Public Libraries SERVICE MANAGEMENT Example

Public Libraries SERVICE MANAGEMENT Example Public Libraries SERVICE MANAGEMENT â€" Assignment Example > PUBLIC LIBRARIES SERVICE MANAGEMENTA Benchmarking Exercise of Local Authority A Library ServicesSubmitted toThe Local Authority AByDirector of Library Services, Local Authority AMarch 14, 2009TABLE OF CONTENTSContents……………………………………………………………………2Summary…………………………………………………………………. .3Introduction: 3.1.Background. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 3.2 Purpose. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 3.3 Scope ……………………………………………………………. 455 4.0 A Benchmarking Exercise Of Local Authority A’s Library Services 4.1 Ten Key Measures And Metrics…………………………………. . 4.2 Strengths/ weaknesses……………………………………………. 56-910-12 5.0 Appropriate Methodology ……⠀¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦. ..13-15Conclusions………………………………………………………………. .16Recommendations…………………………………………………………16References………………………………………………………………. ..17SUMMARY. The following report begins with a general overview and background of the factors that necessitated the commencement of a benchmarking process for an imaginary Local Authority (A). It then follows up with the purpose of the report as well as a description of its scope. It then gives a comprehensive analysis of the ten measures and metrics that shall be used and they include: the membership and usage; circulation/ collections; the hours open per week/ availability; the I T Efficiency; income/ profitability; expenditure; existing resources/ collection; and customer satisfactionThereafter, the report analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the aforementioned measures/ metrics. It discovers that most of them are strong apart from the qualitative measures such as customer satisfaction and service efficiency since they proved to be immeasurable. The report then concludes with a summary of the findings as well as recommendations on how best the benchmarking exercise should be undertaken. INTRODUCTION. BackgroundFollowing the current economic global crisis that has negatively affected the country, local authorities, like other sectors of the government, have had to grapple with a serious budget deficit. In a bid to reduce this deficit, all local authorities have been forced to make cuts to their budgets to remain afloat in these trying times. Inevitably, library services across the country have been targeted as sectors that require cuts to their budgets and Local Authority A’s Library Services is no exception. Local Authority A is the largest in the United Kingdom and likewise has a relatively big budget for its library services. Nevertheless, it has one of the most (if not the most), cost effective and efficient library service in the country, being in the top 20% of Library Services. Benchmarking is thus a very important contractual tool that can be used to prove the efficiency of the Library Services as well as to establish the much needed performance standards that we are contractually obligated to deliver in a rapidly changing Library Services environment. If enforced successfully, it will go a long way in not only improving the relationship between the Library Services and Local Authority A but also in creating new opportunities for the Library Services with regards to additional services and subsequently, a more optimal return on its investment. PurposeThis report seeks to implement a benchmarking exercise of Local Authority A’s Library services in comparison to the Library Services of other local authorities. It mainly seeks to establish what the specific measures and metrics are in this benchmarking exercise; the relative strengths and weaknesses of these measures and metrics; and how exactly the benchmarking exercise will be conducted. ScopeAn effective benchmarking exercise should be current. The findings in this report are therefore based on library services performed by Local Authority A over the past 18 months. In addition, the report covers all the services in all the libraries within Local Authority A.

Conflict Resolution In Church Essay - 1736 Words

CONFLICT In 1996, I was called to serve as pastor of Pryorsburg Baptist Church, located near Mayfield, Kentucky. The Pastor Search Committee had informed me that the church was currently experiencing a time of great unity, harmony, and growth. They further told me that my call was unanimous. They said that the church had grown to the point that the last pastor had resigned, a after a three-year tenure, because he had been promoted to Dean of Students at a nearby Baptist college and could no longer serve as pastor of a church of this size. I arrived at the church ministry field on a Saturday and preached the morning and evening services on the next day. On Monday evening, a member came to my home†¦show more content†¦They also informed me that they had wanted to tell me the truth before I accepted the call, but never had the opportunity. As we talked, it became clear that the church was in a horrific spiritual warfare. The deacon and his wife told me that the church had been doing very well and had been slowly growing, when a nearby church split and its disenfranchised members came to Peyorsburg. Almost immediately upon coming to Pryorsburg, these new members began to take control of the church. The old members did not do anything, because of a suddenly they were outnumbered in the business meetings by these newer members. These newer members had also voted to throw out the Church Constitution and Bylaws in order that they might do as they please regarding the operations of the church. So, there were three basic groups in the church: those in control, those who had been forced from office, and the largest group Ââ€" those who had no idea that anything was wrong. When I arrived, three of the deacons told me that they felt that they were being wrongly accused of running the church, but they had no idea why anyone would have such conceptions. Thereupon, I requested the deacons to provide me with a list of church officers. They said that they would get me a copy. It was three months later, with me constantly badgeringShow MoreRelatedThe World Monotheistic Religions Of Islam, Christianity, And Judaism981 Words   |  4 Pagesthis imperative about loving God/Allah with all the mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love one’s neighbor as oneself, which do indeed run contrary to the adversarial processes of managing conflict in the American legal system. It is evident in a litigation situation in a courtroom or in a dispute resolution forum, may it be negotiation, mediation, or arbitration, the two parties locked in argument, debate, and discussion are not applying this principle of unconditional love required by these religiousRead MoreThe Differences Between Prejudice And Stereotyping1137 Words   |  5 PagesIn class, we had also discussed the different type of conflict styles/resolutions. 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Left unresolved, it canRead MoreA Brief Note On Alternative Dispute Resolution And Other Forms Of Helping Professions1462 Words   |  6 PagesAlternative Dispute Resolution Conflict resolution is used in various aspects of counseling and other forms of helping professions. It is vital that conflicts between opposing parties are managed in order for progress to be achieved. By maintaining a controlled environment during the negotiation process, the two parties will often be able to come to a resolution of their differences. Sometimes it can be difficult for two parties to work together without the help of a third party to assist in theRead MoreThe Relationship Between Religious Institutions And Society1456 Words   |  6 Pages2013, Pope Francis delivered an apostolic exhortation on family life, â€Å"Amoris Laetitia,† better known as â€Å"The Joy of Love.† Establishing a sense of resolution within the Catholic Church about homosexuality has also reopened the original debate on the propriety of a coexisting homosexual Christian. This has been a concern in not only the Catholic Church, but sub-religions within the entire Christian communi ty. It is interesting to comprehend the relationship between religious organizations and society—mainlyRead MoreThe Crucible- Conflict Resolution Essay734 Words   |  3 PagesThe Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a movie that focuses on the conflict and resolution that occurred during the Salem witch trials during 17th century Puritan New England. After a group of young girls are found dancing and chanting during the night in the middle of the woods, strange things begin to happen within the small town. Conflict arises when Reverend Parris, the local minister, discovers the girls in the forest being led by a black slave named Tituba. Two girls out of the groupRead MoreConflict Resolution Of The United States1511 Words   |  7 Pageswonderful world of conflict resolution; more importantly, conflict resolution in the church. For the past six weeks students have constantly studied the different type of conflicts as well as the different methods of resolving the conflicts in question. This paper will cover a variety of the types of conflicts and some of the resolution learned in the class this year. In addition to that, the paper will also detail different case studies of the Bible where these particular conflicts are shown, how

Personal Statement On Workplace Negotiations - 1556 Words

Workplace Negotiations I. 1. The most important issue in taking any form of employment is whether it will involve something that I am interested or was trained to do. Second, a salary that is reasonably related to the position and/or the work performed is important. Third, having the independence to work without constant supervision (as long as my responsibilities are satisfied) would be important. Fourth, the ability to have a flexible work schedule. Fifth, training and development opportunities that allow me to get better at what I’m doing would be important. 2. My BATNA would be the non-guaranteed offer I received prior to the holidays from another position. Although the salary (U.S. $3,000 per month) is the same as I am currently†¦show more content†¦In that case, my source of power would be years I’ve worked at my present employer, including the experience I’ve gained, the work-product I’ve produced, my relationship with clients and customers, and the fact that I understand the goals of the company and have proven that I can assist the company in achieving those goals. Perhaps, however, the ultimate source of my power is that my interests are not completely focused on salary and that if I can achieve all of my other interests except for a salary than I will personally be successful. 4. Although I cannot know for certain but I can assume that in this negotiation my opponent’s five most important issues would be: (1) keep my salary the same or as close to the current amount that it is now, (2) increase the amount of work that I do without any or a significant increase in the salary that I am paid, (3) any increase in salary is mirrored with an equal increase in duties and responsibilities, (4) keeping the work circumstances as they presently are arranged; or more specifically keeping the status quo, and (5) decreasing my salary but keeping my work level the same or increasing it. 5. My opponent’s BATNA is keeping me in my present position. The position includes the following benefits: U.S. $3,000 per month; seven days paid vacation; supervised work for 40 hours per week (five days a week). Accordingly, my opponents target price is U.S.

Principals-Agents’ Conflict of Interest Free Essays

Principals (shareholders) – agent (managers) problem represents the conflict of interest between management and owners. For example, if shareholders cannot effectively monitor the managers’ behaviour, then managers may be tempted to use the firm’s assets for their own ends, all at the expenses of shareholders. Discuss the pros and cons of this statement with regard to duties of Board of Directors. We will write a custom essay sample on Principals-Agents’ Conflict of Interest or any similar topic only for you Order Now Most organisations these days are no more owned by their managers. This separation of ownership and management gives rise to what is called agency relationship. Jensen and Meckling (1976) define the agency relationship as â€Å"a contract under which one party (the principal) engages another party (agent) to perform the some services on their behalf. As part of this, the principal will delegate some decision making authority to the agent â€Å". However, it is important to mention that this relationship is not always peaceful and harmonious; rather, it usually raises some agency problems commonly called conflict of interests between shareholders and managers of the company. These conflicts occur when a person i. . the manager has an obligation not to act in his own personal interest but in another person’s interest i. e. the shareholders. This means that in whatever situation, managers must prioritise shareholders’ benefits. But is this commitment always respected in principals-agents relationships? Hopefully, between these two groups, is the board of directors; directors who are elected by shareholders to act as their representatives by monitoring and controlling managers tasks and ensuring they are in line with shareholders’ expectations. With clear evidence that conflicts of interest are almost unavoidable in any agency relationships, an attempt will be made will be made to get an insight into that issue with regards to board of directors duties. Brennan (1994) states that â€Å" agency problems emanate from the arrangement where the interests of the agents differ substantially from those of the principals because of the impossibility of perfectly contracting for every possible action of the agents whose decisions affect both his welfare and the welfare of the principal â€Å". Therefore, this raises the issue of finding ways to motivate managers to solely act in the best interest of shareholders. However, in a world where the labour market is becoming more and more imperfect and competitive, managers will be more concerned with their personal benefits at the expense of shareholders’ benefits. Since they are the one taking care of the day-to-day activities of the company, they know better than anyone any single details about how the various tasks are being performed and how that affects the company. Therefore, they might be tempted to take advantage of that by consuming some of the organisation’s resources in the form of lavish perquisites such as airplanes. Agency conflicts imply that shareholders wealth maximisation is being subordinated in managers’ goals for the company. Clear evidence of this assumption could be that top level managers are more worried about increasing their salaries, raising their status within the company, creating more opportunities for lower managers or assuring their job security and to achieve all this, their main objective could rather be to enlarge the firm by creating more subsidiaries. Such an action could produce results that do not necessarily maximise the value of the organisation for shareholders, rather, management welfare. We can notice that in conflict of interest, agents are mostly interested in achieving objectives that they feel will be profitable to them, but which are not necessarily or directly for the sake of shareholders. This occurs as a result of the distance created between the shareholders and the management team which prevent the former to effectively monitor and control managers’ behaviour. If agents do things that hurt principals, why don’t they take strong actions against that? In order to remedy to this situation, shareholders rely among others on the board of directors which they elect to look out for their interests and protect them for financial losses due to inadequate managerial actions. Bonazzi L. , Islam (2007) defines the function of the board as a â€Å" collective responsibility to determine the company’s purpose and â€Å"ethics†, to decide the direction, i. e. the strategy; to plan; to monitor and control managers and CEO activities, then to report and make recommendations to shareholders â€Å". To achieve this, they are expected to act in accordance with their four main duties which involve: the fiduciary duty, the duty of loyalty, the duty of confidentiality and the duty of care. In performing their fiduciary duties, directors assumes two roles, the first one as an â€Å"agent† which means acting on behalf of shareholders and the second one as a â€Å"trustee† which means they are in charge of controlling the organisation assets so they have to act â€Å" bona fide â€Å" which means in good faith towards the company; acting only within the scope of their powers and uniquely for the purpose that benefits the business and to avoid being involved in conflict between personal and the company’s interest. First and foremost, the board has as duty to govern the organisation by designing broad policies, and objectives which are intended to provide managers with guidance on how they are expected to run the business, i. e. prioritizing principals’ benefits, and, where they are expected to take the firm to in terms of increasing its value. They must continuously review the performance of the chief executive to ensure that managerial actions are in line with shareholders wishes and given that they are accountable to the former, they have to report to them about the overall organisational performance. Regarding their duty of loyalty, directors must prevent conflict of interest by avoiding transactions which may generate a potential conflict; those transactions according to Professor Bernard S. Black of Standford Law School in an article entitled The principal Fiduciary Duties of Boards of Directors are called â€Å" self-dealing â€Å" transactions. Representing at the same time the boss to one extend and the subordinate to another extend, directors must make sure never to act in ways that will harm either the shareholders or the executives, treat both parties with care and respect and try to make good decisions i. . that will compromise none of the parties, but which will be profitable to the firm. Also, board members have the duty to keep private all dealings, matters and information from the board meeting and the company in order to avoid the disclosure or misuse of information which may lead to a conflict. From the study of board members duties, we can state that companies’ corporate governance rests mostly on their shoulders. So, when effective, it permits the realisation of corporate objectives, risk management, the reduction of agency problems and an increase in the value of the firm. Despite the fact that conflict of interest is quite an obvious issue between shareholders and managers, it is important to keep in mind that the former are the owners of the business and thus, have great powers on the company; for instance through their voting rights at the annual shareholders meeting where they might decide â€Å"to vote with their feet† i. . selling their shares, exposing the organisation to a potential takeover that will lead managers to lose their job. Consequently, managers must at least try to satisfy their principals by aligning their actions and decisions with shareholders expectations; as well as must principals induce their agents to work for their best interest. To achieve this, they must incur some agency costs. In the 1976 Journal of Finance paper by Michael Jensen and William Meckling, it is stated that â€Å"there are three major types of agency costs: (1) expenditures to monitor managerial activities, such as audit costs; (2) expenditure to structure the organisation in a way that will limit undesirable managerial behaviour, such as appointing outside members to the board of directors or restructuring the company’s business units and management hierarchy; and (3) opportunity costs which are incurred when shareholder-imposed restrictions, such as requirements for shareholder votes on specific issues, limit the ability of managers to take actions that advance shareholder wealth†. In a nutshell, conflict of interest is a real fact in every business. Principal-agent relationship can be viewed as complex in terms of how exactly agents are expected to act towards their principals. Obviously, their acts must always be aimed at serving shareholders interest, but this statement seems to imply that either principals’ interests are always morally acceptable or managers might act unethically provided they fulfil shareholders’ expectations. Virtually, all corporate code of ethics addresses conflict of interest because it interferes with the ability of employees to act in the best interest of the firm. The fact is that, the agent is expected to act solely for the benefit of the principal in all matters and situations, yet, the kind of situation or dilemma the agent might be called upon to act in his principal interest are not easily predictable or identified. As optimal solution, it would be advantageous for both parties if they could work in concert prioritising the success of the organisation, and trying to satisfy as much as possible each group’s benefits, because it would help avoiding or at least reducing potential conflict of interest. How to cite Principals-Agents’ Conflict of Interest, Essay examples

Islamic Revivalism Movement Towards the Establishment free essay sample

This meaning is taken from the Quran (22:5). Increase means the increase over capital or nominal amount, the increase being either large or small. According to Islamic law, Riba technically refers to the premium that must be paid by the borrower to the lender along with the principal amount as a condition for an extension in its maturity. Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) was established after the enacting of the Islamic Banking Act (IBA) in 1983, the IBA permitted the establishment of the first Islamic Bank in Malaysia. BIMB with a paid up capital of RM 100 million and an authorised capital of RM 500 million is carrying out its activities on an interest free basis. The establishment of BIMB is a major step towards an interest-free financial system in Malaysia. This marked the establishment of more Islamic commercial institutions under the new mode of the Islamization Policy. Insurance industry has been in the market for a long time. We will write a custom essay sample on Islamic Revivalism Movement Towards the Establishment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, insurance policy does not comply to the teaching of Islam in which the contract and concept of insurance involve elements of riba, gharar (uncertainty) and maysir (gambling). With the emergence of Islamization process in Malaysia, Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Berhad was incorporated on 29 November 1984 as a subsidiary company of BIMB Holdings Berhad. Other major shareholders are the State Islamic Religious Councils / Baitulmals of Terengganu, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Amanah Saham Bank Islam (ASBI). The company objectives is to provide takaful services (Islamic Insurance) at the highest standard of efficiency and professionalism to all Muslims and the population in Malaysia. Malaysia is one of the Muslim countries that is committed in not only developing Islamic banking system but also a complete Islamic financial system. It was the objective of the Malaysian government to develop the Islamic banking system parallel to the conventional system. Instead of establishing many new Islamic banks, the government introduced a concept of ‘Islamic window’ which allows the existing conventional banks to introduce Islamic banking productst of customers. The concept of Islamic window started in March 1993 when the Central Bank of Malaysia or Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) introduced the â€Å"Interest-Free Banking Scheme†. Twenty-one Islamic financial products were developed to cater for this scheme with only three major banks participated initially. By July of the same year, this scheme was extended to all financial institutions in Malaysia. As at end of 2000, the Islamic banking system was represented by two Islamic banks, 17 domestic commercial banks, five merchant banks and seven discount houses. There are also four foreign-owned banks providing Islamic banking products and services. The step towards developing a complete Islamic financial system began with the fostering of both Islamic capital market and Islamic money market. The former started when the Malaysian government issued Islamic bonds in 1983. To further enhance the development in the capital market, Islamic private debt securities were introduced. At the end of 2000, a total of RM22,935 private debt securities were issued, out of which RM 6,278 were Islamic bonds (Hassan, 2001). The establishment of BIMB Securities in 1994, as Malaysia’s first Islamic stockbroker, was the first step towards promoting Islamic equity market. Apart from providing Islamic broking houses and Islamic managed funds, a separate â€Å"Islamic Index† was established. This index comprises 179 permissible stocks on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (New Horizon, 1996). Today, the Islamic banking and Islamic finance is in its boiling point era. An aim of being the global Islamic financial hub has witnesses a lot of effort take by the government to encourage the development of this industry. Till date, Malaysia remains as the largest issuer of Islamic bond (Sukuk) in the word ahead of the other Middle East countries. In meantime, there are about seventeen (17) full-pledged Islamic banking institutions in Malaysia including those of foreign and subsidiary of parent conventional successful bank. The long-term objective of BNM is to create an Islamic banking system operating on a parallel basis with the conventional banking system. In addition, an Islamic banking system must also reflect the socio-economic values in Islam, and must be Islamic in both substance and form. The first step to spread the virtues of Islamic banking was to disseminate Islamic banking on a nation-wide basis, with as many players as possible and to be able to reach all Malaysians. The rising of the Islamic financial market as well as its conventional counterpart has made the market becoming sophisticated and complex, thus in line with this development the Securities Commission has been establish in 1997 to monitor and regulate the capital market in Malaysia. The growth of Islamic finance was an alternative for a less costly and less risky financial product to please the demands of the society. The final phase is covered from 2000 to presentwhereby Islamic finance has developed tremendously and as it now reach its tipping point. During this period we can see a lot more effort taken by the government to strengthen the industry. This phase begins with the formation of Islamic Banking and Finance Department in the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in 2000, and followed by the introduction of 10-year Financial Sector Master Plan in 2001 which among others has put a specific chapter focusing on the development of Islamic banking and finance industry in Malaysia. Later in 2002, another significant event occurredwitness the birth Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) an independent body that focusing on the disclosure and governance of IIFS. In line with it function, it issue guideline and standards for the best practice for the industry as a whole and not limited to Malaysia only. Then, in 2003 BNM has issued Guidelines for Financial Reporting for Licensed Islamic Bank (GP8-i) with the objective to promote onsistency and standardization amongst the Islamic banks in complying with the provisions of the IBA 1983 and approved accounting standards, specifically MASB i-1 and the Shariah requirements. The Guidelines prescribed the minimum requirements of the financial statements that the Islamic banks need to disclose. Malaysias Islamic finance industry has been in existence for over 30 years. The enactment of the Islamic Banking Act 1983 enabled the countrys first Islamic Bank to be established and thereafter, with the liberalisation of the Isla mic financial system, more Islamic financial institutions have been set up. Malaysia has a diverse and growing community of domestic and international financial institutions. Malaysias diversity of market intermediaries consists of investment banks, local and foreign Islamic banks, takaful operators, brokers and fund managers. They include several foreign owned entities; both conventional institutions who have established Islamic subsidiaries and also entities who are conducting international currency business (ICBU). Many of these intermediaries have participated in Malaysias many notable achievements such as record setting sukuk issuance and other industry firsts. As such, these financial institutions possess a proven track record and in-depth experience. Malaysias market intermediaries are also internationally recognised for their innovative capability. This is attributed to their expert use of various Islamic principles or a combination of principles to produce innovative Islamic banking, takaful and Islamic Capital Market (ICM) offerings.

Blue Ridge Spain Essay Example

Blue Ridge Spain Essay Example Blue Ridge Spain Paper Blue Ridge Spain Paper Overall comments: need to tie narrative to terms/concepts from the book. Should stratify comments into uncontrollable and controllable forces. (like Todd did) Although Blue Ridge Restaurants had success with expansion and joint ventures in Australia, the UK, France, Italy, Brazil and Hong Kong through 1987, many differing factors were at play when Yannis Costas evaluated the market and strategy for the Spain in the 1ate 1990s. Factors described by D. A.Ball, et al, 1, considered relevant in a country screening and assessing market expansion, especially the xx screen, political and legal and the fourth screen, socio-cultural, were not favorable for an aggressive expansion in Spain. The key issues in the Delta Foods expansion in Spain are: Probe deeper on these questions: 1. What are the expertise strengths and unique resources that each partner brought to the joint venture? 2. Why does or doesn’t Blue Ridge need a joint venture in Spain? 3. Why does or doesnt Terralumen need a partner to develop such a business in Spain? Environment for joint venture * Peculiarities for doing business in Spain-failure to use value chain analysis What was the competitive cost position at the end of the value chain? * Terralumen is a package good company looking for restaurant partner * Market demand-package foods industry and non-tapas menu items popular with working professionals in urban areas only * Pressing Spaniards on American goals * Spanish economic trials of 1998-2004 * Lack of implementation plan-see keys to resource deployment Impedances: Socio-Cultural Fear of being exploited * Explain uncertainty avoidance and masculinity/femininity concepts for Terralumen and BR/Delta Cultural differences, as related to doing business, come into play here in the Blue Ridge case Study. Significant cross cultural conflicts between parent companies of different nationalities paved the way for the dissolution of the joint venture between Delta and Terralumen. In a Board of Director’s meeting, the American-Spanish joint venture partners could not work together or agree on common goals and policies, or resolve problems. The Hofstede Model has demonstrated that individuals living in a particular country tend to share similar values, and that they bring these values to the firms for which they work. The stark contrast of cultural values between managers of Delta and Terralumen make it difficult to ensure the success and the longevity of Blue Ridge Spain The European Regional Director, Yannis Costas, is of Greek nationality. According to Hofstede, Greece is high on power distance and high on uncertainty avoidance. In the Greek culture, people respect senior manager and would not prefer a young inexperienced manager. On the one hand Costas has put much effort into the joint venture and identifies with his work. That’s why he wants to help Blue Ridge. On the other hand, he has a good relationship to the Spaniards who value his ability to establish an interpersonal relationship which can also be traced back to his Greek roots. Decisions are made on subjective feelings and he wants a harmonious balance, a consensus. Overall, he is rather on the side of the Spaniards. As a Greek, Costas values the solid interpersonal relationship and trust which he and Francisco Alvarez had built over the years in trying to foster a successful joint venture. Costas was often employed to solve conflicts and mend damaged relationships. He also questioned the ethics of his company’s strategy to secretly achieve the upper hand in buyout negotiations. Alvarez, representing Terralumen, is from Spain. He shares many similar cultural characteristics with Costas, including patience and mutual respect. This explains how Costas and Alvarez have come to establish solid friendship and cooperation throughout the joint venture Add: Impedences: Ethics * Avoid retelling the facts of the case * Is there something in the Donaldson article on ethics? Geoff Dryden and the company he represented faced the ethical dilemma of how one should act when cross the national boundaries; with unfamiliar law and unclear ethical conduct he faced, one should question Geoff conduct. Geoff who had no overseas experience was transferred from US Delta snack food division to Europe had secretly made suggestion to let Terralumen default on its debt so that they can force a buyout. Geoff and Delta did not act ethically by pursuing this strategy which showed ethical imperialism of individual and the company which allowed it to happen; one should not act differently when away from home. People’s perception would be affected if they knew that Delta had intensionally let the other could have financial implication In addition, another unethical moment came from Bill Sawyer when he deceived Costas by suggesting that the company will be hiring someone with experience but in turn they hired someone with very little experience compared to Costas’s. The core values establish a moral compass for business practice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I honesty and integrity is a universal practice and by Bill’s actions and company’s tolerance of it, it represented low level of ethical standard for himself and the company that did not allow full disclosure in hiring process. Also Terralumen had decided to give power of attorney to one individual who can make a decision that will impact the entire joint venture existence; this decision represent unethical practice for the company. Terralumen should have full disclosure practice that would allow for all critical decision been communicated among joint venture. This practice would have allowed other members a chance to evaluate the decision taken by Terralumen and see what impacts will it have on the existing joint venture. To give the power of attorney to Francisco Alvarez without consultation of other member of joint venture represented unethical act. While the culture and personality of the decision makers impact the important choices made in cases like this one, equally important are the countless spreadsheets and documents that contain the financial factors integral to the success or failure of an international business affair. The original development plan agreed to in 1998 (exhibit 2) was a far more conservative approach that would see approximately ten new stores per year opened in Spain. With an initial capital investment of around $1 million per store, and a lengthy 18-24 period between the time of investment and the construction of the location, the venture would be operating on very thin margins in the early years, with the hope that the continued expansion would lead to higher profits in the latter years of the plan. Financial Analysis Insert your sources/citings Delta’s overly aggressive growth strategy set a goal at expanding at three times the pace of the 1998 agreement. Delta’s decision to utilize a consulting firm based in the U. S. might have been a contributing factor to this unrealistic goal. As Bell (2010) states, sometimes management needs to gather data in the potential market rather than just using desk and field reports. For example, the American consultants might not have been privy to the key money costs of around $100k paid off-the-books to property owners at the signing. With a goal of opening thirty stores per year, this would add an additional $3 million per year in expenses in addition to the other costly expenses. It would’ve also behooved the Delta consultants to consider the uncontrollable economic forces that were going to come into play with their expansion plans. While there were some key economic indicators in Spain working in Delta’s favor, such as a GDP went from just under 3. 5% in early 1997 to over 4. % in early 1998, there were also some warning signs that should have lead them to temper expectations in this market . One of these warning signs deals with Spain’s unemployment rate. As shown by the chart below, Spain’s unemployment rate during this time period was hovering around 20%, although it was beginning to show signs of improvement. While this might be a sign of many possible new hires to work in the restaurants, it also signals a rather weak economy and a potential dearth of customers. Some of the controllable forces that Delta could have adjusted their approach to help the joint venture deal with the exorbitant royalties and fees the company desired to collect from its Spanish partner right from the get-go. Squeezing the restaurants for this money in the early stages of expansions could have a demoralizing and costly effect on the local managers as they attempted to build their business and compete against better known Spanish restaurants. The growth strategy into Germany and France seems to be an overly optimistic one, as well. Blue Ridge already had failed at one attempt to enter the French market, and Germany has a culture vastly different than Spain. How could Delta prognosticate having 55 stores within three years in a country where the business model had been an abject failure years before? Without proper planning and a gradual implementation to determine whether the restaurant could succeed in these markets, the company could be faced with an overburdened agenda that could sink the entire plan. Other U. S. ompanies, such as Wal-Mart, learned this lesson the hard way. 1 Ball, D. A. , Geringer, J. M. , Minor, M. S. , and McNett, J. M. (2010) (Assessing and Analyzing Markets) International Business: the Challenge of Global Competition, (12th ed. ) pp 427-464, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin 2 Donaldson, T â€Å"Values in Tension: Ethics Away From Home. † Reprint No. 96502. Harvard Business Review, 2010. ,65 pg 69-72. coursesmart. com/9781609272852/firstsection#X2ludGVybmFsX1BGUmVhZGVyP3htbGlkPTk3 ODE2MDkyNzI4NTIvNzI=

How to Use Sociology to Counter Claims of Reverse Racism

How to Use Sociology to Counter Claims of Reverse Racism A former student recently asked me how one can use sociology to counter claims of â€Å"reverse racism.† The term refers to the idea that whites experience racism due to programs or initiatives that are designed to benefit people of color. Some claim that organizations or spaces that are exclusive to say, black people or Asian Americans, constitute â€Å"reverse racism,† or that scholarships open only to racial minorities discriminate against whites. The big point of contention for those concerned with â€Å"reverse racism† is Affirmative Action, which refers to measures in applications processes for employment or college admission that take race and the experience of racism into account in the evaluation process. To counter claims of â€Å"reverse discrimination,† let’s first revisit what racism actually is. Per our own glossary definition, racism serves to limit access to rights, resources, and privileges on the basis of essentialist notions of race (stereotypes). Racism can take a variety of forms in achieving these ends. It can be representational, manifesting in how we imagine and represent racial categories, like in costume at â€Å"Ghetto† or â€Å"Cinco de Mayo† parties, or in what kinds of characters people of color play in film and television. Racism can be ideological, existing in our world views and ideas premised on white superiority and the presumed cultural or biological inferiority of others. There are other forms of racism too, but most important to this discussion of whether or not affirmative action constitutes â€Å"reverse racism† are the ways that racism operates institutionally and structurally. Institutional racism manifests in education in the tracking of students of color into remedial or special ed courses, while white students are more likely to be tracked into college prep courses. It also exists in the educational context in the rates at which students of color are punished and reprimanded, versus white students, for the same offenses. Institutional racism is also expressed in biases teachers reveal in doling out praise more so to white students than to students of color. Institutional racism in the educational context is a key force in reproducing long-term, historically rooted structural racism. This includes racial segregation into poor communities with underfunded and understaffed schools, and economic stratification, which overwhelmingly burdens people of color with poverty and limited access to wealth. Access to economic resources is a significant factor that shapes one’s educational experience, and the extent to which one is prepared for admission to college. Affirmative Action policies in higher education are designed to counteract the near 600-year history of systemic racism in this country. A cornerstone of this system is undeserved enrichment of whites based on historical theft of land and resources from Native Americans, theft of labor and denial of rights of Africans and African Americans under slavery and its Jim Crow aftermath, and denial of rights and resources to other racial minorities throughout history. The undeserved enrichment of whites fueled the undeserved impoverishment of people of color- a legacy that is painfully alive today in racialized income and wealth disparities. Affirmative Action seeks to redress some of the costs and burdens born by people of color under systemic racism. Where people have been excluded, it seeks to include them. At their core, Affirmative Action policies are based on inclusion, not exclusion. This fact becomes clear when one considers the history of legislation that laid the groundwork for Affirmative Action, a term first used by former President John F. Kennedy in 1961 in Executive Order 10925, which referenced the need to end discrimination based on race, and was followed three years later by the Civil Rights Act. When we recognize that Affirmative Action is premised on inclusion, we see clearly that it is not consistent with racism, which uses racial stereotypes to limit access to rights, resources, and privileges. Affirmative Action is the opposite of racism; it is anti-racism. It is not â€Å"reverse† racism. Now, some might claim that Affirmative Action limits access to rights, resources, and privileges for whites who are thought to be displaced by people of color who are granted admission instead of them. But the fact is, that claim simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny when one examines historical and contemporary rates of college admission by race. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 1980 and 2009, the number of African American students enrolled in college annually more than doubled, from about 1.1 million to just under 2.9 million. During that same period, Hispanic and Latino enjoyed a huge jump in enrollment, multiplying by more than five, from 443,000 to 2.4 million. The rate of increase for white students was much lower, at just 51 percent, from 9.9 million to about 15 million. What these jumps in enrollment for African Americans and Hispanic and Latinos show is the intended outcome of Affirmative Action policies: increased inclusion. Importantly, the inclusion of these racial groups did not harm white enrollment. In fact, data released by the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2012 show that white students are still slightly over-represented in terms of their presence in that year’s freshmen class at 4-year schools, while black and Latino students are still underrepresented.* Further, if we look beyond the Bachelor’s degree to advanced degrees, we see percentages of white degree earners rise as does level of degree, culminating in a stark underrepresentation of black and Latino recipients of degrees at the level of Doctor. Other research has shown clearly that university professors demonstrate a strong bias toward white male students who express interest in their graduate programs, much to the expense of women and students of color. Looking at the big picture of longitudinal data, it is clear that while Affirmative Action policies have successfully opened access to higher education across racial lines, they have not limited the ability of whites to access this resource. Rulings from the mid-1990s that have outlawed Affirmation Action at public educational institutions lead to a fast and sharp drop in enrollment rates of black and Latino students at those institutions, quite notably in the University of California system. Now, let’s consider the bigger picture beyond education. For â€Å"reverse racism,† or racism against whites, to exist in the U.S., we would first have to reach racial equality in systemic and structural ways. We would have to pay reparations to make up for centuries upon centuries of unjust impoverishment. We would have to equalize wealth distribution and achieve equal political representation. We would have to see equal representation across all job sectors and educational institutions. We would have to abolish racist policing, judicial, and incarceration systems. And, we would have to eradicate ideological, interactional, and representational racism. Then, and only then, might people of color be in a position to limit access to resources, rights, and privileges on the basis of whiteness. Which is to say, â€Å"reverse racism† does not exist in the United States.   *I base these statements on 2012 U.S. Census population data, and compare the category â€Å"White alone, not Hispanic or Latino† to the White/Caucasian category used by the Chronicle of Higher Education. I collapsed the Chronicle’s data for Mexican-American/Chicano, Puerto Rican, and Other Latino into a total percentage, which I compared to the Census category â€Å"Hispanic or Latino.†