there seemed to be a credibility issue with the leadership in the organization. This was validated when I did my initial background research on the issue on how the previous manager fared. I found out that the previous manager was fired due to professional ineptness and questionable professional ethical behaviour in the organization. I surmise that the current leadership credibility issue and low morale in the organization was the result of the previous manager’s professional deportment and leadership. ... Take into consideration the role of the leader; leadership skills and strategies the leader will employ; relationship to others involved in the plan; resources needed to implement the plan; specific activities, etc. Leadership is important in an organization not only to get things done but also to set the direction of the organization. And because of this imperative, leadership has to be present in all aspects of organization as Quinn (1996) argues that leadership is a state of being that people can enter into irrespective of their formal role or position within an organization. . . it as a shared property of the group such that all members of the group, regardless of their formal role or position, participate in the leadership process (Carson, Tesluk, & Marrone, 2007; Morgeson, DeRue, & Karam, 2010; Pearce & Conger, 2003). My immediate plan when I assume office is to repair the broken relationship among the employees and its discord with the management. I also intend to open the com munication line to address the seemingly low morale of the employees as attrition rate is alarmingly high. From what I surmised, the employees seem not to believe in what the management is telling them as it has a credibility issue. Such that I am in a precarious situation to implement remedial measure. Relationship is tough to mend for â€Å" understanding and cooperation of superiors, peers, and subordinates, it takes time to build these relationships† (Kayser, 1973). My initial strategy as a manager is to come to the organization unobtrusively. As I assume office, I will first establish rapport with my employees. There will be initially nothing serious to be taken but just present myself to them as a human being who also feels just