Nokia Sustainability Report Essay Example for Free

Nokia Sustainability Report Essay Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications and information technology organization that originated and is headquartered in Finland. Its main products are mobile phones and portable information technology devices. It also offers Internet services such as games, music, media, messaging, applications, as well as free map information and navigations tools through its exclusively owned subsidiary Navteq. Nokia also has a joint venture with Siemens, and Nokia Siemens Networks, a telecommunications network equipment and services company. Nokia is a large company, with almost 100,000 employees in 120 countries, with sales in more than 150 countries; it is the world’s second largest mobile phone manufacturer, after Samsung, by 2012 unit sales. However, beginning in 2007, this organization is undergoing a major crisis that is challenging its current and future sustainability. While it was the world’s prime vendor of mobile phone from 1998 to 2012, it has suffered a declining market share over the past five years due to the outpouring popularity of smartphones from companies like Apple (iPhone) and Samsung. Therefore, Nokia’s share price has significantly lowered from a US$40 in 2007 to under US$2 in mid-2012. After this huge downfall, Nokia decided to implement a strategic partnership with Microsoft in which Nokia smartphones will have Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system within them, replacing Nokia’s previous operating system, Symbian. However, this decision did not prove to be a success nor save Nokia from its downfall, as the company reported six consecutive loss-making quarters before finally returning to a profit in its fourth quarter in 2012. So what exactly happened to Nokia that has brought it to its current financial and economic state today? Is there any way that they can bounce back from this tragedy? If so, how? In this research report, I will attempt to explain how and why Nokia is now facing a severe technological challenge, as well as why it has now become an organizational and managerial failure, a sharp contrast to how successful it once was. Next, I will explain how Nokia’s failure to outsmart the competition and its poor choice of disregarding technological trends and advancements has brought it to its economic and financial state today. I will then remark on Nokia’s current management’s actions and reactions in terms of the organization’s state and whether or not I believe these actions will lead to either sustainability or failure for the future of this company. I will then end this report by providing some suggestions on how to improve Nokia’s chance for sustainability, and hopefully, success in the near and further future. While Nokia faces sustainability, global, and technological challenges, I will focus on their technological failures which greatly attributed to their catastrophic downfall. Nokia was once one of the worlds’ leading mobile-phone producers. However, in 2012, they failed to adjust their strategy to comply with the new ways people used their phones. By looking through Nokia’s long-running history, it comes as a shock to some as to how disastrous and despairing their situation has become. Nokia started as a riverside paper mill in south-western Finland in the year 1865. It then evolved to produce rubber products such as rubber boots and tires. It was not until 1912 that Nokia began its cable and electronics business. Nokia’s first electronic device was a pulse analyzer for use in nuclear power plants, produced in 1962. The company’s first endeavour into telecommunications was made in 1963 when it developed radio telephones for military and emergency services. Nokia’s hugely successful period began in the 1979, beginning with the creation of a radio telephone company, and launching the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) service, the â€Å"world’s first international cellular network†¦to allow international roaming (Nokia. com). In 1987, Nokia introduced its first handheld phone for NMT Networks and became a classic. The Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications was also implemented as the European standard for digital mobile technology. International roaming, text messaging, and high-quality voice calls were all easily available on GSM, providing Nokia with a starting point for further innovation. Nokia manufactured its first GSM phone, the Nokia 1011, in 1992. In the same year, new Nokia President and CEO Jorma Ollila made a crucial and game-changing decision to solely focus on mobile-phone manufacturing. In 1994, Nokia began producing the 2100 series of mobile phones and by 1998, it is the world leader in mobile phones; the company’s strategic decision to focus solely on telecommunications definitely paid off. Innovation and continued success did not end there; in 1999, Nokia launched the Nokia 7110, a phone equipped with web-based capabilities such as email and web browsing, the first of its kind. They also produced a phone that included a built in camera and video capture in the early 2000s. However, Nokia’s biggest success was in 2002, when the introduction of 3G technologies allowed them to create phones with a wide range of functions including downloading music, watching TV on the go, and so much more. In 2005, due its huge success and impact on the mobile technology industry, Nokia was named the 5th most valuable brand internationally. Things began to take a turn for the worst in 2010 when Nokia met its competitors, namely Apple and Android-based devices. The smartphone era was surging in popularity leaving Nokia behind with its â€Å"candy-bar style† phones and outdated operating system. This downfall for this once highly successful company called for some serious changes, including the assigning of new President and CEO, Stephen Elop, a former head of Microsoft’s business division. Elop has â€Å"a strong software background and proven record change management (Nokia. com). † It may come as no surprise then that Nokia announces its partnership with Microsoft; Nokia mobile phones will be adopting the Windows 7 operating system in order to compete with the Apple iOS and Android. Nokia launched its first Windows phone in 2011. Since the introduction of Apple and Android devices, Nokia’s economic state has never been the same; and it is quite difficult to say whether they will ever reach that same success in the future again. There are several reasons that can be credited to Nokia’s downward spiral. Firstly, Nokia failed to respond to the changing consumer trend in technology; while consumers were moving on to smartphones with newer, faster operating systems within the likes of Apple and Samsung, Nokia’s Symbian operating platform remained the same and struggled to compete with these new â€Å"pocket-sized mini-computers. In summary, Nokia did not react quickly enough to changing consumer demand, and therefore, were aggressively crushed by the competition in terms of capturing market share. Their late response with the introduction of the Windows phone did not occur until 2011, while Apple and Samsung have been continuously improving their devices and operating systems since 2007. With technology improving so quickly nowadays, four years is a long period for Nokia to, with any luck, catch up. The integration of Microsoft’s Windows 7 as Nokia’s mobile operating system has yet to reap rewards for the organization either. This may be due to the fact that Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms have gained popularity since their early introduction and remain the leaders of mobile operating systems. Another problem that Nokia encountered is due to its late strategic change; many people associate its classic ‘candy-bar style’, brick phone with outdated technology, just like cassette tape players, and VHS players. Today’s consumers are also very technologically savvy; they need to have the best and newest device as soon as they can get their hands on it. Nokia also did not market itself as an innovative brand as it stuck by its brick-style phone and operating system for almost a decade before considering any major changes. While Nokia and Microsoft are both huge and strong companies, they will have to go through some rough patches before, and if, they can reach success again. As of now, they are in a financial struggle, cutting many jobs and other financial expenditures. Nokia is indeed focusing on attempting to reinvent the company, and to, hopefully, bring it back to where it once was: a leader in mobile technology. While there are many opinions floating around the media, it is hard to say what will happen to Nokia in the near future. While they have not done anything drastic, such as file for bankruptcy, they are going through some major, rough changes right now, including cutting thousands of jobs worldwide, and the closure of several factories. In 2012, Nokia announced their plans to cut 10,000 jobs internationally by the end of 2013 as well as the closure of research and development facilities in Finland, Germany, and Canada as stock prices continue to fall. Nokia’s market value today is below $10 billion. At the end of 2013, it is estimated that about 25,000 employees will be laid off at Nokia; this number of job cuts totals to about 36% of Nokia’s workforce. Things continue to look dim for this organization as Moody’s Investor Services downgraded Nokia’s rating to ‘junk’, further proving its dire state. Nokia’s human resource management did not play a part in its recent downfall as it was due to a technological failure, not a human resource issue. Nokia was a large, multinational company for quite some time, and its long-run success proves that their human resources teams are nothing short of competent, effective, and diligent. The goal of their human resources management is to satisfy their customers, motivate employees, and increase the dexterity and flexibility of management to address specific HR needs. Nokia’s HR team is also responsible for creating customer satisfaction through the manufacture and delivery of products and services in order to fulfill customer needs. They were able to do this by providing leading and innovative technology, in the past, to a wide range of clients around the world. Nokia’s intangible services, such as telephone helplines, are available 365 days a year, exemplifying dedicated and excellent customer service. Nokia also treats its employees very well. This organization works together with its employees in order to create a healthy, efficient, and successful environment so everyone can achieve their full potential. Encouragement, motivation, and keeping employees happy are vital for Nokia to perform productively. Because Nokia is a goods manufacturer, the free flow and exchange of ideas among employees at any level is strongly encouraged. In order to encourage and motivate employees, Nokia has compensation plan consisting of an annual base salary and bonuses. Short-term incentives for both individual and group projects also exist. Overtime pay and call-out pay are also implemented, and employees are able to purchase stock or performance shares. Finally, employee health and pension benefits are compensated to Nokia’s employees to form a healthy and productive work environment. While the HR strategy and structure at Nokia seem sustainable, some may argue that Nokia’s current and most recent President and CEO, Stephen Elop, has contributed to its present dismal state. Before working for Nokia, Elop worked for Microsoft from 2008 to 2010, and was responsible for Microsoft Office products as a member of the organization’s senior leadership team. The controversy surrounding Elop when he first joined Nokia was the release of his internal company memo titled â€Å"Burning Platform† which was immediately leaked to the media. The memo compared Nokia’s current situation, failing within the flourishing smartphone industry, to a person on a burning oil platform. The reception received from the media was mixed, some stating that Nokia needed that harsh wake-up call to make some drastic changes in strategy, while others called it â€Å"the costliest management memo ever written (Ahonen, 2011),† believing he should be fired due to Nokia’s severe and rapid disasters since his arrival. In 2011, Elop made the decision for Nokia to discontinue their in-house mobile operating systems and replace it with Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system. The plan was to be carried out gradually in the next few years, with Elop expecting a full discontinuation of the previous Symbian platform by 2016. Technology writers have criticised Elop for this decision by stating that it was done in bad timing and with a lack of communication; later, Elop himself admitted to the damaging effects of his Burning Platform memo. Ahonen has also stated that, because of this memo and Elop’s lack of communication to Nokia employees, the organization â€Å"is doing the most rapid death in the shortest period of time ever, for a global market leader Fortune 500 company. So what’s next for Nokia? Throughout all the journals, newspaper articles, blogs, and interviews, it is quite obvious what the main message for Nokia is: do something, and fast. While it is apparent that Nokia faces all three challenges of sustainability, technology, and global endurance, technology is and will remain to be their biggest challenge. Unless Nokia succeeds thr ough technology, being a mobile phone manufacturer, they will not be able to overcome or accomplish the other two challenges of global endurance and sustainability. It is quite unfortunate that Nokia, once a world leader in its field, failed to meet the technology challenge of keeping up with the current, fast-moving trends of technology and consumers. Nokia’s slow reaction to the shifting trends and the reactions they have made to support themselves have negatively impacted the company’s current economic state, as well as the state of their human resources. Elop’s poor strategic decisions in the hopes of saving Nokia have yet to bear fruit; instead, Nokia has been forced to cut thousands of jobs, and close some of their facilities worldwide. While these decisions are crucial for Nokia’s short-term survival, serious changes need to be implemented to obtain long-term sustainability, besides partnering with Microsoft. Nokia is a huge, well-known company, and its brand is something everyone knows of; their challenge is to change the way people think about and look at the company: not as an old, obsolete form of mobile technology, but a new, state-of-the-art organization that can adjust to the ever-changing technological tendencies. Elop still has some time to redeem himself as the President and CEO of Nokia, but unless he makes some rastic, positive changes to Nokia, other forms of recovery should be considered. One suggestion for Nokia would be to change its operating system from Microsoft’s Windows Phone to Google’s Android. One of Nokia’s mistakes leading to failure was making the unpopular choice of using Windows as its operating system; they should have realized that choosing Android as their platform would have reaped huge benefits for them as its surging popularity and success have made brands such as Samsung and LG skyrocket to economic prosperity. Technology experts, such as one engineering executive has even stated that they â€Å"don’t understand why Nokia couldn’t develop Android phones—even in parallel with Microsoft’s Windows phones. † Choosing Windows instead of Android as their new operating system is a huge opportunity Nokia definitely missed out on. Another recommendation would be to sell the company to a successful brand, such as Samsung, who has now redeemed themselves to become Apple’s leading, and closest rival. By putting themselves under Samsung’s wing, Nokia will gain Samsung’s competitive advantage of being a visionary and innovator, and a fast mover in capturing modern technological trends. While it is never an easy task to admit defeat, selling Nokia to a prosperous company just may be what this organization needs to save itself from further fiascos. A merger with a strong, competitive company, with massive market share and organizational resources may just be what Nokia needs to bring itself back up to what it used to be: an innovative, mobile communications giant with shareholder value, technological advancement, and worldwide success.

John Lewis Partnership Analysis

John Lewis Partnership Analysis This paper focuses on the strategic formulation of John Lewis partnership in initial phases of the firms online services, Ocado the online service that delivers Waitrose groceries) and the online shopping (johnlewis.com) website development from the 2000 to 2010. In the first instance, account of the company will be briefly discussed, together with the main activity, market share, key stakeholders and also financial overview of the company. Secondly, the identification of its generic strategy by using Porters model of generic strategy will be clearly defined. This will follow the discussion of the key activities that underpin the chosen generic strategy, a value chain analysis and how the added value creates a distinctive competence which leads to competitive advantage of the business. Companys overview John Lewis was first founded in 1864 by John Spedan Lewis partnered with his two brothers in Oxford Street, London. Waitrose joined the partnership in 1937 as a chain of 10 specialist food, followed shortly in the John Lewis partnership is Greenbee which is now called John Lewis Insurance and partnership card (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). Main activities of the company include providing customers with high quality groceries and non grocery items such as electrical goods, furniture, fashion, flowers and also financial services such as insurance and credit card services. As one of UKs top ten retailers, the company has about 31 John Lewis and 235 Waitrose supermarkets, an online and catalogue business, a direct services company, one production unit and a farm and continues to grow at a rapid pace (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). John Lewis Partnership argues to have a visionary and successful way of doing business, boldly putting the happiness of Partners at the centre of everything it does (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). It strives to differentiate itself from competitors by giving 100% ownership to partners who are also permanent staff of the company who are committed to serve customers with flair and fairness.(John Lewis Partnership, 2010, Bloomberg Business Week, 2010, Hambrick Fredrickson, 2005, Times Online, 2008). In addition, due to the Partners dedication and hard work, the company was ranked as the 3rd of the top 100 biggest privately owned companies in the UK during the year 2008 (Times Online, 2008) despite the economy downturn which led to drop one rank from previous year (Times Online, 2008). However, in the survey conducted by Which? revealed that in January 2009 John Lewis was ranked at the top of the list and also was voted as the Britains favourite retailer in 2010 the UK Consumer Satisfaction Index from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). Never Knowingly Undersold is the companys motto that has been used over 75 years, to promise customers that the company will always sell the lowest price in town (John Lewis Partnership, 2010, Bloomberg, Business Week, 2010). Charley Mayfield, the chairman of John Lewis partnership reports a strong performance within the first six month of 2010, an increase of gross sales by 12.4% and operating profit by 15.1% compared to last year (London Stock Exchange, 2010). Mayfield further reported a market share gain and strong growth in both John Lewis department store and Waitrose, one of the most notable increases was the underlying operating profit which rose by 59.4% (Bloomberg, Business Week, 2010) despite of the credit crunch. The benefits and profits gained from the business are shared equally among partners who are also permanent staff and co-owner of the business (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). The Formulation of strategy: Strategic aims Strategy is defined as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieve advantage in a changing environment (Scholes et al., 2008). It is important for all organisations to have a strategy as without it, time and resources can easily be wasted (Hambrick Fredrickson, 2005). Organisations should analyse the competitive position of the market, formulate strategic aim then acquire the needed resources for implementing those chosen strategies (Porter, 1980). Furthermore, it is possible for the organisation to increase its resources and capabilities through sharing and generation of knowledge, learning and redeployment of existing resources in a new and more effective ways (Steve B. Alex H., 2007, Barney, 1991). In 1929, the founder of John Lewis partnership gave up the ownership of the company to the employees for the purpose of balancing the employees happiness and successful business (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). John Lewis (2010) had an ambitious vision of co-ownership by making employees happiness whilst developing steady business profit at the same time. This assertion has left a remarkable commercial history and is as alive today as it was 80 years ago (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). In addition, the founder created a governance system that is both commercial and democratic which will allow the company to gain competitive advantage by moving ahead quickly and also giving voice to every Partners who also co-owned the company (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). A recent study conceded that the more satisfied workers are with their jobs, the better the company is likely to perform in terms of profitability and particularly productivity (Hobson, 1998) with a variation of between 19% profitability and 18% productivity which are accounted in the way people are managed (Hobson, 1998, Steve et al.). According to the John Lewis partnership (2010) financial statements as shown on Table 1 below, illustrates that the business has grown significantly over the past 10 year, the turnover increased by 50% and net profit were also increased by 96% over the past 10 years. Therefore, the findings of the study (Hobson, 1998) conceded with the performance outcome of John Lewis (2010). At the onset, the strategic aim of the partnership was to experiment in industrial democracy and to establish a better form of business (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). As first movers of employee owned-business model, the partnership takes advantage of the resource and capability extending sources as the company was already in maturity. The resources that the company possessed extended the advantages of co-ownership structure that the partnership needed to sustain and enhance the strategic position as an outstanding retailer and a thriving example of employee ownership (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). Many public sector workers are now consider utilising John Lewis employee owned-business model after John Lewis staffs who are also partners embrace a big bonus of 15% that is equivalent to almost twice of monthly salary whilst public sector workers are threatened for a job loss due to government spending cuts (Julia, 2010). Therefore, the companys key strategic aims were built around the capabilities that employee owned-business model offered for creating added value to partners and customers (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). However, the long term strategic aims of John Lewis partnership were to give personal satisfaction to Partners by becoming members of a co-owned enterprise, retain customers loyal by giving value, choice, service and honesty, and create real influence over working lives whilst sustain business strength and gain competitive advantage which will allow continued development. To achieve these aims John Lewis Partnership would have to demonstrate the benefits of co-ownership and competitive behaviours that will differentiate the company from its competitors including outperforming the conventional companies. Internal Analysis: Generic strategy How firms compete and what strategies they choose are important questions for the economy (Ormanidhi Stringa, 2008) and a vital decision have to be made in order to determine the generic strategy of a business (Porter, 1980). In the case of John Lewis Partnership the choice was relatively simple. Although the Partnership sought to create a happy working environment, the key to competitive advantage lay in the real influence over working lives whilst providing added value and unrivalled service to the customers. The employee-owned business model for the retail venture entailed employees ownership and responsibilities for the business success by delivering the right experience for all customers whilst generating profits for the partners to share. In effect, John Lewis Partnership is a top ten retail company in the UK. It operates department stores, supermarkets chain and John Lewis Direct website which focus on home and giftware that have been ranked UKs top online shopping destinations consistently. A well known for its high customer satisfaction rating, upmarket chain targeted middle to upper class customers. However, the Partnership expanded its marketing strategy and has recently introduced a Value and Essential range to target all types of customers (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). The ability and efficiency to engage customers loyalty and trust by providing outstanding value, choice and service, the more customers would be retained and attracted to their departments, supermarkets and websites. The key to achieving this was to differentiate the benefits of co-ownership and partners behaviours against rivals including conventional retail companies. The key differentiators were to offer security, stability and fulfilling employment for the Partners who are also permanent employees of the company. Another compelling differentiator was the lower prices John Lewis could offer using Never knowingly undersold slogan. It was the first mover retailer to offer its customers the confidence that promised the customers cheapest price in the town. This principle has been used to monitor competitors and reduce own price if being undersold. Thus, this allows the Partnership to retain customers loyalty and trust by giving them confidence that they will never purchase similar product elsewhere which is undersold and if that is the case, then the customer is guaranteed to get a refund. As the employee-owned business model continue to grows in a rapid pace, in 2000 the Partnership successfully managed a network of over 31 major department stores and over 235 supermarkets stocking around 350,000 products. Particularly, the launch of Ocado online service that delivers Waitrose groceries and online shopping site (Johnlewis.com) led the business to be complex. The Partnership incorporate the use of RedPrairies Warehouse and workforce management system in order to build and retain customer loyalty whilst increase sales growth by maximise efficiency, ensure the product availability and speed delivery. This was another differentiator that underpinned the companys strategy for competitive advantage. John Lewis Partnership noticed that the cost reduction, sales growth and make the business profitable can be gained through the use of warehouse and workforce management system. Thereby, this allows them to practice Never knowingly undersold slogan thus reducing the cost burden to customers and offer products at a lower price. The Partnership and customers relationship depends on the ability of the company to sustain its competitive advantage (Scholes et al., 2008) despite many potential rivals imitating their business model (Pearce Robinson, 2008). Internal Analysis: Value chain analysis The value chain analysis focuses on how much value an organisations activities add to its products or services compared to the costs incurred in utilising resources in the productive process (Scholes et al., 2008, Raypor, 1995). Rayport (1995) further states that efficiency and effectiveness can be improve significantly if managers redesign their internal and external processes by doing value chain analysis. As value chain analysis helps managers to focus attention on configuring and coordinating resources on those activities that produce the product in the most efficient and effective way (Scholes et al., 2008, Pearce Robinson, 2008). Porter (1980) states that in order for the company to achieve competitive advantage, the managers should focus on two main areas when conducting a value chain analysis, one is the identification of the activities in which the company should perform and also the configuration of the firms activities that best enables added value to the product and allo ws the firm to compete. As previously mentioned, John Lewis Partnership can be described as a retailing company conducting its businesses online and in store. Primary activities have been described as directly concerned with the creation and delivery of product and services (Sholes, 2008, Porter, M. 1980). Thus, the key value adding activities that is associated with John Lewis Partnership can be identified using Porters Value Chain model (1985) are inbound and outbound logistics. Service can be added to these as ultimately, the success of the business model is determined by the superior service provided to customers. The use of warehouse and workforce management system allows optimisation in people, inventory and equipment to create a more agile, efficient and least distribution and also focus on performance culture. The Partnership in return, sees the productivity increased by 16%, labour costs reduced by 8%, enhanced stock availability, 40% improved of warehouse order picking and also delivery time decrease by 25%. Thus, the support activity underpinning the added value is in technology development. The ease of use system allows the company to cut overheads thus led to business growth and value-added developments that increase customer service and also when combined with other attributes as illustrated earlier creates a distinctive capability that rivals find difficult to match and hence lead to a competitive advantage. Conclusion The strategic aims of John Lewis Partnership depicts high level coherence between the partnership and the strategic choices, resources and capabilities that have been used to achieve its aims. The strategic choice of differentiation/narrow focus has enabled the company to focus on developing capabilities that improve performance and add value to customers. This, in turn, has led to the exponential growth of the business throughout the period 2000 to 2010 evidenced by increasing market share, turnover, profit, (as shown on Table 1) including increase in sales of products and services and strategic alliances and partnerships were also increased. Therefore, the key findings of the work clearly show that a competitive advantage has been achieved.

Archetype of Ulysses in the Odyssey :: essays research papers

We have read an adventurous story called The Odyssey. It was about a hero named Ulysses who goes through many conflicts to get home. He has faced monsters to beautiful women, but he still got home. Ulysses fits the model of an archetype. There are three ways he fits into the model. One way that Ulysses fits into the model of an archetype is that he has a supernatural power. An archetype means an original pattern. Ullyses has the abilities of strength. He is also very clever. Ulysses has alot of strength because he can bend the bow to connect it but no one else could. He had also liffted his men onto his ship two by two. He is also very clever because he outwitted many of the monsters he faced. For example, when Ulysses faced the cyclops Polyphemus he planned to blind his one eye. It was really clever when Ulysses and his men hid under the sheeps. Another way that Ulysses fits the model of an archetype is that he has flaws.In other words he is not perfect.If he was perfect he would be boring and it wouldn"t be interesting if he does the amazingest thing.It wouldn"t be interesting because you would already expect that from someone who is perfect.One of Ulysses flaw is that he is greedy. In the beginning of the story when Ulysses won the war between Troy he had taken all the treasures. He had taken so many there ship barely had room for food. Then when they went to more places he got greedy and took more treasures now leaving no room for food.That is why Ulysses and his men went hungry. He is also a little stubborn because when he saw his men eating the cattle that was forbidden to eat he had gotten all mad but, when his men convinced him he ate. The third reason why Ulysses fits the model of an archetype is because he had someone supernatural help him. The supernatural someone was Athena who helped Ulysses and helped him make important decisions . Athena is the godess of wisdom and it wasn't a coincidence that Ulysses was also clever.

Essay --

Jonathan Santosgonzalez Dr. Mike Pettengell ENG 102 10 March 2014 Art History Assignment: Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci a Tuscan hill town in the territory of the republic of Florence, son of wealthy Messer Piero Fruosini di Antonio da Vinci, a Florentine legal notary and Caterina, a peasant. His full name was Leonardo di ser Pierro da Vinci, the title ser indicated that his father was a gentleman. There is not too much known about his early years only that he lived in the home of his mother until 1457 and then in the household of his father in the small town of Vinci. At the age of fourteen, in 1466, Leonardo was apprenticed of the artist Andrea di Cione, whose workshop was one of the best in Florence. Leonardo was exposed to both theoretical training and a vast range of technical skills, including drafting, chemistry, metallurgy, metal working, plaster casting, leather working, mechanics and carpentry as well as the artistic skills of drawing, painting, sculpting and modelling. According to Vasari: Leonardo collaborated with ...

Give Students a Break :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Give Students a Break Students at Tech, and indeed at most colleges, eagerly anticipate holidays because they provide a welcome break from classes. Although some may say that breaks only take away valuable class time from students, they fail to see the educational benefits that breaks afford. Tech's sparse holiday offerings take little advantage of these benefits. Tech is harming students, who could greatly benefit from the time breaks offer for relaxation, family interaction, and studying. Despite criticism, breaks do not necessarily have to adversely affect students' education by taking away important class time. There are many ways Tech could integrate breaks into its semester schedules without loosing any class time at all. For instance, classes could begin a few days early or end a few days late, allowing breaks to be added into the semesters. Alternatively, Tech could shorten its overly-long twenty-eight day Christmas break and use those days for breaks during the semesters. Careful planning of the breaks already offered would even help. During the fall semester, Tech currently offers one of its five breaks less than a week after classes begin and three more of its breaks less than three weeks before Christmas break begins. This poor scheduling leaves large gaps during the semester with no breaks at all. Why, though, are breaks important from an educational standpoint? One reason is that they lightens students' stress loads. College is stressful enough with breaks; without them, students have no way to recuperate from the stress of classes. During Montana Tech's fall semester, there are over two months of straight classes that contain no breaks at all. During the spring semester, there are two more large gaps between breaks, one of which is also over two months long. Although weekends do help, these are often used for studying and homework and do little to ease the students' stress. Many students begin to dislike their classes because of the stress they cause, and as a result, some put less effort into their studying. Breaks allow students some time off from their classes to relax so that they can come back refreshed. Another reason breaks are important is that they give students time to spend with their families. It is very important to develop social skills during college and, it is also important to become more independent. Both of these will aid the student when starting a new life after graduation. But family relationships are still very important for students.

Employee Law

Project Summary Employment Law The employment relationship Is a contractual one between an employer and a worker. The worker may be either an employee or an Independent contractor. Distinguishing between the two is very important. It has an effect on compensation, benefits, harassment, family leave, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, and discrimination, (Moran, 2008, p. 3). In an employment relationship, authority is conveyed by an employer to an employee. Deciding what kinds of authority and how much authority to grant are important issues for employers to resolve, (Moran, 2008, . ). Inherent in every employment relationship is the employee's duties of loyalty and good faith and the employer's duties to compensate and maintain a safe working environment. Violations of these duties give rise to contractual and tort liability. A contract Is a legally enforceable agreement. A tort Is a private civil wrong. Tort liability encompasses assault and battery, defamation, Invasion of privacy, and negligence. The key to an employers responsibility Is whether the tort was committed within the scope of employment?in other words, â€Å"on the Job,† (Moran, 2008, p. 3)Employers may attempt to employ restrictive covenants, also known as nincompoop or nondisclosure agreements. These agreements are used to protect the employer's business against theft of trade secrets, stealing clients, and competing against the former employer. Courts generally do not like to restrict people from working, but the courts will enforce these agreements where they are voluntarily signed and designed to protect the business from unfair competition, (Moran, 2008, p. 3). The purpose of recruitment and selection is to obtain the best possible workers for a business.Discrimination is permissible with respect to selecting candidates based on interpersonal relations, communication skills, training, and education. It Is not permissible with respect to suspect classification such as race , religion, gender, age, disability, and national origin,† (Moran, 2008, p. 37). Because employees are valuable assets to a business, employers must be able to choose those employees who will perform the best work for the business. Education, training, communication skills, and interpersonal relations are key qualities that employees must possess to help a business be more successful, (Moran, 2008, p. ). The easiest way to discriminate against individuals is to do so in the recruitment and selection process. Employers may use a myriad of methods to evaluate an individual and his or her particular traits. Testing, interviews, writing samples, demonstrations, and role-playing are a few examples, (Moran, 2008, p. 37). If these methods are job-related, then the employer has every right to use them. â€Å"What an employer may not do is discourage potential candidates who belong to a particular suspect classification as defined by Title VII of the Call Rights Act, the Age Delimitat ion In Employment Act, and theAmericans with Deliverables Act,† (Moran, 2008, p. 37). The selection process has become a complicated procedure for employers, (Moran, 2008, p. 67). They must inappropriate questions that can be inferred as being discriminatory. Employers must recruit from a diverse pool of candidates. Employers must keep accurate records of these candidates, such as who applied and who was hired. Employers must establish Job-related criteria necessary for promotions. Employers must perform background checks on employees to guard themselves against negligent hiring, but these checks are limited to activities or criminal convictions that are Job elated,† (Moran, 2008, p. 67). Policies with regard to nepotism and promoting from within should also be drafted by the employer. The selection process is a daunting but necessary undertaking for the employer. As most of us know, it is an equally stressful experience for workers. Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution where two sides look outside the court system to resolve a conflict, (Moran, 2008, p. 157).In arbitration, an impartial arbitrator listens to claims, facts, and testimony from both sides, then issues a decision. By signing arbitration agreements, employees typically waive their right to file lawsuits when they have a dispute with their employers. However, the obligation to arbitrate can vary. Some employers require all disputes to go to arbitration, while others designate arbitration for only certain issues. â€Å"Binding† arbitration is most frequently used in employment agreements, where both sides agree ahead of time that the arbitrator's decision will be final, with very limited basis to appeal, (Moran, 2008, p. 58). However, an arbitration agreement alone does not mean that employers can never be sued over an employment issue. State and federal regulators can still sue employers when employees file complaints against companies for violating discriminat ion, pay, or other laws. Once employees or former employees decide to enter into arbitration, there are three basic steps in the proceedings: preheating briefs, the hearing, and the arbitrator's decision. Preheating briefs allow the company and employees to present their views and describe their evidence to the arbitrator.During the hearing, both sides present their case to the arbitrator, which can include calling witnesses. Then the arbitrator makes a decision. Generally, employers do not take termination as personally as do employees. However, it can be a difficult process for both sides, especially if the employee believes that the discharge is wrongful. â€Å"At-will termination protects the rights of employers to terminate employees,† (Moran, 2008, p. 153). Therefore, employees must evaluate the evidence to discern whether it meets one of the public policy exceptions to the at-will doctrine.Employers must guard against compromising their protection under the at-will emp loyment doctrine and should not stipulate that employees will be discharged only for cause or list explicit seasons for discharge in an employment handbook or in conversation with an applicant or an employee, (Moran, 2008, p. 153). Rather employers should state that employees may be discharged at any time for any reason. Shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the U. S.Constitution were adopted, (Moran, 2008, p. 171). The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery. The Fifteenth Amendment gave black men the right to vote. But, it was the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that laid the basis for equal rights in employment, (Moran, 2008, p. 71). The Equal Protection Clause basically states that â€Å"all people are entitled to equal United States, in Please v. Ferguson, interpreted this to mean that separate but equal facilities would satisfy the Fourteenth Amendment requirement, (Moran, 2008, p. 171 ).Segregation persisted into the sass, but inroads began to be made in the mid-sass with the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which mandated integration in public schools, (Moran, 2008, p. 171). This decision had a reverberating effect throughout society. In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act to legislate integration in schools, housing, restaurants, transportation, shopping, and employment. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act speaks to employment, (Moran, 2008, p. 171). It prohibits discrimination because of religion, race, color, sex, and national origin, (Moran, 2008, p. 171).There are two main types of discrimination: disparate impact, which is discrimination against a class of people, and disparate treatment, which is discrimination against an individual, (Moran, 2008, p. 171). The key to establishing an affirmative action plan is to obtain the commitment of management, Moran, 2008, p. 199). Once committed, management can emphasize its importance and lead by example. An assessment must be made of the number of women and minorities and their current status within the organization. This data will prove invaluable as a benchmark against which the program's progress can be measured, (Moran, 2008, p. 99). Once the problem areas are identified, then recruitment and promotion issues must be addressed. A critical look at the current methods utilized must be taken, and a plan must be instituted to remedy its deficiencies. To bolster acquirement, notification should be sent to the placement office of schools with significant or exclusive women or minority populations. Women and minority organizations can also be advised of the need for prospective candidates. Advertisements in newspapers, magazines, radio, and television designed for women and minorities will enable a company to tap into that particular circle, (Moran, 2008, p. 99). Company tours for students and community groups are also beneficial. â€Å"Relying solely on referrals and traditional rec ruitment techniques will only reinforce discrimination,† (Moran, 2008, p. 199). Career counseling to direct women and minorities toward career paths and training programs to help them realize these accomplishments must be created or embellished. The fact that counseling and training programs exist is not sufficient. They must be made available or specifically developed with women and minorities in mind.Job descriptions must also be perused for possible barriers against women and minorities, (Moran, 2008, p. 199). If found, the descriptive narration must be rethought. All requirements must be Job- related. Any that are not should be eliminated, especially unnecessary education or experience; otherwise, discrimination will continue. Testing should also be restricted to when it is absolutely necessary and its reality and Job-relatedness can be proved, (Moran, 2008, p. 199). The assignment of grade levels to Jobs must also be reviewed for bias in favor of men, (Moran, 2008, p. 199 ).If discovered, such bias must be readjusted. Interviewers must be indoctrinated to no longer believe that women and minorities can perform only certain Jobs – those involving routine ministerial tasks, (Moran, 2008, p. 199). They must avoid asking women and minorities personal questions about marital status, other sources of income, number of children, criminal record, and other issues that are not Job-related and are not routinely asked of white and in-house rules and regulations must be redrafted to be gender-neutral, both in written communications and pictorials,† (Moran, 2008, p. 199). Sexual harassment is defined as (1) a sexual advance or request for sexual favor made by one employee to another that is unwelcome and not consented to; and (2) touching, Joking, commenting, or distributing material of a sexual nature that an employee has not consented to and finds offensive,† (Moran, 2008, p. 89). Although the court- appointed test for determining what consti tutes sexual harassment is a reasonable person standard and what is reasonable may vary depending on the work environment, it is the purpose of this policy on sexual harassment to avoid litigation, not to win lawsuits.Therefore, employees are forewarned that the use of certain terms may give rise to a woman's filing a sexual harassment complaint and are therefore prohibited, (Moran, 2008, p. 289). If a complaint is filed with the company's human resources department on any of these allegations, it will be investigated immediately, (Moran, 2008, p. 289). The investigation shall consist of questioning the complainant, alleged perpetrator, coworkers, superiors, and subordinates, (Moran, 2008, p. 89). If a determination is made that a valid complaint had been issued against an employee, that employee will be entitled to a hearing to which he or she may be assisted by outside counsel. If a conclusion is reached that the conduct complained of meets one of the aforementioned criteria, then the employee shall be dismissed forthwith, (Moran, 2008, p. 289). Furthermore, the victim will be afforded counseling services, if needed.Every effort will be made by the company to aid the victimized employee in overcoming the emotional trauma of the unfortunate ordeal, (Moran, 2008, p. 289). Finally, the company will sponsor in-house workshops explaining this policy on sexual harassment, warning employees against engaging in it, and encouraging those affected by sexual harassment to come forward with the details of their encounter with it in order for the company to investigate and resolve the dilemma and service the needs of the victimized employee, (Moran, 2008, p. 289).The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers having 1 5 or more employees to refrain from administrating against any individual who has an impairment that limits major life activities, such as impairment to sight, speech, hearing, walking, and learning, (Moran, 2008, p. 389). Also included are people w ith cancer, heart conditions, AIDS, and disfigurement, as well as people recovering from substance abuse. The forerunner of the DAD was the Rehabilitation Act of 1 973. It prohibited disability discrimination in federal employment and with federal contractors.The percentage of disabled workers who are unemployed is much greater than that of the general population, (Moran, 2008, p. 08). Public access and specific Job accommodations have gone a long way to aid the gainful employment of many of the disabled. Encouraging a change in the mind-set of employers remains a formidable task. Many employers view disabled applicants as inferior to others. They represent an additional worry employers do not need. However, with reasonable accommodation, many disabled employees have proven to work as effectively as other workers because their disability has been alleviated, (Moran, 2008, p. 08). They are operating on a level playing surface with the rest of the work population. Collective bargainin g is the negotiation process undertaken by a union on behalf of a contract after the resolution of labor issues,† (Moran, 2008, p. 420). The contract, known as the collective bargaining agreement, is binding on all union members. The advantage of collective bargaining is that the union has greater bargaining strength than an individual employee would have in attempting to negotiate the best possible deal, (Moran, 2008, p. 420).The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1 970 (OSHA) was designed to set forth a standard that would provide for the safety and health of employees while on the Job, (Moran, 2008, p. 450). Employers are required to provide a place of employment free from occupational hazards. Employees are required to follow rules and regulations established to promote their safety and to use equipment designed to ensure their safety, (Moran, 2008, p. 450). Permanent standards are the standards originally introduced when OSHA was created as well as standards promulgate d thereafter, (Moran, 2008, p. 452).The latter are referred to as National Consensus Standards. When OSHA develops a new standard, it is published in the Federal Register, (Moran, 2008, p. 452). The public, especially employees, has 30 days to request a hearing. If requested, notice of a public hearing will be made. After the hearing, OSHA must publish the standard incorporating the changes, if any, and the date of its commencement, within 60 days. The Secretary of Labor must explain the need for the new standard, or else it will be null and void. He or she may delay the date of its commencement. In one case, a delay of 4 years was imposed.

Comitatus: Anglo Saxon

The phrase comitatus is exceedingly important in Anglo-Saxon culture, and is demonstrated profoundly in Anglo-Saxon texts. Comitatus means fellowship, particularly an allegiance between a chieftain and his men. This phrase refers to a very important tradition during the times of the Anglo-Saxons. It was so important because these men were constantly protecting their people from outside attacks and invasions and the comitatus was the bond that held these men together and that is what they lived for. Specific Anglo-Saxon texts where comitatus is eminently portrayed is Beowulf, The Wanderer, and The Seafarer. Beowulf is an Old-English written epic, during the Anglo-Saxon period in which a hero, Beowulf, is shown battling three different agons throughout his life. Comitatus is tremendously present throughout this entire story. For example Beowulf sails to Denmark with fourteen warriors to defeat Grendel, out of respect and to protect their allies, the Danes. This shows Comitatus because Beowulf is not only trusting of his men, but also risking his life for good riddance with King Hrothgar of Denmark. The reason to why Beowulf must defeat the Grendel is because of comitatus as well, because the Danes night in and night out were strengthening their friendship in the mead-hall, Heorot, and Grendel became jealous of this â€Å"fellowship. † Another example of comitatus in Beowulf is when Beowulf is fighting the dragon and Wiglaf comes in and helps Beowulf win out of respect for his leader and his accomplishments. Comitatus is presented numerously throughout Beowulf and represents the ideals and way of life of the Anglo-Saxons. The Wanderer is an Anglo-Saxon poem in which a warrior longs for old times, as he nostalgically ponders when he served his lord as well as feasted with his friends. The wanderer in the story has lost his fellow warriors and lord in battle, and now walks alone in exile. This poem shows the wanderer remembering times of comitatus and wishing those times were once again subsisting. He recalls his comrades and the costly hall gifts of his gracious gold friend, which he gave him in youth. † (ln. 34-35) The wanderer dreams of seeing his lord, kissing him and experiencing pleasure of doing him favors. At the end of the poem the man talks of the present times and his soul becoming sick and dark, because comitatus is no longer a value in his life. In the Anglo-Saxon poem The Seafarer, it is much like The Wanderer in which the speaker of the poem dreams of times with fellow ship or comitatus. The man in the poem is out at sea, as days go by and he sits in the freezing cold jealous of men blessed with happy land-life. â€Å"The swan’s blare my seldom amusement; for men’s laughter there was curlew call, there were the cries of gannets, for mead-drinking the music of the gull. † (ln. 23-26) The seafarer wants to be with his people drinking mead and listening to music and stories, otherwise known as comitatus. He speaks of his despairing mind and how there is no friend or brother or around to share his thoughts with. He also says that no man is likely to guess how he has wasted whole winters, cut off from kind. The Seafarer truly displays the sorrow of the speaker and really portrays the importance of comitatus in one’s life, because without it he is devastated. Anglo-Saxons based their entire lives and worthiness off of comitatus, as well as making a name for themselves. These values feed off one another because while making a name for yourself you want to have others to share it with in order to make it worthy. Comitatus is evident in many Anglo-Saxon texts and is validated in Beowulf, The Wanderer, and The Seafarer. In Beowulf comitatus is constantly shown on a regular basis and is present many times throughout the story. In The Wanderer, and The Seafarer, comitatus is not present, but rather the men of these stories wish that it was in their lives at the time. The constant display of this value as well as the desire to have comitatus in one’s life shows just how important it is in the life of an Anglo-Saxon.