Training And Development In Infosys Management Essay

Training And Development In Infosys Management Essay This essay aims to provide a critical review of Performance Management and Training and Development of HRM in a typical high-tech company: Infosys. Infosys is a Fortune 500 company which specializes in IT services. The company has clients all cross the world and provide expertise in various industry sectors. Infosys integrates its Performance Management and Training and Development to better facilitate its workforce and to help the firm achieve its strategic goals. 1.2 Aim of this essay This essay aims to provide a critical review of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys. It identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys, and provides proper recommendations for future improvement. 1.3 Structure of this essay Chapter 1 gives a brief background and the aim of the essay. Chapter 2 gives introduction of Infosys. Chapter 3 talks about Performance Management and how this part of HRM functions in Infosys. Chapter 4 deals with Training and Development and its function and role in Infosys. Chapter 5 provides a critical review of the Integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys. Chapter 6 offers some recommendations for future improvement of Infosys Training and Development as well as Performance Management. Chapter 7 is the conclusion of the whole essay. 2. Brief Introduction of Infosys Infosys was started in 1981 by seven people with US$ 250. Today, they are a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing with revenues of US$ 7.075 billion (LTM Q1 FY13). Many of the worlds most successful organizations rely on Infosys to deliver measurable business value. Infosys provides business consulting, technology, engineering and outsourcing services to help clients in over 30 countries build tomorrows enterprise. Infosys has a global footprint with 68 offices and 70 development centers in US, India, China, Australia, Japan, Middle East, UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Poland, Canada and many other countries. Infosys and its subsidiaries have 151,151 employees as on June 30, 2012. Infosys helps companies derive the measurable business value that they have always been looking for from business and IT investments. The company delivesr measurable business value in 3 ways: 1. Transform Infosys can transform the fundamental shape of your business PL. Regardless of which team our clients engage with; the company has a best-practice process for delivering value. In Infosys it is called IMPACT to ensure a clear line of sight from process change to bottom-line impact, ensuring that you receive the business value you were promised. 2. Optimize Beyond transformation and innovation, it boils down to execution delivering on time, on budget and on value. Infosys can optimize clients core operations to drive best-in-class efficiency and help fund the transformation and innovation. 3. Innovate Infosys can inject a level of product and service innovation into clients business to create new revenue opportunities through collaboration and co-creation. The foundation of its innovation capability is our core lab network Infosys Labs and the new thinking that our team of over 600 researchers brings to the table. The Vision and Mission of Infosys are: Vision We will be a globally respected corporation. Mission Strategic Partnerships for Building Tomorrows Enterprise. 3. Performance Management and its Function in Infosys 3.1 Academic review of Performance Management Levit (2008) suggest that performance is a multi-layer structure, and depending on different measuring factors, the results may be different also. Thus, if we want to measure and manage performance, we must first define it and know exactly what performance management means. Usually performance management can be defined from three perspectives, and with different perspective, the contents, influencing factors and measuring methods that performance management includes differs. From the individual perspective, the definition of performance management has not come to a universal conclusion as various experts on HRM give their own definitions. At the current stage, there are two main views. One view believes that performance is equal to result; while another view suggests that performance equals behavior. Bernadin (1995) suggest that performance should be defined as the outcome of work, because these outcomes of work are closely related to organizational goals, strategies, customer satisfaction and investment. Kane (1996) points out that performance is the things that an individual leaves, and such things relatively independently exist. Hence, it is not difficult to see that the view of performance is equal to result believes that the outcomes that performan ce gets are the records of how well one employees work is. The relative concepts about performance results include: Accountabilities, Key Result Areas, Results, Duties, Tasks and Activities, Objectives, Goals or Targets, Outputs, Critical Success Factors. Nowadays, however, an increasing number people have accepted the concept that performance equals behavior, and they have posted challenges against the view of performance is equal to result. Campbell (1990) suggests that performance is a set of behaviors that are related to the organization that a person works for or the goals that the organization has. His definition of performance in 1993 is that performance is the synonym of behavior, and it is peoples actual behaviors and it can be observed and measured. Performance management is the process through which managers ensure that employees activities and outputs are congruent with the organizations goals. It is used to establish measures of performance to allow clear targets to be set and is a continuous process that enables us to improve delivery of business. Performance management plays a key role in Human Resources Management because an organizations performance goals are designed according to the organizations development plan, strategy and organizational goals. Today there are various tools for how to manage performance such as Balance I believe that in practical performance management, the broader concept of performance should be employed that is, the concept of performance should include both two aspects of behaviors and results. Such a perspective is well reflected in the definition of performance according to Brumbrach (1998): performance means results and behaviors. It tells us that when we conduct performance management, we should take into consideration of both input(behaviors) and output(results). Performance management should include the two aspects of what to do and how to do. 3.2 Performance Management in Infosys Infosys is a Fortune 500 company whose main service is in IT industry. Today it is the leading firm on the market providing various IT solutions to its clients. The business scope of Infosys ranges from Telecommunication, Banking, Financing, Retailing to Manufacturing. Like most international firms, Infosys has a matrix organizational structure. The companys base is in India, but it is not strictly the headquarter of the company. Its various braches across the world work together to reach the organizations strategic goals. The types of employees in Infosys are divided into two catalogues: regular employee and contractor. Thus, performance management in Infosys has two different management methods for regular employees and contractors. Infosys definition for Performance Management is that performance management is a constant, on-going process of communication. During this process, employees and managers reach a consensus on the following questions in forms of collaboration partners: Tasks that employees should complete; How can the work that employees do make contribution to realizing the companys goals; Use detailed content to describe how to do job well; How can employees and managers work together in order to help employees to improve their performance; how to measure performance; The obstacles that hinder the development of performance and how to conquer them. Meanwhile, Infosys believes that performance management is: The core part of the companys overall human resources strategy; One method to measure an individuals performance; Emphasis is put on the process of improving employees integrated skills; A tool to connect individual performance with the companys strategy and goals. There are three aspects in Infosys performance management: Performance Plan. In this part, managers and employees reach a consensus on following questions: What should employees do? How should work be completed? Why this work item should be done? When should this work item be done? Other relevant questions: working environment, capability, career prospects, training etc. During this process, managers and employees constantly communicate about above questions, and eventually sign on the records of their communication, and use it as the performance goals of the employees. These performance goals are the base of the whole performance management and performance measurement; thus they play a pivotal role in performance management. The process of setting performance goals usually takes a quarter of the year. Performance goals usually include two parts: one is Business Goals; the other is Behavior Standard. According to Pinson (2004), a business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals. business plans may also target changes in perception and branding by the customer, client, taxpayer, or larger community. When the existing business is to assume a major change or when planning a new venture, a 3 to 5 year business plan is required, since investors will look for their annual return in that timeframe. Infosys uses business goals as part of employees yearly performance goals, and they help enhance employees performance and help achieve organizational goals. 2. Constant Communication of Performance. Communication should be through the whole process of performance management. Only once or twice communication between employees and managers are far from enough, and it does not obey the principles of performance management. As Montana Charon (2008), a business can flourish when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the people of the organization must be able to convey their message properly. 3. Performance Appraisal Meeting. Infosys performance appraisal meeting is highly efficient, and it is normally held within an hour when all managers get together to discuss yearly performance evaluation. It mainly includes four aspects: 1) Employees self-evaluation; 2) Reaching a consensus on employees performance, according to facts instead of impressions; 3) Deciding performance levels; 4) It is not only to evaluate employees; it is also a good opportunity to solve problems. Cederblom (1982) suggests that a performance appraisal is typically conducted annually. The interview could function as providing feedback to employees, counseling and developing employees, and conveying and discussing compensation, job status, or disciplinary decisions. It is often included in performance management systems and performance management systems are employed to manage and align all of an organizations resources in order to achieve highest possible performance. 4. Training and Development and its Function in Infosys 4.1 Academic review of Training and Development Training and development (TD) is an indispensable part in human resource management, with the purpose of enhancing the performance of individuals and groups in organizations. Training and development has a number of names, such as human resource development, and learning and development. As to its definition, there are several popular explanations. According to Rothwell Kazanas (2004), training and development, part of human resource development, is the process of changing an organization, its employees, its stakeholders, and groups of people within it, using planned and unplanned learning, in order to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage for the organization. The main body of training and development is adults, and the way adults learn and develop is different from the way students do. Adults training has more specific purposes, and is usually more practical, with the aim to solve practical questions. Hence, the organization or department that are responsible for developing training programs need to know about theories of adult learning. In the 1950s, Malcolm Knowles developed a new theory for adult learning, which is called Andragogy. Andragogy is in the context of adult learners which is contrasted with definition of childs learning (called pedagogical learning). Michael (2007) suggests that the central idea in the context of adult learning is that it is only after convincing oneself of the rationale of learning that an adult will decide to (and be able to) learn. Hence, adults cannot be treated like children if one hopes to see learning. Therefore it is assumed that workshops and seminars organized by the students themselves create a better learning environment than those organized externally. This has led to a flurry of recent teaching innovations like student-led tutor groups and supplemental instruction programs led by above average students. Another important theory about training and development is Learning Organization which was created by Peter Senge. Pedler Boydell (1997) defines that a  learning organization  is the term given to a company that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. There is no a single model of learning organization. Learning organization is about an attitude toward or ideology of employee and organization and is a new way of thinking about organization. In leaning organization, everyone needs to identify and solve problems, so that the organization is able to constantly try new things, enhancing and improving its capability. The basic value of learning organization is solving problems, whereas in contrast, the focus of traditional organization is efficiency. In any learning organization, employees need to take part in identifying problems, which means that employees need to understand customers requirement. Employees also need to solve problems, and this m eans they need to think about customers requirement in a unique way. Learning organization enhances organizations value by new ideas and information, instead of material production. 4.2 Training and Development in Infosys Training and development is mainly carried out in Infosys by its HR department. Currently the whole company has more than 20,000 employees, and training and development has always been a key function of all HR department in all branches. The company is willing to provide excellent training opportunities for its employees. Though the leading department of training and development in Infosys is its HR department, other departments also take part in and collaborate with HR department. Training and development is carried out by HR personals according to various requirements of different departments which are located in different geographic locations. There are training and development specialists who are responsible for certain training contents, such as technology, business knowledge, company policies, marketing etc. HR department plans yearly training and development schedule together with experts from other departments, and is responsible for carrying out these training schedules. Training courses in Infosys are presented by subject matter experts(SMEs) in the company or by experts from other organizations and universities. Training specialists need to record teachers performance during the training sessions. After training sessions, feedback from employees are collected and analyzed, in order to better the quality and efficiency of the companys training programs. The company creates its training policies which is part of the companys HR policies. And violation of training policies will be reported to the employees reporting manager. This ensures the quality of training and development in Infosys. Training and development plays an important function in Infosys daily operation and strategy development. The HR department divides training and development mainly into four levels. The first level is for senior management and candidate senior management; the second level is for normal employees and normal managers; the third level is for first-line sales personals; the forth level is for new hires and fresh graduates. According to the needs and requirements of different levels, training sessions are designed by different teams. Garavan, Costine, and Heraty (1995) notes that training and development (TD) encompasses three main activities: training, education, and development and that these ideas are often considered to be synonymous. In Infosys, training and development can also be view from these three parts: 1. Training: This activity is both focused on the job tasks that an employee currently handles. It is usually conducted through the form of classroom training, on-the-job training, and competition in Infosys. 2. Education: This activity focuses upon the jobs that an employee may potentially handle in the future. Infosys provides books and self-pace learning courses for such activity, and employees have more flexibility to study on their own paces and they can choose to learn during work time or at weekends. 3. Development: This activity focuses on the activities that the organization employing the individual. In Infosys, every new employee needs to attend the New Hire Orientation Development Program within the first three month after they are employed by the company. Such activity helps new employees know about the corporate culture, policies, dress code and so on and so forth. At the end of each year, Infosys holds several lectures to summarize the whole training and development programs in the passing year, identifying any problems and figuring out solutions to these problems. This helps HR department better plan next years training programs, thus helping the company achieve its short-term and long-term strategic goals. 5. Integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys 5.1 How Performance Management and Training and Development work together in Infosys In Infosys, Performance Management and Training and Development are closely linked. The company creates a computer-based system to manage performance and career development of staff. It is easy for managers to see at what level the employee is currently performing and what kind of training the employee needs to take. This system also helps with a staff training and development strategy to enable employees to help them progress to the top level possible in their current job. It can also provide guidance about the possibility of further training and/or mentoring to assist them to develop their career within the organisation. Employees performance is evaluated according to several aspects, and among these aspects, employees training and development is taken into consideration and could affect employees final performance appraisal. Infosys require its regular employees to take at least five training sessions in one years, to make sure every employee is equipped with latest skills and knowledge so that they can better make contribution to the company and help the company achieve its strategy goals. Employees need to complete the Job Skills Workbook which includes the skills that employees must have to complete their job tasks. This workbook is used as the basis for the performance evaluation. Both employees and managers will have to agree on the type of skills that are included in the Job Skills Workbook and which training level the employee needs to take. Besides, a group of employees can work together to identify their individual and collective training and development goals. Then these goals will be disc ussed with training specialists and their managers, and HR department will try to arrange according training programs for these employees. This, without a doubt, strengthens the companys capability and improves productivity. In Infosys, several activities are undertaken each year in order to develop key skill elements identified. These could include new work experiences, responsibilities and challenges, mentoring, coaching or more formal training. Once identified, these elements will also be included in the performance evaluation of employees. So training and development help identify new skills and responsibilities of employees, and performance management functions as a monitor and evaluation mechanism for these new training and development needs. After training sessions, the manager or team leader needs to provide the employee with feedback about their current performance and their goals for the next agreed time period which is usually one year. Finally, at the end of the agreed time period the employee needs to once again talk with his or her manager or team leader and discuss how they have performed and whether there are any changes in their training and development schedule. 5.2 Strength and Weakness of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys Such integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys has several strengthens: 1. It creates a multi-level mechanism for performance management. By discussing with managers about what kind of skills and performance employees agree to achieve in advance, employees can know clearly what both them and their managers expect from them. Employees can attend various training programs to reach their goals and use what they have learned in their daily jobs, thus improving their productivity and job performance. 2. Employees have more choices about what they want to develop in Infosys and what their career paths are. The value of Infosys is to make every customer satisfied. It is only through excellent work that the company can win high trust from customers. When Performance Management and Training and Development work closely together in Infosys, each employee can have the choice to decide which career path they like to take, such as technical experts, people managers or delivery managers etc. With a clear target and purpose in mind, employees are more motivated to take training and development programs provided by the company and their learning results are later directly reflected in performance evaluation in performance management of the company. On the other hand, however, there are some weakness of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys: 1. It puts too much focus on job skills but ignores management skills. Infosys is a large international company and its services in IT industry are among the best. The company focuses too much on the skills of its first-line employees, and almost 80% of the training and development program are about job skills. The performance evaluation of employees also mainly evaluates what new skills employees have learned through such training programs and how they perform. But in the long run, management skills are also required by employees as some of them are potential managers in the future. 2. The training sessions in Infosys are only for regular employees, not for contractors. So the result is that contractors, that occupy more than 40% of all employees, cannot receive proper training in time. Because contractors are not allowed to participate in the training and development activities, when they discuss with their managers about their performance evaluation, there is no section for training and development. This hinders contractors from developing their skills and could probably hinder the companys strategy development in the long run. 6. Recommendations Based on the strengths and weaknesses of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys, these recommendations could be taken into consideration when the management makes future decisions. 1. Management skills should also be included in Infosys training and development activities, and more first-line employee should have access to it. These employees would become managers in the future, and providing proper training programs on management skills would enhance their productivity and make their work more efficient and effective. 2. Training and development should cover contractors. In Infosys, there are two types of employees: regular employees and contractors. Currently most training and development programs are for regular employees only. By providing contractors the same training and development opportunities, the overall workforce of Infosys can be strengthen, and the companys productivity on the whole can be enhanced. 7. Conclusion This essay reviews both the Performance Management and Training and Development in the company of Infosys. It first provides academic review of the concepts and theories of Performance Management and Training and Development in HRM, then links the concepts and theories with the actual case of Infosys. It provides a critical review of how Performance Management and Training and Development work together in Infosys and analyzes the strengthens and weaknesses of these two HRM functions integrating in Infosys and provides relative recommendations.

Real Estate Reservation System Essay

And helps to easily check the availability status of various properties. The assence of system is really important to be realized by each and every business. Giving importance to it makes a big difference of somehow uplifting of improving the process of the company. Floyd and Allen (2008), In recent years, many economists have recognized that the lack of effective real estate laws can be a significant barrier to investigate in many developing countries. In most societies, rich and poor, a significant fraction of the total wealth is in the form of land and buildings. Real Estate is a piece of land, including the air above, the ground below, and any buildings of structures on it. Real Estate can include business and or residential properties and are generally sold either by a relator or directly by individual who owns property. In the Philippines, one of the growing businesses is Real Estate development. Aside from the development and rising of tall buildings and establishment in the metropolitan area, nearby provinces are now on the stage of land development with its continuous expansion in the provinces such as, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga and Batangas. Some people may benefits from knowing about Real Estate when faced with personal and business decisions relating to housing, investment and other business activities. The researchers chose this topic because it will help the Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦City to know the effectiveness of Online Reservation System. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework Roosevelt (2008), Every person who invests in well-selected real estate in a growing section of a prosperous community adopts the surest and safest method of becoming independent, for real estate is the basis of wealth. The researchers chose the paradigm thru Floyd and Allen (2008) words that coordinated with the problems of this study. In order to understand the flow of the study, the researchers prepared a research paradigm. Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. City Hall Yr. 2012-2013 Effectiveness Accessibility Availability Uses Investment Housing Business Activities Fig 1. Research Paradigm The purpose of this is to illustrate the effectiveness of Online Reservation System in the Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. City Hall. Statement of the Problem This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Online Reservation System to the Real Estate Company, especially this study is sought to answer the following questions. 1. What are the uses of Real Estate Online Reservation System in terms of: 1. 1 Investment; 1. 2 Housing; 1. 3 Business activities? 2. Does the effectiveness of the study corresponds with the following: 2. 1 Accessibility; 2. 2 Availability? 3. Is there an effectiveness in using Online Reservation system the Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. City Hall? Hypothesis

Counter Terrorism Organization The British Special Air Service Free Essay Example, 1500 words

The S. A.S has several squads such as the Special Project. The Special project is composed of 60 members who are placed in four troops each with 16 men. Further, the Special project works similarly with other squadrons at the time of training. However, the situation transforms when a terrorist incident takes place. In such a case, a segment of alert is sent to all members and quickly broken down into sniper unit while the remaining officers form an attack team. It is significant to note that the Special Project unit of S. A.S is interim since all S. A.S teams or organizations are rotated via counterrevolutionary war and Counterterrorism duty (Thompson, 1994). The S. A.S does not function like other counter-terrorism groups instead; it rotates all of its teams via the CRW duty because all S. A.S units or teams are regarded as counterterrorist-certified and qualified. Further, the S. A.S conducts refresher training, which is consistent after a period of 16 months. The Special Project squad is composed of 65 officers with Blue and Red teams each with EOD trained and sniper soldiers. The S. A.S use of sophisticated firearms is high and refined for the proximal quarter fight. We will write a custom essay sample on Counter Terrorism Organization: The British Special Air Service or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The rifles are fitted with selector with a wired radio component that sends information to a receiver and displays component monitored at the domestic HQ unit (Ferguson, 2003). The S. A.S is also equipped with breaching gear such as pneumatic tools, explosives, sledgehammers, and battering rams to help them enter into a terrorist hideout.

Largest National Parks in the United States

The United States is one of the worlds largest countries based on the area with a total of 3,794,100 square miles (9,826,675 sq km) spread out over 50 different states. Much of this land is developed into large cities or urban areas like Los Angeles, California, and Chicago, Illinois, but a large portion of it is protected from development via national parks and other federally protected areas that are monitored by the National Park Service that was created in 1916 by the Organic Act. The first national parks to be founded in the U.S. were Yellowstone (1872) followed by Yosemite and Sequoia (1890).In total, the U.S. has almost 400 different nationally protected areas today that range from large national parks to smaller national historic sites, monuments and seashores. The following is a list of the 20 largest national parks out of the 55 in the U.S. For reference their locations and date of founding have also been included. Largest National Parks in the United States 1) Wrangell-St. Elias†¢ Area: 13,005 square miles (33,683 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 1980 2) Gates of the Arctic†¢ Area: 11,756 square miles (30,448 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 19803) Denali†¢ Area: 7,408 square miles (19,186 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 19174) Katmai†¢ Area: 5,741 square miles (14,870 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 19805) Death Valley†¢ Area: 5,269 square miles (13,647 sq km)†¢ Location: California, Nevada†¢ Year of Formation: 19946) Glacier Bay†¢ Area: 5,038 square miles (13,050 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 19807) Lake Clark†¢ Area: 4,093 square miles (10,602 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 19808) Yellowstone†¢ Area: 3,468 square miles (8,983 sq km)†¢ Location: Wyoming, Montana, Idaho†¢ Year of Formation: 18729) Kobuk Valley†¢ Area: 2,735 square miles (7,085 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 198010) Everglades†¢ Area: 2,357 square mi les (6,105 sq km)†¢ Location: Florida†¢ Year of Formation: 193411) Grand Canyon†¢ Area: 1,902 square miles (4,927 sq km)†¢ Location: Arizona†¢ Year of Formation: 191912) Glacier†¢ Area: 1,584 square miles (4,102 sq km)†¢ Location: Montana†¢ Year of Formation: 191013) Olympic†¢ Area: 1,442 square miles (3,734 sq km)†¢ Location: Washington†¢ Year of Formation: 193814) Big Bend†¢ Area: 1,252 square miles (3,242 sq km)†¢ Location: Texas†¢ Year of Formation: 194415) Joshua Tree†¢ Area: 1,234 square miles (3,196 sq km)†¢ Location: California†¢ Year of Formation 199416) Yosemite†¢ Area: 1,189 square miles (3,080 sq km)†¢ Location: California†¢ Year of Formation: 189017) Kenai Fjords†¢ Area: 1,047 square miles (2,711 sq km)†¢ Location: Alaska†¢ Year of Formation: 198018) Isle Royale†¢ Area: 893 square miles (2,314 sq km)†¢ Location: Michigan†¢ Year of Formation: 193119) The Great Smoky Mountains†¢ Area: 814 square miles (2,110 sq km)†¢ Location: North Carolina, Tennessee†¢ Year of Formation: 193420) North Cascades†¢ Area: 789 square miles (2,043 sq km)†¢ Location: Washington†¢ Year of Formation: 1968To learn more about National Parks in the United States, visit the official website of the National Park Service.br/>ReferencesWikipedia.org. (2 May 2011). List of National Parks of the United States - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Parks_of_the_United_States

Unconditional Love By J. Baldwin - 1138 Words

Unconditional Love The period of the 1950s in Harlem, New York, was an embodiment of despair, poverty, and crime. Such conditions pushed people to live in unsupportable atmosphere of distemper and circulation of drugs. Because of these awful obstacles, people developed bitter sense of abandonment and disappointment. However, despite all these challenges, there is always room for hope. This hope is deeply rooted in the blood ties and such an essential thing as love. Sonny’s Blues by J. Baldwin is a perfect example of it. James Baldwin’s focus of unconditional love is shown through the narrator’s real life experiences of the struggles of growing up with Sonny in Harlem New York in the 1950s. On the pages of this story, the narrator tells about his challenges to restore relationships with his brother. The main characters and their importance are tightly connected to the outcome of the story. Without Gracie’s death, the narrator may never have reconnected with his brother, and h is mother’s final wish may have never been lived up to. Unfortunately, little Gracie died because of polio. The suspense in this story is the death of the narrator’s daughter, Gracie. That is why she becomes the reason to remember how family ties are important. The central character of the story is the narrator. The conflict of the story is that the narrator’s brother, Sonny, is in jail for taking and selling heroin (Baldwin, 489). The narrator displays his brother Sonny, who is also antagonist of theShow MoreRelatedManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesimportance of behavioral or human relations training became even clearer to its supporters after another series of experiments—the bank wiring room experiments. In a study of workers making telephone switching equipment, researchers Elton Mayo and F. J. Roethlisberger discovered that the workers, as a group, had deliberately adopted a norm of output restriction to protect their jobs. Workers who violated this informal production norm were subjected to sanctions by other group m embers. Those who violatedRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesPROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES, SECOND EDITION - PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES, SECOND EDITION HAROLD KERZNER, Ph.D. Division of Business Administration Baldwin-Wallace College Berea, Ohio John Wiley Sons, Inc. This book is printed on acid-free paper. @ Copyright O 2006 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

Managerial Economics and Business Strategy Free Essays

string(74) " unlikely to accept its narrow definition of the relevant market ____ 33\." Dr. David J. St. We will write a custom essay sample on Managerial Economics and Business Strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Clair Managerial Economics and Business Strategy 3551 #6 Answers – Summer 2012 1. What type of evidence did Dupont introduce in its plastic wrap trial that proved decisive in its acquittal? __ It brought in cross elasticities to show that there were many substitutes for plastic wrap. It then argued that the market had to be defined to include all substitutes. This broadened the definition of the market to the point where DuPont’s market share was small. ___ 2. What had Alcoa done that made the judge find it guilty of being a monopoly? It had a market share above 90%_. Did the judge rule that Alcoa was a â€Å"dirty† firm? _ No ___ 3. Why did the verdict in the U. S. Steel antitrust case confuse everyone? __ U. S. Steel was ruled to be â€Å"reasonable† under the courts â€Å"Rule of Reason† doctrine. This was confusing because the company had a notorious reputation for price fixing and uncompetitive practices __ 4. Bill Gates took a very aggressive approach to dealing with the Justice Department in the Microsoft case even though Microsoft had an â€Å"Alcoa Problem. † What was Microsoft’s â€Å"Alcoa Problem? ___ Microsoft had a large market share approaching the 90% threshold established in the Alcoa case ___ 5. When something is illegal â€Å"per se,† what does this mean? __ The government only has to prove that you did it; motive or intent does not matter ___ 6. What was the remedy in the Standard oil and American Tobacco cases? __ divestiture (i. e. , the companies were broken up) ____ 7. What, according to Andrew Carnegie, was destructive competition? ___ excessive and ruthless competition among big firms that eliminated profits but not competitors __ 8. When we were discussing oligopoly, we referred to the two faces of oligopoly. Which face of oligopoly was Carnegie referring to in his discussion of ‘destructive competition? ’ the non-cooperative, extremely competitive rivalry _ 9. What does the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act require? ___ pre-merger notification and approval by the Justice Department and the FTC ____ 10. What is a tying contract (or agreement)? __ a firm refuses to seel product that you want unless you also buy one of the firm’s other products ___ 11. The Sherman Act was short and sweet. It outlawed two things. Identify both: a. ___being a monopoly ______________________ b. ___trying to become a monopoly __________________________ 2. Which antitrust act made vertical market foreclosure a violation of antitrust laws? __ the Celler-Kefauver Act __ 13. What was the reason why the European Union blocked the merger of GE and Honeywell? __ It violated the EU’s â€Å"portfolio power† doctrine __ 14. What is a â€Å"soft loan? † ___a government loan that is never going to be paid back; a disguised subsidy __. Why have many American economists likened â€Å"portfolio power† to a soft loan? ___They argue that portfolio power is a disguised protectionist policy masquerading as an antitrust policy___ 15. What was IBM’s defense in its mainframe computer antitrust case? _ It challenged the government’s narrow â€Å"large main-frame computer† definition of the relevant market ___ 16. What was DuPont convicted of in the GM case (be specific). ______ vertical market foreclosure ____ 17. What precedent did the Pabst Brewing case set? __if the market is a local, then the relevant market must be local ____ 18. What precedent did the Staples/Office Depot case set? ___the Justice Department or the FTC can disallow a merger based on the anticipated price and competitive consequences ________________ 19. What happened to U. S. antitrust policy following the E. C. Knight case? __ as a consequence of the E. C. Knight case, antitrust laws did not apply to manufacturing and there was a wave of mergers in the manufacturing sector __ 20. In the 1890s, German courts were taking a very different approach to cartels and antitrust. What did the German court rule in the pulp cartel case? __ cartel agreements were legally enforceable contracts; cartels were legal and socially beneficial ___ 21. What was Brown Shoe accused of in the Kinney Shoe antitrust case? ____ vertical market foreclosure _____ 22. What was the remedy in the Brown Shoe/Kinney Shoe Case? ____ The merger was disallowed and the two firms were separated _______ 3. What does the firm have to do in a consent decree? _ stop the offending practices without admitting guilty _. What does the Justice Department agree to do in return? ___ drops the case _ 24. Why do most firms prefer a consent decree to a trial, even when they feel that they are innocent? __ the case is quickly resolved and there is no conviction that can be used to expos e the firm to civil suits seeking triple damages __ 25. Are interlocking directorates illegal per se? Yes. Is price fixing illegal per se? Yes 26. Are tying contracts illegal per se? Yes Is price discrimination illegal per se? _ No 7. How can the Justice Department and the FCC respond to a notification of merger filed under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act? (Hint: they have three options. ) __1) approve; 2) deny; or 3) approve with conditions __ 28. English Common law became the basis for American Common Law. What dos the Common Law say about damages for parties injured by restraint of trade? ___ injured parties are can collect triple damages ____ 29. Which type of elasticity is often important in antitrust cases? _ cross elasticity __ 30. Why did the Justice Department allege that Microsoft was using a tying agreement or contract? ___The Justice Department alleged that Microsoft was tying the MS-DOS operating system to the purchase of its browser ___ 31. Bill Gates was rather arrogant and combative in dealing with the Justice Department in the Microsoft case. He seemed unaware of Microsoft’s â€Å"Alcoa problem. † What was Microsoft’s â€Å"Alcoa problem? † _________This is a duplicate question – see above____________ 32. How did IBM’s mainframe computer antitrust suit end? ___ the Justice Department dropped the case because the court was unlikely to accept its narrow definition of the relevant market ____ 33. You read "Managerial Economics and Business Strategy" in category "Essay examples" Why was Microsoft accused of â€Å"vertical market foreclosure? † ___ Microsoft was accused of using its operation system monopoly (MS-DOS) to foreclose browser maker from the market ___ 34. Why was Nabisco giving up on its strategy of seeking to create a cracker of biscuit monopoly? __It was unable to eliminate competition, especially the competition of capitals __ 35. Why was Nabisco so open in its 1901 annual report about discussing its efforts to monopolize the cracker (biscuit) industry? __Because of the E. C. Knight Case, there were no antitrust laws in 1901 that pertained to manufacturing firms _ 6. In its 1901 annual report, Nabisco announced that it was giving up on its efforts at creating a cracker or biscuit monopoly. What was the company’s new strategy going to be? ____Nabisco was going to concentrate on making better products and creating a more efficient and competitive firm ___ 37. What did Liggett accuse Brown Williamson Tobacco of doing in its law suit ? (don’t simply say â€Å"of being a monopoly† or â€Å"violating antitrust laws†) ___Liggett accused Brown Williamson of engaging in predatory pricing by selling it cigatettes at below Brown Williams’ AVC______ 8. Under the Areeda-Turner test, predatory pricing is defined as a firm selling its product at a price ____below its average variable cost_____ 39. Was the Areeda-Turner test upheld (validated or confirmed) by the court in the Liggett vs. Brown Williamson’s case? ___No, the Areeda-Turner test was replaced by the â€Å"recoupment test† ___ 40. What must a plaintiff (the one who files the law suit) do (show) in order to keep a predatory pricing law suit from being dismissed (thrown out even before it goes to trial) under the â€Å"recoupment test? ____The plaintiff must show that the defendant did have a reasonable chance of raising prices in the future to make up for, (that is, to recoup) its short term losses due to the low price s ___ 41. Does the recoupment test introduced in the Liggett vs. Brown Williamson case make predatory pricing law suits more likely, less likely, or equally likely compared to the old Areeda-Turner test? ____less likely _____ 42. The courts have held that predatory pricing cases require a showing that a firm has reduced price below its costs. What is the relevant cost for this criterion? ________average Variable cost (AVC) _________ 3. Many economists have used the concept of â€Å"barriers to entry† in their criticism of predatory pricing antitrust laws. Explain their criticism. __Predatory pricing only makes sense if the firm can raise prices after using it to attain a monopoly and if it has barriers to entry that can keep new competitors out. However, if it had such barriers in the first place, it would probably not need predatory pricing. Predatory pricing does not give the firm the required barriers to entry, unless one envisions constant predatory pricing. But constant predatory pricing is nothing more than price competition. ___ 44. During the 1930s, large American cigarette companies faced competition from small cigarette companies offering new brands at 10 cents per pack. How did they meet and deal with this competition? __They resorted to predatory pricing, i. e. , they dramatically reduced their prices (in some case to below costs) in order to drive the new competitors out of the market ___ 45. Did the response of the â€Å"Big Four† tobacco companies to the challenge from the new 10-cent brands competitors in the early 1930s work? Why or why not? _the Four Majors were unable to drive out two competitors created by the 10-cent brand episode. They had a 91 percent market share before the episode and only a 69 percent market share after. Two formidable competitors emerged and the Big Four became the Big Six__ 46. What was the verdict in the 10-cent brands cigarette case? _____the major cigarette companies were found guilty of violating the antitrust laws______ 47. Was predatory pricing the government’s primary allegation against the majors in the 10-cent brands cigarette price wars? If not, what was the primary complaint? _the court focused primarily on the collusion among the majors to fix prices__ 48. What was the court’s remedy in the 10-cent brands cigarette case? ___the court fined the guilty parties and restricted their ability to communicate and work together ____ 49. Why do most economists argue that antitrust laws prohibiting predatory pricing are actually anti-competitive? ____ Most economists argue that antitrust laws prohibiting predatory pricing are actually anti-competitive because any firm that lowers it’s prices to compete against it’s market competitors are susceptible to being charged with predatory pricing, even when no such intent probably exists. Furthermore, filing an antitrust lawsuit related to predatory pricing is often abused and a convenient way for businesses to compete with their competitors without matching their competitors price cutting especially since antitrust laws concerning predatory pricing are sometimes difficult to distinguish from predatory pricing, market competition, and competitive business practices. __ 50. Suppose there are five (5) firms in an industry with the following market shares: 15%, 20%, 2%. 45%, and 18%. What is the Herfindahl Index for this industry? _______2,978_______. According to the 1992 Horizontal Merger Guidelines, how would this industry be classified? ___It would be classified as a ‘highly concentrated’ market. _____ 51. Ceteris paribus, would a merger that raised the Herfindahl index from 1900 to 1941 be likely to trigger interest by antitrust regulators? Why or why not? ____No, because while this market would be classified as ‘highly concentrated,’ the m erger does not raise the HHI by more than 50 points and will therefore not trigger the interest of regulators. ___ 52. Ceteris paribus, would a merger that raised the Herfindahl index from 750 to 985 be likely to trigger interest by antitrust regulators? Why or why not? ___No, because a market with a Herfindahl Index below 1,000 is considered to be ‘unconcentrated’ and mergers in unconcentrated markets are unlikely to be challenged by regulators. _____ 53. Tying contracts are illegal per se under American antitrust laws. However, enforcing their illegal per se status has proven to be very difficult. What is the problem here? ___While tying contracts are illegal per se under antitrust law, there seems to be no way of getting around some tying during the course of routine business, e. g. , left shoes tied to right shoes, etc. This therefore introduces the element of intent and competitive consequences; two features that are not supposed to figure into illegal per se allegations. Currently, this problem is most pronounced in the practice of ‘bundling’ in high tech markets. ____ 54. In the YouTube video on Monopoly, what did Milton Friedman think was the primary cause of longer-lasting monopolies? ____government market restrictions ___________ 55. In the YouTube video on Monopoly, what did Milton Friedman think was the very best policy for dealing with monopolies and market power? ____free trade or measures to make trade more free and open _______ 56. In the YouTube video on Monopoly, Milton Friedman never mentioned or discussed Smith’s Formula. However, based on his comments, what do think his position would have been on our 200-year old question? __Friedman would definitely argue that markets had, if government leaves them alone, sufficient competition to make Smith’s Formula society’s primary line of defense against monopoly abuse. __ 57. What happened when Coca-Cola tried to introduce its new soft drink Peppo in the late 1960s? ____Dr Pepper sued for trademark infringement and Coka Cola had to change the name of the product to ‘Mr Pibb’. _____ 58. How did the FTC end up defining the relevant market in Coca Cola’s proposed acquisition of Dr Pepper? _The FTC took a very narrow view and defined the relevant market as the ‘pepper-flavored soft drink market’ __. How did the FTC rule on the proposed acquisition? __The FTC denied the request for merger approval. __ 59. Both the FTC and Coca Cola introduced Herfindahl Indexes in support of their positions in the proposed acquisition of Dr Pepper. What was the critical point on which the proposed merger was decided? ____The definition or scope of the relevant market ____ How to cite Managerial Economics and Business Strategy, Essay examples

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Cross-Cutting Blood Brothers Essay We decided to begin our scene 1 with young Mickey and Eddie meeting for the first time. Mickey says Gis a sweet, which shows that Mickey is from a lower class as he doesnt pronunciate his words properly, also it shows Mickeys childish behaviour as he does not use manners in comaprison to Eddie who replies All right using correct diction. We chose to start with this specific line because it shows the audience how the friendship started. We then ended the scene by Mickey asking Eddie to be Blood Brothers? We ended the scene with a freeze frame of Mickey and Eddie shaking hands as to agree to be blood brothers. This leaves the audience in a happy, content mood. Dramatic irony was present in this scene as the audience realise that Mickey and Eddie are birth twins so do infact share the same blood, the audience may find it humerous. If the students answer to annual sports participation was not equal to the exact number of sport events stated, the students questionnaire was considered invalid. A total of 8.9% were discarded in relation to this. The survey was overall considered to be reliable. A week of school in Singapore consisted of five days and Saturday morning. On each Saturday morning, the schools doing this study would complete the Physical Activity and Exercise Questionnaire. The students underwent a physical assessment of blood pressure, height, and weight. They were assessed for body composition using a skinfold caliper, tape measure, and bone vernier. They then had a blood sample taken for analysis of their bloods chemistry. This occurred after the written completion of background information. Here are some of the results of these tests. As you may recall, height was recorded. Height was greater for each age group until boys reached the age of 15, and girls reached the age of 14. Weight also kept increasing until age 16 for boys and age 14. This demonstrates that the students had basically reached the end of their growth spurts. As for body fat readings, boys body fat percentage was higher from age 6 to 9, then stayed consistent up to about age 14, then had lower body fat readings after the age of 15. For girls, body fat was relatively the same for girls 6 to 12. Greater body fat was recorded between ages 12 and 15 and about the same body fat readings thereafter. Body fat corresponded with boys and girls to how much physical activity they participated in. As for the physical activity and exercise questionnaire, boys were generally more vigorously active than girls. Furthermore, boys were more physically active than were girls at each age group from age 10 to 17. However, girls documented that they were active in annual sports at age 13 more than boys were. However, afterwards, boys annual participation in competitive sports was higher than that of the girls. As for the blood tests, no discrete differences were noted between the genders nor between different age groups. REACTION: Although the article seemed difficult to follow at times, there was some very good information in it. There were a bountiful number of charts in the article which helped to understand the material that was not very well explained. After reading the title I thought that the youth in Singapore were under risk of coronary problems. After reading the article, you discovered that there were no students with an overly dangerous blood pressure level. I think it would be nice to do studies like this in the U.S. .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 , .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .postImageUrl , .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 , .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234:hover , .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234:visited , .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234:active { border:0!important; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234:active , .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234 .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u23346925ab28d6868549c41f26dac234:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Human Rights in china Essay I know that there are many overweight teens and need to get on an exercise and diet plan. Teenagers usually dont have high .