Measurements of Unemployment and Inflation Essay

Measurements of Unemployment and Inflation - Essay Example The output and the productivity of a business organization are significantly dependent on the employment as well as unemployment rates. This is because of Productivity = Output/Employment and therefore, Employment = Output/Productivity. Hence, it can be stated that the productivity of a business organization is directly proportional to employment. Therefore, it is quite important for the organizations to measure the unemployment rates in order to determine their productivity. These measurements further facilitate the organizations to prepare for the fluctuations that generally take place in the economy (Blanchard, Solow, & Wilson, 2012). Apart from unemployment, the business organizations need to measure the inflation as well. This is because of the reason that consumers’ spending and investment activities are chiefly dependent upon the rate of inflation. A high inflation rate discourages the investors and consequently reduces the amount of investment in the economy. Moreover, high inflation rates are likely to reduce the return on investment and further can result in a downfall in terms of demand in the economy. These reasons make it quite imperative for the management of an organization to carry out timely measurements of the inflation rates (National Grid for Learning, 2009). Furthermore, it is quite essential for business organizations to manipulate the price of their goods which is likely to be valuable when there is a high inflation rate in the economy. Re-pricing is a quite expensive process and in order to avoid frequent re-pricing of the products, the management of the organizations needs to measure the inflation rates. In addition, inflation causes the prices of the raw materials to grow high as well as the prices of other components to rise. These factors compel the business organizations to explore for contemptible raw materials and subsequently increase the cost for the organization. Owing to this, the management of the business needs to mea sure the inflation rate to minimize these costs. Moreover, with an increase in inflation rates, the business organizations face the demands for increasing the wage rates. This further leads to negotiation activities with the employees as well as the labor unions causing chaos in the management system. Therefore, in order to mitigate these threats, the management of the organizations are required to measure the inflation rates (National Grid for Learning, 2009). 2. What Analyses Might A Manager Do To Learn More About A Specific Company Or Industry? In order to learn more about a specific company or industry, a manager can carry out various analysis strategies such as the value chain analysis, Porter’s five forces’ model analysis, and SWOT analysis among others.

Federal Prison Comparison Pape Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Federal Prison Comparison Pape - Research Paper Example Ultimately there are fewer violent offenders in federal prisons than state prisons because a majority of federal crimes are non-violent/commercial crimes. State prisons originate from colonial times, and evolved from the prisons that were established to house criminals who offended the laws against the crown (Clear et al, 2011). Between 1900 and 1970 the prison population in the US was moderate, housing from 90 to 120 prisoners for each 100,000 citizens. However, with more than 35 years of â€Å"steady growth† the prison population is currently five times greater than it was in 1973 representing the largest prison population in the country’s history (Clear et al, 2011, p. 6). There have been many attempts to explain the prions population growth in the US. Gaines and Miller (2011) identified a number of contributing factors. The prions population growth in the US can be attributed to the get tough on crime policies that began in the 1980s. The get tough on crime policies introduced a number of strategies that resulted in mandatory imprisonment. One such strategy in a number of states is the three strikes policy which calls for mandatory incarceration for repeat offenders. Another policy is the longer prison sentencing strategies. With fewer prisoners eligible for parole, the prison population grows because new offenders are introduced into the system and few prisoners are released. Another explanation given for the prison population growth is the fact that there have been more crimes as criminals become more sophisticated and technology aids in the commission of criminal activities (Gaines & Miller, 2011). Security State Prisons State prison systems design their own security systems but they are generally the same among the 50 states. The North Carolina Department of Correction provides an example of the security levels in US state prisons. Prisoners enter the prison system from a county jail for the most part. Upon entering the state prison prison ers are assessed for risks and security risks are balanced against the needs of programs. Newly admitted prisoners are evaluated for security risks and are also subjected to medical and mental health evaluations in the risk assessment process. A number of factors including the crime, social demographics, education, job experience, and criminal history are taken into account (North Carolina Department of Corrections, 2011). Once the prisoner’s evaluation is completed he/she is placed in the appropriate â€Å"custodial level†. The custodial levels are classified as close (maximum), medium, minimum 1, minimum II and minimum III. Close of maximum security is a custodial level where inmates assessed to have the highest security risks are placed. Medium security houses prisoners who are at a lower security risk than prisoners placed in close security. Prisoners who pose a low security risk are placed in minimum III (North Carolina Department of Corrections, 2011). Federal Pr isons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (n.d.) lists four security levels in the federal prison system. The four security systems are minimum security, low security, medium security and high security. Minimum security prisons are also referred to as Federal Prison Camps and have â€Å"dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio† and â€Å"limited or no perimeter fencing† (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). Low security prisons on the other hand have â€Å"double-fenced perimeters†

Managing in the service environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing in the service environment - Essay Example After some years as a partner, Schultz bought Starbuck from the original owners. Immediately after taking over, he continued selling coffee beans, cheap coffee beverages by cup and he employed well educated staff to run the stores and he managed to compete successfully with other coffee chains. In 1992, Shultz take the company to the public and many people laugh at him since few people in America take coffee. He went ahead and raised $25million in the offer, this enabled him to open more stores across the country. By the end o f 2002, Starbuck was the dominant coffee seller in North America. Since the company went public, the growth increased by 40%. The company was offering services to more than 21 million across the continent with over 5000 stores that are well established. 2. How the customer services are delivered at Starbucks The company has a policy called â€Å"Just Say Yes† which has empowered the company to give the best services to their clients even if it means goin g beyond the required rules and procedures. For example if the drinks spill and the client request to be refilled, it will be refilled. If the client doesn’t have cash and he wants to pay with a Check, he will be provided with a sample drink for free since the Checks are not acceptable (Moon and Quelch 2006). The company management believes that employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction. For better services, when a staff member is employed, he will have to undergo two types of training. The first training will focus on hard skills such as using cash register or mixing drinks. The company beverages are crafted by hand through a certain process to ensure that what is being produced is of high quality. The other training deal with soft skills, in this the employees are taught how to deal with the customers, for example having an eye contact with them, remembering their names, and welcoming them happily to the shops. The employees are provided with health insurance and stock options to even new employees (Moon and Quelch 2006). The company is also one of the well paying food chain in America. The company has the lowest employee turn over rates as compared to other food companies. The manager stability is also paramount since it reduces partner turnover and it enables the shops to perform better by recognizing regular consumers and giving personal services. 3. Customer’s satisfaction at Starbucks and how to improve its customer satisfaction. Starbuck customer satisfaction is commendable since it provide high satisfaction to customers. Customers get the best coffee coming from different parts of the world like Africa, Asia pacific and American regions. The employees has been trained on soft skills that will help them handle customers better, this make the customers have the best time in the shops since they are highly welcomed and employees talk to them to ensure that they are satisfied. In the shops if they encounter any problem in the mode of payment, they are given sample beverages for free. Starbucks can improve customers’ satisfaction in different ways, one is consistency. The company should guarantee consistence in product taste and quality. This consistency should be driven by very high efficient coffee processing machines which are in a position of producing blended coffee without disturbing customers with noise. Secondly,

Marketing Planning and Strategy (The Buying Process)1 Assignment

Marketing Planning and Strategy (The Buying Process)1 - Assignment Example It is easier to shop online because the consumer compares a range of products at once, there is a wider selection of products, the prices are better, one gets to see other customers reviews and it saves a lot of time. However, there are certain problems that people encounter when shopping online. In the case of an eBook, the main problem is receiving the wrong book due to various reasons. This may include that there are many books that have similar titles, but different authors and content (Guruswamy, 2014). A consumer’s current state is whereby a need arises due to the depletion or inadequacy of a product, while a consumer’s ideal state is whereby the need of a certain product is brought about by opportunity. This means that the need for a product was brought about by the exposure to other different products that might be of better quality, or discontent with a current status. Regardless of the state, a consumer who buys products online goes through a process that is standard. When buying a book, a current state would mean that the book is needed for research, an assignment or general knowledge (Hix, 2000). An ideal state would mean that the book is bought either due to a catchy title or a title similar to another, but buying it was not intended in the first place. A current state would benefit the buyer by providing a solution to a current problem, which would be finding information that is needed currently from a book. An ideal state would benefit the buyer by providing the satisfaction of having the product, providing a solution that had been needed in the past or that is needed in the future. This goes to show that consumer wants are unlimited, while, on the other hand, the means through which they can be satisfied are limited (Suen, 2013). I am familiar with buying eBooks online and as is the case with purchasing other products or services, it has a process. The books I buy are

Daffodils by William Wordsworth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Daffodils by William Wordsworth - Essay Example â€Å"Daffodils† takes one on the journey of the Romantic age, where one can find all the elements of love, passion, excitement, and praise for the blossoming fields occupied with waving daffodils. In Daffodils the poet narrates the story of his encounter with the God’s most beautiful creation, the daffodils. The first stanza describes the gloominess on the poets face when he is wandering pointlessly beside the lake surrounded by loneliness he notices a floating cloud in the sky, sweeping above the valleys and the hills. And then his eyes meet a large number of daffodils gathered by the side of the lake. Sheltered by a growing tree the daffodils were glowing and gleaming like gold. The constant push of the airy breeze was making them dance in joy and delight. The yellow sheet of daffodils made the entire atmosphere vibrant and full of life. The line: â€Å"A host, of golden daffodils† describes the richness to the color of the flower. Gold is a highly treasured piece of metal, very rare on earth. The poet gives the same status to daffodils which beauty has captured the attention of the poet. According to the poet, the aligned daffodils resemble the shining stars up in the night sky in the form of Milky Way, enlightening the entire space with their glow and imperfection. The use of night sky to describe the imperfection of daffodils can be explained by the example of darkness in a closed room; darkness is associated with loneliness and despair, but as the moonlight enters the room it suddenly lights up and the feeling of isolation is gone. As the poet glance at the dancing daffodils, he also lights up from within and is unable to escape the feeling of joy. The power of daffodils accentuates the entire atmosphere and the waves of the lake also start to dance with them.  

Financial Regulation & Supervision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial Regulation & Supervision - Essay Example These regulations not only protect the firms involved in online transactions but also the cardholders from being exploited by the online frauds. Such compliance requirements have posed new challenges as to how to minimize compliance costs and continuously monitor the security systems to stay ahead of web criminals. Nevertheless, the benefits seem to surpass the costs associated with these regulations. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Facts of the Case 5 Andrews’ Options with Bank 6 Advantages of PCI DSS Compliance Advisor 10 Conclusion 11 References 13 Bibliography 15 Introduction A few years back the fraud in payment cards was conducted by small time criminals who used to take the advantage of opportunities as they came along. However, today it has become a well organized crime where sensitive customer information is stolen and ruthlessly exploited, affecting millions of cardholders and retail businesses. Considering this the PCI DSS we re introduced. PCI refers to ‘Payment Card Industry’ and DSS to ‘Data Security Standard’ (Carpenter, 2010). ... ember 2006 for the management and development of PCI security standards to improve the payment account security in transaction process (PCI Compliance Guide, n.d.). PCI SSC was formed by major credit card brands like VISA, American Express, MasterCard, JCB and Discover (Kim and Solomon, 2010, p.395). These brands and their acquirers are responsible for the enforcement of compliance with the standards. All the merchant companies that process transmit and store the cardholder data should be PCI DSS compliant. There are three steps in adherence to the standards: 1. Assess: This involves identification of cardholder data, inventory of business processes and IT assets along with an analysis of vulnerability in the security system for potential cardholder data exposure. 2. Remediate: No to store cardholder data unless needed and fix the vulnerabilities identified in step 1. 3. Report: Compilation and submission of required validation records and compliance report to the acquiring bank and the payment card company (Hart et al, 2010, p.357). There are four merchant levels: Level 1: The level 1 merchant has aggregate annual online transactions of more than six million and has been subject to cardholder data breach or poses significant risk. They are required to have an onsite audit every year by Qualified Security Assessor and quarterly network security scan by Approved Scanning Vendor (Bradley, 2007, p.209). Level 2: The level 2 merchant has annual aggregate transaction between one million and six million. They should submit PCI DSS self assessment questionnaire on an annual basis and conduct network scans every three months by Approved Scanning Vendor. Level 3: The level 3 merchants have annual aggregate transactions between 20,000 and one million; therefore, they should PCI

Causation and Intervening Acts in Criminal Law Essay Example for Free

Causation and Intervening Acts in Criminal Law Essay According to Robin J.A. in Malette v Shulman[1], â€Å"the right of self-determination which underlies the doctrine of informed consent also obviously encompasses the right to refuse medical treatment. A competent adult is generally entitled to reject a specific treatment or all treatment, or to select an alternate form of treatment, even if the decision may entail risks as serious as death†¦The doctrine of informed consent is plainly intended to ensure the freedom of individuals to make choices concerning their medical care. For this freedom to be meaningful, people must have the right to make choices that accord with their own values regardless of how unwise or foolish those choices may appear to others.†[2] R v Blaue[3], a famous causation case in criminal law, brings to foreground a thought-provoking debate about whether an individual’s religious beliefs and other psychological values could be included in the ‘thin skull’ rule and whether the refusal to take lifesaving medical treatment breaks the chain of causation that exists between the defendant’s wrongdoing and the purported outcome of that wrongdoing. The facts of the case are as follows Blaue, the defendant, stabbed a woman numerous times after she refused to have sexual intercourse with him. She was a Jehovah’s Witness and was therefore not in favour of blood transfusions. After the stabbing, she was taken to a hospital and was told that she urgently needed to have a blood transfusion, without which she would die. Owing to her religious beliefs, she refused to consent with the suggested treatment. As a result, she died in the hospital. While giving the judgment, Lawton L.J. stated that â€Å"those who use violence on other people must take their victims as they find them.†[4] This, according to him, not only includes victims’ physical characteristics, but also their emotional, psychological and spiritual values and beliefs. This decision has proved to be extremely controversial and gives rise to various debates. Most understand the rationale behind the court’s judgment and agree that the defendant is , as a matter of fact, criminally liable for causing the injury. After all, the victim was at the receiving end of several stabbings, imposed by the defendant, who clearly had an intention of causing serious bodily harm, if not death. However, some feel that the death was the result of the victim’s refusal to carry out the blood transfusion. They feel that the defendant should not be responsible for the unusual, irrational and unjustified religious beliefs of the victim. In addition, the defendant could not have possibly foreseen her backing out of receiving medical treatment in the hospital. The Blaue case creates many doubts about the doctrine of causation in criminal law. Was Blaue responsible for the victim’s death or was it an act of the victim, since it was her decision to refuse a blood transfusion? If we conclude that Blaue is indeed responsible for her death, another question comes to mind: Why is the victim not responsible for her own death? First and foremost, it is a fact that the victim sustained injuries due to numerous stabbings and it was Blaue who had inflicted them upon her. Her not taking any steps to save herself did not instigate her death. Secondly, there is an application of the ‘thin skull’ rule in this case. An important principle of the law of causation is that defendants must ‘take their victims as they find them.’ This means that if a defendant pushes someone and because they have a thin skull, they crack their head and die, the defendant will be liable for causing their death. The Court of Appeal in Blaue indicated that the decision could be seen as a ‘thin skull’ example. It was established that the ‘thin skull’ rule goes beyond the physical characteristics of individuals, also including a person’s moral and religious beliefs. Thirdly, the victim’s decision to not undergo blood transfusion, which would have clearly saved her life, was based on profound religious views and hence, did not constitute a novus actus interveniens. That is, it was not an intervening act. Nevertheless, the judgment has been critisised on various grounds. Why was the vict im’s decision to refuse medical treatment seen as a subsisting condition rather than an intervening cause? Would it have been the same if the refusal was due to a fear of needles or the fact that she could not bear the pain and thought dying was the only way to end the agony? A decision steered by religious beliefs is a moral choice, that is, a free decision. Why should the defendant endure the responsibility if the victim makes a free choice to kill herself any more than he should if, weakened by the injury, the victim took a controversial choice to end her life with dignity rather than enduring pain and life-long humiliation? Thus, to understand the Blaue case, we not only need to take into account causation in criminal law, but also the two doctrines which apply to the concept of proximate causation; the ‘thin skull’ rule and the principle of novus actus interveniens. Causation In criminal law, individuals that are guilty of a crime are penalised for the harm they cause if both the physical and the mental element of committing an offence is present. There must be a valid connection between an individual’s conduct and the result alleged to constitute an offence. The causation requirement attaches criminal responsibility to those individuals whose conduct is sufficient enough to bring about serious bodily injury or death. In Hallett[5], the accused assaulted a man and left him on a beach. Over the next few hours, the man drowned. The court concluded that Hallett’s contribution to his death was more than minimal to hold him responsible for it. However, in Blaue, the defendant was found to be the substantial and operating cause of the woman’s death. That is, his stabbings is why she was admitted to a hospital in the first place. ‘Thin skull’ rule The defendant must take the victim as he finds him or her and this means ‘the whole man and not just the physical man.’ This rule applies irrespective of whether the defendant is aware of the condition in the victim. On one hand, there are instances where the victim suffers from a pre-existing condition which renders him or her more vulnerable to injuries. On the other hand, there are cases where the victim does not take medical treatment to heal wounds and suffers serious harm as a result. A defendant cannot escape liability for a victim’s death as a result of an abnormality pres ent in the victim or an internal, subsisting belief of the victim. It is his fault that he caused harm in the first place. In R v Hayward[6], a man chased his wife into the street shouting threats and kicked her. She collapsed and died from an unusual thyroid condition which made her susceptible to physical exertion and fear. He was convicted of manslaughter because he aggravated her pre-existing condition by physically assaulting her. This case is a good example of the ‘thin skull’ rule applying to the physical characteristics of an individual. The fact that he could not possibly foresee her dying is not an excuse. However, can a victims religious beliefs constitute a thin skull? With reference to Blaue, according to Hart and Honorà ©: â€Å"The question is not whether it is reasonable to believe that blood transfusion is wrong, but whether a person whose life is in danger can reasonably be expected to abandon a firmly held religious belief. The answer must be surely no.†[7] Religious beliefs and convictions are an internal cha racteristic of individuals, which is deeply rooted in their way of thinking and life. It is intrinsic to every person. Hence, people cannot be held legally accountable for possessing such sentiments. Novus Actus Interveniens The general principle is that an intervention by a third party will break the chain of causation if it is ‘free, deliberate and informed.’ In R v Kennedy[8], Kennedy prepared a syringe for the victim, who injected himself and died due to an overdose. Kennedy was convicted of unlawful manslaughter. The act of the victim, in injecting himself with the drug, was an intentional, free, deliberate and an informed action. Thus, the drug dealer is not guilty of unlawful manslaughter. In contrast, in R v Dear[9], the defendant slashed the victim repeatedly with a knife. The victim died two days later. The defendant appealed against his conviction for murder, arguing that the chain of causation had been broken because the victim had committed suicide either by reopening his wounds or because he had failed to take steps to stop the blood flow after the wounds had reopened them selves. The court dismissed the appeal and held that the real question was whether the injuries inflicted by the defendant were a substantial and operating cause of the death. The victims death resulted from excessive bleeding from the artery, which was triggered by the defendant when he attacked the victim. In Blaue, the refusal to get treatment does not break the chain of causation, despite the fact that it was informed and deliberate, because having such a belief is involuntary and requisite. According to Hart and Honorà ©, â€Å"the question to be decided is whether the decision to refuse treatment is not merely deliberate and informed but also a free one. In view of the high value attached in our society to the matters of conscience, the victim, though free to accept any belief she wished, is not thereafter free to abandon her chosen belief merely because she finds herself in a situation in which her life may otherwise be in danger. So it was not her free act to refuse a transfusion.†[10] It was reasonably foreseeable that a Jehovah’s Witness would refuse a blood transfusion. The victim had no choice due to her religion. It was not a free decision because, in a way, she was bound by it. It could be said that she simply let the wound take its natural course. Moreover, the death was caused due to the bleeding arising from the penetration of the lungs, which was brought about by the stabbings. The substantial and operating cause test does not take into account a victim’s distinct characteristic. So long as victim died of internal bleeding due to the wound administered by Blaue, we need not ask further questions. However, if the principle of ‘taking your victims as you find them, including their beliefs’ is applied to more cases, it would have varying results. Let’s assume that X assaults Y. Y ends up committing suicide because she is mentally unstable or because she hopes to get X behind bars. Another example could be that X shoots Y on his left leg. Y could go to the hospital but decides to remove the bullet by himself. Unable to do so and still refusing medical treatment, he dies. Should X ‘take’ Y’s unstable, vengeful or negligent behaviour? Is that justified or is it unfair? [ 1 ]. Malette v Shulman [1991] 2 Med LR 162. [ 2 ]. Jerome Edmund Bickenback, Canadian cases in the philosophy of law, 4th edition, at 160 to 161. [ 3 ]. R v Blaue [1975] 1 WLR 1411. [ 4 ]. Michael T. Molan, Sourcebook on Criminal Law, 2nd edition, at 67. [ 5 ]. Hallett [1969] SASR 141. [ 6 ]. R v Hayward (1908) 21 Cox 692. [ 7 ]. Denis Klimchuk, Causation, Thin Skulls and Equality (1998) at pg. 126. [ 8 ]. R v Kennedy [2007] UKHL 38. [ 9 ]. R v Dear [1996] Crim LR 595. [ 10 ]. Alan Norrie, Crime, Reason and History: A Critical Introduction to Criminal Law, at pg. 143.