The Unspoken Captivity Retrospectives On Human Trafficking

The Unspoken Captivity: Retrospectives on Human Trafficking Brandon Howell, Kyounga McElroy, Susan Pawlak, Barbara Gardner Davenport University The Unspoken Captivity: Retrospectives on Human Trafficking Human trafficking is a method of modern day slavery which entails the illegal trade of persons for sexual exploitation or forced labor. Each year thousands of men, women and children are victims of this suppression. Countless countries including the United States are affected by trafficking. Habitually, traffickers tend to prey on a perceived vulnerability, whether it is through a promise of money, employment, or better opportunities not normally afforded to the victim. Ultimately, the victims later find themselves trapped and manipulated and held against his or her will for the price of profit or involuntary servitude. Several organizations and governments across the globe, have implemented approaches to eradicate human trafficking. Unfortunately, the attempts to abolish this crime against human rights seems impossible to stop due to the ever-growing demand. Discovery Human trafficking involves the selling of human beings for a profit through forced labor and the illegal movement of people. From the National Institute of Justice (2012) cited â€Å"The United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including

Desiree s Free Enterprise And Ralph Ellison s Invisible Man

As observed throughout history and various societies, the notion of a â€Å"racial hierarchy† proves to be a superficial design which ultimately assigns value to a group of people based solely upon their skin color. As a result, certain groups are promptly associated with influence and supremacy, while others are disregarded in their â€Å"inherent† inferiority. Michelle Cliff’s Free Enterprise and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man approach this paradigm by facilitating their readers’ understandings regarding the debilitating ostracism associated with the social construct of â€Å"blackness,† as well as the metaphorical societal invisibility that is suffered as a result. In Free Enterprise, Cliff’s implementation of the motif of black invisibility is†¦show more content†¦This is most poignantly demonstrated through their enduring inquisition of whether â€Å"their names were called at holiday gatherings,† an unfulfilled cu riosity in regards to the simple recollection of their existences (Cliff 42). From an analytical standpoint, the colony is a metaphor for the dehumanization and erasure of black identity as a means of societal marginalization and disposal. Akin to Cliff’s work, Ellison’s Invisible Man approaches the nature of black identity through the novel’s discounted main character. A scene which ties into the concept of invisible â€Å"blackness† in the face of â€Å"whiteness† is one wherein the unnamed protagonist accidentally bumps into another man on the street, resulting in what one can assume to be a derogatory racial epithet directed towards him (Ellison 4). The invisible man demands an apology from the white perpetrator, a recognition of his humanity, but his black identity and the notion of white supremacy prevent it. Even in a position of considerable vulnerability, with â€Å"torn skin† and â€Å"lips frothy with blood,† the white man cannot bring himself to apologize, as this would be an acknowledgment of the black man’s existence, a disruption of the racial hierarchy (Ellison 4). The dehumanization resulting from the notion of â€Å"blackness† as inferio r results in the character’s societal confinement and fleeing from the outside world to his â€Å"hole in the ground,† an

Study of Software Industry Using Porters Five Forces Model free essay sample

Porter’s model supports analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management can decide how to influence or to exploit particular characteristics of their industry. A strategic Business manager seeking to develop an edge over rivals can use this model to understand the industry context in which the firm operates. Software industry is a growing industry and there are many potential new entrants to the industry. A study of the Software industry using Porter’s five forces model provides key insights into the industry trends. The study provides key challenges faced by the industry, and throws up some great opportunities that are present in the industry. Overall, the studies done through this paper reveal that software industry is a great industry to get into, for those who have the capability to create opportunities out of challenges. Introduction Software Industry is considered to be a very profitable industry. This perception attracts many players to this field. Many of the new entrants to the industry do not do any scientific analysis before they get into the field. This some times result into failures and uncertainties in the industry. A lot of new entrants fail to correctly assess and analyse the competitive strength and position of the firm in this industry. Michael Porter’s (1980) famous Five Forces of Competitive Position model provides a very effective way of doing this assessment for any industry, and can be used in the software industry too. This paper does a detailed study of the software industry using Porter’s model and the findings will help new entrepreneurs and existing ones to arrive at the right strategies for being unique and addressing the competition. This paper attempts to analyse the software industry based on Porter’s five forces model. Literature Review Porters Five Forces No organization is an island unto itself. Its ability to thrive is affected by many factors, including its competition. Michael Porter (1980), of the Harvard Business School, has developed the five forces model to describe and analyze these factors. Apart from Porters Book Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitorsâ€Å" in 1980, there are very many internet resources and articles which provide insight into the model. Some of them are www. themanager. org , www. businessballs. com, www. quickmba. com etc In this model, there are five competitive forces that interactively shape the dynamic environment of any industry. Rivalry Among Existing Firms All companies strive to improve their position with respect to their rivals. Companies use a variety of tactics to secure advantage; for example, product innovation and differentiation, patents, pricing, distribution systems, and advertising. In many industries, the use of one or more of these tactics by one company provokes a response by its competitors. Over time, this action-reaction dilemma can damage both the companies and the industry at large. This happened in the semiconductor industry: when one company began to build up production capacity for RAM (random-access memory) chips, the others followed suit, and the resultant overcapacity gave buyers an inordinate amount of leverage, precipitating a crash in prices. There are other factors that promote rivalry and competition: †¢Large increases in production capacity †¢Many competitors or relatively balanced competition †¢High exit barriers †¢Slow industry growth †¢High fixed costs Low switching costs Industries in which the competition is intense are often referred to as cutthroat, warlike, and bitter. The soft-drink industry is a well-known example of this. The more competitive the industry, the more difficult it is to generate profits. Threat of Potential Entrants New competitors in an industry bring with them additional resources and production capacity and a desire to gain market share. Their entrance can result in a collapse in prices, loss of suppliers, and increased costs (for example, in more advertising or a bigger sales force)—all of which reduce profitability. This has happened repeatedly in the discount department store sector, beginning in the early 20th century when the first â€Å"five-and-ten-cent stores† began to compete with smaller specialty shops. The likelihood of new entrants depends on the barriers to entry that are inherent to the industry and on the responses of the existing competitors. There are five major barriers to entry: a) Economies of scale In industrial economies, the most efficient level of production is called the minimum efficient scale (MES), which is the production level needed to achieve the lowest production costs. All industries have an MES. The higher the MES, the more production capability a new entrant must build in order to enter without an initial cost disadvantage. New entrants must then capture a share of the market proportional to their capacity or they will be at a long-term disadvantage. The bigger the market share they need to capture, the higher this barrier to entry is. One example of where it is extremely high is the automobile industry. b) Access to distribution channels In some industries, the distribution channels are controlled by existing companies through distributor contracts and preferred relationships. This can be seen in the light bulb industry, where the biggest manufacturers have exclusive contracts with the biggest retailers. New entrants will have to break into the current distribution system or find other alternatives. Both choices may be expensive, creating a high barrier to entry. c) Capital requirements Entering a new market can involve creating new capacity, aggressive advertising, acquisition of licenses, and so on. All of these activities require investment capital. The higher the capital needs, the greater the barrier to entry. An extreme case here is the building of jet aircraft, where even an established company can spend over a billion dollars (U. S. ) to bring one new model into production. d) Switching costs In some cases, entry into a new market can be achieved by retooling existing production machinery at relatively low costs. It is also possible, however, that the retooling costs are substantial, hence, a greater barrier to entry. Oftentimes, highly specialized capacity for which there is no alternative use must be created. This is a potential switching cost and constitutes another barrier to entry. Integrated circuit manufacturing equipment, for instance, cannot be used for anything else, while the machines used to make hardware and small metal parts can be reconfigured fairly easily. e) Cost disadvantages independent of scale Some industries have unique features that create high barriers to entry. These include: †¢Proprietary knowledge and patents not available to entrants †¢Access to raw materials limited to or controlled by existing firms †¢Favorable locations already secured by existing firms †¢Government regulations or subsidies †¢A relatively long learning/experience curve Similarly, barriers to exit make it difficult for firms to leave an industry. In industries that are difficult to exit, existing firms will tend to put more into the competition for retaining their market share than if they had an easy-exit option. Low Barrier to Entry Standard technology Low capital investment Low switching costs Little government restriction Fragmented or open distributionHigh Barrier to Entry Critical patents High capital investment High switching costs Considerable government regulation Controlled distribution Low Barrier to Exit Separate SBUs Incidental to core strategy Assets easy to sell Common technologyHigh Barrier to Exit Interdependent SBUs Part of core strategy Assets difficult to sell Specialized technology not applicable to other industries The Power of Buyers In some circumstances, the buyers or customers in an industry contribute to its competitiveness. Customers in competitive industries are able to force down prices, bargain for higher quality or more services, and play competitors against each other. Customers can exert significant pressure on an industry when †¢They have full information. They consider the products they purchase to be standard or undifferentiated. †¢The products are a significant portion of the buyers’ costs. †¢The products are unimportant to the quality of the buyers’ products. †¢The industry faces low switching costs. An industry that is severely limited by the power of buyers is pharmaceuticals: insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, and even governments (e. g. , through Medicare) limit their profits on prescription medications. The Power of Suppliers Suppliers also influence the competitiveness of an industry. Powerful suppliers can raise prices, restrict access to supplies, and lower the quality of supplies and services. If competitors are unable to pass along increased costs to their customers, their profits decrease. Suppliers are powerful when: †¢They pose a threat of forward integration. †¢Their product is an important input to the final product. †¢The industry overall is not an important customer of the supplier. †¢They are few in number and are more concentrated than their customers. †¢There are no competing substitutes. Their products are differentiated and/or the customers have significant switching costs. Suppliers are extremely powerful in the oil business, where a company that operates refineries but does not own its own wells is completely dependent on the producers. The Threat of Substitutes Usually, the firms in one industry are, broadly speaking, also competing with industries that produce substitute products. Substitutes can place a ceiling on the prices an industry can charge, thus limiting its profit potential. The more favorable the price/performance ratio of alternatives, the stronger the ceiling. Identifying viable substitute products is a matter of searching for other products that can meet customer needs. Some examples are: †¢High fructose /low calorie sweetener for sugar †¢LEDs for incandescent lights †¢Cellular phones for landline phones †¢Real estate investing for equity investing †¢Public transportation for automobiles All of these factors together shape the dynamics of an industry. After establishing how attractive an industry sector is, companies can then determine the key industry success factors, the investment needed, and the potential for return on those investments. Methodology First, the requirements and the nature of software industry were studied. The industry experience of the author of this paper came in handy for the study. Discussions were held with various experts in the industry. Various stages of setting up and sustaining a software industry were evaluated. Extensive study of already existing research was carried out. Various research information were considered while arriving at conclusions. A number of secondary sources are used in this paper Results and Discussion What are the threats of entry in this industry? Let us look at this with reference to the five aspects of †¢Economies of scale †¢Access to distribution channels †¢Capital requirements †¢Switching costs †¢Cost disadvantages independent of scale Economies of Scale Gerard Jackson (June 1998) argues that the concept of economies of scale do not apply to soft ware industry, simply due to the very nature of the industry where once we have invested in the development of the product the production costs are virtually nil and hence the economies of scale concept cannot be applied here. There of course are costs associated with packaging, shipping and marketing the product, but they are so minimal compared to the overall cost that the argument appears logical. So for the big players this is not an advantage at all. Any small player can threaten the big players, if they have the right brains behind their products. I do not consider this to be a serious entry barrier for new entrants to this field. Access to Distribution Channels Access to distribution channel is a big threat of entry in the software industry. The internet is a virtually free distribution channel available for any one to pump their products into. Any new entrant can have the same access as the big players to the distributions channels. However this is easily said than done for large software products like middle ware or operating systems, or huge data base management systems. Overall, this is not a serious barrier for new entrants. Capital Requirements The Capital requirements in this industry are of a different nature. According to the Reserve Bank of India (India’s Apex Bank) Notification (August, 1998) the working capital requirements of the software industry are basically the development costs. To quote their report â€Å"These products are prepared to meet standard requirements of end-users and are sold as packaged units comprising software manual and other user aids (tutorials). The development of these products involve fairly large scale investment, the return on which can be realised only after the product is fully developed and sufficient demand is generated therefore. By and large, no payment by the buyers would be involved at any stage of development and the developer would be receiving payments only when the products are purchased by interested buyers. In such cases, working capital requirements would be mainly for meeting expenditure such as salaries and expenses of the professionals associated with the development of the products. The period required for development would vary and, in some cases, may extend up to 24 months. â€Å" Depending on the scale of the proposed product, the new entrants would need to muster this capital requirement, and take the risk of success or failure once the product is launched. Hence this could be a high barrier Switching Costs Switching cost could well be the most important entry barrier for new firms into the software industry. Steve Kahl (Spring 2004) has done some extensive study on the switching costs related with Software industry. The total cost of ownership to implement a software package typically is much higher than the purchase price of software, sometimes as high as twelve times the price. Integrating software with the pre-existing technical architecture, changing business processes, training new users on the system, and maintenance costs for the software make it difficult for customers to replace software products. These high switching costs can lock customers in and increase the value of the installed base. As a result, the size of the installed base is an important performance measure for the software industry. The installed base, in turn, impacts competitive strategy. A firm such as Microsoft with a significant installed base may deter entry from new firms. Cost Disadvantages Independent of Scale include proprietary product technology, favorable access to talent and raw material, favorable locations, learning or experience curve etc. In the context of the software industry this could be a low barrier, since the software as a product is a function of the human intelligence and really one cannot make it proprietary, and history proves this where start up companies became giants in this field. To what threats of substitutes are you vulnerable in this industry? The threats of substitutes could be of a different nature in the software industry. There is always the big fight between patents and open source. But the major threat for software industry in this account is the threat of piracy. All major software players struggle with this and a lot of efforts and money is spent on preventing , detecting and acting on piracy. I would say that the industry has still not figured out the right and fool proof way of preventing this threat. The proliferation of piracy requires us to constantly re-evaluate how people can ensure they are getting the real thing when they see the Microsoft name, says Jackie Carriker, group manager of anti-piracy efforts for Microsoft (Microsoft press release Feb 2000). It seems we are in a perpetual cat-and-mouse game with counterfeiters. But hopefully these features will make it more challenging for would-be pirates to make a quick buck while making it easier for customers and resellers to differentiate between genuine and counterfeit software. Microsoft published data confirms this problem. To Quote Microsoft â€Å"Software piracy, or the illegal copying and distribution of software, is both an individual and a worldwide problem that takes a toll on the global economy. In 1998, software piracy caused the loss of more $11 billion in revenue worldwide, according to the Business Software Alliance (BSA). That same year, software piracy cost 109,000 jobs in the U. S. lone. There are currently approximately 2 million auction and warez sites pushing pirated or counterfeit goods, compared to 100,000 in 1997, according to BSA estimates. In short, software piracy is a problem for everyone at every level of the distribution channel from honest resellers to consumers. As per Douglas Heingartner (January, 2004) internet pirac y is the latest threat in software piracy, and organisations are struggling to bring this under control. To what pressures from suppliers are you vulnerable in this industry? This is probably an industry which is not too dependent on â€Å"suppliers† in the conventional manner. However, the right skill sets in employees could be treated as a major supply source. Sourcing the right employees and having strategies and policies which attract them to stay on, is a major challenge that every software industry player . The war of talent as it is called is all too well known. According to Steve Schifferes (January 2007) ,Nasscom, the Indian software industry association, estimates that by 2010, the Indian outsourcing industry could have $60bn worth of global sales, up from $23bn in 2006 and that would still only be 10% of the potential market. But if the industry is to triple its revenues, urgent action is needed now to increase the supply of skilled labour, Nasscom says. According to Mary Hayes Weier (February 2007) Accenture plans to increase its India staff this year by 8,000 people to 35,000, surpassing its U. S. employee base. IBM s India staff has jumped from 43,000 to 53,000 in six months, and it expects to continue growing at that pace. Both Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services are hiring about 2,000 people a month. At that pace, thats more than 35,000 new hires for these four companies alone the next six months, and dozens of other tech companies are rushing to add staff in India. So where will all this talent come from? Thats a question businesses should be asking their suppliers of India-based IT and business process services. The country still offers the best talent-to-price ratio of any place in the world, but suppliers admit its getting increasingly difficult to find and keep the right peopleespecially at the management level. To what pressures from customers are you vulnerable in this industry? Customers or clients as they are called currently in our industry, have a great power as they always have had. They have choices, they continue to ask for better quality at lower costs. More importantly they are asking the software vendors to add business value to their business. It is no more a sell and walk out policy. According to the Software 2006 Industry report put together by McKinsey Company, in collaboration with the Sand Hill Group, the entire eco system of software business is undergoing major changes and customers are driving that change aggressively. The report says, â€Å"Two major business models are vying for an growing share of software spend: Software as a Service and Open Source. Software as a Service (SaaS) has become increasingly relevant to both Enterprise and SMB customers and has the potential to impact the entire IT landscape. Although the market size for SaaS was relatively small ~$6 billion in 2005, it is poised to grow more than 20 percent annually. Several factors are driving this large shift in preferred model: vendors are seeking attractive annuity revenue streams, customers are pushing for more affordable and lower TCO alternatives to packaged software, and critical technology enablers like broadband wireless and universal access are coming online. SaaS has already gained traction in number of application areas – such as payroll, human capital management, CRM, conferencing, procurement, logistics, information services, and e-commerce) – and should make gains across a much broader cross-section of applications over the next 3 years.

Watergate Was The Name Of The Biggest Political Scandal In United Stat Essay Example For Students

Watergate Was The Name Of The Biggest Political Scandal In United Stat Essay es history. It included various illegal activities designed to help President Richard M. Nixon win reelection in 1972. Watergate resulted in Nixons resignation from the presidency in 1974. Watergate differed from most previous political scandals because personal greed apparently did not play an important role. Instead, Watergate represented an attack on one of the chief features of a democracyfree and open elections. The Watergate activities included burglary, wiretapping, violations of campaign financing laws, and sabotage and the attempted use of government agencies to harm political opponents. The scandal also involved a cover-up of many of those actions. About 40 people were charged with crimes in the scandal and with related crimes. Most of these people were convicted by juries or pleaded guilty. We will write a custom essay on Watergate Was The Name Of The Biggest Political Scandal In United Stat specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Watergate involved more high-level government officials than any previous political scandal. It led to the conviction on criminal charges in 1975 of former Attorney General John N. Mitchell and two of Nixons top aides, John D. Ehrlichman and H. R. Haldeman. Also in 1975, former Secretary of Commerce Maurice H. Stans, a leader of Nixons reelection campaign, pleaded guilty to Watergate criminal charges and was fined $5,000. Watergate also had resulted in the resignation of Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst in 1973. The break-in and cover-up. The scandal took its name from the Watergate complex of apartment and office buildings in Washington, D.C. On June 17, 1972, police arrested five men for breaking into the Democratic Partys national headquarters there. One of the burglars was James W. McCord, Jr., the security coordinator of the Committee for the Re-election of the President (CRP). The five menalong with G. Gordon Liddy, another CRP aide; and E. Howard Hunt, Jr., a White House consultantwere indicted for a number of crimes, including burglary and wiretapping. In January 1973, five of the seven, including Hunt, pleaded guilty. The other twoLiddy and McCordwere found guilty by a jury. Nixons press secretary had said repeatedly that the scandal involved no member of the White House staff. But the press found evidence that White House aides had helped finance sabotage and spying operations against candidates for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination. Reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of The Washington Post led the investigation. Early in 1973, evidence was uncovered that tied several top White House aides to plans for the Watergate break-in or to concealment of evidence that implicated members of the Nixon Administration. The evidence indicated that White House officials had tried to involve the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the cover-up. These officials falsely claimed that national security was involved. On April 30, 1973, Nixon stated that he had no part in either planning the Watergate break-in or covering it up. He promised that the Department of Justice would appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case. In May, Archibald Cox, a Harvard Law School professor, was named to that position. Also in May, the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities began hearings on Watergate. Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr., of North Carolina headed the committee. Former Presidential Counsel John W. Dean III became the chief witness against Nixon in the hearings. Dean admitted that he had played a major role in a White House cover-up and charged that Nixon knew of his activities. Dean also revealed Administration plans to use the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies to punish opponents whom the White House had placed on so-called enemies lists. Dean was later sentenced to a prison term of 1 to 4 years. After serving four months, his sentence was reduced to that time a nd he was released. .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca , .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .postImageUrl , .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca , .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca:hover , .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca:visited , .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca:active { border:0!important; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca:active , .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3b6bd708e6516f603dcb54cd7d37adca:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Creation stories EssayThe tape controversy. In July, the Senate committee learned that Nixon had secretly made tape recordings of conversations in his White House offices since 1971. The committee and Cox believed the tapes could answer key questions raised in their investigations. They asked Nixon to supply them with certain tapes, but he refused to do so. Nixon argued that, as President, he had a constitutional right to keep the tapes confidential. In August, Cox and the committee sued Nixon to obtain the tapes. U.S. District Court Judge John J. Sirica decided to review the tapes himself and ordered Nixon to give them to him. Nixon appealed the order, but a U.S. court of appeals supported Sirica. In October, Nixon offered to provide summaries of the tapes. But Cox declared that summaries would be unacceptable as evidence in court and rejected the offer. Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson to fire Cox, but Richardson refused to do so and resigned. Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus also resigned after being ordered to dismiss Cox. Nixon then named Solicitor General Robert H. Bork acting attorney general, and Bork fired Cox. Leon Jaworski, a noted Texas attorney, later succeeded Cox. The Presidents actions angered many Americans. In October, a number of members of the House of Representatives began steps to impeach him. Later in 1973, Nixon agreed to supply the tapes to Sirica. Then it was discovered that three key conversations were missing. The White House said that the tape-recording system failed to work properly during two of the talks and that the third had been accidentally erased. In April 1974, Jaworski served Nixon with a subpoena (legal order) to furnish tape recordings and documents relating to 64 White House conversations. Jaworski said the materials contained evidence in the cover-up case. At the end of April, Nixon released 1,254 pages of edited transcripts of White House conversations. He said they told the full Watergate story. Jaworski, however, insisted on receiving the original tapes and documents that he had requested. Nixon again claimed he had a constitutional right to protect confidential documents. Jaworski then sued the President in federal court. In July, the Supreme Court of the United States ordered Nixon to give Jaworski the materials. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a President cannot withhold evidence in a criminal case. The cover-up trial. In March 1974, seven former officials of Nixons Administration or his 1972 reelection committee were indicted on charges of conspiracy in covering up the Watergate break-in. Among them were Domestic Council Chief Ehrlichman, White House Chief of Staff Haldeman, and Attorney General Mitchell. The trial lasted from October 1974 to January 1975. Ehrlichman, Haldeman, and Mitchell were each convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury, and sentenced to a prison term of from 21/2 to 8 years. The sentences were later reduced to 1 to 4 years. The resignation of Nixon. The President suffered another major setback in July 1974, when the House Judiciary Committee recommended that he be impeached. The committee adopted three articles of impeachment for consideration by the full House of Representatives. The first article accused Nixon of obstructing justice in the scandal. The other two articles accused him of abusing presidential powers and illegally withholding evidence from the judiciary committee. Nixons chief defenders continued to argue that the President had committed no impeachable offense. But on August 5, Nixon released additional transcripts of taped White House conversations. The transcripts convinced most Americans that Nixon had authorized the Watergate cover-up at least as early as June 23, 1972six days after the break-in. Nixon immediately lost almost all his remaining support in Congress. He resigned on August 9, and Vice President Gerald R. Ford took office as President that day. On September 8, Ford pardoned Nixon for all federal crimes that Nixon might have committed while serving as President. .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 , .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .postImageUrl , .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 , .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387:hover , .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387:visited , .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387:active { border:0!important; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387:active , .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387 .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5145f9f954fbabbe4aca2d645295d387:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Introduction For Antigone EssayOther effects of Watergate. In 1974, Congress approved reforms in the financing of federal election campaigns. Some reforms limit the amount of money contributors may give to candidates for President, Vice President, and Congress. Other financial reforms require detailed reporting of both contributions and expenses. Many state legislatures limited contributions and spending in state election campaigns and adopted codes of ethics for all government employees.

Performance Appraisal System

Introduction In business organizations, employees are among the most valuable organizational assets and highly determine the overall performance of any business. Many organizations despite having the abilities essential in enhancing performance have slacked due to poor input towards employees concerns.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Performance Appraisal System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fact, according to Levesque (2007, p.30) employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction. In this line, I suggest that employee motivation is the most essential component in business. Effective HRM (human resource management) is vital for optimally exploiting creativity and accomplishing organizational as well as individual goals. Organizational leadership must ensure appropriate integration of different activities and synchronized functioning focusing on organizational goals. Employee motivation is vital for guaranteeing commitment of human capital to the given goals. The answer to motivation is centered on the integration of individual and organizational goals. Hence, managers have to concentrate on important HRM tasks like planning, development, evaluation and compensation. Evaluation entails performance appraisals, scheduling and recommending. This paper investigates the â€Å"good† characteristics of an appraisal system and how the system can be paired with compensation and benefit packages to increase employee motivation. ‘Good’ characteristics of an appraisal framework The success of an appraisal system depends on the involvement of all parties involved. The difference between appraisals and evaluations should be clearly understood by both parties. An evaluation is aimed at objective measurement but an appraisal involves both objective and subjective measurement of employee performance within the period set for review. Therefore, the aim of performance appr aisal is feedback, improvement and assessment (Goel, 2008). The process of implementing performance appraisals is centered on three elements: the job, the employee and the environment of the business. Since these elements are interrelated and interdependent, the appraisal system must be individualized, qualitative, subjective, and focused on solving problems in order to be effective. The system should also be founded on clearly defined and measurable values and indicators of employee performance. Because the system appraises performance rather than personality, personality aspects that are not pertinent to performance must be disregarded from the system. Some of the ‘good’ characteristics of an appraisal system include the following:Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Documented job analysis: the performance goals and job description must be structured, mu tually accepted by and documented for both the employees and managers. Reliability and validity; performance appraisal systems should give reliable, consistent and valid information that an organization can use even in legal ramifications (Goel 2008). If two supervisors are equally qualified to appraise a worker through the same appraisal method, their results should then agree. An appraisal should also satisfy the requirement of validity. For instance, if a system is designed for potential of a worker for promotion, the information it gives must relate to potentialities of the worker to assume higher roles. Communicated to employees; most workers want to know about their job performance. An effective appraisal scheme offers the necessary feedback continuously. The appraisal interview must allow both the employee and the appraiser to understand the existing gaps and plan for a better future. So far, managers must explicitly explain their expectations on various jobs in advance of th e review period. With that understanding, the employees find it easier to learn about the goals and improve their future performance. Participatory and open; for any successful appraisal system, the employees should be involved and allowed to participate via an interview with the appraiser, for feedback. Interview discussion may involve past performance and establishment of future goals. Strategies to accomplish these goals and improve future performance should also be discussed jointly. Such involvement imparts a sense of belonging. Employee appeal; formal procedures must be developed to give room for employees who are dissatisfied with appraisal results. They should be offered options to pursue their complaints and have them handled objectively. Primarily, performance appraisals should be used to develop employees as treasured organizational resources. The system will apparently fail when the managers use it as a whip or fail to understand its restrictions.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Performance Appraisal System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Supervisor training; since the performance appraisal is vital and somehow difficult, it is necessary to offer training to the appraiser on rating, documenting and interviewing. Being familiar with rating errors can enhance the performance of the rater and hence inject the necessary confidence in the supervisor to consider ratings more objectively (Goel, 2008). Rewards; an effective appraisal system should include both positive and negative rewards in order to initiate impact. The employees use the rewards as yardstick and improve their performance accordingly. Integrating compensation and reward packages Designing and managing reward systems perhaps presents the managers with the most challenging HRM undertaking. Within this area of HRM, there are great inconsistencies between what the literature promises and the practical execution. At the same time, organizations encounter cycles of novelty with higher hopes as the reward networks are improved, only to experience disappointment when they fail to provide results. From a business perspective, rewards are aimed at motivating certain behaviors. Nonetheless, rewards such as compensation should be appreciated as well-timed and connected to successful performance. This means that reward considerations must reflect on the outcome of performance appraisal in order to instill motivation. In today’s competitive environment, business organizations are increasingly establishing compensation goals based on pay-for-performance principle (Goel, 2008). It is agreed that performance appraisal are not complete without the managers tying some rewards to the efforts and performance of the employees. This principle is important in motivating employees to perform with larger effort, resulting in low-wage cost. Pay-for-performance standard refers to different compensation for ms such as incentive pay, cash bonuses, merit pays and gain-sharing plans. All of these forms seek to separate outstanding performers from the pay-for-average performers. As Goel (2008) notes, productivity researches indicate that employees output increases when a firm establishes a pay-for-performance initiative. A number of researches and theories have been developed about how monetary initiatives satisfy and motivate workers (Perry, Engbers Jun, 2009; Arthur Aiman-Smith, 2001; Raghuram Rangaraj, 2008).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nearly, all studies on the significance of pay likened to other rewards indicate that pay is significant and constantly ranks top in the list. Merit salary increase and piece-rate incentive systems have been associated with responsible stewardship (Perry, Engbers Jun, 2009). Group and organizational-wide incentives such as gain-sharing plans have been associated with cooperation and fairness in organizations (Arthur Aiman-Smith, 2001). Individual-pay-for performance initiatives have been associated with personal development (Raghuram Rangaraj, 2008). All these suggest that a performance appraisal that involves effective rewards systems is important in motivating employees. Conclusion Employee motivation is a major factor than determines individual performance as well as the overall performance of an organization. Therefore, it is the role of management to design performance appraisals that are accepted by all those involved in order to enhance their effectiveness. Such appraisals must then include the rewarding system which leads to the motivation. Although there are many reward systems, studies reveal that pay-for-performance initiatives are most appropriate to integrate with performance appraisals. References Arthur, J. B. Aiman-Smith, L. (2001). Gainsharing and organizational learning: an analysis of employee suggestion over time. Academy of Management Journal. 44(4), 737-754. Goel, D. (2008). Performance Appraisal and Compensation Management: A Modern Approach. New Delhi, India: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Levesque, P. (2007). Motivation: powerful motivators that will turbo-charge your workforce. Irvine, CA: Entrepreneur Press. Perry, J. L., Engbers, T. A. Jun, S. Y. (2009). Back to the future? Performance-related pay, empirical research and the perils of persistence. Public Administration Review, 39-51. Raghuram, G. Rangaraj, N. (2008). Formulating the concept, principles and parameters for performance-related incentives (PRI) in government. Retrieved f rom https://www.india.gov.in/ This research paper on Performance Appraisal System was written and submitted by user Tate D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Performance Appraisal System

buy custom Organ Sales essay

buy custom Organ Sales essay Organ transplantation is a process by which an organ or tissue is surgically removed from one persons body (donor) to another (recipient). Organ transplant are an option when a particular organ is failing or absent (Winters, 2004). Kidney failure, heart disease, lung disease and cirrhosis of the liver are all conditions that can effectively be treated by transplant. Most of the organs and tissue donations occur after the donor has died though some organs and tissues can be donated while the donor is alive. For example, the kidney and the liver may be transplanted from a living donor since people are born with an extra-kidney and the liver is regenerative. There has been a debate over whether organ transplant should be legalized with various countries increasingly passing legislations which allow for the practice. The major argument in favor of the transplant is that it helps the patients to live a longer and a healthy life. Process for Eligibility of Transplant experienced It should be noted that organ transplant can only be considered as an option when medications and surgery has failed to manage the failure and the progression of the particular organ. In such situations, the transplant is then considered as a treatment option. However, before one is placed on the transplant list for any organ transplant, they must undergo a careful screening process (Winters, 2004). The process involves a review by diversity of professionals comprising of the doctors, nurses, social workers, and the bioethics. This team reviews the patients medical history and carries out a psychosocial evaluation to find out if the patient is able to survive the particular organ transplant procedure. They also find out the possibility of the patient complying with the recommended continuous care after the transplant (Winters, 2004). Tissue typing is also done during the evaluation to identify genetic markers on white blood cells. Other blood tests are also done to determine the compatibility of the pair. The evaluation of the patients support system is also done for clinic follow-ups and the subsequent medical care. Once the person passes this screening test, he/she is then placed on the waiting list until a matching donor becomes available (Winters, 2004). During this time, the patient will closely be monitored by the health care team to keep the organ failure in control. Once a matching organ is obtained, the transplant then takes place (Winters, 2004). Health and Emotional Risks of Transplants While transplant surgery is a cure for some patients, it has comes along with both health and emotional risks. Many survivors and caregivers experiences problems such as fatigue which is common medical condition for transplant. Almost all survivors feel weak exhausted and slow during recovery. Another common problem with survivors is anxiety which normally occur because most of them are always either worried or afraid of their condition. The patients are normally worried that they may return to their original state (Center for Bioethics, 2004). The specific risks related to transplant include; Organ acquisition related stress: In most cases, patients with organ related complications seem to believe that an appropriate donor must have died for them to secure an organ. Studies have also found out that in cases where the recipient dies, the donor may be stressed up by the feeling of a total loss.Secon is alcoholic addiction related stress. Because of the overwhelming temptation to take alcohol, alcoholic addicts waiting for organ transplant always find it difficult having to battle with the temptation. They may find it extremely difficult to maintain sobriety while abstaining as per the medication requirement. The third emotional issue is related to obtaining the organ from a living donor. The process of recovery after one donates an organ may in some cases be longer than expected.Some donors also develop complications after surgery. It is also common among the recipients to have a feeling of owing the donor.In cases where the transplant results into any surgical complication, the recipient may begin feeling feel guilty for having caused these problems. A donor who assisted a person whose situation was caused by drug abuse may be very sensitive to seeing the person drinking again. Forth issue is related to pregnancy after organ transplantation. This is normally experienced by the women patients who are still in their child bearing age. Such women normally worry about their ability to become pregnant and the effect the anti rejection may have on their unborn child. This is even more complicated among those who are barred from conceiving by the doctor. Fifth is the effect of transplant on children. In most cases, a child who has gone through organ planting may require mare limits in their behavior than is the case with normal children. These may affect their self esteem especially when they dont understand why their behavior is being restricted (Center for Bioethics, 2004). Organ transplant may also result into stressful relationships especially if it results into a long term illness. Adolescent patients who want to be independent may be stressed from having to depend on others. Finally, there are also a number of physical changes that are usually experienced by most organ transplant patients. The changes which may include weight gain, fluid retention and rounded face may cause mood swing and the emotional changes which are difficult to predict and harder to deal with (Center for Bioethics, 2004). Laws against Organ Sale Various policy makers in this field have argued that with proper regulative mechanisms, organ sales can be beneficial for both the patient and the donor. The most often sited argument in favor of organ transplant is that it helps the patients to live longer and healthy lives. The disparity in the low supply of organs for transplant has promulgated legislation and case laws. The laws seek to regulate the sale of the organs and to help establish equitable national system of how to best allocate the organs. The laws were promulgated to address a variety of medical, legal and moral issues involved in organ donation and transplantation (Fredrick, 2010). They include; The revised Uniform Anatomic Gift Act of 1987. The Act prohibited the sale of human organs and tissues with the exception of blood, sperms or human eggs. Another Act is the National Organ Transplant Act which expressly forbade selling human organs across state lines. The act made the sale of organs a federal crime. It prohibited the payments to those who provided the organs for transplantation. Though, it was designed to prevent the sale from the living donors, it also prevented the possibility of individuals selling the right to harvest their organs after their deathh . The third law is the Patent Self-Determination Act of 1991 that established the issue of donor cards. The cards can not be issued to those who are under the age of 18 years. It therefore made it difficult for them to donate organs. Elsewhere the Transplantation of Human Organ Act passed in India in 1994 made the sale of organs a punishable offence. Reasons why Organ Transplant can be Beneficial Organ sales would save peoples lives. Various proponents of organ transplant have argued that there is no reason for people to die if there is a way of saving them. Legalizing organ sales is also the most efficient measure of increasing the organ supply. Heather argued that the patients have the right to regain normal life. Secondly legalizing the sale of organs will discourage the existing black market (Heather, 2003). These practice has led to killing of people like was witnessed in China in 1998 when smugglers were found with 50 freshly harvested organs from prisoners. Corrupt Chinese officials are also making huge money by selling organs to rich foreigners. Legalizing organ sales will compel the brokers to resort into offering a cheaper alternative to potential recipients. This will enable the patients to save part of their money and while greatly reducing the length of time for which they have to wait. At the same time, it reduces the risk involved in receiving organs through a black market. An example is the case of Malaysia in 1994 when five kidneys purchased from India were found infected with HIV virus (Heather, 2003). Third, legalizing organ sales will also reduce the amount of money the government spend on Medicare and thus help save government money. For example in US dialysis will cause Medicare $240,000 while the patient with a new kidney will only cost $160,000 (Heather, 2003). This will enable the government save money to improve the life of its citizens. Forth, legalizing organ sales would possibly encourage more people to donate the organs. This is because of the possible compensation to the donors for the risk and time involved. Studies have shown that despite the willingness to donate organs by nearly 69% of Americans, the donation is currently merely around 4,000 people annually. Many people confessed that they are afraid of donating their organs to strangers because of the risks involved. Finally legalizing organ sales will protect the individuals right to choose. According to Hither, the decision to assume risk should be made by the individual. He argues that there is no different between legalizing the sale of blood platelets, eggs and sperms while legally denying people the right to sell other organs. They also argue that the individual will make decisions which reflect their need for money which is necessary for meeting their basic needs. Conclusion In conclusion it is therefore clear that irrespective of the many arguments against organ transplant, legalizing organ sales can be very beneficial to both the donor and the recipient. It will save more lives as many people are encouraged to donate organs. Such a move will result into an affordable medical cost for patients. The government will also save both the money that it spends on Medicare while greatly reducing the risks involved in black market enabling it to save and improve the lives of its citizens. Buy custom Organ Sales essay

Discussing the controversy of vaccines and their potential link to Essay

Discussing the controversy of vaccines and their potential link to disease such as autism - Essay Example This however has left a fear in parents of vaccinating their children. There has been a lot of research and information put forward since then to allay these fears. The conclusion of all the research done is that there is no empirical evidence to show a direct link between vaccine and autism. On the contrary there are more reports providing sufficient proof that vaccines are safe. It is understandable however that parents will remain skeptical and concerned. The major ingredient in these vaccines that has been cited as a possibility for causing autism is thimerosal. Multidose vaccines posed a potential threat of contamination to children many years ago. Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, was therefore added to vaccines at low concentrations in the 1930s to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth and to protect the immunized from infections at the site of the immunization. However it is a mercury-based preservative. But it contains ethylmercury and not methylmercury. There have been no existing guidelines for the safe amount of ethylmercury in the human body and so the guidelines for methylmercury were used on the false assumption that the body handles them both in the same way. This led to confusion, believing that ethylmercury would have the same possibly harmful effects on humans as methylmercury. Around the same time a report from the California Department of Developmental Services indicated a rise in autism over the years which was later described as an epidemic. (Weber, 2008). This led to even firmer belief by some parents that there was a connection between the vaccines and autism, although there was still no scientific proof. As Weber states â€Å"A report in 2004 by the Institute of Medicine concluded that there is no association between autism and MMR vaccine, or between autism and thimerosal† She further states that, â€Å"there is no conclusive evidence that any vaccine or vaccine additive increases the risk of