Federal Budget for 2001

This country has been dealing with a budget deficit for many years now. In an attempt to change this, on June 29, Congress voted in favor of HConRes67 that called for a 7-year plan to balance the Federal Budget by the year 2001. This would be done by incorporating $894 billion in spending cuts by 2002, with a projected 7-year tax cut of $245 billion. If this plan were implemented, in the year 2002, the U. S. Government would have the first balanced budget since 1969. Current budget plans are dependent on somewhat unrealistic predictions of avoiding such catastrophes as recession, national disasters, etc. and include minor loopholes. History has shown that every budget agreement that has failed was too loose. One might remember the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bill that attempted to balance the budget, but left too many exemptions, and was finally abandoned in 1990. So after a pain-staking trial for GOP Republicans to create, promote, and pass their budget, as promised on campaign trail 94, Clinton rejected the very bill he demanded. This essentially brought the federal budget back to square one. Clinton thought such a demand on Republicans to produce a budget would produce inner-party quarrels and cause the GOP to implode. Instead, they produced a fiscal budget that passed both houses of Congress, only to be deadlocked by a stubborn Democratic President Clinton. Meanwhile, Clinton bounced back with a CBO scored plan with lighter, less risky cuts to politically sensitive areas like entitlements. Clinton†s plan also saved dollars for education and did not include a tax increase, but most cuts would not take effect until he is out of office, in the year 2001. Although Clinton is sometimes criticized for producing a stalemate in budget talks, the White House points out that the debt has gone down since Clinton took office, with unemployment also falling. Republicans are quick to state that Clinton originally increased taxes in 1993 and cut defense programs, but his overall plan was for an increasing budget without deficit reduction. As of 1996, the national debt was at an all time high of $5 trillion dollars, with interest running at a whopping $250 billion per year. This equals out to an individual responsibility of more than $50,000 per taxpayer. Nearly 90% of that debt has accumulated since 1970, and between 1980 and 1995, the debt grew by 500%. Currently, the debt grows by more than $10,000 per second, and at current rates, our government is about to reach its breaking point. If that†s not enough to scare a taxpayer, by 2002, 60% of government spending will be for entitlements, and by 2012, these programs are projected to take up all government revenue. Not only economic development, but also family income is hurt by debt. With the cost of living going up, it becomes harder to find a job. According to the Concord Coalition, real wages peaked in 1973 and have gone down ever since. If the economy grew as fast as it did in 1950, without a debt, the median family income would be $50,000, compared to the present median of $35,000. As of current fiscal year†s budget, the United States government spends $1. 64 trillion yearly, $500 billion of that, or 1/3 of the total, is for discretionary spending. This discretionary spending is the target for most cuts, and seems to be the easiest to make cuts in. Overall, the difference between the two parties' budget plans is only $400 billion. This could easily be trimmed by eliminating tax cut and adjusting the consumer price index to reality. Democrats say the GOP plan is too lopsided, and Republicans criticize the Democrat plan for being unrealistic. A study by the Urban Institute shows GOP cuts will be felt mainly by the bottom 1/5 of U. S. population. This should be more equally spread out across income brackets. By fulfilling campaign promises made by freshman Republican Congressmen to cut government spending, the GOP managed to pass a $1. 6 trillion budget resolution by a party-line vote, in both houses of Congress. This budget called for major cuts in education, environmental programs, discretionary spending, and the largest of all: entitlements. 70% of the money to balance the budget under the GOP plan would have come from entitlements. This is because entitlement programs currently take up $301 billion a year. Such cuts had already been partially implemented with the GOP cutting overall spending by 9. 1% in 1996 alone. First, in an attempt to stop the projected bankruptcy of Medicare in 2002, Republicans cut $270 billion overall from the program, with hospital reimbursement cuts being the deepest. Although stabilizing the fund is only expected to cost $130-$150 billion over 7 years, the GOP budget would reform the program to run better, and cheaper, by allowing it to grow at 6% yearly, instead of the current 10%. While both parties agree on premium hikes for beneficiaries, this is a touchy subject for the 38. 1 million elderly voters on Medicare. Medicaid, another volatile program, would be cut $182 billion under the GOP proposal. This would entail placing a cap on the program†s spending, and passing control of it to the individual state governments. For an estimated 39 million low-income people on Medicaid in 1996, the GOP plan cuts the program far more than Clinton†s proposed $98 billion cut. Social Security is another program being cut. The government has already reduced the outlay for seniors 70 and younger who are on the program, but Republicans want more by increasing the eligibility for Social Security from 62 to 65 for early retirement, and 65 to 70 for standard retirement. Smaller cuts included $11 billion in student loan reductions, $9. 3 billion in labor cuts, $10 billion eliminated from public housing programs, and several other numerous disaster relief programs cut. The GOP also wants to eliminate programs initiated by Clinton like the National Service initiative, summer jobs, Goals 2000, and Americorps. Along with terminating unnecessary farm programs, and cutting others by $12. 3 billion. Republicans hope to cut the yearly $6 billion that the Federal Government spends on direct subsidies to farmers. Agricultural policies were also reformed and embedded into budget-reconciliation bills. Clinton†s budget only surfaced after he vetoed the budget passed by Congress, and included shallower cuts, with little or no reform to entitlements. This plan was supported by most Democrats and was used as an alternate to a gutsy GOP budget. Clinton repeatedly trashed the Republican†s efforts to make cuts on programs he feels important like student loans, agricultural programs, and entitlements. He accused Republicans of wanting to kill some all together. He has also threatened to veto a Republican plan to reform Medicare called Medical Savings Accounts, unless his programs are left intact. Under Federal law, the President is required to submit budget requests in 2 forms: Budget Authority, the amount of new federal commitments for each fiscal year, and outlays, the amount actually spent in the fiscal year. The plan that Clinton has presented is not only a budget resolution in the form of a campaign document, but also proof of how far the Republicans have moved him to compromise since the they took control of Congress. Most important, it does not readily translate into regular accounting principles used for government programming. This year†s White House budget was a 2,196 page document that the GOP struck down immediately for not cutting taxes enough and neglecting to downsize the government. Among largest cuts within Clinton†s plan was the downsizing of 1/5 to 1/3 of all programs that he felt were not a priority to present day government. In addition, he wanted to close loopholes presented to corporate taxation, that would save an estimated $28 billion. He vowed to keep programs like education, crime prevention, and research or environmental grants. Attention was also placed on discretionary spending, with Clinton cutting a smaller $297 billion compared to GOP†s $394 billion cut. According to the Office of Management and Budget, the President†s plan cuts middle-income taxes by $107. 5 billion in 7 years, small business by $7 billion, and cuts $3. 4 billion from distressed urban and rural area relief. This was to be paid for by a $54. billion hike in corporate and wealthy-income taxes, and also in $2. 3 billion of tighter EITC (Earned Income Tax credit) adjustments. Although Clinton†s plan was expected to cut a whopping $593 billion in 7 years to furthermore produce an $8 billion surplus in 2002, most cuts are long term without a clear goal. Republicans sometimes criticize Clinton for unwillingness to compromise. He has used vetoes and stubborn negotiations to protect personal priorities like education, job training, and environmental programs, but Republicans have also tried using domination to force him to comply. One must remember that President Clinton does have somewhat of an overwhelming power in this debate that Republicans can do nothing about. He is the single person that can veto laws sent to him, and also has the power to call Congress back into session if he is unhappy with the current situation. This was President Truman†s â€Å"ace in the hole† back in 1948. One of the ways we are currently reducing the deficit includes the introduction of â€Å"means testing. † This means that people would get entitlements based on need. The government already has reduced Social Security for modest income seniors' age 70 and younger, but budget cutters want to broaden that idea. There are 2 major problems with means testing. First, it is considered inherently unfair. Some might argue that a person might blow all of their income before the entitlement reductions come into place. Second, it might reduce the incentive to work and encourage people to hide their income. For instance, beneficiaries of Social Security, ages 62-64, lose $1. 00 yearly in benefits for every $2. 00 they earn in income or wages above $8,160 per year. Some say increasing eligibility requirements would solve some problems, and propose raising the age of early retirement from 62 to 65, and standard retirement from 65 to 70. Another touchy subject in budget reduction is the argument that the poor are being left out of savings. According to the Clinton Administration, the GOP budget would cause a family with income of $13,325 per year to lose 11% of their income. United States Treasury Department studies say the bottom 1/5 income families would have net tax increase of an average $12 to $26 under the GOP plan. The top 1/5 income families would receive more than 60% of the tax relief. A HHS analysis states that the GOP plan would also boost child poverty rates from 14. 5% to 16. 1%, and poor families with children would loose 6% of their income. In the end, budget reduction is no easy task. The center of attention for debate on budget cutting is politics, and whoever takes responsibility for reform gets left wide open to criticism. Although Congress and Clinton have spent the past year on debating the budget and the size of the Federal Government, most plans fall back on gimmicks, loopholes, and long-term plans. Even Democrats now agree to downsize the government, but the two parties disagree on how and where. As we trust our elected officials to make decisions in Washington on our behalf, we must show interest and aptitude on the end results. Countries like Sweden and Canada have successfully reformed fiscal policies. Sweden†s government elected to abandon welfare, pensions, health insurance, unemployment programs, family assistance, and child allowances. Their deficit soon fell by 3. 5% of GDP in one year alone. Sweden†s plan was three times as intense as Congress† current plan, while cutting spending in half the time. As for cuts, everyone must suffer. Older Americans have good reason to protect programs that they have paid into for years, but those programs spend an overall per capita amount of 11 times as much on elderly than that spent on children altogether. The youth are the future of America, and we should protect them too. Currently, poverty in US is 3 times as likely to affect the very young than the very old. By balancing the budget, â€Å"interest rates come down, the economy picks up – we will rebound,† says Representative James Greenwood, and everyone should be happy with that.

How Will You Avoid Plagiarism Commerce Essay

Leadership is a quality to direct the people but what is more of import than an ability to direct is to procure obeisance from the audience about that way. Peoples are a crowd and to carry and actuate them to travel for something jointly is the undertaking of leading. A leader knits these people into a squad and so steer how to move in integrity. A leader motivates his squad with his action, personality and personal appeal to follow and execute the undertaking given whole heartedly. However, this function of leading is excessively general and seems easy to execute. This undertaking becomes more and more hard when there is a demand of persuasion to travel for martyrdom. In uniformed services, be it arm forces, constabulary, fire brigade or any other, the employees are non merely like any other employee in civil set ups. Their functions and responsibilities are different from all the others and hence needs a different kind of motivational degree to execute their hazardous responsibilit ies. It must be kept in head that during the public presentation of responsibilities, there is a hazard of life which is otherwise negligible in any service other than those mentioned above. UK constabulary is one of the most professional constabulary force around the universe and is known for their professionalism, dedication, public presentation and motivational committedness toward their responsibilities and state as a whole. Like any other force, it needs motive to transport on its committedness degree. On organisational degree, there are a figure of motivational factors and theories which are working to maintain this motivational degree at the top of the universe, but there is another factor which provides a roadmap for the organisation towards professional committednesss. This is leading. Leadership is the beacon visible radiation for the employees and a leader by his stature, committedness, and energy to execute his responsibilities impress upon the other employees and actuate them for the martyrdom in public presentation of their responsibilities. On many cases there are a figure of known leaders in the history of UK patroling who have provide a motivational base for the employees and the impacts of the same travelled a long manner and kept the constabulary section proud for times to come. The function of leading has a relationship with the motivational degree of the organisation.3. Preliminary Review of the LiteratureGive a brief critical reappraisal of the literature that you have read in composing the proposal and explicate how these mentions relate to your undertaking. Do n't bury to give a list of beginnings used ( a lower limit of 6 ) – usage the Harvard Referencing system. Have you a conceptual model? If so, include. Justify the demand for the research in relation to the literature you have reviewed.. Motivation has a long history among states, ground forcess, offices and squads. Psychologically, human ecrus in hunt for grounds to execute any undertaking and he may happen it in faith, responsibility or cause. But for the grounds he has to be convinced about the action he is traveling to execute. It needs motive and encouragement. There is a batch of literature available on motive in signifier of theory X and Y, Malsaw ‘s theory of demand and hierarchy of demands. Similarly there are theories approximately leading as great event theory, trait theory etc to specify the function and nature of leading. Role of Leadership in motive is farther deliberated at that place. Robbins construct of motive, 1999 forwards the followerss ground for motive: All physical activity is preceded by mental action of some kind. All behavior is end directed and aims to accomplish some coveted province of personal businesss. Persons seek to maximize pleasance and minimise hurting and un-pleasantries. Similarly, Motivation can be considered as the rousing, way and care of human behavior toward achieving some end † ( Buelens et al. 2006 ) To increase motive among the employees D. McGregor ( 1960 ) finds two utmost logics. One as theory and the other as theory Y. harmonizing to theory Ten it is natural for human to dislike work and they will withstand the work whenever they will hold the chance. But in theory Y he finds that it is natural for human existences to work as they need nutrient and slumber. Merely motive they need is acknowledgment of their work. These both theories have their ain virtues and demerits. In leading theories, these are the leaders who perform motivation tools and are polar for the success of any organisation. Leader might be born or made but the common trait they must hold is their bid over their people and to procure their obeisance.4. Research Questions and AimsHere you should compose your research inquiries as they emerge from the background and critical literature reappraisal. Develop these into 3-5 specific research aims that begin with toaˆÂ ¦ and usage higher degree verbs e.g. to place, explore, measure, look into, explicate, depict, etc.Purposes and aim of the research:In this survey our chief focal point remains on the relationship between motivational degree of an organisation and function of leading. This survey is based on instance survey of UK police section and will stay chiefly focal point to the motivational theories being applied in UK constabulary section, leading theories being practiced and function theoretical accounts of the constabulary sec tion. In instance of these function theoretical accounts, we will look into their manner, theoretical accounts of leading, personal part toward the motivational degree of organisation and part in development of leading theoretical accounts and theories with specific mention to patrol force. In order to accomplish the intent and to avoid any divergence during the survey, following purposes and aims has been defined: Study the motivational degree of the employees in UK constabulary section as comparison to other forces and so far as possible a comparative analysis of UK police section ‘s motivational degree with a few others. Motivational theories and application of these motivational theories in constabulary section as comparison to other services which are working in the civil side and corporations. Leadership theoretical accounts and survey of the best applicable theoretical account of leading for a force like UK constabularies section Study and rating of function of leading in motive particularly in constabularies force Role theoretical accounts in UK constabularies and their imprints on the section In order to accomplish these purpose and aims, we will look profoundly in the established organic structure of literature in general and for constabulary and other armed forces in peculiar.Research inquiry:In order to maintain the survey focal point and consequence oriented, following research inquiry has been framed: Does the leading motives the employees to in accomplishment of professional and national responsibilities?5. Research PlanThis is the most of import subdivision. A clear description of the three stages of the Research Plan is required: Perspective/general attack Design for run intoing your aims Data Collection Methods What is the entree and trying scheme ( including sample Numberss ) ? How will the informations be analysed and presented? What are the restrictions of your research? Comment briefly on cogency, dependability and generalisability. Note: This subdivision is non meant to be a reappraisal of the literature on research methods by and large.Research methodological analysis:In our instance there are two research methods which might be applied as per literature of the research methodological analysis in order to specify the way and tools of research to continue farther. Choice of these methods is chiefly dependent on our purposes and aims defined for the intent of the survey. In visible radiation of these purposes and aims we have to choose the method as to positivism and interpretism. Interpretism is method to construe the occurrences traveling on around us and to explicate the same and really much applicable in explicating natural occurrences. On the other manus, positivism is believed to be applicable in all those instances where research worker wants to explicate the insouciant relationship between two dependent variables and aid in theory edifice procedure in the terminal. â€Å" Positivism has a long and rich historical tradition. It is so embedded in our society that cognition claims non grounded in rationalist idea are merely dismissed as a scientific and hence invalid † ( Hirschheim, 1985, p.33 ) In our research, we have selected the method of positivism being most applicable in our instance.Research Approachs:Research attacks are meant to specify the agencies and methods to carry on a research so that a concrete program for the executing of the research plan could be conducted in the most befitting mode. A research attack helps the research to travel for techniques of informations aggregation and analysis thereof, reading of consequences and a aid to border attendant theories. ( Collin & A ; Hussey, 2003 ) There are two types of attacks in this respect. One is qualitative and the other is quantitative. In researches where there are state of affairs and researches to specify and happen qualitative relationship between the two factors and inductive theoretical account of thought is followed. It is affirmatory instead than confirmative in nature. ( Saunders et al, 2007 ) . Whereas quantitative attack is chiefly meant to prove the hypothesis through experimental ways by agencies of facts and figures put into the established theorem to prove their cogency. Quantitative research is believed to be the best where quantifiable figures could be generated like natural scientific disciplines. In our research faculty, the best option as to near toward the research is qualitative method. In our research, we are aimed to attest the research inquiry as to avowal of relationship between two abstract things, i.e. , leading and motive and to prove relationship between the two. Quantitative attack emphasized on the confirmation of hypothesis through scientific methods like experiments and are often been used in scientific research particularly in natural scientific disciplines. In our instance, we have adopted the attack of qualitative research.3.3 Research Strategy — Surveies:In research doctrine, the basic parametric quantities of research attack, tools and methods have been discussed. Research scheme is the pant and package of that research design and it focuses on the choice of informations aggregation tools to look into the affair and to fulfill the purposes and aims of the survey already specified. As we have adopted for positive design of the research, maintaining i n position the qualitative attack, the appropriate manner of informations aggregation in this instance will be studies. My basic tool would stay interviews and studies.3.4 Data Collection method:Data Collection is the pivot for successful and consequence oriented research. A information compromised survey leads toward catastrophe and ailment founded consequences and it is hence emphasized by the research workers for a healthy and reliable informations aggregation activity in any research. Data are of two types: Primary informations and Secondary informations. Primary information is one which is collected for the first clip and is specific for the intent of survey. It is ever to the point and its aggregation Techniques corresponds with the purposes and aims of the survey. Whereas, in instance of Secondary informations, the information is collected ab initio for some intent other than the research. Secondary beginnings are available in signifier of statistical studies, electronic info rmation bases, libraries hunts, books, diaries etc. For the intent of this research chief focal point shall stay on primary informations aggregation through studies in signifier of questionnaire. However, wheresoever required, adequate aid from the secondary beginnings will be utilized to the best of this research.3.5 Strengths of the Methodology:The truth of consequences of a research predominately depends upon the methodological analysis adopted. No 1 can deny the importance of methodological analysis. It is the glass through which a research worker sees the truth behind the dust of intuition and goes beyond the universe of what and why ( Burks 2001 ) . Methodology adopted in this instance is based on qualitative research and conducted through the tool of Surveys. In this method, research worker has a direct entree to the individual under survey and all looks and behavior is known to him. Although, it would be subjective to cipher behavior of the topic under survey but in this instance disciplinary steps and extra information, if required, are possible to recover and to do the record heterosexual. As in this survey, study is to be conducted through questionnaire prepared for this intent but still the last inquiry is kept unfastened to measure the behavior every bit good extra information topics want to supply. The first manus cognition and accent on primary informations makes this survey dependable and intimate.3.6 Restriction of the methodological analysis:There is a factor of confidentiality which might move as confining factor for the survey.6. Ethical ConsiderationsWhat we are looking for here is a treatment of any ethical issue s raised by your peculiar proposal and how you propose to manage them. You will necessitate to admit and follow the There are no evident ethical issues foreseen to originate out of our proposal.7 Timetable and any particular resources requiredInclude a Gantt chart. Alert us to any peculiar jobs you are likely to confront.Time frame:ActivityFour Calendar month1234123412341234Read LiteratureTenTenFinalize AimsTenTenRead methodological analysis literatureTenTenProposalTenTenCase surveiesTenTenTenTenGather DataTenTenTenTenAnalyze informationsTenTenTenTenUpdate literature readTenTenDraft to supervisors FeedTenTenRevision DraftTenTenPrint & A ; BindTenSubmissionTen

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversation in Two Acts and a Requiem Essay

According to the American Dream, Willy Loman is a failure. His true failure is that he does not cope with changing trends in the established system. According to American dream, success means that one has materials and gadgets from the latest innovations, dresses well and works in a well-furnished office (Miller 5). The definition of success by the American dream is not the only way for being successful. This is because having a business or job that brings income, which can satisfy ones basic needs, and having social, political, emotional and economic stability is some kind of success. In addition, the stories of Willy’s father, brother and son suggest that Willy’s destiny will never come true and thus will not achieve the American dream. The author, Miller, creates a character who possesses carpentry skills because these skills are viewed as old fashioned and not part of the new system, which is characterized by innovations and materials. The word ‘better’ as used by Willy means that the grandfather had skills, which were adapted and acceptable to the new system. The American dream is not concerned in the involvement of manual laborers, but focuses mainly in the success of business and this forms the relationship with the American dream. By saying ‘little salary’, Linda meant that the employee was not ready to change but remained in the same position for a long time (Miller 17). A little salary cannot help in achieving the American dream and therefore no man needs a little salary. In conclusion, Willy will have been happier if he had not felt compelled to obtain material success because he could have enough money to take care and satisfy his family. Work Cited Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversation in Two Acts and a Requiem. New York: Penguin Publishers, 1998. Print. Source document

Chinese Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese Art History - Essay Example Artistic features did not only feature in religious matters but, also the politics of the community. History indicates that political dynasties in China had a specific symbol. For example, Han dynasty (206 B.C –A.D 220) used bronze horse as its symbol. Within the Hans territory, the sculpture of the horse appeared in various centers. This enabled the society to recognize the ruler of that time. The painting of the emperors appeared in most public places as a means of promoting their interest to their communities. For example, the painting of the Han dynasty founder Liu Bang was critical in demarcating Liu’s territory. Ideally, the political figures instituted their rules by placing the sculptures or portraits in various temples or public places. In most cases, the subject of the emperor swore their allegiance to the temples where their rulers resided. When a political dynasty collapsed or when a change of power transfigured in the Chinese communities, the new ruler coul d build his dynasty. The portraits of the predecessor could no longer feature in public places. Further, territory demarcation could follow by placing the portraits of the new ruler. This system did not only, helped the community to identity their leaders but also swear allegiance to them. The politicians expanded their territory by placing their sculptures among the communities they ruled. For example, Wu Di expanded his territory to areas such as Mongolia, east of Korea among other places by instituting the sculpture of his Terra Cotta Army. (Wang 84). 2. Many Chinese works of art deliberately refer to the past in one way or another; using examples from at least three different historical periods, discuss some of these references and explain how they affect the viewer's understanding of the meaning of the work. The Chinese community used art to promote various interests such religion, education, or philosophy. For examples, during Confucianism period, Zhou Dynasty (1122-221 B. C), artists sculpted portraits that illustrated Confucian principles as the guide to the society (Wang 85). The viewers of the portrait were to remember the Confucian principles whenever they saw the portrait. The portrait of Confucian symbolized moral aspects in the community such as humanness as found in the legendary writings of Confucian. The Confucian period emphasized morality above divinity thereby influencing the Chinese community to incline towards the principles of Confucianism. The viewers of the Confucian portrait reflected the Confucian philosophy. In essence, the portrait served as a reminder to the Confucian philosophy. The viewers of the Buddha portrait used it to illustrate the divine nature proclaimed by Buddha. His followers used his

Impact do business and economic decisions have on society Essay

Impact do business and economic decisions have on society - Essay Example One of the major impacts of the shift from a State based system to a market based economy has been the emergence of large scale unemployment. The Central and East European countries made the dramatic transition to market based systems in the 1990s. During the first phase of the transition in economy, they were able to achieve macroeconomic stabilization but there was also a decline in employment, but there was a rise in unemployment.(Ham et al, 1993). The State based systems absorbed unproductive labour, however with privatization and the drive for profits that characterizes a market based system, the result has been double digit figures of unemployment. Unemployment can be detrimental to a society’s welfare, since a long duration of unemployment not only produces higher levels of human suffering but may also impair the long term efficiency of the economy by reducing the capacity of those who are unemployed to ultimately reintegrate themselves back into gainful employment, thereby making them burdens upon the State.(Ham et al, 1993). Unemployment rates in the Czech Republic were lower than the rates for any of the Central and east European countries, while other Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland have experienced much higher rates. This may be the result of much larger inflows and smaller outflows in Slovakia, or alternatively, differential allocation of resources among various districts, each of which is a fairly closed labor market (Ham et al, 1993). However, the transition in economy often causes suffering to the people due to the difficulties in sustaining and guaranteeing employment within a competitive framework. Different economies may therefore respond differently to the shift from State controlled to a market based economy, however in general it tends to produce unemployment which can produce a detrimental impact if unemployment is prolonged and individuals are unable to adjust into the requirements of the new economy. The emergence of

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Marketing plan - Essay Example The pharmacy has also gained economies of scale through selling larger quantities of drugs with less labor as the larger consumers order through mail order. The pharmacy expects a large number of customers since most Americans are on continuous medicine prescription. The Best Cure Pharmacy plans to increase its market share through targeted advertising in order to increase the number of customers who are looking for ways of saving on pricey which is a necessary expense (Malcol and Keegan, 2002). II. Situation analysis The Best Cure Pharmacy is in its first year of operation and highly believes that its products market demand will be high. The company is also convinced that it requires a cohesive marketing strategy. It offers a wide prescription of medicine for customer pick up at their store front and also distributes them via mail orders. Their prices are much better than those of their competitors and this makes their services attractive to a large number of people. SWOT Analysis i . Strengths Great prices It provides a unique business environment which is appropriate for business Has highly qualified and trained staff who are customer attentive It supplies drugs to its customers through mail orders ii. Weaknesses It lacks true experience of running a mail order outfit Government intervention or regulation to medicine It lacks brand equity and visibility of a start up business iii. Opportunities High pressure from consumers to purchase drugs through mail order The constant growth of those people on medication iv. Threats The entry into the mail order market by an already established company Regulatory legislation which may curtail the mail orders in the medicine industry III. Market Opportunity Analysis Market summary The Best Cure Pharmacy possessed good information in regard to their market as well as their target customers. The pharmacy plans to leverage this information in order to understand better who they serve, the specific needs of the customers and h ow the pharmacy can serve them better. Environment The Best Cure Pharmacy operates in a competitive market which is characterized by existing competitors. The environment is also characterized by different opportunities, and the company plans no to let any of these opportunities pass by. Demographics Best Cure Pharmacy customer profile consists of the following demographic, geographic and behavioral factors: Female and male A larger percentage of the clients are over 50 years Consist of economically good deals More than one medication per time The prescription is a continuous cycle not one that ends upon the correction of the malady Know what is needed and do not require extra services provided by some pharmacists Market needs The Best Cure Pharmacy is providing the target market with discounted drugs. This market is very important because many Americans are faced with the dilemma of using their income which is limited on either medication of food. The Best Cure Pharmacy will fulfil l the following benefits which are very important to its customers: Pricing- the Best Cure Pharmacy prices will be better than those of the other pharmacies. Accessibility- the products of the company will be distributed through their store fronts which are conveniently located with the US Selection- the pharmacy offers a wide range of medication products which include both generic and originals Customer service- the Best Cure Pharmacy recognizes the value of having an outstanding customer service. The company also

Introduction to marketing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction to marketing - Coursework Example 2005, p. 4). The main idea behind this definition is â€Å"the core of all marketing activities is satisfying consumers, therefore, marketing is a continuous process as environment and consumer demands are constantly changing. Product should adapt to changes in demand. Marketing can also be defined as â€Å"attainment of corporate goals by satisfying the needs of customers more than competitors do (Jobber 2010, p. 5). This indicates that marketing includes understanding the needs of customers and tailor the goods and services than the competitors. The above definitions of marketing are not even certain. Therefore, marketing definitely means a challenge for businesses to adjust to the changing the marketing environment based on the positioning of the consumers. However, there is need of companies to find means of adjusting to the changing environment in order to be able to grow much stronger. Therefore, it is essential for them to comprehensively understand the changing marketing environment nature. The body of this paper discusses the changing marketing environment and its impacts to marketing activities, relationship between consumer and marketing, impacts of consumers on design of marketing strategies, and important of marketing environment and consumers to marketing activities. Marketing environment is made up of forces and actors outside marketing who affect the ability of marketing management to develop successful relationship with its consumers (Kotler 2009, p. 14). Marketing environment is divided into two parts; micro and macro environment. Customers- customer markets include international markets, government market, business market, consumer markets, and reseller market. A customer can be a household or an organization purchasing goods and services for their own use or for resale for profit. Suppliers-suppliers are

Promotion Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Promotion Strategies - Essay Example The new technological trends affected a lot the way companies performed the advertising of their products. There has been a major shift from offline advertising to online advertising alternatives. This paper analyzes the global changes in advertising by performing research on the subject and through the case study of Estee Lauder. Selling products online which is referred to as e-commerce has become a huge force in the retailing business. In 2006 the overall e-commerce retail sales in the United States accounted for $104 billion dollars and this segment has a great growth potential considering the online community is rapidly expanding and currently has nearly 1.1 billion users worldwide (Plunckett Research, 2007). The widespread use of the internet and the birth of the convergence age are shifting advertising dollars from traditional written press to the internet since many people are no longer using the traditional press as their primary medium for obtaining information about current affairs. The internet has replaced traditional media due to its convenience, variety of selection, and the speed of the information travels. â€Å"Printing subscription have suffered with people finding they can get news from a variety of free online sources, including new, online only publication, professional blogs and news a ggregation sites† (Holahan, 2007). Online advertising is a booming business and companies are finding that it is cheap effective way to reach mass amounts of potential customers. Estimates performed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (AIB) determined that in the US $13 billion was spent on online advertising in 2006 and this figure is projected to grow by 87% in 2008 (Plunckett Research, 2007). Online advertising has also allowed further globalization of products worldwide. Companies in Europe are utilizing this advertising medium to target

The impact of the internet on plagiarism in student papers Annotated Bibliography

The impact of the internet on plagiarism in student papers - Annotated Bibliography Example In the above report, the authors identify the online research behaviors of teenagers in the modern digital world. Among other things, the authors identify the types of information easily obtained by students online. Among the examples given include online encyclopedia, e-books, and news sites among others. This is an extensive research that helps to fully uncover the types of materials available on the internet today used by students. The research is based on an online survey of more than 2400 teachers in the US. The major limitation is that the authors do not focus on how students use these materials to plagiarize. Carpenter, J et al (2012). Researchers of Tomorrow: the research behavior of Generation Y doctoral students. Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE). Pp. 1-83. Retrieved on 12 April 2014 from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2012/researchers-of-tomorrow.aspx#finding This report attempted to evaluate the research behavior of doctoral students born between 1982 and 1994 in the United Kingdom. This is a through and detailed research in which 17000 students took part in the three year study. The results help understand some of the online sources of information used by students, and these include video recording, news articles, e-books and e-journals among others. The limitation of the study is that the authors did not evaluate how these doctoral students use these online sources to committee plagiarism. In addition, the research was only based in UK, and therefore the results obtained may not be a fair reflection of this trend in other institutions. Conradson, S & Pedro H (2004). Computers, the internet, and cheating among secondary school students: some implications for educators.  Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 9(9). Retrieved April 12, 2014 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=9&n=9 This article evaluates how computers and the internet have contributed to cheating

From the Madding Crowd Essay Example for Free

From the Madding Crowd Essay However, when he first met Bathsheba he called her names like lady and miss. The way that Troy treats Fanny after his relationship with Bathsheba shows that in retrospect, Troy did in some ways love Fanny. Ironically, we see this the most after Fannys death when Troy gets a tombstone for Fanny and plants flowers on her grave, but the fact that the water from the gargoyle could wash away the flowers so easily, could signify how fickle Troy is and how easily his affections for Fanny were also washed away. Earlier on in the novel when Fanny comes to see Troy at the barracks, Troy does not realise that it is Fanny, his fianci standing outside his window: 5What girl are you? , He 6doesnt quite recollect that he promised Fanny they would marry, even though he said lots of times that he would marry her. This shows how he doesnt think of the penalty of his words. Fannys terrible relationship with Troy could have been used to predict the consequences of his relationship with Bathsheba. Similarly, the fact that in the few times that Fanny appears in the novel, she is in a gloomy and dreary atmosphere which was dooming her to death with descriptions like 7A heavy unbroken crust of cloud stretched across the sky, shutting out every speck of heaven;. Her appearance in these depressing environments was a prediction to her passing away. Secondly, she is used to show the true nature of Troys character, and highlight this as he is in a relationship with Bathsheba until Bathsheba herself realizes Troys true nature in finding Fanny. Once her role has been fulfilled for Hardy, he kills her off because she has reached the characters limitation and isnt needed in the story any more. This same meeting also exposes Troys cowardice and shallowness, and is a turning point in the novel, as if he had at this point admitted to Bathsheba his connection with Fanny or even that this woman was Fanny Robin, Bathshebas missing servant, then Fannys death and the following events could have been avoided. Thirdly, Fanny is also involved with the character of Gabriel Oak and brought his character out in the way Fanny borrows money of him and Gabriel gives it to her, she brings out generosity in him and that he is caring. Hardy then shows Gabriel to be kind from the heart to the character Fanny and others when he rubs off and child off the coffin lid, this is so we can see that Gabriel cares about Bathsheba being happy with Troy and tries to protect her from the truth. Her life is controlled by fate and chance and this shows how her function for Hardy extends beyond the plot and the development of other characters. Fate plays a big part and is a key part of the storyline in the role of Far From the Madding Crowd. The first time she is included as a fate icon is when Boldwood reads Fannys letter but it was intended for Gabriel this fate causes a description of Troy and the bringing together of the two rivals over Bathsheba, who are Gabriel and Boldwood but dont realize they are both in love with the same person. It is also fate that Fanny confuses the two churches so Troy doesnt marry her and it is by chance that she meets him outside the church and he replys to her plead to forgive her with You fool, for so fooling me! But say no more. But if he really loved her he would forgive her. Once again there is more fate involved with the character Fanny Robin where Troy has been looking for Fanny but re-encounters her when its too late and Troy has married Bathsheba. The chance has been enrolled in Fannys role, this is when Troy keeps a lock of Fannys hair and Bathsheba finds it by chance and she gets jealous, this causes extreme arguments between Bathsheba and Troy and gives Bathsheba a clue to Fannys identity. Hardy seems to evoke pity when he describes Fannys last journey (her death from child birth) with a description of a hostile background and a dog that is helping her, this is her only friend but even that gets stoned off and adds more pity to fannys case. Her death is also to go with the contrast of a melodramatic death of troy. The irony to her death is that she has more effect on the characters than when she was alive. Fanny Robin has a minor role in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd however the sense cannot be said about the significance of the character Fanny Robin. The reason for why Hardy introduced this character is to have impact on various main characters. She is a pivot in the novel and she causes the main key storyline changes. Yet she has a deeper role in the novel as a symbol for Hardys statement about the 19th century men and how they treated the working class girls. It is only when the question What is the significance of the character, Fanny Robin in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd? is viewed from a variety of angles that there is a true answer presented. If Fanny were not in the novel, it would be more difficult for Hardy to emphasise the discrimination against women at the time, as well as creating tension and suspense in the plot and highlighting the true nature of other characters, especially Troy. Therefore, a reader would not be as aware of the irony surrounding her role and so would not realise how her presence in the novel helped Hardy to show all these parts. 1 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd Penguin Publications, 1985, (Page 135) 2 Ibid, (Page 54 55) 3 Ibid, (Page 336) 4 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd Penguin Publications, 1985, (Page 366) 5 Ibid, (Page 137) 6 Ibid, (Page 137) 7 Ibid, (Page 322 ) 1 Jordan Daniels 11. 5 Matthew Moss high School.

The Rates Of Chemical Reaction

The Rates Of Chemical Reaction The rate of a chemical reaction is a measure of how fast the reaction takes place. So, a rapid reaction is completed in a short time. Some reactions may be very slow, e.g. the rusting of steel. A chemical reaction only occurs when particles collide with each other. Particles which move fast are more likely to collide with each other; you can do this by heating them up (raising temperature). This means more particles collide with each other every second, so the rate of reaction increases. There are more particles of hydrochloric acid atoms if there is a higher concentration of them. More particles means there will be a higher amount of collisions so the reaction should be fast. Other factors that affect the rate of reaction are; temperature, catalysts and surface area. Temperature affects reaction rates as it dictates how much energy the particles in a substance have, at higher temperatures particles have more energy and so move more quickly and collide more. As the particles are moving faster the collisions between them have more energy, this means that they are more likely to create a reaction and so reaction rate increases. Catalysts lower the amount of energy needed for a collision to be successful, so adding a catalyst to a reaction increases the amount of successful collisions and therefore increases reaction rates. The larger the amount of surface area, the faster the reaction rate is. Independent Variable= Hydrochloric acid concentration Dependent Variable= Time taken for magnesium to dissolve Aim To investigate the reaction time between magnesium and hydrochloric acid. Prediction I think that my results will show that the hydrochloric acid with a molarity of 2 will finish reacting the quickest because it is the strongest hydrochloric acid and I predict that the slowest experiment to finish reacting will be the 0.4 molar strength of hydrochloric acid. I think that the results will go slower and slower the nearer they are to the 0.4 strength of hydrochloric acid. The reason that the experiment with hydrochloric acid at 2 molar will dissolve the magnesium ribbon faster is because it is of a stronger concentration and so the molecules in the hydrochloric acid move faster and so react with the magnesium ribbon quicker. Fair Test To make sure my experiment was a fair test, I had to keep these factors the same: Surface area of magnesium Volume of acid used (10ml) Used the same type of beaker (80ml) Length of magnesium (1cm) Clean the magnesium with emery paper before the experiment Temperature of the hydrochloric acid The factor of which I will change is the concentration of the hydrochloric acid. Apparatus I used the following equipment: 80ml beakers (x5) Equal strips of magnesium (x5) Stopwatch Hydrochloric Acid A measuring cylinder Gloves Safety I will need to make my experiment as safe as possible. It will be safe for me and other students around me. Precautions will be made if someone is harmed, such as there will need to be a first aid kit nearby accessible, also a water tap in case acid touches the skin or eyes. This is what I will need to do: Care in using glassware as when broken is sharp and can cut the skin Wear safety goggles as I am using concentrated hydrochloric acid Care in returning all the equipment at the end of the experiment Care to eyes and skin plus to be aware of other students around the class Risk Assessment The acid that we are using in this experiment is of 1.0 molar strength, which is strong enough to at least cause irritation to the skin if spilled on it; the hydrochloric acid would also cause irritation to the eyes and mouth if ever spilled into those. Another risk is that magnesium is flammable especially if in powder form, but we are using it in a ribbon form and we are not using any flames in any part of the experiment. The gas which is given off from the reaction between hydrochloric acid and magnesium ribbon is hydrogen which is a flammable gas. We will reduce the risk of these hazards by wearing protective eyewear for example laboratory goggles, we will also measure out the hydrochloric acid pouring away from the body, over the sink. We will not be using flames in our experiment so the risk is reduced from the hydrogen and magnesium but still other experiments could be using flames so we will still have to be careful and make sure to stay away from any other experiments using flames. Introduction Firstly, we had to record (in a table) the time taken for a 1cm magnesium (Mg) strip to completely dissolve in a beaker containing hydrochloric acid (HCl). I had five different concentrations of the hydrochloric acid: 1.0m, 1.2m, 1.4m, 1.6m, 1.8m and 2.0m. I put 10ml of hydrochloric acid in a glass 80ml beaker, and then one by one I began putting the magnesium strips into each beaker and timing the duration taken for the magnesium to dissolve. The first thing we noticed is that the lower the concentration of the acid, the longer the magnesium took to dissolve. We were trying to find out how the concentration of the acid affected the speed of which the magnesium dissolves. The equation for this experiment was: Magnesium + Hydrochloric Acid à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Magnesium Chloride + Hydrogen Mg + 2HCl à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ MgCl2 + H2 Collision Theory The theory that we use to explain how different variables change the rate of reaction is called the collision theory. For a reaction to take place, the particles of the substances that are reacting have to collide. If they collide, with enough energy then they will react. The minimum amount of kinetic (movement) energy that two particles need if they are going to react when they collide is called the activation energy. Method I needed to collect: Safety goggles, five 80ml beakers, a lab coat, a measuring cylinder, and a pipette. Safety goggles were very important because of the chemicals we were using. Hydrogen gas was also being released, which is highly flammable so we had to be aware if we were to ignite anything near it. This was the method I used: Put on safety goggles and a lab coat Collect (80ml) beakers (x5) Collect a pipette and a measuring cylinder Measure out 10ml of hydrochloric acid with a pipette Release the acid into the beaker Make sure we have a stopwatch at the ready Collect magnesium strips Put the magnesium into the acid and make sure at the exact same time the stop watch has started The hydrogen produced makes the reaction mixture effervesce (fizz). The faster the reaction, the shorter the time taken for the effervescence to stop. My results may not be completely accurate, as the person using the stop watch may not react quickly enough to stop the time. Also the amount of milliliters put into the cylinder may not be exact due to the accuracy of the apparatus. Although the results are likely to be reliable as we used the same type apparatus for each experiment, and concentration we tested on, we followed the method exactly the same for each repeat We used the same method for all five different concentrations of the hydrochloric acid. We used the same pipette and measuring cylinder but made sure they were washed with water and then dried ready for the next concentration. We repeated the whole experiment for a second time to gain a better insight of our results; this would also allow us to spot outliers and discuss how we got them. If we found an outlier we repeated the reading. We then worked out an average between both of our results, although we did not find any outliers so our average wasnt affected. Time taken for the magnesium to dissolve (s) Hydrochloric acid concentration Experiment 1 Experiment 2 My graph which is attached to this document, it shows that the slope of the curve was negative due to the huge decrease in the seconds taken for the magnesium to dissolve (negative correlation, as you increase the concentration of hydrochloric acid, the amount of seconds to dissolve decreases). As seen in my graph the difference within the amount of seconds from concentrations 1.0m and 1.2m is the biggest difference of 51.45 seconds. This similarity continues all the way through until the last two concentrations have a small difference of just 4.3 seconds. Conclusion To conclude I realised the higher the amount of concentration in the beaker, the faster the magnesium dissolved. A scientific explanation to this would be that there were more particles in the beaker meaning the there was less space resulting to larger amount of collisions. More collisions The rate of reaction depends on the rate of successful collisions between reactant particles. The more successful collisions there are, the faster the rate of reaction. Surface area could have affected the experiment, but as these factors were controlled my results werent affected. I predicted that the higher the concentration the faster the reaction. The reason for this is as the concentration increased the rate of reaction increased. The line showing the results of 1.0 molar acid is the steepest. The reaction is faster with stronger acid because it contains more acid particles. The greater number of acid particles the more chances of a collision between acid and magnesium particles therefore the faster the reaction. The strongest acid also produces the most gas because it contains more reactant acid particles. You can see from the graph below the higher the concentration of acid the faster the rate. There is now evidence to back up my prediction. My hypothesis has been proven correct, in that beforehand I believed increasing the concentration means that we have more particles in the same volume of solution. This increases the chance of collisions between reactant particles, resulting in more collisions in any given time and a faster reaction. This can show us a general rule about concentrations and rates of reactions. Analysis During my investigation there is a possibility that I may have come across errors. These errors were linked to my measurements. The timing of the magnesium dissolving in the hydrochloric acid could have plus or minus a second due to the reaction speed of the person timing it. Also the (measurements of the hydrochloric acid volumes were accurate to +/- 1cm ³. Many of the errors are down to human judgement, Measuring of volumes Reaction speed of the timer From the results in the table and the graph we can see a steady increase in the rate of reaction as the concentration of the acid increases. This complies with my prediction. The graph shows that there is an increase in the rate of reaction as the concentration increases because the graph has its largest gradient or it is steepest at this point.). Also we can see that as the reaction continues the concentration of the reactants decrease and so does the rate of the reaction as we can see the decreasing gradient on the graph steadily falling and coming to a stop when the reaction is complete and the magnesium has completely disappeared. Evaluation I think my experiment went well as a whole. I could have possibly improved the accuracy of some of my results I could have used more concentrations of acid to see if the pattern carried on as it did previously or changed, I could have repeated the readings more times to make them more accurate. In some occasions I could have done things to make my experiment a fairer test. I could have repeated my experiment at least one more time to increase reliability. I could have possibly concentrated more on my experiment than get distracted by peers. If I repeated this experiment I could have tried investigating other aspects of the experiment which could change the rate of reaction. One example could be changing the surface area, the concentration of acid and pressure can affect the reaction. I could have also tried using different acids, such as sulphuric acid. Different metals could allow me to investigate their (relativity) reactivity and the affect this has on results and reaction rate. The reaction could relate to a real life situation, such as if someone were to walk into a crowded area, there would be more collisions rather than if the place was empty. Therefore people in the area get more annoyed, which results in even more collisions, therefore this example relates to the rates of reaction. The results lined up very well on the graph with a very close curved line of best fit that all the results fall directly onto or very close to with only two off the line and only 1 second away. This backs up the consistency and reliability of the results, which makes my evidence good enough to support a firm conclusion. To improve my knowledge of reaction rates I could and how concentration affects them I could conduct experiments using different metals and different acids. I could also use a larger range of concentrations to extend my results and give me more evidence. Using smaller gaps between concentrations would also further my evidence as it would improve my rate graph allowing me to draw a more accurate line of best fit therefore allowing me to make more accurate estimates for results of concentrations not yet tested. And it could have been improved by the repetition of each concentration 3 times; instead of the one time I was able to conduct, to eliminate all anomalous results. As from 3 sets of readings, an average can be calculated which will provide a more reliable result as it is based upon 3 readings, not just the one reading which may be wrong. The investigation could be done using one variable and therefore have a set of results which were related in some way. The variables that could be used are: Concentration Particle size/surface area Temperature These variables can be used because: The more concentrated the reactants, the greater the rate of reaction will be. This is because increasing the concentration of the reactants increases the number of collisions between particles and, therefore, increases the rate of reaction. When one of the reactants is a solid, the reaction must take place on the surface area of the solid. By breaking up the solid into smaller pieces, the surface area is increased, giving a greater area of collisions to take place and so causing an increase in the rate of reaction. An increase in temperature produces an increase in the rate of reaction. A rise of 10 ° C approximately doubles the rate of reaction. When a mixture of substances is heated, the particles move faster. This has two effects. Since the particles are moving faster they will travel greater distance in a given time and so will be involved in more collisions. Also, because the particles are moving faster a larger proportion of the collisions will exceed the activation energy and so the rate of reaction increases. Looking at the set of results obtained, you can clearly see that they all follow the expected pattern. This is pattern suggests that the reaction rate increase when the concentration of the acid increases because if you increase the concentration of the acid you are introducing more particles into the reaction which will in turn produce a faster reaction because there will be more collisions between the particles which is what increases the reaction rate. There will always be ways in which you can improve your investigations and the same thing goes to my investigation. Every time I washed a test tube or a measuring cylinder, I did not dry it before using it. This may have affected the rate of reaction, as water would dilute the acid. To improve my results, I could dry the test tubes and the measuring cylinder after they are washed to prevent diluted acids. The size and weight of the magnesium would have affected the rate of reaction. The experiment could be improved by measuring, adjusting and weighing the magnesium ribbons so they all are the same size and weight.

An Analysis Of Mahatma Gandhi

An Analysis Of Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi (1982) directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Ben Kingsley in the title role, won 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. The movie opens with the assassination of Gandhi. It depicts the journey of Mahatma Gandhi from sole colored practicing advocate in South Africa, who was thrown out of a train at Pietermaritzburg on his refusal to shift to third class coach while holding a valid first class ticket to the leader of community who used the principles of non-violent resistance on behalf of Indian immigrants to his relocation to his mother land, India and inspiring millions of fellow citizens by his charismatic leadership skills. The movie also portrays his individuality and relationships with his family, close-associates, friends and leaders of Indian Congress Party. Additionally, the principles followed by Gandhi are represented fairly with right blend of external factors including the British policies, his extensive travels, poverty prevalent in rural India and his conviction to remove discrimination issues, which affected his decisions, outlook and strategies adopted together with the building of his Ashram, taking up fasting and standing firm on his principles of non-co-operation and non-violence. The tag line of this movie: His triumph changed the world forever is absolutely true. WHo was gandhi? Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, bestowed with the title of Mahatma: Great soul (a honorary title first used by Rabindranath Tagore), lovingly called Bapu: father, used by his followers, is the Father of nation of India. This expression was first used for Gandhi by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in his condolence message on the demise of Kasturba Gandhi, wife of Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1944. Gandhinot only raised his voice for Swaraj (home rule for India) and taught his countrymen to fight without any arms or ammunition against the British Empire, but led the world to believe and still follow his principles of truth and non-violence. Gandhi was a qualified Barrister, studied law in University College of London, lead a simple life with his wife, Kasturbai Makhanji and four sons, Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas. Though a Hindu by birth, he believed in spirituality and not strict adherence to religious beliefs. The dialogue from the movie Gandhi clearly reveals the same: I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you. It is easier to explain the austerity of this great leader by borrowing the condolences of Edward R. Murrow: ..Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands, he could boast no scientific achievements, no artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom (Dialogue from the movie Gandhi (1982), directed by Richard Attenborough) Guiding Principles and followers Gandhi followed 11 vows throughout his life, which are described in his various writings. These vows are: Ahimsa: non-violence, Satya: truth, Asteya: non-stealing, Brahmacharya: self discipline, Aparigraha: non-possession, Sharirshrama: bread labor, Aswada: control of the palate, Sarvatra Bhayavarjana: fearlessness, Sarva Dharma Samantva: equality of all religions, Swadeshi: use of only locally made goods and Sparshbhavna: removal of untouchability. (Source:http://www.gandhimanibhavan.org/gandhiphilosophy/philosophy_11vows.htm) The Time Magazine in December, 1999 edition named The 14th Dalai Lama, Lech WaÅ‚Äâ„ ¢sa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cesar Chavez, Aung San Suu Kyi, Benigno Aquino, Jr., Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela as Children of Gandhi and his spiritual heirs to non-violence. (Source:http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993026,00.html) His journey was from a briefless barrister (a term used to ridicule him by his fellow legal practitioners, as expressed by Eknath Easwaram) in Bombay to the half naked Indian fakir (as referred by Winston Churchill in his speech in 1930) to the champion of the cause of non-violence and equality. This passage was full of thorns in the form of assorted problems faced by him as well as roses as the numerous followers. Innumerable writers and leaders world-over have expressed diverse opinion about the greatest spiritual and political leader of India. Whether people follow the principles of Gandhi or they loathe him, his immense work cannot be ignored. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in the year 1955: Christ gave us the goals and Mahatma Gandhi the tactics. (Source: Life Magazine: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. 40 Years Later, 2008) Leadership Qualities and styles A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal. A leader is an individual who first performs and then, leads his followers by example, so that they are motivated to follow him. He must have an innate commitment to a goal and strive to achieve it even if others do not follow him. As defined by Eric Hoffer, the leader has to be practical and realist, yet he must talk the language of visionary and idealist. (Source: http://www.vtaide.com/gleanings/leader.htm) The dictionary meaning of the term leadership is the capacity to lead others; an act or instance of guiding. Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task as defined by Chemers. There are diverse opinions and theories regarding definitions and classifications of leadership styles. Nevertheless, in the words of Vance Packard Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced should be done. (Source: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html) Viscount Slim listed the traits of leadership as courage, will power, judgment, flexibility, knowledge and integrity. In the words of Hill, characteristics of leader include self-confidence, morale qualities, self-sacrifice, paternalism, decisiveness, dignity, tolerance, enthusiasm, knowledge of man. In the light of these expressions, Gandhi was a true leader, who planned and performed the tasks, led by example, had strong conviction to achieve the goal and motivated his followers. The strength and character of Mahatma Gandhi is clear in his own words as: You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body but you will never imprison my mind. Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats (1948) defined 26 different group roles that can be played by one or more persons within a group, which were categorised as: task roles, personal or social roles and dysfunctional or individualistic roles. According to these roles, in the group task roles, an individual may be initiator, coordinator, evaluator, critic, orienter or recorder. (Source: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_85.htm) Kurt Lewin led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership and established three major styles of leadership as: authoritarian or autocratic; participative or democratic and delegative or laissez-faire. (Source:http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html) Participative leader: Gandhi definitely was a participative or democratic leader, who involved the whole team in planning and goal setting, problem solving and emphasised team building; on the other hand, he retained his decision making authority that could not be challenged. Rather than deciding in an autocratic manner, he involved other people in the process, including his subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Since the political situation then, was dynamic and changing frequently, the required democratic leadership flowed from Gandhi. He brought out the best of experience and skill from the fellow Congress leaders, seniors and followers. He had a strong conviction with right blend of flexibility and chose appropriate approach to be followed. The communication channels used were open and transparent; and in case of any changes, the strategy was explained unambiguously. Theories of leadership Various theories have been propounded on the concept of leadership based on varied attributes of a leader including traits, situational interactions, function, behavior, power, vision, values, charisma, ethics and intelligence among others. The following theories are relevant in describing leadership characteristics of Gandhi as explored in the movie: Charismatic leadership Transformational leadership Servant leadership Authentic and Ethical leadership Ideal leadership Follower-centric leadership Charismatic Leader: According to the trait approach, the leadership style is affected and influenced by the individual characteristics and traits of leader. German sociologist, Max Weber distinguished three ideal types of legitimate political leadership, domination and authority: charismatic (familial and religious), feudal or traditional (patriarchs or patrimonalism) and legal (modern law and state). Weber (1947) defined charismatic leadership as resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him. He defined the term charisma as a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural or exceptional powers or qualities, which are not accessible to an ordinary person, but of divine origin or exemplary. He further added that a charismatic leader has remarkable ability to distill complex ideas into simple messages and communicates by using symbols, analogies, metaphors and stories. Such a leader relishes risk and is an optimist, who rebels conventions. Robert House (1977) used four phrases to define charismatic leadership: dominant, strong desire to influence others, self-confident and strong sense of ones own moral values. (Source: http://www.12manage.com/methods_weber_charismatic_leadership.html) Gandhi is the best example of a charismatic leader. It was only his divine charisma that helped him fight on behalf of the Indian community in South Africa employing his principle of non-violence and wage a war against the British Empire for Indian independence. (Source: http://www.12manage.com/methods_weber_charismatic_leadership.html) Transformational Leadership: Bass (1985) extended the theory of charismatic leadership to the theory of transformational leadership, where a leader is able to inspire and activate subordinates to perform beyond expectations and to achieve goals beyond those normally set. Transformational leadership as defined by Burns (1978), is the process of motivating the team by leader to be effective and efficient and engaging their commitments in the context of the shared values and shared vision. It involves relationship of mutual trust between the leaders and the followers. (Source: http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htm) Gandhi beyond doubt was a transformational leader. He utilised his communication skills for facilitating and focusing his peers and followers on the final desired outcome or goal attainment. In consonance with Burns analysis, Gandhi was highly visible and used chain of command. He focused on the ideal vision of Swaraj and was surrounded by numerous other leaders who were responsible and accountable for interim milestones leading to attaining the target. All the four elements of a transformational leader were evident in Gandhis leadership: individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation and idealized influence. He attempted to attend to his followers individual needs, acting as their mentor and addressing their concerns. He unconditionally supported his followers and respected their individual contributions. The followers also had aspirations for self development and were motivated towards accomplishing their responsibilities. He was never averse to taking risks and was open to nurturing associates and followers. He articulated a common vision which inspired his followers, peers and other contemporary leaders. His inspirational motivation and high standards challenged his followers. Also, followers had a strong sense of purpose and responded positively acting towards the attainment of goal. The visionary outlook of Gandhi was supported by his communication skills and conviction, which resulted in mak ing it precise and powerful. He instilled pride in his followers gaining their respect and trust enabling him to obtain their additional efforts. Servant leadership: Robert Greenleaf (1977) described that a servant-leader is a servant first. He elucidates that the servant-leadership begins with a natural feeling that leader as an individual wishes to serve, which is followed by a conscious choice to aspire to lead. Gandhi, the quintessential servant-leader describes his own motivation to serve as: service to the poor has been my hearts desire and it has always thrown me amongst the poor and enabled me to identify myself with them. (Source:http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/Ethics/Servant_Leadership_stooping_to_conquer22004.asp) Spears (2002) lists qualities of servant-leader as: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to growth of people and building community. (Source:http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/styles/servant_leadership.htm) Gandhis desire to serve a cause and adhere to his principles was evident in South Africa. His mission to serve humanity began with his concern for the equal treatment of Indians, followed by raising his voice against the Bill, which was sought to deprive Indians of their freedom. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.: These words of Gandhi echo his persuasiveness and precision. Authentic and Ethical Leadership: In wake of financial, ethical and societal crises, people have begun clamor for authentic leadership. It is defined by Walumbwa as a pattern of leader behaviour that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate fostering positive self-development. The traits of authentic leadership embraces self-awareness of a leader, relational transparency, balanced processing of information and internalized moral perspective. (Source:http://johnmolson.concordia.ca/images/stories/graduate_prog/msc/docs/msc-agre/briand_melanie.pdf) Luthans and Avolio define authentic leadership as a process that draws from both positive psychological capabilities and a highly developed organizational context, which results in both greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors on the part of both leaders and associates, fostering positive self development. Authentic leaders inspire others by modeling positive organizational states of confidence, hope, optimism, and resiliency. By responding transparently to moral dilemmas, authentic leaders become ethical role models. Thus, authentic leadership is an umbrella that comprises of ethical leadership as well. (Source:http://leadershipskills.org.au/interpersonal-leadership/authentic-leadership-explained/) In the words of Gandhi: Everyone who wills can hear the inner voice. It is within everyone. He demonstrated characteristics of an authentic leader by being committed to truth. He knew himself well and was absolutely clear about his ideals and values. He illustrated self-discipline. Even in the movie, the dialogues between Ba, Mirabehn and Margaret Bourke-White, evidence that he strictly professed celibacy. Gandhi was extremely compassionate and genuine. Even during one of his train journeys, he releases his head cloth to a poor woman, across the river, who apparently was not wearing any proper clothing. Being an authentic leader of course, emanates from his rich experience and commitment towards serving humanity. Good leadership refers not only to the competence of leader to lead his followers to perform a task, but his responsibility for ensuring standards of moral and ethical conduct and in transforming people. Ethical leadership combines ethical decision-making and ethical behavior. Key responsibility of a leader is to make ethical decisions and behave in ethical ways and to ensure that his followers understand and practice the ethical code. (Source: http://studentorgs.unomaha.edu/documents/EthicalLeadership.pdf) An ethical leader must emphasis and reiterates the statements about importance of ethics. He must disseminate ethical guidelines to his followers. Gandhi, indeed is considered one of the most ethical leaders. He modeled his ethical behavior and set a visible example for others to follow. He set rules for himself and also, his followers as regards the dos and donts of moral behavior. This code was followed religiously by him. He criticised all unethical behavior and in case of any such unethical act by his followers, he went on to fasting as a penance. Gandhi considered that Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Ideal leadership: Ideal leadership or Inter-Disciplinary leadership is a scientific leadership theory propounded by Larry Stout (2001), which identifies six critical capabilities that are grouped under leadership capital and four capacities under leadership conditions. The six critical leadership capital capacities are vision, values, wisdom, courage, trust and voice to influence followers. The four vital leadership conditions vital for these capacities are place where the leader can hold sway, period that calls for his or her leadership, position that conveys leadership authority, and people who are ready for leadership. (Source: http://www.az-encyclopedia.info/i/1329282_Ideal_leadership/) This theory states that leader is one who leads his organization forward in a positive direction. The conditions determine who gets to be a leader in the first place a person must be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things, with the right people in order to have an opportunity to lead. (Source: http://www.idealleadership.com/talking_about_leadership) His positive thoughts are amply clear from Gandhis words: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Follower-centric leadership: Gandhis relation with his followers can be classified into the approach of being follower-centric. In accordance with this approach, it is pertinent that the leadership is focused on followers, and not on the leader. The leader should give attention to his followers and make them feel proud on being part of the team. In the words of Warren Bennis: Good leaders make people feel that they are at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. The follower-centric approach to leadership emphasises the information processing aspect in leadership dyads. (Source: http://learningleaders.blogspot.com/2007/12/being-follower-centric.html) Meindl propounded this theory on the argument that it is the followers rather than the leaders who construct both the phenomenon of leadership and the images of specific leaders. Gandhi followed and advocated strategies that were dependent on circumstances and his followers. For instance, when he was in South Africa, he launched his protests in a suit and a tie, whereas, when he came back to India, he dressed only in Indian self-made clothing Khadi and launched non-violent protests on an immense scale. (Source: http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/apr/11spec2.htm) Contemporary Leaders OF GANDHI There were several leaders of that era, who were contemporaries of Gandhi, including the members of Indian National Congress, striving for independence. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Maulana Azad, Bhagat Singh, Chander Shekhar, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of Muslim league, to name a few. In the movie, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is depicted as one of the strong leaders, who even went to the extent of defying Gandhi. Jinnah demanded for a new Muslim nation named Pakistan. This was completely against the principles and philosophies of Gandhi. Jinnah is officially known as Quaid-i-Azam (Father of nation) in Pakistan. He advocated two nation theory, which was opposed to Mahatmas ideology of United India. As depicted in the movie, there were several instances where Gandhi interacted with Jinnah. First encounter of Gandhi with Jinnah was in Patels Garden. They subsequently met during a meeting for demanding Home rule for India, later at Jinnahs residence at Bombay and on various other occasions. Muhammad Ali Jinnah studied law, which led him to start thinking about Indian freedom through constitutional methods and Hindu-Muslim Unity. Jinnah was the leader of Muslim community of India. The leadership style adopted by Jinnah was authoritarian and charismatic. His charismatic style helped him to gain confidence, acceptance and support from Muslims, consequently, obeying his orders. His leadership style is very well depicted in the movie during his talks demanding Home rule for India and the immediate response and enthusiasm among public. His authoritative style of leadership kept the party together where he held decision making power and exercised complete control over his follower. On comparing, leadership styles of Jinnah and Gandhi, it is evident that Gandhi was accepted among different sections of Indian society and across all castes and religions (including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and others). On the other hand, the popularity and acceptance of Jinnah was limited to only one community. Mahatma Gandhis ethics, authenticness and ideal leadership made him the leader of masses. analysis of followers According to Hill, leadership is product of projection and transference process of followers. The followers play a significant role in constructing leadership. They have cognitive schema through which they identify and assess their leaders. Once they identify small number of prototypical leadership in a person then they designate him as a leader. As depicted in the movie, Gandhi has follower driven leadership. It is amply clear that Gandhis follower played significant role in the construction of leadership. Mahatma Gandhi always worked in the best interest of his followers. Conclusion MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE Gandhi was a great leader and independence fighter whose personality and leadership qualities widely influenced his followers. He accomplished his vision of Independent India by following on his principles of non violence and non cooperation. Opponents could never challenge his ideas and beliefs and later, he became ideal of many great leaders. Using principles of Satyagraha, he led the campaign for Indian independence from Britain. Gandhi was arrested many times by British for his activities in South Africa and India. He believed it was honourable to go to jail for a just cause. Altogether he spent seven years in prison for his political activities. Gandhi used fasting to impress upon others the need to be non-violent. India was granted independence in 1947. In the words of Indian poet, Pradeep: You gave us freedom without any sword or shield, you are a miracle.

Jacksonian Democrats Essay examples -- essays research papers

Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. In light of the following documents and your knowledge of the 1820's and the 1830's, to what extent do you agree with the Jacksonian's view of themselves. Unlike previous presidents, Andrew Jackson represented the common men. He and his followers did not support the aristocrats, but instead favored the interests of farmers and urban workers. When they gained power, the Jacksonian Democrats brought about great advances in creating a more democratic and economically equal society. One of the most important changes that Jackson brought was a much more democratic society. You no longer had to be a rich landowner to be allowed to vote. Most of the states removed any religious or property qualifications for holding office. The number of voters increased nearly by seven times during Jackson's presidency. By 1832, nearly all states adopted a new system for choosing for choosing its electors. Before Jackson's presidency, the electors were chosen by state legislatures. Now all the states in the Union, except South Carolina, had adopted a more democratic method of allowing voters to choose their state's electors. Also, during Jackson's era, many state and local officials were elected to office, instead of being appointed. This gave the voters more control of their local government, and increased participatio...

Essay --

INTRODUCTION For this assignment, I will be focusing on the unemployment situation in Greece. The reason why I choose unemployment in Greece is because the country is facing a  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­high unemployment rate of at least 27.8% in October 2013, the highest jobless rate in the entire area of Europe. Greece high unemployment started as early as 8.5% in 2009. This is the sixth year that Greece has seen its recession. Unemployment in Greece is also a major problem for the economy as this will decrease the production rate of the country therefore lowering the country’s GDP CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT: The country now has 1.5 million of its population with no jobs. In the 27.8% of population being unemployed, 64.9% of the population are youth between the age of 15-24 years old. Greek youth unemployment has reached to the highest percentage of at least for the last six year, reaching the highest record for the last decade. Greece is in a debt crisis after the election on 2009 which resulted the opposition Pasok socialist party to win, making George Papandreou to takes over as new prime minister. On January – March 2010, the government announces of 2 more austerity measures. Austerity measures are official actions being taken by the government during the period of adverse economic situation. It is to reduce budget deficit by using a combination of spending cut or increasing the tax. However the austerity measures are resulted by facing a mass protests and strikes by the public. The strikes grew as big as 10 thousand people in early 2011. On the February of 2011, the protester s march on to parliament to counter government efforts to pass on the new austerity laws. Majority of the protesters are students between the ages of 15-24 who are lookin... ...vicious cycle ends in 2014. Greece will return to the markets, it will start to become a normal country again. The debt will be declared viable, without the need of loan agreements, without the need to borrow money," The government officials also mention that the country’s largest tax dodgers owe around â‚ ¬13 billion in unpaid tax. CONCLUSION In conclusion, I would assume that the economy crisis in Greek will not end quickly. The worst of Greek economy may probably be over, but the recovery will still need some years. The governments are still attempting to solve the economic crisis and the population are still attempting to seek for work. Greece debt issue and unemployment should start to fall in 2014, and may even have economic growth by the end of 2014. And if the tax dodger would not avoid paying their taxes, the economy condition may recover a lot faster.

Recruitment and Selection Strategies Essay

Summary: The recruitment and selection strategies that a company chooses are vital to the success of a business. Recruitment and selection strategies just thrown together are likely to fail. This is why a new business, such as Landslide Limousine must define the necessary criteria for recruitment and selection processes that will support its employee selections. This criterion will include hiring an adequate and qualified staff, a commitment to fair employment practices, and pre-employment standards to include background and reference checks. To determine the criteria for these requirements, the company’s organizational goals, the forecasted demographic changes, analyze workforce needs, workforce diversity objectives, organizational branding, and the methods needed for recruiting, screening, and selecting the proper candidates will be looked at. By assessing these areas we will be able to provide Landslide Limousine effective strategies for the recruitment and selection of personnel to provide a high quality and reliable service to its customers. We will also need to take into account that Landslide Limousine is a new company moving into Austin, Texas, and will need to follow local, state, and federal laws for the area in the employment processes. Organizational Goals Mr. Stonefield has set a goal for his company Landslide Limousine to be the  best limo service in Austin, Texas. He plans on hiring up to 25 employees within the first year with only a 10% turnover rate. He does expect to have a net annual revenue of -$50,000 for the first year, but an annual expected revenue growth of -5% for future years. To meet these goals there needs to be the right employees in place that will â€Å"buy in† to the company. These employees will understand the vision that Mr. Stonefield wishes for his company and want to help him reach it. Forecasted Demographic Changes Landslide Limousine is expecting to have a high turnover rate the first year. To keep the business going successfully it is necessary for the individuals hired to help out in other areas when needed. For this to be accomplished, the applicants need to be qualified in a variety of areas. The company will also need to think ahead and hire individuals who might be bilingual because of the proximity of Austin, Texas, to the Mexico border. An applicant who is not bilingual should not be dissuaded from applying, it would just be an added benefit for the company. Analysis of Workforce Needs Landslide Limousine will employ up to 25 people within the first year these employees will include customer service representatives, dispatchers, drivers, HR assistants, and managers. Customer service representatives will handle the calls from customers and potential customers. They will be the frontline to the business and must have high customer service qualities. Dispatchers will convey information that the customer service representative gathers to the drivers about where and when to pick up and drop off clients. Drivers will drive the customers to their locations in an efficient professional manner. HR assistants will help the manager in making sure that the company is following the applicable local, state, and federal employment laws and help handle any HR related issues with the employees. A manager will oversee the rest of the employees and ensure that the company is maintaining its perspective on the company’s goals and objectives. Workforce Diversity Objectives Landslide Limousine’s success will depend on its ability to hire qualified  candidates from a diverse pool of applicants. For this reason the hiring individual must be familiar with equal employment opportunity laws, fair employment practices related to the recruiting and hiring processes, and employment eligibility that allow an individual to work in the United States. The last is especially important with Austin, Texas, close to the Mexico border the immigration laws must be strictly adhered to (â€Å"Do your applicants,† n.d.). This will ensure that the employees have the proper credentials necessary for employment in the United States. Organizational Branding Mr. Stonefield wants his company to be the best there is in Austin, Texas. To do this he must ensure that his goals and visions for the company meet the needs of his consumers. He will also need to ensure that the employees hired are a good fit for the company and the image that he wishes to portray. In this type of industry, the contact made with the customer is a big influence on how he or she perceives the company. If there is a choice between attitude and skills, the individual with the correct attitude toward customer service should win out every time. Work skills are something that can be taught with training, customer service skills have to do with the attitude that an individual has and how he or she can handle situations with customers effectively. Methods for Recruiting Candidates This will be a key component in an effective recruitment and selection process. The methods for recruiting candidates will be from several sources. We cannot use internal sources at this time because the company is just starting up in the Austin, Texas, area. This is something that will be considered for future job openings in the company. For the initial job openings the sources will be external, and the areas to consider are newspaper advertisements, state employment services, job fairs, and using word of mouth. These methods will bring in applicants who may have the experience needed for the line of work the company is looking to fill. Another area to consider would be online job-related sites such as carreerbuilder.com and monster.com. Networking through professional organizations and keeping an eye out for changes among the competition as  also very useful. The company must know exactly what type of applicant they are looking for before advertising the positions and accepting resumes (Richason IV, n.d.). One last area to consider would be a temp service agency that specializes in providing other companies employees who will work for them on a temporary basis. These employees are hired by the temp service agency to meet the requirements requested by the company. By hiring through a temp agency, the screening and selecting of candidates is completed by them. Employees hired by this type of agency do have the opportunity to be hired as a permanent employee of the company. Methods for Screening Candidates The company needs to ensure the individual doing the hiring is knowledgeable in equal employment opportunity laws and affirmative action provisions pertaining to the position. This is the first opportunity in the recruitment and selection processes that an employer can express his or her commitment to equal opportunity. This is a critical part of any effective recruitment and selection process. When screening applicants for a position the reviewer must look for suitable qualifications. These are the experience of the applicant, his or her credentials, educational requirements for the position, and the presentation of his or her qualifications. A quick review of applications and resumes can help a company identify qualified applicants by looking for key words. Interview Methods Once the applicants have been narrowed down, the individual doing the hiring can conduct preliminary phone interviews. These phone interviews or screening interviews will describe to the applicant in more detail the job position and requirements, assess the applicants communication skills, review his or her work history, and to determine if he or she is interested in a face-to-face interview. The face-to-face interview is the most common interview method, which involves the applicant and the interviewer meeting face-to-face in an office. These interviews can be behavioral, situational, structured, and  unstructured or a combination thereof. A behavioral interview will typically ask an applicant to explain his or her work experience, skills, and activities as examples of his or her past behavior. A situational interview will ask questions about hypothetical events. The applicant is asked how he or she would react in a particular situation. A structured interview has a standard set of questions that are asked of every applicant. An unstructured interview adapts the questions based on the applicant’s intelligence, understanding and answers. It is recommended that these different types of face-to-face interviews be melded into one for Landslide Limousine. The interviewer should have some structured questions to ask of all applicants, unstructured questions based on the interviewees understanding and answers. Behavioral and situational questions will ask the interviewee questions based on his or her past behavior and questions based on hypothetical events. Testing Procedures There are several types of tests that can be administered. Cognitive tests will test reasoning, memory, math skills, reading comprehension, and knowledge of a job or function. Personality and integrity tests will determine if an individual has certain traits or dispositions and will predict if the individual will engage in certain types of conduct. Medical examinations are required by the Department of Transportation to carry a commercial drivers license (CDL) and in Austin, Texas, a CDL is required to drive a limousine. Drug testing required for every employee before and during employment. Also criminal background checks are recommended because of the nature of business the company does. These tests should be administered without regard to color, race, sex, national origin, age, religion, or disability (â€Å"Employment tests and,† 2010). Before giving a test for pre-employment there are a few things that need to established to ensure that the test is legally defensible. These things are to make sure that the right tests are given and that the company has certified the tests validity and reliability. A valid test must measure the criteria needed for predicting job performances. It also must be reliable, which means that the test must measure an item consistently or that an individual’s score should be close to the same every time it is  taken. Because employment testing can be challenged in court, the company needs to make sure that the tests do not violate any local, state, or federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws, including Title VII (Quast, 2011). There are several laws that need to be considered when administering these tests. They are the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). The use of these tests and applicant selection procedures are prohibited if they are discriminatory. Avoid questions of a personal nature or ones that may be considered offensive. Also the company should not just rely on these test results to choose the right candidate for the position (â€Å"Employment tests and,† 2010). Interview Process Considerations Interviews are scheduled when the hiring individual has free uninterrupted time. This allows them the opportunity to review the resume and conduct an informational interview with the applicant. Refrain from focusing on his or her credentials or experience. The interviewer needs to present hypothetical scenarios to the applicant and ask how he or she would evaluate and solve the problem. Listen to his or her responses without interrupting and make notes on the key points of the conversation (Richason IV, n.d.). Methods for Selecting Candidates The methods used for selecting the right candidates for the positions will be varied, depending on the position applied for. The interviews and tests will be a consideration for positions needing filled. The notes taken during the interview process will be compared to the applicants resume to see if anything was missed. The selections will be based on how competently he or she answered the questions and the questions that were asked by him or her during the interview. The limousine driver position needs a valid commercial driver’s license for the state of Texas, and is a requirement for working in the Austin, Texas, area. Applicants who do not ask questions are either uninterested in working for the company or shy and therefore might not be a good fit for the company (Richason IV, n.d.). Conclusion The recommendations that have been made will ensure the continued success of the company. The company’s organizational goals, forecasted demographic changes, workforce needs and diversity objectives, organizational branding, and the methods needed for recruiting, screening, and selecting candidates have been considered in the development of this plan. The recruitment and selection process must adhere to local, state, and federal laws to ensure compliance and avoid legal issues. By following these recommendations Landslide Limousine will hire an adequate and qualified staff while ensuring a commitment to fair employment practices and pre-employment standards. References Do your applicants have the right to work in the u.s.?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.firstchoiceresearch.com/docs/I-9 Employment Eligibility.pdf Quast, L. (2011, September 13). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2011/09/13/pre-employment-testing-a-helpful-way-for-companies-to-screen-applicants/2/ Richason IV, O. E. (n.d.). Methods of recruitmant and selection. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/methods-recruitment-selection-2532.html The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, (2010). Employment tests and selection procedures. Retrieved from website: http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/factemployment_procedures.html