Work life balance is increasingly used as a strategy to attract and Essay

Work life balance is increasingly used as a strategy to attract and retain employees. Argue the business case for and against implementing Work Life Balance initiatives - Essay Example This is where work-life balance steps in. Work life balance has many facets. Wood describes this as the adjustments that need to be made to ‘working patterns’ in order to allow people to manage other facets of their lives along with the work (2001). Furthermore, the same term is used by other experts to denote the difficulties or the problems that arise in the efforts to carry work life and personal life simultaneously. The ideal, actually, is to achieve a balance between the two. This balance should be unique for every individual as the work priorities and personal priorities of everyone are unique to him or her. However, companies offer a standard set of programs that fall in the work life balance initiative which may or may not satisfy an individual. Therein lies the dilemma that upends this balance and raises the question: is work life balance important after all? This is discussed in detail in this paper. The emergence of this concept has been resulted from a variety of factors which are described by Tausig and Fenwick: â€Å"The notion of a perceived time bind between work and family/personal life (an implied imbalance between them) stems from the changing nature of work and families—e.g., longer work hours, the proliferation of non-standard work schedules, flexible schedules, part time work, increased participation of women in the labor force and the increasing number of â€Å"non-traditional† families.† Having taken a look at the need for this balance, lets take a look at the pros and cons. Companies that offer work life balance are able to attract a growing pool of men and women who are actively seeking a balance in their work and personal lives. This is manifested through a range of work life balance initiatives that come in many forms and offer something to every age group and gender including work that is part time, telecom-enabled or adjusted working days. Furthermore, many companies now make a block

Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Questions - Essay Example Other aspects of diversity include education levels, religion, sexual orientation and personality types (Rice, 2005). Effective management of diversity within an organization can be a source of competitive advantage in business. A competitive advantage refers to a marketing action that a company employs that sets it apart from its competitors. To understand how diversity can affect a firms competitive advantage or competition, in general, it is essential to explore some of the benefits of diversity to an organization. Firstly, diversity brings a great variety of opinions and viewpoints to an organization. In a case where the management wishes to make a decision, the difference in opinion, as presented by different members, gives a broad perspective of the subject. This will lead to the selection of the best possible set of actions that can yield best results. Restricted or few opinions can be misleading resulting in poor business decisions that might not compete fairly in a business environment. Secondly, diversity can result in a wide range of talents in an organization. A variety of talent is a major contributor to the efficiency of a firm. Matching the different talents to the different tasks in an organization will lead to better execution of tasks. Efficiency in tasks is a major competitive advantage. This is because efficiency in production can lower the costs of production, and the saved resources can be channeled elsewhere within the firm for improvement of services. Finally, the diversity of a firm is a basis for the provision of a wider range of services. In marketing, for instance, cultural diversity of a firm can play a major role in reaching a broader market. An organization with a workforce of diverse cultural background is better placed to reach a multicultural market. It is possible to achieve this by understanding the different requirements of the cultures and the language to

Cameras are an everyday commodity

Cameras are an everyday commodity Introduction / history Cameras are an everyday commodity and are commonly used today. It is a much simpler and advance device compared to the first ever camera made; the camera obscura. It was a sliding wooden box camera with a dark chamber which consists of an optical device. The first photograph taken with the camera obscura was by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in year 1814 but the image was only temporary. Soon after, the first practical photograph method was invented by Louis Jacques Daguerre and named it â€Å"daguerreotype†. However the process was perfected by William Fox Talbot and named it the â€Å"Calotype† in 1840. It is the first negative-positive process making multiple copies possible. The use of photographic film was found by George Eastman. His first camera called â€Å"Kodak† was a very simple box camera with a fixed focus lens and single shutter speed. It came along with a relatively low price which appealed to many average consumers. In 1900, He broadens mass market photography by introducing the concept of snapshot also known as â€Å"the Brownie†. George Eastman is known to bring photography and cameras general to the public. In 1913, the first 35mm camera develops. Oskar Barnack explored using 35mm cine film while building a compact camera capable for high quality enlargements. It gains immediate popularity as the format of choice for high end compact cameras. The 35mm cameras were expensive for most people and remain rollfilm as the format of choice for mass market cameras. However, 35mm film came to dominate the market when the cheapest cameras using rollfilm was discontinued. As conventional cameras became more sophisticated, a new type of camera appeared in the market. Edwin Land invented instant cameras; Polaroid photography. The Polaroid camera allows photographer to remove a developing print after the image is snapped. It was later made available to the public in 1948. In 1986, Fuji introduced disposable cameras. It is a camera that recycles parts which later was named â€Å"single use cameras†. In the late 1980s, digital photography entered the market of commerce. Kodaks introduction on the professional digital camera system (DSC) allows photojournalists to take electronic pictures. However, the first real digital camera introduced to consumers was in 1990. The camera was able to store compressed images and later downloaded into a PC or a Mac via cable. Photography became common to consumers and made available to consumers by the creator of Macintosh computer. It is a color digital camera with a 50mm fixed focus lens. Also able to store images into its memory, this had set some quality for digital cameras in the future.

Essays --

"I think there’s something about American violence that to me is very touching†¦In full force it’s very ugly, but there’s also something very moving about it, because it has to do with humiliation. There’s some hidden, deeply rooted thing in the Anglo-male American that has to do with inferiority, that has to do with not being a man, and always, continually having to act out some idea of manhood that is invariably violent. This sense of failure runs very deep." (Hall, 94) The shaving of Dodge’s head is not the only violent action of the play. Halie kicks the husks when seeing it, and later, Shelly throws the cup and saucer when being ignored. Nevertheless, the male characters of the play seem more violent than the female characters. It seems like the "real" violence starts when Halie leaves their home, and ends when she has come back. (Tucker, 135) Bradley symbolically rapes Shelly and when the secret of the murder of the incestious child is revealed, it is clear that the violence lies within the male. The quote above gives an idea of how Sam Shepard views the male violence. He believes that male violence is caused by the male himself, not by any female. Furthermore, he is of the opinion that it derives from a lack and also the desire for power. Men use violence not just to suppress the lack they feel inside of them, but also to make the female obey. (Hall, 94) 3.3 Family Roles Generally speaking, the head of the family of most families is the father, since he is the one who takes care of them. However, in BC a head of the family cannot be easily detected. At first, when Halie stands on the top of the stairs, she is in a higher position. She is in control of her husband and tells him what to do, not only because he is the weaker... ... incestious son, is the one with the "family album. [†¦] She’ll set you straight on the heritage†¦" (112), she cannot add new members to the family without the law of the father. Dodge shows that the law of the father of the family is obedient, and displays his control by forcing Halie to deliver her child on her own without any help. It hurt so bad, it almost killed her. Since the baby survived, he goes even further and kills it. (124; Hall, 100) In spite of his weakness, Dodge tries to control his family from the sofa. He can do so, because he is the only one who knows where the child is buried, which is the ultimate power one can have in the family. (Opipari, 135) In BC one family member can be in control of another, yet at the same time one is being controlled by another family member. In this family, there is no clear head of the family, no leader. (Opipari, 134)

Government Intervention: Airbus and Boeing

Government Intervention at Boeing and Airbus Towards the beginning of aircraft manufacturing, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas stood as the leading aircraft manufacturers on a global scale. Working alongside the U. S. Department of Defense, Boeing received multiple contracts aiding the industry with tax breaks and infrastructure support. Meanwhile, Spain, France, Germany, and Britain formed an alliance to help start the second most leading aircraft manufacturer, Airbus. Since democratic socialism was the current system in Europe, it was customary for the government to play such a large role.Thus, Airbus received billions of Euros in subsidies and soft loans from these founding governments. Not only did their money nurture the birth of Airbus, but also helped this company to continue to succeed and compete against Boeing. In their defense, EU officials claimed that this stimulated approximately 53,000 jobs, created a large capital in Europe, and generated massive tax revenues. By the 2000 ’s, Airbus ended up exceeding Boeing’s sales, which led the United States to bring the case to the World Trade Organization.On the contrary, EU came back with a counter-claim stating that the United States had massive defense contracts with Boeing, and even an alliance with Japanese business partners such as Kawasaki and Mitsubishi. The Japanese partners, alone, funded $1. 5 billion in soft loans. The heavy subsidies and soft loans provided by the EU can be considerably unfair in the development and success of Airbus. With the support of the four countries Spain, France, Germany, and Britain, Airbus is practically incapable of failing.The main issue to be argued is not how the governments of the four founding countries helped the birth of Airbus, but how the millions of dollars in aid and â€Å"loans† are allowing Airbus to quickly gain market share and help surpass Boeing’s annual sales. Airbus has several advantages in terms of gaining such a healthy su pport from the EU governments. For example, they can cut their costs in production, and use those finances towards market research, and better understanding and mastering the market.According to BBC News Article â€Å"Europe Considers Airbus Soft Loan†, the aid helped Airbus gain the A350 aircraft at a lower price, and thus compete in the same market as Boeings 787 Dreamliner. In terms of Europe’s history of socialism, it is more acceptable for such government aid since the government plays a large role in mass transit. However, these loans and grants still cross the line, and the government has intervened too much in such a private industry. At the same time, the U. S. military contracts are equivalent to subsidiaries. Although the U. S. military has defense contracts with Boeing, they do not own Boeing.The U. S. military would not want a foreign country producing its defensive weapons. It makes sense that they would be involved in contracts with the largest global ai rcraft manufacture in the United States. It is felt by the United States government that contracts with the United States military are not the same as direct grants from the United States government. Through this arrangement, Boeing receives an unfair advantage. Over the years, Boeing has received $23 billion United States taxpayer dollars. Boeing also received infrastructure support and tax breaks from the government.In 2010, the WTO found Airbus to be illegal because they had acquired $20 million dollars in EU aid. It appears that the Americans are helping to fund Boeing, while the Europeans aid Airbus. Much like it’s French competitor, Boeing enjoys considerable benefits from the state of Washington. Boeing employs more than 80,000 people in Washington State; providing high salary, high skill jobs to Washingtonians. In order to keep the company’s headquarters in state, Washington has provided significant corporate tax breaks and infrastructure support. State tax dol lars are used to make sure doing business is easy in Washington.At this point, evaluating fairness is pure conjecture. It can be argued that the USA’s lawsuits against European subsidies provided to Airbus are hypocritical, if Washington is offering government benefits as well. Washington operates in a legal grey area when it comes to international trade. As Washington is not it’s own country, it cannot be held to World Trade Organization standards. The US government argues that the tax-breaks and infrastructure development provided by Washington State are miniscule when compared to the billions provided in subsidies and soft loans to Airbus.Washington’s tax breaks and infrastructure assistance are obviously advantageous for Boeing. Judging whether it gives Boeing an unfair competitive advantage is, again, pure conjecture. It is beneficial to recognize how small such advantages seem when compared to the billion dollar subsidies offered to Airbus and the defense contracts offered to Boeing. Airbus generates a huge amount of money and employs thousands of people in the world. Currently the European Union is supporting the company financially through multiple loans.The Airbus Company is not responsible for paying back their past debt unless they make a profit. Boeing has brought about multiple lawsuits in regard to the government support, and believes that Airbus would not be able to continue if they were not supported by the European Union. It can be suggested that the European Union will not discontinue support to Airbus because of the 53,000 people who are employed by the company. Airbus also generates a lot of money for Europe and would not only cost the jobs of 53,000 people, but also a huge market for European profits.The European Union’s support of Airbus is in its best interest of the economy for Europe. There would be a huge loss of jobs for Europe and the economy would be directly affected. The benefits from Airbus to Europe are much more valuable to them than the money they may be losing from their investment. At the same time, Boeing is also benefiting from the support of the United Nations. In recent years, the government has been supporting Boeing as means of competing with the European government support towards Airbus.In the event that the world trade organization rules against Airbus, and tells it to stop providing subsidies, Airbus will most likely find alternative ways to preserve their company. They would most likely find different ways to provide loans. They would also argue that this is what the US is doing, like the subsidies they’ve received from Japan. Maintaining the aircraft industry is very difficult because there are many expenses that go into making and conserving an aircraft. Airbus would have to seek help elsewhere to assist with the finance so that they could turn a profit while still holding up competition with Boeings newer aircraft.Although this is most likely what they would do, a new approach that could help them without using subsides is finding newer and more effective forms of technology. Inputting newer technological advances would make the Airbus airplane more desired than the Boeing airplanes. New technologies may include a fuel-efficient airplane, or an airplane built with more comfort; by making the aircraft more appealing and run cheaper, they might be able to beat out the competition of Boeing without help from the government. This approach is how Airbus can again be a leader in the global commercial aircraft industry.

My finger

Almost lost a finger When I was about 12 years old I loved to ride my Hard BMW bike around my neighborhood a lot with my friend nick. Nick and I used to fix our own bikes and learn how to do it all ourselves. We would work on our bikes all day every day and take them apart and put them back together, we got so good at riding and fixing our bikes we fixed are bikes anywhere at any time or at least I thought so. One day during the summer of freshman year nick and I went for a ride to the park down the street from y house to play soccer.After we played soccer at the park for a while we decided to go to nicks house to play video games and get something to drink. So as were riding back to nicks house my chin felt a little loose so I thought it was a good idea to try and fix it while I was riding. I put my in on my chain while riding the bike and my hand got stuck in the chain and I couldn't get it out and the only way to get my finger out was to peddle and get it out of the chain but once I peddled I felt this very sharp pain in my finger but didn't look till I got to my friend's house.Once I had finally looked at it, it took me a second to really realize my finger was Just barely hanging on by a small piece of skin. Nicks mom then did all she could and called my mom and said â€Å"you need to take Andrew to the emergency room†. My mom rushed over to nicks house and we went to the emergency room. After the x rays were taken of my finger they were able to stitch It back together and make sure I could still have feeling in my finger and that the bone healed well. My finger By Vanessa they were able to stitch it back together and make sure I could still have feeling in my