Gain Sharing :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Gain Sharing Employers are often faced with the challenge of looking for ways to boost productivity and profitability while at the same time, motivating employees to accomplish organizational goals. For many employers, variable pay plans have risen to meet this challenge. A variable pay plan ties pay increases to increased performance and productivity. One of the more popular group variable pay plans is called gain sharing. Under gain sharing pay programs, both the employer and the employee benefit from increased productivity. Therefore, gain sharing has often been referred to as a win-win pay program since it is an incentive strategy that ties pay to productivity. Gain sharing is a type of incentive plan designed to increase productivity by linking pay directly to specific improvements in a company’s performance. Gain sharing is used primarily when quantitative levels of production are important measures of business success. Gains are shared with unit/department employees on a monthly, qu arterly, semiannual or annual basis according to some predetermined formula calculated on the value of gains of production over labor and other costs. The plan lets employees reap some of the rewards of their efforts through teamwork and cooperation and by working smarter and harder. Gain sharing plans offer the following:  · Directly ties pay to some important measure of company performance  · Results in productivity improvements when installed  · Appropriate for all groups of employees  · Improves communications and teamwork among employees  · Increases employee awareness of "the big picture"  · Improves job satisfaction and employee relations  · Increases employee participation through involvement in the system Gain sharing pay programs have the following disadvantages:  · Time consuming to design, implement and administer  · Requires employee orientation, education and training  · Accurate and timely production and cost data must be available  · If not already in place, gain sharing requires a shift to participative management and employee involvement Once you decide to add a gain sharing plan to your company you must pick the type of plan you wish to implement into your company. The following is a description of different types of plans a company could implement. A Value Added Plan is the cost of materials and services is subtracted from sales to determine a value added figure. Employee costs are then compared to this figure to arrive at a value added index. This index is compared to value added for future periods to determine if there has been an improvement in productivity. To the extent that employee costs are less than would be the case by applying a value added index to a value added, there is a productivity gain to be shared.

The Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy :: JFK Assassination American Presidents Essays

The Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy THE ASSASSINATION of John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963, was a cruel and shocking act of violence directed against a man, a family, a nation, and against all mankind. A young and vigorous leader whose years of public and private life stretched before him was the Victim of the fourth Presidential assassination in the history of a country dedicated to the concepts of reasoned argument and peaceful political change. This Commission was created on November 29, 1963, in recognition of the right of people everywhere to full and truthful knowledge concerning these events. This report endeavors to fulfill that right and to appraise this tragedy by the light of reason and the standard of fairness. It has been prepared with a deep awareness of the Commission's responsibility to present to the American people an objective report of the facts relating to the assassination. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Narrative of Events At 11:40 a.m., c.s.t., on Friday, November '22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy, and their party arrived at Love Field, Dallas, Tex. Behind them was the first day of a Texas trip planned 5 months before by the President, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, and John B. Connally, Jr., Governor of Texas. After leaving the White House on Thursday morning, the President had flown initially to San Antonio where Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson joined the party and the President dedicated new research facilities at the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. Following a testimonial dinner in Houston for U.S. Representative Albert Thomas, the President flew to Fort Worth where he spent the night and spoke at a large breakfast gathering on Friday. Planned for later that day were a motorcade through downtown Dallas, a luncheon speech at the Trade Mart, and a flight to Austin where the President would attend a reception and speak at a Democratic fundraising dinner. From Austin he would proceed to the Texas ranch of the Vice President. Evident on this trip were the varied roles which an American President performs--Head of State, Chief Executive, party leader, and, in this instance, prospective candidate for reelection. The Dallas motorcade, it was hoped, would evoke a demonstration of the President's personal popularity in a city which he had lost in the 1960 election. Once it had been decided that the trip to Texas would span 2 days, those responsible for planning, primarily Governor Connally and Kenneth O'Donnell, a special assistant to the President, agreed that a motorcade through Dallas would be desirable.

Opposition to the break with Rome

In my opinion I feel that the views of B and C regarding the enforcement of the reformation differentiate reasonably. Source B suggests that the enforcement was made majorly rapid and describes a lot of the events to take place on the same day, all described as extreme and significant. The execution of Elizabeth Barton, the Nun of Kent helped Henry show what the consequences may have been if more threatening action arose. Along with the execution of the Nun of Kent along with Friars Observants, monks and a secular priest was the highly significant treason act. This was a radical act which gave Henry exceeding power which only added to his enforcement over the reformation. As well as this came the propaganda campaign urging people to side with the Royal Supremacy. Over all B depicts the enforcement of the reformation to be obtrusive, vicious and swift. It is more or less illustrating Henry to have bombarded the public with executions, acts and oaths to make un till his support for the Royal Supremacy seemed strong enough, however from historical evidence this is far from the case. Source C on the other hand describes the enforcement of the reformation to be subtle and over a long period of time. It appears as though over the years it has slowly grown until it finally reached the status of a reformation. It explains that adjustments were made slowly and progressively as to not cause an up roar or major disturbance. This can be said true as the break with Rome lasted over such a long period and involved the activities of Henry gradually stretching the Pope's patience beginning with simple proposals yet building up to his separation with the English Church, his name being erased from the service books and all memory of him as head of the church being removed. The public â€Å"ate their reformation† as it was disguised in pleasant sweet wrappers. Through propaganda the piecemeal reformation was not seen as significant un till the enforcement was solid and there was no questions left to be made. This differs with the views o B in that B describes the reformation to be majorly rested upon â€Å"This day†. Hasty actions which led to the finalized reformation, the final break with Rome, unlike C where support was first gained and power was enforced, like a slow trickling tap it will eventually fill up the bath although it will go unheard and unnoticed. On a level the two sources are similar in that they still both reflect some resilience, and retaliation to the radical changes being enforced. Source B â€Å"God, if it be his pleasure, have mercy on their souls† suggests that there were people who were taking note of Henrys actions and acquiring an opposing view although their statuses did not allow them to disagree with the King publically. C, â€Å"the Conservative people of England would find a wholesale Reformation distasteful† also suggests that if the public would have been more conscious of Henrys full intentions, the laid back manner of the majority of the public would have been much less common. Both the sources seem to propose that the enforcement of the Reformation was purposeful, it was not only Henrys desire for a divorce, and the break with Rome was in Henrys full intentions. I think that although the two sources agree about the reaction to the reformation and the progressive build up of more radical, noticeable movements, they differ on how they deliver the enforcement of the reformation, B depicting it on quick ferocious accounts whereas C reflecting it more as a slow creeping hold over the public. B) I think that overall Henry and Cromwell were very successful in containing the opposition to the beak with Rome, there was very little opposition that actually raised itself and any major threats were dealt with effectively to conclude in Henry with the aid of Cromwell succeeding with the break with Rome. Source A agrees on the terms that Henry and Cromwell successfully obtained opposition. â€Å"I trust that the blessed King† shows the awareness of Henrys actions against the Catholic Pope however the source still supports Henrys â€Å"malice against the bishop of Rome† ad still describes the belief left in the King. This source implies opposition was successfully obtained as the source still shows full support towards Henry. The use of â€Å"bishop of Rome† instead of Pope also highlights the fact that this source sides with Henry and his path towards the break with Rome and the willingness of the source (and writer) to follow his lead. Source C also shows support towards the statement in question B. â€Å"The meal was more manageable† suggests that any opposition did not arise due to Henry and Cromwell's cleverly schemed tactics of feeding implications towards the break with Rome in â€Å"tiny morsels† so that no opposition took notice as there did not appear to be any radical or extreme movements being made which was also likely to of been disguised even more so by the aid of propaganda so highly favoured by Henry and Cromwell. This too diverted the public's attention away from the slowly growing reformation onto less offensive topics.

Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases Essay

Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases Introduction Background information             Jim is an employee in a pulp industry that is situated near a river. This industry releases their waste to the river when it reaches so levels this is done by the foremen. When the waste is realized into the river it affects many activities such as fishing. Jim is newly employed as manager in the industry, after a while he is told about the issue that affect the river and orders water to be teted and found that the water had no problem and until to his knowledge when Ralph an environmentalist notified him that he was coming to see him. Romania secretary to Jim had knowledge on the money that is given to Ralph so that he does not report the matter to EPA who could impose fines to the firm and final shutdown. Ethical issues rise from this if Jim has to give money or not. Ethical and legal issues             Ethical issue refers to a problem, opportunity or a situation in which an individual or group should make a decision within a wide range of actions that stakeholders in an organization should decide if it right or wrong ethical or unethical. From the story the major ethical and legal issues Jim could have identified and ethical issues is paying $100 dollars because there industry released effluent into the river. The ethical question rises whether it was right or wrong for Jim to pay the money because other managers who were there also paid. It was unethical for Jim to pay $100 because it a lot of money, more so it would have been it would have promoted more disposal of effluent to the river which could cause more harm in the future (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell 229). Personal conflict/ pressures             Individual’s decision whether to do right or wrong thing depends on their personal values and principles they have set this include education, age, personal drive and locus of control. Locus of control in Jim’s case is applicable where the issue of giving out cash to Ralph is rather an internal control thing than external control. This is due to the thinking that his behaviour could owe him uncontrollable factors the benefiting from the money. The foremen believe it was right for them to release the affluent into the river once it reaches some level due to the plants outdated equipment. On the other hand Romana, stood her personal decision to give out money to Ralph because she thought she might lose her job due to the plant being shut down because of it being old. Freestyle person reflection             From my person point of view it was unethical for the company to pay out $100 to Ralph. This is because of the company’s serious side effects to the environment. If the company had evaded paying Ralph $100, EPA would have takes the initiative to shutdown and imposes fine to the pulp industry. The fine would have compensated the long time the industry has been polluting the environment, more so for the pulp industry to repair and replace outdated equipment. I also thing the industry does not have corporation culture and ethical culture. The industry did have the capacity to which to know where the problem is so as to repair it, this shows that the organization do not have leadership and corporate culture that promotes ethical issues in the organization. It is evident where employees have become resistant to change, despite many managers that have come to the industry for example the firm is aware about excessive disposal of waste and Romana things the firm c ares of the bottom line which is giving Ralph $100.             In conclusion, I consider the whole firm unethical due to ignorance and lack of corporate culture and ethical culture that should streamline all the employees to have moral behaviors and practices in order to ensure that the firm legally operates it duties. References Ferrell, O C, John Fraedrich, and Linda Ferrell. Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases : 2009 Update. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Source document

Literary Devices in The Kite Runner Essay

Symbolism: â€Å"I dream that lawla flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and rubab music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies.† Page 218 In his letter to Amir, Hasaan talks about the lawla flowers and music to represent the happiness of Kabul, and the kites now remind him of happiness instead of the bad memories of the past. Simile: â€Å"Like wolves looking at a flock of sheep† Page 219 This is comparing the Talibs to wolves, because they were so mean looking. The greed was in their eyes, and you could see how much it had consumed their thoughts. They were about to attack the house like wolves attacking sheep. Flashback: â€Å"I remember one day we were planting tulips, when I asked Baba if he’d ever consider getting new servants. â€Å"Hassan’s not going anywhere,† he’d barked. He’s staying right here with us where he belongs, this is his home, and we are his family† Page 225 Amir is finally realizing all of the foreshadowing that Hasaan was his brother. He now knows why Baba got mad when he asked about getting new servants, and why he cried when they left. Comparison: â€Å"I feel like a tourist in my own country.† Page 231 Amir compares himself to a tourist, because he is so used to America, and Kabul has changed so much. He doesn’t realize how bad it has truly gotten until he is driving through the middle of Kabul with Farid.

A Comparative Look at Beethoven and Mozart Lives

Beethoven and Mozart are great and famous composers of classical music who share similarities in musical composition and still both exhibit certain differences. Being counted among the list of the most influential composers in the history of music, Wolfgang Mozart and Ludwig Beethoven are artists who have much in common.This paper draws on the views that both of these composers have the same musical foundation having been introduced to music by their fathers. It seeks to explore the similarities as well as differences in the lives of Mozart and Beethoven in the history of music.Mozart and Beethoven are from the same origin and they worked in the same musical genres such as classical and romantic thus exemplifying themselves as very talented musician a as well as prolific composers. However, it is plausible to accept the fundamental truth there are no two people are exactly the same. On this basis, Mozart and Beethoven harbor certain differences that emanate from their different perso nalities and perspectives in music. As a result, it emerges that the age at which they began composing points out clear differences in their composition and musical careers coupled by their musical style.Differences The first notably difference between Mozart and Beethoven lies in their musical style. Brown (23-25) postulates that the overwhelming greater part of the composition of Mozart is not only light but also very aerial and delightful. As such, music critics have attributed that the musical pieces of Mozart aim at general entertainment and extensively apt relaxation which underlies the whole paradigm in which music is composed and performed. On the hand, Beethoven’s music is typical of intensive drama which makes it heavier and typical of a wide range of pith.In light of this, Wallace (105-107) explains that the music of Beethoven exhibits a lot of in-depth passion and dynamism in composition as well as performance. Notably, another important difference that marks the Beethoven and Mozart is their entry age in the field of musical composition. Arguably, Mozart began his musical career at the age of five and grew up composing music for royal people in most cases (Lancaster, 37-39). On the same note, Beethoven is said to have delved into music when he was already a teenager and concentrated a composing music for the public at large.With regard to this difference, both musical artists grew in different circumstances as pertains their introduction to music and thus, their audience became marked by the conditions that characterized their entry in music. With the different audiences, Mozart and Beethoven had to compose music at deferent condition and they addressed different thematic concerns hence marking their greatest difference in their lives and music (Pestelli, 52-54). Significantly, it is prudent to note their difference in notation styles. Mozart continued to produce musical piece that was marked by clear and neat notations.Comparatively, this was greatly different from the notational styles of Beethoven since his composition was marked by sloppy, unclear and somewhat careless notations (Brown, 49-51). Extensively, the style of their music as well as the audience they composed for left them emotionally feeling different. For instance, as Mozart became a happy, easy-going composer and person in life while Beethoven was typical of bad temper and largely became depressive. On this note the life experiences of these two life time composers propelled them to different pedestals.Essentially, Beethoven led a lone life but his due to the question that he composed and performed for the general public he received an honorable burial after his death at the age fifty six. On the other hand, Mozart who specialized in composing for the royalties was buried in unmarked grave in Vienna at the age of thirty six (Lancaster, 87-89). Unlike Mozart, Beethoven had a method of composing which mirrored a situation where he recorded ideals in not ebooks and later used them in building up blocks for his composition.For example, the Ode of Joy, a symphony that was build on the theme of seeds was a concept conceived several years ago Accordingly, it is a reflection of a long gestation period of composition where Beethoven paid supreme attention to minute details in a bid to depict that in the music lies strength of idealism (Wallace, 36-38). This creative process marked the inspirational ability of Beethoven. However, Mozart was radical and was dubbed the Trent Reznor of his lifetime. He succeeded in his spontaneity ability as well as his outspoken nature.With regard to their musical works, Beethoven composed pieces that rapidly diverged from his teacher and peers. Revolution was in air and Beethoven’s symphonies mirrored both political and artistic features. For example, his third symphony was dedicated to Napoleon but later own, Beethoven deleted his name on the title of the Symphony after the realization that Napoleon had already declared himself an emperor (Pestelli, 41-42). The resulting events led to Beethoven to produce shorter symphonies such as his fourth and eighth.In light of this, Beethoven explored new areas in life and extensively wrote string quartets following the influence he got from his teacher Haydin. The works of Beethoven largely bordered personal introspective works that slid into uncharted musicals that still remained intimate. As a result, Brown (45-48) highlights that Beethoven composed various pieces that included several overtures, a mass and opera as well as concertos. He even stretched his base to write for piano with a host of sonatas and concertos for violins.On the other hand, Mozart influenced greatly on the musical development by drawing his works from figures and preludes and extensively employed fugal writing within the larger composition of symphonies. Although this influenced greatly on the development of classical music, it had little connection to his creati vity. Wallace (28-29) argues that the feelings, thoughts and ideologies of Mozart formed the basis of his influence and success in musical composition. As a result, these influence strove Mozart to commit to the depth of musical form and thus position him as a successful romantic composer.In the same vein, both great musicians had extraordinary pieces of music and performed in different era. Mozart belonged to the classical period while Beethoven belonged to the romantic era. As such, Mozart ended up being criticized for composing radical music that endangers the morals of the women since majority of these women were aroused with Mozart music. Beethoven on the other hand Beethoven had the advantage of in paving way for the creation and invention of pianoforte. The greatest music of Beethoven is his symphonies which are still heard in the present time as they were listed to in his time.Compared to Mozart, Beethoven continued to unify contrasting movements using musical continuity. Of ten, his music would have unclear ending, something that made his symphonies a bit longer (Brown, 57-61). Similarities It is worth noting that ideas and differences between Beethoven and Mozart can not suffice to say that either of them was better than the other but the interesting point of focus should be built around the understanding that both of them made major contributions in the world of classical music; contributions which led to the development of music as an art.Arguably, we can draw from their differences to construct a viewpoint of how Mozart and Beethoven are similar. Significantly, considering the fact that both of them were creative and gifted innovators of classical music during the classical and romantic period, both Mozart and Beethoven share a similar characteristic of being musical genius (Pestelli, 12-17). In addition, Brown (65-67) illustrates that Beethoven went at length of achieving the iconic status of musical composer.This factor is equally shared by Mozar t and thus, the iconic status as a composer was a status achieved as a result of ones revolutionary and immense influence on the development of music within the milieu of pivotal points in terms of the classical and the romantic periods. As such, the symphonies of Mozart as well as Beethoven demonstrates the development for music in these eras as the themes portrayed in these symphonies resonate what was entirely used as the European anthem. Moreover, their images are construed within the parameters of musical history.Beethoven, just like Mozart was born into a musical family where the father and grandfather were singers. Although this is not to the same extent, it is plausible to argue both Beethoven and Mozart were musical prodigies who were taught music by their parents at a tender age. Lancaster (121-122) asserts that the education of these two musical composers was courted by musicians such as Neefe; a factor which enabled them to demonstrate their musical talents in areas such as keyboard playing piano and harpsichord.In addition, composers during their eras were employees of the church, state or rich patron who were requested to compose musical works to articulate different occasions that were deemed important within the precincts of religion as well as secular. According to Wallace (23-44) both Beethoven and Mozart exhibited some sense of independence in their creative works. As such, they could set their own agenda in the entire composition.The basis of the set agenda gave these artists the opportunity to express their deepest feelings in life as exemplified by Beethoven who have his three symphonies reflecting the ideals of republicanism, liberty, religious beliefs as well as the aspect of brotherhood in the society. Conclusion From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that Beethoven and Mozart are great and famous composers of classical music but both exhibit certain differences. Being counted among the list of the most influential composers in t he history of music, Wolfgang Mozart and Ludwig Beethoven are artists who have much in common.However, both Mozart and Beethoven harbor certain differences that emanate from their different personalities and perspectives in music. All these similarities and differences fall within the wider framework of their musical careers, experiences and musical styles of composition. Work Cited Brown, P. The Musical Times: Mozart and Beethoven. Cambridge: CUP 2007 Lancaster, E. The Golden Age of Symphony: Mozart and Beethoven. London: Alfred Music Publishing 2000 Pestelli, G. The Age of Mozart and Beethoven. Harvard: HUP 1984 Wallace, R. Classical Equilibrium in Music. Oxford: OUP 2009

Apple Incorporation. Overview of the Company and its Major Operations Research Paper

Apple Incorporation. Overview of the Company and its Major Operations - Research Paper Example The influence of Steve Jobs in the company and the development of â€Å"i† series products etc are explained in detail in this article. Kim R (2010) Apple Passes Microsoft As Top Tech Company, Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/26/BUDJ1DL0IU.DTL This article provides details about the achievements of Apple company in the recent past. It compares Apple’s performances against the performances of the competitors. Moreover it provides more details about Apple’s strengths and business strategies which helped it to become the number one technological company in the world. Krazit, T (2008). Apple's Mac Strength Could Keep Tech Industry on a Rol. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9926068-37.html This article mainly focusses on Apple’s financial performances in the recent past. It says that apple is one among the few American companies which escaped from the recent recession. It analyses the performances of appleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s different business units individually to get more comprehensive picture about apple’s performances as a whole. Apple and Environment (2011), Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/environment/ This article is taken from Apple’s own website. It says many things about the commitments of Apple in maintaining sustainable business practices. It says that apple has better knowledge about the environmental impacts caused by their activities and they are taking every possible step to reduce environmental problems as much as possible. Steve Jobs Issues Statement on Apple’s Environmental Commitments (2007), Retrieved from http://www.texasenvironment.org/pr_story.cfm?IID=342 This article analyses the reliability of Apple’s claims as an environmentally friendly company with the help of some statistical analysis. It compares Apple’s environmental protection activities against similar activities of other companies. Overview of the company and its major ope rations and challenges it faces â€Å"Apple was founded in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne to sell the Apple I personal computer kit† (Apple Inc. History, 2008). It is currently the second largest company in the world in market capitalization and also the most valuable technological company in the world (Kim 2010). Apple faced many challenges in the past mainly because of the stiff competition from Microsoft. However, they were able to bounce back with the introduction of its â€Å"i† series produces such as iMac, iPhone, iPad, iPod iTune etc at the begging of the twenty first century. Apple is the number technological company in the world now and consumers all over the world rates apple products above its competitor’s products. Krazit (2008) has pointed out that the Wall Street is expecting Apple to report â€Å"earnings per share of $1.07 on revenue of $6.9 billion in 2008†. In his opinion â€Å"App le is a company which is under-promising and over-delivering† (Krazit, 2008).   Its founder and charismatic leader Steve Jobs passed away recently and many people have the belief that the loss of Steve may affect Apple immensely in future. It should be noted that Apple was one the verge of closing down during the latter part of twentieth century when Steve stayed away from the company for a while. A suitable replacement for Steve is the major challenge facing by Apple at present. Analysis of Apple’s efforts to improve/promote environmental sustainability   Apple follows sustainable business practices which helped them to become one of the topmost companies in the world. Apple has comprehensive knowledge about the environmental impacts caused by their activities. According to Apple’s claims Apple products are â€Å"