1998

1998 hi14:06 - Still Michael Schumacher drives the Italian Grand Prix with his sibling pursuing intently behind.14:04 - Alan McNish in the Toyota had a horrible beginning on the matrix and his race is as of now over.14:04 - Michael Schumacher with a fine beginning .... Ralf Schumacher is in runner up .... Rubens Barrichello is third.14:03 - We're good to go for the beginning of the present Grand Prix .....13:58 - The vehicles are experiencing their warm-up lap ....13.30 - In shaft position for this GP is obviously Michael Schumacher.13.10 - The race begins at 14.00cet... To your left side you will discover the lattice positions for the beginning of the GP...13.00 - Hi and welcome to our live inclusion of the San Marino Grand-Prix.All Comments Drivers Standings Schumacher M 24 Schumacher R 16 Montoya J 14 Button J 6 Râ ¤ikkâ ¶nen K 4 Coulthard D 4 Â » More Teams Standings Williams BMW 30 Ferrari 24 McLaren Mercedes 8 Renault 6 Jaguar Racing 3 Sauber Petronas 3 Â » More Track Info Air T emp Track Temp WeatherFernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher fight for ...

Argument Essay - Illegalize Alcohol Essay Example for Free

Contention Essay Illegalize Alcohol Essay Our nation is confronting a developing issue. It is an issue of good rot. The legitimate and open utilization of liquor is a superfluous bad habit that is delighted in and acknowledged by a greater part of the United States populace, tragically, it prompts social and good destructions. Liquor ought to be held to indistinguishable norms from other illicit psyche and body-changing substances, as liquor is compelling and has no clinical worth. Legislators and dynamic voters should put an inside and out prohibition on liquor. The income that is produced from the assembling, appropriating, and deals of liquor is a significant wellspring of available pay that is an advantage. Starting at 2007 the U. S. Government was gathering $5. 6 billion dollars yearly from the tax collection from liquor (joshritchie). This income has would in general increment every single year. Despite the fact that the income is significant, the inquiry must be posed, is it moral? Is it moral for our legislature to benefit off the offer of a paltry bad habit that causes fatalities and makes addicts? The income that is produced using the tax collection from liquor could be lost, and would basically build our endless national obligation by a miniscule sum. From the beginning of time our nation has confronted a few social plagues that have brought about numerous individuals turning out to be substance abusers. Despite the fact that these occasions our legislature has stepped in and authorized laws to reestablish the good and social texture of the contaminated regions. The present pestilence that we are confronting is the maltreatment of liquor. It is across the board and accessible wherever in our nation. â€Å"According to the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) device, from 2001â€2005, there were roughly 79,000 passings yearly inferable from unnecessary liquor use. † (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Beyond the quantity of the passings that are identified with liquor consistently, an amazing number of individuals in the United States are drunkards. As indicated by the National Library of Medicine, â€Å"nearly 17. 6 million grown-ups in the United States are heavy drinkers or have liquor problems†. (U. S. National Library of Medicine) We have to totally boycott liquor with the goal that we can begin dealing with diminishing the quantity of addicts in our nation as opposed to urge the utilization to everyone similarly as the person in question turns a specific age. The United States government has just attempted to boycott liquor previously, it was a finished disappointment and consequently revoked. This endeavor brought about a spike in sorted out wrongdoing and was a conspicuous disappointment. In the long run the administration surrendered and re-legitimized the utilization of liquor. I also will surrender that it was a disappointment with respect to our administration in authorizing the restriction of liquor. Indeed, even today we are facing precisely the same conflict by the DEA with the Controlled Substances Act. There is as of now a not insignificant rundown of unlawful substances that are given needs and plans and are consequently upheld. It would not be a stretch to join liquor into this rundown of unlawful medications. Many would attest that it is hard to uphold the simple utilization and assembling of modest quantities of liquor by people in there own homes. It is a straightforward procedure to either blend low liquor content beverages or to distil higher liquor content spirits. The upholding of these laws would be like current laws of cannabis development. These laws would appear to be similarly as difficult to authorize, yet they are implemented. The assembling of hand crafted liquor could be given a similar dread of discipline and could be authorized on occurrence to-episode bases. Liquor tends to expand the likelihood of somebody carrying out a vicious wrongdoing. In the event that liquor were prohibited and harder to take a few to get back some composure of this number of violations would extraordinarily decrease. The National Center for Victims of Crime has referenced the U. S. Branch of Justice concerning medication and liquor related wrongdoings. The report states, â€Å"The U. S. Branch of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey asks the rough wrongdoing casualties who revealed seeing their guilty parties whether they saw the wrongdoer to be affected by medications or liquor. As per the 1999 review, over a fourth of the savage wrongdoing casualties could make such an assurance. Around twenty-eight percent (28%) of those announced that the guilty party was affected by liquor as well as medications. The most widely recognized substance distinguished was liquor alone. Around sixteen percent (16%) revealed that the guilty party was affected by liquor alone (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001). † (The National Center for Victims of Crime) This solitary considers the casualties that had the option to see their wrongdoer; this implies there are potentially more unaccounted for liquor related wrongdoings. The lawful and open utilization of liquor as a bad habit is prompting the destruction of our general public. It is making addicts while not offering a solitary viable health advantage. The United States Government has just contributed time, cash, and exertion to implementing its Controlled Substances Act. Liquor ought to be held to indistinguishable guidelines from all other genuinely adjusting substances are held to. Liquor represents the danger of reliance and has no advantageous clinical worth. So as to begin the ethical texture of our nation we have to get rid of the wrongdoing instigating substance liquor. Administrators and dynamic voters, it is our obligation to hold our selves to better expectations and totally annul the assembling, deal, and utilization of liquor. Works Cited Alcoholism: MedlinePlus. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 25 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/liquor addiction. html. CDC Alcohol and Public Health Home Page Alcohol. Habitats for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. cdc. gov/liquor/. Medication Related Crime. The National Center for Victims of Crime. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. http://www. ncvc. organization/ncvc/primary. aspx? dbName=DocumentViewerDocumentID=32348. Joshritchie. The amount Is the Government Making Off of Alcohol? | Tax Break: The TurboTax Blog. Tax reduction: The TurboTax Blog | Its about the Refund. 5 July 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://blog. turbotax. intuit. com/2010/07/05/what amount is-the-administration mak

I think I can, I think I can

I think I can, I think I can A couple days ago, I received an email from a blog reader who asked me, Isnt MIT supposed to be super hard? How do you find time to have fun? I think this is a very interesting question to pursue. So one thing you have not really seen too many pictures online thus far are pictures of my desk at off hours of the night or of the trail I traverse early evenings throughout the Infinite Corridor as I head to different office hours, but I promise you I, like the rest of the students at MIT, take my academics seriously. There are also a number of Ill say statements that exist out there about MIT students and how they pull all-nighters six out of seven nights a week. Heres what I say to that; yes, MIT is a challenging intellectual environment, but its not impossible and yes WE DO SLEEP. To paint a clearer picture, Ill provide you with a couple of examples. Take for example, 18.02, Multivariable Calculus, a typical freshman class. Heres the entry from the course catalog: Undergrad (Fall, Spring) Calculus II Prereq: 18.01 Units: 5-0-7 Dissecting that entry, lets look at the units. Units: 5 0 7 The units break down as hours in class, hours in lab, hours outside of class. Hours outside of class include homework hours, hours reading, and hours studying. Now heres my take on all this (feel free to ask around for other opinions as well current students reading this, please chime in) The 5 hours in class are pretty fixed. Typically, 3 hours in class, 2 hours in recitation. The 7 is a little bit more amorphous. Some problem sets are easier than others; some weeks you have tests, some weeks you dont. So about that adjective that was used to describe MIT. Is MIT hard? Yes, MIT is challenging. I can tell you when I came to MIT, I knew that this place was going to test my limits and I knew that I was going to learn more than I could imagine, but I didnt know to what extent and with what frequency. And you know what, it varies. Some weeks are fairly straightforward; Here are the problems, use the equations, get the answer. Some weeks the problem sets live up to their names a bit more. Theyre problems, and you are asked to solve them. Develop an approach, support your assumptions, and give some type of conceptual and numerical answer to this situation. Sometimes at first glance, a problem set can seem intimidating where you think to yourself you must have missed a few lectures because you have no idea where to start with Problem 1, Part A. This is really where the fun starts. Imagine yourself one evening in a lounge with some of your friends having a Problem Set Party. And someone approaches the whiteboard with the marker, and there you begin to dig into the problem. Sometimes you argue. Sometimes you all get stuck. Sometimes you take a short break to watch American Idol. Sometimes, one person completely gets the problem, and then there are times you might not get it at all, and then you work through it again, and try to understand the logic used in solving the problem. I promise you; its actually one of the most gratifying sensations when you are able to staple your problem set together and say Im done. So how can all this be fun? Response 1. You never do a problem set on an empty stomach. Dominos stays open late, and La Verdes is open 24 hours during the school week. 2. Comic relief although oftentimes unexpected always occurs. 3. You can say you did it. Professors often preface their problems with the statement that this problem is not easy. And then when you get that problem done, you can say to yourself in the style of Napoleon Dynamite, SWEET. And what would a blog entry be without photos? For the next two months, Ill be highlighting the top ten (+/- 3) places on campus to study. This week, Im highlighting the Reading Room in the Student Center (W20). Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. You can always find someone studying here in the reading roomor taking a nap. Keep in mind, this is just my take on things. I encourage you to seek out additional opinions. I think MIT is challenging, but I really wouldnt have it any other way. I like the fire hose.

Integrity, Confidentiality and Professional Behavior of...

Integrity According to The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), The integrity of internal auditors established trust and thus provides the basis for reliance on their judgement. IIA further added that to be integrity, internal auditors: * Shall perform their work with honestly, diligence, and responsibility. * Shall observe the law and make disclosures expected by the law and the profession. * Shall not knowingly be a party to any illegal activity, or engage in acts that are discreditable to the profession * Shall respect and contribute to the legitimate and ethical objectives of the organization. According to the 2009 Global Integrity Survey conducted by Compliance Week and Integrity Interactive, polled more than†¦show more content†¦Another issue is on whether or not internal auditors should whistleblow when they discover organizational wrongdoings. Internal auditors always face situations that involve conflict of interest while executing their dual-role duties (Armold amp; Ponemon, 1991; E.Z. Taylor amp; Curtis, 2010). The dual-role duties mentioned here are the role of internal auditors as employed by the organization, which subject to the needs and requirements of their employment, and the role as members of a professional body, they are required to adhere to the professions ethical requirements. Ahmad and Taylor support the view and assert that the role of internal auditors in providing auditing tasks for their organizational may cause ongoing conflicts. Zhang, Chiu and Wei (2009) argue that the disclosing insider information to outsiders breaches obligation to the organization, violates the written or unspoken contract, and elicits damaging publicity. However, ethically, internal whistleblowing, as opposed to external whistleblowing, is preferred. This is due to severe damage caused by external whistleblowing as compared to internal whistleblowing (Park amp; Blenkinsopp, 2009). In order to avoid the severe damages caused by whistleblowing, Vinten (1996) has suggested that an organization may minimizeShow MoreRelatedCreve Couer Pizza1889 Words   |  8 PagesCouer’s CPA. However, the professional standards set for accountants by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and the AICPA share close similarities. Both organizations emphasize that accountants follow a code of ethics when performing their duties. The members must use these ethical principles when engaging in accounting services for their company and the general public. The organizations note the following ethical standards: competence, confidentiality, integrity and credibility. The ethicalRead MoreAuditors Independence1295 Words   |  6 PagesWHY IS AUDITO R INDEPENDENCE SO IMPORTANT? Auditing is the efficient critical examination done by one person or group of people’s independent from the system audited. To do an audit, confirmed information must be present and some standards by which the auditor can evaluate the information. Another is gathering and evaluating any information to determine whether the information being audited is identified in accordance with establish criteria to satisfy the purpose of the audit and also auditors mustRead MoreAcc/546 Week 1 Assignment1094 Words   |  5 PagesWhy is this step so important? Posted on wed 5/8/2013 Responded to one classmates on 5/08/2013 Auditing planning is important because it helps the auditor determine his/her approach to the audit. There are two considerations that affect the approach: 1). Sufficient appropriate evidence must be accumulated to meet the auditor’s professional responsibility and 2). The cost of accumulating the evidence should be minimized. Concern for sufficient appropriate evidence and cost necessitates planningRead MoreChief Audit Executive ( Cae )1528 Words   |  7 Pagesresponsibility for establishing, maintaining and managing a comprehensive, high performance and customer oriented internal audit program. Officer-In-Charge, Supervisor Assigned as the Officer-in-Charge of a Section with responsibility for the oversight of staff and all aspects of performance audits, including reviewing and approving completed audits; recommending and ensuring compliance with internal policies, standards, and procedures; assessing, developing and implementing training needs and programsRead MoreWhat Is Business Ethics? Essay1117 Words   |  5 Pageshas to be made with an informed awareness of the specific situation and then act according to some sort of system of principals, which is Business Ethics. What is Business Ethics? . Business ethics is a form of applied , and that knowethics or professional which analyse ethical principales and moral which means the ethical problem that arise in business environment. it is examining what is wrong and right. â€Å" Then doing the right thing, but the right thing is not as straightforward as explainedRead MoreProtection for Whistleblowers in Malaysia1694 Words   |  7 Pagesform of confidentiality of their information, immunity from civil and malefactor action and safeguard from detrimental action being taken against them. Whistleblower protection is one of the Malaysian Government’s efforts towards tackling corruption and promoting good governance under Regime Transformation Programme (GTP). The WPA is also a key legislative initiative to combat corruption by facilitating protected disclosures through immunity from civil and criminal actions, confidentiality of informationRead MoreThe Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic Business Environment1723 Words   |  7 PagesDescribe the roles of an organizations chief financial officer (CFO) or controller, treasurer, and internal auditor. 7. Briefly describe some of the major contemporary themes in managerial accounting. 8. Understand and explain the concepts of strategic cost management and the value chain. 9. Understand the ethical responsibilities of a managerial accountant. 10. Discuss the professional organizations, certification process, and ethical standards in the field of managerial accounting. ChapterRead MoreThe Rule Of Generally Accepted Auditing Standards911 Words   |  4 PagesThis paper examines one of the rule of Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), independence and discuss the shortcomings in the GAAS. Independence can be effect by many different reasons. Auditors might face challenges in applying concepts and interpretations under circumstances where in conflict with the auditor’s relationship with the audit client. To improve audit quality and protect investors’ interest, PCAOB reviews the work of public accounting firms that do audits of more than 100 publicRead MoreAccounting Questions and Answers4013 Words   |  17 Pagesdecision makers inside the enterprise. LO 4 17 Plant managers are internal users of accounting information systems. A) True This is the correct answer. B) False Feedback: Internal users of accounting information systems include boards of directors, chief executive officers, business unit managers, plant managers, store managers, and line supervisors. LO 4 18 The management accounting information created and used primarily by internal users is intended above all for planning and control decisionsRead MoreZZZZ Best Company: How Does a Review Differ from an Audit?1392 Words   |  6 Pagesthat a review does not offer the level of assurance that an audit does, auditors do not look at as much evidence for a review as they would for an audit, and reviews cost less than an audit. SAS No106, â€Å"Audit Evidence†, identifies the principal â€Å"management assertions† that underlie a set of financial statements. The occurrence assertion was particularly critical for ZZZZ Best’s insurance restoration contracts. ZZZZ Best’s auditors obtained third party confirmations to support the contracts, reviewed

Immigration And The United States - 1106 Words

In the late nineteenth century, the United States was relatively divided on the topic of immigration. A nation, which was essentially built by the work and concepts of immigrants themselves, was ready to close their doors to similar individuals looking for the same opportunity. While there was not a defined group of Americans in complete favor for new immigrants, there was a clear divide between those who were downright opposed and those open to compromise. Citizens opposing immigration backed up their arguments by presenting scientific information, which in most cases was invalid. On the other side of the debate, those in favor of immigrations presented some conditions. They were willing to accept new citizens but only under the condition that they were willing to â€Å"Americanize† or assimilate to the country’s culture. This Americanization was counterproductive to the creation of a nation built on the idea of a â€Å"melting pot†. While the American po pulation had differing viewpoints on the immigration debate, the general consensus was to keep immigrants out of the States. Americans in favor of immigration appeared to require some compromise from the new immigrants. The new immigrants were welcomed to the United States, under the condition that they were willing to leave some of their culture behind and conform to the culture of their new country. Regardless of this condition, these individuals were overall much more willing to welcome the new immigrants into theShow MoreRelatedImmigration And The United States986 Words   |  4 PagesImmigration in the United States continues to increase rapidly year by year. According to an analysis of monthly Census Bureau data by the Center for Immigration Studies, the immigration population in the United States, both legal and illegal, hit a record of 42.1 million in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 1.7 million since the same quarter of 2014 (CIS.org). Clearly, Immigrants make up a large part of the population in the United States, and for most immigrants, migrating to theRead MoreImmigration Of The United States1399 Words   |  6 Pages Michelle Faed English 126 Immigration in the United States The United States of America, being a country established by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. 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America is known for starting over or accomplishing dreams, so immigrants travel over to follow those dreams. People emigrate from one country to another for a variety of complex reasons. Some are forced to move, due to conflictRead MoreThe Immigration Of The United States1711 Words   |  7 PagesThe vast majority of people living in the United States are descendants of immigrants, and yet majority of them are against them. It is quickly forgotten that America was built on immigrants that wanted a new life. A life free from harsh government, and the freedom from forced religion. The original settlers were immigrants that stole this land; immigrants continued to come for years. It is not a newly constructed concept that immigrants have always been a problem, ask any Native American. One usedRead MoreImmigration Of The United States1064 Words   |  5 Pages Camarota (2007, p.1), director of the Immigration Studies Center, reports there are 1.6 million documented and undocumented migrants take up residence in the United States every year. Camarota goes on to say that the immigrants occupy one-eighth of the total population who settled in the U.S. The flood of aliens, to a significant degree, hinders the development of the United States. Therefore, the issues which relate to immigration must not be neglected, and the government should keep the numberRead MoreImmigration And The United States Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pages Immigration has been a large conversation topic for such a long time in our country. We have worked on policies for immigration, and have made changes to them throughout the duration of our country’s existence. This topic is always worth mentioning and important, but has become a bigger topic once again due to presidential elections and the conversations being had about immigration from said elections. It is not necessarily easily seen if the concern with immigration is who is here legally or limitingRead MoreImmigration Of The United States1565 Words   |  7 PagesA native of Mexico, Gonzalez came to the United States using a visa, to visit family members and in 1994, police convicted Gonzalez of the abduction and rape of a Waukegan, Illinois woman. During his conviction his attorney, Vanessa Potkin, addressed that at twenty years old, Gonzalez spoke very little English, had no criminal record, and yet the police wanted to pin the crime on him. Twenty years later, DNA from the crime cleared him of both charges, and Gonzalez is now threatened with deportationRead MoreImmigration : The United States1087 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States is a popular and powerful which many people admire. 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Not all immigrants come to America legally whether as naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents

Ben and Jerry Free Essays

Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream company is well known for its sales in the USA, Europe, and Asia. They are a very well established, successful, global operation. Since 2000, the company has continually improved their ice-cream brands. We will write a custom essay sample on Ben and Jerry or any similar topic only for you Order Now They sell its named ice-cream and frozen yogurt under brand names such as Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia. Chunky Monkey is banana ice-cream with fudge chunks and walnuts. In 2009, Chunky Monkey was named among the top ten best ice-cream flavors in London. Philanthropy is also a strength of Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream. The Company contributed $1,206,412 to the Ben Jerry’s Foundation in 2002, as compared to $1,178,423 in 2001. Ben and Jerry’s divide the philanthropic pool of funds between the Foundation, Corporate Philanthropy, and employee Community Action Teams (CATs). The company sponsors many PartnerShops. Partnershops are Ben and Jerry’s scoop shop outlets which are independently owned and operated by nonprofit organizations. The organizations they partner with, work with youth that encounter barriers to employment. They use the scoop shops as a place to carryout hands-on job training. Ben and Jerry’s waive the franchise fee and provide additional financial support to their partners. They have more than 750 Scoop Shops worldwide. The company is involved in global warming campaigns. Ben and Jerry’s commitment is to reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent. On many levels, their employees are directly involved to help make this commitment happen. After twenty-five years of independent operation, Ben and Jerry’s were bought out by Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch multinational consumer products firm for $325 million. Under the deal, Unilever gave Ben and Jerry’s shareholders $43. 60 per share. Through it all, Ben and Jerry’s were able to retain their social responsibility stand. They were able to keep the co-founders involved with product development. Ben and Jerry’s brands complemented Unilever’s ice-cream brands. In the past, Ben and Jerry’s have lacked professionalism from their upper management. In 2006, the company’s former CFO, Stuart Wiles, was found guilty of embezzling some $300,000 from the company during his tenure which ran from 2000 to 2004. He spent the money on car repairs, gifts, vacations, entertainment, clothing – and even a $58,000 addition to his home. He was sentenced to twenty-seven months in prison. Also, in 2006, they had to stop using Michael Foods as their egg supplier. An animal welfare campaign pressured Ben and Jerry’s to dump the egg producer accused of mistreating its chickens. An undercover video, showed dead and dying chickens stuck in their cages. Ben and Jerry’s bought about two million pounds of eggs per year from the supplier. Despite several corporate weaknesses, the company achieved success. In 1994, Ben and Jerry’s reinvested large amounts of money into property and equipment. By purchasing the property and equipment, they increased their long-term debts by almost 45 percent. They also increased their marketing and selling expenses. They thought it would be best to take out an immense amount of capital lease to automate production. They saw the need to do this so they could keep up with the intense competition. In today’s health conscious society, Ben and Jerry’s have introduced more fat-free and healthy alternative ice-cream and frozen yogurt products. These low-fat, no-fat products still contain the creamy richness and unbeatable quality, but only have three grams of fat per serving. Ben and Jerry’s also provide allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. In 2008, Ben and Jerry’s acquired Best Foods and Slim-fast. Slim-fast happens to be one of Unilever’s top-performers allowing them to enter a new industry of weight loss products. In turn, Unilever can now expand into more countries like Europe, where weight loss management is taking hold. In 2009, Ben and Jerry’s announced plans to introduce the country’s first HFC-free freezer. These freezers do not emit harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Most freezers in the U. S. use hydro fluorocarbon gases to generate cooling. These HFC’s have a significant downside. HFCs are among a group of refrigerants, known as â€Å"F-gases†, highly potent greenhouse gases. The most commonly used HFC has a global warming potential (GWP) of 3,200. This means that a ton of this gas in the atmosphere has the same global warming effect as 3,200 tons of carbon dioxide. Over time, all those leaking freezers can make a significant contribution to the problems of global warming. How to cite Ben and Jerry, Papers

Ben and Jerry Free Essays

Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream company is well known for its sales in the USA, Europe, and Asia. They are a very well established, successful, global operation. Since 2000, the company has continually improved their ice-cream brands. We will write a custom essay sample on Ben and Jerry or any similar topic only for you Order Now They sell its named ice-cream and frozen yogurt under brand names such as Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia. Chunky Monkey is banana ice-cream with fudge chunks and walnuts. In 2009, Chunky Monkey was named among the top ten best ice-cream flavors in London. Philanthropy is also a strength of Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream. The Company contributed $1,206,412 to the Ben Jerry’s Foundation in 2002, as compared to $1,178,423 in 2001. Ben and Jerry’s divide the philanthropic pool of funds between the Foundation, Corporate Philanthropy, and employee Community Action Teams (CATs). The company sponsors many PartnerShops. Partnershops are Ben and Jerry’s scoop shop outlets which are independently owned and operated by nonprofit organizations. The organizations they partner with, work with youth that encounter barriers to employment. They use the scoop shops as a place to carryout hands-on job training. Ben and Jerry’s waive the franchise fee and provide additional financial support to their partners. They have more than 750 Scoop Shops worldwide. The company is involved in global warming campaigns. Ben and Jerry’s commitment is to reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent. On many levels, their employees are directly involved to help make this commitment happen. After twenty-five years of independent operation, Ben and Jerry’s were bought out by Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch multinational consumer products firm for $325 million. Under the deal, Unilever gave Ben and Jerry’s shareholders $43. 60 per share. Through it all, Ben and Jerry’s were able to retain their social responsibility stand. They were able to keep the co-founders involved with product development. Ben and Jerry’s brands complemented Unilever’s ice-cream brands. In the past, Ben and Jerry’s have lacked professionalism from their upper management. In 2006, the company’s former CFO, Stuart Wiles, was found guilty of embezzling some $300,000 from the company during his tenure which ran from 2000 to 2004. He spent the money on car repairs, gifts, vacations, entertainment, clothing – and even a $58,000 addition to his home. He was sentenced to twenty-seven months in prison. Also, in 2006, they had to stop using Michael Foods as their egg supplier. An animal welfare campaign pressured Ben and Jerry’s to dump the egg producer accused of mistreating its chickens. An undercover video, showed dead and dying chickens stuck in their cages. Ben and Jerry’s bought about two million pounds of eggs per year from the supplier. Despite several corporate weaknesses, the company achieved success. In 1994, Ben and Jerry’s reinvested large amounts of money into property and equipment. By purchasing the property and equipment, they increased their long-term debts by almost 45 percent. They also increased their marketing and selling expenses. They thought it would be best to take out an immense amount of capital lease to automate production. They saw the need to do this so they could keep up with the intense competition. In today’s health conscious society, Ben and Jerry’s have introduced more fat-free and healthy alternative ice-cream and frozen yogurt products. These low-fat, no-fat products still contain the creamy richness and unbeatable quality, but only have three grams of fat per serving. Ben and Jerry’s also provide allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. In 2008, Ben and Jerry’s acquired Best Foods and Slim-fast. Slim-fast happens to be one of Unilever’s top-performers allowing them to enter a new industry of weight loss products. In turn, Unilever can now expand into more countries like Europe, where weight loss management is taking hold. In 2009, Ben and Jerry’s announced plans to introduce the country’s first HFC-free freezer. These freezers do not emit harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Most freezers in the U. S. use hydro fluorocarbon gases to generate cooling. These HFC’s have a significant downside. HFCs are among a group of refrigerants, known as â€Å"F-gases†, highly potent greenhouse gases. The most commonly used HFC has a global warming potential (GWP) of 3,200. This means that a ton of this gas in the atmosphere has the same global warming effect as 3,200 tons of carbon dioxide. Over time, all those leaking freezers can make a significant contribution to the problems of global warming. How to cite Ben and Jerry, Papers

Sailing to Byzantium (1927) by William Butler Yeats Essay Example

Sailing to Byzantium (1927) by William Butler Yeats Essay The poem â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† was written by William Butler Yeats in 1926, and it was part of a collection called Tower. The title of the poem refers to the ancient city of Byzantium in Turkey that is presently known as Istanbul. It is the first of two poems known together as the Byzantium series. The poem has four eight-line stanzas that are metered in iambic pentameter (Brittanica, Para 2). The poem is prismatic in nature and viewed in the right angle reveals a spectrum of meanings and emotions.   It is through the use of many literary devices that the poet is able to convey these multiple meanings. Yeats, drawing from his personal life experiences, effectively dwells on the themes of escape from the world’s troubles and a search for immortality. Through his meticulous choice of words Yeats brings out the frustration and intense need for escape and immortality that many people feel in their moments of desperation (Ensminger para 1). The poem opens with the line: â€Å"That is no country for old men.† Thus the poet expresses his deep concern for ‘old age’ while in a subtle manner; he also implies that it is a country that is meant for the young and lively things. These youthful things and abundance of life are well brought out by the poet by references to the ‘the young in one anothers arms’ ‘birds in the trees† ‘the salmon-falls’ and ‘the mackerel crowded seas’ (Yeats 2-4). This is followed by the line â€Å"Whatever is begotten born and dies.† This shows the frustration of the poet at the inevitability of mortality. Yeats rues the fact that the society tends to focus only on the sensual things of the present world and ignores more substantial things such as wisdom and intellect: â€Å"Caught in that sensual music all neglect/Monuments of unageing intellect† (Yeats 7-8). We will write a custom essay sample on Sailing to Byzantium (1927) by William Butler Yeats specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sailing to Byzantium (1927) by William Butler Yeats specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sailing to Byzantium (1927) by William Butler Yeats specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The second stanza begins with the description of an old man as a paltry thing, / A tattered coat upon a stick (Yeats 9-10). These lines seem to reflect the poet’s own physical inability and old age. The poet says that the only thing that can give life to such an old man is the ability to sing through his poetry. The poet holds that poetry is the magic potion that can He believes that his poetry can help him to overcome the transience of time and old age. â€Å"For every tatter in its mortal dress† (Yeats 12)refers to the human body that is suffering from many physical inabilities. The poet reflects that there is no ‘singing school’ implying that poetry cannot be taught. It needs to be studied and that is why the poet travels across the seas and decides to arrive at the â€Å"holy city of Byzantium†: the holy city is a sort of paradise that the poet holds in his mind (Kennedy and Gioia 866-67). Here, the writer uses symbolism. His reference to sailing to Byzantium seems to be metaphorical voyage to a land where art and intellect are valued as things of magnificence and permanence. The third stanza expresses the intense plea of the poet to the divine sages of Byzantium to save him from death. He calls out to them â€Å"O sages standing in God’s holy fire† (Yeats 17). He wants them to come from the holy fire and allow him the gift of creating poetry. This is what the poet expresses through the lines: â€Å"Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre/And be the singing-masters of my soul† (Yeats 19-20). He wants poetry to rule his heart which has no identity of its own: â€Å"It knows not what it is;† (Yeats 23) At this point, the poet once again refers to his aging body and his desires trapped in the aging body through the lines â€Å"sick with desire/And fastened to a dying animal. Through the gift of poetry, the poet firmly believes, the sages can save him from mortality and enter the â€Å"artifice of eternity† (Thorndike 1852). In the final stanza, the poet says that once he has escaped mortality, he will not desire to take any natural form as all natural forms are bound to die one day or other. Instead he desires to be a beautiful gold bird. This gold bird would be one like those made by â€Å"Grecian goldsmiths/ Of hammered gold and gold enamelling† (Yeats 25-26). He might in the form of this beautiful golden bird would then enjoy the power â€Å"To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;† He might also be â€Å"set upon a golden bough to sing/To lords and ladies of Byzantium/Of what is past, or passing, or to come† (Yeats 31-32). In this final stanza the poet refers to the fact that true immortality can be acquired only through an intellectual permanence of poetry. The poet feels through his poetry â€Å"the golden bird†, he will be able to â€Å"sing† to many people about â€Å"the past, the present and the future†. This reference to the past, the present and the future in dicates the permanence and timelessness the poet believes can come through poetry. The poet uses symbolism widely in this poem. He refers to a bird in each stanza and the meaning of the bird as one that represents immortality and freedom from physical inabilities is found in the last stanza. The bird is not a natural bird but rather a golden bird and one that is artistically made. This means that the bird is not mortal and cannot die. The fact that it is artistic shows that only through poems considered works of art in literature- the poet can achieve that immortality. The metaphor of singing that the poet uses throughout the poem refers to the ‘music’ in poetry.   In the opening stanza the song is that of the birds in the trees, in the second and third stanzas, it is about a ‘singing school’ and finally the poet refers to the song of the golden bird. According to him, only by reading poems he can learn to step into that world of immortality (Thorndike 1853). It has been found that Yeats has used personal experiences to color his poem in a brilliant manner. He was exposed to Byzantine art twenty years prior to writing Sailing to Byzantium. He has described Byzantine mosaics for imagery in the third stanza.   When Yeats was nearly sixty years old, he saw Mediterranean mosaic works that compared the permanence of art with the transience of nature. The impact can be felt in the lines: Once out of nature I shall never take / My bodily form from any natural thing, / But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make (25-27). Yeats, during that period was suffering physically and was old. His depressed feelings at home made him desire travel.   It is probably this desire that is expressed through the metaphoric voyage in the poem. (Allen 3728). In the third stanza, the poet refers to a particular painting he saw in a Ravenna church, which shows martyrs being burned for their faith. The phrase â€Å"perne in a gyre† (Yeats 19) refers to a spi nning wheel such as those Yeats would have seen during his youth in Sligo. Yeats refers to the words associated with mortal life in monosyllables such as â€Å"fish, flesh, fowl† and â€Å"aged man†. But he uses polysyllables to express the permanence of intellect such as â€Å"Monuments of unageing intellect† And â€Å"Of hammered gold and gold enamelling.† This technique allows an undercurrent of the superiority of art over human life to flow through the poem. The poem can be taken as a metaphor for the poet’s journey to an ideal afterlife, or as a commentary on the permanence of artistic achievement or both. However, one finds through the use of metaphors, and symbolic language, the poem â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† is kaleidoscopic and offers multiple ways of interpretation. Moreover, it has become a poem that can be included in comparisons with other poems in the realm of travel, age, nature, birds as symbols and afterlife.   It is mostly due to its multiple interpretive capabilities that this poem has reached the permanence and timelessness the poet sought during his lifetime.

Why 40% of Mergers and Joint Ventures Fail †Business Essay

Why 40% of Mergers and Joint Ventures Fail – Business Essay Free Online Research Papers Why 40% of Mergers and Joint Ventures Fail Business Essay There have been a lot of companies in the recent past who have merged with other companies. They could be successful or after some time, they may fail. A successful company merger presently could be Sony Erickson, with Sony being one company and Erickson another before the merger. An incident of a merger failure could be Dunlop Pirelli. This essay will attempt to show the reasons as to why 40% of mergers and joint ventures fail. The topics under which the writer will prove this are change, leadership, communication, culture, McGregor’s X and Y theory. Regarding change, resistance to change will be talked about when it comes to two or more companies merging. When it comes to leadership, the possible clashes between autocratic and democratic leadership styles will be discussed. We will see what Gaut and Perrigo have to say about it, and also from Adler and Elmhorst. The laissez- faire style of leadership will also be discussed. As for communication, the possible problems that can occur with companies who have open communication merging with others who have closed communication will be discussed. Clashes with supportive and defensive communication will also be shown. It would be clearly explained by Gaut and Perrigo. Culture is a very big factor which decides whether a merger is a failure or not. Under culture, low context culture versus high context culture; Individualism versus Collectivism; High power distance versus low power distance; Low uncertainty avoidance versus high uncertainty avoidance; masculinity versus femininity, and finally monochronic versus polychronic will be discussed. Here again, Adler and Elmhorst, will explain individualism and collectivism, and so will Trompenaars. We will see the different types of cultures Handy talks about, and also what Hofstede has to say about culture. McGregor’s X and Y theory will be discussed, where problems of X workers clashing with Y workers will be explained. Mergers take place when two or more companies join together to form one big company. Joint ventures are similar to mergers, but the only difference is that the two companies still keep their separate identities. â€Å"A merger can resemble a takeover but result in a new company name (often combining the names of the original companies) and in new branding; in some cases, terming the combination a merger rather than an acquisition is done purely for political or marketing reasons.†(1) One main reason as to why mergers fail is that both companies have different leadership styles. If two different leadership styles come together, the chance of a successful merger is very slim. The meaning of leadership is as follows: â€Å"In the most simplest terms, leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something we want them to do.†( Gaut Perrigo). According to Adler Elmhorst (2005), there are three main leadership styles. The first style is the autocratic style. â€Å"Some leaders are authoritarian, using legitimate, coercive, and reward power at their disposal to control members.†(Adler,R Elmhorst,J). Gaut Perrigo (1998) acknowledges the fact that an autocratic leader is someone who sees himself as the central person in authority and who has power over his workers. Adler Elmhorst continues by saying that there are democratic leaders who invite the workers to help in decision making. Gaut Perrigo (1998) also demonstrates that a democratic leader is a person who involves his followers in decision making. There could also be a third leadership style which is laissez- faire. â€Å"The designated leader gives up the power of that position and transforms the group into a leaderless collection of equals.†(Adler Elmhorst). Therefore one can see that if any of these types of leadership come together then it would be disastrous, as the management of one company will be in conflict with the management of the other merging company as to which leadership style to adopt. They could ultimately come to no agreement and the merger would fail. The next factor that is going to be discussed is the different types of communication styles of merging companies. According to Gaut Perrigo (1998), â€Å"Communication style is defined as the manner in which you disclose information to your co-workers, supervisor(s) and subordinates.† Gaut Perrigo further explains that there can be open communication and closed communication. They say that open communication is all about people sharing information and opinions freely. They add that, in contrast closed communication involves little information shared and that workers don’t feel free to tell their opinions. Another type of contrasting communication styles according to Gaut Perrigo are defensive and supportive communication. They say that defensive communication will be there when the workers lack openness and also honesty with each other. In contrast, they explain that supportive communication is where there is plenty of openness and honesty. Therefore, defensive communication reduces the communication effectiveness but supportive communication enhances job productivity and satisfaction. Therefore, if there is a clash between any of these types of communication styles when merging – like open and close communication, defensive and supportive communication – then the merger can turn out to be a failure. This is because workers who are used to one type of communication won’t get along with workers who are used to another type of communication. A very important factor that will decide whether a merger is successful or not, are the culture of both companies who are merging. There are many sub- factors under this. Culture could be defined as follows: â€Å"The shared values, traditions, customs, philosophy, and policies of a corporation; also, the professional atmosphere that grows from this and affects behaviour and performance† (2) There could be one company who has an individualistic culture merging with another company who has a collectivist culture. Adler Elmhorst(2005) explains that workers in firms who nature individualistic cultures tend to think about themselves first, and then only the society. They also say that there is a lot of freedom available to them. This is given to them in order to achieve their personal goals. Trompenaars(2003) says that individualism affects three critical areas, which are negotiations, decision making and motivation. He says that individuals seek to be distinguished within the group, and that the other members also approve of this. He says the word â€Å"I† is the most used word for individualism. Adler Elmhorst(2005) say that in collectivist cultures, contrastingly, the workers work in groups and their first loyalty is towards one another in the group. They add that workers of collectivist societies are likely to believe that the welfare of the company is as import ant as themselves. Therefore as we can see, individualistic workers and collectivist workers will never go hand in hand with each other. This is because both types of workers are working with a different mind set which are two extremes. The other type of culture clash is power distance. Adler Elmhorst defines that â€Å"power distance refers to attitude toward differences in authority.† They say that there are high power distances and low power distances. They continue by saying that high power distance cultures emphasizes that there is unequal power distributed among the workers. Some workers are believed to have more influence and resources than others. Whereas low power distance cultures treat everyone equal, and even if the manager has a bit more power than the other workers, the managers’ powers are not exaggerated. According to Handy, he divides culture into four categories. The first is power culture which means authority is with a few people only. It has a few rules only. The second is role culture, where the amount of power is defined from the role of the person in the company. He names the third as task culture where teams are formed to solve the firm’s problems. The last is called a person culture where the workers think they are more important than the company. (3) If two different cultures explained by Handy merge, for example – power culture and task culture, then the risk of failure will be very high. In contrast, Hofstede talks about five characteristics of culture. He agrees with Adler Elmhorst that there can be differences in the power distances, which can be high or low. He also talks of individualism where workers are supposed to stand up for themselves, the other being collectivism where workers work as a group. Additionally, Hofstede talks about masculinity versus femininity, which explains the differences between male and females values. He says that male values usually include competitiveness, ambition and things like material possessions. On the other hand, he describes female values like being feelings and relationships. He also talks of uncertainty avoidance where he says that society or, in this case a firm will be prepared to accept risks only to a certain extent. He also mentions short and long orientations. (4) Another type of culture clash is between high context culture and low context culture. According to Adler Elmhorst, a low context culture means that workers will use verbal communication to show feelings, thoughts and ideas. On the other hand, a high context culture expresses meaning by using nonverbal methods, in order to maintain harmony between the workers. The final factor in culture which will be discussed is the concept of monochronic and polychronic. People(in this case workers) who are monochronic will do one job at a time, whereas people who are polychronic will tend to do many jobs at the same time, but at the end of the day hasn’t finished a single job. Monochronic people concentrate really hard on the job they are doing, they also take deadlines very seriously. Contrastingly, polychronic people are very distractible and are prone to interruptions. Monochronic people are low context and need a lot of information, whereas it’s the opposite for polychronic pe ople where they are high context and already have plenty of information. (5) Therefore, it can be said that if polychronic workers of one firm merges with another firm which has monochronic workers- the merger won’t be a successful one as these two types of workers won’t work well hand in hand. The next topic which will be discussed regarding mergers, is the concept of change. Resistance to change will be discussed in detail as it is appropriate for mergers, and whether they are successful or not. Resistance to change can be defined as: â€Å"Resistance to change is the action taken by individuals and groups when they perceive that a change that is occurring as a threat to them.† (6) The workers of a company who are about to go through some kind of change, in this case a merger, will start to oppose the change if they feel that they are going to lose out in the merger. There could be an instance where there is resistance from the customers regarding the merger. They may not support the change, and may switch to firms which are rivals to the merging firms. (7) As can be seen, resistance to change is a threat to the success of a merger. The management of the two firms merging will have to deal with the problems created by the workers. They may lose customers who are a gainst the merger. All this could spell failure. McGregor’s X and Y theory states that there are two types of workers X and Y. â€Å"Theory X assumes that the average person: dislikes work and attempts to avoid it; has no ambition, wants no responsibility, and would rather follow than lead; is self centered and therefore does not care about organisational goals; resists change; is gullible and not particularly intelligent.† (8) Theory Y is just the opposite of X. Y workers are committed to their jobs, and seek responsibility. They seek rewards and will work hard in order to get it. They are creative and genuine. If there is a merger, where in one company there are X workers and the other- Y workers, probability of a successful merger is very slim. Therefore, from the above established information, one could see that most mergers would fail due to the above reasons. The writer would also like to add a few things. The problem of tall and flat structures could also be present when two companies merge. A tall structure is where a firm has many layers from the top manager to the lowest worker. A flat structure doesn’t have many layers. If a manager of a flat organisation mergers with an organisation which is tall, he would want to get rid of unnecessary workers by delayering. Many workers will lose their jobs, and they will demand compensation. This is costly as the company will have to pay every worker who got unemployed because of the merger, and if they don’t compensate they will create a bad image, and therefore customers may switch their loyalty to other rival companies. The merger would ultimately fail. Regarding resistance to change, one solution could be educating the workforce. The managers could tell the workers of the benefits that the merger could bring. This would definitely reduce the amount of resistance and would lead to a successful merger. However, this method may not always work as some workers may not change their minds. Other solutions could be participation and involvement, where the managers will ask the workers to help in the process of merging. This would make the workers more involved, and they would resist less to the change. Facilitation and support could be a third solution where the managers would try to help the workers during the process of merging. The managers could strike an agreement or negotiation with the workers. All this will reduce the amount of resistance. When we talk about culture clashes and its problems, the solution that comes to mind is that the managers of the different firms which are coming together should first agree on one culture. This corporate culture should remain and should not be changed. However, they should introduce it slowly and not at once, so that the workers will have time to get used to it. If the merged company introduces it too quickly, then workers would not be able to adapt to it. They may get frustrated and leave the company (including efficient workers). In the end, the company would suffer from a shortage of workers and would have to start recruiting workers. This would be a difficult procedure and the merger would eventually fail. Another factor that could increase the chances of a merger surviving, are government subsidies. If the government thinks that a particular merger is beneficial for the society, then it would provide subsidies which will reduce the cost of merging, and therefore make it easier for the merger to take place. However, the opposite could also happen. The government may think that the merger is not in the best interest of the people. If it thinks like that, it may make it very difficult for the two companies to merge. It could, for example, increase the corporation tax rates of the merged firm. Therefore the firm would have to pay a higher percentage of its profit as tax. The profitability of the firm would fall, and it would fail. One definite threat for a smaller company merging with a very large company is the fact that it could result in a take over, where the large company would have the ability to take over the smaller one by buying more than 50% of the shares. In which case, the smaller company would lose its identity. Therefore, the workers who were working in the smaller company could become non- co operative because they feel that they have lost their identity. Therefore, the overall efficiency would go down, and they would become less competitive and ultimately fail. Therefore, if a merger is to be successful, it would be advisable that two companies of similar sizes merge. Then, they would have similar powers and not an imbalance of power. As had been said before, there could be autocratic leaders and democratic leaders. A solution that can reduce the possibility of a merger failing could be that the new management could appoint a leader that can be both democratic, and also autocratic at times. This is because when two companies merge, there will be all sorts of workers. There could be workers who are lazy and inefficient, and there could be workers who are efficient and like responsibility. This type of leader could be democratic towards the workers who are efficient and hard working, but could be autocratic towards the lazy ones. This way the company can get useful ideas out of the efficient ones, and also would be assured that the inefficient workers work. This approach would definitely reduce the possibility of a merger failing. There could be an instance where one company which is producing one type of product merges with another company producing a different type of product. Since the managers of one company do not have the expertise in the other company’s product, and vice versa, the management decisions would not be professional. This could make them incompetent, and they would lose customers and market share. They would eventually fail. On the other hand, one could say that if two companies producing different products merge, then they would be diversifying. This would be really good as they would have more security. For example, if one product is making a loss, it would be covered by the profit of the other product. Therefore, this would help the merged company to survive in the market and not fail. Mergers could achieve economies of scale or suffer from diseconomies of scale. This could be further explained. The general understanding is that when a merger takes place, the new company would become bigger in size. This could be an advantage to them as they will have the ability to achieve economies of scale. This is where an increase in output reduces the cost of input. However, if the company goes over the optimum level of output, they could suffer diseconomies of scale, which is when the cost of inputs increases at a higher rate than the output. As a result, if the company can not control its cost due to diseconomies of scale, they would fail. To avoid failing, they should produce the optimum amount of units. International mergers are discussed when we talk about mergers. It could be said that international mergers, where a company from one country merging with a company from another country, could have less chances of survival. This is because the two companies will have different styles of working. In one country, the people in general may consider relationships and socialising the top priority, and then only working. In the other country however, they may consider work as the highest priority, and then only things like social activities and relationships. Therefore, both companies will probably have different priorities, and so in the end, nothing will be achieved and it will be a disaster. Therefore, if international mergers were to take place, the merger should be with companies of which the two countries have the same priorities. Then only will there be good co ordination. The other big problem when it comes to international mergers is the communication barriers that arise. Since th ere is a big distance between the two companies, there could be breakdowns in communication. Misunderstandings can occur which can lead to wrong decision making. If they are operating in a competitive market, this wrong decision made could cost the merged company a lot and they may fail. However, these days, due to technological advancement – the amount of distance has reduced for internationally merged companies. In other words, globalisation has helped reduce the possibility of failure. An example of technological progress is in the invention of video conferencing, where the managers from two different countries, can see the person they are talking to without ever actually having to leave the country. This will save time and cost, and reduce the amount of misunderstandings. When we discuss merger failures, we were mainly talking about the internal factors that contribute to their failure. We have to consider the external factors as well. We could say that if interest rates change, the company that is merging has no power over it. If interest rates increase, then the cost of merging will increase (especially if there were a lot of borrowings involved). This unanticipated cost may be too much to cope and it will fail. However, if interest rates fall it would be beneficial. If inflation rates increase after the merger takes place, the demand will fall as people reduce their spending as it is expensive. The merger will have to cope with the lower demand first up in addition to its internal problems. They may suffer with the huge pressure. However, if the inflation rise is temporary, then it would not be a problem. There could also be special pressure groups who could campaign against the merger for some reason. One reason could be that the merger will conve rt the new company into a monopoly with over twenty five percent of market share. The pressure groups could convince the public that the merger is not in their interests. The consumers may retaliate be not buying the company’s products. This would lead to a reduction in sales and profits. The company may close down because of this. Therefore, from the above factors discussed above, it could be agreeable that many mergers fail. However, one doubts whether the percentage of mergers failing could be as high as 40%, it could be a bit lower. The reasons that would explain that 40% is too high can be shown by the following: Most mergers that are set up have been carefully planned by the merging firms. It’s not practical to choose any firm to merge with. There should be a careful screening of firms, and the firm that is the most compatible one to the other firm who is selecting, should be chosen. Even if mergers do have problems at the start, it would only be in the short term. In the long term, however, the merger would reap positive benefits. They would become a large stable company, and would become very competitive in the market. They could also achieve economies of scale, which would reduce costs. The end result would be that they become very profitable, and would not definitely fail. Therefore, it would be natural for companies who are merging, to go through the usual cycle of short run difficulties, followed by long term gains. There would be cases of mergers failing, but it could be said that it would not be as high as 40%, as long as there is careful planning and selection of the companies who intend to merge. Research Papers on Why 40% of Mergers and Joint Ventures Fail - Business EssayBringing Democracy to AfricaOpen Architechture a white paperThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaStandardized TestingThe Project Managment Office SystemMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Why Applying to as Many Jobs as Possible can be a Mistake

Why Applying to as Many Jobs as Possible can be a Mistake There are two mistakes when applying for jobs. One is to apply to every job in sight, and the other is to apply for multiple positions within the company. Learning the reasons these are mistakes can keep an individual from wasting time and concentrate on the jobs that the individual really wants. If you do not want to waste time finding the right jobs, you can sign up for the right jobs to be sent to you when they become available. Applying for Multiple Jobs at the Same TimeIndividuals who apply for multiple jobs at the same time on job search sites tend to follow the same pattern. Because they are flooding the job websites with multiple applications, they are not taking the time to individualize job applications to show that they are qualified to fill particular jobs. This is the reason why those who send out multiple applications rarely hear back from recruiters. It is better to take the time to research the company and rework a job application to fit the description of the positio n.Focus on Particular JobsThe purpose of a resume is to sell the talents of a worker to a company. The resume should show that the applicant has the credentials to do a particular job and would be a good fit in the position and with the company. A candidate whose resume is too generic will most likely have his or her resume end up in the bottom of the pile.Be Careful Where You Are ApplyingHiring managers or recruiters may post job ads on multiple sites looking for the right match for a job. One mistake job applicants can make is not noticing that they are applying for the same position with the same company over and over. However, the recruiter does notice and may think that the job applicant is sending out multiple resumes without any discretion.Don’t Apply for Nonexistent JobsSome people make the mistake of applying for jobs at a company where none are available. After sending out possibly hundreds of applications, it should be surprising when no responses are forthcoming. Apply only to real job openings where the company is actively looking to fill a position.Applying for Multiple Jobs at the Same CompanyThis can be a big mistake. Recruiters see the job applications as they come in, and an individual who applies for multiple positions within the same company can come across as desperate and willing to take any job. Applying for jobs in this way can end up with the recruiter noting your desperation on your application file. In other words, this is a good way to never get called in for an interview. Recruiters want individuals who actually want particular jobs because they are more likely to stay in the position.How to Apply for Multiple Jobs at the Same CompanyIf a job seeker has an eye to work for a particular company, there are ways to send multiple application, limited to two or three, and still be considered, but it takes finesse to do so. The size of the company can make a difference. A large company may employ multiple recruiters, and that can i ncrease the odds that the same individual will not spot multiple applications from the same person. In addition, focusing only on jobs that are in the same category and for which an individual is fully qualified can make a difference.Getting Your Name Out ThereBesides letting your friends and coworkers know that you are job hunting, it can also be a good idea to use social media such as Facebook or LinkedIn to promote yourself. Many recruiters now take a look at a job applicant’s LinkedIn profile because it can contain much more job information and history than a resume. No matter what an individual’s field of employment is, using job search sites or a job search service can be enhanced by using social media.Applying for a job and getting a callback for an interview takes dedication and focusing on skills and credentials that apply to particular job descriptions. Just as knowing how to get considered for a job is important, so is using the right means to find that job. TheJobNetwork can help by searching job listings that match your skills and expertise to send you email alerts around the clock that might interest you. All you have to do is fill out your qualifications and job interests and TheJobNetwork does the rest. Sign up with TheJobNetwork and get started now.

The link between social class issues and depression for women in Essay

The link between social class issues and depression for women in Scotland - Essay Example Besides, evidence also suggests that social issues such as poverty and discrimination can â€Å"undermine the recovery of people† from mental health problems (Myers, McCollam & Woodhouse, 2005, p.1). It further transpires that despite various initiatives taken to mitigate the problem, various challenges to mental health in Scotland arising out of â€Å"poverty, deprivation, discrimination and inequality† still remain unresolved (p.1). The problem appears to be more compounded in the case of Scottish females from lower social strata as they are unlikely to be financially independent and, thus, have to cope with various other stress elements. In this scenario, a research into the relationship between social class and depression in females in Scotland can facilitate reasonable insights into the mental health problems of this segment, which the logic behind the choice of this topic. The research will primarily be based on the information gleaned from various articles publis hed on the topic, which have been discussed in detail in the annotated bibliography appended below. Scotland’s Mental Health and Its Context: Adults 2009, written by Taulbut M, Parkinson J, Catto S, and Gordon D: This report, co-authored by four professionals in the public health field, on behalf of NHS Health Scotland, identifies the improvement of mental health as a â€Å"national priority† and sets out the objectives of the Scotland government (Taulbut et al, 2009, p.1). It attempts to describe the concept of mental health, identify the risk factors that may cause mental problems as well as the â€Å"difference within the adult population by selected dimensions of equality† (p.1). The report has relied on both quantitative and qualitative data in arriving at its findings and overall it captures the situation in Scotland, especially in the context of specific social status. The data considered for the report are from reliable sources such as public surveys or published by organizations in public or mental health. The surveys relating to 2003 suggest that women and people who live in â€Å"deprived communities† are â€Å"significantly more likely† to become victims of the mental health problems (p.17). It further points to the findings that women have higher risk of mental health problems and â€Å"17%† females have been found to be having ailing from mental health problem while the percentage of males remained at 13 (p.18). In the specific context of depression, the report maintains that it did not â€Å"significantly† differ among gender or age (p.20). Available data further suggests that the adults from lower social strata are more likely to manifest the symptoms of mental health problems at â€Å"12% compared with 8%† of those from higher echelons of the society (p.21). The findings of the study further suggest about three-fourth of the indicators of equalities analysis indicate an â€Å"association between poor mental health† and socio-economic disadvantages (p.155). The report finally provides benchmarks for â€Å"mental health improvement in Scotland† but concedes to one limitation that the data in most cases relate to the year 2000. However, the authors believe that when the availability and quality of data improves in the future the benchmarks can be modified suitably. The

The History and evolution of health care economics Essay

The History and evolution of health care economics - Essay Example Health care economics is one branch of economics that deals with problems like scarcity in the distribution of health care. A general overview of this study includes social issues in healthcare (alcoholism, smoking), health care system, and allocation of funding to public healthcare. Early studies in this field can be attributed to Kenneth Arrow when he published his article titled â€Å" Uncertainty and the Welfare economics of medical care â€Å" in 1963. Nowadays, numerous researches dwelling on health care economics just shows the importance of this issue to modern living. The study of economics would always be a relationship between supply and demand, and healthcare is no exception to such. First, it must be understood that healthcare is a derived demand since it is affects the result of health and must be directly consumed ( Newhouse, 1996) in order to feel its benefits. Although people would not like the idea of receiving this service, they have no choice when they get sick. In fact, Evans and Stoddart (1990 ) asserts that â€Å"Health care is one the determinants of health and from an economic perspective, it is simply an input into the production of health†. This is the main reason why government should spend on healthcare since healthy citizens are more productive and costs less to society. Even individuals should ideally spend for their own preventive healthcare so they would not get sick thereby reducing downtime in terms of man hours. Unfortunately, people do not prioritize healthcare issues all the time since there are other equally important things to spend for such as food, education and housing. It is only when one’s health is endangered do people pay attention to this issue; thus, people even buy costly medicines when they are really sick. On the other hand, Kowalski’s paper in 2003 revealed that â€Å"medical care and prices have an elastic

The uk housing sector

The uk housing sector Introduction The UK housing sector has been under the shadow of ‘Credit Crunch since June 2007, which initiated from United States and began to cover the globe. Not only the construction industry, but all the other industries including textiles etc. were affected due to this. The housing sector was flourishing day by day as more projects where introduced and the log books were filled till next couple of month, until June 2007, the credit crunch began to expand its feathers, after which the whole streamlines began to draw down. The unwanted result for UK housing sector appeared in the form of; 20 30 % of house prices fell from its maximum level, from 2007 onwards Mortgages are not approved as frequently as it was done before and only 50% are approved and new home are not built as frequently as were done before 2007. Goodhart and Hofmann (2008) explain that the mortgage rates are directly dependant on the banks which has a strong impact on the price of the houses. Due to Financial Recession an alarming situation arose resulting in change of different policies within an organization in order to survive. The Large House Builder, plc is a large UK national house builder which has taken necessary steps to counteract the ‘Credit Crunch by maintaining a balance between its cost and its expenditure. This it has done by cutting down its costs, selling the portion of land which it purchased so that it could be sold at a reason able price when required and by repositioning itself into social housing sector. Appleyard (2006) states that the UKs housing sector is going through a change. The current recession has enabled the housing sector to change. This change is usually in the form of merging one firm into another so that both benefit from each others experience and expertise. The company board of Large House Builders, plc has therefore decided to attain the services of Small Firm Ltd which is a small, regional housing developer in the South East of England. This report will address the key change management issues which would take place when there is mergence of Small Housing Builders Ltd into Large Housing Builders plc in regard to its organizational structure and culture. The second part will be the further analysis of this mergence in the form of preparation of a change management plan for the first two years. LARGE HOUSE BUILDER plc The UK national house builder or the Large Housing Builder (LHB) plc has major contribution in UK for the last decade (Appleyard, 2006). The company has a regional structure with offices throughout different locations of the country. This regional structure is managed by a regional manager who is responsible to answer to the central management board concerning his tasks which mainly include the profit /loss, purchasing of land and all the procedures involved in achieving it and the development and marketing of the site. A recent research done by The Future Shape of the Sector Commission (2006) indicates that in 2006, Large House Builders were successful to build 25,000 houses. But due to the recession in 2007, this figure is said to decrease drastically. The research further suggests that to safeguard the market from adverse effects of credit crunch, Large firms started to merge with Small firms in order to benefit itself along with the other firm. The Large House builder plc, being a big organization has the capability to stabilize it in a number of ways. The current Recession has limited the space for the large housing builders to expand further. The only way suggested is by mergence, which can be done by having strong internal and external relationships within and outside the company. This will result in maximum output and the number one priority to satisfy the customer is hence achieved (The Future Shape of the Sector Commission, 2006) ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Greenberg (1996) emphasizes that organization structure should be such that it should clearly elaborate the arrangement between the single and assembly of people corresponding to the assigned duties, abilities and power with a certain organization. Although it is not possible to see the organizational structure physically but it can be presented in the form of a chart known as â€Å"organization chart† which elaborates the layout of the parties involved in the organization. Such organization chart can be seen for Large House Builders (Appendix B). The organization structure of Large Housing Builders is a complex one as many parties are involved in this firm. In fact there are as many as 20 sub-parties working at a time for a single project. They can be from designing team to finished project, transportation and logistics of construction materials to finance department, from IT department to Estimation works etc. From this fact it can be seen that it is quite difficult to structure the organization on one single page. In order to define the goals, the relevant part of the organization is magnified yet there is a deep inter-relation between different parties of the company which hurdles the way. As stated earlier, the firm is making its best for the survival in the current Credit Crunch. Although the top management is giving more importance to work hard in order to achieve prosperity which it has seen in the form of positive development yet the entire struggle is ending in vain as the current financial crisis is not permitting to prosper. The management of the firm feels like climbing a huge mountain when it comes to paying the salaries to the staff in the current credit crunch. According to Lu (2009, CL) the structure of the company is the correct usage of the potential facilities and the capacity that a company has. There can be three ways in which the project can be integrated into the firm: Functional Structure In this type of structure, much emphasize is given to functional part. Projects are located in functional units such as human resources, finance and marketing where as the projects located in function which has dominant role with relevant staff being seconded from other functions for duration of the project. The disadvantage is this structure is that all groups are more focused towards functional manager. Matrix Structure The Matrix structure is the one which has both the functional manager as well as the project manager. The members of the project have to report to both the functional as well as the project managers. There are three types of matrix structures according to their strengths; a. Functional Matrix Structure In this the functional managers are more dominant than the project managers. This type of matrix system is also called â€Å"Weak Matrix† system and is mostly suitable for large Firms. b. Balanced Matrix Structure In this type the project managers and the functional managers share equal power amongst them. This type of matrix structure is also called a â€Å"Perfect Matrix†. c. Project Matrix Structure In this type of structure, project managers are more dominant over the functional managers. This type of matrix structure is also called â€Å"Strong Matrix† and is mostly suitable for small firms. Project Structure In this type, the projects are self-contained structural units with each unit having its own staff members and resources. From the above mentioned type of matrix structures, the Large House Builders is having the â€Å"Functional Matrix Structure†(Fig.1). The firm was having a boom in construction as it produced about 25,000 houses in 2006. With the initiation of Recession Period in 2007, the firm started to stabilize its self by cutting down its costs. The firms performance was good when considering each project separately but on a broader perspective, there was less or poor coordination between different projects as the structure of the firm was based on some prototype or typical functions. Thus this structure permitted Large House Builders to enhance their accuracy level by keeping themselves gentle and adjustable with the members of the different projects. In the functional matrix structure, the staff members report to the functional manager as well as the project manager as stated by Lu (2009, CL). This sometimes took a shape of minor clashes between different parties and thus halting and making delay in the project. By analyzing the firm, it was seen that the structure of the company changes as the project progresses. These changes were not massive in nature; in fact some minor changes were taking place. When the bidding phase starts, the firm was showing a firm functional type of structure. As the project initiated, the Functional Structure branched out into two parts. When talking about individual project, Project Structure was mostly dominant and the overall structure of the firm was found to be Matrix rather than Functional. Finally at the completion of the project, Matrix Structure was found which influenced both the Projects as well as the firm itself. As stated earlier, that the company has regional managers which are controlled by the management board thus indicate that it is a â€Å"divisionalized organization† as whole of the structure of company is well organized. The characteristics of divisionalized organization are stated below; The management board directs the divisional members who further authorize the regional members to take control of the profit/loss, land acquisition and marketing. This type of arrange corresponds to the â€Å"middle line† part of the organization. This can be considered as the backbone of an organization where key decisions are taken Lu (2009). The firm has â€Å"limited vertical decentralization† of authority as regional managers are in charge of their region and the company is very much dependant on them. The regional managers are in focus of their jobs perspective and have only one goal of â€Å"Standardization of outputs† and thus producing quality houses in favor of the customers. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE According to Schein (2004) culture is an in-depth knowledge of assumptions, faiths and values that the members of the organization take as granted. However, it is difficult to describe it and can simply be regarded as the charm or the identity of the organization. Organizational culture has got both the formal as well as the informal components (Lu, 2009cl). Formal elements like aims and objectives were apparent as all the necessary steps were taken to strengthen the firm not only in its own field but other forms of construction as well. Whereas the informal components such as racism, religious symbolism etc. some what were not in line with the latest policies of the company. The board management took a notice of these moral values which were creating problem and hindrance in the achievement of the firms goals. According to Handy (1993) there can be four types of cultures as stated below; Power Culture In power culture, whole of the control is concentrated to very few individuals. This usually have a family type culture and is suitable for small to medium sized firms where the reaction to the current market trend is very instant. Role Culture In role culture the roles are assigned on the basis of functions. These functions are allocated to different member to do the job. Such a setup is usually in large firms. Achievement Culture Achievement culture is very much based on results and outcomes. Examples can be such firms in with much research and development activities take place. Support Culture In this type of culture, much importance is given to an individual person within the organization. Example can be such as within a design team only importance given to Architect. From the above discuss, Large House Builders plc were found to have â€Å"ROLE† culture because each member fully focused on the role given by the top management. The staff members with not encouraged to do such task which was not stated in their role statement. As all the managerial bodies were assigned their role statements, the junior managers tried to prove their mettle by giving more in the current credit crunch whereas the senior management was try to stabilize the firm in its own way which resulted in some unsettlement between the organization. ORGANIZATIONAL STRETEGY Hersey et.al (1969) defines a strategy as the setting and arrangement of the tasks which an organization wants to achieve. There is a long debate as to whether the strategy is set first or the structure of the organization is set first. But for a successful completion of the desired aim, strategy and structure are always in line with each other Lu (2009,Cl). The high standard of the firm was due to the fact that the management board was quite aware of the strength and weaknesses of their company. Every step taken was towards the stabilization of the business. The management board of Large House Builders was seeing the current credit crunch but was unaware that this could give a real tough time to them. So a meeting was called in which certain points were drawn down, the main theme was that the Banks were unable to give the money to the clients which in return resulted in a complete stop to construction of some time. According to Lu and Sexton (2006) the firm in the phase of innovation can be either explorative or exploitative which counts on the Structure capital, Human capital and relationship capital When seeing Large House Builder plc under the generic company level strategies illustrated by Miles and Snow (1978), the company was found to be â€Å"ANALYZERS†. The company was doing well and was very stable before the credit crunch in 2007. This can be judged by the performance of the company in 2006 as the company produced 25,000 houses indicating that it has very well organized structure and they are very bothered about their efficiency, performance and reputation. Thus they were having good expertise in their field of work with good amount of resources available for their expansion and establishment. Being analyzers, the company will expand their business in the same field i.e. construction of houses which may be on a larger or smaller scale but the basic aim will be stabilization, reputation and good performance. SMALL HOUSE BUILDERS: The Small Firm Ltd is a regional housing developer was has its operations in the South East of England. The firm is a family owned organization in which all the top management is from the same family indicating that the culture of the firm will be a family culture. The key members will have strong belief and good understanding between them. The Small Firm Ltd is completely customer oriented. High priority given to customers is very essential to thrust forward in business. Customer satisfaction is the key to success for the firm. The Small Firm Ltd produced 1,000 social housing units in 2006 which is the clear indication of well established link with public and private authorities. The close link between different authorities is very beneficial as such types of strategies are helpful when there is a limited space and time to stabilize. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The Small Firm Ltd has highly motivated and trustworthy top management whose total emphasize is on customer satisfaction. The firm has produced 1,000 housing units in 2006 for different housing associations and local authorities. This indicates that the firm has strong ties with its customers and all of them have good understanding amongst them. As previously stated, the organizational structures can be Functional, matrix or project structures Lu (2009). From them above discussion it is quite obvious that the firm has â€Å"Project Matrix Structure† which is also called strong matrix due to the reason that in this matrix type, Project Manager has the authority to influence its staff and workers. The workers have to answer to the Project Manager for their work which is the case in Small Firm Ltd due to the strong tie between the Project Manager and the workers. The role of the Functional Manager in firm is independent to the Project Manager as the Functional manager focuses more on the technical side and the resources allocation. The resources and cost allocation is quite tough job when it comes to a complex project. According to Lu (2009), there may be a conflict developed between the Project Manager and the Functional Manager due to the resource allocation. The firm posses a â€Å"machine organization† due to the following reasons as indicated by Lu (2009): The firm is much focused on technostructureso that it competes the market and its competent. The firm shows limited horizontal decentralization as the members of the board share more ideas with the project manager and less with functional managers although both manager types are important for its success. The labor of the firm is hard working and always motivated to do the tasks which contribute to the betterment of the country and the firm. There is a strong communication and co-ordination grip between the labor and the project manager and thus show standardization of work process. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Deal and Kennedy (1982) explained that to check whether an organization is successful or not, study its culture. The Small Firm Ltd has a family culture which means that level of trust and motivation is very high. From the types of cultures explained by Handy (1993), the Small Firm Ltd is having a â€Å"POWER† culture (fig. 4), the reason of power that the total concentration of the power and authority will be on a single person who will be the leader. Small firm ltd is having an informal type of structure which indicated the strong influence of the leader (family member) the staff members including managers. The firm can easily cope with any external discrepancies that may arise during a tenure time of any project. Thus making it self stabilize creates less problems and such firm can easily cope with financial crunch. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY Structure and Strategy should always be inline with each other (Lu, 2009). Thus this type of strategy can be found in Small Firm Ltd as the firm can easily cope with financial crisis. From the types of strategies stated by Miles Snow (1978) the Small Firm Ltd was found to have â€Å"DEFENDER† type of strategy. The Small Firm ltd is very market based firm, close study of market and new trends in market is very beneficial for the company as it helps to change the short comings and thus increase the profit. The strong relation between the top management and the departmental management is in strong observation between the leader which is very beneficial to enhance the chances of survival in the time of difficulty. CURRENT SITUATION The management board of Large House Builder plc has decided to merge with Small Firm Ltd in order to stabilize itself in the ongoing credit crunch period (Appendix 1). This is not the only aim; in fact other things are also taken into consideration like Large House Builder plc is trying to adopt the expertise of social housing as well so that if there is a slump in the construction of large houses, the company can mingle with the social housing sector. So there is a need of change between two companies which can easily be brought into practice by implementing a change management plan. CHANGE MANAGEMENT According to Lu (2009, LP2) change is an important fact of life and the key success is to manage it successfully. A successful manager is the one who doesnt allow change to happen on its own, in fact he make proper plans and strategies to implement change. Change doesnt take place at once rather it can take place many months and even years for the different parties involved in change to settle down and know each other. Such a situation of change management has risen up between the Large House Builders plc and the Small Firm plc. Both the companies are opposite to each other in the since that both have different organizational structures, cultures and strategies but the common thing between them is that the both are in the construction business and especially in house building. Both companies will have the following Organizational issues; Structural issues The large house builders have functional matrix structure and the small firm ltd has a project matrix structure. The small firm will have to work really hard to come with the structure of the large house builders. The large house builders have a very well organized formal structure where as the small firm has an informal structure. Cultural issues The Large house builder has a Role culture in which every manager has a certain role assigned on which he is only answerable for his work to the top management whereas the small firm has power culture in which whole power is concentrated on the leader or single person. Such issues may produce a clash between two parties. Strategic issues The Large House Builders have adopted the analyzers strategy where they are keen to expand their company according to given marketing conditions and respond to market changes. On the other hand, Small firm adopts defenders strategy in which they do the job in their own field of expertise saving themselves fro outside threats because of having family culture. Such issues may cause a hurdle towards success between the two companies. To cope up with such difficulties a two year change management plan will be setup so that the process of integrating two companies of different culture, structure and strategy can run smoothly. TWO YEARS CHANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN To bring about change in the organization, necessary two change management plan is to be setup for the proper implication of roles and jobs of the two different teams i.e. the Large House Builder plc and the Small Firm ltd. Lewins (1947) three stage change management plan for the individuals of the organization can be setup as: Unfreeze Change Re-freeze Kottars (1996) eight stages change management plan will be used to implement a successful change in the organization. The eight stage plan is: Establishing a sense of urgency Creating the guiding coalition Developing a vision and strategy Communication the change vision Empowering broad-based action Generating short-term wins Consolidation gains and producing more change Anchoring new approaches in the culture The two change management approaches will be integrated in such a way that a proper setup over a period of two years will be established which will enhance the companys performance. FIRST YEAR The first year of the mergence of Small Firm ltd into the Large House Builders plc will be very crucial as many objections and discrepancies are likely to be encountered. Though the anticipated outcomes of the mergence is likely to generate a lot of benefit to both the companies yet the initial few months are regarded as very sensitive for the Small Firm Ltd. The change management plan is broken down in Quarters of a year and possible planned workout is analyzed as follows: FIRST QUARTER (Q1): During the first quarter of the first year the Small Firm Ltd will be in the learning stage and would be considering ways to overcome the barriers which would resist their way towards the change. According to Greenberg (1996), an organization can encounter with two different types of barriers in change. Organizational Barriers to Change Individual Barriers to Change 1. ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS TO CHANGE Sometimes terms and conditions are such set in an organization which barriers a change to take place (Katz and Kahn, 1978). Following are the organizational barriers to change in the view of Greenberg (1996): a) Structural inertia The Small Firm Ltd and the Large House Builders plc significantly differ with respect to the organization structure they have worked in before. The Small firm ltd will learn to adopt the divisional structure of the large house builders by mixing their manager with the divisional managers of large house builders. b) Work group inertia The large house builders and the small firm have their own ways to complete the assigned task. A task is not just completed as it a part of the job in fact, it is because the person learn from his social values to complete a certain task as assigned Greenberg (1996). So to tackle the pressure of completion of task at both ends is different which needs to be considered when assigning tasks. c) Threats to existing balance of power This issue is very important when it comes to change within two organizations as the managing power of both firms is entirely different from each other. For example the Large builders have a management board and a CEO who is in charge of making key decisions whereas in Small firm there is a single power or a leader who takes key decisions. After mergence, a conflict would be raised up during the designation and allotment of powers within the organization. d) Previously unsuccessful change efforts. Both the firms are quite familiar with the fact that change management theories recently adopted by firms havent proved to be successful yet both are willing to stabilize themselves with firm motivation and hard work. 2. INDIVIDUAL BARRIERS TO CHANGE The Small firm being in the initial stage of mergence will be facing great difficulty to cope with the individual barriers to change. According to a research done by Nadler (1987), there are many factors that hurdle the way of people towards a change. These factors are: a) Economic insecurity A very important point which comes into ones mind during a change at any level of work is that whether my job is secured? Am I getting the right salary? Such issues when taken into consideration during a change in such a time of Credit crunch may alter the minds of the employees of not only the Large builders but in fact the small firm ltd also. The reason being that both the firms are going to re-locate and re-assign the tasks to the individuals which my interrupt the desired performance of members. b) Fear of unknown While following the same routine of work as followed by the staff for quite a long time, the staff felt secured that they had a good level of understanding developed between other staff members and managers. Merging with someone you havent worked with before will set up a fear of unknown and everyone will be in a state that something can go wrong any time Greenberg (1996). c) Threats to social relationship Due to a change the members of the firm feel un-relaxed and insecure as they had good relation ships with the members they were previously working with. Due to this a lack of communication would be developed which would resist the fluency of work. d) Habit By doing a similar kind of work for past many years develops a natural phenomenon for an individual and the person becomes habitual to it. Any alteration in form of a change/new job, can result in mental dissatisfaction resulting is low performance. e) Failure to recognize need for change In situations where the individuals of the organization are unable to understand the necessity of change can result in a complete disaster. To overcome this, necessary steps such as awareness campaigns are run to establish a level of understanding among the workers so that they are well aware of the advantages of change. During the First Quarter (Q1) of the first year, the Small firm Ltd will be coping up with the initial difficulties of settlement in the organization. With the further enhancement of the Two year change management plan, there would not be any discrepancy left within both the organizations after mergence.