The Annual Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Annual Report - Research Paper Example The major audiences of the annual report are the current and the potential investors. Current investors include the shareholders of the company. On the other hand, potential investors are those individuals who may be willing to invest in the company. The sections of the annual report which are most relevant to investors are the profits that the company has made as well as its assets (Stittle, 2003). The other audiences who are likely to be interested in the annual report of the company are the suppliers. They might be interested in knowing the performance of the company so that they can assess its creditworthiness. From the financial reports, they can know whether they can extend credit to the company or not. Therefore, the most relevant sections of the annual reports to the suppliers could be the assets that the company has as well as its sales and current credit (Stittle, 2003). FedEx approach to annual reports is different from the approach taken by Apple Inc. The main difference is that the former mostly addresses it performance during the financial year in question. On the other hand, Apple Inc. addresses its projected business in the following financial

Advances in transportation HW Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advances in transportation HW - Research Paper Example Transportation in the world has changed significantly since crude carts pulled by animals gave way to sleek cars,ocean liners and airplanes and the iron monster of the railways has been transformed into a light and super fast bullet train. All these modes of transportation have changed the way people live and work and its impact on trade and commerce and people to people contacts in the fields of art and culture has been tremendous. Fast and convenient means of transport have led to intermingling of cultures and an increase in knowledge of how people of different regions of the world live, as well as an awareness of various problems that affect them. Fast transfer of goods and resources are the backbone of modern industry and this has led to better jobs and living conditions for people all over the world. Faster and better transportation facilities also ensure quick relief to those people struck by natural or man made calamities. Although every invention has its drawbacks, these have been greatly minimized by new technologies and the many advantages of advances in modes of transportation have proved a boon to mankind. We have come a long way since man invented the wheel and realized that his own muscle power could be augmented by a mechanical means of transportation. The pace of inventing various new modes of transport increased during the industrial revolution in the 19th. century; but the 20th.century benefited greatly from these inventions and with increasingly faster, safer modes of transportation invented during the last century, lives of human beings have been greatly changed. The change in systems of transportation from waterways to roadways and then from railways to airways has been breath taking and a salute to man’s ingenuity. James Watt’s invention of the steam engine, led to the beginning of the railways and the Wright brothers first taught man how to fly an airplane.Since then many new engines and airplanes have been invented each wit h greater speeds, more comfort and conveniences.Today high speed modes of transportation are the norm rather than the exception. When man lived without railways and airplanes, he lived and died in a small world which did not consist of more than a few hundred miles. As automobiles and railroads were introduced, the world grew smaller and and more accessible; with the introduction of airplanes today it has been transformed into a global village. These faster means of transportation impact every aspect of human life and civilization. Faster means of transportation meant easily crossing boundaries and seeing and experiencing a different world inhabited by different races with different cultures and ways of living and working. Transportation provides access to resources and markets across countries and continents. It is a conduit not only of goods but also of peoples and cultures, the give and take of ideas and new inventions that have greatly influenced advances in sciences and technol ogy, as well as important fields such as medicine and disaster management. Trade and commerce are greatly impacted due to modern transportation facilities. Roads and railways carry goods and people all over the world and across vast continents like Europe, Asia and America. Resources in any one part of a country or continent are processed and marketed in different parts of the same country or in other countries or continents due to modern means of transportation. Today man cannot envisage a life without an automobile or railway system. Simple everyday life would be in disarray without roads and railways. Ordinary activities like going to school or office or buying groceries or taking someone who is ill to a doctor or hospital would be badly affected without these means of conveyance. Perishable goods like fruit and flowers are easily transported over long distances, so that people who do not reside in the areas where they are grown can enjoy them.

Beer’s model states that change is more complex than the Lewin model

Beer’s model states that change is more complex than the Lewin model Introduction Change is an inevitable part of life. Change is also an important part of a business life; it allows a business to adapt to its environment and to improve its market position. Change signifies the willingness of the affected parties to embrace and function in a newly established order and their commitment to effect and implement the changes (Armstrong, 2004). The generic definition of change as defined by Hughes (2006) is any alteration in the status quo. Changes within an organisation may take place for many reasons. It is sometimes done in order to introduce a new more efficient way of working or producing a product. It is sometimes done to re-organise the organizations work force. Organisations will evolve and change within the course of their lives. Change management is referred to as the process of which change is executed and developed within the organization. Change is something that affects all business and therefore all business managers must prepare their personnel and proc esses for change. Theories of Change Management Changes in the business environment are happening all the time and organisations must change the way they operate to compete effectively in their market. In order to change organisations must adopt change theories and approaches however with so many different approaches available an organisation must choose an approach that best suits its needs. Different managers will have different theories as to how change should be implemented and executed. Kurt Lewin is considered the forefather of planned approaches to change. Kurt Lewins Freeze Phases [Source: Higgs Rowland, 2005] Lewins model shows that change involves a move from one static state via a state of activity to another static state. Beers model states that change is more complex than the Lewin model and requires a more in-depth look at the process of change. Beers model focuses on a six-step process to achieve effective change, these steps concentrate on task alignmentwhereby employees roles, responsibilities and relationships are seen as the main component to bringing about effective change. The stages are: Mobilise commitment to change through joint diagnosis. Develop a shared vision of how to organise. Foster consensus, competence and commitment to shared vision. Spread the word about the change. Institutionalise the change through formal policies Another model that is often used is the Kotter Model. Kotter developed what he believed to be the eight critical steps to the successful implementation of change these steps are: Establish a sense of urgency Examining market and competitive realities and identifying and discussing crises, potential crises and opportunities. Form a powerful, guiding coalition Assembling enough people with the enough power to lead the change. Create a vision Create a vision to help direct the change and develop strategies for achieving the vision Communicate the vision Use every medium possible to communicate the vision and strategies to be implemented Empower others to act on the vision Get rid of obstacles to change and encourage risk taking and nontraditional ideas. Plan and create short term wins Plan for visible performance results and recognise and reward employees who are involved in the improvements Consolidate improvements and produce still more change Hiring, promoting and developing employees who can implement the vision. Institutionalising New Approaches Develop the means to ensure leadership development and succession. Impact and Barriers If change is not implemented in the correct manner, the impact upon the business can be devastating. Some of the workforce may decide to leave as they do not agree with what is be implemented and that leaves managers trying to fulfil orders or provide services with half a workforce which puts pressure on the rest of the workforce. Communication is key to help reduce barriers, for any change strategy to achieve its goal every member of staff within the organisation must be constantly communicating with executive managers. If staff members ask, Why do we need to do this? a manager must be able to give them a valid answer. Change normally affects both a businesss internal and external environments. Internally staff may feel that they have been left out of the loop and are just being told that they must accept the change or the reverse may happen the staff may be contributing heavily to the change and helping to direct the new vision. Externally an organisation may make an impact on thei r market by promoting a new service or product. There are a number of barriers to successful change both in terms of actually implementing the change and sustaining it. Employees must be able to flourish within an every changing environment to allow them to contribute to an organisations success. Listed below are some of the barriers an organisation may have to overcome to implement change successfully: Not enough understanding about the change itself Lack of leadership Lack of focus and strong project management of the change No engagement and/or buy-in of key stakeholders No clear process for managing endings and beginnings, and co-ordinating the change process Successes are not recognised, communicated Progress is not measured and the learning is not reviewed Change is very tiring and is often something that requires extra effort people need to see that this effort is paying off and their contribution is valued Conclusion Change must be managed, implemented, and executed in such a way that there is always communication between staff and managers. This allows for equilibrium and encourages growth and innovation within a company. Each change management theory has its strengths and weaknesses and each can be adapted to an organisations needs but I believe that managers must invite all staff to offer ideas on a creating a new vision for the company and thus driving the company forward as a whole. REFERENCES Hughes, M. (2006). Change Management: A Critical Perspective. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. ISBN: 1-84398-070-3. Armstrong, M (2004). Managing Organizational Change in Nigeria Manufacturing Enterprises: Lessons from the Unilever Nigeria Plc. AC Associated Content. Retrieved from http://www.medwelljournals.com/fulltext/?doi=ibm.2009.15.21 Syque. (2007). Lewins Freeze Phases. Changing Minds. Retrieved from Higgs, Malcolm, and John Wren. The Leadership of Change: a Study of Change Leadership within the UK Royal Air Force. Henley-on-Thames: Henley Management College, 2005. Print

The Issue of Age Discrimination in America Essay -- Age Discrimination

The Issue of Age Discrimination in America The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) protects against age discrimination under Title VII. Specifically, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which was passed in 1967 by congress, covers discrimination against employees who are 40 or more years old. This topic should be a big concern for employers, since the number of elderly workers is increasing as the baby boomer population matures. It is estimated that as many as twenty-percent of the claims filed with the EEOC are for age discrimination. Also, age discrimination settlements can be considerably higher than typical discrimination cases. Upon research, the average award amount between 1955 and 1988 was $219,000. (www.ama.net). For this reason alone, employers should take care of how they handle their aging workers. As mentioned above, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing the age discrimination regulations, including the ADEA of 1967. This regulation is in effect supposed to â€Å"promote employment of older persons based on their ability rather than age; to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment; and to help employers and workers find ways of meeting problems arising from the impact of age on employment.† (www.eeoc.gov). The ADEA presides over the boundaries for age discrimination in all aspects of employment. It not only protects against discrimination for employees, but job applicants as well. Even job advertisements must not include age d...

Organ Donation: Two Deaths or One Life

The donation of organs after death is not often a common topic; however, it is a problem that needs addressing. Organ transplantation has become a solution to organ failure, but the rate of failing organs is drastically higher than that of the donors. 118,466 (OPTN: Donor Data, Web) people are currently waiting on life-saving organs, and every ten minutes (The Need is Real, Web) another person is added to that list. It is a rising trend, and 51,701 (OPTN: Donor Data, Web) people were added to the list last year, and only 8,143 (OPTN: Donor Data, Web) people donated their organs after their death. There is simply not enough awareness or concern on this matter, and as such people needlessly die every day. The United States should revitalize the organ donation system by implementing a presumed consent policy, allowing individuals to opt-out if wanted, as opposed to the current method of mandated choice or opt-in, in order to generate more awareness and increase the number of donors. Currently, efforts to increase organ donation include: advertisement, public education campaigns, and a checkbox on a DMV form for a license. Neither is efficient, nor do they provide enough information for the individuals to actually understand what organ donation is and what it includes. When asked whether or not you would save a life if you had the ability, most people would probably answer yes. This is essentially what organ donation does, but most people don’t realize this and so they don’t elect to be one. Some may object to the idea of presumed consent legislation because they fear it would violate human rights, which is a very important factor in considering this solution. It is however void because any individuals who would not want to be a donor could simply opt out. Along with this, in the current system of mandated choice, human rights are violated constantly. Even if a person had registered to be an organ donor, it is not guaranteed, 0as in many cases it is ultimately up to the next of kin. If they do not want their loved one to be a donor, than it is highly unlikely for UNOS to receive any organs. No consideration of what was actually wanted by the patient is taken into place as there is very little time to save viable organs and therefore the next of kin is the deciding factor. Another objection that may be raised to this matter may be the family’s right to make final decisions; however, the constitution makes no allowance for the ownership of a body. It is neither property nor part of an estate, and as such not able to be owned or able to be controlled by an outside source, therefore the organs within a body are not controllable by a family member. In order to protect the right, presumed consent allows donating of all organs unless the patient was to express their want not to donate. This helps to keep the family out of the personal decision and maintains the integrity of the decision. In support of this proposal, the ethics of allowing a person to die if another is able to save them, is unavoidable. With no use to a person who is deceased, there is no reason, other than their direct discretion that should prohibit the transplant of the vital and lifesaving organs. It is imperative that a dying patient should be saved at all costs if possible, and the vanity of the current system does not allow that to happen. It is impossible to tell how many individuals have simply not taken the time to fill out the form to become an organ donor because of the lack of time or simply due to forgetfulness. The lack of opt-in donors in the US is not because they do not want to be one, but rather people are naturally conservative when it comes to doing something, they tend to put it off if it isn’t important to them at the moment. Therefore I believe it is fair to conclude that in general there are more people than are currently listed that if not wanting to donate, are not opposed to the idea. Along with this, the people that do not want to donate, usually feel much more strongly about it, and as such would be likely to opt-out. This theory is very flattering to the idea of presumed consent, as it tends to be more appealing to those with strong opinions, which mandated choice, which tends to leave out a large chunk of the population, does not. Another reason why presumed consent is better than the current system is because the results are not theoretical, but they are known to have a positive effect. Multiple countries in Europe, such as Spain and Austria (Rithalia, Web), have enacted legislation of the same effect, and the results have been phenomenal. The number of donors has surpassed that of the need for organs being added to the list (Rithalia, Web). These countries are leading the way, and why should we not follow a plan that is proven and showing an overall decrease in the number of people on the waiting lists (Rithalia, Web). No matter what objections may be raised, it is agreed that some drastic change is needed and although many options are viable, this is quite frankly the solution that will produce the quickest results while also being straight forward and easy to put into effect. The US should implement presumed consent in order to help its people that are in dire need of organ donations. It is a rising need and people’s lives are in the balance of this legislation. After all, should two people die if one of them could save the other?

Intrest throughout the three stories Essay

Sherlock Holmes is the main character in the story, as in all the Sherlock Holmes stories. He is a very proper and intelligent man with an extraordinary gift. He is Observant and analytical person and can obtain a large amount of information from a small amount of clues, which most others would overlook. From early on in the story Holmes does not hesitate to show off his detective skills when he meats Helen Stoner: â€Å"You have come in by train this morning, I see. I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver†. This shows that Holmes considers these observations to be trivial, and that they do not stretch his talent whatsoever. Doctor Watson is Holmes’ assistant. He is a fully qualified doctor and so a clever man, but next to Holmes he often comes across as a clumsy, less intelligent person. This contrast makes Holmes and Watson an interesting duo to read about. Watson is used for occasional humour during the story. It is very apparent that Watson admires Holmes: â€Å"I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his professional investigations and admiring his rapid deductions†. Finally, Conan-Doyle uses Watson to put forward questions and opinions, which the reader may be thinking of. Holmes never openly rejects these opinions, but nor does he accept them or answer Watson’s questions clearly. This creates red herrings, which ensure that the outcome of the story remains a mystery to the reader. Helen Stoner, the lady that has come to Holmes for help, is portrayed in this story as the ‘damsel in distress’. She is in desperate need of assistance and has no one else to turn to. Whilst Helen is trying to explain her predicament to Holmes, He is very calm and collective and does not let her tell the story in full immediately; he frequently asks for details or interrupts Helen. This keeps the reader interested because he or she is eager to learn the story. Holmes’ attitude towards Helen reflects the time the story was written in. Holmes is very sympathetic and gentlemanly towards Helen: â€Å"‘you must not fear,’ said he soothingly, bending forward and patting her forearm. ‘We shall soon set matters right, I have no doubt'†. Holmes is not being sexist in his assumption that Helen is helpless and afraid, he is merely showing the attitude towards women that was shared by most men at that time. Holmes knows that Helen needs help from someone who is reassuring and confident. Roylott is Helen’s stepfather. Roylott is an aggressive, violent character who threatens Holmes by bending his poker. Roylott is the prime suspect in the story for the reader, because the death of his stepdaughters would mean he would receive their inheritance. Throughout the story, Conan-Doyle gives several clues as to the outcome of the mystery. Firstly, when Helen is telling her story from the beginning, the reader learns that Roylott, who would inherit an amount of money in the case of the two sisters’ deaths, is a short-tempered, dangerous man who has a history of violence: â€Å"There was a series of disgraceful quarrels and brawls with anyone giving him the least offence†. These clues make Roylott the prime suspect for the death of Julia Stoner. Secondly, although it leaves many questions unanswered, Helen reveals that Julia’s last words were: â€Å"Helen! It was the band! The Speckled band! â€Å". It turns out that she was describing the snake that bit her. Finally, there are several important clues given in Helen’s bedroom, next to Roylott’s room, before the plot is unfolded. Above Helen’s bed, which is fixed to the floor, is a bell rope that does not work, and a ventilator. The ventilator is in a very strange place: the dividing wall between the two rooms. It turns out that these features were to allow the snake to get to Helen. Such clues were intended to intrigue the reader and hint to the reader, giving them a chance to work the mystery out for themselves. These clues are typical of the mystery genre. There are also several red herrings in the story, for example, the gypsies living in the grounds: â€Å"It must have been those wretched gypsies in the plantation†. These points are irrelevant but raise questions in the mind of the reader, making them want to read on. Conan-Doyle also uses tension to keep the reader interested. When Holmes and Watson are waiting for the snake to arrive in Helen’s room, they are in darkness and speak in whispers. Holmes makes it clear to Watson that they are in considerable danger and must not get caught. Conan-Doyle also uses language techniques such as shorter sentences to achieve this tension. At the end of the story, as was common in stories of this genre, Holmes gives an explanation of the crime for the benefit of the reader. ‘The Devil’s Foot’ is similar to ‘The Speckled Band’ in that from the start there is a character that we have reason to suspect: Mortimer. At first, Mortimer does not seem to be as vicious an enemy as Roylott, as was common in the time the story was written, but several clues unearthed by Holmes point the finger at him. The murder in this case is also similar to the murder in ‘The Speckled Band’. It is a very horrific and mysterious murder that some in the story believe to be of a supernatural nature. Murders like this were often present in stories of this time and genre and were designed to fascinate and shock the reader. Holmes, however, says: â€Å"if it is beyond this world then it is certainly beyond me†. This makes the reader believe that there must be a logical or scientific explanation. The crime is again solved by Holmes, who solves the mystery by noticing small clues and gathering information, in this case, noticing the link of combustible powder between the two rooms in which the murders took place. To support his idea of this powder being the cause of the deaths, Holmes puts his life on the line and tries it on himself. This eccentricity and willingness to go so far to solve a crime makes Holmes all the more interesting and unusual to the reader.