Human resources case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resources - Case Study Example 115). Joan has her hands full in this scenario because she suspects that Fred is sabotaging work to make Joan look bad. As the director Joan should immediately confront Fred about his improper behavior. If Fred denies the wrongdoing then Joan should document the meeting and take the matter her superiors in order to discuss a possible termination of Fred’s contract because Fred has become a liability for the company and an employee who is not trustworthy. Sometimes people claim that they are racial discriminated at work. Discrimination is a serious offence that is not acceptable in the workplace. In this case study a woman, Ruth Wittman, claims she was fired due to racial discrimination. The employer of the woman claims that the woman was fired due to a horrible record of absenteeism and tardiness. The bank must show the EEOC all the evidence of all the times Ruth was absent and late during her two years at the company. Due to the fact that the bank claims Ruth had the worse track record of absenteeism and tardiness the bank must proof with written documentation that this claim is true. If I was the EEOC director my decision would be to disregard the claim made by Ruth. First of all the evidence shows she was late and absent more than any other employees. It is common for people that do not show up to work or show up to work late to be fired. The claim that she was given more workload than others is potentially false since the compan y gives work out randomly. If the firm has a no talking with other workers policy the employees should abide by the rules. Jack Otto is the supervisor of a store fixture manufacturing company. He is a dedicated employee, but he is facing a tough challenge with one of his welders, Bob Hill. Bob has always had a bit of absenteeism problem and is often late to work. Lately his tardiness has gotten

Organizational Structure of a Hospital You Know Essay Example for Free

Organizational Structure of a Hospital You Know Essay INTRODUCTION: For this assignment I’m choosing, Fortis Hospital at Noida, India and Krishna Nursing home at Chitradurga, Karnataka India. Fortis hospital at Noida, India is a part of Fortis healthcare group and mainly focuses on orthopaedics and neurosciences. It’s a medium sized hospital with 300 bedded facilities and about 250 full time staff. Its organisational structure has low vertical and high horizontal distribution. THE HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION is as follows, 1) 37 medical departments which covers different specialities.2) Other departments such as HR, marketing, finance, engineering and nursing. 3) Social specialisation, example doctors.4) Functional specialisation, example technicians and nurses. VERTICAL STRUCTURE is as follows, 1) Zonal director at the top. 2) 43 departmental heads who work under Zonal director. 3) There is team under each department which report to departmental heads. Organizational structure of fortis hospital ZONAL DIRECTOR United HR medical director Head eng marketing sales Finance head Nursing matron Team Hr Doctors Eng team Marketing team Finance team Nursing team Centralisation: Head of department control all departments and they report to the Zonal director. Each individual in the organisation has limited autonomy and financially it is highly centralised and functionally it is moderately decentralised and it has high level of standardisation of administrative task and the recruitment process is very much formalised, whereas doctors have low level of formalisation and everyone follow standard operating procedure. Hence in summary, Fortis hospital is multi-speciality hospital of medium size and its structure has high horizontal complexity but low vertical complexity and it is moderately formalised and there is not much direct impact on centralisation and has moderately flexible structure and decision making is highly formalised and moderately decentralised at operational level.(http://www.hindubusinessline.com; www.fortishealthcare.com; www.hoovers.com) In contrast to the above mentioned complex structure second mentioned hospital is Krishna Nursing Home which is a small 50 bedded multispecialty hospital with a simple structure with the director at the top who is in charge of everything and there are heads of recruitment, finance and medical director who report to the director. It is mainly a vertical structure with director who has full decision making power, hence the structure has minimum decentralisation. The other staff has no autonomy.This hospital works basically on loyalty and trust and personal relationship and caters to a small population in the village Chitradurga, India. This structure is compatible with small hospitals like this. But disadvantage is that it is highly dependent on the director and is individual centric (www.healthcaremagic.com) If we compare the 2 structure in relation to, 1) Central Peripheral relations: Fortis is much bigger hospital and has separate division for each department and there is decentralisation and semi-autonomy for each department and the purchaser and provider divisions are separate. Whereas Krishna Nursing Home has no decentralisation and no autonomy for the departments and all decisions are taken by the director. 2) Links with other organisational groups: Fortis has links and tie-ups with many other smaller hospitals which refer cases to them and also has link ups with various insurance companies. Whereas Krishna Nursing Home has no tie-ups with any other hospitals and works alone and caters to a small population. 3) Internal structure: Hierarchy, as mentioned above Fortis hospital has minimal vertical but complex horizontal distribution of power so it has a flatter organisational shape which helps in effective communication and decision making and has widened collaborative links between various departments and divisions resulting in internal linking and average spans of control whereas Krishna Nursing Home has vertical structure and is fully hierarchical based and there is no internal linking between departments (Merson et.,al, 2006). CONCLUSION: Both these hospitals has completely different organisational structure but both are successful because the targeted population for both are different. While, Fortis targets higher and wider range of population and focuses on specialised services, hence has complex organisational structure. Whereas Krishna Nursing Home caters to a small population and  provides basic services and hence has a simple vertical hierarchical structure. REFERENCES: ‘Fortis Healthcare signs pact with US hospital’ online. Available at: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/2000/10/18/stories/021851e 3.htm. (Accessed on 7 January 2013) Krishna Nursing Home (online). Available at: www.healthcaremagic.com (Accessed on 8 January 2013). Merson et.,al (2006) ‘International Public Health’, 2nd Edition, Jones and Bartlett publishers, pp;558-593. (online) Available at: www. Fortishealthcare.com.(Accessed on: 7 January 2013). (online) Available at: www.hoovers.com (Accessed on: 7 January 2013).

Impact of Management and Leadership styles

Impact of Management and Leadership styles Managers are who  do things right  and leaders are who  do the right thing The general concept according to my understanding from various literature reviews are that Leaders leads people and managers manage all things in organization, furthermore to my concepts the important point is that leaders are the people who bring changes in organizations and managers may be considered as people who sustain the day to day organisational activities. The main point in this task 1, to explain the link between Leadership and management of an organisation, here I am elaborating leadership and management of Martin McColl, this organisation having approximately 1,000 outlets and 50,000 employees across United Kingdom, the main focus of the company is on Books, Cards, Magazines, Confectionary, Toys and Drinks etc. Link between strategic management and leadership: Orders which are passed down from leader and the managers role is to pass orders down the chain of command A leader is described as someone who has the capacity to create a vision, and to translate it into action and sustain it (Bennis, 1989), this statement can also be justified as there are differences between management and leadership, although functionally they can be combined in the same individual (John Kotter, 1990). Leadership without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz, According to In business, we see an evolution of the concept of leadership. For decades, the term leadership referred to the people who hold top management positions and the functions they serve. In our common usage, it still does. Recently, however, business people have drawn a distinction between leadership and management, and exercising leadership has also come to mean providing a vision and influencing others to realize it through non-coercive means. Roosevelt says about link between leaders and managers that People ask the difference between a leader and a boss, the leader works in the open, and the boss in secret. The leader leads and the boss drive. This report review explains the relationship between leaders and managers that they perform on their position within the organization, they work together to achieve the goals of organization. Leaders think about goals and are active instead of reactive in shaping ideas. Managers act to limit choices. Leaders develop fresh approaches to long-standing problems and open issues to new options. A manager is a problem solver- what problems have to be solved and what are the best ways to achieve results? Link between leaders and management has strong impact in organization. Managers Managers administer. Follow the established course. Ensure that people do things. Ensure that people do things better. Leadership Leaders innovate. Establish the course that managers follow. Ensure that people want to do things. Ensure that people do the right things. Ensure that people do better things. Source: international business-society management by Tulder, Zwart. Example in McColl: As I explained the literature review above, I am evaluating these literatures with the help of Martin McColl example. Martin McColl under the Steve Leadership management is very successful. There is a strong link between leader and management. Leader and managers keeps link through video conferences, mails and telephone. Meetings for internal discussions are kept to a set of guidelines intended to maximize productivity, and minimize cost, to achieve a result. Focus is on external parameters, particularly the customer and the image of the company. Priority in Martin is given always to activity that enhances the customer experience, improves efficiency or increases revenue and profitability. There is an enormous level of mutual respect built between the leadership group and the teams. People are appropriately motivated, and rewarded for their performance based upon their motivational modality. It is important to remember here, that not everyone is motivated by a monetary reward, or a standard trophy. A Truly Great Leader understands this, and uses to their advantage. On 28 Nov 2010 major snow fall hits Scotland. There were problems with many routes. Managers must come on time thats managers responsibility. On the day of snow martin McColl managers came on time in all branches while travel was very difficult due to the heavy snow but all managers reached on time and have done their work because it was not easy for anyone to come out house. So that was a great achievement under the best leadership. Managers are also leaders. Link between leaders and management has strong impact in decision making in organization and this impact effect in every place and every area in McColl such as finance, marketing, policies. Impact of management and leadership style on Strategic Decision: Decisions are at the heart of leader success, and at times there are critical moments when they can be difficult Organizations all over the world are deeply concerned with understanding, searching and developing leadership. Regardless of the type of organization, leadership is discerned to play a vital role in establishing high performing teams. Leaders are facing greater challenges than ever before due to the increased environmental complexity and the changing nature of the organization. The current era not only demands having a competitive edge and sustained profitability but also the maintenance of ethical standards, complying with civic commitments and establishing a safe and equitable work environment. Leadership is one of the critical elements in enhancing organizational performance. Being responsible for the development and execution of strategic organizational decisions, leaders have to acquire, develop and deploy organizational resources optimally in order to bring out the best products and services in the best interest of stakeholders. In short, effective leadership is the main cause of competitive advantage for any kind of organization (Zhu et al., 2005; Avolio, 1999; Lado et al., 1992; Rowe, 2001) Decentralised structure: In Martin McColl autocratic leadership style portrays that manager retains as much power and decision making authority as possible. These leadership styles utilize different sources of power and impact differently on the levels and extent to which staff consider them as making a contribution to organizational decision making. Both the quality and extent of staff participation in decision-making tends to wane. Each store of  McColl  has a store manager who can make certain decisions concerning their store. The store manager is responsible to a regional manager senior managers have time to concentrate on the most important decisions. Collaboration with group members: Martin McColl leader makes decisions in collaboration with group members, often using majority rules or similar social decision schemes, whereas a consultative leader makes decisions, after talking with group members about their opinions. Empowerment: McColl managers tend to be more focused on productivity targets and achievement of objectives. Their power is based on their ability to achieve targets, often as a result of quick decisions. Decision making is a form of empowerment. In McColl stores Empowerment is increase motivation and therefore means that staff output increases. Knowledge skills: People lower down the chain have a greater understanding of the environment they work in and the people (customers and colleagues) that they interact with.   This knowledge skills and experience may enable them to make more effective decisions than senior managers. Faster Changes: Participative styles in McColl enabling departments and their employees to respond faster to changes and new challenges. Whereas it may take senior managers longer to appreciate that business needs have changed. 1.2 Example in Martin McColl: Martin McColl is UK based corporate company. Martin McColl has a democratic leadership where subordinates involve in decision-making. Company has a board of directors and Steve is a head of directors.   It is seen that Martin has authoritarian systems in which their people work as directed. Merger and acquisition continued in martin McColl. In 1998 Forbuoys acquired Martin Retail Group which was before RS McColl. In 1999 company launch new convenience concept McColls. In 2004 the company acquired Dillon stores. In 2005 company changed its name to Martin McColl Retail Group and now martin is the UKs leading neighbour retailing group. These changes allow leaders and managers to makes good decisions which give the strength to business. These changes brought many changes such as economic condition been changed, development changed, competition increased this changes brought new markets like stationery stores, specialist card shops. Furthermore supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsburys were selling everything that Martin did. So there was a big competition. Knowledge sharing and strong communication always been there so the strategy of Martin was focus on its core activities and increase, improving buying power sell higher margin items and makes their with sales of newer lines. Company have a wide variety of roles at two head offices in Scotland and Brentwood. Here company centralise core business divisions including Central Retail Operations, Trading, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Business System etc. In all these above cases, management and leaders realized that changes were occurred and react actively. And in all these cases, they responded only when the competition forced them to do so. Conclusion: In making decision, consider the fit between leadership style and the characteristics of organization. Even more important, remember that things change. Look for flexibility. The very best leaders are those who have learned how to shift from one leadership style to another as circumstances demand. If one candidate shows evidence of being able to move smoothly among several of these styles, that may tip the balance. 1.3: Leadership style adaptation to different situation: Leadership style is the typical approach of a particular person used to lead people. Management theorists try to discover one best leadership style for all situations. Researchers say that there are internal and external environments that have significant impact on leader effectiveness. For example in limited external opportunities leaders are constrained by competition, legislation, technology, changing markets and limited resources when making strategic decisions. Fiedler (1967), who conducted extensive research on the situational aspects of leadership effectiveness, identified factors that determine what style of leader performed best. He examined correlations between test scores of leaders and their performance related to situational factors. The relations-motivated leader performs best where the leader position is not strong. Task-motivated leaders perform best when the leader-member relations are good and the leader power position is strong. The latter category represents poor member relations and a weak leader who is attempting to deal with a poor situation. B ecause that situation is unfavourable, Fiedlers model would require a task-oriented leader to keep the situation from falling apart. An obvious alternative would be to replace the leader.   To deal with the issue of matching style to the situation, Vroom and Yetton (1973) developed an approach that deals with leader-subordinate interaction. He recognized that an effective style depended on situational variables including the leaders expertise, the task structure, and the employees willingness to accept a solution. They found that the key elements in sharing of leader power are the maximization of technical effectiveness and subordinate motivation or acceptance. If technical effectiveness is not crucial and motivation and acceptance are not important, the decisions are made by the leader alone. On the other hand, if the technical difficulties are important but motivation is low, the leader attempts to obtain more information. When technical effectiveness is unimportant but motivation and acceptance are high, delegation becomes a useful approach. Finally, if the problem is high on the technical level and there is a need for acceptance, then the decision is shared with the group. The situational determinants of leadership show that there is frequently, but not necessarily optimally, a consistency in the behaviour of a leader when he or she performs in different situations. As the organization grows, team building and the exchange of ideas become more important. Involvement tactics are used more frequently. Now the organizational units are formed and the biggest question is how the work should be divided. This requires negotiation. Once the company is into production, tasks are more routine, but time is critical. This calls for more direction. Throughout, indirection, enlistment, redirection, and repudiation may be used. The tactics and when to use them are summarized in Table 2. According to Daniel Goleman six styles of leading have different effects on the emotions of the target followers and each style appropriately as the circumstances. Which are: Visionary leader, Coaching leader, Democratic leader, Affiliative leader, Pace-setting leader, Commanding leader. As Goleman provides a good framework of leadership styles so I can say that its absolutely true that no leader always leads in a particular style but adapts to situations. Few styles are there including Goleman styles, these styles are generally the most effective. Attached table 1. There are five basis of power Coercive power, Reward power, Expert power, legitimate power, and Referent power. These five bases of power introduced by French and Raven in 1959. Among the five bases of power there are three bases in which the Steve leadership is founded. These are legitimate power, expert power and referent power. Through his position he is able to lead the companys people. His experience in the company makes him very knowledgeable of the company and its customers. He motivates people and constantly empowers them. He is also charismatic. Example of Martin McColl: Employee Relationship: As a participating leadership in the past few years Martin performance and profitability have been transformed by employee engagement; which show a clear improving engagement and improving performance of employee. Martin engaged employees indicate they have a good understanding of how to meet customer needs. Individual employees in companies with strong engagement strategies described to us how their working lives have been transformed for the better. Customer focused strategy: Martin leaders have vision thats why they set objectives of company and have customer retention strategy for this they having promotional sale and delivering newspaper. Martin McColl customers are familiar with what newspapers and magazines in their local store and know the prices they normally paid. As a result, Martin delivering ordered newspapers at their home. Early experiments in began and, by the end of 2008, Martin was making 200 deliveries a week in an area a very small beginning. Ethical behaviour: McColl leadership thinking ethically and behaving ethically in UK thats why they are taking responsible decisions. They reduced to use of plastic bags. Martin corporate social responsibility is concerned with the ways in which an organization exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation and corporate governance. Martin negotiating better promotional prices from suppliers that small individual chains are unable to match. The product and service development processes of the martin have been substantially re-engineered, to facilitate better management of product lifecycles and more efficient delivery of wide ranges of products to customers. Product activity has focused on enhancing core ranges and introducing quality products. Martins innovative ways of improving the customer shopping experience, as well as its efforts to branch out into finance and insurance have also capitalized on strong brand reputation Financial Environment: Under great leadership a strong financial performance has been shown by the company over the years, which underlines its strategic capabilities.   According to Data monitor (2010), Martin is a  £ 30billion turnover company recording an increase of 14.9% when compared to 2008. The foremost strategy that has been adopted by the company is the product and services customization in accordance with the market demands.   The efficiency in performance of the company over the last decade can be summarised with the help of growth in following key indicators (Fame, 2010) Diversity: In the past, Martin approach to emerging markets has tended to be almost exclusively from their own perspective, seeing them simply as markets, with little real empathy for the new customers needs and desires. One of the big problems is that the vast majority of senior managers in corporations come from the home county but Martin Company and their leaders always ready to cope with such diversity at top executive level. Environmental factors: In environmentally as Martin entered into more and more partnerships or joint ventures many of which are formed with companies from different cultures. So leaders who are able to create and sustain such relationships give their company a valuable collaborative advantage. In my view, this relationship approach to business represents a major challenge to Martin. By senior executives Martin establishing good personal relationships in which trust and mutual understanding can develop. Corporate culture Founding Vision Company ways of doing things Values system LEADERSHIP STYLES Different Situations Employees relationship Customer focused Production Financial Environment Diversity Environmental factors A good understanding of situation trains leaders to change their style, like a driver changes gear in a car. Martins success had come, despite many siren voices, from persevering with its original model, and Bradley, the companys chief operating ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cer, puts that down to the personal backing of Windsor, Martins low-key chief executive. One solidly based on experience, trust, and judgment. Conclusion Dynamic changing situations require different leader behaviours. These behaviours can take the form of patterns of behaviours termed leadership style, or leadership tactics. Selecting leaders with different leadership styles is inefficient. It is far more effective to select flexible leaders who have the capability of using different tactics under different conditions. While the leaders may occasionally learn to change their styles to suit the circumstances, leadership styles are likely to remain fairly stable overall. Therefore, a certain style affects the leaders/managers managerial decisions over extended periods, with a particular style being more effective under a specific set of circumstance. 2.1 Impact of Theories on organizational strategy: When we think about management and leadership, the image comes in our mind that these are powerful dynamic individual who commands people. Yesterday principles and theories are contemporary and sophisticated. Some overlap and gaps occurs. Current theories fill these gaps and after to study that people are dealing to current situation. There are many theories of management and leadership, these are defined as: Behavioural theory, Contingency theory, Functional theory, Great man theory, Situational theory, Trait theory, Transactional theory, Transformational theory. Major models and approaches are: Adaptive leadership and appreciative leadership Many leaders and managers have his or her own style. Some common styles are: Autocratic, Bureaucratic, Democratic, and Laissez-faire. There is a difference between theories and leadership models that leadership theory is an explanation of some aspect of leadership, these are used to better understand and control successful leadership and leadership model is an example for use in a given situation. Each one has strengths and weaknesses, and each one has its appropriate uses. Here I am selected two current management and leadership theories which are Transactional leadership and Transformational Leadership. Transactional and transformational leadership has been of great interest to many researchers in the current era. Adopting either transformational and transactional leadership behaviour helps in the success of the organization (Laohavichien et al., 2009). This might be the reason that different authors of the recent past considered transactional and transformational leadership as predicating variables and investigated their relatedness with other criterion variables. Both transformational leadership and transactional leadership help in predicting subordinates satisfaction with their leaders (Bennett, 2009) Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership theory has captured the interest of many researchers in the field of organizational leadership over the past three decades. This theory was developed by Burns (1978) and later enhanced by Bass (1985, 1998) and others (Avolio Bass, 1988; Bass Avolio, 1994; Bennis Nanus, 1985; Tichy Devanna, 1986). The major premise of the transformational leadership theory is the leaders ability to motivate the follower to accomplish more than what the follower planned to accomplish (Krishnan, 2005). Transformational leadership has four components: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985). Burns postulated that transformational leaders inspire followers to accomplish more by concentrating on the followers values and helping the follower align these values with the values of the organization. Research has also shown that transformational leadership impacts employee commitment to organizational change (Yu, Leithwood, Jantzi, 2002) and organizational conditions (Lam, Wei, Pan, Chan, 2002). Due to its impact on organizational outcomes, transformational leadership is needed in all organizations (Tucker Russell, 2004). Transformational leadership identifying and developing core values and unifying purpose, developing leadership and effective followership, utilizing interaction-focused organizational design, and building interconnectedness (Hickman, 1997, p. 2). Transformational leaders work to bring about human and economic transformation. Within the organization they generate visions, missions, goals, and a culture that contributes to the ability of individuals, groups, and the organization to practice its values and serve its purpose (Hickman, 1997, p. 9). These leaders are reliable leaders who generate commitment from followers which results in a sense of shared purpose (Waddock Post, 1991). The leaders ability to inspire, motivate, and foster commitment to a shared pur pose is crucial (Bass, Waldman et al., 1987). According to Bass and Avolio, transformational leaders display behaviours associated with five transformational styles wich are attached in table 4. Organizational culture: According to Schein (1985, 1995), the leaders beliefs, values, and assumptions shape the culture of the organization and these beliefs, values, and assumptions are then taught to other members of the organization. Schein also stated that leaders have the power to embed organizational culture through various methods such as mentoring, role modeling, and teaching. Bass and Avolio (1993). Organizational Vision Transformational leadership has four components: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985) which involves motivating people, establishing a foundation for leadership authority and integrity, and inspiring a shared vision of the future (Tracey Hinkin, 1998). Idealized influence and inspirational motivation are connected with the leaders ability to formulate and articulate a shared vision (Dionne, Yammarino, Atwater, Spangler, 2004). Transformational leadership creates a desire for people to work as a team, in an enjoyable and non-threatening culture, yet always with an expectation of excellence. It creates a How To approach to problem solving and development of new concepts, it allows for early warnings of imminent threats and weaknesses in the organization and strongly encourages celebration of strengths and aggressive pursuit of suitably qualified opportunities. Transformational Leadership is demonstrated from the highest level in the organization, and rewarded all the way through the management layers. It is charismatic, passionate and inspirational and attracts the very best candidates for available roles. Everyone in the organization clearly understands the culture, goals and expectations of the organization. Transactional Leadership: Transactional leadership is cantered on leader follower exchanges. Followers perform according to the will and direction of the leaders and leaders positively reward the efforts. The baseline is reward which can be negative like punitive action, if followers fail to comply with or it can be positive like praise and recognition, if subordinates comply with the intent and direction settled by a leader and achieve the given objectives. Four core facets of transactional leadership as described by Schermerhorn et al., (2000) are contingent rewards, active management by exception, and passive management by exception. Example of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Leadership Styles: Bill Gates is a businessman, and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. Gates is one of the best known entrepreneurs of personal computer revolution. Steve jobs business magnate and inventor. He is well-known for being the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple. Both have Transformational leadership style but both transformation styles have different impact on business in same industry. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Leadership style: Bill Gates leadership is participative style because he involves his subordinate in decision making. He is a flexible person and he recognized his role was to be visionary of the company. Whenever needed he bring professional manager for managing and well structure of the organization? Gates is a strong and energizing person his enthusiasm, hardworking  nature, judgment skills reflect his personality. His motivating power and involving his friends to working with him became the success of Microsoft. On the other hand, Steve Jobs leadership is autocratic style, because he centralizes the authority, he never given a chance to subordinate to involving decision making. He thinks that whatever he do is right. His  relation with employees not good, he fails to motivate his employees in many times. Sometimes he acts as anti-Gates, and sometimes request Microsoft to develop software for his computer.  His cocky attitude and lack of management skills became a threat of APPLES succe ss. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both gave their heart souls to developing their vision to develop personal computer,  but the way they choose was different from other. Bill gates develop computer language new Altair 8080 pc which became the foundation of Microsoft. Bill continuously develops two other computer languages. When IBM develops their first pc and which need operating system to run the computer,  Microsoft develops MS-DOS for IBM. Gates adopting the changes very fast that are his enthusiasm vision and hardworking give him the success. Gates always recognized him as a visionary he always recognize professional management, he decentralize authority to make organization structure better. On the other hand Steve Jobs started apple computer which is hard ware making company. His vision to develop computer with affordable cost and easy to use. When Bill offer the basic to jobs then he rejected jobs proposal and try to develop their own basic without knowledge of programming, he fail and accept license with Microsoft basic. Jobs play duel personality sometimes he oppose Microsoft sometimes request Microsoft to develop software for their operating system. Jobs force people to choose between Microsoft-IBM operating system and his MAC-operating system. Lack of proper management skills and relation  with employees became a barrier of APPLEs growth. Impact of Management and leadership theories on organizational strategy. With the success of windows, Office Application and Internet explorer Microsoft became a house hold name and Bill gates became as business genius. Bill Gates adopting the changes very fast his innovative mind all time busy to developing products. Recent Microsoft develops a number of products like smartphone with loaded Microsoft window.   On the other hand APPLE goes wrong direction in 1990s. Because Steve Jobs is very slow to adopting changes thats the main reason falling the market share. When Jobs realize changes is the only way to survive the market then apple develops innovative iMac which is internet friendly stylist computer.  After sometime Apple gains market. With the iPhone, Apple TV,  and name charges job co are setting a new course for the outfit  once knows only for its computer. The new name and device represent APPLEs strategic shift away from its  origins as a personal computing company that has at point struggled both survive and to set the computing worlds agenda. 2.2 Leadership strategy that supports organizational direction: Transformational leaders also help in the acceptance of organizational change (Bommer et al., 2004) Transactional leadership style provides high satisfaction and organizational identification. (Wu, 2009; Epitropaki and Martin, 2005). Transformational and transactional leadership strategy support organizational direction in term of efficiency, reliability, innovation and adaptation, turnaround leadership etc. Efficiency: In apple company Transformational leadership more effective at creating and sharing knowledge at the individual and group levels, while transactional leadership is more effective at exploiting knowledge at the organizational level. Reliability: Computers are an important investment and in todays economy, more than ever, its important for consumers to know the reliability of the product they are purchasing. Apple  reliability  report, Rescuecom revealed that Apple scored the highest with 700 points, with Panasonic following in on its footsteps with a score of 489. In a descending manner, Lenovo, Toshiba, and HP were listed with scores cumulating 393, 299, and 184 points, respectively. Innovation:

Color Purple :: essays research papers

The book called The Color Purple shows many of the topics discussed in class, but for the purpose of this paper I would like to discuss three aspects that are the most concerning and disturbing. The concept of the body, reproduction, and violence shown through the novel are the most prominent and key concerns seen in this literature selection that I would like to analyze in this expository essay. Beginning with the concept of the body, The Color Purple portrays a very graphic portrayal from the first pages. â€Å"She ugly† (Walker, 9). This gives the feel that the men have high standards of the women that are seen in this story of Black Southern Women. This also can be seen when Celie (the main character) holds on to a picture of Shug Avery (the woman she lets her husband have an affair with) because she is so beautiful. These are ideals seen in our culture as a whole. Women holding onto pictures of women in magazines and posters lead to the idea that the airbrushed picture is attainable and that is what the women of the world need to look like. The forerunner of this is visualized when this is what the men look at in their magazines. The view that men have of women is one of this sexual being waiting to be had. Celie holding onto this picture is the same as a woman today buying a magazine that appeals to her inferior parts. â€Å"I’m not as pretty or as smart†(10) is played on throughout the book as well as in our culture. Women of the world today need to be attractive to be someone, or so it seems. The same way Celie is a barefoot and pregnant housewife living her fantasy of a singer that is attractive. The epitome of the quotes that shows the sexuality associated with a women’s body is â€Å"right down there in your *censored* is a little button that gits real hot when you do you know what with somebody† (81). This allows the feeling of vulgarity in someone’s mind today, because talk of this sort is discounted. Throu gh this following quote it continues with other vulgarities that society does not accept â€Å"I kiss her back†¦Then us touch each other† (118). Mainly, because female sexuality as a whole is discounted and seen as a negative portrayal of our home lives.

Marketing environments

The aim of this lecture is: To describe important role of Marketing Environment. To differentiate between Macro and Micro Environments. To assess the impact of Marketing Environment on Marketing Practices. To describe various method/Model of Marketing Environment Scanning. Background Information Marketing cannot be practiced in a vacuum; as a business function is affected by various factors or elements within the business environments.According to Lancaster and Massingham (1993), a company's marketing environment consists of the factors and forces that affect the companys ability to develop and maintain uccessful transaction with its targeted customers. Business environments are dynamic and it requires enough attention to ensure that the environment are monitored and does not bring miserable effects to the organization. What is Marketing Environment? Marketing Environment can be described as those factors or elements which are surrounding marketing activities and usually affect the d ecisions and activities of marketing negatively or positively.It consists of both controllable and uncontrollable factors which determine the success or failure of the organization. The controllable actors refer to those elements which can be managed and monitored by the organization in order to ensure they bring positive impact rather than negative impact. On the other side, uncontrollable factors are those factors which an organization has no direct control on them. It is very difficult and sometimes is not possible to control them.The only way that can be done by the organization is to use its internal efforts to reduce the impact of them to the organization activities. Furthermore, uncontrollable factors are usually classified into two groups: one is Macro-environment and the other is Micro-environment. Macro-environment These are external factors which cover the wide range of economic and business activities; its impact goes too far beyond the control of the organization or soc iety as a whole.Macro environment consists of the following elements or factors: Political Factors, Legal and Regulatory Forces, Social-cultural factors, Economic Factors, Technological Factors, Demographic factors Political Factors; political institutions and politicians are responsible for formulating and enforcing various laws and regulations which in one way or another affects the business operations. Furthermore, political forces are responsible for making and adopting various policies (International and local policies), they are responsible for entering into various agreements and contracts which affects marketing activities. ? Legal and Regulatory Forces; various laws and regulations are formulated by various institutional boards and might affect business in one way or another. For example, laws relating to tax, business registration, policy formulation etc. Socio-cultural Factors; the success ot any business depends on now i t takes care about culture and other social aspect s of the societies. Therefore, any action to ignore the culture and life style of the society surrounding the organization marks the failure of the organization. Economic Factors; the impact of economic factors in business and marketing in particular is very significant.The elements such as inflation, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, economic crisis etc have significant impact to the marketing activities. Technology Factors; marketing activities depends much on technology. A means to produce, distribute, promote etc are much affected with the technology in use. That is to say, the intensity of marketing activities reflects the level f technology which the organization use. Demographic Factors; from demographic structure is where customers, consumers, labors, etc are obtained. Thus, the population structure determines the success of the organization.The failure of the organization to analyze demographic structure properly affects the organization performance. Micro-environment This is an external factor which affects the performance of the organization to serve its market effectively. It is an immediate factor which touches the organization activities or functions very close compared to Macro-environment. This includes actors such as: Bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of consumers, Threat of entry of competitors, Competition from substitutes, and competition between firms.Sometimes it is known as Michael Porter's Five Forces Framework. Porter, (1980) argues that industry profitability depends upon industry structure and on the above mentioned factors. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers are important partners in a business. They provide resources required for the production of goods and services. However, Suppliers have a substantial significant to the marketing functions and business operations as a whole. The ailure to accommodate the pressure of supplier will bring a great impact to organization products and services prices.For examp le when the price of supplies increases it is obvious that, the price of the final products will also be higher in order to cover operations and productions cost. Bargaining power of consumers Consumers of the company products or services are important partners in a business. However, consumers have both negative and positive impact to the organization. The pressure of consumers to obtain products or services at a low price without considering the cost of the production it usually affects the organization ellbeing.Thus, the organization must work hard to see how the pressure from consumers can be accommodated without affecting the organization operations. Threat of entry of competitors In modern business environment competition is a normal and unavoidable situation. The available opportunities for competitors to enter within the market usually become a threat for the organization success. A door for competitors to enter signifies that, the market share should be divided according to the number of the organizations within the market. Furthermore, the presence of competitors can be reflected in a profit generation.This being the fact, the organization should work hard to compete and not escaping from competition which it is not possible anyway. Competition from substitutes The presence ot competitors or other business partners gives a door ot having substitute goods and services. The substitute goods or services refers to those goods or services which offers similar functions, satisfactions, etc. The availability of substitute goods and products forced the organization to highlight the way forward to compete against those substitutes. Competition between rivalry firm Within the industry, various firms are operating.For example, in the Communication Industry, there are a number of firms which includes firms such as Vodacom, TTCL, TiGO, Airtel etc. In such environment there is a stiff competition between these firms, in which each firm is trying to compete in orde r to acquire a large portion of a market share. Thus, it is very hard to manage this environment. A firm needs to work hard in analyzing the intensity of competition so as to adopt the relevant strategies for such a challenge. Internal Environments (Controllable factors) These are factors within the organization; they have direct impact to the organization performance.However, these factors are within the organization controlling capacity, which means the organization has the ability to monitor its impact and to regulate its trends. These factors include among others, the following important factors: R & D factor, production and operation management factor, financial factor, Human Resources and management factor and marketing factor. R & D factor; this is an important factor which can be used to improve the organization performance by adding new idea, technology, products and services through research and development.Production and operation management factor; the organization readi ness to adopt dvanced and recent methods of production and operation can be said as the most important decision to control the organization performance. The production and other operation methods are changing rapidly, thus, the organization needs to take quick decision to cope with these changes. Financial Factor; the management of financial assets is very important and must be taken carefully. In ability of the firm to manage its financial assets it is a disaster to that particular organization.It creates the light way for its failure while this could be avoided if the organization could have taken serious measures earlier. Human resources and management; people are very important resources for the organization performance. Human resources should be handled in a due care in order to create a situation of offering consistency efforts to the organization productions and operations activities. Marketing factor; in order to ensure marketing as a unit or department within the organizati on it offers valuable contribution and there must be a close supervision of all activities done within this unit.Any disregards to this important component of business operations create a smooth way for the failure of a particular organization. Environmental Scanning and Analysis Atter the organization has identified the above described tactors (Macro and Micro), the next important stage is to analyze in deep the impact of each factor on the organization operations. The big challenge which is facing business owners and business decision makers nowadays is how to deal with environment uncertainty.Now, environmental scanning and analysis is used to assist business analyst to study environment in deep and formulating appropriate strategies to cope with business changes. For examples, from strategic marketing point of view, in formulating arketing plan, two issues must be considered, first; organization capabilities in term of resources, second; the demands of environment which the orga nization operates. Therefore, there is no way the organization can ignore the importance of environmental scanning and Analysis. What is Environmental Scanning and Analysis?Environmental Scanning and Analysis refers to a process of studying and exploring the impact of environments on business operations. It focuses on understanding how business environment affects strategy formulation and implementation. The Former Chief Executive Officer of General Electric Company Jack Welch, once said, â€Å"When the rate of change inside the company is exceeded by the rate of change outside the company, the end is near. † The meaning of this statement is that, if the firm is very weak in studying and coping with external environments is digging a grave for its own death.Environmental Scanning and Analysis is done in the following style. First; the organization is required to analyze business factors which exist in the environment in which the business operates. Second; the organization is required to classify each factor as to whether it falls under an opportunity or a threat. The following phases should be followed while doing environmental scanning and analysis: First phase; identify environmental influences; the aim of this stage is to indentify various factors which influence the organization performance recently and to forecast likely factors that will influence the performance in future.Second phase; an assessment of nature of the environment; the trends of an active factors should be analyzed, the assessment should look on whether the environment is static or dynamic and from there the decision of what is supposed to be done can be taken. Third phase; identify he factors which have a great influence on business operations based on their nature and intensity of its impact. Fourth phase; identify competitive position; analysis of the level of competition should be done based on how competitors are doing, their capabilities and weaknesses and how they are trying to deal with both of them should be scrutinized.Fifth phase; identify how the information obtained above influences the organization operations. Each information should be categorized in either it is a threat or an opportunity to the organization. At the end, this becomes an mportant component in dealing with organization strategy formulation and implementation. Therefore, environmental scanning and analysis results to the identification of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This can be analyzed by using a SWOT analysis Model which is an abbreviation of the words Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat.Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses The strength and weakness are internal tactors which can attect the organization operation in future. Specifically, Strengths refer to internal factors which can affect the organization operations in a positive way, while weaknesses are internal factors hich can affect the organization operations in a negative way. For example, p oor management of human resources can be considered as a weakness, and the application of advanced technology can be termed as strength to an organization.Environmental Strengths and Weakness Profile Basically, after intensive analysis has been done, is very important to prepare a strategic advantage profile for the organization. This profile gives a clear picture of critical areas which have a great impact to the organization op4 erations recently and in future. Strategic Advantage Profile for a Hypothetical firm A Organization Internal Area Competitive Strength or Weakness Marketing + Product Line is extensive + Services is excellent – Channels of distribution are weak Research and Development – No Research and development performed Operations + Excellent sourcing for new materials. Facilities are old and becoming out dated. Corporate Resources O Company size is about average for the industry. O Profits have been consistent but average. – Union employees compl ain frequently Finance + Balance sheet shows ability to obtain needed capital, low debt equity ratio, high working capital position and favorable stock position. Sources: Mzava, (2004:20) KEY: + Indicates Strength Indicates weakness O Indicates Neutral Analysis of Opportunities and Threats An opportunity and a threat are external factors which might affect the organization operation in future.Now, specifically, Opportunities are external environments which can affect the organization operations in a favorable way, while, Threats refers to factors which might affect the organization in unfavorable way. At the end of opportunities and threats analysis, Environmental Threat and Opportunity Profile (ETOP) must be established. Environmental Threat and Opportunity Profile (ETOP) is very important for strategies formulation and implementation.

Dodging Hindi essays

Dodging Hindi essays Ever since I was in the third grade the subject I have dreaded most has been Hindi. Coming from a South Indian background didnt really help my cause. As the years went by I grew to despise Hindi further. The Hindi teacher would come to the class and start Mere kehne ka yeh tatparya hain kii... which can be translated as the significance of what I am saying is... and I knew the rest would be like facing a bouncer from a fast bowler in cricket where everything just sails past over my head. First of all I would commit grammatical blunders as the language had a funny way of distinguishing genders. Secondly reading Hindi in class had always been a nightmare, as I would make elementary errors like lakdi for ladki and thus change a girl to a stick. I am sure this gave nightmares to my teacher too. Another reason for me not improving my reading skills was the lack of interesting reading material in the course. Though in the ninth and tenth grade there were a few good short stories by Premcha nd and Gulshan Nanda. Finally while writing in Hindi I found myself wanting for ideas and was not able to express myself freely due to my limited vocabulary. Since I am from Mumbai I do converse in Hindi but this is different, as grammar has no significance here and there is quite a lot of slang that is used which doesnt help much either. All in all I am quite relieved that I do not have to learn Hindi anymore. ...

Statistic Chapter 2 Sample Question Essay Example

Statistic Chapter 2 Sample Question Essay Example Statistic Chapter 2 Sample Question Essay Statistic Chapter 2 Sample Question Essay Chapter 2 Study Guide MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1. The relative frequency of a class is computed by a. dividing the midpoint of the class by the sample size b. dividing the frequency of the class by the midpoint c. dividing the sample size by the frequency of the class d. dividing the frequency of the class by the sample size Answer: d 3. The sum of frequencies for all classes will always equal a. 1 b. the number of elements in a data set c. the number of classes d. a value between 0 and 1 Answer: b 5. A researcher is gathering data from four geographical areas designated: South = 1; North = 2; East = 3; West = 4. The designated geographical regions represent a. qualitative data b. quantitative data c. label data d. either quantitative or qualitative data Answer: a 7. A tabular summary of a set of data showing the fraction of the total number of items in several classes is a a. frequency distribution b. relative frequency distribution c. frequency d. cumulative frequency distribution Answer: b 9. If several frequency distributions are constructed from the same data set, the distribution with the widest class width will have the a. fewest classes b. most classes c. ame number of classes as the other distributions since all are constructed from the same data Answer: a 11. The sum of the percent frequencies for all classes will always equal a. one b. the number of classes c. the number of items in the study d. 100 Answer: d 13. The total number of data items with a value less than the upper limit for the class is given by the a. frequency distribution b. relative frequency distribution c. cumulat ive frequency distribution d. cumulative relative frequency distribution Answer: c Exhibit 2-1 The numbers of hours worked (per week) by 400 statistics students are shown below. Number of hoursFrequency 0 920 10 1980 20 29200 30 39100 15. Refer to Exhibit 2-1. The number of students working 19 hours or less a. is 80 b. is 100 c. is 180 d. is 300 Answer: b 17. Refer to Exhibit 2-1. The percentage of students working 19 hours or less is a. 20% b. 25% c. 75% d. 80% Answer: b 19. Refer to Exhibit 2-1. The cumulative percent frequency for the class of 30 39 is a. 100% b. 75% c. 50% d. 25% Answer: a 21. Refer to Exhibit 2-1. If a cumulative frequency distribution is developed for the above data, the last class will have a cumulative frequency of a. 00 b. 1 c. 30 39 d. 400 Answer: d 23. Refer to Exhibit 2-1. The number of students who work 19 hours or less is a. 80 b. 100 c. 200 d. 400 Answer: b 25. In constructing a frequency distribution, as the number of classes are decreased, the class width a. decreases b. remains unchanged c. increases d. can increase or decrease depending on the data values Answer: c 27. In a cumulative frequency distribution, the last class will always have a cumulative frequency equal to a. one b. 100% c. the total number of elements in the data set Answer: c 29. In a cumulative percent frequency distribution, the last class will have a cumulative percent frequency equal to a. one b. 100 c. the total number of elements in the data set Answer: b 31. A tabular method that can be used to summarize the data on two variables simultaneously is called a. simultaneous equations b. crosstabulation c. a histogram d. an ogive Answer: b Exhibit 2-2 A survey of 800 college seniors resulted in the following crosstabulation regarding their undergraduate major and whether or not they plan to go to graduate school. Undergraduate Major | |Graduate School |Business |Engineering |Others |Total | |Yes |70 |84 |126 |280 | |No |182 |208 |130 |520 | |Total |252 |292 |256 |800 | 3. Refer to Exhibit 2-2. What percentage of the students does not plan to go to graduate school? a. 280 b. 520 c. 65 d. 32 Answer: c 35. Refer to Exhibit 2-2. Of those students who are majoring in business, what percentage plans to go to graduate school? a. 27. 78 b. 8. 75 c. 7 0 d. 72. 22 Answer: a PROBLEMS 1. Thirty students in the School of Business were asked what their majors were. The following represents their responses (M = Management; A = Accounting; E = Economics; O = Others). A |M |M |A |M |M |E |M |O |A | |E |E |M |A |O |E |M |A |M |A | |M |A |O |A |M |E |E |M |A |M | a. Construct a frequency distribution and a bar graph. b. Construct a relative frequency distribution and a pie chart. Answers: a. and b. Relative MajorFrequencyFrequency M120. 4 A90. 3 E60. 2 O 30. 1 Total301. 0 2. Forty shoppers were asked if they preferred the weight of a can of soup to be 6 ounces, 8 ounces, or 10 ounces. Below you are given their responses. | 6 | 6 |6 |10 | 8 | 8 |8 |10 |6 |6 | |10 |10 |8 | 8 | 6 | 6 |6 | 8 |6 |6 | | 8 | 8 |8 |10 | 8 | 8 |6 |10 |8 |6 | | 6 | 8 |8 | 8 |10 |10 |8 |10 |8 |6 | . Construct a frequency distribution and graphically represent the frequency distribution. b. Construct a relative frequency distribution and graphically represent the relative frequency distribution. Answers: a. and b. Relative PreferencesFrequencyFrequency 6 ounces140. 350 8 ounces170. 425 10 ounces 90. 225 Total401. 000 3. A sample of 50 TV viewers were asked, Should TV sponsors pull their sponsorship from programs that draw numerous viewer complaints? Below are the results of the survey. (Y = Yes; N = No; W = Without Opinion) N |W |N |N |Y |N |N |N |Y |N | |N |Y |N |N |N |N |N |Y |N |N | |Y |N |Y |W |N |Y |W |W |N |Y | |W |W |N |W |Y |W |N |W |Y |W | |N |Y |N |Y |N |W |Y |Y |N |Y | a . Construct a frequency distribution and a bar graph. . Construct a relative frequency distribution and a pie chart. Answers: a. and b. Relative FrequencyFrequency No240. 48 Yes150. 30 Without Opinion110. 22 Total501. 00 4. The frequency distribution below was constructed from data collected from a group of 25 students. Height in InchesFrequency 58 633 64 695 70 752 76 816 82 874 88 933 94 992 a. Construct a relative frequency distribution. b. Construct a cumulative frequency distribution. c. Construct a cumulative relative frequency distribution. Answers: | | |a. |b. |c. | | | | |Cumulative | |Height | |Relative |Cumulative |Relative | |(In Inches) |Frequency |Frequency |Frequency |Frequency | |58 63 | 3 |0. 12 |3 |0. 12 | |64 69 | 5 |0. 0 |8 |0. 32 | |70 75 | 2 |0. 08 |10 |0. 40 | |76 81 | 6 |0. 24 |16 |0. 64 | |82 87 | 4 |0. 16 |20 |0. 80 | |88 93 | 3 |0. 12 |23 |0. 2 | |94 99 | 2 |0. 08 |25 |1. 00 | | | |1. 00 | | | 5. The grades of 10 students on their first manag ement test are shown below. |94 |61 |96 |66 |92 | |68 |75 |85 |84 |78 | a. Construct a frequency distribution. Let the first class be 60 69. b. Construct a cumulative frequency distribution. c. Construct a relative frequency distribution. Answers: | |a. |b. |c. | | | |Cumulative |Relative | |Class |Frequency |Frequency |Frequency | |60 69 | 3 | 3 |0. 3 | |70 79 | 2 | 5 |0. | |80 89 | 2 | 7 |0. 2 | |90 99 | 3 |10 |0. 3 | |Total |10 | |1. 0 | 6. You are given the following data on the ages of employees at a company. Construct a stem-and-leaf display. |26 |32 |28 |45 |58 | |52 |44 |36 |42 |27 | |41 |53 |55 |48 |32 | 42 |44 |40 |36 |37 | Answer: 2 | 678 3 | 22667 4 | 0124458 5 | 2358 7. Construct a stem-and-leaf display for the following data. |12 |52 |51 |37 |47 |40 |38 |26 |57 |31 | |49 |43 |45 |19 |36 |32 |44 |48 |22 |18 | Answer: 1 | 289 2 | 26 3 | 12678 4 | 0345789 5 | 127 8. For the following observations, plot a scatter diagram and indicate what kind of relationship (if any) exist between x and y. xy 27 619 39 517 411 Answer: A positive relationship between x and y appears to exist.

Ownership, Originality, Copying and Infringement of Software Copyright Background The WritePass Journal

Ownership, Originality, Copying and Infringement of Software Copyright Background Abstract Ownership, Originality, Copying and Infringement of Software Copyright Background : 143). However, Arnold J stated that because of the uncertainty surrounding software programs a referral to the ECJ was required. On being referred by the High Court, the ECJ held that the copyright available to computer programs under the Software Directive does not protect the functionality of a computer program, its programming language or the format of data files used in it. In January 2013, the High Court applied the ECJs ruling, yet the High Courts decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in November 2013. In accordance with this it is likely to prove very difficult for FTS to establish a claim in copyright and even if this can be ascertained, they will still have to demonstrate additional copyright requirements, such as ownership. Accordingly, software cases also give rise to ownership issues since there will often be more than one author due to the complexity and size of computer codes generally. Nevertheless, section 9 (1) CDPA makes it clear that the owner of a work is the person that has created it. As this is a computer-generated work, it will thus be the person who arranged for the creation of the work (section 9 (3)) unless he has created the work within the course of employment. If it is found that Bill created the work, FTS will still be the owner as the ownership of copyright remains vested in an employer if the creation was made during the course of employment (section 11 CDPA). Nevertheless, as evidenced in (1) Laurence John Wrenn (2) Integrated Multi-Media Solutions v Ste phen Landamore [2007] EWHC 1833 (Ch) each case will be decided on its own facts. Here, it was held by the court that since there was a written agreement between the parties, an exclusive license could be implied. Regardless of these difficulties, however, software can still be afforded copyright protection and the most common act of infringement that occurs in relation to source or object codes is unauthorised copying. Here, a distinction needs to be made between literal and non-literal copying. Literal copying occurs when an identical copy is made, whereas non-literal copying occurs when the structure, appearance or manner of the code has been copied (Pila, 2010: 229). In the case of literal copying, it will generally be easier to establish a claim of copyright since it will merely have to be shown that a substantial part of the code has been copied, which will be based upon the skill, labour and judgment that has been expended; Cantor Fitzgerald International and Another v Tradition (UK) Limited and Other [2000] RPC 95. In the event that there has been a non-literal copying of the works, it will be a lot more complex to establish. This is because it is often the case that two completely dif ferent programs will produce the same results. Therefore, although it might appear on the face of it that the program has been copied; this may not actually be the case. In Thrustcode Ltd v WW Computing Ltd [1983] FSR 502 it was noted by the Court that; the results produced by operating the program must not be confused with the program in which copyright in claimed. Another consideration FTS will need to think about is if the codes were originally created by a third party. This is because if a third party has been commissioned to create the copyrighted work, ownership of that work will remain vested in the third party unless there has been an express agreement to the contrary (Lyons, 2005: 3). If no such agreement has been made, the court may imply an assignment or licence so that FTS can use the software, although the scope of an assignment or licence will depend entirely upon the facts of the case. In Robin Ray v Classic FM Plc [1998] FSR 622 it was held by the Court that both parties had accepted the law in relation to the implication of terms as to ownership and the licensing of copyright. Arguably, it is evident that whilst FTS may have a claim against Bill for copyright infringement, it will be very difficult to prove because of the complex nature of software copyright. Conclusion Overall, given the long process that is involved with software development, it is likely that FTSs legal advisers will have to overcome a number of obstacles before they can establish a claim in copyright. Consequently, they will first need to establish that they are the author of the products code and that it was an original creation. Once this has been ascertained they will then need to show that their product has actually been infringed by Bill, which may prove extremely difficult given the complexity of software programs. References Campbell, D. and Cotter, S. (1998) Copyright Infringement, Kluwer Law International. Lyons, T. (2005) Warning All Software Users, Electronic Business Law, Volume 7, Issue 9. Morton, T. (2013) Emerging Technologies and Continuity, Tolleys Practical Audit Accounting, Volume 24, Issue 12. Pila, J. (2010) Copyright and Its Categories of Original Works, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2. Reed, C. and Angel, J. (2003) Computer Law, 5th Edition, OUP Oxford. Case Law BezpeÄ nostnà ­ softwarov asociace – Svaz softwarovà © ochrany v Ministerstvo kultury, Case C-393/09, 22 December 2010 Cantor Fitzgerald International and Another v Tradition (UK) Limited and Other [2000] RPC 95 Infopaq International A/S v Danske Dagblades Forening [2009] EUECJ C-5/08 (16 July 2009) (1) Laurence John Wrenn (2) Integrated Multi-Media Solutions v Stephen Landamore [2007] EWHC 1833 (Ch) Navitaire Inc v Easyjet Airline Co Anor [2004] EWHC 1725 (Ch) Robin Ray v Classic FM Plc [1998] FSR 622 SAS Institute v World Programming Ltd [2010] EWHC 1829 (Ch) Thrustcode Ltd v WW Computing Ltd [1983] FSR 502

Financial and Strategic Management of Projects Wk11 Essay

Financial and Strategic Management of Projects Wk11 - Essay Example Ethics must be considered by project managers in their planning for projects. A project that has a good budget, reasonable time allocation, and all the necessary resources to complete a project successfully can fail due to a lack of ethics among the team players. A case study of a firm that went form market leader to becoming at the time the biggest bankruptcy in United States history due to a lack of ethics in the Enron scandal. Project management is very important towards the success of a multinational corporation. Back in the late 1990’s Nike Corporation faced some serious problems due to the lack of ethical conduct of the project managers overseeing the foreign manufacturing operations of Nike. The firm lost millions of dollars in revenues due to the bad publicity from the revelation that Nike was running sweatshop manufacturing operations. During the past decade the business world has realized the importance of corporate social responsibility. Changes in customer tastes and expectations have made companies producing green products one the fastest growing industries in the United States and abroad. For instance in the car industry automobiles that used hybrid or electric technologies have soaring demands in the marketplace. In 2010 the total sales of hybrid vehicles in the United States were 28,592 which accounts for about 2.5% of total auto sales in the industry (Hybridcars, 2011). A project manager has to take into consideration the environmental impact of a project. During the past century the industrial world has caused great damage to the environment due to pollution its activities have caused. Global warming, deforestation, and food scarcity are some of the problems our society faces in the coming decades. A financial strategy that can be used to give back to the community is donating a fixed percentage of the revenues of a firm. A

FORMS OF BUSINESSES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

FORMS OF BUSINESSES - Essay Example Under the sole proprietorship form of business, the business ends either when the person decides to go out of business, or if the person dies or somehow cannot operate the business. There is nothing formal that needs to be formally done to end the business. In the case of a general partnership, the same principles as with sole proprietorships apply in regards liability for injuries or accidents. The only real difference would be that the partners would share liability instead of all the liability resting with one person. In a bankruptcy case, the general partners would be personally liable for unpaid bills of the business. The legal rules apply differently from state to state, but being both jointly and separately liable is most common. This gives a third party the option to bring suit for unpaid bills either against one partner or against the partnership as a whole (Clarkson, et.al, 2006). The partners would find that it is easier to expand the company than for a sole proprietor. If there were two partners, they could combine their funds and resources for expansion. Banks would more quickly approve loans if more than one person was involved (Clarkson, et.al, 2006). The partners could invite more partners to join if more funds are needed. They could have a written agreement that the new partners provide funds or capital as part of the agreement to join the group (Clarkson, et.al, 2006). With a general partnership, the partnership itself is not taxed. Any income or losses flow through over to each individual’s income tax statements. The owners are taxed on their proportionate share of the business (Willis, et.al, 2009). Under general partnerships, the articles of the partnership determine how long the business operates. Those articles can state exactly the length of time that the partnership will continue. If nothing is stated in the articles, then any partner can end it by choice. If there is an agreement in

Congenital Heart Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Congenital Heart Disease - Essay Example These are: congenital heart disease in the babys mother or father; congenital heart disease in the babys brother or sister; diabetes in the mother; German measles, toxoplasmosis (an infection that is passed through contact with cat feces), or HIV infection in the mother; the mothers use of alcohol during pregnancy; the mothers use of cocaine or other drugs during pregnancy; and the mothers use of certain over-the-counter and prescription medicines during pregnancy. It should be noted though, that the presence of any one or more of these factors will not absolutely result to the disease. Likewise, the absence of these factors does not assure a pregnant woman that her baby will be safe from any congenital heart disorders, which might be an important point to consider when a woman is pregnant. All safety measures should be observed all throughout the pregnancy as there is no single identifiable factor in contracting life-threatening diseases such as this. This also leads us to the impor tance of having a thorough knowledge of the subject, for one can never be too sure if one of the members of the family will suffer from such disease. Knowledge on the disease might just be the best way to go about the situation when prevention is not so possible. The heart is a muscular organ about the size of the fist. It has two sides, separated by a wall-like structure called a septum. The right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs where it is oxygenated. The oxygenated blood then goes from the lungs to the left side of the heart, and is pumped out to the rest of the body. The heart is made up of four chambers: the right and left ventricles and the left and right atria. The atria, which are located at the upper portion of the heart, receive the blood coming into the heart, while the ventricles which are located at the lower part of the heart, pump blood out of the heart and into the lungs and the other parts of the

A Critical Discussion of the Concept of Integrated Marketing Essay

A Critical Discussion of the Concept of Integrated Marketing Communications from an Advertising Strategy and Planning Perspective - Essay Example A significant debate over recent years has been the significance of ensuring the integration of these tools of marketing communications† (Yeshin, 2006). Introduction The desire to implement effective marketing communications and advertising strategies since the inception of corporate world prompted the integration of varied aspects deemed by managers to ensure clients’ satisfaction (Luck & Moffatt, 2009). The aim of this action was to capture large pool of clientele globally as well as corporations have high client’s retention rate essential in ensuring higher market share than other key players in the same field (Luck & Moffatt, 2009). However, this concept, which is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) has received both welcoming and dissuading arguments from varied scholars whereby the latter category deem IMC is a â€Å"management fad† (Cornelissen & Lock, 2000, p. 9). Hence, according to the dissuading category, IMC is not a new devised effective tool but a fashion of what used to be prior to the inception of utilizing it. Conversely, some scholars have argued pro about the idea of IMC coupled with availing adequate proven examples, which support the argument that have persisted up to date. Therefore, this study seeks to provide a critical discussion of Yeshin’s (2006) statement on the subject of IMC relating to both advertising strategy and planning in UK. ... Evolution in this case encompasses integrating of technology with other marketing aspects especially in communicating, planning and execution, whereby according to IMC’s devotees or proponents this is not a â€Å"management fad† (Cornelissen & Lock, 2000, p. 9). This is because advertising cannot exist solely by its own but entails other varied and essential aspects meant to aid it in attaining the required corporate reputation in the market. Therefore, integration of the current communications knowhow usually supplements advertising aspect, which to date has experienced transitory period. Similarly, Cornelissen and Lock’s approach or argument aligns well with Luck and Moffatt (2009, p. 313) study where they expound more about significant evidence of transition in terms of marketing strategies. Based on their study, â€Å"communications† usually implies diverse marketing methods, which current policymakers ought to embrace in order to improve both particip ants’ interaction and relationships contrary to the 20Th century’s advertising approaches (Luck & Moffatt, 2009). Hence, posing the aspect of evolution whereby in the past, marketers solely focused on distribution channels as well commodities’ exchange, which is contrary to the current period whereby market mix has taken over as key marketing strategy. This aligns with the relayed statement whose implication cites integration of varied methods or communications together with advertising aspect aimed at heightening corporation’s reputation despite numerous counterarguments against it. Other arguments in favor of IMC aspect characterizing the current corporate world encompass establishing of communication programmes contrary to the earlier four key mass media forms

Congenital Heart Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Congenital Heart Disease - Essay Example These are: congenital heart disease in the babys mother or father; congenital heart disease in the babys brother or sister; diabetes in the mother; German measles, toxoplasmosis (an infection that is passed through contact with cat feces), or HIV infection in the mother; the mothers use of alcohol during pregnancy; the mothers use of cocaine or other drugs during pregnancy; and the mothers use of certain over-the-counter and prescription medicines during pregnancy. It should be noted though, that the presence of any one or more of these factors will not absolutely result to the disease. Likewise, the absence of these factors does not assure a pregnant woman that her baby will be safe from any congenital heart disorders, which might be an important point to consider when a woman is pregnant. All safety measures should be observed all throughout the pregnancy as there is no single identifiable factor in contracting life-threatening diseases such as this. This also leads us to the impor tance of having a thorough knowledge of the subject, for one can never be too sure if one of the members of the family will suffer from such disease. Knowledge on the disease might just be the best way to go about the situation when prevention is not so possible. The heart is a muscular organ about the size of the fist. It has two sides, separated by a wall-like structure called a septum. The right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs where it is oxygenated. The oxygenated blood then goes from the lungs to the left side of the heart, and is pumped out to the rest of the body. The heart is made up of four chambers: the right and left ventricles and the left and right atria. The atria, which are located at the upper portion of the heart, receive the blood coming into the heart, while the ventricles which are located at the lower part of the heart, pump blood out of the heart and into the lungs and the other parts of the

Stroke Rehabilitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Stroke Rehabilitation - Essay Example 70). This study shall evaluate the stroke rehabilitation of an elderly male. It shall consider the assessment, planning, implementation, and treatment in clinical practice. It shall critically analyse the efficacy of the care given to the elderly patient – with a sharp focus on rehabilitation. It shall also critically evaluate the role and function of team members and their contribution to the rehabilitation process. It shall discuss the psychological outcomes for the patient and carers, while taking into account the longer term needs of the patients. This paper is being conducted in order to establish a comprehensive understanding of stroke rehabilitation, especially among elderly patients. Discussion Patient Profile The patient in this case is a 65 year old elderly male, married, with three grown children. He was admitted three weeks ago for a headache and the sudden onset of the following: difficulties in speaking and swallowing, left sided paralysis, and a tingling sensati on of his extremities. Upon admission, he was immediately assessed. After subsequent diagnostic processes, he was diagnosed for an embolic stroke. The appropriate intervention was later carried out to remove the embolus. At which time, his condition was assessed. Due to a 10 minute lack of oxygen supply to his brain, he suffered from left-sided paralysis with his mobility and speech severely compromised. He was then discharged from the neurological care unit and onto the rehabilitation clinic. Assessment of patient The assessment of the post-stroke patient was mostly an assessment of his mobility and his ability to conduct his daily activities. The patient was assessed on the following areas before a plan for rehabilitation was conceptualized by the rehabilitation team: neurological aspects, including level of consciousness, cognitive disorders, motor deficits, disturbances in balance and coordination, somatosensory deficits, disorders of vision, unilateral neglect, speech and langu age deficits, and pain; presence of comorbid diseases; functional health patterns, including bladder and bowel function, swallowing disorders, nutrition and hydration, skin breakdown, physical activity endurance, and sleep patterns; presence of depression and other affective disorders; neuropsychological function; and family functioning and other contextual factors. All of these aspects were assessed using standardized assessment tools. These tools have included the following: Glasgow Coma Scale, Modified Rankin Scale, Measures of Disability of Daily Living, Mini-Mental Status Examination, Berg Balance Assessment, Rivermead Mobility Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, Family Assessment Device, and Quality of Life Assessment scale (Warlow, van Gijn, and Dennis, 2008, p. 534). Assessment results Based on the assessment, the patient scored 12 out of 20 on the Glasgow Coma Scale. This was based on the recommended scale to measure the patient’s level of consciousness (He rndon, 2006, p. 366). He scored 4 out of 6 on the Modified Rankin Scale. This scale is used to measure a patient’s level of disability (Stroke Center, 2010). The patient scored 87 out of 126 on the Functional Independence Measure Test. This test assessed the patient’s ability to carry out independently his daily activities (DeLisa, Gans, and Walsh, 2005, p. 986). On the Mini-mental Status Examination, he scored 23 out of 30. This test assess

A Critical Discussion of the Concept of Integrated Marketing Essay

A Critical Discussion of the Concept of Integrated Marketing Communications from an Advertising Strategy and Planning Perspective - Essay Example A significant debate over recent years has been the significance of ensuring the integration of these tools of marketing communications† (Yeshin, 2006). Introduction The desire to implement effective marketing communications and advertising strategies since the inception of corporate world prompted the integration of varied aspects deemed by managers to ensure clients’ satisfaction (Luck & Moffatt, 2009). The aim of this action was to capture large pool of clientele globally as well as corporations have high client’s retention rate essential in ensuring higher market share than other key players in the same field (Luck & Moffatt, 2009). However, this concept, which is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) has received both welcoming and dissuading arguments from varied scholars whereby the latter category deem IMC is a â€Å"management fad† (Cornelissen & Lock, 2000, p. 9). Hence, according to the dissuading category, IMC is not a new devised effective tool but a fashion of what used to be prior to the inception of utilizing it. Conversely, some scholars have argued pro about the idea of IMC coupled with availing adequate proven examples, which support the argument that have persisted up to date. Therefore, this study seeks to provide a critical discussion of Yeshin’s (2006) statement on the subject of IMC relating to both advertising strategy and planning in UK. ... Evolution in this case encompasses integrating of technology with other marketing aspects especially in communicating, planning and execution, whereby according to IMC’s devotees or proponents this is not a â€Å"management fad† (Cornelissen & Lock, 2000, p. 9). This is because advertising cannot exist solely by its own but entails other varied and essential aspects meant to aid it in attaining the required corporate reputation in the market. Therefore, integration of the current communications knowhow usually supplements advertising aspect, which to date has experienced transitory period. Similarly, Cornelissen and Lock’s approach or argument aligns well with Luck and Moffatt (2009, p. 313) study where they expound more about significant evidence of transition in terms of marketing strategies. Based on their study, â€Å"communications† usually implies diverse marketing methods, which current policymakers ought to embrace in order to improve both particip ants’ interaction and relationships contrary to the 20Th century’s advertising approaches (Luck & Moffatt, 2009). Hence, posing the aspect of evolution whereby in the past, marketers solely focused on distribution channels as well commodities’ exchange, which is contrary to the current period whereby market mix has taken over as key marketing strategy. This aligns with the relayed statement whose implication cites integration of varied methods or communications together with advertising aspect aimed at heightening corporation’s reputation despite numerous counterarguments against it. Other arguments in favor of IMC aspect characterizing the current corporate world encompass establishing of communication programmes contrary to the earlier four key mass media forms

Stroke Rehabilitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Stroke Rehabilitation - Essay Example 70). This study shall evaluate the stroke rehabilitation of an elderly male. It shall consider the assessment, planning, implementation, and treatment in clinical practice. It shall critically analyse the efficacy of the care given to the elderly patient – with a sharp focus on rehabilitation. It shall also critically evaluate the role and function of team members and their contribution to the rehabilitation process. It shall discuss the psychological outcomes for the patient and carers, while taking into account the longer term needs of the patients. This paper is being conducted in order to establish a comprehensive understanding of stroke rehabilitation, especially among elderly patients. Discussion Patient Profile The patient in this case is a 65 year old elderly male, married, with three grown children. He was admitted three weeks ago for a headache and the sudden onset of the following: difficulties in speaking and swallowing, left sided paralysis, and a tingling sensati on of his extremities. Upon admission, he was immediately assessed. After subsequent diagnostic processes, he was diagnosed for an embolic stroke. The appropriate intervention was later carried out to remove the embolus. At which time, his condition was assessed. Due to a 10 minute lack of oxygen supply to his brain, he suffered from left-sided paralysis with his mobility and speech severely compromised. He was then discharged from the neurological care unit and onto the rehabilitation clinic. Assessment of patient The assessment of the post-stroke patient was mostly an assessment of his mobility and his ability to conduct his daily activities. The patient was assessed on the following areas before a plan for rehabilitation was conceptualized by the rehabilitation team: neurological aspects, including level of consciousness, cognitive disorders, motor deficits, disturbances in balance and coordination, somatosensory deficits, disorders of vision, unilateral neglect, speech and langu age deficits, and pain; presence of comorbid diseases; functional health patterns, including bladder and bowel function, swallowing disorders, nutrition and hydration, skin breakdown, physical activity endurance, and sleep patterns; presence of depression and other affective disorders; neuropsychological function; and family functioning and other contextual factors. All of these aspects were assessed using standardized assessment tools. These tools have included the following: Glasgow Coma Scale, Modified Rankin Scale, Measures of Disability of Daily Living, Mini-Mental Status Examination, Berg Balance Assessment, Rivermead Mobility Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, Family Assessment Device, and Quality of Life Assessment scale (Warlow, van Gijn, and Dennis, 2008, p. 534). Assessment results Based on the assessment, the patient scored 12 out of 20 on the Glasgow Coma Scale. This was based on the recommended scale to measure the patient’s level of consciousness (He rndon, 2006, p. 366). He scored 4 out of 6 on the Modified Rankin Scale. This scale is used to measure a patient’s level of disability (Stroke Center, 2010). The patient scored 87 out of 126 on the Functional Independence Measure Test. This test assessed the patient’s ability to carry out independently his daily activities (DeLisa, Gans, and Walsh, 2005, p. 986). On the Mini-mental Status Examination, he scored 23 out of 30. This test assess

The Impact of Universal Studios Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Universal Studios Essay Universal Pictures, or Universal Studios, has been around for a little over a century and it is currently regarded amongst the top six movie studios in America. It grosses billions of dollars in revenue annually and produces major hits and movie stars. Universal is also owned by a giant media conglomerate known as NBC Universal, which is quite different from its humble beginnings. This paper will provide a brief insight into the relationship between Universal Pictures and its impact on the movie industry along with how Universal became a big name in Hollywood. The man who started it all was Carl Laemmle. Born in Wà ¼rttemberg Germany, Laemmle was the tenth of thirteen children, eight of which died of a cruel epidemic of scarlet fever. At the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed to a family friend as a bookkeeper and office manager. A few years later, at the age of seventeen, Carl persuaded his father to let him buy passage to the United States. After arriving, Carl worked as an errand boy in New York for a short while then moved to Chicago where his brother Joseph lived. There Carl worked as an office boy until his next move took him to Wisconsin. There he worked in a clothing company and met his wife Recha Stern who gave birth to a son, Carl Jr., and a daughter , Rosabelle. Carl got into an argument with his employer and moved back to Chicago looking for an enterprise that might multiply his family’s savings. Carl decided to go into the film industry after seeing The Great Train Robbery, which left a â€Å"heavy impression† and a profound business idea (Zeirold 89). In 1906, Laemmle began purchasing nickelodeons. As Laemmle’s business bloomed, the Motion Picture Patents Company was born, which sparked one of his many contributions to the industry, the Independent Moving Pictures Company of America. Founded in 1909, the Independent Moving Pictures Company of America, condensed to IMP, was created to spite the MPPCo. IMP caused its biggest blow to the MPPCo when they snatched up Florence Lawrence, nicknaming her the â€Å"Biograph Girl,† and produced many hit films with her, thus creating the star system we know today. In 1910, Carl joined another organization named the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company. This company led to the downfall of the MPPCo and the creation of major studios, such as, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures), Twentieth Century-Fox, Paramount Studios, and Universal Pictures. Universal, whose name came from Laemmle â€Å"observing† a Universal Pipe Fittings wagon, was created from the remnants of IMP and was sited in New York (Dick 33). The new Universal studio was a horizontally integrated company, with movie production and distribution of exhibition venues. As Laemmle’s business grew he searched for a new foothold to permanently house his studio and, following the westward trend of the industry, by the end of 1912 the company was focusing its production efforts in the Hollywood area. On March 15, 1915, Laemmle opened the worlds largest motion picture production facility, Universal City Studios, on 230 acres of converted farm just over the Cahuenga Pass from Hollywood. Studio management became the third facet of Universals operations, with the studio incorporated as a distinct subsidiary organization. Unlike other movie moguls, Laemmle opened his studio to tourists. Universal became the biggest studio in Hollywood, and remained so for a decade. However, it sought an audience mostly in small towns, producing mostly inexpensive westerns, melodramas, and serials. The reason for Laemmle’s low budget and lower-class films were because he personally funded all of Universal’s endeavors. One of his greatest â€Å"investments† was character actor Lon Chaney, nicknamed â€Å"The Man of a Thousand Faces.† Chaney started working for Universal when it began in 1912, but was not truly recognized until 1918 in the silent picture Riddle Gawne. He began his early career presented as a team alongside Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell, starring in fourteen films from 1917 to 1919. However, Chaney’s greatest contributions to Universal were The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was Universals Super Jewel of 1923 and was their most successful silent film, grossing over $3 million, and set the standard for all future horror films in the industry. The Phantom of the Opera made Universal more interested in possibly making higher budget, â€Å"grade-A† films. Chaney eventually left Universal for MGM and retired shortly after making a few films for Howard Dietz. In the late 1920s, Universal became a very powerful movie studio but was not considered part of the â€Å"Big Five.† It was, however, given companionship alongside Columbia Pictures and United Artists which became collectively known as the â€Å"Little Three.† Although it was the largest of the Little Three, Universal Pictures lost money during each year of the 1930s except 1931, 1934 and 1939. This desperate ï ¬ nancial situation led to a change in ownership in 1936 and several management upheavals thereafter. Universal had traditionally engaged primarily in the production of low-budget features and â€Å"sub-features† aimed at the subsequent run and rural markets, with only an occasional prestige ‘A’ picture. This policy of reliance on programme pictures remained fairly stable throughout the decade of the 1930s; those periodic forays into ‘prestige’ production and away from the basic programme formula generally met with ï ¬ nancial disaster and precipitated most of the decade’s management turnovers. The case of Universal is somewhat unique when compared with MGM or Warner Bros. Under the conservative leadership of its founder, Carl Laemmle, Universal specialized in the secondary, largely rural, independent theatre market, and most of its product consisted of rather short features without top rank star players. Unlike MGM or Warner Bros., short subjects had always been a fundamental part of Universal’s production strategy. In an effort to remove itself from its near-bottom industry ranking, the company ï ¬â€širted occasionally with the prestige feature market during the 1930s, usually to its ï ¬ nancial detriment. During this decade it did its best ï ¬ nancially when it concentrated on its primary business: turning out low-budget features at high speed. Universal’s short subject releases maintained this philosophy throughout the 1930s with amazing consistency, considering the turnover in management (including the ouster of Laemmle and his son, Carl, Jr, in 1936 ). Early in the 1930s, the studio’s emphasis was shifted to two-reel comedies, starting with the likes of Slim Summerville, Arthur Lake and Benny Rubin as starring comedians. The Universal two reelers took a decidedly interesting swing when former Hal Roach studio manager Warren Doane was hired in 1932 to organize a production unit. Doane, in turn, brought in Roach employees James W. Horne, a young George Stevens and Alf Goulding as directors, as well as a long-time member of Charles Chaplin’s staff, Albert Austin. The unit lasted until 1934, with Stevens leaving for RKO quite a bit earlier. Unfortunately most of these ï ¬ lms have been unseen for decades, locked away in Universal’s ï ¬ lm vaults, unavailable for fresh appraisal. A handful of the Doane shorts viewed by the author revealed no hidden treasures, a disappointment considering the behind-the-camera talent involved. However, Mr. Mugg, a 1933 series entry, was nominated for an Academy Award. Another Universal short comedy from this period, although not from the Doane unit, which could provide both a â€Å"new† look at a legendary humorist and a cinematic treatment of an early Depression school of political thought, is a single Robert Benchley two reeler entitled Your Technocracy and Mine. In addition to the comedies, Universal had the ‘Mentone’ revue series, Strange As It Seems and later Stranger Than Fiction, short lived Goofytone News series produced by a New York independent studio, and travelogue and sports series. Universal produced its own twice-weekly newsreel, the only non-Big Five company to do so. In a reversal of the situation with MGM and Warner Bros. at this time, Universal also had its own in-house animation unit, headed by Walter Lantz, at the beginning of the 1930s, but allowed Lantz to go independent during the ownership turmoil of 1936. The unstable nature of the company at mid-decade also abbreviated the production of colour cartoon s after just six shorts made in 1934 and 1935. Colour did not return to the Universal cartoon release schedule until the 1939–1940 season, when the Lantz studio switched to all-colour production. The area of short ï ¬ lm production for which Universal is best known, however, is the serial. Serials generally were considered the domain of small, independent producers such as Mascot and Republic. Of all of the major studios, only the two ‘mini-majors’, Universal and Columbia, produced serials. This may be largely attributed to the aforementioned need for producers without theatres to cater to rural and niche markets. Throughout the decade of the 1930s that was to prove so turbulent for Universal, the studio still managed to crank out an average of four 12-episode serials per year. The subject matter ranged widely, from Westerns to jungle adventures to mysteries to air adventures and more. One Universal serial available in its entirety for viewing today is the 1934 Perils of Pauline. Other than the title, borrowed for name recognition value, the Universal Perils bears no resemblance to its famous early silent forebear. This serial was obviously the beneï ¬ ciary both of several standing sets evidently left over from other productions and of a rather large st ock footage library. The latter fact is particularly apparent in the scenes of a Chinese revolution that opens Chapter 1, and of numerous jungle and other location scenes in the following episodes. It is not at all uncommon to have clean backlot shots of the serial’s characters reacting to shaky, ï ¬â€šickering, scratched and undercranked shots of revolutionary carnage or charging tigers. Both the extensive use of existing sets and of stock footage permit the story to hopscotch from one location to another, all over the Far East and, ultimately, back to New York City. The result is that this series is essentially a mixture of virtually every type of serial ever done at Universal, including science ï ¬ ction. Much more successful, as evidenced by their popularity even today, were the studio’s three Flash Gordon serials. The battles between Buster Crabbe’s Flash and Charles Middleton’s Ming the Merciless of the Planet Mongo combine streamline, art-deco styling of the late 193 0s with sci-ï ¬  camp in a package that is still appealing. The promotional booklet, For Your Box-office: Line up with Universal 1935–1936, provides a fascinating look at the manner in which the studio tried to sell its product to exhibitors during the last year of the Laemmle regime. The promotional hype expended on the company’s shorts suggests their perceived audience appeal as well as the content of some of the long unseen short series. Announcing the ï ¬ rst â€Å"Flash Gordon† series, the advertising copy proclaims: ‘53 million people read it in the Daily and Sunday newspapers! Now Universal adapts Alex Raymond’s sensational newspaper adventure strip for a serial of 13 episodes!’ The page devoted to Universal Newsreel reminds theatre owners that Graham McNamee, ‘National Broadcasting Company’s Ace Announcer’, narrated the reels. It goes on to assert the statistically unsupportable ‘First! Fast! Foremost! Holder of the World’s Record for Miraculous Scoop after Sc oop.’ Moving to the entertainment short series, For Your Box-office describes the ‘Mentone’ series as having ‘more stars and headline acts than the best vaudeville show! †¦ And at prices you can afford to pay!’ Three other one-reel series are depicted thusly: ‘Stranger than Fiction’-‘Facts, freaks and fancies from every corner of the globe! Each reel is a box-office magnet in itself’; ‘Studio Novelties’—‘Gems of comedy, musical comedy, trick photography, satire and short subjects! A new and novel series’; and ‘Going Places’—‘The short that never fails to do things! From one end of the world to the other †¦ and back again †¦ with the enchanting personality and voice of Lowell Thomas.’ As frequently happened with studio press books, which were designed to sell a company’s product before production on the season’s wares had actually commenced, some of the announced projects never reached the screen. Speciï ¬ cally, in this case, the promised 13 episodes of the new ‘Studio Novelties’ dwindled to a mere four ‘Specials’. In sum total, Universal’s product actually conformed to the basic format of its competitors, with the exception of serial production. Content and quality are hard to judge at this point in time with relatively few of the ï ¬ lms available for re-evaluation. The original nitrate negatives for most of the Universal short subjects still survive and are housed in the company’s Kearny, New Jersey, vaults. Hopefully, they will be transferred to safety ï ¬ lm before they are consumed by the inevitable nitrate decomposition. As has been previously noted, serials were generally the province of low-budget producers, not of major studios. Beyond serials, Universal’s greatest successes were its novelty series (Strange As It Seems, Stranger Than Fiction), travelogues (Going Places) and musicals (Mentone series). An interesting aspect of Universal’s short subject programme was that it continued to release silent ï ¬ lms through 1931, over 2 years after the ‘ talkie revolution’. Presumably this was for the beneï ¬ t of the more than 1500 small silent theatres that were still in business despite having been unable to afford the conversion to sound. Beyond that, one gets the impression that Universal was just struggling to turn out a product during the turbulent 1930s, with any ideas of visual style being secondary. The studio’s shorts, like its features, tended to be all over the map in terms of production polish. One may ï ¬ nd a rough correlation between Universal’s B-grade Western feature productions and a number of its Western-themed serials. However, as with Warner Bros.’ lack of gangster shorts, it is something of a surprise that the studio known for its world-class horror ï ¬ lms (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, etc.) attempted virtually nothing in the way of horror/science ï ¬ ction serials until decade’s end (Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and The Phantom Creeps). In conclusion, Carl Laemmle worked vigorously to bring down the MPPCo powerhouse with IMP and kick start a major movie studio which he called Universal. Universal made great impacts on the industry in the fields of horror, sci-fi, and serials; impacts that changed the movie industry forever.