Stakeholder analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Stakeholder analysis - Essay Example Other stakeholders who worked together with Cicero were the board chairman, chief auditor, general counsel and the top real estate executives. Another stakeholder at the center of the bribery claims was the company chief executive, Eduardo Castro-Wright. Castro-Wright encouraged payments, whereby he described bribes as payments for some specific purposes, which aimed at enabling the company to build hundreds of new stores. These bribes were being recorded in the accounting records as simple legal fees (Barstow). As a result of the fast growth of the company’s outlets through bribes, Mr. Castro-Wright was promoted to a senior position and even included on the executive committee of the companys inner sanctum. The company CEO Lee Scott, Jr. is among the company’s stakeholders. He is the person who holds the top most position in Wal-Mart Company. Therefore, he was the one to create awareness the public about the bribery claims against the company. Investors or shareholders are other stakeholders of the company since their finances are for development purposes among other tasks. The government of Mexico and that of the United States are other stakeholders since the company operates in their territories. The Government of U.S and Mexico could salvage the firm from bribery claims. They should have influenced and dictated how the business of Wal-Mart was being carried out. Unfortunately, government officials accepted bribes so as to pave way for some business malpractices to be operated in their territory at the expense of other stakeholders and the general public at large. Therefore, government officials would have taken urgent steps in order to prevent the growth of business malpractices in the business fraternity of the two countries. The company CEO, H. Lee Scott Junior is another stakeholder and the company official who was very

Informaiton System Essay Example for Free

Informaiton System Essay Assess the advantages and disadvantages of using a Web-based compensation tool versus a client-server based or stand-alone PC-based system and then give your opinion on which system would provide the most value to an organization’s stakeholders. Include three (3) facts to support your opinion. e-Compensation represents a web-enabled approach to an array of compensation tools that enable an organization to gather, store, manipulate, analyze, utilize, and distribute compensation data and information. The advantages of using a Web-based compensation tool versus a client-server based or stand-alone PC-based system include the automated approach that replaces tedious manual processes to make any compensation program easy to manage and virtually error free. Web-based compensation tools do not require installation and updating which saves a lot of administration work and can be access from anywhere with the Internet. The data in Web-based compensation tools is stored remotely and requires little disk space. It also becomes more important that Web-based compensation tools are cross-platform and work on different Operating System. Whereas using a client-server based or stand-alone PC based system would need an administrator to administer, maintain, develop and implement policies and procedures for ensuring the security and integrity of the client/server database, and also resolving any database issues. However, Web-based compensation tools have some serious disadvantages. The most important problem is their poor user experience, because of the performance problems and browser limitations. Another disadvantage of the Web-based compensation tool is that the remote server could be compromised disclosing private information. The fact that the Web-based compensation tool requires Internet connection can also be a limitation. Although Web-based compensation tool seems to have more advantages than a client-server based or stand-alone PC based system, in my opinion, client-server based would provide value to an organization’s stakeholders. Three things initially attract people to web-based over client-server: they are easier to deploy and upgrade, demand less IT support, and require less hardware. While it is true that web-based deployment and upgrades are easier, client-server technology actually delivers far superior benefits and long-term cost savings. Client-server software affords a richer, crisper user interface that outperforms browser- or web-based software in terms of the number of clicks and the ease of use. The client-server based provides set-ups and can be altered without disturbing the clients, while the other two systems require accessing every peer in the network (www.client-serverbased). For example, the client server arrangements aid security requires efforts, because there are fewer servers, limiting the number of persons with access to them and increasing security features of the servers. The two-tiered model enables file sharing between the client and the users. Justify the use of e-Compensation tools in the job-evaluation process from the perspective of HR, management, and the employee. Through e-Compensation tools organizations can adapt to shifting demands for information. e-Compensation tools enhance the practice of designing and administering compensation programs in a dynamic and competitive environment in three key ways. First e-Compensation tools can increase access to critical compensation information without the need for sophisticated or dedicated IT staffs and sophisticated technology infrastructures. They can simply access key information electronically on an as needed basis. Second, e-compensation tools enable round-the-clock availability of meaningful compensation information to senior managers, HR managers, and employees. Third, e-compensation tools can streamline cumbersome bureaucratic tasks through the introduction of workflow functionality and real-time information processing. Job evaluation is the process of methodically establishing a structure or hierarchy of jobs within an organization. This is based on a systematic consideration of job content and requirements. The purpose of the job structure, or hierarchy, is to provide a basis for the development of a wage structure. The job structure, however, is only one of the determinants of the wage structure, with other factors becoming increasingly more important. Job evaluation develops a plan for comparing jobs in terms of those things the organization considers important determinants of job worth. e-Compensation tools enhance the practice of designing and administering compensation programs in a dynamic and competitive environment. HR views the use of e-Compensation tools in the job-evaluation process as a means to streamline their processes and reduce administrative burdens. HR can electronically distribute them to target employees or managers via a corporate intranet. From management perspective e-Compensation can assist in reducing HR administration and compliance costs, help compete more effectively for global talent and provide real-time metric to allow decision-makers to spot trends and manage the workforce more effectively – managers can review a list of proposed merit increases for his or her direct reports. Managers and employees have access to key information to make completing a job analysis or job evaluation project relatively easy. Employees are able to gain access to data which is improved by utilizing e-Compensation to make critical decisions. The use of the e-Compensation tools empower employees with a collaborative employee compensation application that shows their complete compensation package in an intuitive format and provides the tools they need to plan their financial futures. Evaluate three (3) benefits and three (3) drawbacks of a centralized approach to managing merit pay programs compared to a more decentralized approach. Merit pay refers to the process of determining employee compensation (base salary or bonuses), in part, on the basis of how well each employee performs at work. A centralized approach bases an employee’s pay rate on the value of the job/role held, the degree to which the employee has mastered that job/role and how well the employee has performed over time. The most apparent advantages of centralization are an organizations ability to closely control operations, provide a uniform set of policies, practices and procedures throughout the organization, and better use the knowledge of centralized experts. Companies also adopt different approaches to compensation administration responsibilities. Some rely on a centralized approach where the design and administration of compensation programs are performed by a single company department. Some rely on a decentralized organizational structure that allows faster decision-making and better adaptability to local conditions and context. In the decentralized approach managers across the organization forecast the pay increases they expect to recommend in the coming year to retain their key employees and to remain competitive. The decentralized approach can make it difficult to transfer employees from one department to another and may bring about a lack of internal consistency. The drawbacks to the centralized approach are that a compensation program may suit general corporate needs, but not individual department needs, communication between different computers is not easy, resulting in configuration problems, and it does not provide built-in knowledge management capability that would guide or empower managers to make their own decisions. Suggest three (3) types of integrated analytic features that are needed for compensation planning and decision support in e-Compensation systems. Integrated analytics brings together information from a companys ERP, customer relationship management, human resources, financial management, supply chain and e-business systems, and enhances it with advanced analytics, empowering the company to react more quickly to a rapidly changing business environment. Integrated analytics better integrates an organization’s information assets across the value chain, delivers role-based business intelligence to the information consumer in a personalized manner, and includes advanced analytical models focused on decision making. Many human resource information systems, however, do not yet provide integrated analytic features needed for compensation planning and decision support, such as the ability to also see related real-time competitive market salaries. Some integrated analytic features needed for compensation planning and decision making are analytic engines for data enrichment and analysis, analytic applications such as Budgeting, Planning and Balanced Scorecard, and integrated analytic applications that provide process-specific analytics and allow the developers to add more features based on user needs. In order to survive and win in todays market, ERP vendors have recognized that they must have improved information delivery and analytics as core components of their products. The rapid flow of information has increased the need for executives and managers to keep their fingers on the pulse of their companies and to be able to easily access timely, accurate information. It is clear that the market is moving away from the realm of custom and nonintegrated applications and into pre-delivered products that are closely linked to ERP systems. Assess the barriers that prevent organizations from realizing the potential of Web-based internal equity tools and propose three (3) approaches to overcome those barriers. Internal equity refers to establishing the relative worth of jobs inside the organization. It is hard to determine the value of the information before you pay. Organizations can find free web-based services such as HR-Guide’s job evaluation tool. There are several factors that hamper organizations from fully realizing the potential of web-based internal equity tools. First, most of the tools are not generally integrated across software programs in the market that support the design and maintenance of internal equity policies and practices, relatively few are currently both integrated and web-enabled. Second, the challenge facing organizations in implementing these e-compensation tools is that these tools are only as good as the data they access. Third, proper training is required to ensure user acceptance and competent use of the technology. Fourth, some users find data entry tends to be slower and less flexible using web applications than client-server-based software, particularly with nonlinear processes. Finally, while web-based software tools increase access to and distribution of information, the quality and efficiency with which decisions are made still remain ultimately with the manager. There must be organizational commitment to gather, manage, and maintain accurate and relevant data. Organizations need to obtain an integrated web-based compensation software solution that automates and integrates internal equity and external equity software applications and can be used stand-alone, over an intranet, or over the web on an outsourced basis. Lastly, organizations need to implement software and invest in training programs. Recommend three (3) strategies that HR managers can use to evaluate the quality of market data (surveys, benchmark salary studies, etc.) that they receive from outside sources. Paying people fairly is good for business. Underpay, and employees will eventually look for a better offer. Overpay, and the payroll budget and profitability will suffer. That is why companies use market data to research the value of their jobs. HR managers use the latest market data to get accurate data relevant to positions within their organizations expertise. Gathering background information is critical in building a pay structure from scratch to articulate the compensation philosophy, clarify concepts that define the fundamental beliefs about the structure, and design and develop the strategy. To determine the prevailing rate for a job, organizations can benchmark jobs against compensation surveys that are detailed and specific to the organization’s industries and regions. A good compensation survey uses standard, proven methods of data gathering and statistical analysis to determine how much companies pay for a specific job in a specific industry. Commercial and association surveys, Pg 458 Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources. http://www.humanresources.pro/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=50Itemid=73

The Italian Essay -- essays research papers

In Ann Radcliffe's "The Italian", the very first thing that we see described is a veiled woman: "It was in the church of San Lorenzo at Naples, in the year 1758, that Vincentio di Vivaldi first saw Ellena di Rosalba. The sweetness and fine expression of her voice attracted his attention to her figure, which had a distinguished air of delicacy and grace; but her face was concealed in her veil. So much was he fascinated by the voice, that a most painful curiosity was excited as to her countenance, which he fancied must express all the sensibility of character that the modulation of her tones indicated" (5).Even without knowing anything about Gothic elements, this indicates very clearly what the quality and tone of the book are going to be like. Vivaldi's pursuit of the veiled woman is a signal that his is the pursuit of the mysterious, with the certainty that it will be beautiful. This certainly does seem to be a great fascination in the novel; it is a component and often a catalyst for that anxiety which runs throughout.It is this anxiety which causes the heightening of our emotions; our emotions are heightened as we watch the characters' pursuit of the mysterious; and our curiosity is excited more and more until we are nearly begging for its gratification. But Radcliffe heightens our emotions without satisfying our curiosity, or at least not enough. For example, the very first chapter establishes a sense of mystery about the assassin in the Church. The Englishman inquires as much for himself as for us about the assassin. His concern and state of shock invoke our own inquiry into this odd circumstance and then his Italian friend tells him a mystery without actually telling him anything:"'He [the assassin] sought sanctuary here', replied the friar; 'within these walls he may not be hurt'"(2).He makes it clear that there is a story here but that it is long and suspenseful, maybe shocking:"'It is much too long to be related now; that would occupy a week; I have it in writing, and will send you the volume'" (3).What it is exactly, or what the tale is going to be is only hinted at in a very curiosity invoking way: as if it is a secret.Instead of the Englishman and his Italian friend going down to the street cafà © and relating the story, the Italian friend says that he will send him something written the following day and t... ...ld be suspect and it was. Her susceptible nature often led her into the suspicion out of which the novel's Gothic tone is constructed; just like Vivaldi's and Paolo's susceptible natures lead them to jump to most horrifying conclusions earlier in the novel.When talking about perceptions, it is impossible to omit the distinction between the real and unreal in "The Italian". The strand of reality, interwoven with fantasy, seems to be a driving force in the plot. In the episode involving Ellena, her suspicions are confirmed; her fantasy becomes confirmed as reality as her fears about Spalatro's intentions are confirmed (although not until the end). Of notice is also Vivaldi's constant desire to solidify his fantasy (getting married) with Ellena; as if the real thing will finally restrict the fearful possibilities into a single reality. Yet it is this reality from which Vivaldi derives his fearful fantasies. It is this drama between what is real and unreal that gives the novel its impetus. For example, when Marchesa is speaking to Schedoni, they are both thinking of murder, but both refuse to 'say' it, as if doing so would make it more 'real' than merely thinking about it.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Essay

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a chain of restaurants located in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and France, specializing in burritos and tacos. Its name derives from chipotle, the Mexican Spanish name for a smoked and dried jalapeno chili pepper. The restaurant is known for its large burritos, assembly-line production and use of natural ingredients. The company has released a mission statement called Food with Integrity, which highlights its efforts in using organic ingredients,[3] and serves more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant chain. Chipotle is one of the first chains of fast casual dining establishments. Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle had 16 restaurants (all in Colorado) when McDonald’s Corporation became a major investor in 1998. By the time McDonald’s fully divested itself from Chipotle in 2006, the chain had grown to over 500 locations. With more than 1400 locations in 43 U. S. states, Washington, D. C. , two Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and France, Chipotle had a net income in 2012 of US$278 million and a staff of 37,310 employees. Chipotle Mexican Grill in 2012 2012 has been the year of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG -0. 92%). The stock is an absolute superstar, hitting 37 new record highs so far, according to CNBC. -When the company went public in January 2006, the stock doubled on its first day from $22 per share to close at $44 per share. – At late of Febuary 2012, Chipotle’s stock price had climbed to $380-$385,up more than 80% since january 1,2011 and up 334% since january. – Chipotle shares traded at $421. 37 Mar 27, and are up nearly 26% this year. Over the last 12 months, the stock has gained 65%. Chipotle’s run has obviously been the subject of much chatter among investors. Why is this stock so high, and how much further can it go? Many investors think that Chipotle’s numbers are just headed up, and the stock has room to grow as well. Chipotle’s growth is mentioned with the launch of ShopHouse, the Asian-themed restaurant the company has opened in Washington D. C. ShopHouse has been wildly popular with little to no advertising. The success had opened up the possibility that Chipotle could very well strike gold a second time. The company isn’t saying much about whether it will expand ShopHouse, but investors are certainly pricing the idea into Chipotle shares. Chipotle has no debt and about $400 million in cash, according to Seeking Alpha. And Chipotle is in that best-of-both worlds position because it can compete directly with fast food, but also stand up against more upscale restaurants, such as Panera Bread (PNRA -1. 01%). Finally, Chipotle is gunning for international expansion, recently opening new locations in London and planning one for Paris.

Culture and Communication Essay

According to new research done in the field of linguistics and cognitive science, the balance is starting to tilt again in favor of linguistic relativity. This concept proposes that there is a systematic relationship between the nature of the language a person speaks and the way the person understands the world. Although, it is still not known how much influence language wields over thought, it is now agreed that it does affect the way we perceive and understand the world. At an individual level, we take for granted the role language plays in our thought processes. But, every time we formulate a thought, we almost subconsciously express it in a tongue we are most comfortable with. Language has, over our growth period (especially the formative early childhood years), become intertwined without cognitive faculties. A majority of our thoughts and memories employ language as an expression tool. As such, one must agree that it most influence our thought processes to a certain extent. The intricate features of any language such as grammar and the role of gender to play a significant role on how we perceive the world. Although this influence plays a lesser role when it comes to tangibles like objects for instance, it does have a significant influence on abstract concepts such as time, space and even political concepts. For example, Dan Slobin of the University of California in Berkeley tells us in Alison Motluk’s article You Are What You Speak that while a third of the world’s languages describe locations in absolute terms, many Pacific Islanders use phrases such as â€Å"north of that tree†. Benjamin Whorf, one of the pioneers of linguistic relativity, in his famous analysis of the differences between English and Hopi language, claimed that a Hopi speaker would find relativistic physics easier to understand that an English speaker due to the structure of Hopi language. This facet of language becomes even more important when it comes to worldview and religion. As both of them are in essence, abstract concepts, it can be understood that language does have a significant relationship with them. One can for instance compare how the same religion is interpreted by groups with different languages. Also, once we consider the use of metaphors in languages, we can see how they relate to people’s culture. As the worldview of a people is formed due to the shared experience of a people and the sharing of this unique experience largely employs language, it can be understood that language wields an influence over it. Coupled with the effect of language on an individual basis, one can clearly see the significance a person’s language plays on not only his/her own thought processes, but on the formulation of grander systems of thought. Therefore, one can conclude that language helps shape a people’s worldview and their understanding of religion. The diversification in religion can then potentially create new religions due to conflicts with other prevalent interpretation. The extent of language’s influence can still be argued and should be argued until a conclusion can be reached. But all languages in general should be preserved as we never know when a particular language’s insight might come in handy for resolving modern problems. How has the internet changed global communication? What effect might this have on cross-cultural communication? The Internet probably ranks among one of greatest inventions man has yet made. A relatively young invention, it has revolutionized global communication, and yet, its true potential remains to be seen. It has transcended geographical borders and provided people with a forum to convey their thoughts to the world, unfiltered and unregulated. It has led to the rise of new social groups, ones which have no need for proximity, and given rise to whole new cultures. Although global communication has existed for centuries, never before has it been observed at such an unprecedented scale. With the advent of the internet, rapid information sharing became possible and at virtually no cost. Today, one can find material of any nature on the internet and can access it almost anywhere in the world. One can share information of any nature, be it audio or video or plain text. The fact that it’s unregulated allows people to channel their thoughts in the purest form possible. Social networking sites have created new online societies with their own set of rules and cultures. Instant messaging has provided us with a facility to engage in real time conversations with people from halfway across the world. Used in conjunction with webcams and microphones, we have in essence, the next best thing to face to face conversation. As such, one can see that we are witnessing a new chapter in cross-cultural communication. The internet has the potential to bring people together, from diverse backgrounds, and to promote understanding regardless of geographical, religious, political and ethnic division. One can interact with people at an individual level and due to the vast spectrum of opinions that the internet holds, one can form a more neutral worldview. Hence, in theory, the internet should usher in a new age of global understanding and ultimately form a global worldview. But there still is a catch to it all. Yes, in theory this should all be true, but there still are factors that hamper us all from achieving this. These begin with our own preconceived notions. The internet contains a lot of unregulated information. How do we decide what is true? We use our preconceived notions and hence keep our limited understanding of the world. Furthermore, the internet provides a highly selective information and communication tool, meaning that a person can choose what he/she wants to access and who he/she wants to talk to. Furthermore, the vast majority of people in the world still lack access to the internet and of those that have access to it, a large number still lacks unregulated access. For example, countries such as China monitor internet content and limit access to sites which carry â€Å"inappropriate† material. As such, the internet is still far away from reaching its true potential. But this is no cause to lose hope. The internet is still in its infancy and it still has a lot more avenues to explore. Also, if one is to consider the rate at which the internet has grown so far, one can conclude that it will grow a lot faster in the future. Perhaps ultimately, the internet will truly let us share our thoughts worldwide and finally transcend language and cultural barriers. If so, we can then truly reach a new era of global understanding and perhaps, create more than a global worldview; we can create a collective consciousness. In conclusion, the internet is an extremely powerful tool for global communication and will have far reaching consequences on cross-cultural communication. Works Cited 1. Motluk, Alison. â€Å"You Are What You Speak. † New Scientist. 30 Nov. 2002: 34-38 2. Carroll, John B. â€Å"The Relation Of Habitual Thought And Behavior. † Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. 1997 3. Lakoff, George and Johnson, Mark. Metaphors We Live By. 1980 4. Cass, Stephen. â€Å"How Much Does The Internet Weigh? † Discover Magazine. June 2007 5. D’Emanuele, Antony. â€Å"The Internet: A global communication tool† International Pharmacy Journal. 1995: 68-72

Lab Report on Paper Towels Essay Example

Lab Report on Paper Towels Essay Example Lab Report on Paper Towels Paper Lab Report on Paper Towels Paper The purpose of this experiment is to find out which brand of paper towel, Decorator or Sparkle, is stronger and more absorbent. Of the two brands that will be tested, the Sparkle brand will absorb the most liquid because it has the thirst pockets and will be the strongest because it feels thicker. Materials and Methods For the first experiment we did the test for strength. We used a 600 ml beaker which we placed the sample paper towel over the opening of the beaker. The size of the sample towel was 234 mm. The paper towel was held it in place with a standard rubber band that was wrapped around the top of the beaker one time. We then took 5 ml of water and poured onto the paper towel. The weights that we used were 27 g each. The weights were placed on the paper towel one weight at a time until the paper towel ripped. The total amount of weight that it took to rip the paper towel was recorded. The process was then repeated for the second brand of paper towel. For the second experiment we did a test for absorbency. We used a graduated cylinder which was filled with 100 ml of water. The paper towel, which was . 34 mm, was immersed into the water for 15 seconds. The paper towel was removed from the water and allowed to drip until the drips were 25 seconds apart. At that time, the amount of water that was left in the cylinder was recorded. The difference in what was left and the amount that was originally in the cylinder is the amount of liquid that each paper towel held. The process was then repeated for the second brand of paper towel. The independent variable for the experiment was the paper towels. The dependent variable was the absorbency and strength. The constants for the experiment were the size of he paper towels that were used, the amount of water, the size of the beaker, the size of the cylinder and the amount of the weight. Results The results of the experiment for the test of strength were that the Sparkle brand proved to be the strongest. The average amount that the paper towel would hold before ripping was 583. 6 g, which was 159. 2 g more than the Decorator brand held. The Decorator brand only held 424. 4 g before it ripped. The results of the experiment for the test of absorbency were that the Sparkle brand proved to be the most absorbent. The average amount of liquid that the Sparkle brand paper Lowell held was 17. 4 ml which was 4. 6 ml more than the Decorator brand held.

Biology experiment essays

Biology experiment essays To investigate the factors affecting the rate of growth of mustard seeds. The key factors that will affect the germination of the mustard seeds: Temperature: as many plants germinate more rapidly in the warm. Water: as water normally controls germination. Oxygen: as seeds rapidly take in oxygen during germination. Light: as some plants need light to germinate. Dark: as most plants germinate in the dark. Soil composition: the richer in nutrient the soil is the better the seeds. Temperature: helps the plants to grow. Sunlight: gives the plant energy to grow and energy for photosynthesis. Moisture level: water is needed for growth and is absorbed and circulated Soil composition: depending on how rich in nutrients the soil is will help the Space: is needed for the plant to survive. Nutrients: help the plant to grow. Carbon dioxide: is essential during photosynthesis. In my experiment I am going to test how the mustard seeds grow in different soils and materials. 1) I predict that from my experiment the mustard seeds in the compost will grow the fastest and strongest because compost is a fertiliser and is rich in minerals and nutrients and this will make the seeds grow faster and stronger. 2) I also predict that the seeds in the cotton wool will grow the slowest as there are no nutrients in the cotton wool and because it will soak up the water. My experiment will show how Mustard seeds grow in different soils and materials. I think the seeds that will grow the strongest will be the ones that are planted in the compost. Compost is an Organic material decomposed by bacteria under controlled conditions to make a nutrient-rich natural fertilizer for use in gardening or farming. Compost is a fertilizer and all fertilisers contain Nitrogen for the growth of the leaves and stem, Phosphorus f...