Performance Appraisal: a Critical Review

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: A CRITICAL REVIEW Abstract: Performance appraisal is used in many organizations in order to assess the performance of their employees. But there are some issues and problems that are associated with performance appraisal can have negative impacts on the performance of employees and can make it useless. These issues and problems are: absence of objective criteria, gender issues, rater’s bias, social and ethnic issues. And there are empirical research evidences that are very much consistent with the problems and issues I identified before. But performance appraisal should not be abandoned due to the problems mentioned above. Its can prove very effective if used by trained appraisers in a constructive manner using objective criteria against which the performance of the appraisee to be checked. It not only reviews the performance of an employee but also helps to identify training and development needs of the appraise. Introduction: In organizations, there are some formal and informal methods of performance assessment, and performance appraisal is one of the most widely used formal methods of the assessment of performance. Performance appraisal is also a valuable tool of performance management in organizations as CIPD describes that:†Performance appraisal is an important part of performance management. In itself it is not performance management, but it is one of the range of tools that can be used to manage performance† (CIPD, 2008). CIPD (2008) describes that performance appraisal essentially provides an opportunity to the appraisees and appraiser to review and discuss, in a constructive manner, the performance of the appraisee and possible reasons and determinants of his or her bad performance in a one on one meeting. It also provides an opportunity to them to identify and set objectives regarding training and development for the future and to reach an agreement about the possible actions required getting those objectives and the support the individual or appraisee expects from the manager. If performance appraisal is conducted in a sensitive and constructive manner, then it can establish a positive relationship between the individuals and the line managers. Aims and objectives of performance appraisal: There are some clear aims and objectives for conducting performance appraisal in organizations, and these objectives are listed and described below: 1. One purpose of conducting a performance appraisal is to exercise organizational control 2. The main purpose of a performance appraisal system is to review the performance of individuals over a period of time 3. Performance appraisal is also aimed at finding out that the appraisee is productive or not. 4. One purpose of performance appraisal is to review the actual performance of an employee against the set objectives or desired standards. 5. Another important objective of conducting a performance appraisal is to find training and development needs of the appraisee. 6. One purpose is to identify the type of support the appraisee expects from the management in order to meet those training and development needs. Key elements of performance appraisal: CIPD (2008) has described following five key elements of performance appraisal: 1. Measurement – individual’s performance is assessed against agreed standards and objectives. 2. Feedback – the individual or appraisee is provided information on his performance and progress after the performance has been assessed. . Positive reinforcement – the appraiser recognises the good performance and make constructive criticism about the aspects of performance where there is a need of improvement. 4. Exchange of views – there is a dialogue between the appraiser and the appraisee about the outcomes of the assessment, and how appraisees can improve their per formance, the support they need from their managers to achieve this and their aspirations for their future career. 5. Agreement – an agreement is reached by all parties about what needs to be done to improve performance and issues are overcome. Problems with performance appraisal: Having described the definition, objectives, and the key elements of performance appraisal, we move on to problems or dilemmas with performance appraisal. Performance appraisal is considered a way or tool of motivation and enhancing morale and it is also assumed that appraisal will lead to an improvement in performance or performance will decrease without appraisal. (Grint, 1995). But it can also lead to negative effects on performance and motivation and leaves the apprsisee with negative feelings such as inferiority, bitterness, depression and some other negative feelings (Ridly, 1995). On the part of the appraiser, there are some dilemmas and difficulties that the appraiser faces in the course of performance appraisal process. One of these is the subjectivity of the appraiser that cannot be completely avoided in spite of efforts. Another important dilemma faced by the appraiser is to play both the roles of a judge and a facilitator at the same time as Fiona Wilson (2002) and many other including McGregor (1957), and Fletcher and Williams (1985) have described this problem. One of the aims of performance appraisal is to identify training and development needs of the employees. In order to do so, the appraiser is assumed to judge the gaps between the desired performance and the actual performance by assessing the performance of the employee against a set of objective standards, this not always possible to have objective criteria available, as Fiona Wilson (2002) describes that: â€Å"If staff development is the aim then the temptation is to search for inadequacies in the appraisee’s performance. In order to act as judge the appraiser needs criteria with which to judge, yet the subjective evaluation and trait oriented criteria for evaluating performance have been recognised as a central problem. Objective criteria against which to assess staff are difficult to achieve and are going to be judgmental to some degree. Counseling does not usually involve making any judgments but allows the person to reflect on performance and make their own judgments†. There is an increase in the use of 360-degree feedback in organizations as Bruce and Ira Kay have noted that:† The use of 360-degree feedback has grown dramatically in recent years. According to HR consulting firm William M. Mercer, 40 percent of companies used 360-degree feedback in 1995; b 2000, this figure jumped to 65 percent† (Bruce & Ira, 2002). But there are also some serious issues associated with 360 degree feedback and it is assumed that it can have some negative effects on performance and can hurt the appraise as Bruce and Ira Kay (2002) have quoted Watson Wyatt’s human capital index study which found that the use of 360-degree feedback is associated with a decrease in shareholder value. Bruce and Ira also quoted the other findings of Watson Wyatt’s HCI study and described that:†Watson Wyatt's 2001 HCI report revealed that companies using 360-degree feedback have lower market value. According to the study, companies that use peer review have a market value that is 4. 9 percent lower than similarly situated companies that don't use peer review. Likewise, companies that allow employees to evaluate their managers are valued 5. 7 percent lower than similar firms that don't† (Bruce & Ira, 2002). Ghorpade (Ghorpade quoted in Bruce & Ira, 2002), a professor of management at San Diego State University, reported that only one-third studies out of 600 feedback studies found improvement in performance and one-third found a decrease in performance and rest of them found no effects. Bruce and Ira (2002) have also identified some other issues and problems with 360-feedback such as: lack of training, and the costs of 360-degree feedback. Arvey and Murphy(1998) have described the issues around the costs of measures of performance as well: â€Å"A discussion of the relative costs of alternative performance measures was provided by Stone et al (1996). As an alternative to a more expensive â€Å"hands-on† performance measure, a low-cost, readily available measure of performance was developed for Air Force specialty jobs using an existing data base that rank-ordered individuals. More research is needed to explore the relative advantages of low-fidelity and low-cost performance measures. Conceivably the relative value of such instruments might be better than more highly specific, high-fidelity instruments if relatively molar decisions are being made about individuals (e. g. promote versus not-promote, high versus low performance)† Subjective and objective Evaluation: The main problem and issue associated with performance appraisal may be the subjective evaluation and absence of objective criteria against which the performance of the individual is to be assessed. Subjective evaluation may result in devastating effects on the performance of the individual or the appraisee. As Longenecker et al. (1987) have noted that the appraisers sometimes intentionally distort and manipulate appraisal for political purposes. Subjective measures of performance sometime lead to biasness on the part of the rater and result in negative effects on performance. But Arvey and Murphy (1998) have reviewed a research conducted by Bommer et al in 1995, and described that Bommer et al assessed the relationships between relatively objective and subjective measures of employee performance. He used meta-analytic techniques to summarize the relationships for over 50 independent samples, and found that the two measures were significantly related. Bias on the part of line manager or the appraiser or rater can result in negative effects on performance. Arvey & Murphy (1998) write that many studies have focused on the potential biases of supervisors that occour as a result of their likings and disliking about their subordinates. But recent studies show that affective influences on ratings may not represent rating biases. Vera et al (quoted in Arvey & Murphy, 1998) presented evidence that supports this argument. Arvey and Murphy (1998) quoted a study in their paper conducted by Schrader and Steiner in 1996, and described that: â€Å"They hypothesized that ratings in which employees are evaluated against clear and specific objective standards will differ from those in which such objective criteria are not specified and the standards are ambiguous. Results supported this proposition. However, ratings made when using internal, relative, or multiple standards of comparison were not terribly different from those made under the more objective conditions both in terms of mean differences and supervisor-self agreement. Thus, a conclusion that employee standards that involve objective and specific standards against which to evaluate individuals are the one â€Å"best† method seems premature given the results of this study† Ethnic, Social and Gender Issues: There are some gender, and social issues in terms of bias and subjectivity related to performance appraisals. Societal stereotypes may cause the appraisers to be biased against women and minorities. In 1996, Woehr & Roch (quoted in Arvey & Murphy, 1998) studied the effects of prior evaluations that were different in terms of performance and ratee gender on subsequent evaluations and on recall of a male or female of average performance. Results suggested that both the performance level and the gender of the target ratee's prior evaluation affected the subsequent rating. Relatively low performance for the prior target influenced subsequent evaluations differentially for male and female target ratees and males were given higher evaluations than females. Another study conducted by Ford et al (quoted in Arvey and Murphy, 1998) conducted a meta-analysis across 53 studies, and found that that blacks receive slightly lower performance scores than whites on both subjective and objective measures of performance. Arvey and Murphy reviewed a study conducted by Kraiger and Ford in 1985, and wrote that: â€Å"Kraiger & Ford (1985) conducted a meta-analysis of 74 studies across field and laboratory settings and concluded that an interaction effect existed: White raters rate white ratees higher than black ratees, whereas black raters evaluated black ratees higher than white ratees. Moderator effects were found also for group composition and research setting: Effect sizes increased as the proportion of blacks in the group decreased, and field studies generated larger effect sizes than laboratory studies. †(1998). These are the problems and issues that make a person think if the performance appraisal should be abandoned or not. In my opinion, performance appraisal should not be abandoned because of the problems and issues associated with it, if it is used carefully in an objective and constructive manner, it can prove a useful tool in motivating, developing and enhancing the performance of an employee. Bruce and Ira have also tried to answer this question: â€Å"Despite these drawbacks, there are good reasons not to give up on 360-degree feedback. The process still holds the potential to deepen employees' understanding of their own performance. And, it may be able to help companies create value by better aligning job performance with business strategy. The question is this: Can 360-degree feedback be implemented in such a way that it achieves these benefits without negatively affecting the bottom line? Based on our analysis–and conversations with clients– we believe the following steps may help companies transform 360-degree feedback into a value creator, not destroyer. Implement 360-degree feedback for the right reasons. â€Å"The first thing you need to ask is why you're doing it,† says Paul Rumely, a New York-based executive coach, If you can't articulate a strong business case for a 360-degree feedback program, it should not be introduced† (Bruce & Ira, 2002). Training can be very useful in enhancing the effectiveness of performance appraisal systems and can equip the raters with essential knowledge and skills to cope with the problems and issues associated with performance appraisals in work settings. Bruce and Ira suggest that: â€Å"Train people in giving and receiving feedback. Companies that implement 360-degree feedback without first checking and developing managers' feedback skills risk serious damage to teamwork and morale. Providing constructive feedback takes instruction, training and practice. †(Bruce & Ira, 2002). They also write that: â€Å"While training individuals to give and receive feedback may temporarily increase the expense associated with 360-degree feedback programs, the gains will outweigh the higher costs as the feedback delivered to participants becomes more focused, targeting the behaviors most closely associated with value creation and destruction. Ultimately, the goal should be to create a culture in which individuals feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback–both positive and negative–on a real–time basis, rather than waiting for an annual review† (Bruce & Ira, 2002). Assessment of performance of employees is essential to the process of performance management in organizations, and a performance appraisal not only assess or review the performance of an employee but also identify training and development needs of the employee, and is an important need of organizations. As Fiona Wilson has also stressed: â€Å"Given these difficulties identified in the literature, it may be tempting to abandon any hope of finding fair assessment of performance. Yet, there is still a need for control, accountability, assessment and staff development in organizations. Bias is difficult to overcome but can an individual give feedback on performance without that feedback being construed as negative and can staff be developed? One way to achieve this is to design an appraisal scheme where the emphasis is on development, to use a ‘safe’ approach, which recognises achievements and supports professional development and avoids the issue of accuracy and rating of performance† (Fiona Wilson, 2002).

The Social-Emotional, Cognitive and Physical Benefits of Physical Activity

The social-emotional, cognitive and physical benefits of physical activity During childhood our body and mind changes very fast. I believe that nowadays parents focus more on the brain developement of their children than their physical activity. When I was a little girl – over 20 years ago – we spent most of our time outside playing, running and enjoying fresh air and being in movement. Physical activity of children can secure them health and well being in their adulthood as well as teach them a lot of very importants aspects like social relations and behaviors in different situations.Now I see that a lot of children spend their time at home or at after school activities that don’t involve a lot of movement. According to Child Development and Education â€Å"a series of studies shows that reductions in physical education are not associated with increase in academic achievement†. It is important to teach a children how to play piano or improve their mathema tical skills but we should also remember how important is a physical activity in their development.Also as Child Development and Education states: â€Å"One of the problems is that adults tend to want children to remain still and quiet, particularly in groups, whereas many children prefer more rambunctious activities. † According to The Journal of Pediatrics physical activities of children vary with age, type of exercise, and setting. Physical activity begins in infancy with pushing up, turning, crawling, and eventually walking, and it progresses to more complex activities as neuromuscular control develops.Basic movement patterns develop during preschool ages and are the foundation for a wide range of physical activities at later ages. With growth, maturation, and experience, basic movements are integrated and coordinated into more specialized and complex movement skills that characterize the free play, games, sports, and other activities of school-age youth. Guided instructi on and supervised practice, specifically by qualified teachers, coaches, and others who work with children, are important in learning movement skills. Types and contexts of activities are variable and change with age during childhood and adolescence.Activities of children aged 6 to 9 years are largely anaerobic (as in non-sustained activities or games such as ‘‘tag’’), and they help the child learn basic and more specialized motor skills. As youth move into the pubertal transition (about age 10-14 years, earlier in girls than in boys), these skills are incorporated into a variety of individual and group activities and many organized sports. Mature structure and function are approached or attained in late adolescence (age 15-18 years), so that physical activity programs can be more structured.Physical activity has not only physical benefits. It also has a very big impact on social-emotional and cognitive aspects of child’s live. According to Centers f or Disease Control and Prevention â€Å"The development of a physically active lifestyle is a goal for all children. Traditional team and competitive sports may promote healthy activity for selected youth. Individual sports, noncompetitive sports, lifetime sports, and recreational activities expand the opportunity for activity to everyone.The opportunity to be active on a regular basis, as well as the enjoyment and competence gained from activity, may increase the chances that a physically active lifestyle will be adopted. † Team sports for example not only provide physical activity for children. They also introduce them to the meaning of â€Å"teamwork† and ability to find their own place in a group. Especially in sports, where roles change and they need to wait for their turn. When I was little we used to play badminton but unfortunately had only two sets of rackets that we needed to share.There was usually 6-8 of us playing together and I remember how we managed to be a public and players. This was one of my first lesson of sharing and adapting into a situation that I can’t change. Also it is important for children to learn a little bit about competition, since it is present in our whole lives. We have competition at work, college and different areas in our lives and I hardly believe that when person learns that sometimes you are first, sometimes second and sometimes last as early as you are a child it will be easier for the person to accept that you can’t be always first in adult life.During physical activities children interact with each other and getting to know their friends. Very often on the outdoor playgrounds we can see how quickly they meet other children. If they get bored they start looking for a new friend that can play with them. Encouraging children to those type of behaviors teach them how to be open in relationships with new people in their lives and how to interact with new friends. Adults should be aware of the right ways in encouraging their children’s physical activity.It is very important to know, that physical activity is an essential part of children’s day and teachers as well as parents should know how to promote it among children. First of all they should remember about even short activity breaks in between learning. The Journal of Pediatrics states that â€Å"The recommended 60 minutes or more of physical activity can be achieved in a cumulative manner in school during physical education, recess, intramural sports, and before and after school programs.In this regard, the Centers for Disease Control recommends daily quality physical education from kindergarten through grade 12. Both physical education and recess afford opportunities to achieve the daily physical activity goal without any evidence of compromising academic performance. Opportunities to influence youth participation in physical activities are readily available at home and school, as well as in community and health care settings. † They should also Provide an appropriate equipment and make exercising an enjoyable experience.Children tent to get bored if they do one thing for a long time, that is why diversity in exercising is very important. As a adults we should remember how important it is to take care of the physical activities of children. They can not only stay in good physical shape because of them but also develop on many other levels like social, emotional and cognitive. References McDevitt T. M. Ormord J. E. , (2012). Child Development and Education. 5th ed. USA: Pearson, pp. 157-77 WILLIAM B. STRONG, MD, ROBERT M. MALINA, PHD, CAMERON J. R. BLIMKIE, PHD, STEPHEN R.DANIELS, MD, PHD, RODNEY K. DISHMAN, PHD, BERNARD GUTIN, PHD, ALBERT C. HERGENROEDER, MD, AVIVA MUST, PHD, PATRICIA A. NIXON, PHD,JAMES M. PIVARNIK, PHD, THOMAS ROWLAND, MD, STEWART TROST, PHD, AND FRANCXOIS TRUDEAU, PHD,, (2005). EVIDENCE BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR SCHOOL-AGE YOUTH. The Journal of Pediatr ics. e. g. 32 (e. g. 2), pp. 732-7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for school and community programs to promote lifelong physical activity among young people. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1997;46(RR-6):1–36

The Facts and Fictions of the Salem Witch Trials

The idea of witchcraft has been a controversial topic since the begging of time however, witchcraft became better known in 1692, with the begging of the Salem witch trials. Many stories have been written about the Salem witch trials. Some are found in journals, other stories are exaggerated from those journals. The comparison of historical facts and the play the Crucible are the perfect example of an exaggerated actual event. During the Salem witch trials, Tituba was asked to make a â€Å"witchcake† in order to figure was afflicting Betty Parris. She was later accused of witchcraft by Betty and Abigail Parris. Betty and Abigail Parris were the first to be afflicted. Actual symptoms consisted of violent physical tantrums. Rebecca Nurse was hung on July 19th , John Proctor on August 19th, and Martha Corey on September 22nd. Tituba brought stories of voodoo and other supernatural events from Barbados. This alone compelled the girls to take part in harmless fortune-telling. Mrs. Parris was alive during the incident and died in 1696, four years after the incident. The Parris family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Parris, Betty, Thomas, and Susannah, Abigail was only â€Å"kinfolk†. After the trials Betty was sent away. Tituba was acutally an Indian woman who had a husband named John and a daughter Violet. She was also tortured for a long time before she confessed. John was actually 60 and a tavern keeper. Elizabeth was is 3rd wife. John had a daughter that was 15, a son that is 17, and another son that is 33 from a previous marriage. Mary Warren was 20. The adultery between Abigail and John is unlikely to occur as they lived far from each other and Abigail never worked for them. Rebecca Nurse was considered least likely to be a witch- she was seen as saint-like. The Nurses were not extremely respected because they owed money. Martha Corey was accused of witchcraft and didn't enter a plea. He was pressed with stones in an attempt to force him to plea either was, but he refused. In The Crucible, Tituba was accused of leading 6 girls into the forest to cast spells and charms by a wild dancing ritual. Ruth Putnam was the first girl to be afflicted. The only symptom of bewitchment was not being able to woke from a deep slumber. John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey were all hung on the same day. Mrs. Parris has been dead for years and the family consisted of Betty. Mr. Parris, Abigail, and Tituba. Betty was present for the trials. Tituba was a single and didn't have a family as a slave. Tituba confessed quickly. John Proctor is young and is a farmer. Elizabeth is his only wife. John Proctor only has 2 young sons. Marry Warren was 17. John and Abigail committed adultery. Abigail worked for the Proctor before Mary. The daughter's named Ruth Putnam. Ruth was the only child of 8 the survive. Both of the Nurses were deeply respected and revered. Giles Corey was executed for refusing to reveal the name of a witness. But, none of this really occurred during the Salem Witch Trials. In my opinion, The Crucible reflected a lot of what happened during the Salem witch trials, but I feel like Arthur Miller exaggerated the historical facts. Miller changed the people's lives. I think he intentionally changed the story like that to make it more interesting, but he changed it just a little to much.

Impact Of Technology On Architecture Essay

What impact has technology had on architecture of the 20th century? Throughout the nineteenth century, architecture refused to have anything to do with industry; it had been concerned solely with monumental projects glorifying the state and giant civic structures expressing the pride of its people. This however, all changed with the dawn of the twentieth century. Industrial production became an integral part of modern society and a new relationship was forged between man and machine. From the nineteen hundreds on, architecture was viewed in this new light. Modernism and the optimistic belief that architecture could change the future of society through a synthesis of science and technology was the result. It reflected a new ideal for humanity – one that linked man to a new rational culture in tune with mechanization and efficiency. Technology directly affected architecture by facilitating the creation of new materials with which to build. These new materials freed the architect from engineering limitations of the past and allowed for new rational designs based on a buildingOs function. But most importantly, these designs were given form by a new optimistic ideal – that rational design would make for a rational society. Technology transformed architecture into a tool for social and cultural reform. The industrial revolution gave three new materials to the architect of the 20th century: reinforced concrete, steel and glass. The new materials were inexpensive, mass produced and flexible to use. These affected American cities profoundly by allowing greater density through higher buildings. Imagine the typical office floor plate as we know it: open space with a few columns. You couldn’t go as high or have such long spans between columns with timber frame. Chicago is a great example of the kind of boom that occured with this kind of new building technology. One need only to look to the Carson Pirie Scott Building built by Loius H. Sullivan in 1906 to understand the effect that new materials had on architecture of that era (fig.#1). With its wide spans, large horizontal windows and non load-bearing walls, the building has a much lighter and more open feeling than that of  its predecessors. The Carson Pirie Scott buildingOs elevation is expressive of the Chicago Steel frame s tyle made possible by industry. Another example of how new materials affected architecture is the Apartments at 25 bis Rue Franklin in Paris designed by August Perret (fig. #2). He used reinforced concrete for the skeleton of this building , which is visible on its exterior, and which gives it an overall impression of lightness. This also allowed Perret to open up his floor plan in ways that were previously restructed in wood frame construction; the size of the windows was only limited by Paris bye-laws. Structure became expedient, quick to build and flexible to use. Along with Elisha OtisOs electric elevator, these materials – as a direct result of technology – gave birth to the sky scraper and changed the face of architecture forever. Major new buildings projects churches. But more fundamental was the recognition that a new free architecture was neccessary because of the emergence of new building types for which there was no provinance in the history of styles. There were a vast programme of building types – schools, collages, libraries and above all offices. Idealization of industry: > -elimination of ornament > -reduction of form to function(same as elimination of ornament, but > including function also as how space is used) > -expression of ‘essentials’ i.e. structure, skin, floorplate (see > Corb’s Domino house diagram) > -new kind of ethic in architecture-truth, honesty- to the point often of > puritanical fanaticism > -importance of light-almost as if it could cleanse (could make claim > about a purge of the post-grungy workshop industrial world of 19th > century, turning to ordered rationality of production) Lots of white > cleanable surfaces, emph on air and ventilation also. see Corb again > Villa Savoye: Raised off the ground (no dirt), white walls, open spaces, > fluid circulation(curved ramp), roof garden, ribbon wondows > -ideal of universality in architecture: modern materials coming from > industry prodused a standardization that was envisage to be applicable in > any climate and culture. Corporations naturally picked up on a universal > architectural culture (see â€Å"the International Style† by Johnson) > An > anecdote I heard from a visiting architect > who once had a beer with Mies van der Rohe. Asked Mies â€Å"What materials > would you use to build in Africa ?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Glass and Steel†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"What materials > would you use for a project in Finland ?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Glass and Steel† †¦ â€Å"But > how would you account for the diffecences in climate†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†Proportion† > (This is totally hilarious to architects or anyone who knows Mies well) > > Role of the car: > -look at FLWright’s Broad Acre City schemes- Utopian stuff about the role > of the car in the American landscape. His utopia of the 1930’s is > frighteningly close to what has actually happended to suburban†citie† > like Phoenix > -suburbs > -post-modern architecture emphasis of the legible image of the > architecture- simplified enogh for a building to be read at a glance from > behind the wheel of a car. See Robert Veturi’s ‘Learning From Las Vegas’ > a fun little book full of great insites that unfortunately spawned every > piece of tacky post modern architecture ever made. See Michael Graves > Portland Building for a dumb box with decoration aimed at communicating > mere image to the post modern eye dulled by the assault of T.V. and used > to the speed of a car Social engineers Yet, underlying all the vitality in all the continents was a theme that reflects the need to find something fundamental in architecture, something so real that from it a new style could be rationally developed. Buildings designed with a view to asthetic appeal.

Identify, explain and evaluate any problems you can foresee upon the Case Study

Identify, explain and evaluate any problems you can foresee upon the death, disability or retirement of Jessica - Case Study Example In the case of retirement, obviously if she had secured a permanent job. Walter will most likely switch to a better paying job, in order to cushion the family from any event that might have affected Jessica. Or based on his assumption of a current employment, he will ask for a salary increase. Their house, based on their current valuation indicates that it appreciates at approximately $9000 each year. If she is to retire at the age of 60 and the rate of inflation stayed fixed, it will be valued at $478000.Within this time, their 15-year mortgage plan will have been fully cleared. Other joint investments will with BMO, will stay the same, while one of the cars, preferably Jessica’s, and will be sold off to keep family finances afloat. The expenses will be borne heavily by Walter, since Jessica will have less to deduct from. The insurance premiums and other deductions will likely continue especially the monthly taxes as well as household needs. Whether the weight will be borne by the two entirely depends on the presence and ability of Jessica. In case of death, her tax deductions as well as her car benefits will be cut short, while the weight will shift to Walter, who is likely to start cutting down on the expense. The will they made, even though not up to date, encompasses what makes up their life. As a result, it will come into operation in the case of her death, with Walter and the kids taking full shares in the marital property. In such a situation, Walter is likely to revise the will and entitle the kids to full administration of estate in case of his unavailability too. Assuming Jessica too plans to retire at 60 and things remain the same, she won’t be entitled to any benefits, since she is not in any pension plan. In case of her demise, the spousal plan currently being paid for her by her husband will stop. The available group health insurance policy will cover Jessica, unless she is dead. The

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 25

International Business - Essay Example As the manager says, majority of the bottles are not originally made by the company. This reduces the cost of operations as they enter the new markets that make them to offer low priced products to the consumers hence attracting more sales than the competitors (Bradley, 2005). The company also uses well established names in the industry in form of franchising. This makes them to reduce the competition levels in the new acquisitions as the firm establishes on how to become stable in those economies. Coca cola also provides for joint ventures with the established firms. The firms are allowed to have substantial shares by contributing funds which provides the capital for investment and compete in the respective markets. From the strategies mentioned above, the company will offer reduced prices for the consumers and the forces of demand and supply will make us more prices reasonable in the market. While venturing onto the new countries, the organization ensured there was differentiation on the products (Bradley, 2005). This provided a wide consumer choice in the market that attracted more customers to our products increasing our sales on the respective countries. The company also provides unique products with unique logos that ensure customers do not confuse the organization products. The products are then taken through various promotional activities like in the media advertisements, open sales that are used to popularize the products in the market. Many nations do not allow free trade since they always wants to protect the local products. As a result we operate different distributions channels to ensure we exist all over the world. We recruit different organizations inform of franchised distribution channels. These firms are legalized and operate in our behalf to sale our products within the respective countries. There are also bottler firms who are situated in various countries (Bradley, 2005). To break the barriers, we

Securing America and Protecting civil Liberties Essay

Securing America and Protecting civil Liberties - Essay Example This essay discusses that the signing of the Patriot Act; into law in the year 2001 gave the US government authority to obtain personal information regarding US citizens and permitted the government to detain strangers deemed as a risk to the state security. The holding of these individuals can be without any public acknowledgment. The federal law enforcing agencies have a wiretap authority, which access student readings in the library and internet usage. This shows a restriction of the civil liberties. Some provisions of the Act allow the installation of a formidable tracking gadget capable of intercepting all kinds of internet activity, which include web page activity, e-mail messages and internet telephone communication. The Act was passed as a result of terrorists attack earlier in the period. The Act reduced daily freedoms of Americans and expanded the authority of the secretary of the treasury. The secretary was to control financial transactions of foreign individuals and entit ies. The First Amendment comprises several vital rights that guarantee an individual’s basic civil liberties such as freedom to speech, freedom to associate, freedom of the press, and freedom to religion. The civil liberties have protection against government restriction and interference by other individuals. The provisions of the First Amendment were first written when there were no radios, computers, televisions and other communication gadgets. Changes in the First Amendment have redefined and reinterpreted the entitlement to free speech and press. The rights of speech and press are not absolute (Taylor, 2005). According to the interpretation of the court about the changes in the First Amendment, freedom to speech or press can be denied in extreme cases. Another change in the First Amendment is against an individual facing a fair trial. The changes provide that individuals accused of terrorism must not be released on bail. This change will affect those individuals arrested under suspicion that they are terrorists, but they are not. In such a case, there will be no freedom to a fair trial. Another change that occurred to the First Amendment was a change of the provision permitting individuals to have the freedom to privacy (Savage, 2009). According to the changes made, the FBI had authority to access the internet messages, financial statements, and business records of an individual suspected to be a terrorist without the suspects knowledge or permission. The Fourth Amendment protects the Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. However, with the signing of the Patriots Act, the Fourth Amendment was changed with regard to the right of conducting searches and seizures. The change allowed citizens to be seized on the ground that the individual is suspected to be a terrorist. Any individual suspected to be a terrorist is searched without allowing the FBI to conduct the search. The searches conducted by the FBI may not be reasona ble, but the change was allowed (Savage, 2009). Another change that occurred was the procedure that applied to individuals charged with a crime. The change that occur