Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 396

Assignment Example There are two issues that come out clearly in this case. Quon’s, Duke, boss tells him there would be no need to carry out an audit of the text messages as long as he paid the overages. On the other hand, the OPD makes it clear that none of the pager messages would be private. Quon went ahead to make an assumption that his boss’ pronouncements could override he provisions of the OPD. No part of the OPD provisions indicate that an employee’s pronouncements were superior to documented OPD provisions. Quon thus wrongfully expected privacy due to a mere fact his boss had promised not to audit the messages so long as he paid the overages. Such a pronouncement, therefore, does not suspend the OPD provisions. That renders Quon culpable. If the case had involved an employer-supplied device other than a pager, it surely would have been decided the differently. The OPD provisions are very particular/specific on the device involved. It only refers to the pager text message as not being private. If a device had been involved other than the pager, the provision wouldn’t have applied. The case would have been decided differently. Quon demand for privacy would have been validated. Auditing text messages is obviously less intrusive than phone wiretapping. This is because in the case of auditing text messages, the device user is made aware of the need to carry out an audit. In the case of phone wiretapping, the user’s device such as telephone is covertly monitored. This is considered unlawful in most cases. Phone wiretapping is more intrusive than carrying out an audit of the messages. There is no broad ground for determining Quon’s case. There a number of technical aspects of the case, all of which must be weighed. If the broadly applicable rules for electronic communication had been applied in determining the case, the court would have looked at how Quon’s use of the work device for other personal communication had affected his use of

Research paper about lululemon Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

About lululemon - Research Paper Example The industry also has many established players such as Nike, Adidas, and GAP inc. among others. Economic factors such as increasing production costs and regulated prices across political jurisdictions are significant. Legal provisions such as intellectual property laws and political environments such as trade policies are also significant (Forgeon, et al. 38, 40). Delta Galil is one of the major suppliers. The supplier is established, with about 10000 workers and annual revenue of about one billion dollars. This suggests stability of the suppliers whose clients include Lululemon’s major competitors such as Nike. Eclat Textile company is another of the suppliers, has high revenue level and deals in Lululemon’s competitors. Workday INC is another major supplier. The suppliers are stable and deal with Lululemon’s competitors, a factor that suggests fair supplier powers, but Lululemon only commands a limited percentage of the suppliers’ revenues, and this limits its bargaining powers (Forgeon, et al. 25, 26). Lululemon’s distinct product design is one of its strengths ans allows it to develop brand image. The design also aims at establishing product quality and therefore develops a competitive advantage. The attained high quality also allows for price increase towards greater profit margins. Short lifecycle that ensures faster product inception is also strength and allows the company to respond to possible dynamic changes in the market. Research and development that focus on data from customers’ opinions is strength and allows for immediate response to customers’ changing needs (Forgeon, et al. 18, 19). The company has limited partnerships in distribution of products and this is its major weakness. Apart from its retail stores, Lululemon only deals with clubs and studios, while partnerships with other stores and franchises could facilitate more revenues. The company has significant growth opportunities in North America and

Lists of input and output information and sources Essay Example for Free

Lists of input and output information and sources Essay Prior to outlining the input and output information, the system development life cycle must be in place so that the analysis is done accordingly. The correct nature of the inputs and the outputs would make the system design vary accordingly as it requires to capture the information and put it into a frame to interpret in a decisive manner to take further decisions. The systems development life cycle for Bead Bar is as follows: 1. Feasibility analysis: The new proposed system and the present working system are analyzed so that the ROI (Return On Investment) is obtained. The proposed system is further analyzed for economical, technical, schedule and other feasibilities so that it stands in front of all difficulties in the development of the project. The Bead bar enterprise’s key management people are involved in the process of feasibility analysis. All the inputs, outputs and external environment are studied in detail so that the underlying intricacies would be researched well for their impact and development. Inputs: Bead Bar’s inputs are in the form of company’s short and long term objectives, its financial base and credibility for years to come, its general strategic plans, consent of the advisors and directors, risk handling strategies and many others. Outputs: The feasibility has outputs in the form of higher management approval for the sustenance of the systems development, its full length use to cover all business functions, risk mitigation strategies and many others. 2. Systems planning and requirements gathering: After the system is thoroughly checked for all its inputs and outputs, the requirements phase takes the lead. All the key stakeholders of the departments and the users of the system must be taken into account for gathering the crucial departmental functions, requirements and its interaction with other departments to achieve the central goal of the enterprise. Input: It must be in the form of the users of the system who are better-off to understand and figure out the exact ground level happenings in the business. Their view of the workings of the enterprise must be captured so that appropriate implementation can be done. Output: The valuable information fetched from the users of the system must be given a representation and frame it accordingly to fix it into a system. 3. Systems Analysis and Design: Bead Bar’s system requirements are studied and the system is analyzed and designed accordingly. The flow of data is analyzed so that the system captures the entire business cycle and their functions. Inputs: It would come from the requirements gathering phase and the order of business flow. Outputs: It would result in helping the analysts and designers in the process of database handling and further development of the system. 4. Database Model: The database model for Bead Bar is as follows, which shows the interaction of the different entities of the business. Figure 1 : Database Model 5. Coding: The above design is given a representation of the business and the various functions are finally implemented at this stage. Inputs: It is in the form of requirements gathered from the previous stages and the design documents. Outputs: It results in actual implementation of the system so that it can be viewed physically. 6. Implementation and Training: This stage correlates with actual planting of the system at the Bead Bar so that the present system is replaced and the proposed system takes its place. The users must be trained to operate the business functions with the system, store and retrieve data whenever it is demanded. 7. System feedback and maintenance: The general working of the system must be responded back so that any form of negative points would be highlighted and discussed to take advantage of the system and technologies involved. 8. Systems Review and Maintenance schedule: The review and maintenance schedule must include the following: Preventative maintenance – Maintenance schedules are a necessity for keeping the resources of a system in good health. The hardware, network equipments, communication programs and software must be periodically checked whether it is up and running (Mawer, 2000).

How Google Demonstrates Paradoxical Thinking Business Essay

How Google Demonstrates Paradoxical Thinking Business Essay For decades, the management theorists have focused their attention on three types of thinking i.e. Magical thinking, modern thinking and postmodern thinking. The latest inclusion is the paradoxical thinking which was being studied by the researchers of the science field. The main reason that paradoxical thinking has gained importance in the business world is that there were some buzz phrases that were being used by the employees of the organisations such as controlled chaos, getting outside the box, breaking the frame of reference, creative destruction, fuzzy logic and etc. (Lovy, 2011). All of these terminologies show that a business can develop something impossible by going beyond the imaginative framework and these old models have less importance in the contemporary world. The primary crux of the paradoxical thinking is that the openness can be anything but it is indecisive, lacks principled convictions and is sometimes passionless as well (Gebert, Boerner Kearney, 2010). According to Sak and Oz (2010), paradoxical thinking implies that problems should be looked from different angles rather than one perspective so that it can be resolved effectively. The term paradox is described as a range or group of statements that are contradictory and challenge the conventional thinking parameters. Likewise, the paradoxical thinking is stated as the way of looking at a situation or a problem form a various range of perspectives and carrying out in-depth analysis to understand the problem completely (Miron-Spektor, Gino Argote, 2011). One of the best examples of the application of paradoxical thinking is evident in the work performed by Farday in about 1830s. Farday observed that when the electricity current is passed through a wire it can cause a magnetised needle to move that is located adjacent to the wire to move in a direction which is rotational; it formed the basis of electric motor invention. In order to extend his learning and thinking capabilities, he increased his efforts and found that even the moving magnets can ease the flow of electricity in the system. He challenged the ways in which the conventional theorists of physics were working so that he could make valuable contribution in the field (Kasi et al., 2008). It has been found that the companies that encourage paradoxical thinking within their culture are able to make successful progression and their success is evident from the robust performance in the industry. The paradoxical thinking is found in abundance in leading corporations especially technology related firms such as Microsoft, IBM, Apple, Dell, Google, Sony, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and many more. Examples of how Google demonstrates Paradoxical Thinking Google is definitely the market leader around the world as it has created a new virtual world for the Internet surfers. The company has been growing at a rapid pace in the Internet-related products and services market as it has efficiently responded to all the demands of the customers as soon as they are required by them. Since gaining top position in the market as a dominant search engine in 1988, it has ensured that it fosters a paradoxical thinking climate within its business operations (Stoltzfus, Stohl, Seibold, 2011). The basic foundation of the paradoxical thinking is that the employees have to be provided an open and innovative culture that will allow them to think a huge range of imaginative and compelling ideas that have never been offered in the market. Google was the first company to identify the need of creating an online search engine from where the people seeking information about different things can retrieve valuable information easily. When Google was thinking about introducing this offering, it had to face resistance from the traditional companies who found the idea to be unrealistic and ineffective. The owners of Google were not let down by such discouraging comments and launched this facility for the Internet users. Since then, the company has been flourishing successfully in the market and has encountered all the challenges with determination and bravery. In order to present the customers with unique offerings, Google has created a work environment that is friendly, fun-loving, enthusiastic and relaxing so that the people working there love to come to their job every day (Baldwin et al., 2010). As a result of such appealing working environment, the employees have successfully employed the concept of paradoxical thinking in the companys product and service offerings which are even evident in the form of its advertisements. The employees show creativity by sharing their ideas with the management and the ones that are compelling are implemented after some modifications. Google has a Loose-Tight structure where the employees are given autonomy to work but have to comply with the Googles unified philosophy (Korn Silverman, 2012). Following are some of the initiatives that are undertaken by Google demonstrate the application of paradoxical thinking in its business operations: In 2005, the Summer of Code mentoring program was launched for students of ages eighteen and older to get them engaged in the free and open-source software. It even made valuable contribution in the open source community. Google MentalPlex on April Fools Days feature the usage of mental power for searching the web. In 2007, it announced the introduction of TiSP (Toilet Internet Service Provider) where one could easily obtain the connection by flushing an end of the fiber-optic cable down in the toilet. It even started advertisements in 2007 about the Gmail paper that could be used by Gmail users to print and ship the email messages. It changed its company name in 2010 to Topeka to display its honour of Topeka Kansas where its Mayor changed the name of the city to Google for limited time period so that it can sway Googles decision of new Google Fiber Project. In its search engine, it added language selection features of Swedish Chef such as Bork bork bork, Pig Latin, Klingon, Elmer Fudd and Hacker. Google Map, Google Notebook and other features are all examples of the paradoxical thinking implications. Hence, innovation is properly embedded in the companys culture so that it can create something new and pioneering for its customers and enhance their online surfing time. Paradoxical Thinking Whether it can be learnt or not The proponents of paradoxical thinking state that the people have to think out of the box and do in-depth analysis of any contradictory thought because it can give rise to something new that is not present in the market (Lovy, 2011). There is no science involved in learning the paradoxical thinking as the learners just have to change their thinking patterns. Sometimes, a solution or invention may appear not to make any sense but it might appeal to the target audience. For instance, when sports cars were introduced, people were sceptical about it that whether it will be accepted in the market or not; now it is the leading choice in the sports world. Similarly, when solar cars were launched by Saturn, it had to face huge amount of criticism but it was successful in meeting the demands of its customers and providing them an energy efficient car that is beneficial for the environment (Luscher Lewis, 2008). The key requirements of developing paradoxical thinking are open mindedness, courage to take risks and experimenting with new ideas. It is important to remain alert about the absurd ideas that are present all the time in minds; they have to be noted down and then dwelt. The employees of an organisation need to be encouraged to play with even vague ideas because there are chances that a unique proposition gets clicked in the mind that can be beneficial for the companys enhanced performance. For this form of thinking, openness is crucial because it allows the individuals to learn new subjects that might not have any linkages to the profession. It is vital to extend the learning boundaries so that unleashed features can be addressed; therefore, increased exploration is the basic requirement of paradoxical thinking (Gobert, Boener Kearney, 2010). Wagner (2009) stated that the basic foundation of the paradoxical thinking is being sceptical all the time; meaning looking at the things from varying perspectives. For instance, when looking at a product, a person can think about making changes in it that can make it look more attractive or changing the style or ingredients that can appeal to other markets (Ging et al., 2010). Hence, paradoxical thinking can be learnt easily by changing the way of looking and observing things in the surroundings so that a new perspective is highlighted. 0230190406001.png (Source: Smith, Binns Tushman, 2010) Paradoxical Thinking Least used intelligence skill Since every organisation emphasises the importance of creating work environment that is conducive and comprises of competed people who have high intelligence skills, such organisations encounter problems when implementing the paradoxical thinking framework. The basics of the paradoxical thinking implies considering the irrational aspects as well so that innovation is encouraged throughout the organisation. It has been found that the paradoxical thinking is one of the eight skills that are related to the intelligence framework (Banff Executive Leadership Inc., 2010). The eight skills that are linked to the intelligence are judgement, perception, reason, intuition, imagination, logic, memory and paradox. Among all the skills mentioned, the least commonly used one is the paradoxical thinking because people are reluctant to get involved in illogical thinking. The traditional specialists still show resistance to apply the concept of paradoxical thinking within the business environment because they feel that it is not appropriate for a business to get involved in such irrational activities. However, the trend is now shifting to the paradox paradigm when the companys management have realised that the customers are looking for both functional and creative solutions (Baldwin et al., 2010). The reason that paradoxical thinking is linked to intelligence is that it allows the people to apply their thinking skills to modify the idea into something feasible that will be appealing for the end-consumers. IBM has ensured that it allows its employees to give any kinds of practical suggestions to the company that can help it in increasing its proficiency and eliminate the drawbacks that are prevalent within the firm (Miron-Spektor, Erez, Naveh, 2011). USA Today is the leading newspaper in the country and it was the first one to introduce the concept of online newspaper so that the customers can read the paper on Internet. When the owner wanted to launch this idea, majority of the people felt that it will have to encounter problems as people prefer to enhance their knowledge about the latest happenings through paper newspapers. However, the paper is considered to be the top selling newspaper in the region that has successfully met the needs of the customers especially who is looking for previous issues to get access to a particular article or piece of information (Wit Meyer, 2005). Ways in which paradoxical thinking can improve organisations performance Since the basic requirements of paradoxical thinking are open working culture and going out of the traditional ways to introduce innovative offerings, the organisations have to make these two elements the integral part of their working environments. The leaders of these companies have to show their appreciation for the efforts put in by the employees in the form of imaginative and appealing ideas so that they are encouraged to enhance their level of productivity (Wit Meyer, 2005). When employees are encouraged to become a crucial part of the organisations decision making process, it enhanced their level of motivation and they are willing to make more meaningful additions in the business processes (Miron-Spektor, Gino, Argote, 2011). In order to support the paradoxical thinking within the company, the top management has to understand that they need to create an environment which allows the employees to play with creative elements, get engaged in activities that will help them in unleashing unexploited avenues of the business operations and ensure that the customers are provided with unique offerings at a fast pace. 0010470201001.png (Source: Ging et al., (2010)) Hence, with the help of creativity, openness, innovation and sceptical thinking, the paradoxical thinking will be promoted within the business organisation. All of these factors will ensure that the companys productivity is increased, competitive edge is attained in the industry and performance continues to grow in a profitable way and at an accelerating rate. Conclusion In todays competitive environment which is being impacted by globalisation and accelerating rate of changes, the organisations have to remain alert all the time about the happenings so that the challenges can be encountered proactively. The managers and leaders of the organisations have to foster an innovative climate within the firms so that the paradoxical thinking can be nurtured which will ultimately make significant contribution in their enhanced performance.

Government of Spain :: essays research papers fc

The Government of Spain Political System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spain is a parliamentary monarchy. Chief of state is the hereditary monarch and the head of government is the President of the Government. The President designates the cabinet which is called the Council of Ministers. Spain is also has a bicameral legislative branch. The General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (CIA World Factbook). In order for legislation to pass the two chambers must agree. Proposals of laws issued by the Senate are discussed at Congress in a Plenary Session in order to be accepted or tabled veto or be amended. The proposal of the law passes to the study of a Commission. The Commission writes a short text about the proposal which will be discussed and voted in Plenary Session. Once the text is approved by the Congress proposal of law is submitted by its President to the Senate. Senate may then accept, block a veto or make amendments. If Senate rejects the text by an absolute majority then the text goes back to Congress which can at that point either approve the bill or proposal of law by the same majority required at the Senate or Congress can wait for two months and approve the text by a simple majority. In both cases the text is the one approved initially by Congress. If Senate introduces amendments, Congress only has to accept or reject them by a simple majority. If the text is accepted without any modifications then the text is ready to be sanctioned by the King (U.S. Library of Congress). Electoral System A party must obtain a minimum of 3 percent of the vote in order to qualify for parliamentary representation. Each province is to have a minimum of two seats in the Congress of Deputies, plus one additional seat for every 144,500 inhabitants or fraction over 70,000 inhabitants (U.S. Library of Congress). Members of Congress are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Each province is allotted four seats in the Senate, regardless of population. Members of the Senate are directly elected by popular vote for 208 seats and 51 are appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms (CIA World Factbook). Election Results/ Party System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As of today the number of parties present in the Senate totals six.

Antibacterial Soap Causes Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Essay -- Expos

     Ã‚   The next time you are in your kitchen, look at the area where you prepare food.   Do you wonder how many disease-causing bacteria could be living there?   There most certainly are some.   But don't let that image drive you to throw down this magazine and run for the antibacterial cleanser under the sink.   Right now it is pretty tough for those bacteria to make it into your body and begin wreaking havoc, because there just aren't enough of them right there in your kitchen.   But TV commercials for antibacterial cleansers would have you believe otherwise.   Those cheery soccer moms want you to be so afraid of the bacteria living in your kitchen that you make sure to buy their product-the one that "kills 99.9% of bacteria."   Now, it's true that bacteria can cause illness, and as humans we are often at odds with bacteria, but we just can't kill them all.   If we try, we could see our plans backfire and send ourselves into a new and precarious future of disease.    To understand how, we simply need to take a look at how bacteria have become rapidly resistant to antibiotics, and we see a story unfolding that begins with penicillin as an attack on disease and now has become a Frankenstein's monster of sorts.    Since the 1950s, antibiotics have been widely available and frequently prescribed, and consequently our overuse of and dependence on antibiotics has left us powerless against new, stronger bacterial species capable of causing life-threatening illnesses, such as tuberculosis. In their valiant effort to create safe, disease free environments, hospitals have unwittingly contributed to the proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria.   Although these "superbacteria" are now found mainly in hospitals, a new wave of household pr... ...w think of your own kitchen.   You have the power to keep it as close to the memory of your childhood as you wish. By restricting our use of antibacterial products, we can keep our houses-and our children's houses-safe. But by attempting to wipe out all bacteria and live germfree, we will catapult ourselves into a dark and uncertain future, where our best cure has become our worst poison.    Notes 1. "News Release Archive for 1999," the Soap and Detergent Association web site, 22 May 2014 <http://www.sdahq.org/about/archive99.html#triclosan>.    2. Joseph B. Verrengia, "Some Soaps May Aid Drug Resistance," AP Online. 6 August 2014, 16 June 2014 <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/ >; see also Barbara Ingham, "September 2014 Newsletter," Food Facts for You! 20 June 2014 www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/specialists/ingham/sep2014.html 3. Verrengia.

Safe Driving

Everything happening oh so fast; from getting in the car to seeing the black escalade ram through our car. With the thought of â€Å"im dead† then everything going pitch black, everything seemed meaningless. Accidents factor in more than just impaired driving and icy roads. The drivers’ condition along with their responsibilities is the reason Peggy will never walk again.Drivers need to stay sharp and aware on the road, and judging from the story ken did not seem to follow this. Even if you pay full attention, the danger of others is always on the road. As careful as you are other drivers mistakes are inevitable. In the story it says he rolled up his sleeves, even though it isn’t much; its still a sign of him compromising Peggy’s safety. Even if you take all precautions and stay aware of the road; you can’t always keep track of the always changing road conditions.Safety is key for driving, but there are many complications on the road. It’s no t always the road that complicates your safety; in the story it refers to Peggy wanting to visit the liquor store. Impaired driving injures someone ever other minute; with 16,000 deaths a year. Alcohol could’ve been a factor of why ken crashed, or it could’ve been a health issue. Peggy speculated he had a stroke or something at the wheel. Another safety violation occurred in the story; says he has only hand on the wheel. Again, it’s not much but it could’ve aided to the accident.Even if the accident wasn’t within kens control, he is still responsible for it. Drivers are responsible for just about everything that happens to it and in the car. Ken took the wheel; as long with Peggy’s mobility. Other people on the road are highly unpredictable, but that doesn’t change the fact your responsible for your own.In the end, it truly is Kens fault for paralyzing Peggy. Many things factor into an accident; but I think the main reason were his aw areness for the road and lack of safe driving. It may have been Peggy’s choice to get in the car; but its clearly Kens fault for the crash. I feel people take driving to  lightly, its one of the most dangerous methods of travel. People need to be more cautious.