Queuing System At The Entrance Of Klimahaus Tourism Essay

Queuing System At The Entrance Of Klimahaus Tourism Essay Waiting in line for service is part of everyday life. As consumption and production of service occur simultaneously, variations in demand for service as well as in service time requirements result in idle service capacity at some times and the formation of queues at others. A queue forms whenever the demand for service exceeds the existing service capacity. (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) Experts suggest that no aspect of customer service is more important than the wait in line to be served. (Bennett, 1990, cited in Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006, p. 389). The waiting experience, or more precisely the perception of waiting time, has a strong effect on customers ´ overall satisfaction with the service ((Pruyn Smidts, 1998). Moreover, if customers find a queue too long or slow-moving they may balk and decide not to join the service system at all or customers who have joined the queue may renege, which means that they leave a queue before receiving service. Both balking and reneging represent losses in revenue and goodwill to the service organization (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006; Ou Rao, 2003). Several service operations management techniques exist to reduce waiting time and hence customer balking and reneging, most common is the variation of service capacity. However, oftentimes the reduction of waiting time is not feasible due to the size of the queue, the space of the facility or cost factors in personnel which makes customer waiting inevitable (Pearce, 1989). If waiting time cannot be reduced service organizations are advised to find ways to make time pass as quickly and pleasantly as possible (Maister, 1985, cited in Pruyn, 1998). (Pruyn Smidts, 1998) even state that the waiting environment, namely the design, decoration and stimuli which distract customers ´ attention from waiting, is a stronger determinant of service satisfaction than the actual waiting time. Therefore they advise service managers to focus less on reducing waiting times but to pay attention to the waiting conditions instead. The understanding of each feature of a queuing system provides insights and identifies management options for improving customer service (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). In the following the features of a queuing system are being described and the current queuing system at the entrance of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost, a science centre situated in the tourist quarter called Havenwelten in Bremerhaven/Germany, is being evaluated. Subsequently, suggestions for improvement are being made whereby physical, psychological and economic factors are taken into account likewise. 2. Queuing Systems Figure 1: Queuing System Source: Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006Queuing systems occur in a variety of forms but the common essential features of queuing systems are the calling population, the arrival process, the queue configuration, the queue discipline and the service process as illustrated in the figure below (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). In the following the individual features of a queuing system will be explained. 2.1 Calling population Figure 2: Calling Population Source: Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006 Arrivals represent the calling population which can consist of a homogeneous group or of several subpopulations. Subpopulations have different waiting expectations and place different demands on services. In a queuing system the number of customers requiring service can be limited or unlimited (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). If the number is finite, the number of customers outside the queuing system will depend on the number of customers already in the system and if the number is infinite, the number of customers outside the system in not affected by the number of customers already in the system (Tadj, 1995). 2.2 Arrival process Any analysis of a system must begin with a complete understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of the demand for service (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Arrival time data can be collected and used to calculate interarrival times. Generally the distribution of interarrival times is exponential. The exponential distribution gives the probability that the time between arrivals will be t or less (e. g. minutes between arrival) and the so called Poisson distribution gives the probability of n arrivals during the time interval t (e. g. arrivals per hour). Both distributions represent alternative views of the same process (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Characteristic for the exponential distribution is the no memory-property which means that the probability distribution of the time until the next arrival is independent of the last arrival (Tadj, 1995). 2.3 Queue configuration Queue configuration is the design of a waiting line system and refers to the number of queues, their locations and their spatial requirements. The queue configuration has an effect on the wait time and on customer behaviour. A queue is said to be finite if for example the spatial requirements are not sufficient to accommodate all waiting customers or if a public parking garage has not enough parking lots and arriving customers have to be turned away (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). The figure below shows several alternatives of waiting configurations and their advantages and disadvantages(Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Figure 3: Queue Forms and Their Features Source: Pearce, 1989 Another alternative is a virtual queue, usually on the telephone, which can be considered most frustrating for customers because oftentimes they do not know their position in line when they are placed on hold (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). 2.4 Queue discipline The queue discipline is a policy established by management to select the next customer from the queue for service (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). If the management applies the first-come, first-served rule (FCFS) all customers are treated fairly and are served according to their position in line. This queue discipline is said to be static. In a dynamic queue discipline, however, the next customer to be served is selected according to one or more attributes, for example in the shortest-processing-time approach (SPT) customers who require short processing times are given priority. This is done by placing arrivals in different priority groups on the basis of some attributes and by applying the FCFS within each group. This practice is said to minimize the average time a customer spends in the queuing system. A further procedure which is common in a medical context is triage, where priority is given to those who benefit most from an immediate treatment. The preemptive priority procedure is the most responsive queue discipline because service even is interrupted in order to serve an arriving customer with higher priority. This rule is applied in emergency services or fire ambulance services (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). 2.5 Service process Due to variations in customer needs and server performances, the service time distribution can be of any form. However, if the service is simple to perform the service time distribution frequently is exponential (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Figure 4: Classification of Service Processes Source: Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006 According to (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) there are several possible service facility arrangements: Service Facility Server Arrangement Parking lot Self-servicer Cafeteria Servers in series Toll booths Servers in parallel Supermarket Self-serve, first stage; parallel servers, second stage Hospital Service in parallel and series, not all used by each patient A service facility arrangement with servers in parallel has the advantage that it is flexible in meeting variations in demand for service. The service capacity can be adjusted to meet changes in demand, especially if employees are cross-trained (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). 2.6 Economic, physical and psychological aspects of customer waiting Economic cost of waiting For the service organization the economic cost of waiting is the wage of an idle employee at times of low demand for service. Times of high demand for service and resulting excessive wait times for customers or even the expectation of long waits can lead to lost sales. For customers the cost of waiting is the forgone alternative use of that time at times of high demand for service plus the costs of boredom, anxiety, and other psychological distress (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Physical needs of waiting customers To make the waiting experience more comfortable it is advisable to provide shelter from rain, sun or wind. Usually people relieve fatigue by leaning, stooping and propping themselves against bars, rails and barriers therefore seats, queue rails, steps or leaning bars should be provided for waiting customers if possible. Psychological needs of waiting customers According to {{21 Fitzsimmons,James A. 2006}} the perception of waiting often is more important to the consumer than the actual time spent waiting. If the customer expectation exceeds the perception the customer is unsatisfied and contributes to a bad reputation of the service organization, if the perception exceeds the expectation the customer is satisfied with the service and contributes to a good reputation of the service organization {{21 Fitzsimmons,James A. 2006}}. Customers waiting in line should not be excluded from an attentive service. Customers should be given the feeling that the service company knows that they are there and that service has started already {{22 Pearce,Philip L. 1989}}. Psychological and physical needs of people in queues can be met with a range of innovative queue management techniques {{22 Pearce,Philip L. 1989}}. Some methods to .. are named by {{21 Fitzsimmons,James A. 2006}}(Fitz..) are animation, discrimination, automation and obfuscation. Animation and distraction lead to a shorter perceived waiting time because the attention is drawn away from the internal clock (Pruyn Smidts, 1998). {{22 Pearce,Philip L. 1989}} considers information provision as one of the most important methods because frustration, boredom and a range of negative emotional effects follow from this lack of information to the waiting to the waiting public. 3. The Queuing System of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost The Klimahaus ® is a science centre in Bremerhaven which opened on 27th of June 2009. On an exhibition area of 11,500 m ² and 143 exhibition rooms the experiential museum presents data, facts and phenomena on climate and climate protection. As a relatively new attraction the museum experiences high demand and congestion, especially at weekends, holidays and in the summer season. 600,000 visitors were calculated per year but due to the novelty effect, the Klimahaus ® could welcome its millionth visitor after only 15 months of operation, on 22nd of September 2010. (www.klimahaus.de). Considering the opening hours of the Klimahaus ® this gives on average 243  visitors/hour, whereby the Klimahaus ® experiences significant variations in demand which lead to waiting times up to 2,5 hours at some times. There are numerous attractions in the Havenwelten and the risk is high that people change their mind when confronted with a long queue in front of the ticket counter and go somew here else. To keep the high level of visitor numbers even when the novelty effect has faded, the Klimahaus ® relies on satisfied customers who recommend a Klimahaus ®-visit to others and are willing to visit the museum repeatedly, despite long waiting times that can occur. In the following the current queuing system of the Klimahaus ® is being evaluated and the physical, behavioural, and economic aspects of the consumer waiting experience are taken into account in order to make suggestions for the improvement of the waiting line management. 3.1 Calling population The calling population of the Klimahaus ® consists of walk-in customers (either locals or tourists) who arrive randomly and groups or school classes with reservations. For a group reservation a minimum of 15 people is required. While walk-in customers are not controllable group arrivals are planned and hence controllable. The number of walk-in customers is infinite whereas the number of groups on a specific day can be considered finite because group reservations need to be made at least a day in advance. Hence, the probability of future group arrivals on a specific day depends on the number of groups currently in the system. Groups and school classes can be expected to have significant lower waiting expectations compared to walk-in customers due to their reservations which are linked to a `front of the line-service ´ upon arrival. Locals, again, can be expected to have lower waiting expectations than tourists because they can choose a less busy day or time for their Klimahaus ® -visit or at least buy their tickets at less busy times to avoid waiting in line. Tourists oftentimes come to Bremerhaven at weekends or during holiday seasons and therefore may expect a longer wait. However, within each subpopulation the waiting expectations may differ significantly among customers due to their respective opportunity costs. 3.2 Arrival process The collection of arrival time data is necessary to get an understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of demand for service in order to identify periods of high and low demand for service and measures to better match service capacity with service demand. However, no service demand data was available for this paper except from the visitor number of 1,000,000 on the 22nd of September 2010 which is published on the homepage and could be used to calculate the average number of visitors per hour in the first 15 months of operation with 243. As many other service organizations the Klimahaus ® experiences variable demand and variable service times which leads to waiting times up to 2.5 hours at busy times. Those variations in demand affect the requirements for service capacity. When possible, the number of servers is adjusted to match changes in demand. Although the cross-trained employees of the Klimahaus ® are a perfect basis for adjusting service capacity to changes in de mand, for the museum this strategy is only reasonable to a small extent. The exhibition itself has limited spatial capacity and increasing the level of staff would result in overcrowding and reduce the level of security. Therefore, this paper is going to focus on other strategies to reduce waits or to make them at least more tolerable. 3.3 Queue configuration As the figure below shows, the Klimahaus ® applies a single line multiserver model where customers form a single line and are served by the first server available. Figure 5: Ticket counter at the Klimahaus ® Source: www.nordsee-zeitung.de Figure 6: Queue configuration of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) name the advantages and disadvantages of a single queue as follows: Generally a single queue arrangement guarantees fairness because customers are served in order of their arrival (first-come, first-served). However, as can be seen on Picture 2, the waiting line system of the Klimahaus ® does not prevent people from cutting-in because the biggest part of the waiting line is in front of the Klimahaus ® at the so called Havenplaza where no barrier ropes are being used. This fact, on the other hand, allows single members of a family or small group to leave the queue and e. g. to have a look at the Klimahaus ® -shop or the nearby shopping centre or to get some brochures from the tourist information. Since there is only one queue, customers do not feel anxious about whether they have selected the fastest line. Wait time is affected by the design of the waiting line system the single line model is more efficient in terms of reducing the average time that customers spend waiting in line. Figure 7: Havenplaza Source: www.nordsee-zeitung.deA single-line approach comes with higher spatial requirements compared to a multiple lines approach because there is one long queue instead of several shorter queues. The Klimahaus ®-queue can be said to be infinite because the Havenplaza in front of the museum and the parking garages in the immediate vicinity offer sufficient capacity to accommodate arriving customers. Figure 8: Queue configuration of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost (high demand)Customers may interpret a long queue as evidence of a long wait and decide not to join the queue. (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) suggest hiding a long waiting line from customers, e. g. by integrating the queue into the design of the building, to prevent customers from balking. The approach of integrating the queue into the design was not adopted by the museum, presumably due to space or cost reasons or because it is not that common for museums. (Pearce, 1989) on the other hand states that customers may prefer to see the end of a queue because it gives them a feeling of certainty. Although, in case of the Klimahaus ® visual access from the back of queue is poor as can be seen on Picture 2. However, to avoid frustration among arriving customers and to give them a feeling of certainty in order to make them join the queue, it is advisable to make information on the expected waiting time available (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006; Pearce, 1989). The single queue arrangement proves to be flexible at times of high demand because the number of servers can be adjusted, especially if employees are cross trained as it is the case in the Klimahaus ®. However, as mentioned earlier the Klimahaus ® itself has limited spatial capacity and increasing the level of staff would result in overcrowding and reduce the level of security. A disadvantage of the single line-approach is that people have to stand in line in contrast to the take a number-approach where people are free to wander around. The take a number-approach can be an attractive alternative because there is no need for a formal line and customers could go to the Klimahaus ®-shop or to the nearby shopping centre. On the other hand, customers have to stay alert otherwise they risk missing their turns for service. Queue width also plays an important role. In contrast to a one-person wide queue, a wider queue like the one used by the Klimahaus ® is desirable because it enables family members to stand side by side in the queue which enables conversation and children have more room to stretch and interact (Pearce, 1989). When considering the physical needs of people waiting in line, it can be noted that the Havenplaza is a roofed hall which provides shelter from the sun or rain and has public toilets. On the other hand customers waiting in line have no possibilities to sit or lean (e. g. on hand rails) to relieve from fatigue. As mentioned earlier, animation and distraction lead to a shorter perceived waiting time because the attention is drawn away from the internal clock (Pruyn Smidts, 1998). Above the ticket counter there is a tv screen that shows pictures and information regarding the exhibition but unfortunately it is only visible for customers waiting inside the building. When the wait time is especially long, occasionally an employee is deployed at the Havenplaza in order to answer questions of waiting customers, to hand out flyers to adults or balloons, gummi bears etc. to children. Moreover, sometimes the mascot of the Klimahaus ®, Max the climate mouse, animates children waiting in line. 3.4 Queue discipline Generally the queue discipline of the Klimahaus ® is first come, first service, except for groups with reservations who benefit from a common  ´front of the line service ´ upon arrival. (Friedman Friedman, 1997) states that customers with high opportunity costs, e. g. tourists who have a short stay in Bremerhaven or explicitly come to Bremerhaven for a Klimahaus ®-visit or customers who just do not like to wait in line, might be highly sensitive to long waits and be willing to pay a premium for a faster service in a separate line to avoid waiting. Waiting line segmentation might be an option for the Klimahaus ® to reduce waiting for the customers in the regular queue and the customers in the fast queue. If the premium covers the cost of the additional server, waiting line segmentation is a simple, cost-free strategy for increasing profit, employment, efficiency and customer satisfaction (Friedman Friedman, 1997). 3.5 Service process No service time data is available and need to be collected but the service time distribution can be considered to be exponential because the service is simple to perform. In case of the ticket counter at the entrance of the Klimahaus ® servers are arranged in parallel which has the advantage that variations in demand for service could be met by adjusting the number of servers to meet demand. Nevertheless, to avoid overcrowding in the exhibition there are regularly three but no more than four servers at the ticket counter at times of high demand. (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) advise service managers to keep in mind that sustained pressure to hurry may increase the rate of customer processing, but it also sacrifices quality. 4. Suggestions for Improvement Since adjusting service capacity to meet high levels of demand cannot be considered a reasonable strategy for the Klimahaus ® to reduce waiting, other strategies like differential pricing to encourage customers to use the off-peak hours should be taken into consideration (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Usually in the latter part of the day, the Klimahaus ® experiences lower demand because a visit takes 3 5 hours on average. For this reason it might be useful to offer an afternoon ticket which is cheaper the usual day-ticket to level demand. It needs to be analysed if such an offer would have a cannibalizing effect or a positive effect on revenue from entrance tickets. A further strategy to reduce waiting is waiting line segmentation which could also be an option for the Klimahaus ® because it is a simple, cost-free strategy for increasing profit, employment, efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, before implementing such a strategy the service organization would have to do some testing to determine the optimal size of premium and to determine the acceptance of customers. Customers who decide to stay in the regular queue or cannot afford to take the more expensive fast lane might perceive this practice as unfair and catering to the rich which can result in a negative image of the Klimahaus ® (Friedman Friedman, 1997). Due to the significant variations in demand waiting in line for a ticket is inevitable and therefore the waiting experience should be made as pleasant as possible under the given circumstances. Because the biggest part of the queue forms not in the Klimahaus ® itself but at the Havenplaza, the Klimahaus ® could be advised to prove the possibility of installing benches or leaning bars for the customers to relief from fatigue. Customers waiting in line should not be included in an attentive service and questions of arriving customers should be answered to give them security. If it is not feasible for cost reasons to have an employee answering questions in person, wait time-signs should be set and a FAQ-sheet which all important information should be made available to arriving customers. Also display panels or sheets (alongside the queue) which ask the waiting public questions, or which set them tasks to solve, assist both the information needs of the public and their perception of time (Pearce, 1989). Furthermore, the mascot, Max the climate mouse, is relatively unknown and could be used more often to animate children waiting in line with their families. 5. Conclusion By analysing the features of the queuing system at the entrance of the Klimahaus ® useful insights could be gained. Due to significant variations in service demand, waiting in line to get a ticket is inevitable at times when service demand exceeds service capacity. Increasing the number of servers at the ticket counter at times of high demand would compound overcrowding in the spatial limited exhibition and therefore increasing service capacity to meet demand cannot be considered an appropriate strategy for the Klimahaus ® to reduce waiting. Further investigation on this topic could be helpful to identify the optimal staffing level in consideration of the space limitation of the museum and to develop measures to reduce overcrowding in the exhibition. Possible strategies to shorten waits could be identified like waiting line segmentation or price differentiation. However, in order to effectively implement those strategies, service demand and service time data need to be collected and analysed. Moreover, by taking into account the physical and psychological needs of customers waiting in line, methods to make wait more tolerable could be identified to improve customers ´ queuing experience, A more pleasant queuing experience can not only reduce balking, reneging and thus lost sales for the Klimahaus ® but also increase the customers ´ overall satisfaction with the service.

Shareholder Activism Business

Shareholder Activism Business This paper looks at the issue of shareholder activism from an Irish and International perspective, in the context of understanding agency theory and corporate governance which acts as catalysts to this new phenomenon. This is done by looking at past and current published papers that revolve around the subject matter. Theoretical concepts within the business and finance literature are explained in relation to how agency theory and corporate governance are practised worldwide. Three countries namely, the OECD countries (European Union as one whole entity), Ireland, and China, are assessed to identify how these concepts are practiced to gain a better insight into this new problem known as shareholder activism. Finally a critical review of matches and mismatches is used to compare and contrast similarities between the theoretical concepts and the empirical evidence within the literature review that is gathered for this paper to identify whether this problem is a worldwide problem or it is at the growth stage of becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Chapter 1: The Concept of Shareholder Activism Shareholder activism has begun to play a role in reshaping the corporate governance in companies all across the globe. In industrialised or advanced countries, institutional investors or financial intermediaries serve the function of active shareholders. In general, shareholder activism has become one of the most important and highly debated issues of the 21st century. The issue of shareholder activism (shareholder revolt against management objectives) can be said to have arisen due to the recent collapse of huge international organisations; in theoretical terms it is known as Corporate Governance. Now, Corporate governance refers to structures and processes for directly and controlling companies. Collectively, these constitute a set of rules that govern the relationships among management, company shareholders, and other stakeholders including consumers, creditors, employees, the general public, neighbouring people and suppliers. The rules of corporate governance aim to ensure that managers act in the best interests of their shareholders rather than simply acting in their own interests or those of a majority shareholder. Good corporate governance can provide companies in emerging markets in particular, better access to outside capital by making them more attractive targets for portfolio investment. The impact of recent corporate scandals, which has opened the debate as to the validity of corporate governance, has been felt all across the world and Ireland is no exception. Domestic scandals such as the fallout from the Inquiry into no-collection by certain banks of applicable tax on deposit accounts prompted a report on auditing standards which eventually resulted in the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act (2003), essentially is Irelands Sarbanes- Oxley Act. Until relatively recently, meanwhile, there was scant compliance with corporate governance and companies legislation which led to government committee report on the matter in 1997 and ultimately to the enactment of company Law Enforcement Act, 2001. This Act established the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement, which now has responsibility for ensuring compliance with the Companies Acts (1963 -2003) in Ireland. This government body has significant powers of investigation and prosecution, which are being exercised vigorously. In the European Union (OECD), although this had been a subject of thought for over a decade, it was originally developed in response to a call by the OECD council meeting at ministerial level in 1998, to develop, in conjunction with national governments, other relevant international organisations and the private sector, a set of corporate governance standards and guidelines. Since the principles were agreed in 1999, they have formed the basis for corporate governance initiatives in both OECD and non-OECD countries alike. Accordingly, they form the basis of the corporate governance component of the World/IMF Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC). Aims and Objectives The aim of this paper is to address the issue of aligning management objectives with the objectives of shareholders and help identify why this has not been successful. I.e. this genesis has led to shareholder activism at annual general meetings, which management have found it very unpleasant to bear with within organisations all across the globe. The objective of this research paper is to first look at the genesis (beginnings) of this problem pertaining agency theory and corporate governance with regard to their relevance in satisfying shareholder objectives. Secondly, to explain the current trend in relation to shareholder activism within organisations and also how companies are preparing and dealing with this phenomenon at AGMs. I.e. The right information is given to shareholders as to the accurate financial earnings and gains of the organisation which they were appointed to manage. This will be looked at from an Irish and International perspective. Finally, a critical appraisal of the validity of published material so far covering agency theory and corporate governance within organisations will be addressed. Chapter 2: Existing Literature Review The need to understand and deal with shareholder activism is one that has come of recent due to the collapse of major international organisations around the world within the past decade. According to Grace (2004), in Ireland, the role of the institutional shareholder and the extent of their responsibilities as such, insofar as these differ from those of individual shareholders, are governed by practice rather than legislation. In addition, she adds that in Irish incorporated companies the overall management function vests in a board of directors, although the directors may delegate functions to certain executives or committees of the board. There is no statutory limit on the number of directors (hence wasting company funds on management) that can comprise a board, although limits may be imposed in the Articles of Association. Current legislation (Companies Act 2003) in Ireland requires a minimum of two directors, both of whom must be natural persons and one of whom must be an Irish resident. Grace (2004) also argues that the Articles of Association set out the requirements for the convening and holding of board meetings, while the corporate governance requirements for listed companies ensure that regular meetings are held. Written notice is usually required, including an agenda and all relevant documents to be considered at the meeting. All minutes of board meetings must be kept in the register of minutes but these are not generally available to shareholders, a major reason for shareholder activism. Daily et al.(2003) suggest that the overwhelmingly dominant theoretical perspective applied in corporate governance studies is agency theory. This serves as an explanation of how the public corporation could exist, given the assumption that managers are self-interested, and a context in which those managers do not bear the full wealth effects of their decisions. The theory responds to the observation 70 years ago of some of the key problems inherent in the separation of ownership and control. Daily metal. (2003) also add that in nearly all-modern governance research, governance mechanisms are conceptualised as deterrents to managerial self-interest. Corporate governance mechanisms provide shareholders some assurance that managers will strive to achieve outcomes that are in the shareholders interests. Shareholders have available both internal and external governance mechanisms to help bring the interests of managers in line with their own. They also argue that internal mechanisms include an effectively structured board, compensation contracts that encourage a shareholder orientation, and concentrated ownership holdings that lead to active monitoring of executives. The market for corporate control serves as an external mechanism that is typically activated when internal mechanisms for controlling managerial opportunism have failed. Abelson (2001) argue with regard to the collapse of Enron, that what made the Enron case different is how sudden and final the companys fall was for its shareholders, i.e.it was the shareholders that lost out and not management, adding that how can someone (people on the board of directors in Enron) who cannot own stock in a company serve on its board. In Europe, the OECD principles of corporate governance (2004) state that corporate governance is one key element in improving economic efficiency and growth as well as enhancing investor confidence. Corporate governance involves a set of relationships between a companys management, its board, its shareholders and other stakeholders. Corporate governance also provides the structure through which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance are determined. Good corporate governance should provide proper incentives for the board and management to pursue objectives that are in the interests of the company and its shareholders and should facilitate effective monitoring. In addition the OECD (2004),also argue that while a multiplicity of factors affect the governance and decision making processes of firms, and are important to their long-term success, the principles focus on governance problems that result from the separation of ownership and control (agency theory). However, this is not simply an issue of relationship between shareholders and management, although that is indeed the central element. In some jurisdictions , governance issues also arise from the power of certain controlling shareholders over minority shareholders. In other countries, employees have important legal rights irrespective of their ownership rights. The OECD (2004) also suggests that corporate governance is affected by the relationships among participants in the governance system. Controlling shareholders, which maybe individuals, family holdings, bloc alliances, or other corporations acting through a holding company or cross shareholdings, can significantly influence corporate behaviour. As owners of equity, institutional investors are increasingly demanding a voice in corporate governance in some markets. Individual shareholders usually do not seek to exercise governance rights but may be highly concerned about obtaining fair treatment from controlling shareholders and management. Creditors according to the OECD (2004) play an important role in a number of governance systems and can serve as external monitors over corporate performance. Employees and other stakeholders play an important role in contributing to the long-term success and performance of the corporation, while governments establish the overall institutional and legal framework for corporate governance. The role of each of these participants, OECD (2004), and their interactions vary widely among OECD countries and among non-OECD countries well. Adding that these relationships are subject, in part, to law and regulation and, in part, to voluntary adaptation and, most importantly, to market forces. Bebchuk (2003) also argue that in theory, if directors fail to serve shareholders, or if they appear to lack the qualities necessary for doing so, shareholders have the power to replace them. This relates to a document presented to the securities exchange commission in New York, considering the improved rights of shareholders. Bebchuk (2003) also states that this shareholder power, in turn, provides incumbent directors with incentives to serve shareholders well, making directors accountable. He suggests that although shareholder power to replace directors is supposed to be an important element of corporate governance system, its largely a myth. Attempts to replace directors he states are extremely rare, even in firms that systematically underperform over a long period of time. By and large, directors nominated by the company run unopposed and their election is thus guaranteed. This varies from country to country. Hamid (2005) argues with regard to the International Financial Corporation, which is part of the World Bank in relation to corporate governance models in China. It states that corporate governance is a new concept in China and most managers and boards remain unaware of basic governance procedures, often confusing governance with general management. As a result, bridging the gap between rhetoric and reality is required. It adds that the private sector in China has clearly become the engine of growth, seemingly offering enormous investment opportunities. But the structures in place at private companies are often immature, reflecting the newness of the private sector. Most small and mid-sized enterprises in Chinaware run informally. They are family owned, they dont have checks and balances, and their financial reporting is not transparent. It goes on to argue that the state-owned enterprises on their way to becoming private enterprises suffer from a different set of governance problems. When these companies take on private ownership, they carry the legacy of the state-dominated decision making regime. They often have complex and opaque corporate ownership structures, overlapping new and traditional bodies of corporate control, and reporting practices that are focused on satisfying the information requirements of the authorities rather than the needs of investors. Stutchbury (2001) states that in Australia, when AMP handed down its 1999 results showing a $1.2 billion abnormal loss from the GIO takeover, the AMP chairman was nowhere to be seen. He did not deem it necessary to front up to the cameras or to face media questioning to explain himself to shareholders. He left it to the relatively new CEO, who was required to dead bat the many serious questions about the companys board, its relationship with top management, and the departure of its former CEO. These were questions, which the new CEO could not properly answer. They had to be answered by the Chairman, if they were to be answered at all. This shows across misconduct of rules and guidelines with regard to corporate governance. Although CSR has only become one of the most heated topics of the new millennium, its roots undoubtedly go back to some of the key philosophical debates over ethics, values, equity and equality, Smith(2003). However, the systematic treatment of business ethics has been neglected in most advanced economies, which directly relates to CSR. Hartley (1993), for example, suggests that the interests of a firm are actually best served by scrupulous attention to the public interest and by seeking a trusting relationship with the various stakeholders with which a firm is involved. In the process, society is also best served because the firm is forced to consider a whole range of competing objectives and to move away from activities, which are derived from short-term performance indicators. Hartley (1993) also adds that any philosophy or course of action that doesnt take the public interest into consideration is intolerable in todays society. Todays firms face more critical scrutiny from stakeholders and operate in a setting, which is becoming more regulatory and litigious. The Pensions and Investment Research Consultants (PIRC) (2000) in the UK, argue that the law should require all proxy votes are brought to bear on the business of a companys annual general meeting, which should encourage institutions to vote their proxies. Adding that they do not consider that abolishing the show of hands would act as a disincentive for small shareholders to attend and vote as they are aware of their lack of voting power under current UK law arrangements. The show of hands is largely symbolic. The PIRC (2000), also state that if the annual general meeting (AGM) is not made the focus of the decision making process, but merely one moment in the process, companies would be tempted to lobby shareholders after the AGM, thus undermining the value of the AGM. They emphasise that such a proposal gives companies an ability to evade accountability to their shareholders. The OECD (2004) states that shareholders have access in a number of countries to the companys proxy materials, which are sent to shareholders, although sometimes subject to conditions to prevent abuse. The OECD (2004) also states that co-operation among investors could also be used to manipulate markets prior to proxy voting, and to obtain control over a company without being subject to any takeover regulations. For this reason, in some countries, the ability of institutional investors to co-operate on their voting strategy is either limited or prohibited. Shareholder agreements may also be closely monitored. On the other hand although corporate governance around the world varies with regard to successes and failure, Reuters(2004) stated that News Corp, one of the worlds largest media empires, had a proxy vote, in which more than 90 present voted in favour of the Chairmans plan to reincorporate the organisation in the United States, where it generates more than 75 present of its earnings. This can be seen as very good reaction from the shareholders of the company, in which corporate governance in this case has been a success. It is worthwhile noting that the adherence and practice of corporate governance to avoid shareholder activism does vary from country to country and so the rules, guidelines, regulations, and procedures governing this concept are subject to different interpretations in companies around the world. Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives On Agency Problem, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance It is often assumed that the role conflict between those who own firms(i.e., who want the firm to maximise the value of their stake in the business) and those who manage them (who want to maximise their own reward) will be detrimental to the pursuit of profit maximisation as an overriding objective. The significance of this separation of ownership and control and the potential problems it can cause is known as the agency problem. While, corporate governance deals with how an organisation establishes who it is there to serve, how this should be decided, and by whom. This relates to how managers deal with issues of ethics and corporate responsibility. The following is a detailed elaboration of the agency problem and corporate governance with regard to the concepts acting as a catalyst that leads to shareholder activism. The Agency Problem Potential conflict arises where ownership is separated from management. The ownership of most larger companies is widely spread, while the day-to-day control of the business rests in the hands of a new managers who usually have a relatively small proportion of the total shares issued. This can give rise to what is termed managerialism, self-serving behaviour by managers at the shareholders ‘expense. Examples of managerialism include pursuing more perquisites(splendid offices and company cars, etc.) and adopting low-risk survival strategies and satisficing behaviour. This conflict has been explored by Jensen and Mackling (1976), who developed a theory of the firm under agency arrangements. Managers are, in effect, agents forth shareholders and are required to act in their best interests. However, they have operational control of the business and the shareholders receive little information on whether the managers are acting in their best interests. A company can be viewed as simply a set of contracts, the most important of which is the contract between the firm and its shareholders. This contract describes the principal-agent relationship, where the shareholders are the principals and the management team the agents. An efficient agency contract allows full delegation of decision-making authority over use of invested capital to management without the risk of that authority being abused. However, left to themselves, managers cannot be expected to act in the shareholders best interests, but require appropriate incentives and controls to do so. Agency costs are the difference between the return expected from an efficient agency contract and the actual return, given that managers may act more in their own interests than the interests of shareholders. Managing the agency problem To attempt to deal with such agency problems, various incentives and controls have been recommended, all of which incur costs. Incentives frequently take the form of bonuses tied to profits (profit-related pay) and share options as part of a remuneration package scheme. Share options only have value when the actual share price exceeds the option price; managers are thereby encouraged to pursue policies that enhance long-term wealth-creation. In reality, the agency problem between investors and directors is more illusory than real for the following reasons: †¢ The principal in the business relationship is the company rather than the shareholder and the directors set the priorities and goals forth business, not the shareholders. †¢ Because directors, in most firms, invariably own shares in their business they will benefit in the same way as the ordinary shareholders from the activities of the firm. Chief executives in a number of large companies have recently come under fire for their outrageously high pay resulting from such schemes. Executive compensation schemes, such as those outlined above, are imperfect, but useful, mechanisms for retaining able managers and encouraging them to pursue goals that promote shareholder value. Another way of attempting to minimise the agency problem is by setting up and monitoring managers behaviour. Examples of these include: †¢ Audited accounts of the company †¢ Management audits and additional reporting requirements, and †¢ Restrictive covenants imposed by lenders, such as ceilings on the dividend payable or the maximum borrowings. To what extent does the agency theory problem invalidate the goal of maximising the value of the firm? In an efficient, highly competitive stock market, the share price is a fair reflection of investors ‘perceptions of the companys expected future performance. So agency problems in a large publicly quoted company will, before long, be reflected in a lower than expected share price. This could lead to an internal response, the shareholders replacing the board of directors with others more committed to their goals, or an external response, the company being acquired by a better-performing company where shareholder interests are pursued more vigorously. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now on the global policy agenda, with the last 20 years having seen great strides forward inks. Domestically and internationally governmental, business and other organisations are getting involved with CSR initiatives. This relates to the fact that independent legal entities such as pension fund managers, institutional investors, private investors, green peace, and Christian churches are leading the way in attending annual general meetings of organisations, to ask tough and environmental questions concerning the conduct and performance of management within organisations. This has proved difficult to comprehend with in recent times for major organisations such as the Shell, Financial Times(1997), facing its shareholders on the grounds of its ethical approach on human rights grounds in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. At the European and UK domestic levels, the European Commission in 2002adopted a new strategy on CSR, and in the same year the UK government published its second national CSR report. The UK government has now also appointed a minister for CSR. Internationally, organisations such as the United Nations, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have also taken the lead. Initiatives such as the UN Global Compact, theology Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and the OECD voluntary guidelines for multinational enterprises now dominate the corporate agenda, thus making CSR important for organisations of all kinds, large and small alike Hopkins (2003). The emergence of business ethics and responsible action on the corporate agenda is, however, more a function of the growing awareness of the social, political, and environmental impact of the modern industrial enterprise. Many of the shifts in political attitudes towards firms, for example, reflect serious abuse by specific companies and specific business leaders. The misappropriation of pension funds, repression of workers in the Third World, environmental incidents, and even the bribery and corruption associated with deals to gain large government contracts is all issues which have hit the headlines over the last few years. One of the major sticking points with regard to the rise in shareholder activism is the fact that corporate decisions are linked to a set of business ethics, and that by considering the structures and procedures which define the ethics of an organisation we ought to be able to say something about the prospects and preconditions for corporate performance. These v arious stakeholders, whom the firm must consider, are its customers, suppliers, values on which stakeholders requirement are based can be, in themselves, contradictory. The traditional way of resolving these issues is for the organisation to assume primacy over individuals, allowing it to pursue objectives dictated by senior management subject to financial constraints imposed by owners and lenders. The notion of public trust is also becoming more important. A clear measure of how far we have come towards a more responsive and responsible business climate is indicates by the fact that if a firm violates public trust, then it is likely to be surpassed by its competitors, who will be eager to please customers by addressing their wants more accurately. Moreover, while the overwhelming majority of business dealings arena-controversial, any abuses increasingly receive considerable publicity, harming the image of business. Once a companys image has been damaged, it often takes a long time to reverse that damage. In order to remain economically active, organisations need to learn from their mistakes or from those of other organisations. They need to take care to avoid situations and actions that might harm their relationship with their various stakeholders. In the worst of all cases, where an organisation faces a catastrophe, suddenly and without warning, its whole market image and business strategy can be destroyed. Examples of such events are increasingly commonplace. For example, in the case of Union Carbide, when one of its chemical plants in Bhopal, India leaked 40 tons of toxic chemicals, the event had (and continues to have) a profound effect on the reputation of that company. Although the company quickly rushed aid to the victims, it was bitterly condemned for complacency and the loose controls that permitted the accident to happen in the first place. Environmental considerations are only one of many issues, which might be included under the umbrella of business ethics. They nevertheless constitute an issue, which has grown in importance. As a result of them any accidents and growing environmental damage caused by organisations, there have been increasing demands from consumers for firms to operate more ethically in this area. The consumer movement has fundamentally shaped and contributed to the significant increase in legislation and regulation at all levels of government. This has been aimed at preventing abuses in the marketplace and in the environment and, therefore, environmental management strategies are increasingly commonplace in leading organisations around the world. To date, however, environmental considerations have not been given enough attention within the framework of business ethics, because dominant ideologies are being shaped more by short-term financial considerations than by the need to do business in a sustain able way. Ethics also vary internationally, due to cultural differences that exist across borders. The Corporate Governance In recent years, there has been considerable concern in the UK and around the world about standards of corporate governance, the system by which companies are directed and controlled. While, in company law, directors are obliged to act in the best interests of shareholders, there have been many instances of boardroom behaviour difficult to reconcile with this ideal. There have been numerous examples of spectacular collapses of companies, often the result of excessive debt financing in order to finance ill-advised takeovers, and sometimes laced with fraud. Many companies have been criticised for the generosity with which they reward their leading executives. The procedures for remunerating executives have been less than transparent, and many compensation schemes involve payment by results in one direction alone. Many chief executives have been criticised for receiving pay increases several times greater than the increases awarded to less exalted staff. In the train of these corporate collapses and scandals, a number of committees have reported on the accountability of the board of directors to their stakeholders and risk management procedures. The principles of Good Governance and Code of Best Practice, which apply to all listed companies from 1999 onwards within the OECD countries, are mentioned below: †¢ Directors and the Board An effective board is required to lead and control the company. It should have a balance of executive and non-executive directors; no individual or group must dominate the board; running the board and running the business are separate activities; no individual has unfettered powers; timely and quality information is given to the board; clear procedures for appointments; re-election at least every three years. †¢ Directors remuneration Executive remuneration is linked to corporate and individual performance; directors are not involved in deciding their own remuneration. †¢ Relations with shareholders Encourage dialogue on objectives with institutional shareholders; seams to communicate with shareholders and encourage participation. †¢ Accountability Reports influencing share price to give a balanced, understandable assessment of the companys position and prospects; a sound system of internal control to safeguard shareholders interests and company assets. Chapter 4: Critical Analysis of Theoretical Perspectives and the Empirical Evidence Gathered In The Literature Review The critical analysis in this chapter covers all aspects relating the theoretical perspectives of agency theory, corporate social responsibility and corporate governance from published books and articles. An analysis is made as to whether there is any consistency from the published material as far gathered and the already established theories. Due to the lack of time attached to this paper the empirical evidence used is one that has been covered in the literature review. One could say that the issue from shareholder activism from an international perspective is one that has come about of recent. Thesis rectified by the new guidelines, which only came into effect in1999, within the OECD countries including Ireland, and in China, it is still seen as a very new concept. The issue of agency theory with regard to the objectives of management and shareholders still varies from country to country. It can be

I Was a Washington D.C. Intern :: Essays Papers

I Was a Washington D.C. Intern On June 9, 2003, my life took an interesting turn. It was a sunny day. Blue skies, humidity insanely high, and I found myself at 4th Street and Constitution in Washington, D.C. I stood before an angled architectural masterpiece by famed architect I.M. Pei; its pointed corners jutted out towards the grassy Mall and Capitol Hill as if it were some sort of Picasso-esque compass pointing simultaneously towards all the tourist hot spots. (The one corner, purportedly the sharpest building corner in the world, wore a dark gray spot about eye level where thousands if not millions of tourists had touched it just to see how sharp it really was). I found myself standing before it, not as tourist . . . but as an employee on my first day of work. It all seemed a little overwhelming. How I ended up there still seems like a dream even today. Back in early 2001, while working in an art museum library in Nashville, Tennessee, I heard about the internships at the National Gallery of Art. They have quite the reputation in the art world. I bemused myself by daydreaming of one day being an intern there. At the time I heard about them I most certainly wasn't a good candidate. I only had the one art museum gig under my belt and I still really lacked direction in my career ambitions. But fast forward to 2002. I was no longer working at the art museum library (the position was eliminated due to budget cuts) and I was no longer living in Nashville (I moved to Tucson to attend SIRLS). There's probably nothing else like losing your job to really make you figure out what you want to do with your life. I realized several things: I wanted to continue working in an information provision setting, and I wanted to work with visual collections, spe cifically photographs. Because of those goals, I chose to immediately find my way in at the Center for Creative Photography as soon as I arrived on campus in Tucson. I started out as a volunteer and would go on to do an internship there. This critical experience was exactly what I needed to boost my resume to the level of D.C. intern candidate. So . . . six full months before June 9, 2003, I applied for an internship at the National Gallery of Art.

The Battle of Bougainville :: essays research papers

The Solomon Islands campaign began with the taking of Guadalcanal in December 1942. In February 1943 the Russell Islands fell, and the New Georgia group followed in August 1943. At the end of 1943, the campaign reached its goal when American troops gained a solid foothold on the island of Bougainville. The Russells, New Georgia and Bougainville were objectives Objective: Isolate Rabaul The objective of the Solomon Islands campaign was to cut off Japan's major forward air and naval base at Rabaul, on the island of New Britain. Rabaul was the hub of Japanese air power in the south Pacific--a stopping point for planes coming from New Guinea in the southwest and Truk, the home of the Japanese Combined Fleet, in the south central Pacific. Bougainville was key to neutralizing Rabaul. Preliminary Attacks The first attack on Bougainville occurred Aug. 15, 1943. Eight Corsairs from Marine Fighter Squadron 214 (later known as the Black Sheep) flew up from the Russell Islands to strafe the Kahili airfield during American amphibious landings on the island of Vella Lavella. The lightning strike--a surprise so complete the Japanese did not have time to shoot back--damaged aircraft and refueling equipment on the ground and forestalled a night attack on the American amphibious force. because of their value as air bases. Battle of Empress Augusta Bay The evening of the landing, Army reconnaissance aircraft reported that a large Japanese surface force was heading for Bougainville. Task Force 39 intercepted it about 2:30 the following morning 45 miles west of Empress Augusta Bay. The American ships, executing maneuvers at breakneck speeds in the darkness to avoid Japanese long-range torpedoes, sank two enemy ships after three hours of heavy fire. With two other ships damaged in collisions while trying to avoid American torpedoes, the scattered Japanese chose to retreat. The American force had only two ships hit, both of which sustained moderate damage. The Japanese Response Battle of Empress Augusta Bay The evening of the landing, Army reconnaissance aircraft reported that a large Japanese surface force was heading for

Copyrights in the Music Industry Essay -- Intellectual Property, Copyr

Is important for anyone who has created any intellectual property to protect it. In the music industry, in order for someone to protect their work, they must obtain a copyright. Music has been around before anyone could obtain a copyright and when the invention of the computer came along it made it easier for someone to steal another artist's intellectual property with the help of the internet. This paper will cover what events have taken a big role in copyright protection for artist, the consequences if someone was to break the rules of a copyright which is called copyright infringement, and how will a copyright hold in the future. Were copyrights enacted without the thought of life changing technology, and how can some music companies surpass copyright infringement and make a profit from the artist? Can a copyright really make that much of a difference in the world we know today? Intellectual Property and Copyrights Intellectual property is property resulting from intellectual, creative processes. A product that was created because of someone’s individual thought process. Examples includes books, designs, music, art work, and computer files. (Miller R. J., 2011, p. 114) In the music industry a copyright is an important tool for artist to use to protect themselves from infringers. A copyright is the exclusive right of an author or originator of a literary or artistic production to publish, print, or sell that production for a statutory period of time. A copyright has the same monopolistic nature as a patent or trademark, but it differs in that it applies exclusively to works of art, literature, and other works of authorship (including computer programs). (Miller R. J., 2011, p. 125) How can someone obtain a copyright? To ob... ...en the biggest hurdles the music industry has overcome. Thanks to iTunes and Google Music record labels and artist can reach almost anyone in the world with their music and know that their work won’t be infringed upon. In the next five years copyrights will still have the respect it has today. As technology moves along copyrights will be right behind it revising the rules and regulations to make sure that an artist intellectual property is safe and that the artist or label can receive compensatory damages for copyright infringement. Works Cited A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster Inc., 239 f.3d 1004 (U.S. Court of Appeals For The 9th Circuit 2 12, 2001). Copyright Law of the United States of America. (2013). Retrieved from Copyright United States Copyright Office. Miller, R. J. (2011). Business Law Today: Comprehensive. Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning.

LGBT: Standing for Their Rights and What’s Right Essay

If you were to see a student in need what would you do? You would most likely step in and help that person. Am I right? Now what if that student was an LGBT student? You would most likely require more time to process the benefits and consequences of stepping in and making a difference right? Well when it comes to that statement I have to say that you are incorrect. It is the responsibility of every person, including you, to help a student in need no matter who that student is and regardless of the consequences. Nevertheless, LGBT individuals, including students, are the minority that is the most targeted against. We can no longer afford to let this injustice continue as long as there are people that exist who can make a difference. My friends the time for change is HERE and NOW. With those words I say this. Every individual who supports the rights of a fellow student, the LGBT student, should donate their time and money to the Southern Poverty Law Center as they strive to ensure the rights of LGBT students through the use of legal action, educational campaigns and combating the so called conversion therapy. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) campaigns for rights for LGBT students through their educational campaign known as the Teaching Tolerance Program. The Teaching Tolerance Program is a project of the SPLC whose purpose is to help educators improve their teaching methods through methods such as professional development and various activities within the classroom in order to compose a more complete and cultivating environment. The program has recently released Bullied in 2010. â€Å"Bullied† is a documentary for anti-bullying release throughout the United States. The document is made for use in the classroom and improvement for educators and highlights the tale of a student who struggled to stand up for what’s right against his anti-gay torturers. Although many know about the need for rights for LGBT students, on the other hand, there are those who may comment that there are those that refuse to listen to those who attempt to campaign peacefully and with reason. But it’s easy to see that there are many people out there who show absolute support for rights of ALL fellow citizens if we took a look back at history. An excellent example is Abraham Lincoln, who worked to end slavery once and for all. If a president is able to take the time out of his schedule to accomplish this feat, then we as Americans should be able to do the same for LGBT rights. After all is this no the land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE? Let’s follow the examples of our forefathers and campaign to make this world a little better each day. In addition to educational campaigns, the SPLC exerts their energy, time, and resources for the rights of LGBT students through the use of legal action which includes but is not limited to proceedings against policies hostile to LGBT students. This is done thanks to the help of our very own Constitution. For example, let’s say that a student wants to wear clothing or any accessories that show their support for LGBT rights but the school that he or she attends will not allow him or her to wear it. It is then clearly evident that the school is in violation of that student’s natural first amendment rights which allows the right to free expression. The only time that the school can prevent you from wearing anything is if the clothing is obscene or has gang related elements. However some may say that legal action will only continue to heighten backlash against the LGBT community and therefore only make the situation worse. On the contrary legal action has helped hundreds of students for the rights when there are times that ultimately call for legal action. After all, now and again there have been occasions where words of expression and educational campaigns just aren’t enough. Furthermore, the SPLC alleviates LGBT students by function to put a stop to this so called conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is a lethal practice based on the presupposition that people can alter their sexual orientation. However this cannot be true. Why? Everyone, including the SPLC knows for a fact that people are BORN gay or straight not made or altered. Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual is not a form of mental disease or a pathological condition. Sometimes we as human beings do not realize that we do not have the power or the right to manipulate any of God’s creatures whatsoever. Luckily, Conversion therapy has been discredited by every major medical organization as there us nearly no evidence that conversion therapy is even successful. Yet there are some who articulate depending on their point of view that if an LGBT individual wishes to convert his or herself then we should let them. However it is unmistakably clear that most LGBT individuals do not want to be converted. People who went through conversion therapy have had increased anxiety, depression, and even suicidal intention. In a study made in 2002, 88% of individuals failed to turn homosexual, while only 3% changed their orientation. The rest had no change whatsoever. In the end, The Southern Poverty Law Center uses educational campaigns, legal action, and combat of conversion therapy. LGBT students are just like us. They are us. They are a part of this world just as much as we are. They are a prime example of what the United States of America are all about: the freedom of each individual to choose just how they want to live regardless of the consequences and obstacles that stand in their way. Therefore let us illuminate the problem of attacks on LGBT students so that we may better grasp the situation and work together to fight for a noble cause. For if we do not learn from history and change ourselves for the better, then we can never truly overcome our obstacles and we will ultimately end up within the remnants of our own downfall. Think about it.

Group Development Model Essay

You are required to organize your company dinner. The company has chosen 20 people from various departments to be in the dinner committee. Using a group development model, discuss the stages that the group will go through from the beginning to the end of the task (organizing dinner). A group is defined as two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve specific goals. Formal groups are working groups defined by the organizational structure that have designated work assignment and task. Informal groups are groups that is independently formed to meet the social needs of their members. There are five stages in a group development model which are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The forming stage in which people join the group and then define the group’s purpose, structure and leadership. Team members tend to behave quite independently. The members of the team get to know one another, exchange some personal information, and make new friends. Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase. From 20 people, I will decide who is going to be decorating sub committee, food sub committee, funding sub committee, marketing sub committee, program sub committee, and volunteer sub committee. Because of they are from different departments, they tend to know each other first before they start working. They have to determine what activities and programs are already in place and serving the needs of the community. Determine the need for the dinner and availability of resources. The next stage is storming. Storming stage characterizes by intragroup conflicts and disagreement among group members. Team members open up to each other and confront each other’s ideas and perspective. Normally tension, struggle and sometimes arguments occur. Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible, but tend to remain directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behavior. All the subcommittee has to set goals for the dinner. They have to know their target population and their desired objective or outcome. They have to brainstorm ideas and at this stage all ideas are good ideas. They also can explore the idea of partnership to share the workload or get mileage out of the work they do. The third stage of group development is norming stage. It is characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness. The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the team’s goals. The sub committee now able to find a leader among them and establish a small but effective working group with a broad range of skills that is able to function as a team. The subcommittee also has to compare the skills and abilities of the committee members against the task to be performed to determine what training is required. Besides that, they have to determine the actual fiscal resources necessary. The fourth stage of group development is performing stage when the group is fully functional and work on group tasks. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. At this stage, all sub committees implement what they plan before. They are co-operating together and help each other to succeed the dinner. Each member knows their responsibilities and tasks. The marketing subcommittee has to publicize to catch the attention of their target group and make them want to seek more information about the dinner. The program subcommittee has to make sure all needed material such as equipment is on hand and in good working order. The final stage of group development stage is adjourning stage which group members are concerned with wrapping up activities rather than task performance. This stage involves completing the task and breaking up the team.