Forensic Toxicology Essay

1. What are the three areas covered by forensic toxicology? Toxicology covers post-mortem drug testing, workplace drug testing and investigations into contraband materials. 2. Name six specimen types that are often tested in forensic toxicology. Under what circumstances is each specimen preferred? Blood – When testing for DUI’s, and two samples for every death case. Urine – Preemployment drug testing and is preferred over blood as its eacsy to collect large amounts. Bile and liver fluid – Useful for identifying certain types of drugs Hair – Preemployment testing and is advantageous for looking further back in time Oral fluid – Provides the same benefits of urine without invasion of privacy Breath – Used for preliminary test on highways 3. Name the NIDA 5. Draw a table showing the following characteristics of each drug: structure of a representative molecule, drug group, symptoms of overdose and drug source. National Institute on Drug Abuse 5 cites the following drugs 4. Name several groups of medicinal drugs often involved in fatalities. What characteristics render a drug most likely to be associated with overdose deaths? Sedative hynotics, cardioactive agents, antipsychotic agents, antiepileptic drugs and antidepressants. Miss use, or organ damage leading to failure of metabolism. 5. A 210-pound male consumes three highballs each of which was made with 2 ounces of 80 proof whiskey. What is the expected peak in his blood alcohol concentration? His blood alcohol concentration would raise by less than 0.06% as he is larger than an average male. 6. Name three methods for drug screening describe the advantages and disadvantages of each. Name Advantages Disadvantages Immunoassays High sensitivity Not 100% specific Thin Layer Chromatography Can identify hundreds of compounds in one run and is inexpensive Labour intensive and highly technical Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry Reliable compound recognition Cannot identify less specific features 7. Contrast gas chromatography with and without a mass spectrometer detector. Describe the advantages of the latter technology. Gas chromatography without a mass spectrometer detector relies solely on retention time however the use of a mass spectrometer detector allows for all components of a mixture to be separated. The advantages of mass spectrometer detectors are that it’s often highly unique and provides a fingerprint of the molecule and therefore one can use both the retention time and unique mass spectrum in order to identify substances. 8. What are three methods of metal analysis? Which is the optimal method and why? Three of the methods of metal analysis are colormetric assays, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and neutron activation analysis however inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry is the optimal method as it is the most modern and of very high quality. 9. Describe the process of interpreting drug results in the context of preeemployment drug testing. Why is drug testing for employed individuals more difficult? Preemployment drugs test usually use the person in question’s urine, results are interpreted by comparing the level measured to an acceptable baseline. These baselines are not set at 0 because even second hand exposure can lead to trace amounts being metabolised and shown in the urine. Drug testing employed individuals is more difficult as it is usually in the context of confirming that drug abuse was the cause for erratic behaviour, this involves a blood test rather than urine, and further to this there is no agreed level of drug in a system that can be classed as a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"cause† for behaviour. 10. In a published case, an elderly woman with cancer dies. Three fentanyl patches are found on her body. Discuss the investigation of her death with respect to factors that would be significant to the forensic toxicologist in arriving at the cause and manner of death. The patches would be collected as evidence and tested for how much of the active ingredience was still present in the patches and two post mortem blood tests would be taken, one from the heart and one from an extremity, potentially the sites that the patches were applied to would be examined or swabbed also. The main factor in establishing the cause of death would be blood test results.

Value Judgment and Consumerism: Evaluating American Consumer Culture

This essay argues that American consumer culture is largely driven by the economic, social and psychological landscape of consumption- which blurs the distinction between needs and wants of American consumers. Values of goods and products are therefore judged on the basis of how they satisfy personal wants instead of the intrinsic value of the products or services. However, while this is the case, American consumers have become more demanding and particular with products and services.The irony shows that Americans are driven by a consumerist culture; consumption and value judgment are made based on the personal and aesthetic value of products but competition is making consumers more knowledgeable in choosing their products. American Culture of Consumption Consumption in American society has been regarded as a standard of living and a way of life- the bulwark of which is fuelled by a commodity culture that emanates from the abundance in production and from a sociological point of view , a way to distinguish and create bonds with each other (Friedman, 2).Consequently, it is not only the economic and sociological value that determines how Americans values goods and services- to a large extent, the psychological impact of consumption particularly the emotional gratification which has been celebrated and integrated in popular culture drives the value of goods and services regardless of their true meaning to the American consumer.Significantly, American consumer culture rests on the principle that people work because they want to have the material things that they think they need- things that their social circle has or even people in mass media. To a large extent, American consumer culture is fuelled by big businesses which seek to make consumerism of every American a trend rather than a pursuit of better value. Fundamentally, this hastens the ability of American consumers to draw the line between what is needed and what is wanted thus, making mistaken valuation of pr oducts and services.First, consumerism in American society is largely driven by mass media which largely dictates the value of products and services. Consumers’ belief in the value of an object is a construct that is driven by companies seeking to attain profitability- with the aid of mass media, companies capitalize on value creation consumers are made to want a product and are made to need them regardless if they really need the product or service (Plaster and Alderman, 2).The control of companies on the perception of the consumers on the value of the product and services in turn alters the psychological and social acceptance of a product- the more popular a product is, the higher the value it has according to the society. Thus, popular culture becomes more than an individual construct but rather, it becomes a social construct to which valuation of products and services are manufactured in the media and consumed by the American public. For instance, the I-pod by Apple is no w considered by any American youth to be a necessity.This is not the case for countries in Africa and to several countries in Asia. However, due to the massive influence of mass media, owning an I-pod is now considered as a necessity instead of being a fancy product. This is because American popular culture has accepted and embraced the trend thus, making its way into the lifestyle of the people. Essentially, the value of an I-pod or a product for that matter becomes prominent. This is regardless of whether it is needed to survive.Second, inability of American consumers to value products based on its intrinsic merits emanates from the materialist-fuelled society. Essentially, American consumer culture emerged from the association of materialism with that of the family, sexuality and the individual- realities that have given the essence of existence and in order to be participants within the American culture (Agnew, 4). The association of social status and importance has been related to consumerism- the more one consumes, the higher the social standing one attains.Thus, the belief of consumers that getting or buying the most expensive brands would make their social standing better is again fuelled by the business environment and mass media. Due to societal pressure which can come from the family and one’s social circle, American consumers become susceptible to the creation of needs and in the process, disregarding their personal perception or valuation of a product. For instance, while mainstream society values affordable products, the need to get the latest models and the best brands drives competition to create brand names that precedes their reputation.This is the reason why surplus goods are abundant and midnight sales are frequent. The insatiable drive to get the new products that neighbors or relatives have further blurred the accurate valuation on the real value of the product. However, while mainstream American consumers neglects the intrinsic va lue of the product they are purchasing, another group of American consumers have emerged in recent years- those who have been advocating ethical and pragmatic consumption.Valuing a product or service according to Cohen, Comroy and Hoffner (67) necessitates the consideration of ethical consumption when making ordinary purchases in order to lessen the exploitation of the environment and the natural resources as well as the indiscriminate use of cheap labors to produce affordable and quality goods. This stream of consumers’ advocates for the vigilance and empowerment of the American public in choosing the products or services those are basic and fundamental to survival.While this has yet to receive much support in the society, this movement is gradually taking ground. Finally, with the advent of internet and technological revolutions, consumerism in American society is further heightened. The easier access to products and goods oftentimes, without looking at the products further diminishes the ability of consumers to make an accurate valuation of the products. Conclusion Essentially, American society values consumerism and materialism and in the process, the distinction between consumer needs and consumer wants have become indistinct.To a considerable extent, the inability to distinguish between the two has propelled the inability of most consumers to value products and services. Thus, while there are segments of the society that has opposed this type of consumer culture, the predominant and mainstream American culture continues to consume and spend on products that they may know little or nothing about. Works Cited Cohen, Maurie, Comrov, Aaron and Hoffner, Brian. â€Å"The new politics of consumption: Promoting sustainability in the American marketplace.† Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy. 1, 1(2005): 58-76. Plaster, Gary and Alderman, Jerry. â€Å"Customer value creation: A platform for profitable growth. † Charter Consulting. 1 (2006): 1-7. Friedman, Monroe. â€Å"The consumer culture research landscape. † The Journal of American Culture. 30, 1(2007): 1-5. Agnew, J. C. ‘‘The Consuming Vision of Henry James. ’’ The Culture of Consumption. Eds. R. W. Fox and T. J. J. Lears. New York: antheon, 1983.

Review/Summary of the movie Born on the 4th of July Review

/Summary of the Born on the 4th of July - Movie Review Example (Special references to the protagonist Ron Kovic and the problems faced by him during and after his involvement in the Vietnam War). Brief plot summary: The film focuses upon the protagonist’s life during and after the Vietnam War. As a normal individual, his life was with full of peace and happiness. But his involvement in Vietnam War undertaken by his motherland (America) forced him to be in the warfront. Meanwhile, he did realize the problems faced by the marines during war. During an attack, Ron Kovic became permanently paralyzed and it forced him to shrink into his personal domain. This alienation from his public domain and family helped him to realize the futility of war and the importance of international peace. So, he decided to react and was fully immersed in the propaganda against war. Review: One can easily identify that the film is based upon the life history of the Vietnam War veteran, Ron Kovic. The director tries to unveil the futility of war, the psychological trauma created by war and the need of international cooperation to regain peace. The director makes use of the protagonist as an innovative tool to unleash his ideas upon the futility of war.

Recruitment and Selection Process in Elite Careers Dissertation

Recruitment and Selection Process in Elite Careers - Dissertation Example Recruitment and selection is a key management process which involves in the formation as well as transformation of organizational resources into elements that can enhance the performance of the organization. The aim is to produce a good pool of applicants and select the best out of these to fit the job. Employers are in need of responsible and reliable employees who are capable of solving problems and possess social skills and attitudes to work together as a team. In that direction, optimal recruitment process is the key. In that direction, Elite Careers is carrying out a recruitment and selection process, in which prospective candidates apply through various modes. In a survey done on the staffs of Elite Careers as well as prospective candidates, a lot of perspectives emerged regarding the various facets of the recruitment and selection process. That is, the current practices of providing adequate information and support to the candidates received thumbs up from both the staffs and the candidates. When it comes to publishing of the job vacancies, the staffs and the candidates favored the mode of internet and social network websites. In addition, they favored the same mode even while applying for the jobs. So, this paper will provides a discussion of the key recruitment and selection processes inside Elite Careers, focusing on its current process and practices, then how it takes care of the prospective candidates, importantly how internet options makes an impact, finally ending with suggestions for some improvements. Recruitment and Selection process in Elite Careers Project Aim and Objectives Recruitment and selection is a wholesome process, which constitutes the identification and the attraction of the potential candidates, who may come from within and outside any organization, for evaluation for future employment. As Schein (2004, p.261) said, â€Å"... best way to build an organization was to hire very smart, articulate, tough, independent people and then give them lots of responsibility and autonomy†. Thus, an effective recruitment and selection process can provide the organizations a constant supply of effective employees, and this is where recruitment organizations or agencies like Elite Careers come into the picture. Elite Careers by conducting as well as facilitating the recruitment and selection processes, provides skilled and equipped employees to various organizations. The processes they use to ‘corner’ in the on the apt employees is the subject of this project and so the main aims and objectives of this project are- To analyse the recruitment and selection process adopted by the Elite Careers. To understand what the expectations of the candidates when they register with Elite Careers. To analyse the use of internet such as websites, direct mails, social net works and newspapers, radio advertisement, outdoors and text messages in the recruitment and selection actions of elite careers. To suggest an improvem ents in the selection of upper level positions through training and development process. Project plan and approach In order to study the effectiveness of the existing system of Recruitment & Selection Practices at Elite Careers, number of steps has to be taken as part of the project plan. The project involves a series of steps starting from Literature review, exploratory interviews, data collection and finally the evaluation of the data. The literature review involves collecting data from secondary sources and that includes books, journal articles and websites, using which an overview of the recruitment and selection process will be done. In addition, information about the process in Elite

Institute of applied entrepreneurship Assignment

Institute of applied entrepreneurship - Assignment Example I would like to personally thank you for reviewing my letter of employment and genuinely hope you will find my entrepreneurial competencies to be a valuable fit for your grand organisation with a rich history in the United Kingdom. 1. Introduction Thornton’s Chocolate was founded in 1911 by Joseph William Thornton, establishing a very recognisable brand in the United Kingdom ever since. Now that Cadbury has been taken over by Kraft company, Thornton’s is now considered the largest independent chocolatier and confectionary business in the UK. Through decades of brand-building activities and increases in sales revenues, Thornton’s now boasts 360 different shops and a variety of franchises across the United Kingdom supported by 2011 revenues of ?218 million (Thornton’s 2012). Thornton’s has, however, experienced problems with maintaining market share among major competitors and the business is losing sales revenues, especially in the High Street stores that sell Thornton’s products. Thornton’s has always maintained a premium positioning strategy, justifying a higher-priced model associated with legitimate and consumer-perceived brand quality. Because of this, the business is seeking a revitalisation and restorative business strategy designed to give the business a more contemporary brand image with important target markets. This letter of employment is to illustrate entrepreneurial characteristics both internally and as related to the employment candidate to illustrate how the candidate’s competencies can benefit the new positioning of Thornton’s for sustainable success and profitability. 2. Defining the entrepreneurial organisation An entrepreneurial organisation is one that is willing to absorb risks, as being able to compete against well-established competitors, such as Cadbury, requires making decisions that are innovative and do not have a precedent established. This is necessary to achieve unique competitive advantage and differentiate one business from another that offers similar products with like characteristics and benefits. It is the risk-taking prowess of important organisational leaders that establish the foundation for an entrepreneurial organisation (Covin and Miles 1999). Once this entrepreneurial spirit has been established, the entrepreneurial organisation becomes one that is equipped to develop new products and services. A corporate entrepreneur focuses on establishing efficiencies and productive structures that can assist the organisation in aligning strategic intentions with external market conditions (Dess, Lumpkin and McKee 1999). Outside of basic managerial or executive-level decision-making such as budgeting and cost control, the entrepreneurial organisation recognises opportunities to make positive changes and then aligns the internal operational and staffing models to achieve strategic goals related to the opportunity. The entrepreneurial organisation m aintains staff and managers that are able to juggle innovative ideas in their imaginations that translate into creative work to better position the business competitively. This type of organisation looks toward people and product as tools for achieving profit growth (Gaglio and Katz 2001). Innovations should occur in human resources policies and procedures as well as related to the actual product or service in order to be considered

Volunteer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Volunteer - Essay Example Therefore the workplace if full of aged workers who believe that they should be the ones in leadership positions since they have many years of experience. As a result, young managers get a difficult time supervising employees who are unhappy with the leadership structures in the firm. Hence, by choosing to clean an old person’s home, I expected I would learn a few skills on how to work with the aged. The day of the volunteering experience was quite eventful. We were a small group of five students. At first, I thought we were too many for a simple task. However, the house was quite big with a sizable yard. We assembled outside the house until everyone had arrived. When everyone was present, we knocked on the door and an elderly woman, Natalie, welcomed us in. The couple took us round the house and orientated us to the place after exchanging pleasantries. Even though they were specific about the areas to clean, we ended up identifying many other dirty places to clean. After the orientation, we sat down and planned the activities of the day. We divided ourselves into three groups of two members each. Some of us would clean the roof and repair the fence. Some would mow the lawn and help the first group when done. The remaining two would work in the house with Natalie, to clean the shelves, counters, sinks, and the washroom. Peter, one of the other volunteers, and I remained indoors to clean the house. We took a half an hour break after cleaning for three hours nonstop. During the break, Natalie was kind enough and served us coffee. After the break, we embarked on cleaning the house. Peter and I started by cleaning the sinks. Later, we moved to the shelves, and lastly we worked on the counters. We also dusted the chairs though it was not on the schedule. By the time we were finishing, the yard group had also completed their work. I managed to meet all my three learning objectives for the

African-American history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

African-American history - Essay Example Many differences exist between finding a political solution as compared to finding a social solution to the vexed problem of color.Racism is a sensitive issue about the color of the skin as it is popularly believed.It,in reality,is also the issue of the heart. Emotions are like the recurring storms and every storm leaves behind it, devastation in different degrees. Is it possible to find an authentic solution, viewed from all angles, to the problem of racism in America? The pages of American history daubed in bloodshed in the name of ethnicity and color asks the crying question. Can this continent be converted into a haven on this Planet Earth? The answer is simple and straightforward .To achieve that objective, the necessary prerequisites are, eyes full of understanding, hearts full of love and the life that refuses conflicts—enough, these alone can contribute to the permanent solution to the problem. Some aspects of historical injustice against the black community by the Ame rican whites are impossible to forget and forgive. Being intensely aware of the undeniable resentment of the blacks, W.E.B. Du Bois (2005, p.7) writes, â€Å"With the other black boys the strife was not fiercely sunny; their youth shrunk into tasteless sycophancy, or into silent hatred of the pale world about them and mocking distrust of everything white; or wasted itself in a bitter cry, why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house?† ... It deals with the rise of the black middle class with the spread of education amongst them. Du Bois explains how the blacks find it difficult to get assimilated in the mainstream of American society and live a confident life, though constitutionally they are equal to the white race on all counts. The barrier that separates the two races is several centuries old and is made up of several complicated layers. A black individual has to live the life of a split personality and Du Bois (p.7)writes, â€Å"One ever feels his twoness—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two un-reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.† Du Bois has vividly explains what a tough task it is for the black race to live with double consciousness. Is this expression the other name for inferiority complex? Perhaps double consciousness would be a better expression than the inferiority complex. It is not possible for the enlightened world that swears by democracy, equality and dignity of the individual to accept the African†¦.4 racial divide. If the divide philosophy is accepted, a dangerous trend is set before the world. The world already has many dividing factors to contend with like the political philosophies of communism vs. capitalism and religious conflicts. This book is the cornerstone of the literature relating to sociology. The spiritual aspects are evident throughout the contents of the book as Du Bois investigates the inner world of the entire humanity, the souls of men and women. His work, therefore, retains the permanent place in the history of black relations, not only in America, but also the entire world, wherever this problem exists. Mending

Satisfaction and Force Group Analysis Research Paper

Satisfaction and Force Group Analysis - Research Paper Example In a study by Chadee, Doren and Mattson (1996), tourism experiences have been catered to where quality factors are targeted for deriving the global satisfaction of tourists. The research reveals that different tourist encounters rate for different quality factors, thus confirming that satisfaction is perceived differently by every individual in accordance with his desired need and alleged service. Satisfaction is generally referred to customer’s content. It is the point where a customer approves a product based on a comparison between his perceived performances of the same to his expectations from the product. The term ‘satisfaction’ can also be swapped by different expressions such as discharge of a service, fulfillment of an obligation or a claim. Attaining customer satisfaction has become one of the prime goals of any organization or sector, may it be banking, retailing, hospitality and numerous others. The concept has compelled eminent authors to perform rigor ous studies and analysis in order to measure its worth and various techniques through which a quantitative and qualitative measurement of ‘satisfaction’ can be performed. Satisfaction from organizational perspective is also critical. What an organization thinks about the term ‘satisfaction’ and how it intends to incorporate it in its business practice, must also be considered. In one of the study performed by Todd (2006) on identifying the customer satisfaction pertaining to a banking environment clearly states that satisfaction derived by customer through the services rendered by the bank has actually paid the organization manifolds in future. Here not only pertaining to the banking sector but almost all sectors and industries, the ultimate aim of an organization is to achieve growth and it is almost impossible to attain the objective till the time the organization achieves customer  satisfaction." Hence from this perspective, satisfaction can be defined as an imperative element that aligns organizational practices with customer’s expectations leading to the firm’s organizational success and future growth and customer’s gratification as well. The study reveals that satisfaction varies from customer to customer. In banking, the popular impression one has is that personal service satisfies customers but this is just one little element of its measurement. Satisfaction entails other components as well such as convenience, location, proximity, price efficiency etc, hence it is said that there is no particular way to measure customer satisfaction. There are numerous experts who have devoted extended careers in studying customer  satisfaction but can’t identify what satisfaction exactly means and on what specific grounds it should be measured. Importance of Measurement of Customer Satisfaction Measurement of customer satisfaction is extremely essential as it helps an organization to analyze what a customer ex pects from a product or a firm. It is all the more needed as: The performance raking, if not measured properly, can be misleading; performance trends, if not studied on proper grounds, can reveal misguided information and moreover, faulty deductions can further lead towards improper investment and exorbitant losses for the company (Brandt 1997). In a research conducted by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml (1991), customer satisfaction levels from various sectors were consolidated including telephone repair,

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 39

Accounting - Essay Example Performance can be measured by using the financial measures. The measures give the financial indicators such as profits and growth. By using profit figures, a manager can easily tell whether their organization is performing or not. Profits are indicators of performance while loses will be used to indicate non-performance. Another way in which the balanced scorecard can be used to measure performance is through analyzing its innovation reports. By using the company’s ability to respond to changes and make new products, then one can easily tell its competitive nature. Because the scorecard gives parameters used to show success, meeting the parameters will imply that the company is performing. The customer perspective in the balanced scorecard can also be used to measure performance because it is linked to customer satisfaction. The tool can be used to analyze whether the customers are served on time, whether products are affordable and of quality. Coming up with the answers will be used as a performance indicator. The score card can as well be used as an appraisal tool in evaluating employee performance. The balance scorecard has four main perspective, the customer perspective, the innovation and learning perspective, the internal business perspective and the financial perspective (Kaplan & David, 1992). The customer perspective focuses on customer needs, the internal business perspective dwells on important internal operations, the financial perspective relates to profits and market share while the innovation perspective focuses on the ability to create new products. The internal business operations relates to the customer perspective in that, it is through analyzing the internal operations that the customers’ needs will be satisfied. The operations perspective requires that the managers establish what they have to excel in so that they can be able to meet the needs of the customers. The internal operations also relate to the

History of civil rights movement Essay Example for Free

History of civil rights movement Essay Civil rights movement can be described as the non violent protests against something that the public feels does not auger well with them. Dierenfield, (2004, pp 23) differentiates civil liberties and civil rights by describing the former as entailing the right of every citizen to receive fair treatment from his government whereas the latter, he says involves citizens gunning for fair treatment from their fellow citizens and local authorities. Therefore, civil rights can also be described as social rights. However, the mammoth effects of the civil rights movement against slavery and the more conspicuous civil movements against racial segregation have taken credit for defining the term. This paper discusses the civil rights movement in the US by tracing its history, the key leaders involved and how their activities influenced the American government of the time. History of civil rights movement Civil rights movement are most famous in the US between 1955 and 1965 where there happened numerous historical accounts led by civil rights leaders protesting against racial segregation in the US more so in the south. The leaders were mainly black who were protesting against mistreatment by their white counterparts who by then treated them as second class citizens. Key activists Martin Luther King This is definitely one of the most renowned African American leaders in fighting for equal rights for African Americans living in the US who were mainly descendants of early slaves. He is most remembered for leading the Montgomery bus boycott among other protests. This Montgomery bus boycott is recorded to have officially started on 1st December 1955. The boycott involved the black American living in that area boycotting using the city buses unless they were allowed to sit anywhere they wanted to sit in the bus instead of the area specifically set out for the blacks. The boycotts were triggered by the arrest of one woman Rosa Park who had defied giving up her sit to a white person in the bus. Having the fronts seats reserved for whites sonly, Rosa Parks defied the order o give up her seat and was subsequently arrested for that. Rosa Parks This is one woman who the US congress came to nickname the â€Å"mother of modern-day civil rights movements† (Boyd, et al 2004, pp 125). As said above, her defiance into giving in to mistreatment in the public transport system triggered the massive boycotts which were to last more than a year until their pleas were heard. Her arrest was even against t the law which she claimed to have observed. A 1900 law on segregation in the buses by race allowed the setting up of specific areas for blacks and whites in the bus but did not give specifications as to force one to vacate his/her seat for another in case there were no more seats. However, custom and culture and mis-configured the law and interpreted it for the benefits of the whites. Park was charged in a court of law and was found guilty but some of her friends bailed her out (Boyd, 2004, pp 125). The same friends who bailed Park out formed an organization by the name Montgomery Improvement Association to spearhead the boycotts and among the leaders was Martin Luther King Jr. Black churches were used in communicating about the boycott which was to last exactly 381 days. The public transport buses stood idle as 75% of the commuters had decide to either walk or used blacks operated taxis (Dierenfield, 2004, pp 23). The bus companies were making losses and thus they had also to join the blacks in calling for the abolition of the law on segregation in order to save their businesses. Leaders of the movement such as Martin Luther King had their homes torched by segregationists and their families threatened. The United States Supreme Court, on13th November 1956 outlawed racial segregation on buses operating within the individual states and cities. The court order was received with a lot of celebration in Montgomery on December 20, 1956, and the bus boycott ended the very next day. King did not stop there. He went ahead and met with President John F Kennedy who was also for equal rights for blacks. Unfortunately, changing the constitution to outlaw segregation by race was not that simple. Other protests were planned to push for what they believed was naturally theirs by the virtue of being a human being and an American citizen. The bus boycott had planted a seed of freedom in blacks. Since the need of the boycott, many cases wee reported where blacks were being accused of disrespecting the segregation laws or the Jim Crow’s laws as they were famously known. Other protest marches were also organized by Martin Luther and other fellow activists. The major ones being the Birmingham March, The freedom rides, The Washington march among many others (Dierenfield, 2004, pp 23). Unfortunately, the man was later to be assassinated due to his civil rights activities. Many of these subsequent marches turned violent with the local authorities and civil segregationists turning violent towards the protesters. One of the most violent march was the Birmingham march which involved children aged from 6 to 18. The local authorities used fie extinguisher hoses to chase the children out of Kelly Ingram Park where they had gathered. Many were injured and over 950 of them arrested. Jails were packed to the brim as more protests and arrests followed. The police had no other wise but to watch in despair as the marches took over the lives of everyone. Business was down and the economy of Birmingham was at a standstill. Finally, the Birmingham community had to give in. They allowed integration in the city’s eating counters and even offer equal employment services to the blacks (Boyd, 2004, pp 125). Medgar Evers This man specifically sought to have equal education rights for the blacks in America. Being a former army man during the Second World War, he felt his denial of entry at University of Mississippi Law School was race based which was not in harmony with his acceptance in the army as a full American citizen. He therefore challenged racial discrimination in education centers. The man also organized massive boycotts against gas stations that could not allow blacks and whites share restrooms (Newman, 2004, pp 164 ) Working under the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Evers had more avenues for airing his views. He therefore also organized campaigns for the blacks to be registered as voters. His attempt to have his friend admitted to the University of Mississippi attracted the intervention of the federal government after he had been denied entry on racial basis. Many interventions were to follow and more and more blacks found their way in to university. The whole process was to change on how blacks felt about themselves and even motivated them to seek integration in other areas and receive fair treatment as equal citizens with their white counterparts. Unfortunately, the man was also to be assassinated 1962 due to his involvement in the civil rights movement. However, his legacy of no violent protests and equal education rights were to be observed and remembered up to now. The culmination of all these deaths, arrests, marches and protests was the passing of the civil rights act of 1964 which outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places and employment which was introduced by President John F. Kennedy. This act was followed by the civil rights act of 1968 which criminalized discrimination in housing which had prior enforcement in the constitution (Newman, 2004, pp 165)

Apples Management Strategies

Apples Management Strategies In a highly competitive environment such as the computer and technology industry, the structure of an organization needs to balance the benefits of a free and creative workforce all the while employing rigid guidelines to ensure cost control and efficiency. Apple Computer tried to accomplish this grey area of management when they restructured the organization in 1992. While some of the techniques they implemented looked promising, others appeared as if they were not going to solve their current problems. To facilitate creativity in generating new and unique products, Scully will articulate a far-sighted vision very broadly, at a 50,000 foot level and leave the lower level managers and workers to fill in the blanks. While it is important for Scully to allow the engineers freedom in generating ideas for new products, he may be allowing them too much freedom. Without providing the lower level workers certain specifications and milestones, they will surely overshoot their budget and miss deadlines. To ensure that these milestones are met, Scully should provide them with a semi-rigid guideline for the development, yet still allowing wiggle room for creativity that will distinguish their products in the market. The freedom that is allowed for creativity at Apple also has the potential for abuse. The current structure is lacking boundary controls that define what behaviors will be tolerated and which behaviors are prohibited. These controls should be carefully chosen by upper management and designed to facilitate creativity and boost employee morale, yet keep the workers behavior professional and goal oriented. Recently, upper management has received negative feedback in surveys from the companys employees. We feel that the upper management at Apple is too inexperienced and that it should be comprised of workers promoted from within the company. The average senior manager has only been with the company for 5.5 years, when many of the lower level employees have been with the company for double that amount of time. This may be leading to the decrease in employee morale, thus resulting in them losing the drive they need to keep Apple innovative and profitable. Apples employees are adequately educated and know the products as well, if not better, than most of management, and may potentially lead to the subordinates undermining any recommendations made by their seniors. Compensation and bonuses are a main incentive for exceptional performance and motivation at Apple. While the goals and measures that the bonuses are based upon are aligned with Apples long term goals, we feel that lower level employees bonuses are based on goals that they are not responsible for attaining. For instance, a line worker certainly does not have great control over the companys market share, just as a marketer has no influence over any product flaws that engineering may have missed. Each division should have their own independent measures to determine bonuses. These measures should only consist of goals that they have direct control over. If an employees bonus is dependent on a goal that their job affects, it gives them incentive to excel at their respective duties in the organization. Senior managements compensation on the other hand, should be based on all of ACPIs, as they are responsible for the success of the organization as a whole. Apples new strategy calls for an increase in productivity, which often can mean an increase in speed. Though it was said that Apple remained a very pleasant place to work: its offices were bright, modern, high-tech buildings. The atmosphere was still casual, reflecting the California lifestyle of many of the employees. And the companys historically strong, individualistic culture was reinforced by Apples own technology. It seemed that even though people still enjoyed the environment, they did not necessarily still love the work. One manager said people were being pushed to the limits; long hours and limited resources were leading to burnouts.' The issue here is that to increase productivity the correct way means an increase in efficiency. Most people agreed that the new system had not fundamentally reengineered anything; they were simply having employees work harder with fewer resources. Apple was used to an informal style and not used to employees feeling overworked. Apples people management seemed to be letting its people down. A 1992 Survey suggested that the vast majority of employees perceived that the company did not invest in its workforce and that executive management was not concerned about their future. It also suggested that most employees believed that Apples best people had been passed over for a promotion. Apple was supposed to be a place that people longed to work for. Now it has become a place where employees are unhappy and with the rapid growth new employees were often promoted with little time to develop appropriate management skills. John Sculley often emphasized the importance of leadership. Shortly after he announced his long term view of the organization in a companywide meeting, he released his public view of management: Capable leadership is essential to Apples immediate and long-term success. Thoughtful planning and execution of executive capabilities will be a strategic edge for Apple as we move forward. With all the new management positions due to the rapid growth, this capable leadership began to be questioned. We have learned that there are many ways in which managers can positively affect organizational culture. The way that employees were currently being hired did not seem to use these techniques. Part of the reason that the managers were lacking the proper skills could be because they were not hired based on their value or belief in the new strategy. If the practices are going to be consistent throughout an organization it must promote people whose values are consistent with the companys culture. In order to fix this problem and ensure the successful management of Apple, the manager in charge of getting managers ready for their job sat down with each general manager and created a list of core competencies needed for that division. These would align with the new strategy for the most part; however there was a new focus. The new focus was one that had never been used before, customer focus. It is interesting that in the middle of implementing this new strategy that seemed to be centered on higher productivity, lower prices and product development they would stress the importance of customer focus to all their general managers. This, though not exactly a poor decision, is inconsistent with the other ways that the company went about executing this new strategy. Until this point it had been about increasing productivity with longer hours, rapid growth and successful promotions. After the 1992 survey that showed no improvement in the previous year, it is easy to see that a change was needed. Customer focus seemed to be that change. The reason this inconsistent change was needed was because Apple managers did not believe they had the time to allow the original plan to work. A quality manager was quoted saying We cant wait three to ten years to get results. We wont be alive if we wait that long. As a group, our consulting firm has provided you with several solutions to these ongoing problems at Apple. Our solutions relate to four problem areas at the firm; compensation, promotion, communication, and creativity. Make compensation and bonuses in line with attainable goals. A line workers bonus needs to be attributed to the job he is performing and the goals which go along with that job. The Senior V.P. Secretary is getting his bonus because the RD team has spent 80 hours a week all year cranking out new ideas and products. It doesnt seem fair that the rewards are not in line with the work done to achieve them. Operational level divisions bonuses based on performance, length of time with the company, end of year evaluations done by management. Upper managements bonuses should be based on ACPIs as a cohesive whole since they are responsible for the marketing and final decision making. The company should not cut salary and switch to a commission based pay method. If the Apple wants to improve their gross margin, they need to find other ways to cut costs rather than screw over their employees. If employees feel like they are so far stretched beyond their means and burnt out, they will lose their motivation and drive to do the job they love. This can essentially push employees to stop caring about the end product and companys goals because they are so burnt out from trying to reach these unattainable goals. If you allow them to be creative and just give them simple structure and guidelines as well as some direction, they will still be able to think freely and meet overall goals. Promote from within Management has handed out promotions to employees who may have been unqualified, or may never have worked for the company before. We believe internally advertised job openings would be a better way to make promotions, this way anyone who felt qualified for a position could apply. Other people can make recommendations for co-workers who they feel would also be suitable and qualified to take on that new position. A requirement for the management position will be the Apple University Manager training potential new managers with the Executive readiness program. Rather than simply have this be a review process, they can turn this into a training session. This would help management pass down the organizational vision, image, and voice of the company. The managers will all be trained in a standardized format so everyone works on the same page. The way that Apple had previously promoted employees had significantly decreased their employees morale and made it difficult for them to respect their managers. With a system that allows for more promotion within the company with seniority taken into consideration there will more than likely maintain their culture and dedication to the company. When a large company makes quick management modification and changes, culture can easily be the largest factor affected. Therefore, it is imperative that Apple does whatever they can to maintain a strong culture. A strong part of the group (consensus) feeling gives way to a strong culture, as well as assist in increasing employee morale. Communication Top-Down and Bottom-Up Meeting in San Jose would have been easier to communicate the strategy if they hadnt waited until there were already problems. They would have better off communicating in this style every quarter. This way, employees can give recommendations and ideas to upper management. Managers also need to be qualified and ready to manage. Without management skills there can be a lack of effective communication and implementation. With the proper training and qualifications, managers will have the ability to communicate company ideas and direction in the best way possible to their employees. Promotion from within allows the manager to have pre-existing relationships with co-workers and other employees. They will feel more comfortable talking to them, as well as realize the importance and necessity of communication in the organization. Quarterly meetings with all employees to communicate vision to the entire organization rather than only having the top managers know exactly what is going on and the specific directions theyre headed. Creativity Due to the company wanting to crank out new technology at a faster than ever speed, this has completely stifled employees ability to come up with new products at their own pace and expertise. By forcing the new structure, incentives, performance and commission-based pay, people are not given the same freedom to be creative. There was a sudden change in the company through establishing rules, lowering autonomy, concentration on improving the profits, and constantly having new managers who are not qualified nor trained for the position. This places a large shock value on employees who are used to working so freely and creatively. We think a more productive and efficient method of finding new ideas and technology would be a similar concept to the process IDEO uses. Group think brainstorming sessions for the RD department to boost creativity and piggy-back launch even more creative ideas. We want to instill the idea that it is ok for RD ideas to fail, but the important part is for the employees to take risks and generate as many ideas as possible to throw on the table for discussion. Apples new strategy was good in theory, but it was riddled with implementation problems. Promotion, communication, creativity, and compensation methods all appeared as if they were overlooked when Apple developed their new strategy. Our solutions to these problems should provide a smoother transition for the company, all the while boosting employee morale and productivity.