BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM Essay

History Berkshire Hathaway is a company that was initially set up as a textile manufacturer in 1839 by Oliver Chace. During that time, the company was based in Valley Falls, Rhode Island and operated under the name Valley Falls Company. It eventually merged with and used the name of another textile manufacturer, Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates (originally Berkshire Cotton Manufacturing Company, which was based in Massachusetts). The Hathaway name became part of the company in 1955, when a merger between the Hathaway Manufacturing Company and Berkshire was successfully agreed on. The Hathaway Manufacturing Company was then a textile business that successfully recovered from the textile decline and the Great Depression. The merger resulted in the company relocating its headquarters to New Bedford, Massachusetts and installing 15 factories that employed over 12,000 labourers. However, as the demand for textile continued to dwindle, seven of these locations eventually closed down with huge layoffs but not before it surpassed $120 million in revenue. Warren Buffett, the man who would become Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO, came into the picture in 1962, when he started purchasing Berkshire Hathaway shares. He was eventually able to buy enough shares to allow him to change the management and eventually gain control of the company. During Warren Buffett’s time, he still kept the company’s textile milling business but eventually, the company started investing in the insurance industry among other things. His purchase of the National Indemnity Company marked the company’s first venture into the insurance market, which proved to be very successful. The last Berkshire Hathaway plant was closed in 1985. Buffett continued to direct Berkshire Hathaway into other investments, which led them to owning brands such as Dairy Queen, Clayton Homes and MidAmerican Energy Holdings. Currently, Berkshire Hathaway stands as the most respected company (Forbes 2007) and currently has the world’s richest man as its CEO and largest shareholder. Berkshire Hathaway is also one of the few companies that have reached the $100,000 share price. Note as of 2012: Berkshire Hathaway (Berkshire or the group) is diversified holding company engaged primarily in the provision of insurance and reinsurance products and services. Additionally, the group is engaged in non-insurance businesses including utilities and energy, finance, manufacturing, service and retailing. Berkshire has overall 76 operating businesses. The group primarily operates in the US. It is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska and employs 270,858 people. The group recorded revenues of $143,688 million in the financial year ended December 2011 (FY2011), an increase of 5.5% over FY2010. The operating profit of the group was $15,314 million in FY2011, a decrease of 19.6% over FY2010. The net profit was $10,254 million in FY2011, a decrease of 20.9% over FY2010. The organisational chart is as follows: Company: Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation Vtec (Vietnam) Founders: Sam Bao Tai Industry: Garment History: Originally, the company was a private garment factory for ‘Thai Binduong Engineering Company@ – trading as Pacific Enterprise. There are 8 shareholder capital contributions by Mr. Bao Tai Ginseng – a Chinese businessman who acts as director. The factory area of 1,513 meter square with 65 sewing machines and about 100 workers. After the complete liberation of the south, the state takeover, nationalised and then assigned the Ministry of Light Industry (now the Ministry of Industry) to manage. In 1977, the Ministry of Industry recognized as state-owned enterprises and renamed the Viet Tien Garment Factory. In 1979, the factory burn and was a total loss. Getting help from other units, enthusiasm attached to workers and with the leadership of Viet Tien, the business was put back into operation and increasingly asserted its position on the market. Thanks to great efforts, the 103/CNN/TCLD discretion was given by the Ministry of Industry Enterprise. The Ministry of Industry Enterprise accepted and upgraded Tien garment company statues. In 1991, the Ministry of foreign economic relations of import and export license directly with foreign name is VIET TIEN GARMENT IMPORT-EXPORT COMPANY, abbreviated as VTEC (by license number on 102570 05/02/1991). In 1993, the company establishment licensing number 214/CNN-TCLD was given. Before 1995, the direct management the company is producing the nation’s garments. In May 1977, it was rename Viet Tien Garment Enterprise. With the development of the garment sector, the enterprise was change into a company and later a corporation. The name Viet Tien (Vietnam advancing forward) was kept under the wishes of the staff. At the request of the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group in Report No. 01 28/TDDM-TCLD in 2007 and the scheme of establishment of the company’s proposed May Vietnam Tien.Theo Organization Department – Personnel decisions to: Establish Vietnam Tien Garment Corporation on the basis of reorganisation Vietnam Tien Garment Company under the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group. Vietnam Tien Garment Corporation operating as a parent company – subsidiary located in the structure of the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group. The Vietnamese name given as Corporations Vietnam Tien Garment Joint Stock and the International Trade name: Viettien Garment Corporation (VTEC). At present VTEC has six enterprise and 14 affiliates over 20,000 workers. It specialises in the manufacturing of garments and the trading of maters and accessories for the garment sector, equipment and components, and import-export services. Its products are diverse and are sold at over 20 shops and 300 agents throughout the country. Note: As of 2012: Viet Tien garment Joint Stock Company established since 1976, is presently a production and trade company belonging to VINATEX, specialising in garment manufacture, trade of equipment, materials & accessories for garment industry. The company presently carries out business transactions with more than 60 customers in 20 countries over the world: Asia, Europe, USA, Australia and North America, etc. Specialises in shirts, trousers, suit, blouses, jackets, denim suits, coats, sweaters, trading in industrial garment Trading in electric, audio, light equipment, Forwarding, Shipping agency. KEY Employees Sources: http://www.thehistoryofcorporate.com/companies-by-industry/finance/berkshire-hathaway-corporations-history/ http://www.marketline.com/ ref 07E69A79-DC43-4A40-B015-C2C489E9E28F http://www.viettien.com.vn/modules.php?name=Content&opcase=viewcontent&mcid=128&menuid=12 http://en.news.vn/economy/company-and-names/23351-viet-tien-a-strong-brand-name-in-the-garment-sector.html With reference to the above case (you are strongly advice to research into the above company), you are to research and correlate to Viet Tien Garment. Prepare a brief report, citing relevant research, which addresses the following tasks: Task 1 Compare and contrast the different organisational structures and culture between Berkshire Hathaway and Viet Tien Garment1.1 Explain how the relationship between Berkshire Hathaway structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business1.2 Discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at Berkshire Hathaway OR Viet Tien Garment.1.3 This part of your report should not exceed more than 1,000 words. Diagrams, charts, tables and appendixes are not to be included in the word count. Task 2 Using research and the facts presented in the case: Compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles with Berkshire Hathaway and to Viet Tien Garment2.1 Explain how organisational theory underpins the practice of management for with Berkshire Hathaway2.2 Evaluate the different approaches to management used by two organizations (Berkshire Hathaway and to Viet Tien Garment).2.3 This part of your report should not exceed more than 1,500 words. Diagrams, charts, tables and appendixes are not to be included in the word count. GRADING Passis achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the assessment criteria. (Refer page 2 of the assignment brief) MeritIdentify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions. (M1) Characteristics / Possible Evidence – Use of comparative charts and sufficiently detailed to show that an effective approach to study and research has been applied to Berkshire Hathaway. Select and apply appropriate methods. (M2) Characteristics / Possible Evidence – relevant theories and techniques have been applied in leadership style and approaches to management especially related to Berkshire Hathaway sources sources are justified. DistinctionUse critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions (D1) Characteristics / Possible Evidence – creation has been used to generate and justify valid comments on approaches to different management and style of leadership of Berkshire Hathaway. Demonstrate convergent, lateral and creative thinking (D3) Characteristics / Possible Evidence – report has been prepared with care and clearly demonstrates the learners thinking, innovation and creative thought used. Presentation 1. The assignment should have a cover page that includes the assignment title, assignment number, course title, module title, Lecturer/tutor name and student’s name. Attach all the pages of assignment brief/cover sheet with your report and leave them blank for official use. 2. Ensure that authenticity declaration has been signed. 3. This is an individual assignment. 4. Content sheet with a list of all headings and page numbers. 5. A fully typed up professionally presented report document. Use 12 point Arial or Times New Roman script. 6. Your assignment should be word-processed and should not exceed from 2,500 to 3,000 words in length. 7. Use the Harvard referencing system. 8. Exhibits/appendices are outside this limit. 9. The assignment should be not contain a bibliography – but should contain a list of any references used in the assignment. NOTES TO STUDENTS for summission Check carefully the submission date and the instructions given with the assignment. Late assignments will not be accepted. Ensure that you give yourself enough time to complete the assignment by the due date. Do not leave things such as printing to the last minute – excuses of this nature will not be accepted for failure to hand-in the work on time. You must take responsibility for managing your own time effectively. If you are unable to hand in your assignment on time and have valid reasons such as illness, you may apply (in writing) for an extension. Failure to achieve a PASS grade will results in a REFERRAL grade being given. Take great care that if you  use other people’s work or ideas in your assignment, you properly reference them in your text and any bibliography. NOTE: If you are caught plagiarizing, the University policies and procedures will apply. Prepared for: Ms. Le Thu Hanh The lecturer of ITP- F06B Course no: F06 Banking Academy, Hanoi Vietnam Prepared by: Hoang Nang Le Minh Registration No.: ITP F06-090 Submitted Date : Word Count : 3361 Table of content Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.13 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..14 1.1 Compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦15 1.2 Explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..17 1.3 Discuss the factors which influence individual behavior at work†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.20 2.1 Compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organizations†¦..21 2.2 Explain how organizational theory underpins the practice of management†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..22 2.3 Evaluate the different approaches to management used by different organizations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦24 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.26 Reference†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦27 Executive Summary Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation Vtec and Berkshire Hathaway company is two big organisations with many organisational factors , have established for a larger number of purposes , they have many same points or other points in their structures , their ways of working . Viet Tien Garment produce clothes ( pants , shirts , sportswear , suits †¦ ) , in addition this company supply services of accessories and materials for garments . For a long time served Viet Nam customers with their products , Viet Tien Garment have built a famous situation and reputation in its own country . About Berkshire Hathaway company : in past Berkshire Hathaway produced textile fabrics , but after Warren Buffett became its CEO , this company started working on many various fields as insurance , financial services , jewellery †¦ Till now , Berkshire Hathaway is very famous not only because of its CEO (Warren Buffett ) but also because it worked probably very efficient , bring a lot of benefit s to its employees . Introduction Purposes / goals of doing this organisations and behaviour assignment : Practically find and analyze information about both companies ( Berkshire Hathaway and Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation ) which really exist in other countries , act at other fields ; to understand the relationship between organisational structures and culture , in addition we can comprehend different approaches to management and leadership , also gain knowledge from all outcomes in the textbook . For exp : Explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business , or compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organisations †¦ Information and news in this assignment have given from trustable web sites which are official or  popular with people . Berkshire Hathaway and Viet Tien Garment are so popular in its own country but it is not easy to collect all true information about them , or really underst and their business clearly . Therefore any comments / reports in this assignment may be right or wrong base on reader ‘s experience . This assignment just only cover a small part of Organisations and Behaviour textbook with a wider range when mentioned two big companies ( Berkshire Hathaway company and Viet Tien Garment ) as prime examples . 1.1 Compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture Each organisation have its own structure , culture which affect how it works and why it become a successful organisation or not . Structures and culture are very important with organisations because they have an impact on the way people look at each organisation , the adaptability of each organisation †¦ About Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation Vtec and Berkshire Hathaway company , both of them are successful when they chose their organisational structures and culture then apply it efficiently to their ways of working . Their organisational structures and culture are showing in the chart below : Organisations : Viet Tien Garment Berkshire Hathaway company Organisational structures Tall Centralisation Flat Decentralisation Organisational culture Role culture Task culture Role culture Compare and contrast – about organisational structures : Berkshire Hathaway have been controlled by CEO Warren Buffett and other directors as the highest level of management . They give orders to other subordinates . According to the 2010 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report : â€Å" Berkshire’s operating businesses are managed on an unusually decentralized basis . There are essentially no centralized or integrated business functions ( such as sales , marketing , purchasing , legal or human resources ) and there is minimal involvement by Berkshire’s corporate headquarters in the day-to-day business activities of the operating businesses † . So their structure is flat and decentralisation – opposite with Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation . Nowadays , many organizations have an enhancement in their average span of control , diminishing management levels and then become flatter , so as that they can reduce demand for middle managers to handle or analyse information †¦ Berkshire Hathaway are going on this w ay very early , that ‘s true decision . Any costs , expense for middle process will be removed . The boss will have maximum benefit , and employees too . But this kind of organisation can make many people become the unemployed because they just use a small number of staffs / key employees who are skilled as their high requirements . The high amount of delegation the organisation have , more good qualities their employees must have . Viet Tien Garment , with their centralisation structure , can’t have some advantages as Berkshire Hathaway company , but they make many people have jobs . Viet Tien have a lot of branches , regular foreign customers and outlets ( inside and outside Viet Nam ) with many workers / employees in their factories . They really help Viet Nam government prevent the unemployment – not so efficient but that ‘s enough at this time . Therefore we can realize that Berkshire Hathaway and Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation have differen t structures , with many advantages and disadvantages †¦ In my opinion , if they can combine all kind of structures to balance the amount of advantages and disadvantages , then find out a suitable structure which increases their maximum proceeds , it will be very good for their organisations . Have too much ( or too low ) the amount of delegation , it isn’t stable ; should keep it in an average amount . Compare and contrast – about organisational culture : Berkshire Hathaway have task culture in some cases . When Berkshire Hathaway employees work in specific fields like insurance industry , they must do many short term and long term missions or projects so as that they can earn money from each finished products / accomplished missions †¦ Employees work with team mates in a group to finish their tasks on time . In addition , this company (Berkshire Hathaway ) have role culture . As a large company with many types of jobs and the work is predictable , role culture is very suitable for doing their business . CEO Warren Buffett had chosen this reasonable culture which agreeable to this company , he did many things in order to gradually made it become â€Å" the most respected company † (Forbes 2007) . Viet Tien Garment have role culture with the same reasons like Berkshire Hathaway . In a big organization with a lot of factories ( like Viet Tien Garment ) , task cultures are not suitable because of many reasons . Factors in tas k cultures are not suited to Viet Tien labours ( their behavior , their habits , †¦ ) and the way this company work . 1.2 Explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business How the relationship between Berkshire Hathaway’s structure and culture can impact on their performance of the business Organisation’s structures is the manifestation of ways that a company arrange itself and show its mode of working , so it can impact on the performance of organizations . Berkshire Hathaway’s structures are flat and decentralisation , that make this company may have many advantages or disadvantages when perform their business . To using these types of organisational structures , board of directors in Berkshire Hathaway company have chosen skilled employees / directors who can create true decisions when it is suitable , and understand all anything they must do for their company . â€Å" Berkshire Hathaway’s divisions and subsidiaries are, by Buffett’s admission, run with little or no oversight by Omaha headquarters. Each year he sends the CEOs a general letter outlining high-level goals and requires very few reports or status updat es. One-way communication of monthly and quarterly financial results is the primary method used by most of the business units to report to headquarters † ( Francine , 2011 ) . Organisation’s culture is the  style and the main image of an organisation , it shows us what the organisation aimed at and what are the special characteristic of that organization †¦ Therefore organisation’s culture always affect the performance of organizations . By using task culture and role culture , Berkshire Hathaway company can work easier than use any other types of culture . CEO Warren Buffett â€Å" said that Berkshire has created a strong â€Å"culture† over the years that would reject any attempt by an outsider to make changes that don’t reflect his way of doing business . † ( Alex Crippen , 2013 ) . Each year this company with its culture has been widening so much , not only its size or number of employees but also its quality and quantity of produc tivity , revenue †¦ â€Å" Berkshire, of course, owns subsidiaries across a wide range of industries, from insurance to candy and beyond. It also holds investments in numerous companies . † (William L. Watts , 2013 ) . How the relationship between Viet Tien Garment’s structure and culture can impact on their performance of the business Viet Tien Garment’s structure always have an impact on their performance of the business like Berkshire Hathaway company . Viet Tien Garment’s structures are tall and centralization , so this company have been affected by its ways of arrangements . The performance of Viet Tien Garment ( especially their production capacity ) is showing in charts below : By using their organizational structures ( tall and centralization ) and organisational culture ( role culture ) , till now Viet Tien Garment have many employees , factories and departments in Viet Nam , with high production capacity , as the huge system which usually work hard under the terms of covenants and severe rules . If Viet Tien Garment haven’t arranged like that , this company can’t reach achievements currently . Because labour costs are low , they aren’t able to recruit talented employees or skilled workers who graduated from famous universities , therefore flat organization is not suitable for Viet Tien Garment ( in this company , just only people on the highest level of management can make decisions ) . They can’t choose a wide span of control . And of course , in fact they have not chosen . Using tall and centralization structure is the true way for Viet Tien to  develop in future . With role culture , their workers are capable of producing goods together in factories – that ‘s reasonable method for a big company in garment industry like Viet Tien . 1.3 Discuss the factors which influence individual behavior at work Have a lot of factors which influence individual behavior at work because individuals are very various . Firstly , perception is the important factor which always affect individual behavior . For example : If a worker think that his job is very good and his average wage is adequate ( although some other workers said that it isn’t true ) , he will do his affair in a merry mood , so he can reach excellent results easier than others . Each organization have its own culture and structures , therefore their employees must have suitable perception . If the perception of employees in the organization is fit for their jobs , their ways of working will have more originality , positive innovation †¦ After read many employee reviews of Berkshire Hathaway company , we can understand reasons which made this company successful : â€Å" I worked at Berkshire Hathaway as an intern . Very relaxed working environment . Management cares about new hires and tries to help .† – A former employee . â€Å" Nothing negative to share , one of the best work environments I have encountered in my career † – a former employee in San Francisco . Secondly , attitude is the conspicuous factor that usually influence individual behavior at work . When an employee go to work with a positive attitude , he can make other employees have good mood to do their jobs better . A positive attitude also create a cordial atmosphere in workplace , so all employees in a organization should have an active attitude while they work . But if an employee don’t know how to have an active attitude , what must he do ? His managers or directors have to solve this problem by suitable ways with each case . Buffett’s 2012 annual report have a paragraph : † Most of our managers are independently wealthy, and it’s therefore up to us to create a climate that encourages them to choose working with Berkshire over golfing or fishing. This leaves us needing to t reat them fairly and in the manner that we would wish to be treated if our positions were reversed † . Managers in Berkshire Hathaway company have been treated very kind , therefore they worked efficiently ,  make their company more successful day by day . 2.1 Compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organizations Each leadership style have the effectiveness that always affect its organization . Warren E. Buffett is CEO of Berkshire Hathaway , in addition he is the famous billionaire investor in the world . Under control of this talented CEO , Berkshire Hathaway steadily become the successful company which works on many fields . Firstly , we can easily see that Warren Buffett inspires his employees to work hard . His subordinates usually think about how to earn money and become a famous billionaire investor like him . When CEO Warren Buffett manage Berkshire Hathaway company , â€Å" The share price of Berkshire Hathaway has grown from about the approximate range of $14 to $18 (of 1965) to $152,000 (in early 2013) in the 48 years that Warren Buffett has been in charge. Book value per share has grown by a staggering 587,000%. This immense success has included enormous success in both stock investing and in the management of the numerous businesses that Berkshire owns. It is therefore evident t hat Warren Buffett has been an absolutely extraordinary corporate manager, motivator and leader . † ( Shawn C. Allen , 2013 ) Another famous CEO in the world is Michael Dell . â€Å" He filled a void in the market that would change how people buy computers and all the accessories. At the age of twenty-seven, he was the youngest Fortune 500 CEO. True, it was the company he founded, and not one where he climbed the ranks, but making the Fortune 500 list is an incredible accomplishment for long standing companies, let alone one that was barely eight years old. People close to Michael Dell say he is quite shy, which makes his rise to super-entrepreneur that much more incredible. In the early days, he was the only one doing the marketing and promotion, and he obviously served both the customers and the company well. And, even though he had retired from the company a few years ago, the board encouraged him to return † ( Profile : Michael Dell , 2013 ) . In periods that Michae l Dell is CEO , his corporation have been widening a lot and help many people have modern jobs . 2.2 Explain how organizational theory underpins the practice of management The practice of management can be predicated by many organizational theories . Berkshire Hathaway company executed two theories : Frederick Taylor theory and Henri Fayol theory . Henri Fayol theory : The scalar chain of command : Follows Henri Fayol theory , Berkshire Hathaway arranged their organizational structures by the way in this theory as the chart below Division of work ( specialization ) : Each of Berkshire Hathaway employees have to focus on their jobs to be more efficient . More hard working in the same job , correspondingly more productive . We can see an employee review on Internet to comprehend these points : Name / function : Maintenance (Current Employee) I have been working at Berkshire Hathaway Pros – They really care about their employees. They listen to their employees. Benefits are great, management and front office go above the norm in making it an enjoyable place to work. Very happy here!! Cons – The working conditions are not exactly ideal. It is very loud, but appropriate ear protection is worn. The chemicals that are in the air, can’t be that good for your health in the long run, but it could be much worse. Advice to Senior Management – I wish I could come up with something, but I truly do think that the management is really on the right path in all that they are trying to accomplish. ESPIRIT DE CORPS : Berkshire Hathaway employees have been treated impartially and their managers usually create good feelings among employees . According to an analysis on Internet , 86% of employees recommend this company to a friend . Therefore we can see that Henri Fayol theory have a lot of principles which underpin the practice of management . Frederick Taylor theory : Employees , directors in Berkshire Hathaway clearly have their responsibility to do their work closely . Directors and managers help subordinates understand how to complete their tasks , and subordinates will do . Subordinates have to learn new methods from other employees then try to perform better . So that’s right ways to apply Taylor theory into workplace . 2.3 Evaluate the different approaches to management used by different organizations Berkshire Hathaway company 1. Structure : With its structures ( flat , decentralization ) , Berkshire Hathaway can save costs , expense from some middle processes , then use this money for doing other things . At the moment , many organizations are steadily changing their structures to become more flatter in order to gain more benefit . 2. Culture : Each organization have its own culture . With task culture and role culture , Berkshire Hathaway employees can complete tasks better because these types of culture really suitable for any fields which their company are controlling / working . If they use power culture , the boss will be very tired to manage the whole company , and all employees can’t meet their boss at the same time to take missions ( What should they do if their company have more than 5000 employees ? ) . So their organizational culture are task culture and role culture , that ‘s obvious . 3. Leadership : under control of CEO Warren Buffett and other skilled directors , Berkshire Hathaway became the most respected company (Forbes 2007) . Their decisions in management are punctual and rational , their employees have been trained to be more productive . Their employees also have been treated very kind . â€Å" During the 2012 fiscal year, Berkshire Hathaway held one annual directors meeting, one special meeting, and met twice by the directors’ unanimous consent. Each director attended all meetings of the board and all committee meetings on which he or she served. Directors received $900 for each meeting they attended in person and $300 for each meeting they attended by telephone † ( Meredith Kliewer , 2013 ) . Berkshire Hathaway board of directors is very good at their leadership , therefore this company is successful till now . Viet Tien Garment 1. Structure : With its structures ( tall , centralization ) , Viet Tien Garment can’t have some advantages as Berkshire Hathaway company , but they make many people have jobs . Viet Tien have a lot of branches , regular foreign customers and outlets ( inside and outside Viet Nam ) with many workers / employees in their factories . They really help Viet Nam government prevent the unemployment . Their structures are very suitable with their ways of working and selling goods . 2. Culture : Their organisational culture ( role culture ) is the true decision , because this company have a lot of factories and workers in Viet Nam , and role culture can help its directors to control all of them . 3. Leadership : This company is still perform well without any scandals , so their leadership is good enough for working in future . Conclusion After analyses two big companies ( Berkshire Hathaway and Viet Tien Garment ) , we can comprehend about main ideas as the relationship between organisational structures and culture , or different approaches to management and leadership . Base on information about Viet Tien Garment and Berkshire Hathaway company , this project can analyse primary principles in factors of organisations , as the linkage between organisational culture and structure , or the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organisations , how organisational theory underpins the practice of management †¦ Moreover , using information in many sources as articles , books and websites that have been recognised or found on Google Scholar , this record help us understand the relationship between organisational structure and culture , understand different approaches to management and leadership , have a lot of useful knowledge for using in real life , and comprehend many outcomes in the textbook . Reference 2010 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report . 2010 . From http://retheauditors.com/2011/09/02/the-berkshire-hathaway-corporate-governance-performance/ Alex Crippen . 2013 . Warren Buffett: Berkshire Will Be the ‘Same’ Without Me . From http://www.cnbc.com/id/100707968

Activision Blizzard

Company History and Profile Activision and Blizzard Entertainment have been longstanding brands within the gaming industry for some time. Activision started out in 1979 as the world’s first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles such as Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, in addition to developing both gaming and business applications for personal computers. One of their earliest major hit games was Pitfall, which was designed for the Atari 2600 series gaming console. This project was so successful; it resulted in the production of several clones, including stand-up arcade games. After losing a multi-million dollar judgment on damages involving a patent infringement, Activision went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and reorganization in 1991. It was during this time when they decided to concentrate solely on a video gaming production strategy, eventually developing popular games such as Sonic, Guitar Hero and the current Call of Duty Series. From 1997 to 2007, Activision acquired multiple companies geared towards strengthening their position relative to their gaming strategy, but have also kept their foot in the door for expanding their market into other entertainment ventures. Beginning in 1998, Activision launched strategic partnerships with comic and movie producers Marvel Entertainment, Disney Interactive, and LucasArts Entertainment. In 2001, Activision acquired the rights to the Columbia Pictures’ feature film Spider-Man, and had signed a multi-year publishing agreement between DreamWorks SKG in 2003. Blizzard Entertainment began in 1991 as a company called Silicon & Synapse, also designing games for Sega-Genesis, Super Nintendo, and DOS- and Mac- compatible games for personal computers. The company established the Blizzard Entertainment label in 1994, when they became one of the most popular and well respected makers of computer games. Blizzard’s main focus is on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, and by doing so, has maintained a reputation for quality within the gaming industry. Released in 1994, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans became their first in a series of role-play strategy games to win accolades as one of the best games of that year. Multiplayer computer games were still relatively new at this time, and Blizzard began to take advantage of the opportunities that this niche had to offer. They are now the leader in the field of massively multiplayer online games (MMORPG), with more than 11. 5 million monthly subscriptions. Blizzard has additionally developed a trio of popular PC games, including the Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo series, creating a culture that champions both productive and experimental creativity which inspires devoted players. Jeff Green, editor-in-chief of the online gaming magazine 1Up. om notes, â€Å"[Blizzard people] are essentially design geniuses, making games easy enough for casual players and deep enough to attract and hook hard-core players. Simple to learn, difficult to master is the holy grail of game design, and Blizzard does this every single time. † In late 1998, Blizzard Entertainment became a subsidiary of the French conglomerate Vivendi, grouped into its Vivendi Universal Games division. From 2000 to 2007, Blizzard Entertainment released several games under their trilogy series, consistently exceeding sales projections and becoming the unprecedented leader within the gaming industry. On December 2, 2007, it was announced that Activision would be acquired by Vivendi, with Vivendi contributing its gaming division plus a cash investment, in exchange for a majority stake in the new group. In 2008, Vivendi Games merged with Activision, using the Blizzard brand in naming the resulting company, Activision Blizzard. SWOT Analysis Strengths Activision Blizzard’s balance sheet was initially considered to be its most valuable strength when the merger between the two companies transpired; however, this was not necessarily the case. The apparent strategy was to rely on Blizzard Entertainment as a cash cow to finance the merger. With Blizzard Entertainment having more than $3. 3 billion in cash and short term investments, and no debt at the time, it had the flexibility to obtain more intellectual property and talent, and thus further help to strengthen the new company. Reeling from a series of legal actions against them, and suffering income losses in both 2008 and 2009, Activision Blizzard has finally begun to turn around their financial status, and is beginning to gain ground relative to their balance sheet. More on this matter will be discussed in the financial section of this paper. The revenue stream should only be getting smoother with the merger of Blizzard and Activision. The combined company is not as dependent as other gaming companies on console upgrade cycles for generating the majority of its revenue and earnings. Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, as a subscription service, helps to also keep the revenue stream smoother than normal. With a large and popular range of titles, Activision Blizzard can ask for, and receive more shelf space than competitors at retail outlets that sell their products, such as GameStop and Wal-Mart. Getting the product in front of consumers with favorable shelf placement is just as important in the gaming industry as it is in the grocery industry, and Activision Blizzard uses this strategy to their advantage. Weaknesses Activision Blizzard has had a previous history of difficult relations with developers. The recent firings and defections of product developers from Infinity Ward, producer of the hit release â€Å"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2† is a primary case in point. Also, legal issues have been a tremendous weakness and liability for the company. Who owns what, and what is agreed upon at times are contentious issues. The ex-Infinity Ward executives claim control of the â€Å"Modern Warfare† brand line. Additionally, the musical group No Doubt sued Activision Blizzard, claiming that their images were being used for any song in â€Å"Band Hero†, contrary to what they said had been agreed to. Opportunities At the past E3 conference for the gaming industry, current Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick noted that â€Å"There is a $3 billion used game market that we do not participate in. The only true competition within this realm is GameStop, who would potentially suffer losing a large portion of their current market status if Activision Blizzard decided to enter this segment of the market. Activision Blizzard also has strong franchising capabilities. Even in the middle of a recession, gamers are willing to pay for the newest releases and additions related to their games. A winged horse â€Å"pet† for World of Warcraft, priced at $25, was estimated by some reports to be bringing in as much as $2. 5 Million per hour for a period last spring. Activision Blizzard has the capabilities to take advantage of this phenomenon through franchising markets. The mobile gaming medium is wide open; Activision Blizzard successfully released a mobile version of â€Å"Guitar Hero† for Apple’s iPhone. It would appear that scaled-down versions of their most popular games are on the horizon to be produced for smartphones and iPads. With Activision Blizzard’s branding, they have a tremendous repertoire of brands and licenses that can be franchised or published for various markets, including clothing, toys, collectibles, comics and books, and even syndicated movies or cartoons. Threats Mobile gaming is probably their biggest threat, due to small studios being able to reach a multitude of people through inexpensive downloads to smartphones. This will certainly create a more competitive atmosphere in the very near future. Games with long franchise lives can also be a burden on the company. A good case in point would be their â€Å"Guitar Hero† game, which is getting old, with sales beginning to drop and stall. Consumer Affairs cites a â€Å"continued decline in the music genre† as the primary reason given by the company for dropping the game. Activision Blizzard, as a quality control measure, is retiring some of their lesser grossing games to concentrate on more revenue productive and newer versions of such games as â€Å"Call of Duty†, â€Å"World of WarCraft†, and â€Å"Diablo†. SWOT Conclusion When looking at the collective elements contained within the SWOT analysis, it is apparent that Activision Blizzard began their merger rather sluggishly. This could be attributed to differences in corporate cultures or their need to address and resolve pending legal issues as quickly as possible, so that finances are readily available to fund future ventures. Opportunities abound in the realm of on-line gaming, franchising, and partnerships or joint ventures with various companies in a diverse range of markets, and it would be in their better interest to take advantage of these given opportunities in utilizing a differentiation strategy that delivers both tangible and intangible attributes. Blizzard Entertainment has been at the forefront of this type of strategy long before their merger, with such features as Battle. net forums for its customers to chat, exchange ideas and strategies, and submit feedback on given games. Each day hundreds of gamers post new ideas and petitions in Battle. net forums while there are always assigned personnel on Blizzard’s behalf to read and respond to them. By infusing a culture of having gamers as employees, coupled with the feedback it gets from its Battle. net forums, they are capable of using this data in designing or making improvements on their current games in real time as well as future games. They additionally hold several events annually for their gaming customers to interact with and launch new products. BlizzCon (in the United States) and the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational (held in various other countries) are major events that showcase their talent and customer oriented initiatives. With Activision coming on board, they have taken a major step in creating a company that is virtually one with the gaming community on both a consumer level as well as a personal level, which should be a viable recipe for success, regardless of which direction they choose to go. Five Forces Analysis Barriers to Entry †¢There are little to no barriers to entry. Popular games are being developed at a rapid pace throughout the industry. †¢Activision Blizzard posses an advantage, however, with their scale and catalog of games, in addition to third-party developer relationships. †¢Their main advantage relative to this issue lies in their manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Threat of Substitutes †¢There are currently no close substitutes for games such as â€Å"Call of Duty† and â€Å"World of WarCraft†, however, new games always have a potential of becoming popular, depending upon their format, story line, and general audience appeal. Other types of entertainment could also be classified as substitutes, such as music and movie videos, but it is unlikely that they would surpass the popularity of Activision Blizzard’s more popular games. Power of Buyers †¢With on-line distribution capabilities becoming the norm, buyer power is diminishing. †¢Activision Blizzard allows for â€Å"real time† consumer feedback through various forums, which gives them a differential advantage when developing new games due to the uniqueness of the industry. Power of Suppliers †¢Activision Blizzard relies primarily on in-house talent to design and evelop their games. †¢Supplier power is medium, primarily because developers and console game producers need Activision Blizzard as much as it needs them. Rivalry Among Sellers †¢Activi sion Blizzard is the leading MMORPG developer relative to on-line gaming, and they will continue to focus on this platform as a primary revenue stream. †¢They also lead the console gaming market, and have begun a quality control model to ensure a consistent and sustainable competitive advantage through innovation and development of quality products. Gaming is not the only business within the entertainment industry, but it serves a well-proportioned demographic, to say the least. With making a distinction between gaming and entertainment, one can see a more obvious picture developing relative to the merger between the two companies. In joining two major players with hit franchises together, Vevendi is expecting to realize a major coup within the entertainment side of this merger by taking advantage of Activision’s relationships with major motion picture production companies. And with social gaming on the rise with the launch of smart phones, there is another consideration to make within the gaming realm. With the trend towards digital distribution growing, this should continue to drive down costs, which will also open the field to potentially more on-line players. Activision Blizzard faces numerous hurdles when speaking in terms of their competitive advantage in both the gaming and entertainment industries, but to be the dominant player in both industries, one must be resourceful and innovative by nature. This is truly where both companies have dominated in the past by comparison, and will most certainly be the catalyst for a rebound performance in the future, or even a new entry into other markets as well. Key Success Factors †¢Diversified partnerships with licensing or franchising companies †¢Large inventory of product, which in turn gives them a larger portion of retail shelf space †¢New product releases (Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo) †¢Leader in on-line gaming subscriptions (MMORPG) Corporate culture of gamers throughout company structure, coupled with collective talents of game designers †¢Designs and develops their own gaming platforms †¢Interactive consumer portals for input and feedback on their products (Battle. net, BlizzCon, Blizzard Worldwide Invitational) Financial Analysis Despite Activision Blizzard experiencing a couple of net losses in 2008 and 2009, the company is doing well when compared to its competitors. Its operating margin was 10. 55% in 2010, with a 5 year margin of 9%, versus its average competitor earning 9% in 2010 and average margin of 12% (according to wikiwealth. om). The 2010 net deficit in retained earnings shows that Activision Blizzard has not been profitable over its existence. While cash flow margins have been higher than its competitors at 15% over the past 5 years, versus its competitors 11% average value, there is not a large amount of cash flow for which the company can pay its operating bills, as its working capital was negative both in 2009 (at $423 million) and $1,030 million in 2010, and its liquidity ratios were less than 2. Within operations, the company has begun to manage its inventory and accounts receivable better, as its days of inventory decreased from 30 to 19 days, resulting in a better turnover from 12 in 2009 to 19 in 2010; along with the average collection period going from 63 days in 2009 to 52. 5 days in 2010. Blizzard Entertainment, one of the three segments within the company, earned approximately 35% of its total net revenues, but yielded over 60% of operating income from operations, making it the most profitable segment of the company. Keeping that in mind, it would be beneficial for them to concentrate on increased sales within this given department (on-line subscriptions) to facilitate a greater increase in revenues. As a side note, a lot is riding on Activision Blizzard’s release of their new Call of Duty console game for the holiday season. With last year’s Black Ops having sold a record $360 million in its first day, this new release could make or break their holiday season revenues. If sales do well for this holiday season, the company has the potential to enter the new year having a much greater advantage over their competition, by far. Analysis of Competitive Position Although the merger of Activision Blizzard got off to a slow start, things now appear to be on track for the current year, and their outlook seems to be in a much better financial and competitive positioning than for their three previous years. The ability to generate a sustainable and consistent revenue stream, while also keeping costs down, is one of their greatest strengths, and should continue, considering their rapidly diversifying portfolio of partners and strategic alliances. Given Activision’s partnerships and alliances prior to their merger with companies such as Marvel, Disney Interactive, LucasArts, and Dreamworks; coupled with Blizzard’s partnerships with various vendors in the apparel, toy, and collectible markets, Activision Blizzard has built a strong foundation through their broad differentiation strategy, which affords them a greater advantage of maintaining their number one position within not only the gaming industry, but opens the doors to other venues as well through licensing and franchising opportunities. The company’s diversity is a critical advantage, because it allows them room for expansion and cross-selling opportunities across various platforms or markets. Additionally, Activision Blizzard is beginning to increase their presence in China, partnering with Netease, which is considered to be one of the best eastern on-line gaming companies to date. This opportunity will allow them to distribute their StarCraft, World of WarCraft, and Call of Duty series games to an eagerly-awaiting population within that country. Activision Blizzard’s new release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this past week resulted in the biggest launch of any console game ever, and is seen as crucial to their strategy of releasing fewer, better quality game titles each year. CEO Bobby Kotick commented that within the first 24 hours of release, 6. 5 million units were sold within North America and the U. K. , for a total of $400 million dollars. He is noted as saying, â€Å"We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories†. This surpassed last month’s release of Electronic Arts’ five million units of Battlefield 3 by 1. 5 million units, which is their closest competitor to date in the console gaming industry. The above noted quality control strategy is just another addition to their value chain activities, in conjunction with the previously mentioned Battle. net and BlizzCon forums, which affords them a real-time advantage when designing and launching games or addressing consumer issues and concerns. By doing so, Activision Blizzard maintains a proficiency in performing their core competencies, and continues to build and evolve their competitive advantage in this area. This is one of the primary reasons that Activision Blizzard has consistently held the top ranking, in addition to their model MMORPG platform that grows in subscriptions monthly. Activision Blizzard’s portfolio of digital and console games usually attracts more hardcore gamers than casual gamers. This is a decisive advantage in an economic downturn particularly, because Activision Blizzard’s sales are not as profoundly affected when there is a decrease in consumer spending. When potential customers have limited disposable income, they need to be assured of the quality of what they are spending their hard-earned dollars on. The Activision Blizzard brand is quite often strong enough to convince a repeat customer of the quality of a new game. Additionally, with upgrades in digital distribution, the ability for companies to offer their products and services in digital form is becoming a necessity. Activision Blizzard is well aware of this occurrence, and has continuously been moving towards this higher-margin business model for quite some time. In fact, they already derive a good portion of their income as a percentage of revenues from this model, which is a great advantage over their competitors. They continue to broaden their subscription model, with an emphasis on direct distribution of its products to consumers. This also reduces income loss through having to pay out royalties to retailers and on-line gaming hosts. Project Beachhead, a new group formed within Activision Blizzard, will be bringing their hit series Call of Duty franchise into a subscription-based service in which consumers will pay Activision Blizzard directly to use a premium content that is included. Activision Blizzard is in a leading position to take advantage of this business model, considering that they have some of the most popular franchises in the world. As a point of reference, World of WarCraft currently has 11. 5 million subscribers paying fifteen dollars a month to play. Add to that the 7 million daily Call of Duty users, and one should be able to derive their true profit-making potential in this forum. Over the past twelve months, Activision Blizzard has generated just under $4. 8 billion in revenue and $800 million in operating profit, for an operating margin of almost 17% (according to Gurufocus. om), but this is actually an understatement of just how much money they are currently generating. Their growth through acquisitions and partnerships is likely to continue well into the future, where they continue to buy key franchises. As part of these acquisitions, they place a value on intangible assets (such as brands) that they purchase. They then expense these intangib les, which have no basis in accounting circles, but most certainly impact their cash flow. After adjusting for these â€Å"non-cash† expenses and other write-offs, Activision Blizzard has actually earned $1. 4 billion in operating profit, for an operating margin just under 30%. Relative to disadvantages, Activision Blizzard stands to lose some market ground due to new â€Å"casual† and social games coming out, such as Angry Birds and Farmville, but it is actually the ease of distribution from tablet devices such as the iPad (digitized games) that could cause their competitive advantage to erode somewhat. This is particularly why they are concentrating on their current business model. Recommendations Activision Blizzard’s marketing strategy is more a model for the industry, as they have partnered extensively, but selectively, with various companies and brands to diversify and expand their exposure and profitability. They have a proven track record with their on-line (MMORPG) gaming capabilities, and generate a large percentage of revenue from such. As a result, they should actively pursue this growing segment of the gaming industry, to which they are already the leading model. They should also continue their broad differentiation strategy relative to partnerships and strategic alliances, as this has proven to be quite successful for them since even before their merger. Our group recommends stepping out of their â€Å"comfort zone†, so to speak, and to begin looking at new ways to expand their brands and licenses. With this in mind, we recommend that they explore what we consider to be a â€Å"natural† transition for their gaming brands in particular, that of producing animated movies and syndicated cartoons. This actually aligns with a comment made by CEO Bobby Kotick not too long ago, in that he noted the potential of there being a StarCraft movie in the near future, which is based on one of their more popular MMORPG games. As of 11 November, their parent company (Vivendi SA) purchased EMI music group for $1. 9 billion dollars. Already owning a 26 percent market share of the music industry with Universal Music Group, Vivendi now owns an additional 9 percent, not to mention the rights to songs by such groups as the Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Not only is this considered a coup within the music industry, but it could also play out relative to our recommendation, as it now gives them a solid foundation in choosing a select grouping of soundtracks for movie productions that can be targeted for various demographics ranging in ages from Baby Boomers to Gen X’ers. Our research indicates that to produce a movie, it would take an investment of approximately $200 million in revenue to do so (Negative Cost = Development Cost + Pre-Production Cost + Production Cost + Post-Production Cost). This is generally an accepted estimate of the total production cost, from the planning and development phase, to pre-production, into production or filming, and then to post-production (which includes marketing and advertising). Naturally, this estimate varies, according to several factors such as where the movie is filmed and produced, who stars in it, distribution, etc. Not only does Activision Blizzard maintain such a potential to take on a project such as this, their parent company (Vivendi) as well as several alliances and partnerships would be more than willing to share such a project cost with them, much like their current gaming model. Keeping that in mind, it would be another transition (still) to follow such companies as Pixar, Amblin, LucasFilms, and Dreamworks, which all began as production companies from one or two major film hits. Whether StarCraft would be a box office smash is anybody’s guess, but if it were, the residual revenue alone from merchandising and franchising toys, clothing, and other products sold could potentially offset the initial cost considerably, not to mention the interest it would draw from a new generation of gamers. In developing their own production company, Activision Blizzard is ensuring that their brands stay marketable well into their more mature phases, while also maintaining control of production costs and opening the door once again for profitable partnerships in future endeavors within one more market niche of the entertainment industry. References Blizzard Entertainment Inc (2010) http://blizzard. com/us/inblizz/profile. html Cavelli, Earnest (December 23, 2008). â€Å"World of Warcraft Hits 11. 5 Million Users† http://www. ired. com/gamelife/2008/12/world-of-warc-1 Coleman, Freddie (2010). Why Blizzard is a Renowned Game Developer. http://ezinarticles. com/? Why-Blizzard-is-a-Renowned-Game-Developer&id=3584114 Consumer Affairs (2 Feb 2011) The Tour is Over for â€Å"Guitar Hero† Fans. www. consumeraffairs. com/news04/2011/02/the-tour-is-over-for-guitat-hero-fans. html Morris, Chris (2008). â€Å"Blizzards Perfect Storm† http://www. forbes. com/2008/06/30/videogame s-blizzard-morris-tech-personal-cx Moser, Jason (2011). Activision Blizzard’s Edge May Be Smaller Than You Think† http://www. fool. com/investing/general/2011/01/31/activision-blizzards-edge-may-be-smaller-than-you-. aspx The Motley Fool- Activision Blizzard: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats http://www. fool. com/investing/general/2010/06/15/activision-blizzard-strengths-weaknesses-opportuni. aspx The Cost of Making a Hollywood Movie (2010) www. anomalousmaterial. com/movies/2010/03/the-cost-of-making-a-movie Vivendi Will Buy EMI Recorded Music Unit for $1. Billion (Bloomberg Businessweek 11 November 2011) http://news. businessweek. com/article. asp Magic Formula Stock of the Week: Activision Blizzard (10 October 2011) http://www. gurufocus. com Universal’s $1. 9 B EMI Deal: In a Digital World, Market Share Counts for Less (Reuters. com 13 November 2011) http://www. reuters. com â€Å"Call of Duty’ Sales Hit $400 Million (The Wall Street Jour nal- Jarzemsky and Rubin, 12 November 2011) http://online. wsj. com

Barack Obama - Knox College Commencement Address

Barack Obama Commencement Address at Knox College delivered 4 June 2005, Galesburg, Illinois You know, it has been about six months now since you sent me to Washington as your United States Senator. I recognize that not all of you voted for me, so for those of you muttering under your breath I didn’t send you anywhere, thats ok too. Maybe we’ll hold What do you call it? a little Pumphandle after the ceremony. Change your mind for the next time. It has been a fascinating journey thus far. Each time I walk onto the Senate floor, Im reminded of the history, for good and for ill, that has been made there. But there have been a few surreal moments. For example, I remember the day before I was sworn in, myself and my staff, we decided to hold a press conference in our office. Now, keep in mind that I am ranked 99th in seniority. I was proud that I wasn’t ranked dead last until I found out that it’s just because Illinois is bigger than Colorado. So I’m 99th in seniority, and all the reporters are crammed into the tiny transition office that I have, which is right next to the janitor’s closet in the basement of the Dirksen Office Building. It’s my first day in the building, I have not taken a single vote, I have not introduced one bill, had not even sat down in my desk, and this very earnest reporter raises his hand and says: â€Å"Senator Obama, what is your place in history?† I did what you just did, which is laugh out loud. I said, place in history? I thought he was kidding. At that point, I wasn’t even sure the other Senators would save a place for me at the cool kids’ table. But as I was thinking about the words to share with this class, about what’s next, about what’s possible, and what opportunities lay ahead, I actually think it’s not a bad question for you, the class of 2005, to ask yourselves: What will be your place in history? In other eras, across distant lands, this question could be answered with relative ease and certainty. As a servant in Rome, you knew you’d spend your life forced to build somebody else’s Empire. As a peasant in 11th Century China, you knew that no matter how hard you worked, the local warlord might come and take everything you had and you also knew that famine might come knocking at the door. As a subject of King George, you knew that your freedom of worship and your freedom to speak and to build your own life would be ultimately limited by the throne. And then America happened. A place where destiny was not a destination, but a journey to be shared and shaped and remade by people who had the gall, the temerity to believe that, against all odds, they could form â€Å"a more perfect union† on this new frontier. And as people around the world began to hear the tale of the lowly colonists who overthrew an empire for the sake of an idea, they started to come. Across oceans and the ages, they settled in Boston and Charleston, Chicago and St. Louis, Kalamazoo and Galesburg, to try and build their own American Dream. This collective dream moved forward imperfectly it was scarred by our treatment of native peoples, betrayed by slavery, clouded by the subjugation of women, shaken by war and depression. And yet, brick by brick, rail by rail, calloused hand by calloused hand, people kept dreaming, and building, and working, and marching, and petitioning their government, until they made America a land where the question of our place in history is not answered for us. It’s answered by us. Have we failed at times? Absolutely. Will you occasionally fail when you embark on your own American journey? You surely will. But the test is not perfection. The true test of the American ideal is whether we’re able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them. Whether chance of birth or circumstance decides life’s big winners and losers, or whether we build a community where, at the very least, everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead, and reach their dreams. We have faced this choice before. At the end of the Civil War, when farmers and their families began moving into the cities to work in the big factories that were sprouting up all across America, we had to decide: Do we do nothing and allow captains of industry and robber barons to run roughshod over the economy and workers by competing to see who can pay the lowest wages at the worst working conditions? Or do we try to make the system work by setting up basic rules for the market, instituting the first public schools, busting up monopolies, letting workers organize into unions? We chose to act, and we rose together. When the irrational exuberance of the Roaring Twenties came crashing down with the stock market, we had to decide: do we follow the call of leaders who would do nothing, or the call of a leader who, perhaps because of his physical paralysis, refused to accept political paralysis? We chose to act regulating the market, putting people back to work, expanding bargaining rights to include health care and a secure retirement and together we rose. When World War II required the most massive home front mobilization in history and we needed every single American to lend a hand, we had to decide: Do we listen to skeptics who told us it wasn’t possible to produce that many tanks and planes? Or, did we build Roosevelt’s Arsenal for Democracy and grow our economy even further by providing our returning heroes with a chance to go to college and own their own home? Again, we chose to act, and again, we rose together. Today, at the beginning of this young century, we have to decide again. But this time, it is your turn to choose. Here in Galesburg, you know what this new challenge is. You’ve seen it. All of you, your first year in college saw what happened at 9/11. It’s already been noted, the degree to which your lives will be intertwined with the war on terrorism that currently is taking place. But what you’ve also seen, perhaps not as spectacularly, is the fact that when you drive by the old Maytag plant around lunchtime, no one walks out anymore. I saw it during the campaign when I met union guys who worked at the plant for 20, 30 years and now wonder what they’re gonna do at the age of 55 without a pension or health care; when I met the man who’s son needed a new liver but because he’d been laid off, didn’t know if he could afford to provide his child the care that he needed. It’s as if someone changed the rules in the middle of the game and no wonder no one bothered to tell these folks. And, in reality, the rules have changed. It started with technology and automation that rendered entire occupations obsolete. When was the last time anybody here stood in line for the bank teller instead of going to the ATM, or talked to a switchboard operator? Then it continued when companies like Maytag were able to pick up and move their factories to some under developed country where workers were a lot cheaper than they are in the United States. As Tom Friedman points out in his new book, The World Is Flat, over the last decade or so, these forces technology and globalization have combined like never before. So that while most of us have been paying attention to how much easier technology has made our own lives sending e-mails back and forth on our blackberries, surfing the Web on our cell phones, instant messaging with friends across the world a quiet revolution has been breaking down barriers and connecting the world’s economies. Now business not only has the ability to move jobs wherever there’s a factory, but wherever there’s an internet connection. Countries like India and China realized this. They understand that they no longer need to be just a source of cheap labor or cheap exports. They can compete with us on a global scale. The one resource they needed were skilled, educated workers. So they started schooling their kids earlier, longer, with a greater emphasis on math and science and technology, until their most talented students realized they don’t have to come to America to have a decent life they can stay right where they are. The result? China is graduating four times the number of engineers that the United States is graduating. Not only are those Maytag employees competing with Chinese and Indian and Indonesian and Mexican workers, you are too. Today, accounting firms are e-mailing your tax returns to workers in India who will figure them out and send them back to you as fast as any worker in Illinois or Indiana could. When you lose your luggage in Boston at an airport, tracking it down may involve a call to an agent in Bangalore, who will find it by making a phone call to Baltimore. Even the Associated Press has outsourced some of their jobs to writers all over the world who can send in a story at a click of a mouse. As Prime Minister Tony Blair has said, in this new economy, Talent is the 21st century wealth. If youve got the skills, youve got the education, and you have the opportunity to upgrade and improve both, you’ll be able to compete and win anywhere. If not, the fall will be further and harder than it ever was before. So what do we do about this? How does America find its way in this new, global economy? What will our place in history be? Like so much of the American story, once again, we face a choice. Once again, there are those who believe that there isn’t much we can do about this as a nation. That the best idea is to give everyone one big refund on their government divvy it up by individual portions, in the form of tax breaks, hand it out, and encourage everyone to use their share to go buy their own health care, their own retirement plan, their own child care, their own education, and so on. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society. But in our past there has been another term for it Social Darwinism every man or woman for him or herself. It’s a tempting idea, because it doesn’t require much thought or ingenuity. It allows us to say that those whose health care or tuition may rise faster than they can afford tough luck. It allows us to say to the Maytag workers who have lost their job life isn’t fair. It let’s us say to the child who was born into poverty pull yourself up by your bootstraps. And it is especially tempting because each of us believes we will always be the winner in life’s lottery, that we’re the one who will be the next Donald Trump, or at least we won’t be the chump who Donald Trump says: â€Å"You’re fired!† But there is a problem. It won’t work. It ignores our history. It ignores the fact that it’s been government research and investment that made the railways possible and the internet possible. It’s been the creation of a massive middle class, through decent wages and benefits and public schools that allowed us all to prosper. Our economic dependence depended on individual initiative. It depended on a belief in the free market; but it has also depended on our sense of mutual regard for each other, the idea that everybody has a stake in the country, that we’re all in it together and everybody’s got a shot at opportunity. That’s what’s produced our unrivaled political stability. And so if we do nothing in the face of globalization, more people will continue to lose their health care. Fewer kids will be able to afford the diploma you’re about to receive. More companies like United Airlines won’t be able to provide pensions for their employees. And those Maytag workers will be joined in the unemployment line by any worker whose skills can be bought and sold on the global market. So today I’m here to tell you what most of you already know. This is not us the option that I just mentioned. Doing nothing. It’s not how our story ends not in this country. America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. It is this hope that has sustained us through revolution and civil war, depression and world war, a struggle for civil and social rights and the brink of nuclear crisis. And it is because our dreamers dreamed that we have emerged from each challenge more united, more prosperous, and more admired than before. So let’s dream. Instead of doing nothing or simply defending 20th century solutions, let’s imagine together what we could do to give every American a fighting chance in the 21st century. What if we prepared every child in America with the education and skills they need to compete in the new economy? If we made sure that college was affordable for everyone who wanted to go? If we walked up to those Maytag workers and we said â€Å"Your old job is not coming back, but a new job will be there because we’re going to seriously retrain you and there’s life-long education that’s waiting for you the sorts of opportunities that Knox has created with the Strong Futures scholarship program. What if no matter where you worked or how many times you switched jobs, you had health care and a pension that stayed with you always, so you all had the flexibility to move to a better job or start a new business? What if instead of cutting budgets for research and development and science, we fueled the genius and the innovation that will lead to the new jobs and new industries of the future? Right now, all across America, there are amazing discoveries being made. If we supported these discoveries on a national level, if we committed ourselves to investing in these possibilities, just imagine what it could do for a town like Galesburg. Ten or twenty years down the road, that old Maytag plant could re-open its doors as an Ethanol refinery that turned corn into fuel. Down the street, a biotechnology research lab could open up on the cusp of discovering a cure for cancer. And across the way, a new auto company could be busy churning out electric cars. The new jobs created would be filled by American workers trained with new skills and a world-class education. All of that is possible but none of it will come easy. Every one of us is going to have to work more, read more, train more, think more. We will have to slough off some bad habits like driving gas guzzlers that weaken our economy and feed our enemies abroad. Our children will have to turn off the TV set once in a while and put away the video games and start hitting the books. We’ll have to reform institutions, like our public schools, that were designed for an earlier time. Republicans will have to recognize our collective responsibilities, even as Democrats recognize that we have to do more than just defend old programs. It won’t be easy, but it can be done. It can be our future. We have the talent and the resources and brainpower. But now we need the political will. We need a national commitment. And we need each of you. Now, no one can force you to meet these challenges. If you want, it will be pretty easy for you to leave here today and not give another thought to towns like Galesburg and the challenges they face. There is no community service requirement in the real world; no one is forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and go chasing after the big house, and the nice suits, and all the other things that our money culture says that you should want, that you should aspire to, that you can buy. But I hope you don’t walk away from the challenge. Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. You need to take up the challenges that we face as a nation and make them your own. Not because you have a debt to those who helped you get here, although you do have that debt. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate than you, although I do think you do have that obligation. It’s primarily because you have an obligation to yourself. Because individual salvation has always depended on collective salvation. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. And I know that all of you are wondering how you’ll do this, the challenges seem so big. They seem so difficult for one person to make a difference. But we know it can be done. Because where you’re sitting, in this very place, in this town, it’s happened before. Nearly two centuries ago, before civil rights, before voting rights, before Abraham Lincoln, before the Civil War, before all of that, America was stained by the sin of slavery. In the sweltering heat of southern plantations, men and women who looked like me could not escape the life of pain and servitude in which they were sold. And yet, year after year, as this moral cancer ate away at the American ideals of liberty and equality, the nation was silent. But its people didn’t stay silent for long. One by one, abolitionists emerged to tell their fellow Americans that this would not be our place in history that this was not the America that had captured the imagination of the world. This resistance that they met was fierce, and some paid with their lives. But they would not be deterred, and they soon spread out across the country to fight for their cause. One man from New York went west, all the way to the prairies of Illinois to start a colony. And here in Galesburg, freedom found a home. Here in Galesburg, the main depot for the Underground Railroad in Illinois, escaped slaves could roam freely on the streets and take shelter in people’s homes. And when their masters or the police would come for them, the people of this town would help them escape north, some literally carrying them in their arms to freedom. Think about the risks that involved. If they were caught abetting a fugitive, you could’ve been jailed or lynched. It would have been simple for these townspeople to turn the other way; to go live their lives in a private peace. And yet, they didn’t do that. Why? Because they knew that we were all Americans; that we were all brothers and sisters; the same reason that a century later, young men and women your age would take Freedom Rides down south, to work for the Civil Rights movement. The same reason that black women would walk instead of ride a bus after a long day of doing somebody else’s laundry and cleaning somebody else’s kitchen. Because they were marching for freedom. Today, on this day of possibility, we stand in the shadow of a lanky, raw-boned man with little formal education who once took the stage at Old Main and told the nation that if anyone did not believe the American principles of freedom and equality, that those principles were timeless and all-inclusive, they should go rip that page out of the Declaration of Independence. My hope for all of you is that as you leave here today, you decide to keep these principles alive in your own life and in the life of this country. You will be tested. You won’t always succeed. But know that you have it within your power to try. That generations who have come before you faced these same fears and uncertainties in their own time. And that through our collective labor, and through God’s providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other’s burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that distant horizon, and a better day. Thank you so much class of 2005, and congratulations on your graduation. Thank you. Good morning President Taylor, Board of Trustees, faculty, parents, family, friends, the community of Galesburg, the class of 1955 which I understand was out partying last night, and yet still showed up here on time and most of all, the Class of 2005. Congratulations on your graduation, and thank you thank you for the honor of allowing me to be a part of it. Thank you also, Mr. President, for this honorary degree. It was only a couple of years ago that I stopped paying my student loans in law school. Had I known it was this easy, I would have ran [sic] for the United States Senate earlier.

About a memorable experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About a memorable experience - Essay Example These make me overlook the negative side of life, with all the bad experiences it presents. They always remind me that the bad experiences never last, and it is always a matter of time before I smile again. Among all the good experiences I have had, there is only one, which will remain embedded in my mind forever. This is one bittersweet, but memorable experience that has in many ways, influenced my life, especially the way I perceive the world today and the things therein. It all started as a joke, and little did I know that this could culminate into a life-changing experience. On this warm summer afternoon, I asked my friends for their opinions about what we would do for my birthday, as the normal house parties had become monotonous, and I wanted a different experience. â€Å"How about this time round you be the one giving out gifts? Give gifts to people on your birthday!† one of my friends suggested. â€Å"That sounds great . . . but how?† I wondered. â€Å"The homeless!† another friend quickly suggested. The six of us agreed to make it our project, and we started counting down days. Each person would start keeping stuff, which we would take as our gifts. Each one of us would also save little money to buy food and other stuff. With only one and a half months remaining to my birthday, everyone was committed to playing their role. When it was only two weeks remaining, we identified the homeless people we would visit and set everyt hing in order. Finally, it was the eve of my birthday. I invited my friends to our house so we could set all the stuff in order in preparation for the next day. Both my friends’ parents and my parents were happy with our plan and offered us a little more money and stuff to add up. When morning came, we all were happy and anticipated for the unfolding of events in that day. My mum offered to drive us to the designated place. In an hour’s time, we arrived at our destination. We unpacked our luggage and went ahead to

Criminal Justice Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminal Justice Today - Essay Example Two most common models of how society determines which acts are criminal The two most common models used by the society in determining which acts are criminal are the consensus model and the conflict model. The consensus model holds that each of the component parts of the criminal justice system works towards a common goal and that the movement of people and cases through the system is good due to corporation between different components of the system. From these, the society is able to establish what actions are criminal in nature. The conflict model on the other hand, holds that the interest of the criminal justice agencies strives towards making actors within the system serving them. This is a good model used by the society for determining which acts constitute a crime (Schmalleger, 2011). The government structure as it applies to the criminal justice system. The government structure consists of the legislative, executive and judicial system. The legislative arm makes the laws whi ch are applied by the judiciary in administering the criminal justice to the people. ... Sociological theory holds that the society is the one to blame for criminal acts witnessed in the world today. Physiological theory, on the other hand, holds that the personality of an individual is what leads him or her to commit a crime. Psychobiological holds that crime is a result of an individual’s DNA and trauma to the brain. Social-psychological, on the other hand, believes that a person’s way of life and lack of direction are what lead them to criminal like activities, while biological theory holds that an individual commits crime due the evolutionary stages that he or she passes through (Schmalleger, 2011). The components of the criminal justice system and the criminal justice process The criminal justice system consists of three main components: the police, criminal courts and the correction agencies. These criminal justice systems are established mainly because crimes have no boundary. As such, the government makes laws and the police are meant to enforce the se laws, apprehend offenders and investigate crimes. Criminal courts, on the other hand, conduct trials, ensuring due process in the administration of justice by determining the innocence or guilt of the accused person. The main reason why criminal courts trials were designed was to aid in reviewing of all evidence before the accused person can be declared guilty or innocent. The work of the correctional agencies is to carry out the rulings given by the courts, reforms, rehabilitate and reintegrate the convicted criminals back into the society (Schmalleger, 2011). The three components are supposed to work in unison as they abate criminal activities and maintain normality in the society and the world at large. It is noted that each of

Communication Technology in Business Research Paper

Communication Technology in Business - Research Paper Example   Businesses that do not maintain adequate communications systems face significant breakdowns inefficiency, cultural development, customer satisfaction, and even profitability. This is why organizations require planning and implementation of communications technologies to ensure that business leaders and support employees have the ability to compete in a rapidly-globalizing business world. Communications technologies provide for instant communications and real-time data transfer, thus creating more predictable business systems and also better knowledge exchange. The ability to communicate with organizational employees, managers, and executives greatly improve the ability to meet vision and mission goals associated with the business. In healthcare, especially, communications technologies improve patient care and also avoid errors that can cost the organization considerable profits. Technology in communication has changed the way businesses communicate with each other. Web-based meet ings, Personal PDA’s, E-mail, Internet chat rooms and cloud computing are essential for keeping our business viable in today’s growing technological world. This report highlights the need for communications technologies at our health care facility to improve our standing as a world-class health center. The costs of establishing age-old technologies to improve business function as considerable. Written communication methods are outdated and often involve considerable bureaucracy to ensure that written files are delivered timely and accurately. Further, written documentation puts a great deal of strain on the environment and therefore becomes a social responsibility issue for this health firm. Currently, nurses and physicians rely on documentation for patient dosing, charted analysis of patient care and symptoms, and also inter-office memos describing new health care policies. It is inefficient and does not serve the needs of this health care center. Older communications technologies, such as television-based training programs used in human resources, require significant costs for implementation of fiber-optic lines, display screens, and the costs of producing multi-media videos. This healthcare facility has relied on these archaic systems for too long and it has greatly disrupted profitability as it relates to operational budget.  Ã‚  

The Controversy of college students use Ritalin and Adderal Research Paper

The Controversy of college students use Ritalin and Adderal - Research Paper Example The research establishes the risks of using Ritalin and Adderall illegally and recommends the establishment of strict laws to limit the illegal acquisition and use of prescription drugs in colleges. Thesis: The Ritalin and Adderall are the prescription drugs with the prescript. Even though it can help student focus on studying and get a good grade, it brings the risks of using that illegally. The policy maker should pass new stringent standards to limit getting those ADHD drugs in campus and prevent using those drugs illegally. In the recent past, the rate of using Ritalin and Adderall drugs within colleges has increased considerably causing a wide research about the possible effects of these drugs. Even though there are some high school students use the Ritalin and Adderall for their academic, the nonmedical use of those prescription stimulants is more rampant in college. According to the result of the research â€Å"Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among US college student†, 4.1% to 10.8% of college students were reported that using prescription stimulant nomadically during 2012. Although the drugs may be beneficial while used to improve the grades of learners within the learning environment, especially for students with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it is clear that these drugs can be abused within the public domain hence have negative consequences (Partridge, Bell, Lucke & Hall, 2013). The fact that these drugs are now available outside the health facilities makes it a big challenge to control their abuse within the public. The Ritalin and Adderall are prescription drugs with the prescript. Even though it can help student focus on studying to get a better grade, there is the risk of using the drugs illegally. Ritalin and Adderall are psycho-stimulant drugs that are commonly administered to people with the

Police excessive force and the qualified immunity defense Essay

Police excessive force and the qualified immunity defense - Essay Example A Qualified Immunity defense is defined under 42 U.S.C. 1983 provides, "in pertinent part, that '[e]very person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State , subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured" (CFIF, 2002). In many cases, the stopping of a person while in a vehicle or on the street has proven that many times there is no fourth amendment violation as the police may make a traffic stop or stop a pedestrian based on probable cause in the event of information received therein. In the case of United States v. Escalante, 239 F.3d 678 (5th Cir. 2001) "the court said, that although the traffic stop, even if pretextual, does not violate the Fourth Amendment if any officer making the stop has probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred." (Legal Enforcement Legal Review, 2001). By having these traffic stops in the first place is a contentious issue based on the fact perhaps not all traffic stops are based on probable cause, but, rather on racial profiling. The searches of vehicles after the fact should be ruled constitutionally invalid and judgement in favor of the plaintiff. But, many officers use the qualified immunity defense to protect their interests and their integrity b y abstaining from legal subjectivity in pending litigation. The purpose of many officials using the Qualified Immunity defense is fully justified in cases where police stop an average, law-abiding citizen based on their racial profile or for what the police identify as probable cause. When the police use excessive force in further detaining an individual that is not under suspicion of any activity, this is clearly a violation of their Fourth Amendment rights. Once a court case is filed, the officer will then decry qualified immunity based on their assessment that force was needed due to suspected violation of their Constitutional rights. The purpose of this paper is to discuss cases relative to the claims of Qualified Immunity defense and if similar cases of excessive police force justify how the issue pertains to current criminal justice events and why the issue is important to consider. Discussion will also take form of the present status of this issue before the courts and/or other law-making bodies, a presentation of both sides of the issue presenting a pro/con or for/against discussion, an analysis of the issues and a proposal to bring forth this issue and recommendations for implementation. Present Case Status of this Issue before the Courts Since the September 11th attacks, there have been more prevalent instances of police and law enforcement

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Company Law - Essay Example A client and an auditor are usually in a contractual relationship thus meaning that the two parties are in agreement. The auditor thus have to perform their share of bargain carefully and appropriately as stipulated in the contract. If the auditor does not conform to the contract terms, the client can decide to sue based on the rounds of breach of contract. According Lacy, a client can sue the auditor first, due to the failure to accomplish specific performance, secondly, in the case where there is general monetary costs and damages for losses incurred due to the breach of that contract and lastly, any other consequential damages that as a result of negligence, have occurred (2002, p.78). Therefore, basing from these factors, Benard being the auditor of NASDAQ Composites Plc is highly liable. During auditing, before partaking any work for a client, the auditor or accountant should ensure that the particular duties to be executed, and in precise if there is need for any important matters to be excluded, have been discussed and harmoniously agreed with the client usually through written word or through a letter of engagement or otherwise (Delaney & Whittington 2010, p. 135). This therefore implies that before any of the undertakings is assumed, there is need for the auditor to ensure that there is special written evidence. In Re Thomas Gerrard & Son Ltd (1968) UK, the company’s auditors learned that there were various alteration to some of the invoice dates of the company. The company’s auditors then referred and consulted with the managing director of this corporation and accepted the director’s explanation although they did not scrutinize the statements of the related suppliers. As a result, there were loss of money to the company and it was thus ruled out that the auditors had breached their duty required by the company at the instance when they failed critically to examine the statements. The facts of the

INVESTIGATING AUSTRALIAN RADIOGRAPHERS' PERCEPTIONS ON ADVANCED Research Paper

INVESTIGATING AUSTRALIAN RADIOGRAPHERS' PERCEPTIONS ON ADVANCED PRACTICE WITH EMPHASIS ON IMAGE INTERPRETATION AND INVOLVED TR - Research Paper Example With advanced radiographic practice, radiographers are allowed not only to acquire medical images but to perform skills formerly restricted to other specialists, such as image interpretation (Hardy and others 2008, e16) and clinical assessment. It was said that the main benefit of this system is to free physicians and other highly-trained specialists to concentrate on their essential function – that is, to diagnose and to treat (Australian Institute of Radiography 2009). United Kingdom leads the development in advanced radiographic practice (Cowling 2008), with the radiographer’s roles changing towards diagnosis and even radiation therapy over the last twenty years (Australian Institute of Radiography 2009). However, several countries still have not fully accepted advanced practice. In Australia, while there have been attempts to implement role expansion, advanced practice has not been officially established (Burrow and others 2006). This is despite the fact that the co untry has shortage of radiologists attributed to reduced working hours and small staff growth rate increase (Smith and Baird 2008). Several reasons were identified for this uncertainty in Australia including resistance from the medical workforce and radiographer education, thereby affecting radiographer’s perception towards advanced practice. Given the situation, it is necessary to explore the aspects of advanced practice in Australia since resistance to it may lead to reduced standards and recognition of the profession of the radiographers (Cowling 2008). United Kingdom vs. Australia: A Comparison The demand for radiologists due to the increasing population has been regarded as the major factor that drives the need for advanced radiographic practice worldwide. Between United Kingdom and Australia, the number of patients per radiologist is greater for the latter (Smith and Baird 2007, 629). However, when it comes to the number of examinations per year, reports show that Unite d Kingdom has more compared to Australia (Smith and Baird 2007, 629). While imbalance between supply and demand exists in these two countries, each adapted a different approach in carrying out advanced practice. According to Cowling (2008, e29), advanced radiographic practice worldwide can be classified at several levels. United Kingdom belongs to the first level which is characterized by the presence of driving forces such as government intervention, research, graduate programs and professional organizations that lead to implementation of advanced practice in the field (Cowling 2008, e29). On the other hand, Australia only belongs to the second level, in which despite the presence of the same driving forces, implementation has not been carried out to remarkable levels (Cowling 2008, e29). In United Kingdom, government policy has been directed towards enhancing the National Health Service; thus, contributing to the advancement of radiographers’ roles and practice (Australian Institute of Radiography 2009, 28). In fact, the government has increased funds for the National Health Service (Smith and Baird