Gay Marriage: Social Calamity or Long Overdue? Essay

Abstract There is growing attention to the issue of marriage equality for gay people in this country. As of the writing of this paper, 16 of the 50 states in the United States of America have legalized gay marriage, either by legislation or by popular vote (Wisniewski, 2013). The discourse regarding the issue becomes quite contentious largely because of non-secular ideology that has demonized the concept of homosexuality for many years. As a sociological issue, the conflict has become a divisive force for many, from political powers as far down to the family level. The constitution guarantees equal rights for all in this country; freedom of religion, speech, etc. yet appears to stall when equal rights for the gay community are involved. There has been significantly more popular support for the cause recently, but the stigma and prejudice continue to linger. Is this a moral debate or has an outdated ideology become so embraced by many that the battle has only just begun? Are Rights Really Equal? When asked if one believes in equal rights for all citizens, the typical, rote response is a resounding â€Å"Yes†. If the question becomes more specific as to include the right for homosexuals to marry, a hesitation follows. The concept of gay marriage is far deeper a societal problem for most because its roots lie in prejudicial perspectives that have permeated us for years. Before the fight for the right to marry, the gay community has long endured simply the right to exist openly without feeling pariah-like. The United States is not a theocracy, of this we are certain. However, there are many more religiously affiliated citizens than not. The First Amendment gives us freedom of religion, which should also include freedom from religion. The truth of the matter meets somewhere in between the two, especially when US currency bears â€Å"In God We Trust† boldly on its face. There are political leaders who continue to evoke the name of God in their speeches, even though  the fact is that our founding fathers were mostly non-theists and the motto on our money did not initiate until 1958 or so. But people continue to view homosexuality as a â€Å"sin†, therefore gay marriage is not an option. This issue has created a divide in this country, much like most other civil rights have. When slavery was abolished, it took years to establish anti-segregation laws. Civil change takes time, historically, and gay marriage is no different. Protests continue either in support of or against gay marriage, at times becoming violent. Families become divided when a member openly announces his or her orientation and disapproval prevails, sometimes resulting in families disowning or ostracizing that offender from the family. Government has been forced to become involved, due to an outcry for the various rights that are bestowed upon a married member of this society. Rights to inheritance and to personal medical information and decision making are two examples of spousal rights. Monogamous homosexual couples are denied these rights, since without marriage, the rights fall to their closest relative. Functional Sociology and Gay Marriage Society has long viewed traditional marriage a fundamental and necessary building block. Marriage is the institution by which our population is regenerated and offspring are socialized then integrated as functioning members. Functional theorists might argue that if the paradigm is changed to include same sex couples, social decay may follow, as the family unit is unable to function if not in the traditional way. Single parent households have been faulted with producing children that score lower in school than those from the traditional, two parent family, as well as have higher rates of unacceptable social behavior, such as drug abuse or teenage pregnancy. Functionalists believe children benefit from each gender parent in a different way, therefore require both to be whole. (Tischler, 2011) Conflict Theory and Gay Marriage Conflict theory maintains that society functions when a more powerful or accepted sector exerts its will and exceeds at the expense of less powerful or accepted portions. (Tischler, 2011). Since homosexuality has been regarded taboo by the majority for so long, heterosexuals have maintained their position of acceptance and normalcy in the US. Vocational positions,  especially powerful ones such as political leaders, have historically been heterosexual. We have a â€Å"President† and a â€Å"First Lady†; expected heterosexuality. For the stigma to be removed, traditionally expected and understood ways of life would drastically change. Would traditional, heterosexual marriage decay in the process? The Future of Marriage Regardless of sociological theory, religious belief, and cultural expectation, the movement towards acceptance of gay marriage is gaining momentum and losing the attached stigma. Gay marriage is legal in 16 states (Wisniewski, 2013), and gay couples right to adoption has increased. Heterosexual divorce rates remain hovering at a 50% mark, and have been for many years prior to homosexual marriage. Society is resilient, proving itself over years of change. The ideal aspiration would be for both homosexual and heterosexual married couples to simply co-exist; neither having any real influence over the others’ success or demise. References Tischler, H.L. (2011) â€Å"Introduction to Sociology†. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781285396835/pages/55834839 Wisniewski, M (2013) Update 1-Illinois Governor Signs Same-Sex Marriage Into Law. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/20/usa-gaymarriage-illinois-idUSL2N0J524N20131120.

Point of View in ‘Little Things’ by Raymond Carver

Raymond’s ‘Little Things’ is a very short but interesting story that draws our attention to the problems couples may face in their marital life. It narrates an incidence of a quarrel between a husband and a wife that escalates to the point that it reaches the child and the couple is portrayed fighting for the possession of the baby. Now each parent is pulling on an arm causing him symbolic physical injury;†he felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard†.From a narrative point of view, Raymond Carver uses in this story a third person narrator; an objective narrator, who relates information that is easily visible. The narrator in fact remains outside the actions of the story, seemingly neutral . I mean characters stand out more in the story rather than the narrator describes their situations. The narrator cannot tell us about the characters’ thoughts or feelings(through the whole story there is no explicit description of f eelings or thoughts, but only actions are reported to us).This is in fact like a camera eye, just like watching a movie where the only information you get is what you can see or hear. It is quite important as well to notice here that there is no moving backward or forward of actions or thoughts as the narrator consciously chooses not to raise his voice. The only voices we hear in this part of the story are the voices of the characters.Not bearing in mind of course the first paragraph of the original story where the narrator’s voice is raised to make symbolic comments on his character’s moral dilemma, like saying for instance: â€Å"But it was getting dark on the inside too†, it is not surprising, that Carver enshrouds their violence in darkness, as their struggle threatens , most important, to tear the infant apart. It is through the unraised voice, indeed, that we are told a lot about situations that many people can find themselves in( and Carver himself was on e of them).We are invited in ‘Little Things’ to create and develop our own rationale for the actions of the characters and the consequent results, for a big part of the narrative may take place beneath the surface. It is from beneath the surface, indeed ,that Carver creates a powerful sense in us of man’s lack of communication ,and exhibition of selfishness, of the harm couples can cause to their children in such an unfortunate situation , and of Carver’s suggestion that a warm and emotional argument between a couple will quickly reach a logical and peaceful end..Surely not our characters’ end where ‘the issue was decided’ . We do not know in fact which issue was decided, is it the separation itself? , the baby’s injury? , or even his death? .We surely know, however, it is akin to the pure ‘snow’ , ‘melting into dirty water’, as mentioned in the beginning of the story.

Market For Lemons Summary Essay

In this article, the author examines the relationship between quality and uncertainty and their implication on the theory of markets. Akerlof uses the example of the automobile market in order to illustrate the effects of uncertainty and quality on consumer behavior. In his example, Akerlof begins with the assumption that consumers have the option of either buying a new or used car. However, the consumer cannot predict whether the car that they buy is a good car or a â€Å"lemon†. Therefore, the probability of a car being good can have a probability of q while the probability of a lemon would be (1-q). This probability increases, however, as time progresses and you learn about your car. Therefore, it can be seen that the seller will have a more accurate prediction on the quality of the car as opposed to the buyer because the seller has more information on the car. The problem is that the seller is forced to sell his car at a price which disregards quality because buyers are unable to tell the difference between a good car and a lemon. Therefore, the seller is not able to receive the true value of his car and therefore forced to operate under a loss. Akerlof continues this analogy in other examples. In the insurance industry, the elderly have problems obtaining insurance due to the drastic spike in premium cost. Research has shown that as the price level rises, the people who insure themselves will be those who are increasingly certain that they will need insurance. This means that as the average medical condition of the insurered deteriorates, the price level rises, with the result that no insurance sales may take place at any price. Akerlof also uses the example of employing minorities, the cost of dishonesty, and the credit markets in underdeveloped countries to make his point. He has shown how â€Å"trust† is extremely important in any business transaction. Informal guarantees are preconditions for trade and business.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy - Essay Example Introduction Death Penalty, also referred to as Capital punishment, entails the execution of a convicted wrongdoer by law/judicial process enforcement officers as a punishment for a particular crime(s). It is ever the most severe punishment form. The various lawful means through which death penalty is administered comprise hanging, lethal injection, firing squad, electrocution, gassing and use of the guillotine (Duhaime 1). The offences punishable via capital punishment include but are not limited to rape and other sexual crimes, murder, espionage, treason and repeated crimes. They are referred to as capital crimes. This form of punishment is also performed as part of military justice. The criminal provisions for death penalty deem such individuals (convicted offenders) as a gross menace to the existence of the society (Legal-explanations.com 1). Majority of countries around the world have banned the death penalty. Infoplease.com quotes Amnesty International which records that 137 co untries have abolished this form of punishment. Additionally, a considerable reduction in the number of executions yearly in countries that have not banned it is evident. For instance, in the year 2007, twenty-four countries put 1,252 people to death, (of which eighty-eight percent took place in Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, Iran and USA alone), while in the previous year, they had executed 1,591 individuals. In 51 countries that apply death penalty to particular crimes’ offenders, approximately 3,350 people received the death penalty in 2006. In the year 2009, more than twenty thousand prisoners were on death row globally (Infoplease.com 1). In the view of people who support capital punishment, the threat of executions dissuades individuals from committing capital crimes, and thus it is more effective than incarceration. While this claim is credible, numerous studies on the topic of death penalty and deterrence in addition to the rate of capital crimes in countries that app ly the death penalty yields different result – they do not support this idea. In effect, in countries that do not apply the death penalty, the rate of capital crimes is continuously lower as opposed to those countries that apply it.  For instance, of the four regions of the United States, the Southern region has the highest rate of capital crimes despite the region having more than eighty percent of all executions in the United States. Moreover, a recent study revealed that of the surveyed United States’ top criminologists, eighty-eight percent are not for the belief that capital punishment deters capital crimes (Lacock & Radelet 503). There is ample prove that capital crime rates and the death penalty lack correlation. A major study by the United Nations concluded that there lacks substantiation of the view that compared to life incarceration; death penalty has a greater deterrent effect. Findings from the United States of America in addition indicate that death pen alty does not prevent capital crime. Moreover, reports from the American Civil Liberties Union divulge that states that apply death penalty laws do not have lower rates of capital crimes than those states that do not apply it (Peikrishvili 5). What is more is that a US police chiefs’ national survey disqualifies the  claim that death penalty is an essential tool of reducing the number of capital crimes with the police chiefs

Strictly confidential Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strictly confidential - Essay Example The memory stick which consists of information on all the 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales is now entirely investigated. It includes some release dates as well as information about 43,000 most intricate and persistence offenders as described by the Deputy Information Commissioner (Sky News, 2008). Out of the most likely consequences is the one that the criminals will bring legal acts next to the government and the taxpayer would have to pay for the injuries to the people who appear to be a bit contemptible for the reason of the government's inability. The loss of the memory stick with the details of the prisoners was initially reported to the government, by a London-based consulting company called the PA Consulting Group, with a contract to track the movement of the offenders through the criminal justice system (Burns, 2008). Classified information about almost 130,000 prisoners as well as dangerous criminals has been lost ... According to the Home Office, an internal report is supposed to be carried out in to the data security arrangements between the Home Office and its contractor, PA Consulting. 2.2 Identification of Stake-Holders The individuals or groups which are affected by the outcome of a decision are construed as stake-holders. Amongst the primary stake-holders are the prisoners and criminals whose information has been lost. Home-Office was responsible for the loss of the personal information. Secondly, the tax-payers are another group of stake-holders affected by the outcome. The secondary stake holders are the police force which is responsible for of guaranteeing the personal information of the prisoners. The stake-holders were supposed to safe-guard the confidential details of the prisoners and criminals which they failed to do. The data had been misplaced by the PA consulting group, which was supposed to track and examine the critical offenders in the JTrack programme. 3. Professional Codes The professional conducts do not seem to construe to the case discussed above for the reason that the people responsible for the misplacing of information did not uphold the reputation and good standing of the British Computer Society, and also, their profession in general. Moreover, they did not seek to participate in the improvisation of the professional gradations through participation in their development, usage as well as implementation. The British Computer

Film Reponse Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Film Reponse Paper - Essay Example 1). The film is directed by Ann Thompson and written by Martin Dugard, together with Olegar Fedoro. It was released on 8th October 2007. The main stars include Olegar Fedoro, Alvaro Martin, David Sant And Javier Mazan. On May 11, 1502, Christopher Columbus set out on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He had four ships in a mission to explore unfamiliar areas to the west of the Caribbean. He hoped to find a route west to the Orient. He explored parts of southern Central America, but his ships, damaged by a hurricane and termites, fell apart in the process. Columbus and his men were stranded on Jamaica for about a year before being rescued. They returned to Spain in late 1504 (Hugh, P. 1).Because of Queen Isabel waning health and without her support, Columbus would never return to the New World. Columbus’ Fourth Voyage is outstanding primarily for some new exploration, mostly along the coast of Central America. The film is of great interest to historians, because of its astute descriptions of the native cultures such as the sections on the Mayan traders. Some of those who were along on the fourth voyage would later go on to greater things, such as Antonio de Alaminos, a cabin boy who would later rise to pilot and explore much of the western Caribbean. Columbus’ son Fernando would later write a biography of his famous father. The Fourth Voyage was a failure. Many of Columbus’ men died, the ships were lost and no passage to the west was ever found. Columbus himself would never sail again, and died convinced that he had found Asia, even if most of Europe already accepted the fact that the Americas were an unknown â€Å"New World.† Still, the fourth voyage showed better than any other Columbus’ sailing skills, fortitude and resilience, attribu tes which allowed him to discover the Americas in the first place (Hugh, P. 1). This is a heroic story of the great Protestant revolutionary by

Compare and contrast 2 liberal and 2 realist approaches to counter Essay

Compare and contrast 2 liberal and 2 realist approaches to counter terrorism - Essay Example On the other hand, liberals are of the opinion that terrorism is a menace amongst the many others in the society. Liberalists also argue that terrorism can only be handled by coming up with strategies and institutions that would aid in dealing with terrorism. In the view of the liberalists, through the deployment of intelligence forces, it is possible to combat terrorism,. Liberalists also argue that law enforcement forces are vital in handling terrorism. This paper shall analyze the differences between liberalist and realists approaches on eradication of terrorism. Light will be shed on the realist works by Alex Bellamy and Jason Motlagh and liberalist works by John Mueller and Henry Munson. In Bellamys work, torture is one of the measures that is of the essence to the realists (121). In the event of the devastating September bombing, it became evident that the entire globe is under risk and at the mercies of the terrorists. In this case, torturing and manipulating terrorists has been beneficial in extracting information from them. Apart from the legal and moral constraints, torture has been beneficial in the protection of the US citizens from terror attacks. Bellamy continues to argue that the media can be used to justify this fact by televising the success of torture in acquiring information from terrorists (127). At times, tortures can lead to the death of suspected terrorists. Studies indicate that with the fewer cases of suspects under trial, torture has been embraced as one the most effectual means of combating crime. Motlaghs work is yet another that applies realist approaches in the analysis of assessment. The government of Sri Lanka has been seen to apply the aid of agencies in an attempt to protect its citizens from clashes and calamities (Motlagh 1). This is an interpretation of the fact that this work is more

Annual Report in Corporate America Today Research Paper

Annual Report in Corporate America Today - Research Paper Example Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) was established in the year 1929 after the Great Depression and market crash of 1929-1930. The SEC Act in 1934 was passed in order to meet the fears of the investors and encourage them to invest in the stocks again. In this scenario, companies started preparing annual reports. SEC filings contain only the financial part, but the annual report also includes the non-financial performance of the company. It describes the organizational structure and the other internal aspects of the company so that the investors and shareholders can get a transparent picture of the company. The annual report was a push for corporate accountability. Purpose Annual report is a powerful tool for the shareholders and the investors because the information available in the annual report gives them a complete picture regarding the financial and the financial condition of the company. ...to present the true picture of the company in the external environment, so that the resu lts of the internal business functions are clear in front of the investors. In the turbulent economic situation, when most of the companies are becoming victims of insolvency, investors are apprehensive to take decisions. In such a situation it becomes important for a company to publish a detailed annual report. The significant amount of research studies have been conducted in the field of accounting information conveyed through the prices of securities of a company (Gonedes, and Dopuch, 1974). However, not much research studies have been undergone regarding the usefulness of financial statements for facilitating the decision-making process of investors of a company. In one of the research studies, it has been argued by Chang, Most, and Brain (1983) that the information that is present in the financial statements published by a company assist the investors for their investment decision purposes in a significant way. Merits and Demerits Annual report is an important document issued b y the company to reveal its financials at the end of the year. So this signifies that purpose of preparing the report is positive and for the advantage of the investors and shareholders. Moreover, there are lots of other information that play the significant role in analyzing the marketing aspect of the company such as the market share, position among the competitors, target customers of the company, etc. The report also includes a sustainability analysis of the company. Other than this, the community programs designed for delivering the social responsibility is also described with statistics, so that solid proof can be provided to the shareholders regarding the spending of the company.

Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 4 Essay

Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 4 - Essay Example In our project, the senior executives have suggested a meeting ahead of schedule. These meeting will discuss of the progress of the project and how to move into the future. As a suggestion, the project schedule will change and the meeting with senior executives will need to be scheduled every month. As a result, we have to create a recurring task in our project schedule (Gido, 2009). This will be done as follows: a) The meeting will be scheduled within the second milestone when the project team are in the process of soliciting for requirements for the product design. The main reason for scheduling the meeting at this stage is based on several reasons such as: It will allow for progress of the project to carry on without major interruptions. Since if the meeting would have been scheduled after all requirements for the product had been finalized then the project team would have been forced to roll back on progress made. Consequently, a lot of resources and cost would be involved in the process of rolling back the project and this would be inappropriate for all project stakeholders (Gido, 2009). Since the senior executives are in charge of the project, their input in the project is indispensible and therefore it is imperative to undertake their wishes in fulfilling requirements for the product. ... Therefore, task 15 was the only task that was affected. Other tasks were not affected but resources used in task 15 were also affected in terms of reduction of costs. c) In terms of dependencies, the new task 16 will be dependent on task 15 and all other tasks such as 17 will be dependent on task 16 and its achievements. d) However, in terms of project changes or impact on the parameters of these changes, there will be no major change in the project. However, the meeting has been set as a recurring task with only one recurrence (Lewis, 2010). This was done in anticipation of future meetings. However, if the meeting is to recur and set on a monthly basis then, several resources and schedules will be affected. For instance, if the meeting is to recur for a second period then the project duration in the MPP file will change from 42 days to 56 days. References Gido, ?J. & Clements J. (2009). Successful Project Management. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Lewis, J. (2010). Fundamentals of Project Management. Chicago, IL:

Type of Person Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Type of Person - Essay Example According to my test results, I am more Extraverted. As I understood the test and its typological theory background, moderately expressed extravert would mean that I am more into action. I draw energy from action. The higher is the level of energy that I see from people around me, through their reactions and actions, the more I am interested and motivated. The term moderate could mean that I am at the middle range, probably 40-60% since my percentage shows a 44% on this area of testing. Further readings on this type of personality test made me understand that I desire breadth and are action oriented. Being extraverted doesn’t follow that one is a bad girl or bad boy type. They could be more action oriented and are more expressive, not really shy but not arrogant either. Slightly expressed sensing personality could first be understood by the word slightly. Slightly because of the rate or percentage of score that I got. This area of testing measures the way I get or gather information from the world around me, either through reading, the television, or through the people around. My perception and understanding or the information that I have gathered is mostly based on my senses. In my various readings, it was stated that people who uses their senses to gather information prefer to trust that information which is in the present, tangible and concrete. Which is why, details and facts associated with that particular information is necessary for it to have meaning and be taken seriously. Slightly expressed feeling personality is the third area of the personality test result. This now deals with how I decide on things, or simply put as decision making. Typically, both thinking and feeling are important to be able to make a fair judgment or wise decision as based on the data and information gathered or presented. Slightly expressed feeling would then again mean that I am inclined to feeling more of the situation and decisions that I would make. By

The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility - Toward the Moral Article - 2

The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility - Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders - Article Example The article by Archie B. Carroll deals with the concept of CRS in relation to businesses and organizations, for all of which the main task is to be profitable. Carroll distinguishes three types of business management – immoral, amoral and moral, each of which entails a different organization’s treatment of its stakeholders and the society in general. The author claims that each company’s management should act in a moral way in order to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities. Background Information Though the article was published in 1991, its ideas are valid today too, since it provides certain definitions of such terms as corporate social responsibility, stakeholders, immoral management, amoral management and moral management, among others. Such definitions are based on the works of earlier authors. Nevertheless, they can be said to be valid since they determine the general concept related to the CSR theory used by businesses nowadays. Therefore, the arti cle should be judged on the basis of applicability of the concepts and ideas presented in it. Furthermore, it seems necessary to determine how in particular the presented ideas can be applied in an organization if it is possible at all. Summary One of the major ideas presented by A. Carroll is that businesses and organizations can become more socially responsible if managers of such organizations become more moral instead of being immoral or amoral. Being immoral, in the author’s understanding, means acting in the financial and economic interests of the company and the manager. Similarly, being amoral means manager’s acting without considering any moral or ethical principles of the society or even the company itself – the major focus in this case is on the manager’s interests only. A moral manager, on the contrary, is an individual who acts in the best interests of both the company and the society. Such a person, therefore, is to manage the companyâ€℠¢s economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities of the company in relation to all of the stakeholders – owners, customers, employees, community, competitors, suppliers, social activist groups, public at large, and others. Evaluation The author’s goal was to explore the nature of CSR having defined its major components. A. Carroll intended to describe the different types of CSR strategies a manager might use in order to make his or her organization more effective and efficient in terms of corporate social responsibility. Finally, the author’s desire was to determine what it means to treat the stakeholders, who were to be determined in the article as well, in an ethical and moral manner. All these tasks have been accomplished by the writer. Carroll suggests that a moral manager should consider the interests of such stakeholders as customers, employees, community or social activist groups in order to run a business in an ethical and moral manner. Sti ll, it might be noted that the author does not provide any practical advice on how such a state of the business can be achieved. While the theoretical background looks quite sufficient – the author bases the argument on earlier works of the scientists.

An Inconvenient Turth Essay Example for Free

An Inconvenient Turth Essay My reason for picking this topic is, because I would like to know more about global warming. What are the real danger`s that we are facing due to global warming? What can we do to stop the exceeding rapid rates of global warming? I would like to imform other about the new knowledge that I obtain on the subect of globle warming. Al Gore tell how people use to Think about global warming that the world was big enough and we would never have a problem. He also describes global warming as when the sun`s radiation comes in, in the form of light waves passing through earth atmosphere to heat the earth,and then it is re-radiated back into space in the form of infrared radiation, and some of the out going infrared radiation is trapped by the earth atmosphere and warms it. This thin layer of atmosphere is being thicken by all of the global warming pollution that`s being put up there. He speaks of Mr. Roger Revelle as the first person to propose measuring carbon dioxide in the earth`s atmosphere. After the first years of data he intuited what it meant for what was to come. He and a team of other designed the experiment in 1957 with the help of Mr. Charles David Keeling. they started sending these weather balloons up every day. The results of his measurements after only a few years it was startling. He drew the connections between the larger changes in our civilization, and this pattern that was now visible in the atmosphere of the entire plant, and then he projected into then future where this was headed unless we make some adjustments. Mount Kilimanjaro had icecaps 30 years ago. and now it has all melted. Mr. Lonnie Thompson, studies glaciers, and predicts there will be no more snows of Kilimanjaro within the next decade. Its also is happening in Glacier National Park, and all around the world the ice is now gone. He mentions about CO2 and temperature, when there is more carbon dioxide, the temperature gets warmer. He speak of this not so much as a political issue,but a moral issue. It is deeply unethical. He had a lots of faith in the democratic system that these finding would be compelling enough to cause a real change but they were n`t. He speak about when the oceans get warmer that cause stronger storms leading to a lots of big hurricanes and a all time record in the U.S. of tornado, and in Japan record set for typhoons. He contribute the changing of the season to global warming and changing nature plans. He also says that the burning of forests and brush fires causes more co2 to be pit into the air.what all of this means is our ability to a have a future to live in the earth. I really enjoy the movie The movie was very informing I got a better idea about what is happening around the world. I agree with Al Gore something must be done. It was amazing to me about how everything connect together like a domino effect. I picture in my mind how all these great mountains all around us is melting which is changing the temperature of the sea, which cause many of the world`s disaster by storms. Man is destroying himself. It makes me think can we go back where their was not a lots of invention that polluted our air. Can we truly find a solution to this mas, mass, mass, problem are have we went to far of no return. I think about the air we breathe and the water we drink. I remember only about 40 yrs.ago when I was ten years old, my grandmother showed me where I could drink out a spring it was so clean and beautiful and fresh tasting, I hate to think if I when back there to drink what kind of substance would be in that water now. Everything is being effected our food, the animal niches,and season is changing we can`t tell winter from fall or spring from summer and the insects can`t tell neither. If we have gone to far to stop all the problems, why not do, what we can do, to correct what we can, for the future of our life on the earth.

Purification of 1,3-PD from Complex Fermentation Broth

Purification of 1,3-PD from Complex Fermentation Broth MTZ is calculated as Eq. 6[24], where H is adsorption bed height (cm). tb is the time (min) of breakthrough point, which defined as the time when Ct/C0=0.05. te is the time (min) of saturated point, which defined as the time when Ct/C0=0.95. As showed in Table 2, increasing the 1,3-PD concentration, tb and te decreased. The dynamic adsorption of 1,3-PD to resin usually fails to achieve adsorption equilibrium. When the concentration of 1,3-PD achieved a certain high value, the breakthrough point and saturated point came early. The adsorption process in a fixed bed for a single adsorbate can be classified into three zones: the saturated zone, mass transfer zone and fresh zone[24]. The smaller the mass transfer zone and fresh zone were, the higher efficiency of the adsorption process. When the concentration of 1,3-PD was 35.2 g L-1, the maximum value of mass transfer zone (MTZ) is 23.2 cm, which indicated that the saturated zone was small and the efficiency was low. On the contrary, when the concentration of 1,3-PD was 25.0 g L-1, the MTZ was minimum while the efficiency of adsorption was 63.5% as the highest point. However, the production efficiency was lower for saturated time delayed. The breakthrough curves of glycerol were showed in Fig. 3B with three concentrations of 1,3-PD. When 1,3-PD attained saturated point, glycerol did not saturate and the adsorption is 428, 388 and 266 mg/g, respectively, which indicated the decreasing of the fermentation broth concentration increased the adsorption of glycerol. Considering both adsorption rate and efficiency, fermentation broth with 30.0 g L-1 concentrations were used in the following experiments. Data was fitted based on Yoon-Nelson model, which was showed in Fig. 4. Simulated parameters were listed in Table 2. The results indicated that k increased with the 1,3-PD concentration, while xexp decreased, which indicated that increasing concentration shortened the saturated time in the adsorption bed. Furthermore, xexp was similar with x, which indicated that Yoon-Nelson model can be applied to simulate the adsorption process with different concentrations. 3.3 The effect of flow rate The effect of flow rate to the adsorption of 1,3-PD was showed in Fig. 5A. From Fig. 5A, increasing the flow rate lead to the increasing of curves slope, the breakthrough time was shortened and the changing of the concentration difference was quicker. The main reason was that with the increasing of flow rate, exchanging time of adsorbate and resin was shortened. Further analysis showed in Table 3. From Table 3, with the setting up of flow rate, the saturated point of 1,3-PD decreased quickly and MTZ increased. High flow rate would make it difficult for 1,3-PD to transfer into resin porosity, which went against for the mass transfer of 1,3-PD and the undisturbed 1,3-PD increased. When the flow rate was 0.800 mL min-1, the adsorption rate was 62.2%. However, low flow rate lead to the delay of 1,3-PD saturated point and low adsorption rate, which is not benefit for industrial production. Data fitting based on Yoon-Nelson kinetic model, the result of 1,3-PD breakthrough curves showed in Table 3 and Fig. 6. As showed in Fig. 6, k increased with the increasing flow rate and xexp shared a similarity with x, indicating that Yoon-Nelson kinetic model can imitate adsorption process at different flow rates. 3.4 The effect of temperature The effect of temperature in the adsorption of 1,3-PD showed in Fig. 7A. As showed in Fig. 7A, tb and te increased with temperature. The breakthrough point delayed, which was similar to the result of a steady state adsorption. Increasing temperature promotes the adsorption of 1,3-PD to resin. However, the effect of temperature on breakthrough curves is not obvious on the slope of three curves was almost equal. The breakthrough curves of glycerol were shown in Fig. 7B. When the adsorption of 1,3-PD achieved saturate point, glycerol did not saturate and the adsorption is 310, 388 and 433 mg/g, respectively. Additional analysis was showed in Table 4. Although increasing temperature is beneficial to adsorption, the value of A in 313 K did not remarkably increase (Table 4). It was due to that the migration velocity and the contact between glycerol molecules and resin also increased and influence the adsorption of 1,3-PD by occupying adsorption sites. The adsorption of 1,3-PD to the resin was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption kinetics was accurately represented by the shell progressive model and indicated that the particle diffusion was the rate-limiting step[19]. Considering decreasing operating cost and simplifying experiments, the temperature was fixed at 298 K. Data was fitted based on Yoon-Nelson kinetic model, the results of simulating parameters shows in Table 4 and Fig. 8. As showed in the Fig. 8, the value of k decreased with the increasing of temperature. The value of xexp by using model and x shared a similar result, indicated that Yoon-Nelson kinetic model can simulate the adsorption process under different temperatures. 3.4 The effect of stack height on adsorption The effect of stack height on adsorption was studied with 10.0, 15.0 and 30.0 cm respectively (Fig. 9A). Experiment condition: flow rate, 1.00 mL min-1, fermentation broth with 1,3-PD,30.0g L-1; stacking height, 10.0, 15.0, 30.0 cm; temperature, 298 K. As showed in Fig. 9A, the slope of the breakthrough curve gradually decreased with the increasing of stack height, indicated that high stack height promoted adsorption. Supplementary analysis shows in Table 5. As showed in Table 5, qtotal and A was low when H was 10.0 cm for the resin quantity and the active sites of fixed bed decreased. The MTZ (8.44 cm) was nearly as the whole bed height, showing that the relative low efficiency of the adsorption. The parameter was small owing to reasons above, placing competing adsorption between 1,3-PD and glycerol, also the shorter contact time between resin and solution for decreasing height. Comparably, the values of breakthrough parameters when H equaled to 30.0 cm were fine: the maximum of q total attained 2.13 g, which was significantly higher than other values and the value of A was also maximum. The main reason was the increasing stack height resulted in the increasing of contacting time between resin and adsorption sites for better adsorption. On the other hand, with the adding of resin in adsorption bed, improved the capability of adsorption to 1,3-PD (te increased, the slope of breakthrough curves, the adsorption of resin increased). The bre akthrough curves in three stack heights showed in Fig. 9B. The adsorption of glycerol is 117, 269 and 388 mg/mg, respectively. Moreover, the increasing of bed height increased the number of theoretical plates in separation degree. Considering the value of tb, te and A , 30.0 cm was chosen for the following experiments. Data fitting based on Yoon-Nelson kinetic model, the results of simulating parameters of the adsorption process in Table 5 and Fig. 10. The value of k decreased with the increasing of stack height and xexp was similar to x, indicating that Yoon-Nelson kinetic model can fit the adsorption in different stack height. M0 (g) is the elution quantity of 1,3-PD, M1 (g) is the quantity of glycerol The effect of ethanol concentration on elution curves was studied with three different ethanol volumes (30%, 50%, 75%), which were showed in Fig 11. As shown in Fig 11, 1,3-PD was the eluted out firstly. The retention time of 1.3-PD and glycerol enlarged in the column were due to the stack height of this fixed bed (30.0 cm). The overlapping of curves between components decreased obviously. It also prolonged the adsorption time between 1.3-PD and glycerol with resin. 1.3-PD and glycerol separated through continuous adsorption and desorption. Resin prefers the adsorption of glycerol to 1,3-PD. Glycerol replaced the 1,3-PD which adsorbed on the resin, caused the glycerol layer enlarged while 1,3-PD layer moved down. Furthermore, ethanol selectively eluted 1,3-PD. Therefore, the 1,3-PD was the firstly been eluted. With the elution of 1,3-PD, the percentage of 1,3-PD in eluent decreased. The ability of the eluent increased so glycerol been eluted down. Besides, when the volume percentage of ethanol increasing from 30% to 75%, both peaks of 1,3-PD and glycerol improved and concentrated, indicating that high concentration of ethanol was advantageous for the collection of components. The elution quantity of 1,3-PD (M0) and elution quantity of glycerol (M1), were calculated according to elution curves and showed in Table 6. As showed in Table 6, the elution rate of 1,3-PD improved from 64.3% to 95.3%, indicating that high concentration ethanol was helpful to the elution of relevant components. Meanwhile, both elution ratio of 1,3-PD and glycerol increased and attained a maximum when ethanol was 75%. The mass ratio of 1,3-PD and glycerol in eluent improved from 6:1 to 14.6:1 in broth, and the concentration of 1,3-PD increased from 85.7% to 93.6%, indicating that both of 1,3-PD and glycerol been divided efficiently. Moreover, with the increasing of ethanol volume percentage, the elution amount of both 1,3-PD and glycerol increased. However, the increasing of elution amount of glycerol was little, which mean the combination force between glycerol and resin was stronger that 75% ethanol could not eluted glycerol down. 100% ethanol was also used for elution and caused severe dehydration of resin. Therefore, 75% ethanol was used as eluent. 3.6 The effect of the elution flow rate The flow rate increasing from 1.00 to 2.00 mL min-1 to investigate the effect of elution flow rate on 1,3-PD and glycerol. The results showed in Fig. 12 and relevant parameters in Table 7. As showed in Fig. 12, increasing flow rate, the elution peak of both 1,3-PD and glycerol decreased. In Table 7, with the increasing of flow rate, the elution of 1,3-PD decreased while that of glycerol improved. Meanwhile, the mass ratio of 1.3-PD to glycerol decreased from 14.6 to 9.88, indicating that increasing elution rate was not favorable to the separation of 1,3-PD and glycerol. Therefore, the elution efficiency and 1,3-PD separation could be improved significantly if slow down elution rate and increasing contact time between eluent and 1,3-PD in the resin. As shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, when the flow rate was 1.00 mL min-1 and the concentration of ethanol is 75%, 1,3-PD and glycerol showed a seemingly separation on the curve: the curve of glycerol appeared from 54 mL which means before that the system only contained 1,3-PD; after 98 mL 1,3-PD and glycerol coexist in the mixture. It is known by calculation that before 54 mL the quantity of 1,3-PD was 1.64 g as a percentage of 80.8%. Mixture collected could return to the fermentation broth for the next adsorption process. 1,3-PD could be acquired by first 54 mL eluent after vacuum distillation. Further resolution of the two substances with the flow rate as 0.500 mL min-1 were studied. The overlapping degree of 1,3-PD and glycerol curves reduced, but could not be completely separated. Meanwhile, the time increased remarkably as 304 min, indicating that although decreasing flow rate was helpful to improve separation efficiency, the production efficiency decreased. Therefore, 1.00 mL min-1 was selected as the best flow rate. 3.7 Purification of the 1,3-propanediol Vacuum distillation, which is energy saving due to the decline of boiling point, is preferred to traditional distillation. 324 ml eluent was collected after six times adsorption and elution separation. No glycerol has been tested by HPLC. The eluent was added into rotary evaporator (vacuum 0.093-0.097 MPa and temperature 60-65 oC) for ethanol recycling. After recycling, the remaining solution transferred to vacuum distillation under Vacuum degree at 0.093-0.097 MPa. Collecting impurity below 129 oC and 1,3-PD fraction between 129-149 oC. The purity of 1,3-PD has been tested by HPLC is 99.2% (sample has been sent to the independent third test institution for detection). 4 Conclusion Recovery and purification of 1,3-PD from complex fermentation broth represents a technological challenge and true bottleneck in the development of a commercially viable bioprocess of this promising bulk chemicals. The present work provides a novel technique for purification of 1,3-propanediol from crude glycerol-based fermentation broth. Separation and purification of 1,3-propanediol was achieved by four simple steps: removal of cells and proteins by chitosan flocculation, decoloration by activated carbon, adsorption by fixed bed cation exchange resin, and vacuum distillation. Furthermore, in order to predict the breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristic parameters of the column, Yoon-Nelson models were applied to the experimental data. Parameters as adsorption capacity at breakthrough time (tb) and saturation time (ts), length of the mass transfer zone (MTZ) were obtained for the different operation conditions used in the adsorption experiments. The characteristic colu mn parameters were calculated for process design. The overall yield of 1,3-propanediol recovery is calculated to be 80.8% with 99.2% of purity. This process, which is simple, fast, and efficient, will promote the commercialization of 1,3-propanediol production.

Why Do Small Businesses Fail And How To Minimize Risk Finance Essay

Why Do Small Businesses Fail And How To Minimize Risk Finance Essay Abstract It has been suggested that the impact of potential causes of small enterprise failure might be reduced if business owners got appropriate advice. This paper reports the results of a national study of small retail and service firms to determine the failure reasons of starting a business. Much of the literature indicates that success and failure of small businesses has a lot to do with preparation of the business owner. People who establish a plan for success are usually the people that have better chances of success with their small businesses.The primary audience for this paper are people who are considering starting their own business. A review of the literature was conducted to determine reasons for business failure. The paper concludes with suggestions of how might build on these efforts. Table of Contents Introduction P.4 2.0 Hypothesis Development P.5 3.0 What is business failure? P.5 4.0 Literature review 5.0 Method 5.1 Research Design 6.0 Statement of Results 7.0 Analysis and Discussion 8.0 Conclusion 9.0. Recommendations 10.0 References P. Introduction More and more people are considering starting their own business. By opening a business there could be large profit to be made. However, there are losses may occur as well. Some peoples argued that starting a business in a field that they know well would not fail. Knowing if starting a business at all is what most small businesses fails to consider. According to an SBA Study done in 2005, About 1/3 of Small Businesses fail in the first 2 years, and just over half fail within 4 years. (as citied in Shawn, 2009). These statistics are depressing for people looking to start up a new venture. Richard (2000) claimed SMEs in successful business networks can generate up to 50% more in gross revenues than firms that work in solitude. (p.12). However, Richard (2000) concluded that the most significant reason for this high failure rate is the inability of SMEs to make adequate use of essential business and management practices. (p.12). Abdelsamad and Kindling (1978) stated that although failure s cannot be completely avoided in a free enterprise system, the failure rate could be reduced if some of its causes are recognized and preventive action is taken. (p.24). It is important that small business owners evaluate if they are compatible with entrepreneurship in order to prevent from being part of the failure statistics. Most of the studies on business failure have been elaborated into a predictive perspective. Those business failure prediction literatures mainly analyses statistical models that tend to determine. Moreover, the predictive literature has strong limitations and it provides few clues as to why and how business failure takes place. In fact, predictive studies propose a classification of firms in a default and credit risk management perspective without giving any concrete information about the potential causes of their failure. With tough economic conditions, knowing the reasons business fail and how to avoid failure can increase your chances of success. The results of this study will benefit entrepreneurs to understand the factors of failure involved in new venture startup, to help entrepreneurs to balance between expectation and reality in the process of starting the businesses. The aim is to let business owners know more about preventive measures to avoid such failure and improve chances of success with good preparation and planning and insight. A brief literature review is presented in the next section, followed by the description of the sample and methodology, results and implications, and finally the summary and conclusions. Hypothesis Development People keen on starting a small business sometimes forget about the managerial and entrepreneurial skills necessary to run a business. According to Steiner and Solem (1988), key success factors in small manufacturing businesses would include an owner/manager with experience in the business or prior experience; adequate financial resources; a competitive advantage based upon customer and product specialization; and strategic planning.(p.5). (as citied in Linda Shonesy Robert D. Gulbro ,1998).When going to start a successful small business, you are required to have expertise in business planning, financial management, marketing, human resources management etc. Business knowledge should be on the top of any requirements for small business success. If you dont know anything about the products, how can you sell the products to customer? You can acquire this knowledge through trial and error when starting a small business, but you will probably have to declare bankruptcy before you learn them all. My theory is that lack of entrepreneurial skill is the main reasons of small business fail. Many people think the business would not be failed if resources provided, such as capital and manpower. Of course, financial management and business planning are also absolute necessities for being a successful entrepreneur. Certainly, you are unable to satisfy customers without these skills. In brief, the question is, however: is entrepreneurial skill the most important factor to prevent business failure? What do we mean by Small Business? Every country has own definition of small business. Some of them defined for different business sectors or industries, while some determined by number of employees. Typically, definitions are based on the number of people employed. For example the traditional definition in Germany had a limit of 500 employees, while in Belgium for 100. In the United States, small business is defined by the number of people employed and it refers to less than 100 employees. There are lots of different definitions of small and medium sized firms. In the recent literature, there is nevertheless a large tendency to differentiate between micro, small and medium size firms. Medium sized firms have a structure and an organization that tend to be closer to the ones of large firms and as the impact of human and psychological factors is less important in these firms than in smaller one. This research is based on the definition of small businesses adopted by the European Commissions definition (2003). Table 1 summarizes the criteria which delineate small business. Enterprise category Headcount Turnover or Balance sheet total medium-sized à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 43 million small à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 10 million micro à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 2 million Table 1: Definition of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (European Commission, 2003) Definition of Business failure We have to consider the meaning of the business failure concept during the research. Some researchers defined their meaning of failure as bankruptcy, while some researchers defined as discontinuance of a business for any reason. The concept of business failure has been differently defined according to the context and the characteristics of the sample of firms. Business entity does not follow the rules and achieves the goals set forth in their business firm, as a result, earning an adequate return and may caused discontinue existence. Business firm stops working due to retirement or businesses are sold for a profit without leaving any liabilities are not classified as a failure. According to Bruno Leidecker (2001), no two experts agree on a definition of business failure. Some conclude that failure only occurs when a firm files for some form of bankruptcy. Others contend that there are numerous forms of organizational death, including bankruptcy, merger, or acquisition. Still others argue that failure occurs if the firm fails to meet its responsibilities to the stakeholders of the organization, including employees, suppliers, the community as a whole, and customers, as well as the owners. (p.51-52).In this paper, business failure is considered as incapability of business firm to maintain due to loss of capital. Literature review There are many studies to better understand business failure. However, according to Gaskill, Van Auken and Manning (1993), there are many questions still to be resolved and warrant additional explorationprevious studies do not provide a comprehensive or unified explanation for small firm failure.(p.10) (as citied in Robert, 1996). Why some businesses fail and why some succeed is a matter of debate, although there are some common mistakes that can sink a business in no time. One key area that small business owners often overlook is the importance of planning. Dennis (2001) found that management skills could ensure that small and medium sized enterprises are better prepared to compete in domestic and international (p.52). It is required to know what kinds of planning you should do before starting the small business. It includes unplanned financial management and unplanned marketing research. The results of failure are many; however, no one is concerned on it. Therefore, the researchs p urpose is to discuss the significant reason of why small business failure. Poor Business Planning Small businesses often face variety of problems according to their size. Research indicates that poor planning is responsible for most business failures. Doug  Ã‚  Derek (2006) found that the single largest barrier to succession can be identified as those who do not have a succession plan.(p.308). People work hard to turn small businesses into successful enterprises. However, they have no plan for what will be happened to their business. Cause of bankruptcy often a result of poor planning rather than economic conditions.Most of the business owners who do not have succession plan indicated that it is too early to plan. However, Doug  Ã‚  Derek  (2006) found that professional advisers indicated it is never too early to start planning. (p.308). In contrast, it is a barrier to overcome if succession occurs over a short period of time. It is inadequate time for the business owner to plan and execute. Another reason why small businesses fail is poor planning of both finances and future growth. According to the Small Business Administration and the US Department of Commerces statistic, businesses that fail because their principals cannot, or do not, use financial information appropriately. (as citied in Brian, 2003).Some business owners often lack of the necessary start up funds and cannot come up with adequate financing. Business owners have to arrange adequate money on hand to cover all your financial needs of the business before starting their small business. Also, it is required to calculate how much money needs to carry out daily living expenses and how much money is required to run your business. Furthermore, some of them have no cash and expect either a bank to provide financing. They wrongly assume the banks will provide them with financing based only on their good ideas. But in most instances, the banks would not take into consideration as it reflects poorly the persons ability to manage finances if has no cash. And also, owners cannot ignore the demands of new ven ture. Many business owners do not know what they need to know and lack of the capital to hire experienced business advisors. Poor Financial Management Small business financial management is a vital aspect of growing a company. According to Mark H. Friedman, founder of Real Time Strategy, Small-business owners live and die for cash flow. (as citied in Nancy , 2006). The most important thing is the monitoring of working capital. This includes accounts receivables, accounts payable and especially cash on hand. Once lack of adequate working capital would affects the particular business. When business is going really well with cash coming in, small business owners tend not to prepare for the next round of business. And cash flow problem occur. Cash flow is a basic measure of a firms ability to maintain sufficient funding to pay off its current liabilities. The owner should know companys bottom line and make good decisions. They should take control of finances by coming up with a budget before purchasing or investing. In order to avoid overspending and hence invest effectively, small business owner should stabilize their cash flow. With this approach can ease a cash crunch, it also can increase the value of the business. Most business owners raise capital from banks. However, Daniel   Richard (2005) found that early stage capital is often the most difficult to raise. (p.64). In fact, it is difficult to raise the capital required in order to properly launch and sustain a business. It will be high cost even if the capital is available. It is crucial for a new business to maintain sufficient resources especially the capital because without proper financing, a new enterprise may find it difficult to compete with competition. The owners have to know how banks approves loan before submitting an application. Financial advisors can help in this situation. gd Lack of Entrepreneurial Skills Most of the peoples think that all it takes to run a business is money. That is not true. You could be an excellent salesperson but lack the skills to handle the seemingly mundane day-to-day skills needed to keep a business running. Entrepreneurs wont make money if cant sell products. Mostly during the startup phase of a new business, lack of entrepreneurial skills in an owner can cause a business to fail. This may not be true during the later growth and maturity periods of business where more administrative and management skills are required. A small firms performance outcome is a function of many variables, including individual owner characteristics, owner behaviors, and environmental influences. Entrepreneurs generally have a high need for achievement and social awareness, and they are high risk takers. Consequently, the personal and personality characteristics of an owner can be a cause of business failure. 5.0 Methodology Subjects 5.1 Research Design Data and Sample Instruments Procedure Data Collection 6.0 Statement of Results 7.0 Analysis and Discussion 8.0 Conclusion 9.0. Recommendations

Plains Indians Essay -- essays research papers

For many tribes of Plains Indians whose bison-hunting culture flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries, the sun dance was the major communal religious ceremony . . . the rite celebrates renewal - the spiritual rebirth of participants and their relatives as well as the regeneration of the living earth with all its components . . . The ritual, involving sacrifice and supplication to insure harmony between all living beings, continues to be practiced by many contemporary native Americans. -Elizabeth Atwood LawrenceAs the most important ritual of the nomadic Plains Indians, the Sun Dance in itself presents many ideas, beliefs, and values of these cultures. Through its rich symbolism and complicated rituals we are able to catch a glimpse into these peoples' view of the world. A Sun Dance is held when a man feels the need to be a dancer to fulfill certain wishes, primarily "for his deliverance from his troubles, for supernatural aid, and for beneficent blessings upon all of his p eople." (Welker) It is this dancer who usually bears the expenses of the Sun Dance (Atwood), including a feast for all that comes to the celebration. (Welker) Motivations behind the Sun Dance varies slightly between tribes. The Crow held the ceremony to seek aid for revenge for family members killed in warfare. The entire event surrounding the Sun Dance generally lasts from four to seven days, though longer events exist. On the first day a tree is selected to serve as the sun-pole, the center pole for the Sun Dance Lodge, or New-Life-Lodge, as called by the Cheyenne. (Atwood) The selection of the tree is usually done by the eldest woman of the camp, who leads a group of elaborately dressed maidens to the tree to strip off its branches. On the next morning, right as the sun is seen over the eastern horizon, armed warriors charge the sun-pole. They attack the tree in effort to symbolically kill it with gunshots and arrows. Once it is dead it is cut down and taken to where the Sun Dance Lodge will be erected. (Schwatka) "Before raising the sun-pole, a fresh buffalo head with a broad centre strip of the back of the hide and tail (is) fastened with strong throngs to the top crotch of the sun-pole. Then the pole (is) raised and set firmly in the ground, with the buffalo head facing ! toward the setting-sun." (Welker) The tree represents the center of the world, connect... ...mbolism and ritual involved with the Sun Dance we can more fully understand the character of the Plains Indian cultures. The Sun Dance shows a continuity between life. It shows that there is no true end to life, but a cycle of symbolic and true deaths and rebirths. All of nature is intertwined and dependent on one another. This gives an equal ground to everything on the earth. "Powerful animals exhibit both physical and spiritual powers, just as the medicine man and shaman do, and as do the grains of tobacco in the sacred pipe." (Smart p. 527) However, just like the rest of nature, humans must give of themselves to help keep the cycles of regeneration going. SourcesAtwood-Lawrence, Elizabeth. The Symbolic Role of Animals in the Plains Indian Sun Dance. http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/psyeta/sa/sa1.1/lawrence.html (Feb 3, 1997) Eliade, M. (1975). Myths, Dreams, and Mysteries. New York: Harper and RowKehoe, Alice B. (1992). North American Indians A Comprehensive Account. New Jersey: Prentice-HallSchwatka, Frederick. (1889-1890). The Sun-Dance of the Sioux. Century Magazine. Pp. 753-759.Welker, Glenn. The Sun Dance http://www.indians.org/welker/sundance.htm (Jan 7, 1996)

The Gulf War: An Abuse of Science :: Science Scientific Papers

The Gulf War: An Abuse of Science I know of a country that tested 250,000 of its citizens with an experimental drug without its citizen's consent. The drug that was given to these citizens was not a new drug, but one that had been tested for this use. This drug, pyridostigmine bromide, or PB as we will continue to refer to it, was given to these people with the idea that some people with far more importance and intelligent on these matters knew what was best for the masses. This attitude of hubris had entered into the daily lives of these citizens. These unfortunate people taking PB were ordered to, and in fact, they were watched to make sure they took the drug. If they refused to take it, they were subject to imprisonment (CNN 1). Remember reading Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein"? A story of how one scientist thought he could achieve sciences' greatest feat, to create a human life. Without any thoughts of consequences this fictional character secured various body parts as if his venture was no greater than finding a new fender for his Chevrolet. As the story continues, Dr. Frankenstein created a life form, only to become appalled by this creature. Dr. Frankenstein thought of his experiment only in the narrow scientific terms without any thoughts of possible repercussions. Is the mentality of the fictional character Dr. Frankenstein alive today? (Shelley) What a horrific story about a drug being given to people without their knowledge of the drug being experimental. Could this take place in today's world of freedom and free will amongst people? I am sorry to say yes, and it happened to the citizens of the United States of America. The drug called PB was given to our soldiers. PB was an FDA approved drug for the use in Myasthenia Gravis disease, a disease that attacks the nerve impulses. The government had tested this drug in laboratory animals as an inhibitor against the effects of some known chemical weapons such as Saren, Soman, Tabun and VX8(The Daily Fed 1). Some of these chemical weapons are known to be in the Iraqi's inventory. John Flanagan's article, "Gulf War Illness and Pyridostigmine Bromide, Neurological Effects and Detoxification" states that "The Iraqi army's use of the nerve agents during the 10 year war with Iran gave Pentagon planners reasonable cause to believe U.S. forces would be exposed to chemical weapons agents if war arose with Iraq.

African American Contributions in Science Essay -- Science African Ame

African American Contributions in Science   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout American history many African Americans have been overlooked in the field of science. Some powerful minds and great inventors haven’t been re-introduced to new generations. African Americans have contributed a great deal to the advancements of our country and one of the major fields they have made contributions to is in the field of science. Many successful African Americans have been overshadowed by their Caucasian counterparts. More of our children should be aware of these great historians. African Americans that have made major contributions in the field of science that should be discussed, studied and taught to our society to educate new generations of the vast majority of these great scientists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a variety of areas in the science field that African Americans have participated. There were Chemists, Biochemists, Biologists, Physicists, and many others. There were people like Herman Branson who was an assistant professor of chemistry and physics at Howard University who help prepare many young students for the science field. Dr. Branson became a full professor of physics and was made chairman of the physics department of Howard University from 1941 to 1968. He had research interests in mathematical biology and protein structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dale Emeagwali was honored scientist of the year in 1996. She has made great contributions to field of science that has benefited mankind. Dr. Emeagwali came from a background where if you wanted to be a doctor while growing up, you would be slapped across the head and told to stop dreaming. Her dreams of being a scientist came true as she worked hard to achieve her degree and make startling discoveries. Among her accomplishments she made the discovery of isozymes of kynurenine formamidase in the basterium streptomyces parvulus which, prior to her findings, were known to only exist in higher organisms. Dr. Emeagwali also proved that cancer gene _expression could be inhibited by antisense methodology, which she says can lead to better treatment for cancer. She is a well accomplished scientist that many people have never heard of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All fields of science affects the lives of many people, but the inventors are left out. Inventors make many lives more comfortable and convenient. George Edward Alcorn, Jr. was a not so well-known inventor, but he... ...et (1977). Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. New York: Free Press Manning, Kenneth R. (1983). Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just. New York: Oxford University Press Massie, Samuel (1982). Cited in Barry Meier "Why There are So Few Black Chemists." Industrial Chemical News 3:1-6 Meier, Barry (1982). "Why are There So Few Black Chemists." Industrial Chemical News 3:1-6 Mozans, H.J. (1974). Women in Science. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Pearson, Willie Jr. (1985). Black Scientists, White Society, and Colorless Science: A Study of Universalism in American Science. Milwood, NY: Associated Faculty Press Roscher, Nina M., and Cavanaugh, Margaret A. (1987). "Academic Women Chemists in the 20th Century: Past, Present, Projections." Journal of Chemical Education 64:823-827. Rossiter, Margaret W. (1982). Women Scientists in America: Struggles and Strategies to 1940. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press Young, Herman A., and Young, Barbara A. (1976). "Black Doctorates: Myth vs. Reality." Chemical Technology 6:296-299. Zuckerman, Harriet (1977). Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. New York: Free Press

General Electric: From Jack Welch To Jeffrey Immelt

S w 908M09 GENERAL ELECTRIC: FROM JACK WELCH TO JEFFREY IMMELT Ken Mark wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Stewart Thornhill solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization.To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [email  protected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2008, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2008-04-18 INTR ODUCTION General Electric (GE) was a U. S. conglomerate with businesses in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, power systems, health care, commercial finance and consumer finance. In 2007, GE earned US$22. billion in net profit from US$170 billion in sales. In 2008, GE expected to generate US$30 billion in cash from operations. Driving GE’s growth was what many commentators considered to be the â€Å"deepest bench of executive talent in U. S. business,†1 the result of two decades of investment in its management training programs by its former chief executive officer (CEO), John F. (Jack) Welch, Jr. The current CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, took over from Jack Welch four days before September 11, 2001, and had spent the last few years preparing the firm for its next stage of growth. GENERAL ELECTRICGE’s roots could be traced back to a Menlo Park, New Jersey laboratory where Thomas Alva Edison invented the incandescent electric lamp. GE was founded when Thomso n-Houston Electric and Edison General Electric merged in 1892. Its first few products included light bulbs, motors, elevators, and toasters. Growing organically and through acquisitions, GE’s revenues reached $27 billion in 1981. By 2007, its businesses sold a wide variety of products such as lighting, industrial equipment and vehicles, materials, and services such as the generation and transmission of electricity, and asset finance.Its divisions included GE Industrial, GE Infrastructure, GE Healthcare, GE Commercial Finance, GE Consumer Finance, and NBC Universal. 2 1 Diane Brady, â€Å"Jack Welch: Management Evangelist,† Business Week, October 25, 2004. Available http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/04_43/b3905032_mz072. htm, accessed November 12, 2007. 2 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/General_Electric, accessed November 12, 2007. at Page 2 9B08M009 For more than 125 years, GE was a leader in management practices, â€Å"establishing its strength with the d isciplined oversight of some of the world’s most effective business people. 3 When he became chairman and CEO in 1972, Reginald Jones was the seventh man to lead General Electric since Edison. Jones focused on shifting the company’s attention to growth areas such as services, transportation, materials and natural resources, and away from electrical equipment and appliances. He implemented the concept of strategic planning at GE, creating 43 strategic business units to oversee strategic planning for its groups, divisions and departments. By 1977, in order to manage the information generated by 43 strategic plans, Jones added another management layer, sectors, on top of the strategic business units.Sectors represented high level groupings of businesses: consumer products, power systems, and technical products. 4 In the 1970s, Jones was voted CEO of the Year three times by his peers, with one leading business journal dubbing him CEO of the Decade in 1979. When he retired in 1981, the Wall Street Journal proclaimed Jones a â€Å"management legend. † Under Jones’s administration, the company’s sales more than doubled ($10 billion to $27 billion) and earnings grew even faster ($572 million to $1. 7 billion). 5 Jack Welch Becomes CEO In terms of his early working life, Welch had:Worked for GE not much more than a year when in 1961 he abruptly quit his $10,500 job as a junior engineer in Pittsfield, Mass. He felt stifled by the company’s bureaucracy, underappreciated by his boss, and offended by the civil service-style $1,000 raise he was given. Welch wanted out, and to get out he had accepted a job offer from International Minerals & Chemicals in Skokie, Ill. But Reuben Gutoff, then a young executive a layer up from Welch, had other ideas. He had been impressed by the young upstart and was shocked to hear of his impending departure and farewell party just two days away.Desperate to keep him, Gutoff coaxed Welch and his wife, Carolyn, out to dinner that night. For four straight hours at the Yellow Aster in Pittsfield, he made his pitch: Gutoff swore he would prevent Welch from being entangled in GE red tape and vowed to create for him a small-company environment with big-company resources. These were themes that would later dominate Welch's own thinking as CEO. 6 In his memoirs, Welch noted that the CEO’s job was â€Å"close to 75 per cent about people and 25 per cent about other stuff. †7But Welch knew that his path to become CEO of GE was anything but smooth. As he recalled: 3 General Electric, â€Å"Our History: Our Company. † Available at http://www. ge. com/company/history/index. html, accessed June 4, 2007. 4 Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny, â€Å"GE’s Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch’s Leadership,† Harvard Business School Case, May 3, 2005, pp. 1–2. 5 Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny, â€Å"GE’s Two-Decade Transformation: Jac k Welch’s Leadership,† Harvard Business School Case, May 3, 2005, p. 2. 6 John A.Byrne, â€Å"How Jack Welch Runs GE,† Business Week, June 8, 1998. Available at http://www. businessweek. com/1998/23/b3581001. htm, accessed June 4, 2007. 7 Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, p. xii. Page 3 9B08M009 The odds were against me. Many of my peers regarded me as the round peg in a square hole, too different for GE. I was brutally honest and outspoken. I was impatient and, to many, abrasive. My behavior wasn’t the norm, especially the frequent parties at local bars to celebrate business victories, large or small. 8For Welch, there was a seven-person â€Å"horse race† to become CEO that was, in his words, â€Å"brutal, complicated by heavy politics and big egos, my own included. It was awful. †9 In the end, however, Welch prevailed, becoming CEO in April 1981. Later, he learned that he had been left off the short list of ca ndidates until late into the process. Welch recalled: I didn’t know that when the list was narrowed to ten names by 1975, I still wasn’t on it. . . . One official HR [human resources] view of me stated at the time: â€Å"Not on best candidate list despite past operating success.Emerging issue is overwhelming results focus. Intimidating subordinate relationships. Seeds of company stewardship concerns. Present business adversity will severely test. Watching closely. †10 1981 to 1987: Number One or Number Two and Delayering Welch wanted the company to do away with its formal reporting structure and unnecessary bureaucracy. He wanted to recreate the firm along the lines of the nimble plastics organization he had come from. He stated: I knew the benefits of staying small, even as GE was getting bigger. The good businesses had to be sorted out from the bad ones. . . We had to act faster and get the damn bureaucracy out of the way. 11 Welch developed this strategy base d on work by Peter Drucker, a management thinker, who asked: â€Å"If you weren’t already in the business, would you enter it today? And if the answer is no, what are you going to do about it? †12 Welch communicated his restructuring efforts by insisting that any GE business be the number one or number two business in its industry, or be fixed, sold or closed. He illustrated this concept with the use of a three-circle tool.The businesses inside the three circles — services, high technology, and core — could attain (or had attained) top positions in their industries. The selected few included many service businesses, such as financial and information systems. Outside of the three circles were organizations in manufacturing-heavy sectors facing a high degree of competition from lower cost rivals, such as central air conditioning, housewares, small appliances and semiconductors. Employment at GE fell from 404,000 in 1980 to 330,000 by 1984 and 292,000 by 198 9.The changes prompted strong reactions from former employees and community leaders. Welch was the target of further criticism when he invested nearly $75 million into a major upgrade of Crotonville, GE’s management development center. 13 Welch saw leadership training as key to GE’s growth. 8 Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, p. xii. Ibid, p. xiii. 10 Ibid, p. 77. 11 Ibid, p. 92. 12 Ibid, p. 108. 13 Ibid, p. 121. 9 Page 4 9B08M009 In addition, Welch undertook a streamlining exercise.By his estimate, GE in 1980 had too many layers of management, in some cases as many as 12 levels between the factory floor and the CEO’s office. The sector level was removed, and a massive downsizing effort put into place. Compared with the traditional norm of five to eight direct reports per manager, GE senior managers had 15 or more direct reports. Successful senior managers shrugged off their workload, indicating that Welch liberated them to behave like entrepreneurs. They argued that the extra pressure forced them to set strict priorities on how they spent their time, and to abandon many past procedures.Observers believed GE was running two main risks: having inadequate internal communication between senior managers and people who now reported to each of them; and the overwork, stress, demotivation and inefficiency on the part of managers down the line who had extra work assigned by their hard-pressed superiors. In 1989, an article in the Harvard Business Review reported â€Å"much bitter internal frustration and ill-feeling among the troops at GE. †14 During this period, Welch earned his â€Å"Neutron Jack† moniker, a reference to a type of bomb that would kill people while leaving buildings intact.On the other hand, Welch could see that changes had to be made to make GE more competitive. He recalled: Truth was, we were the first big healthy and profitable company in the mainstream that took actions to get more competitive. . . . There was no stage set for us. We looked too good, too strong, too profitable, to be restructuring. . . . However, we were facing our own reality. In 1980, the U. S. economy was in a recession. Inflation was rampant. Oil sold for $30 a barrel, and some predicted it would go to $100 if we could even get it.And the Japanese, benefiting from a weak yen and good technology, were increasing their exports into many of our mainstream businesses from cars to consumer electronics. 15 But Welch’s strategy was not simply a cost-reduction effort: from 1981 to 1987, while 200 businesses were sold, 370 were acquired, for a net spend of $10 billion. The turmoil that these changes caused earned Welch the title of â€Å"toughest boss in America,† in a Fortune magazine survey of the 10 most hard-nosed senior executives. In tallying the votes, Welch received twice as many nominations as the runners-up. Managers at GE used to hide out-of-favor employees from Welch†™s gun sights so they could keep their jobs,† Fortune said. â€Å"According to former employees, Welch conducts meetings so aggressively that people tremble. †16 But Welch’s credibility was bolstered by GE’s stock performance: After years of being stuck, GE stock and the market began to take off, reinforcing the idea that we were on the right track. For many years, stock options weren’t worth all that much. In 1981, when I became chairman, options gains for everyone at GE totaled only $6 million.The next year, they jumped to $38 million, and then $52 million in 1985. For the first time, people at GE were starting to feel good times in their pocketbooks. The buy-in had begun. 17 14 â€Å"General Electric Learns the Corporate and Human Costs of Delayering,† Financial Times, September 25, 1989, p. 44. Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, pp. 125–126. 16 â€Å"Fortune Survey Lists Nation’s Toughest Bos ses,† The Washington Post, July 19, 1984, p. B3. 17 Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, p. 173. 15 Page 5 9B08M009Late 1980s: Work-Out, Boundaryless and Best Practices Welch used GE’s Crotonville facility to upgrade the level of management skills and to instill a common corporate culture. After reading comments from participants, Welch realized that many of them were frustrated when they returned to their offices because many of their superiors had discounted the Crotonville experience and worked actively to maintain the status quo. Welch wondered: Why can’t we get the Crotonville openness everywhere? . . . We have to re-create the Crotonville Pit [a circular, tiered lecture hall at Crotonville] all over the company. . . The Crotonville Pit was working because people felt free to speak. While I was technically their â€Å"boss,† I had little or no impact on their personal careers — especially in the lowerlevel classes. . . . Work-Out was patterned after the traditional New England town meetings. Groups of 40 to 100 employees were invested to share their views on the business and the bureaucracy that got in their way, particularly approvals, reports, meetings and measurements. Work-Out meant just what the words implied: taking unnecessary work out of the system. 8 Work-Out sessions were held over two to three days. The team’s manager would start the session with a presentation, after which the manager would leave the facility. Without their superior present, the remaining employees, with the help of a neutral facilitator, would list problems and develop solutions for many of the challenges in the business. Then the manager returned, listening to employees present their many ideas for change. Managers were expected to make an immediate yes-or-no decision on 75 per cent of the ideas presented.Welch was pleased with Work-Out: Work-Out had become a huge success. . . . Ideas were flowing faster al l over the company. I was groping for a way to describe this, something that might capture the whole organization — and take idea sharing to the next level. . . . I kept talking about all the boundaries that Work-Out was breaking down. Suddenly, the word boundaryless popped into my head. . . . The boundaryless company . . . would remove all the barriers among the functions: engineering, manufacturing, marketing and the rest.It would recognize no distinction between â€Å"domestic† and â€Å"foreign† operations. . . . Boundaryless would also open us up to the best ideas and practices from other companies. 19 Welch’s relentless pursuit of ideas to increase productivity — from both inside and outside of the company — resulted in the birth of a related movement called Best Practices. In the summer of 1988, Welch gave Michael Frazier of GE’s Business Development department a simple challenge: How can we learn from other companies that are achieving higher productivity growth than GE?Frazier selected for study nine companies with different best practices, including Ford, Hewlett-Packard, Xerox and Toshiba. In addition to specific tools and practices, Frazier’s team also identified several characteristics common to the successful companies: they focused more on developing effective processes than on controlling individual activities; they used customer satisfaction as their main gauge of performance; they treated their suppliers as partners and they emphasized the need for a constant stream of high-quality new products designed for efficient manufacturing.On reviewing Frazier’s report, Welch became an instant convert and committed to a major new training program to introduce Best Practices thinking throughout the organization, integrating it into the ongoing agenda of Work-Out teams. 20 18 Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, p. 182. Ibid, pp. 185–187. 20 Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny, â€Å"GE’s Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch’s Leadership,† Harvard Business School Case, May 3 2005, p. 5. 19 Page 6 9B08M009 To encourage employees to put extra effort into reaching their goals, Welch instituted the idea of â€Å"stretch. He was frustrated with the compromise that was occurring as work teams tried to lower targets and top management tried to raise targets. With stretch, teams were asked to develop two plans: the first reflecting what they expected to do; and the second that reflected the toughest targets they thought they had a chance of reaching. Welch explained: The team knows they’re going to be measured against the prior year and relative performance against competitors — not against a highly negotiated internal number. Their stretch target keeps them reaching. . . Sometimes we found cases where managers at lower levels took stretch numbers and called them budgets, punishing those who missed. I do n’t think it happens much anymore, but I wouldn’t bet on it. 21 1990s: Six Sigma and the Vitality Curve One well-known program popularized by GE was process improvement, or Six Sigma. As a result of GE’s Best Practices program, Welch learned from Lawrence Bossidy, a former GE executive, how AlliedSignal’s Six Sigma quality program was improving quality, lowering costs and increasing productivity. Welch asked Gary Reiner, a vice-president, to lead a quality initiative for GE.On the basis of Reiner’s findings, Welch announced a goal of reaching Six Sigma quality levels company-wide by the year 2000, describing the program as â€Å"the biggest opportunity for growth, increased profitability, and individual employee satisfaction in the history of our company. †22 Subsequently, every GE employee underwent at least minimal training in Six Sigma, whose terms and tools became part of the global language of GE. For example, expressions like â€Å"CT Q,† were used to refer to customer requirements that were â€Å"critical to quality† in new products or services. 3 Whereas Six Sigma was focused on process improvement, to develop GE’s talent pool, Welch looked to differentiate his people. He remarked: â€Å"In manufacturing, we try to stamp out variance. With people, variance is everything. † Welch knew that identifying and ranking people in a large organization was not a simple task. GE began using what became known as 360-degree evaluations, in which managers and supervisors were evaluated by their subordinates and their peers as well as by their bosses. One exception was Welch. He did not get evaluated by his subordinates. I’ve peaked out,† he said. Nor did he evaluate the top executives immediately below him. 24 Next, Welch put in place an assessment based on a â€Å"vitality curve,† roughly shaped like a bell curve. He asked his managers to rank all their staff into the â€Å"to p 20,† â€Å"the Vital 70† and the â€Å"bottom 10,† with the intent to force executives to differentiate their employees. The â€Å"top 20† were groomed for larger assignments, and the â€Å"bottom 10† were coached out of the organization. In addition, Welch advocated categorizing employees as â€Å"A, B or C† players.He explained that how both assessment tools worked together: The vitality curve is the dynamic way we sort out As, Bs, and Cs. . . . Ranking employees on a 20-70-10 grid forces managers to make tough decisions. The vitality curve doesn’t perfectly translate to my A-B-C evaluation of talent. It’s possible — even likely — for A 21 Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, p. 386. Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny, â€Å"GE’s Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch’s Leadership,† Harvard Business School Case, May 3, 2005, p. 12. 23Matt Murray, â€Å"Can GE Find Another Conductor Like Jack Welch? † The Wall Street Journal Europe, April 13, 2000. 24 Frank Swoboda, â€Å"Up Against the Walls,† The Washington Post, February 27, 1994, p. H01. 22 Page 7 9B08M009 players to be in the vital 70. That’s because not every A player has the ambition to go further in the organization. Yet, they still want to be the best at what they do. Managers who can’t differentiate soon find themselves in the C category. 25 Welch reinforced the importance of the ranking system by matching it with an appropriate compensation structure.The A players received raises that were two to three times the increases given to Bs, and the As also received a significant portion of the stock option grants. C players received no raises or options. Welch admitted: Dealing with the bottom 10 is tougher. . . . Some think it’s cruel or brutal to remove the bottom 10 per cent of our people. It isn’t. It’s just the opposite. What I thi nk is brutal and â€Å"false kindness† is keeping people around who aren’t going to grow and prosper. There’s no cruelty like waiting and telling people late in their careers that they don’t belong. 6 In GE’s people review process, known as â€Å"Session C,† managers were expected to discuss and defend their choices and rankings. During these sessions, Welch was known to challenge his managers’ talent decisions aggressively, expecting them to defend their choices with passion. Welch was prone to making quick judgment calls on talent, and these snap decisions could be perceived both positively and negatively. An observer commented: Welch is impetuous, inclined to make lightning strikes and wage blitzkrieg.His decisions on people, assets, and strategies can be made in a heartbeat; one bad review with Jack may be the end of a long career. And the record shows that many of Welch’s snap decisions have turned out to be stupendous blu nders. 27 One example was Welch’s purchase of Kidder Peabody, then one of Wall Street’s most prominent investment banks. Although his board of directors was opposed to the idea, Welch’s persuasive arguments carried the day. But merging the two cultures proved more difficult than he imagined. Welch stated that at Kidder Peabody, â€Å"the concept of idea sharing and team play was completely foreign.If you were in investment banking or trading and your group had a good year, it didn’t matter what happened to the firm overall. †28 In addition, Kidder Peabody was hit by two public scandals: insider trading and fictitious trades that led to a $350 million writedown. Another example was NBC’s partnership with Vince McMahon in January 2001 to launch the XFL, an alternative football league to the NFL. After losing $35 million on the venture in four months, and accompanied by falling viewership, the league shut down in May 2001. 29 Some managers were worn down by the constantly evolving programs.A chemist who once worked for GE Power Systems stated: It’s management by buzzword. People chant Jack’s slogans without thinking intelligently about what they’re doing. I’ve been stretched so much I feel like Gumby. All Welch understands is increasing profits. That, and getting rid of people, is what he considers a vision. Good people, tremendous people, have been let go, and it is hurting our business. 25 Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, p. 160. Ibid, 2001, pp. 160–162. 27 Thomas F. Boyle, At Any Cost, Vintage Books, New York, 1998, pp. 1–12. 28 Jack Welch, Straight from the Gut, Warner Books, New York, 2001, p. 222. 29 Eric Boehlert, â€Å"Why the XFL Tanked. † Available at http://archive. salon. com/ent/feature/2001/05/11/xfl_demise/index. html, accessed January 11, 2008. 26 Page 8 9B08M009 I’m trying to meet the competition, but his policies aren ’t helping me. It’s crazy, and the craziness has got to stop. 30 Welch believed otherwise: â€Å"No one at GE loses a job because of a missed quarter, a missed year, or a mistake. That’s nonsense and everyone knows it. . . . People get second chances. 31 Over his tenure as CEO, Welch had grown GE’s market capitalization by 27 times, from $18 billion to $500 billion. The company was trading 28 times forward earnings versus about 24 for the Standard & Poor’s 500. 32 See Exhibit 1 for selected GE information over 25 years. After two decades as GE’s CEO, Welch retired, nominating Jeffrey Immelt as his successor. Immelt was one of three candidates short-listed for the job. Observers noted that Immelt was â€Å"starting his tenure at the end of an unprecedented bull market and in the midst of a global economic slowdown. 33 Despite GE’s consistent earnings growth even during the economic downturn, GE’s stock had fallen 33 per cent f rom its high of about $60 per share in August 2000. Many attributed this steady drop to the anticipation surrounding Welch’s departure. 34 Immelt’s first day on the job was September 7, 2001, four days before the terrorist attacks in the United States. The Transition from Welch to Jeffrey Immelt Immelt joined GE in 1982 and held several global leadership positions in GE’s Plastics, Appliance and Medical businesses. 5 At GE Medical, his last assignment before becoming CEO, Immelt became a star by: persuading a growing number of cash-strapped hospitals to trade in their old-fashioned equipment for digital machines that were capable of generating more dynamic images much faster. He inked lucrative, long-term deals with such hospital giants as HCA and Premier, and bought a number of smaller companies to round out his product line, all the while growing GE’s market share from 25 per cent to 34 per cent and moving the company into services such as data mining. 36Only the ninth man to lead GE since 1896, Immelt followed in the footsteps of his predecessors by abandoning the leadership approach favored by Welch. In contrast with Welch’s need to control and cajole his management, Immelt was â€Å"less a commander than a commanding presence. †37 â€Å"If you, say, missed your numbers, you wouldn’t leave a meeting with him feeling beat up but more like you let your dad down,† said Peter Foss, a longtime friend and colleague of Immelt’s and president of GE Polymerland, part of GE’s plastics business. 38 Immelt believed that leaders exhibited three traits: 30 Thomas F.Boyle, At Any Cost: Jack Welch, General Electric, and the Pursuit of Profit, Vintage Books, New York, 1998, p. 223. 31 Ibid, p. 274. 32 William Hanley, â€Å"An Eye on GE as Jack Bows Out,† National Post, August 23, 2001, p. D01. 33 Daniel Eisenberg and Julie Rawe, â€Å"Jack Who? † Time, September 10, 2001, p. 42. 34 Ibid. 35 â€Å"Jeff Immelt, CEO. † Available at http://www. ge. com/company/leadership/ceo. html, accessed January 6, 2008. 36 Daniel Eisenberg and Julie Rawe, â€Å"Jack Who? † Time, September 10, 2001, p. 42. 37 Jerry Useem, â€Å"Another Boss Another Revolution,† Fortune, April 5, 2004, p. 112. 38Daniel Eisenberg and Julie Rawe, â€Å"Jack Who? † Time, September 10, 2001, p. 42. Page 9 9B08M009 It’s curiosity. It’s being good with people. And it’s having perseverance, hard work, thick skin. Those are the three traits that every successful person I’ve ever known has in common. 39 Immelt aimed to continue GE’s transition â€Å"from a low-margin manufacturer to a more lucrative services company. †40 During Welch’s tenure, although revenues from services had grown from 15 per cent of revenues to 70 per cent, the majority of the revenues came from GE Capital (renamed GE Consumer Finance and GE Commercial Finance).In 2001, Immelt believed there was still room to grow services in many of its divisions, such as aircraft maintenance and monitoring contracts, and medical software and billing services. 41 There were differences in strategic approach as well. Whereas Welch had courted Wall Street by setting — and hitting — pinpoint earnings targets, Immelt gave the Street’s short-term demands a back seat to long-term strategy. Whereas Welch rapidly rotated managers through different divisions to develop generalists, Immelt wanted to keep them in place longer to develop specialists.Immelt explained: I absolutely loathe the notion of professional management. Which is not an endorsement of unprofessional management but a statement that, for instance, the best jet engines are built by jet-engine people, not by appliance people. Rotate managers too fast, moreover, and they won’t experience the fallout from their mistakes — nor will they invest in innovations that don†™t have an immediate payoff. 42 By 2007, Immelt had divested GE units representing 40 per cent of revenues.To grow $20 billion a year and more, new investments were made in areas where sizeable players had an advantage. Infrastructure and infrastructure technology, according to Immelt, was â€Å"a $70 billion business that will grow 15 per cent a year for the next five years. That’s a business where small people need not apply. †43 In addition, Immelt was focused on growing revenues in emerging markets such as China, India, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Latin America. Immelt believed that the international arena was where GE’s future growth would come:In 2007, for the first time in the history of GE, we’ll have more revenue outside the United States that we’ll have inside the United States. Our business outside the United States will grow between 15 per cent and 20 per cent next year. We’re a $172 billion company. In 2008, with the U . S. economy growing at 1. 5 per cent, we’ll grow revenue by 15 per cent because we’re in the right places with the right products at the right time. 44 39 David Lieberman, â€Å"GE Chief Sees Growth Opportunities in 2008,† USA Today, December 14, 2007, p. B1.Daniel Eisenberg and Julie Rawe, â€Å"Jack Who? † Time, September 10, 2001, p. 42. 41 Ibid. 42 Jerry Useem, â€Å"Another Boss Another Revolution,† Fortune, April 5, 2004, p. 112. 43 David Lieberman, â€Å"GE Chief Sees Growth Opportunities in 2008,† USA Today, December 14, 2007, p. B1. 44 Ibid. 40 Page 10 9B08M009 EXHIBIT 1 GE: Selected Information from 1981 to 2008 ($ billions) Revenues Net Profit 1981 27. 2 1. 7 1986 36. 7 2. 5 1991 52. 3 2. 6 1996 79. 2 7. 3 2001 125. 9 14. 1 GE Stock Price 1975-2008 (Logarithmic, Adjusted for Dividends and Splits) 000 W elch announces retirement in 2001 Stock: $9. 31 Jack Welch becomes CEO Stock: $0. 65 Jeffrey Immelt becomes CEO Stock: $32. 58 $ 100 Best Practices Delayering, Six Sigma Bought 370 businesses Sold 200 businesses 10 e-business Stretch 1 Work-Out! Boundarylessness #1 or #2 Source: Case writers. Stock information from finance. yahoo. com, accessed January 5, 2008. 1/2/2007 1/2/2005 1/2/2003 1/2/2001 1/2/1999 1/2/1997 1/2/1995 1/2/1993 1/2/1991 1/2/1989 1/2/1987 1/2/1985 1/2/1983 1/2/1981 1/2/1979 1/2/1977 1/2/1975 0. 1 2006 163. 4 20. 7 General Electric: From Jack Welch to Jeffrey Immelt The need for Jeffrey Immelt to develop into a level 5 leader is imperative for GE to continue to grow and prosper in the current economic conditions of global expansion and constant change. Immelt can also benefit GE by becoming a level 5 leader by focusing on developing and empowering employee values and intrinsic motivations rather than facilitating initiatives to carry out his own vision. By Immelt developing into a level 5 leader and creating an open and trusting environment, he will empower employees to rebuild GE’s infrastructure that can hold strong and prosper through the new and demanding global expansion.Jack Welch led the way that was authentic to him and what economic conditions valued at the time. He was successful by giving the company of GE a clear vision and opening up opportunities for employees to efficiently carry out his objectives. He gave stability to shareholders at a time of economic worry and more than doubled GE’s market cap. Although his prac tices deemed profitable he did not build internal company infrastructure that would carry GE into the future. Instead he weakened internal relationships and did not empower employees to use their talents to embark on new and innovative projects.Immelt is faced with the challenge of getting the GE employees to develop a trusting and open relationship that can grow GE into new markets and hold stable in a time of constant change. His humility and professional will create a new environment for GE that will be profitable from long-term investments, social responsibility, and employee empowerment. Immelt is already leading in his own authentic way by being people-oriented and concentrating on effectiveness rather than efficiency.If he can continue to stay true to his authentic values while developing them further into a level 5 leader, GE will manage to stay competitive in the new economic market. Although authentic in his actions, Jack Welch had uprooted the GE internal infrastructure t o become a number generating, cash focused conglomerate that did not serve the intrinsic needs of GE’s talented employees. GE seemed to be thriving under Welch’s reign with stock prices continually rising and it’s market cap growing from $18 million to $500 billion. However there are more factors to a company that tell about its â€Å"success† than its cash generating enterprises.Many of the employees at GE felt worn down and stretched too far with their expectations being forced to drive success from extrinsic motivators and short-term returns. After thorough evaluation of the movement of CEOS from Jack Welch to Jeffrey Immelt, lays the fundamental management problem of a change of company values led by a previous level 4 leader, Welch, to a level 5 leader, Immelt. The GE company needs to recognize and be led to the different values that Jeffrey Immelt believes in order to drive success under a new environment.Immelt is focused more on long term strategi c investments that will require invested energy and cooperation from his employees to finally reach the high numbers and stock price returns that come along with the change to a strong infrastructure. While Welch was CEO he inspired the GE company by providing them with the vision that GE was meant for big returns, rapid expansion, and continually expanding market caps. He proved he was a level 4 leader by being focused on efficiency, and committing to a clear vision that â€Å"stimulated higher performance standards†.Everyone was aware of Welch’s vision: to act fast, push bureaucracy out of the way, and to generate numbers and cash. People who did not meet the results-delivered mindset were let go and ideas that did not deliver immediate results were abandoned. This level 4 leadership did not allow for the employees of GE to develop and grow the intrinsic values of the company and themselves because they were too nervous and focused on delivering results from small-ri sk projects. Welch did not focus on developing people; instead he focused on developing numbers.For example, his â€Å"vitality curve program† cut the â€Å"bottom 10% of employees† and rewarded the â€Å"top 20%†. The Vitality Curve organized people into three categories based on their past performance and deliverables. Although Welch implemented a number of â€Å"leadership development† programs, they ironically did not focus on molding leaders but molding opportunities for profit-centered growth. The underlying problem was that the employees of GE were expected to carry out Welch’s vision and return high profits to stockholders.It wasn’t that Welch wasn’t clear on his objectives or ways to complete objectives; it was the fact that employees were focused on completing work to produce Welch’s vision instead of using their own talents and ideas to grow the company’s infrastructure that could endure future economic condit ions. By Welch being a level 4 leader he facilitated employees to meet expectations in an efficient and demanding manner, which crushed innovation and employee self- fulfillment. According to Fortune Magazine â€Å"Welch conducts meetings so aggressively that people tremble.†Although this type of tough leadership produced high profits, it left employee satisfaction and infrastructure stability wounded. Welch was constantly implementing new projects and workshops that supported his vision and gave employees clearer objectives of his vision that produced results. Each time he implemented a new project GE stock prices rose; but this was at a time where the environment GE was competing in was domestic and results driven, which didn’t demand long term company infrastructure but rather thrived on short term high profits.Welch led the way the economy demanded, which led him to success and high numbers. Welch’s methodology was based upon cost cutting, efficiency, and de al making which would deliver high, reliable profits. Welch led at a time of an economic recession with high unemployment, high interest rates, and domestic competition. The idea of developing society and GE employees was put aside to develop high profits, which gave stockholders a sense of dependability and stability in a time of unknown and economic turmoil.This focus worked at the time, but would not continue to work in the current economy that holds new values and expectations. It is crucial that Immelt become a level 5 leader that invests in long term, strong infrastructure to continue to be able grow, expand, and stay profitable. For Immelt to become a level 5 leader he must discard the idea that â€Å"leaders must be the ones providing the direction or vision† and instead enable the implementation of additional drivers, such as employees or opportunities, that will take GE from good to great.Immelt is leading at a time of economic global slowdown and increased global c ompetition, which demands an infrastructure that can endure a change of markets and compete at a global level. Immelt’s responsibility isn’t to have one vision that the entire company follows, but to inspire GE employees to evaluate their own visions that correspond to their intrinsic values and allow them to act upon them with trust and resources. To enable and inspire employees to re-create the GE infrastructure Immelt needs to pave the way for employees to re-build their trust with GE and himself by increasing their motivation through a more open environment.Immelt can act upon becoming a level 5 leader and making GE into a growth engine for the future by investing in leadership programs that focus on developing employees as leaders and allowing them to create their own vision through their own intrinsic values. Welch’s leadership development programs focused on trimming the company’s edges instead of developing them to pave the way for number growing opportunities and profit based endeavors. Immelt can have leadership programs that ask employees to evaluate what values they have for their work and what are areas that can be improved to help them reach their goals.Immelt can also share his inspiration to facilitate external growth by moving markets into developing countries through risk taking, sophisticated marketing, and innovation. He can prove to employees that he wants them to embark on meaningful, long-term projects by notifying them that rotations will be removed to allow for specialists that are the most knowledgeable in their field, and therefore have the ability to produce the most effective long-term projects and returns.Immelt can teach the employees of GE of his values and leadership practices through company wide meetings, emails, or letters. He then needs to be mindful to follow through with his values to foster an open and trusting environment. Jeffery Immelt is leading as CEO in a time of worldwide growth and exp ansion that demands a different type of leadership style than the efficiency based style of Jack Welch in order for GE to stay profitable, and continue to be a leader in the business market.In addition to changing leadership styles in order to keep GE growing profits, Immelt has the opportunity to make GE employee’s jobs more meaningful and fulfilling by creating an open and trusting environment that will enable them to use their talents to carry out visions of their own that resonate with their intrinsic values. It is imperative that Immelt become a level 5 leader that will force GE to move from being a cash generator to a growth engine that will thrive in the current global expansion. General Electric: From Jack Welch to Jeffrey Immelt The need for Jeffrey Immelt to develop into a level 5 leader is imperative for GE to continue to grow and prosper in the current economic conditions of global expansion and constant change. Immelt can also benefit GE by becoming a level 5 leader by focusing on developing and empowering employee values and intrinsic motivations rather than facilitating initiatives to carry out his own vision. By Immelt developing into a level 5 leader and creating an open and trusting environment, he will empower employees to rebuild GE’s infrastructure that can hold strong and prosper through the new and demanding global expansion.Jack Welch led the way that was authentic to him and what economic conditions valued at the time. He was successful by giving the company of GE a clear vision and opening up opportunities for employees to efficiently carry out his objectives. He gave stability to shareholders at a time of economic worry and more than doubled GE’s market cap. Although his prac tices deemed profitable he did not build internal company infrastructure that would carry GE into the future. Instead he weakened internal relationships and did not empower employees to use their talents to embark on new and innovative projects.Immelt is faced with the challenge of getting the GE employees to develop a trusting and open relationship that can grow GE into new markets and hold stable in a time of constant change. His humility and professional will create a new environment for GE that will be profitable from long-term investments, social responsibility, and employee empowerment. Immelt is already leading in his own authentic way by being people-oriented and concentrating on effectiveness rather than efficiency.If he can continue to stay true to his authentic values while developing them further into a level 5 leader, GE will manage to stay competitive in the new economic market. Although authentic in his actions, Jack Welch had uprooted the GE internal infrastructure t o become a number generating, cash focused conglomerate that did not serve the intrinsic needs of GE’s talented employees. GE seemed to be thriving under Welch’s reign with stock prices continually rising and it’s market cap growing from $18 million to $500 billion. However there are more factors to a company that tell about its â€Å"success† than its cash generating enterprises.Many of the employees at GE felt worn down and stretched too far with their expectations being forced to drive success from extrinsic motivators and short-term returns. After thorough evaluation of the movement of CEOS from Jack Welch to Jeffrey Immelt, lays the fundamental management problem of a change of company values led by a previous level 4 leader, Welch, to a level 5 leader, Immelt. The GE company needs to recognize and be led to the different values that Jeffrey Immelt believes in order to drive success under a new environment.Immelt is focused more on long term strategi c investments that will require invested energy and cooperation from his employees to finally reach the high numbers and stock price returns that come along with the change to a strong infrastructure. While Welch was CEO he inspired the GE company by providing them with the vision that GE was meant for big returns, rapid expansion, and continually expanding market caps. He proved he was a level 4 leader by being focused on efficiency, and committing to a clear vision that â€Å"stimulated higher performance standards†.Everyone was aware of Welch’s vision: to act fast, push bureaucracy out of the way, and to generate numbers and cash. People who did not meet the results-delivered mindset were let go and ideas that did not deliver immediate results were abandoned. This level 4 leadership did not allow for the employees of GE to develop and grow the intrinsic values of the company and themselves because they were too nervous and focused on delivering results from small-ri sk projects. Welch did not focus on developing people; instead he focused on developing numbers.For example, his â€Å"vitality curve program† cut the â€Å"bottom 10% of employees† and rewarded the â€Å"top 20%†. The Vitality Curve organized people into three categories based on their past performance and deliverables. Although Welch implemented a number of â€Å"leadership development† programs, they ironically did not focus on molding leaders but molding opportunities for profit-centered growth. The underlying problem was that the employees of GE were expected to carry out Welch’s vision and return high profits to stockholders.It wasn’t that Welch wasn’t clear on his objectives or ways to complete objectives; it was the fact that employees were focused on completing work to produce Welch’s vision instead of using their own talents and ideas to grow the company’s infrastructure that could endure future economic condit ions. By Welch being a level 4 leader he facilitated employees to meet expectations in an efficient and demanding manner, which crushed innovation and employee self- fulfillment. According to Fortune Magazine â€Å"Welch conducts meetings so aggressively that people tremble.†Although this type of tough leadership produced high profits, it left employee satisfaction and infrastructure stability wounded. Welch was constantly implementing new projects and workshops that supported his vision and gave employees clearer objectives of his vision that produced results. Each time he implemented a new project GE stock prices rose; but this was at a time where the environment GE was competing in was domestic and results driven, which didn’t demand long term company infrastructure but rather thrived on short term high profits.Welch led the way the economy demanded, which led him to success and high numbers. Welch’s methodology was based upon cost cutting, efficiency, and de al making which would deliver high, reliable profits. Welch led at a time of an economic recession with high unemployment, high interest rates, and domestic competition. The idea of developing society and GE employees was put aside to develop high profits, which gave stockholders a sense of dependability and stability in a time of unknown and economic turmoil.This focus worked at the time, but would not continue to work in the current economy that holds new values and expectations. It is crucial that Immelt become a level 5 leader that invests in long term, strong infrastructure to continue to be able grow, expand, and stay profitable. For Immelt to become a level 5 leader he must discard the idea that â€Å"leaders must be the ones providing the direction or vision† and instead enable the implementation of additional drivers, such as employees or opportunities, that will take GE from good to great.Immelt is leading at a time of economic global slowdown and increased global c ompetition, which demands an infrastructure that can endure a change of markets and compete at a global level. Immelt’s responsibility isn’t to have one vision that the entire company follows, but to inspire GE employees to evaluate their own visions that correspond to their intrinsic values and allow them to act upon them with trust and resources. To enable and inspire employees to re-create the GE infrastructure Immelt needs to pave the way for employees to re-build their trust with GE and himself by increasing their motivation through a more open environment.Immelt can act upon becoming a level 5 leader and making GE into a growth engine for the future by investing in leadership programs that focus on developing employees as leaders and allowing them to create their own vision through their own intrinsic values. Welch’s leadership development programs focused on trimming the company’s edges instead of developing them to pave the way for number growing opportunities and profit based endeavors. Immelt can have leadership programs that ask employees to evaluate what values they have for their work and what are areas that can be improved to help them reach their goals.Immelt can also share his inspiration to facilitate external growth by moving markets into developing countries through risk taking, sophisticated marketing, and innovation. He can prove to employees that he wants them to embark on meaningful, long-term projects by notifying them that rotations will be removed to allow for specialists that are the most knowledgeable in their field, and therefore have the ability to produce the most effective long-term projects and returns.Immelt can teach the employees of GE of his values and leadership practices through company wide meetings, emails, or letters. He then needs to be mindful to follow through with his values to foster an open and trusting environment. Jeffery Immelt is leading as CEO in a time of worldwide growth and exp ansion that demands a different type of leadership style than the efficiency based style of Jack Welch in order for GE to stay profitable, and continue to be a leader in the business market.In addition to changing leadership styles in order to keep GE growing profits, Immelt has the opportunity to make GE employee’s jobs more meaningful and fulfilling by creating an open and trusting environment that will enable them to use their talents to carry out visions of their own that resonate with their intrinsic values. It is imperative that Immelt become a level 5 leader that will force GE to move from being a cash generator to a growth engine that will thrive in the current global expansion.