Marijuana Laws Restrict The Growth And Use Of Marijuana

Marijuana is â€Å" the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as [a] narcotic or hallucinogen.†(â€Å"Marijuana†) In the 17th century, marijuana production was encouraged and supported by U.S. legislation. Later, â€Å"during the 19th century,[marijuana] use became a fad in France and also, to some extent, in the U.S.†(â€Å" Marijuana Timeline†). During the 1920’s and 1930’s, the drug raised fears linked with illegal immigrants and criminal activity. (â€Å"Marijuana Timeline†). Then, during World War II, cannabis regained its popularity and support as â€Å"Hemp for Victory† (â€Å"Marijuana Timeline†). In the following years, the federal government created laws restricting the growth and use of marijuana. Specifically, drug†¦show more content†¦After extensive research on both sides of the issue, I believe marijuana should remain illegal in the United States. Some people believe that through the legalization of marijuana, our nation’s tax revenue will significantly increase. On the contrary, like many other drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, taxation of the drug will cost the nation money. For example, as stated by Marty Nemko, a psychologist and career coach, knowledgeable on the effects of legal marijuana, states that â€Å"legal pot does not yield tax dollars, it costs tax dollars†(Nemko). As with the taxation of alcohol and tobacco, tax dollars are not increased as commonly thought due to the cost of dealing with addiction, driving under the influence, and domestic abuse or illness. (Miller) Likewise, if marijuana were legalized, its accessibility would cause a total loss in tax revenue. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education estimates â€Å"legalization†¦[of marijuana] would bring with it additional substance abuse in [states] and long-term public costs†¦ that would vastly exceed the ... amount of new revenue l egal weed might import.† (Miller) The California Board of Equalization estimates that treating the taxation of marijuana like alcohol or cigarettes would result in a tax revenue increase of a dollar while the nation would be spending $8.95 for treatment of marijuana drug abuse related cases (Miller) Since, the taxation of legal marijuana

Employee Inventions and Employment Context †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Employee Inventions and Employment Context. Answer: Introduction The Better Off Overall Test is the main approval requirement for any single enterprise agreement which is not in a Greenfields agreement. The Fair Work Act should show proof of satisfaction when it comes to each award that is covered by the employee Management. This needs to be done in an overall manner when the agreement applies them to the most important modern award. The Better Off Overall Test began in 2010 and has been applied in Australian firms since then. In this manner it is important that the Better Off Overall Test satisfies the test time at the time application approval is made(Watson, 2017). As part of the requirement, the Better Off Overall Test should also be in line with the Fair work act as long as the approval is made(Walpole, 2016). It is also possible that the Fair Work Act should always approve the agreement which does not meet the Better Off Overall Test. It is also important to note that only the strict and limited cases can be considered by tribunals as with regard to the agreement so long as it is in contrary to the interest of the public. According to the Fair Work Act also, one looks at the situation where the tribunal will consider the approval of the agreement which is usually not contrary to the public interest(Harpur, et al., 2012). Also according to the law another example can be realized where agreement approval is also part of a reasonable strategy that deals with the long term or the short term crisis in the organisation(Barron, 2014). This is important as it assist the organisation with it comes to the employee covered by the agreement. The aim of this report is to analyze the application Management of Better of Overall Test with reference to the fair works Act 2002 of Australian employment laws. This report will cover the concept of Better Off overall test in Australia. In doing so, the report will also discuss the concerns of this concept by looking at the pros. Or advantages of the application to the Australian worker. As part of the report, the paper will analyze some of the concerns of BOOT by looking at two companies; H M and Coles and how the failure to follow the fair works act and resulted in the failure of BOOT by the company. The BOOT The Better Off Overall Test ( BOOT) and the underpinning award that are meant to administer the countrys Fair Work Act. For many companies, this is far more rigorous than was the case of the previous failing BOOT or the agreements that were entered to before 2010. In most cases there is much more close attention being applied to the proposed awards to casual workers. All employee procedures need to follow the Fair Works Act and arbitrate other disputes. The BOOT was established in 2010 with the main objective being to protect workers from being mistreated by their employers. For example they commission will intervene in situations where the company allows employees to spend a lot of sleepless nights wondering how to manage different costs of wages, especially when looking at the administrative challenges that are always changing with time. Some of them include the penalty rates, overtime allowances and the shift allowance. These are some of the criteria that have been used to measure the degree of BOOT. A company may have employees work on night shifts, weekends or in excess of the standard 38 hours a week(Jennifer Linda, 2010). The BOOT concept provides employees with a lot of advantages from their employees. Most of which is stipulated in the Award Flexibility Agreement. According to Watson, (2017), with regard to the updated wages Guide 2015 which calls them as one of the most legally effective way that is used in making an absorption agreement. This has been proved to be more effective. One of the reason is that in each modern award, there is a clause which say an employee Management can vary certain terms of the award in relation to the working hours, penalty, overtime, leave and loading allowances. The BOOT also ensures that, its employee award was poorly drafted meaning negotiations with the commission would still not bear fruit. The commission looked at a claim that requires the industry to settle the underpayment of its employee(Fells, 2014). The other worst thing that could happen in the organisation is a situation where they are meant to be visited by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The same case scenario happened in 2011 in a shooting at Queensland arcade where it was prosecuted and fined $25,000 while the director of the arcade was also compelled to bay another $5,000. And even thought the director was paying employees and a much more higher grade with reference to the award, that they way that it was fairly required of him, the wording of the AFA was not so particular about what needed to change, neither did it define ways that it could change or when the change would begin(Barron, 2014). It the same line, employees that question as to whether they are better off under the AFA or those that would rather consider them further, are also instructed by the director which would be out of Job if they did not sign on the dotted line. It is also important to consider preparation of the AFA and whether this should be considered further and if they would be rendered jobless if they had not signed the dotted agreement. Concerns with BOOT: A case of H M and Coles H M is a Swedish Fashion giant with satellite work stations in various parts of the world. The company opened its first store in Australia in 2014, with time it expanded to have its operations to over 10 stores in the country. The company plans to open more stores in Toowoomba and Wollongong. HM also trades through other three upmarket COS in Melbourne and Sydney. With regard to the fair works act in Australia, the fashion giant had come up with proposal that would enable them meet the criteria without having to interfere with their normal operations, however this was rejected by the commission(Bray A. Stewart, 2013). The workplace agreement that was proposed by the company was meant to cover 1200 workers in the company where the penalty rates left most of them worse off than the award from the industry (Anderson, 2016). some of the other proposals by HM including cutting off public holidays and weekend penalty rates. Other areas of the cuts included overtime rates, in return the e mployees would receive high pay rates during the normal working days from Monday to Friday. This means that employees who were going to work during weekends would experience an increase in the number of ordinary working hours and short breaks before the next working period(Riley, 2005). Even though the company provided for different undertaking in reference to the proposed deal, the company also cut the salaries that were previously declared for some of the employees to $5000 per year(Anderson, 2016). There were concerns about the deal as it seemed to be inferior in a retail award meaning that it would not pass the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT) as stipulated in the fair works act. The main issue was that the undertakings by the company especially on casual employees did not meet the BOOT test requirements thus there is not way this could be approved. In this manner thus, the company was unable to pass the Better Off Overall Test(Anderson, 2014). Also in another case involving Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd , a full bench of the fair work commission decline the enterprise agreement since it was found that it had not passed the Better off agreement test (BOOT)(Sutherland Riley, 2016). This decision as very important to the employees in the supermarket as it covered the largest number of desperate workers. The main concern here is that the enterprise agreement was drafted in a way that it would cover 78,000 employees paid under wages at its supermarkets around Australia. The agreement was approved by majority of employees and supported by the union covering the supermarkets workforce. However, just like HM, the agreement was sent for approval by FWC, the agreement include terms which were more or less beneficial with regard to required awards(Sutherland Riley, 2016). The agreement was also found to include some terms and conditions that did not meet the requirements for an award(Pila, 2012). In this manner concerns were raised by the fair work commission on whether the agreement passed the BOOT. Other issues concerning it failure to observe the BOOT test was also discussed and proposals by the SDA called for an increase in the Monday to Sunday rates for casual employees, especially those who work on weekends. If this is done well, them each casual employee will be able to rightfully receive an award based on the scope and time spent at work if this would be done well then they will be in a position to satisfy the BOOT for all employees(Anderson, 2016). In addition to this are the penalty rates. The proposed penalty rates by the company were found not to fully compensate casual employees when they have worked for long hours and during unsocial times. The BOOT dictates that they are entitled to maintenance(Watson, 2017). However, when looking at odd working days like Sundays, the penalty rates for hospitality, cafes, restaurants, entertainment and retailing were not well covered in the Sunday rates. The arrangements of an employee can help in this line, however this take is usually low. In other areas, this part rejects existence and ignorance of employees. It is however also notable that perceptions are at times unfounded and leads to defects which constrain various use(Street Thomas, 2015). One of the ways is to ensure that this is resolved through provision of information about their use. It also includes extension of employee termination period and arranging it through a no disadvantage test. This also went hand in hand with the issue of unfair dismissal in the company. it was suggested in the proposal that about 1500 of employees will be dismissed. The current statistics indicate that the issue of claiming unfair dismissal is still in very small proportions despite the implementation of the act. In this regard, it was possible that employee would file for unfair dismissal cases and not get fully compensated for the same(Watson, 2017). According to other statistics, about 90 per cent of employees dismissed with no tangible reason usually do not get compensated and those that do, will not get fully compensated. Concerns for the Commission against H M With regard to the provisions provided under the Fair Work Act, there are major concern that come up with the implementation of BOOT by H M. The new proposals by the company seemed not to consider issues such as underpayment, unfair dismissal and discrimination and long working hours. The protection of these type of employee arrangement also suggests that the company implemented one of the more light handed suits or arrangements with regard to BOOT. Some of the major concerns include the following: When it comes to minimum wages it Australia, this is usually justified including the view that the exist levels are always very highly prejudicial to employment, this is usually not well addressed in the BOOT and fair work act. It is however important to note that the mode of minimum wage that was proposed by H M posed the risk for employment especially when the set is put against the weakening labor market in the country. It is of great concern that even higher income employees should get to have minimum wages. Recommendations The first overall recommendation is for the Fair Work Act commissioners, this should be separated in two main divisions. First is the minimum standard division which will be designed to determine wages, in this manner, they will have to review the wages among employees in Australia and make determination with regard to the award. The members of the organisations need to also to be well educated and experienced when it comes to social science, commerce and economics and not only the law. There should also be a tribunal division, this would be solely responsible for the quasi-judicial function of the Fair Work Commission(Thornthwaite Sheldon, 2011). Some of their roles would be making decisions that related to unfair dismissal, approval of employee and employer agreements, adverse actions, rights of entry and industrial disputes. In addition, its members need to have a broad experience and should be drawn from various professions that include commerce dispute resolution, the law, economics and the ombudsman office. In addition, processes that entail the appointing of member of the FWC should also be looked in to. The Australia, territory and state governments need to come up with an expert panel that will be consulted solely for employment. These panel should be able to come up with a merit based shortlist of those who will run the two divisions. In this line it is also important to recognize that the Australian government minister will then be called upon to choose members from the shortlist who will serve for a fixed tenure(Jennifer Linda, 2010). There should also be the provision of a possible renewal when they perform well. The other concern is the appointment of the FWC member, in some cases this has led to inconsistencies when it comes to decision making. This is a major concern in situations where a new it for purpose governance model that involves all the jurisdiction in Australia will be able to resolve the bargaining of small union representatives, smooth progression and out of cost bargaining. There also needs to be a requirement which a nonparty union will only act as the bargaining representative if they have been able to secure the support with regard to a reasonable share of workforce. In this regard, the productivity commission also proposes a 5 per cent, to achieve the said objectives. lastly it is important to make awareness of the act and the BOOT to employees in Australia(Thornthwaite Sheldon, 2011). Most of them do not understand the contents. Most of them are also not used to the flexibility arrangements, those that provide for protection among employees and are not hard to make. In this manner, the awareness should also include migrants who work in the country. It is reported that about 50,000 of migrants are working in breach of the Migration act of 1958. In this regard, most of them are not usually covered with reference to visa terms and the working condition. Despite looking at other employees, a migrant who knows is illegally working in the country, may not really raise concerns of the law, in this manner, most of them are exploited and underpaid. If the commission sets a program to create awareness of the above discussed provisions, it will provide most of these migrants with an opportunity to legalize their stay so that they can enjoyer a lot from the work they do(Barron, 2014). Conclusion In conclusion, despite the implementation of FWA and BOOT by H M, there is little evidence which suggest unfair dismissal as being practiced by the organisation especially with regard to casual employees in the company. Also when looking at the companys implementation of BOOT it is not effective when it comes to worker employee principles. It has sometimes seen to let itself to a line by line; approach with regard to the assessment of whether the relevant class of employees will be better or become much worse when looking at each individual term in the employment agreement and the recommended award. This shows that the basic reason for implementing BOOT is to ensure there are global standards applied with regard to the way employees are treated in an organisation. This looks at the global benefits of the employee and employer agreement and the tests will be focused on this that are against the overall benefits of the BOOT award. Here there will be a shift to a new advantage test whi ch can assist and support worker and employer intention. References Anderson, H., 2014. Pressing the right buttons: Australian case studies in the protection of employee entitlements against corporate insolvency. International Labour Review, Volume 153, pp. 117-142. Anderson, H., 2016. Pressing the right buttons: Australian case studies in the protection of employee entitlements against corporate insolvency. International Labour Review, 153(1), pp. 117-142. Barron, L., 2014. A fair day's pay for a fair day's work": why Congress should amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to include an actual time test for retroactive damages. Iowa Law Review, 99(3), p. 1297. Bray, M. A. Stewart, A., 2013. From the arbitration system to the Fair Work Act : the changing approach in Australia to voice and representation at work. Adelaide Law Review, 34(1), pp. 21-41. Fells, R., 2014. Rediscovering Collective Bargaining: Australia's Fair Work Act in International Perspective. Industrial Relations Journal, 45(1), pp. 98-99. Harpur, P., French, B. Bales, R., 2012. Australia's Fair Work Act and the transformation of workplace disability discrimination law. Wisconsin International Law Journal, 30(1), p. 190. Jennifer, W. Linda, C., 2010. The Work-life Provisions of the Fair Work Act: A Compromise of Stakeholder Preference. Australian Bulletin of Labour, 36(2). Pila, J., 2012. Sewing the Fly Buttons on the Statute': Employee Inventions and the Employment Context. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 32(2), pp. 265-295. Riley, J., 2005. Employee protection at common law, Federation Press. N.S.W.: Annandale. Street, T. Thomas, D., 2015. Employee factors associated with interest in improving sun protection in an Australian mining workforce. Health Promotion Journal of Australia: Official Journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professional, 26(1), pp. 33-38. Sutherland, C. Riley, J., 2016. Major court and tribunal decisions in Australia in 2015. Journal of Industrial Relations, 58(3), pp. 388-401. Thornthwaite, L. Sheldon, P., 2011. Fair Work Australia: Employer Association Policies, Industrial Law and the Changing Role of the Tribunal. Journal of Industrial Relations, 53(5), pp. 616-631. Walpole, K., 2016. How is employees' input and influence over collective agreements shaped by Australia's Fair Work Act?. Labour Industry: a journal of the social and economic relations of work, 26(3), p. 220. Warburton, G., 2010. The Fair Work Act 2009 (CTH) : a new model?. University of Western Sydney Law Review, 13(13), pp. 155-175. Watson, G., 2017. Better off overall' test creates more jobless workers: Industrial relations. Melbourne: Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited.

Money Does Not Guarantee Happiness free essay sample

Possessing an enormous sum of money and fortune has become one of many people’s main goals and ultimate purpose in life, especially the younger generations, regardless their nationality. Many are convinced throughout their lives that happiness can be bought with the existence money. But does possessing a large fortune and being loaded really bring happiness to one’s life? To answer this question, one should know the meaning of the words ‘happiness’ and ‘money’. As quoted by the legendary Mahatma Ghandi, â€Å"Happiness is what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony†. A famous philosopher named Aristotle also quoted, â€Å"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. † The word ‘happiness’ itself is very hard to define as it has a different meaning in different context. Different people have different interpretations of what happiness means to them. In general, ‘happiness’ is success in life. We will write a custom essay sample on Money Does Not Guarantee Happiness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Success in life cannot always be measured in material wise. It is achieved when one is satisfied with the achievements made, feeling at ease with his current life and enjoying life to the fullest. Most people dont spend much time wondering what money is. Their major concern is how much money they have, and how to get more. Money isnt just pieces of paper. It is a type of medium of exchange in transactions. Some people argue that without wealth you cannot be happy. Money can’t buy happiness directly as money alone does not guarantee happiness. In this written assignment, there will be some arguments supporting the statement ‘Money does not guarantee happiness’ and further clarifications on the statement. Arguments Lately there have been numerous articles written in the newspapers and magazines relating to the way how the rich and powerful live their lives. At first, it was a shock the whole world when articles are written about them taking drugs, being rehabilitated and some even took their own lives away. But nowadays, these types of news don’t really bother anyone anymore as it is a cliche already. It is now crystal clear that having thick wallets and many digits in their bank accounts does not guarantee one’s happiness in life. These could be seen when entertainers such as the beautiful and talented Lindsay Lohan was caught taking drugs. There are a few setbacks having a huge pile of money. These setbacks are the reasons why money does not guarantee happiness even if it could lead to happiness. Money cannot buy you everything Money turns people into materialistic creatures. Life consists of many important things that cannot be bought. For instance, you can purchase the best medicines and treatments, yet you cannot buy health. In this era of civilization, money can buy you fame and also a life. But there’s one thing in life that does not have a price tag to it and that is happiness. Happiness is not something that can be bought, but it is something that comes from within our heart and soul. Money does bring certain amount of happiness but the type of happiness won’t last. Money can’t buy happiness, but it will go a long way in helping you find happiness. As Easterlin puts it: â€Å"The problem is we dont realize that our material wants increase with the amount of money we make. †. Money brings â€Å"happiness† only up to a certain level that will end once it is over used. Money can never buy you love, family, and true friends which are the keys to happiness. Money can lead to more stress Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure. It isn’t a disease. But if stress is intense and goes on for some time, it can lead to mental and physical ill health. Money and reputation always seem to dangle just outside of our reach, encouraging us to lean farther and farther over the edge, to study longer and longer, to work harder and harder. Life satisfaction is affected by salary and income, but only to a certain degree. The huge pay check you receive from your job may not buy you much happiness. Of course with your big income, you could buy a huge house and also a few classy vehicles. Having a large sum of money provide us some sense of security. And security is very desirable. People with money dont of course need to worry about their bill payments, but they often have significant sums of money invested and frequently needs to look out for their fortune and the rise and fall of the world stock markets and money value. Having a lot of money makes you more stressed out because you become worried about ow to manage, preserve, and grow the money. This is because once you have something you are afraid of losing it, but if you don’t have anything at all, there is no fear of losing it. To earn more money, people have to work very hard to finance their family. People nowadays end up doing jobs they despise, just for the sake of the thick pay check, working unbelievable hours and doing something they have no interest in. Higher salary equals to more responsibilities and more working hours per day. If responsibility and demands become too much, they can lead to work-related stress. The more responsibility you bare, the more stressful you are. These type of people were so busy living their lives in pursuit of something larger than themselves that they had no time to wonder, Am I happy? Money decreases the pleasures in life Usually a rich person will cut off most of his personal relationships as most of his time is spend to seek for money till he forgets to spend some quality time with others. Rich people also tend to splurge on lavish and extravagant items till they often forget how to enjoy the simple things in life. When you consume a luxury every day, it’s not a luxury any more. A super caramel triple-shot cappuccino with whipped cream and sprinkles is a luxury when you drink it once a month, making a little ritual out of it, sitting at your favourite table in the coffee shop and drinking in tiny sips with your eyes closed. If you do it every morning on your way to work, it’s just caffeine and calories. When a pleasure becomes ordinary, one tends to seek more and more sensation, something more and more luxurious till it gives the same payoff and satisfaction. People who earn more money dont spend their time enjoying themselves, they spend their time at work, in activities likely to cause them more stress and tension. This may be because of the focusing illusion. When people think about earning more money they probably imagine they would use the money on recreational activities. In fact, to earn the money, they have to spend more time at work, and commuting to and from work. Money invites pretentious group of people to come closer Owning a truck-load of money comes with a large of package. We often hear that lottery millionaires saying everyone suddenly love them once they hit the jackpot but in reality, those people only love their money. Spreading the word about one’s fortune could carry some negative consequences in relation to the people in the social network with the individual. Namely, if people love your money and not yourself, the closeness between you cant be genuine. Money can certainly not buy you friends or trust or relationships. Money creates a mirage of relationship with others that only leaves you dissatisfied because you didn’t have the interactions before you had the money. Rich people will never know for sure who their true friends are, and theyll always wonder. They might also have to spend the rest of their lives watching out for the huge numbers of pretenders who are just aiming for their money. Money makes you compare yourself with others The second reason why more money does not bring more happiness is the problem of rivalry. Since most everyone will likely find a relative, friend or an acquaintance making more money than them, they will certainly take it as a challenge and will do whatever it takes to earn more money than that individual. A great fortune means nothing if nobody knows about it. A research study made by Glenn Firebaugh, a sociologist at Pennsylvania State University in University Park and Laura Tach, a sociology graduate student at Harvard University supports this argument. Many think having a high position on the occupation ladder which obviously earns you bigger income, gains you more respect and will increase your level of happiness. Nowadays all adults are seemed to be bombarded with questions on what their careers are and the reason why these types of questions are often asked is because people are constantly comparing themselves with each other. When a child is born, parents tend to train their children that they have to become someone big and successful. Parents will try to scare their children by pointing out that some poor people who don’t have money are dying from hunger, some have no home to live. From that a fear, arise a conclusion in their minds that they will end up that way if they don’t have a lot of money. ? ? Conclusion As a whole, it is now proven that money does not guarantee one’s happiness. Despite money contributing to one’s happiness, money cannot buy pure and long term happiness. Acquiring money and status makes we feel satisfied with life. We convince ourselves that satisfaction equals to happiness. Unfortunately it doesnt. Even though rich people appear to have everything, they are left feeling that something is missing, but are unable to identify what that thing is. Obviously, money can fill up your belly and keep you dry when it rains, but money can certainly not fill up the emptiness in your heart. Being a truly happy person comes from within oneself as no amount of materialism and money in the world can grant you that feeling. Money can’t buy true happiness because happiness comes from within you, not from anyone or from anything else. Also, money can’t buy happiness because life really isn’t about who has the fastest car, the most money, the fanciest house, or other material things. Money does and can buy happiness but only for a short term of time, so it does not count as pure happiness. In short, money only gives one an illusion of security and satisfaction, and most of the time people tend to interpret this as happiness, but it isnt. Money can’t buy happiness directly but it is certainly one of the factors contributing to one’s happiness thus money alone does not guarantee happiness.

The meaning of the great Gatsby essays

The meaning of the great Gatsby essays What is the great Gatsby really about? This is a question that has many solutions, depending in the view of the reader. This novel contains various characters that differ in their life style and perspective. Due to this reason, many points of views are conveyed by this novel that one might accept as the themes. One of the themes that can occur in the readers mind is vision. The authors imagination is primarily visual; he shows interest in the looking going on through out the novel. Another theme projected in this novel is time. the novel displays a search for happiness by looking into the past. Finally, the last theme that will be discussed is the dreams. All of these themes hold a certain level of authority throughout the novel. the dreams take priority over both, vision and time. The vision discussed throughout the novel is not by any means what this novel is really about. It is rather a natural gesture expressed by several characters by using the gift of sight. Many times in the novel vision lead to misconception, one example is when Mytrle saw Jordan in the passenger seat next to Tom and had mistaken her for his wife. Incidents similar to this one occur throughout the play which contribute to the setting but do not describe the meaning of the novel. Actually the great Gatsby is a reflection of many dreams. Gatsby for example does not admire reality; as a result he changed his original identity. He also shapes the world in a way to satisfy his own desire, throws big parties to gain the sense of liveliness and chases an ideal happiness. In other words he chases a dream. Gatsby himself admits that he had paid the price of chasing a single dream for too long. However, the cause of his fall is not having the wrong dream; he falls because his dream is too n arrowly focused. Furthermore, Nick himself happens to be the character in the novel most obsessed with dreamin...

E-Business (For Information Technology class) Essay

E-Business (For Information Technology class) - Essay Example The bank's mission is to provide value added services to its customers in an efficient, timely, robust and reliable manner. It strives to become the bank of choice for its customers around the country. In order to achieve its mission objectives the bank needs to implement information technology bases systems to upgrade its current manual system which is tardy, slow, non-responsive and unreliable. This report is developed with a view to establish a framework for strategic IT direction for the bank. In addition, the rationale, extent, and timelines for implementing the information systems and technology within the bank have been identified and discussed. The purpose of the report is to establish a strategic plan for IT for the bank, to apprise higher management with the benefits and the value addition that IT provides to the business, the contemporary approaches to implementing IT based systems in financial industry and to provide recommendations customized to ABC Bank's operations. The report begins with an introduction of E-Business, describing the key areas and applications that this term covers; it then provides an insight into the latest IT trends in businesses; specifically banks around the globe. It is then followed up with the current issues and strategies that the businesses are adopting and dealing with in order to provide state of the art services to stakeholders. Suitable e-business systems are identified for the bank and recommendations are provided for IT managers to develop, acquire and implement e-business solutions. A tentative timeline for each strategic proposed solution is also provided. 3. BACKGROUND E-Business or Electronic Business, a termed introduced by Lou Gerstner (CEO of IBM), is defined as a business process that relies on automated information systems to function (Wikipedia.org, 2007). E-business is not just e-commerce, a technique for establishing and maintaining relationships with customers and suppliers online and over the internet; rather an e-business system spans over the entire value chain of the organization. It integrates the internal and external processes of the business. E-business applications can be generally divided into three categories namely (Wikipedia.org, 2007): Internal business systems (customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, document management system, and human resource management); Enterprise communication and collaboration (VoIP - Voice Over IP, content management system, email, voice mail, web conferencing); and Electronic commerce (online marketing, internet shop, open catalog, supply chain management) The use of e-business techniques and applications allow the organizations, an ability to track resources, log expenses and revenues for proper

Performance Appraisals and Reviews Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Performance Appraisals and Reviews - Term Paper Example The workers are aware of what is expected of them and hence work towards fulfilling their expectations. Since annual appraisal are involving and time consuming for managers, they arrange to carry out surveys or reviews on a regular basis in order to simplify the annual appraisal process (Arthur, 2008).All members of the organization are subject to appraisal if the organization has to achieve its vision and mission and improved performance. Communication is vital in carrying out performance appraisal. The management discusses with the employees regarding their performance and areas that require assistance and also involve them in designing appraisal forms. Conducting annual salary reviews which coincide with performance appraisals have been criticized by many scholars but Chapman (2011) argues that using annual performance appraisal as the basis for salary review enables the firm to plan its finances for the next budget year. When carrying out performance appraisal, the managers shoul d ensure that the mode of appraisal is in line with the employment laws which prohibit all kinds of employment discrimination. For the employees to trust and accept the results the method used should be consistent; ‘same employee classifications should be evaluated based on the same criteria’ (Arthur, 2008). ... Procedure for Carrying out Performance Appraisal Proper planning and execution of staff appraisal ensures effectiveness, reliability and validity of the results. It also ensures acceptability by the appraisees hence commitment to achieve the set objectives. Involving staff in every step of the process is vital to ensure a feeling of ownership and commitment. The appraiser and appraisee prepare all the materials required for the appraisal such as past appraisal documents and achievement records. The appraisal form is designed by HR department or through collaboration with those being appraised and with the approval by management. Understanding the appraisal form by the appraiser and appraisee is vital in simplifying the process (Bohlander & Snell, 2010). The items to be discussed are sequenced and encompass all aspects of staff development. Self-assessment forms are given in advance for staff to appraise themselves by filling the forms. The next step is to clarify the purpose of the a ppraisal and the method to be used. The appraisee is informed on the date of appraisal and the venue and given ample time to prepare his/her own records. The venue should be carefully chosen in a private and quiet atmosphere for discussion. The layout of the room and sitting arrangement affects the behavior of the person being appraised. It is thus advisable to set the room in a relaxed atmosphere to reduce tension. Bacal (2003) argues that the managers should choose appropriate sitting position such as at a round table for more informal discussion and relaxed atmosphere. The introduction stage is vital in determining failure or success of the process. If the appraiser begins by criticizing the appraisee, he/she may feel uncomfortable and may lose interest

The Half Brothers Essay Example for Free

The Half Brothers Essay The two short stories The Half Brothers and News of the Engagement differ in terms of tone and emotional feeling between a mother and son and the authors portray this in different ways, however they both use the theme of widows and marriage. News of the Engagement differs from The Half Brothers in many ways. The author in News of the Engagement uses a completely different tone to the other short story. Its tone is slightly humorous and self-mocking. The mother states, Thats Mrs Dawsons new servant, but she neednt think Im going to lend her my best, because Im not. I shouldnt if I were you I supported her. This shows a short of kind and loving bond between the mother and son, at the same time with a sense of happiness about them. There is also a sense of intimacy and shared experience between them. The relationship between the mother and son in News of the Engagement is also very open and nothing is kept from each other. The son discusses, She knew all my friends by name. This shows that they never kept anything from each other. However it also shows that the mother was protective, as she knew of everybody that her son mixed with, inferring that as a mother she felt it was important that she protected her son. The relationship between the mother and son from the outside seems perfect and faultless. However it really is not like that. Even though the mother and son think that they know everything about each other they really do not. The son notes, I was all that my mother had. This shows that the son felt that all his mother had was him and that she had no other feeling for anybody else, but really she did. He did not believe that she would be able to love somebody ever again, because of what she had been through in the past, but he forgot that she was also a human who could have feelings for other people as well. It shows that he is self-centred and unconcerned with his mothers feelings. The son declares, I liked Mr Nixon, but I was not too well pleased by this information, for I wanted to talk confidentially to my mother. This is a great example of the son being completely self-centred. The thought that his mum may have had something to tell him important did not even cross his mind. The love between the mother and son is very clear in News of the Engagement. The son states, I said nothing about my own engagement that night. I had never thought of my mother as a woman with a future. I had never realised that she was desirable, and that a man might desire her and that her lonely existence in that house was not all that she had the right to demand from life. This shows that even though the son is selfish and self-centred and did not believe, up until now, that his mother had a life to live, he still does not mention anything about his engagement. This is because he would rather let his mother be the woman of the moment, instead of him spoiling it with his news. This shows the great love he has for his mother. The tone of The Half Brothers is completely different to the one of News of the Engagement. It is very sad, regretful, remorseful and confessional. The little sister dies very early in the story, which basically sets the tone for the rest of the story. The relationship between the mother and the son was one of true love. The son does not really know his mother, because she died so early in his life but it is clear that there is a very loving feeling between them. We know that the love between the son and the mother is so great, because he gives up his life so that he can see her. This also shows the strong bond between the mother and son and their his willingness to do anything in his power to see his mother. One night Gregorys half brother does not return from an errand of his fathers and Gregory goes out onto the moors to find him. He does so and gives up his own life in order to save his half brother. All this was done out of love for his mother and brother. Gregory was thought to be the idiot in his family and his mother was the only person who loved him. This is something that brought him and his mother even closer, because he was not liked by anybody else apart from his mother and Adam the shepherd, however Adam the shepherd was not someone he could turn to in a serious crisis. When his mother died his love grew even more towards his mother. Overall I feel that the two short stories have some similarities in the way the author writes about the theme of mothers and sons, but there are also many differences between them both. In News of the Engagement the author portrays the theme of mother and sons with a slight sense of humour and in The Half Brothers the author portrays the theme of mothers and sons on a sad and more serious note. The tones of the two stories are also very different, because News of the Engagement has a lighthearted tone, whereas The Half Brothers has a sombre melancholy and remorseful tone. They both show the tremendous love between the mothers and sons, which is something that can be recognised between nearly every mother and son. In both of the short stories the mothers are widows and get married again. However in News of the Engagement the mother marries a man out of free will and in The Half Brothers the mother is forced into marriage, because of her poor financial situation. This would have affected the sons in different ways. The son in News of the Engagement was brought up by his mother and the son in The Half Brothers was brought up by his father. Overall the two short stories do deal with the theme of mothers and sons, but mainly in very different ways.