Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Writing Styles Of 2 Prominent British Science Fiction Authors :: essays research papers

The Writing Styles of 2 Prominent British Science Fiction Authors "Science fiction is one of the more secluded parade grounds where private fantasy and public event meet. They call it entertainment". (Aldiss Billion 1) This quote is interpreted to mean that, in the genre of science fiction there is a fusion of fantasy and reality. It is this combination of two opposites that produces the novel categorized today as science fiction. There is one aspect of science fiction that separates it from any other genre. Science fiction can be written as fantasy one day, and read as scientific fact the next. Jules Verne has written about man setting foot on the moon. When read by its original readers the idea of space travel was not a reality. It is now common knowledge that man has walked on the moon, and when this novel is read today no longer is space travel considered to be imaginary. Skillful science fiction novelists brilliantly blend fantasy with reality, composing a very fine line between the two perceptions. When reading, one sometimes does not even realize when the author makes the transition from a plausible concept to a ludicrous one. Science fiction is a relatively new term. Novels were first categorized this way towards the close of the 1920's. This word was first utilized in short stories that appeared in the pulp magazines, of the era. The phrase "science fiction" was considered an enhancement of the term scientifiction. However several British novels were categorized as scientific romances before the 1920's. (Aldiss Trillion 27) Before Frankenstein the only forms of science fiction were "the plays of Aristophanes or some Myrenaean fragment concerning the flight to the sun on a goose's back." (Aldiss Billion 2) In these fantasies there is no blend of reality and fantasy, it is pure fantasy. There is no one story that is accepted to be the first science fiction tale. Science fiction as perceived today originated with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. (Aldiss Trillion 18) Mary Shelley was the wife of the famous British poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley and daughter of Mary Wollenstonecraft. She was born in 1797 and her mother died soon after birth. Mary Wollenstonecraft married her husband at the age of fifteen. She produced her most famous novel entitled Frankenstein at the age of nineteen. It was published in 1818. (Ash 178) The origin of the novel came to Shelley in a dream, in which she says she saw "the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy half vital

Monday, January 13, 2020

Linking Aristotle’s virtue with character Essay

Aristotle’s virtue ethics is often considered to be founded on character such that an individual’s character defines his or her virtues. It is important to note that Aristotle gives emphasis to the idea that virtue is acquired through habit. In this regard, it can be presumed that there is a connection between character and virtue in the context of Aristotle’s philosophy. This is especially interesting to look into precisely because human beings think and act at least in terms of one’s consciousness or idea of ethics, specifically through one’s moral precepts. If it is indeed true that individuals think and act in ways related to one’s moral inclinations in their daily lives, then it is a strong reason to contend that virtue and character are all the more important elements in the life of humanity. The point that I would like to raise—and agree with Aristotle—is the idea that our ‘habits’, the way in which we do things on a regular basis, form a large sum—if not all—of our character. And since character builds our very virtues, it can be presumed that the things that we do on a regular basis define our virtues. That is, if we continue to harbor the ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ elements in the society, then it is most likely the case that our character develops into something ‘bad’ or ‘evil’. In the end, there will be little or no room for us to acquire virtues. The task of this assignment is to identify what is the connection between character and virtue in the context of Aristotle by providing Aristotle’s description of how we acquire virtues and why choice is an important component of these virtues. In the Book III of Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, I found out that one basic notion in Aristotelian ethics that occupies a central significance is Aristotle’s belief in the role of man’s activities in order for one to acquire ethical knowledge. That is, for one to become virtuous or to obtain virtues one should not merely confine himself to mere studying of these virtues but rather one should, more importantly, actualize this knowledge of the virtues. Thus, for one to become good, one should do good. I also found out in the same work of Aristotle the â€Å"doctrine of the mean†. The essence of this doctrine dwells on the basic precept that one ought to avoid the extremes and, instead, settle for the â€Å"mean†. The actions of men, more specifically, ought to be framed upon the â€Å"mean† which is the virtue. For example, the virtue of courage rests on the mean between two extremes: cowardice or the â€Å"lack† of courage, and rashness or the â€Å"excess† in courage. All of these things answer the central question being asked, specifically the identification of the connection between virtue and character. For the most part, the thought of the acquisition of virtue requires a form of a ‘good’ act which, when constantly repeated or enacted on a regular basis, forms the character of the individual. The individual should not only be inclined towards a theoretical understanding of these good acts but should also be inclined to enacting them, of living them on purpose and free will. It is not enough that the individual should simply live the theoretical perspectives of doing good acts for it does not suffice to forming the character of the individual. Moreover, these ‘good’ acts are founded on the principle of the â€Å"mean† wherein the individual is supposed to be acting not within the extremes but between these extremes because they are the ‘evils’. Hence, character is connected to virtue through one’s good—or â€Å"middle†Ã¢â‚¬â€actions performed habitually. I figured out that Aristotle implies the idea that man is indeed a social being in the sense that one cannot sufficiently do ‘good’ without the presence of other people. That is, without other people to whom our ‘good’ deeds will be enacted to, our actions may hardly be conceived as ‘good’ in the first place precisely because we may only be helpful if there are people to help, we may only be kind if there are people to whom we will be kind, or we may only be loving if there are other people to love just to name a few. Of course, my thoughts may be unacceptable to other people for they may also have their own thoughts about the ethics of Aristotle. But more to this, I figured out that those people who surround us have a large role in the formation of our character. Social isolation does not give room for the moral development of an individual. On the other hand, I have arrived at a question concerning Aristotle’s virtue ethics, especially with his doctrine of the mean. Exactly how are we to know when we are acting in the middle such that we avert from the extremes or the vices? Granted that we may be able to identify the vices that we should avoid, when can we say that we are truly in the middle path? How can too much ‘knowledge’ be a vice or an evil when Aristotle gives a substantial account and importance to knowledge? While there may still a handful of questions that may have been left untouched, it can hardly be doubted that our actions share a significant role in defining our characters as human beings. Whether or not an individual believes in virtue ethics or in morality in general, it remains a fact that our actions have consequences to us and to other people. Reference Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Trans. Martin Ostwald. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1962.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Picassos Women Germaine Gargallo Florentin Pichot

Germaine Gargallo Florentin Pichot went from being roommates with Pablo Picasso, to being lovers, and finally, friends. They spent 48 years together in all, from 1900-1948. She died in Paris in 1948. Beginnings Germaine Gargallo Florentin Pichot (1880-1948) entered Picassos life in 1900 when the young artists from Barcelona arrived in Paris and stayed at Isidre Nonells studio at 49 rue Gabriel. Germaine and her sister—Gertrude Stein claimed that Germaine had many sisters—Antoinette Fornerod served as models and lovers. She was not related to Picassos friend Pau Gargallo, but did claim to be part Spanish. She spoke Spanish, as did Antoinette. Another young model, who called herself Odette (her real name was Louise Lenoir) hooked up with Picasso. Odette did not speak Spanish and Picasso did not speak French. Casagemas Germaines claim to fame in Picassos biography stems from her liaison with Picassos best friend Carles or Carlos Casagemas (1881-1901) who accompanied Picasso to Paris that fall in 1900. Picasso had just turned 19. The Catalan artist Casagemas fell madly in love with Germaine, even though she was already married. Manuel Pallarà ¨s i Grau (known as Pajaresco) joined his Catalan bros about 10 days later at Nonells studio so that six people were now living for the next two months in a large—but not that large—studio. Pallarà ¨s set up a schedule for everything from working on their art to enjoying their respective lady friends. Picasso and Casagemas returned to Barcelona in time for Christmas. The love-sick Casagemas decided to return to Paris the following February without Picasso. He desperately wanted Germaine to live with him—to be his fiancà ©e, even though she was already married to some guy named Florentin. Germaine also confessed to Pallarà ¨s that Casagemas had not consummated the relationship. She refused Casagemas request. On February 17, 1901, Casagemas went out to dinner with friends at the LHippodrome, drank a lot, and at about 9:00 p.m. stood up, gave a short speech and then pulled out a revolver. He shot Germaine, grazed her temple with a bullet and then shot himself in the head. Picasso was in Madrid and did not attend the memorial service in Barcelona. Roommates, Lovers, Friends When Picasso returned to Paris in May 1901 he took up with Germaine. Germaine married a member of Picassos Catalan group, Ramon Pichot (1872-1925), in 1906 and remained in Picassos life well into his later years. Death Franà §oise Gilot recalled a visit she and Picasso made to Madame Pichot in Montmartre in the mid-1940s. Germaine was old, sick and toothless by then. Picasso knocked on the door, did not wait for an answer, walked in and said a few things. Then he left some money on the nightstand. According to Gilot, it was Picassos way of showing her a vanitas. Known Examples of Germaine Pichot in Picassos Art Germaine, 1900, sale at Christies May 9, 2009.The Two Saltimbanques (Harlequin and his Companion), 1901, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow.La Vie, 1903, The Cleveland Museum of Art.Au Lapin Agile, 1904-05, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sources Gilot, Franà §oise with Carlton Lake. Life with Picasso. McGraw-Hill, 1964, New York/London/Toronto.Richardson, John. A Life of Picasso, Volume 1: 1881-1906. Random House, 1991, New York.Tinterow, Gary (et. al.). Picasso in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010, New York.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Milton Friedman s Capitalism And Freedom Essay - 1727 Words

Milton Friedman, in Capitalism and Freedom, investigates the link between economic and political freedom. While many supporters of democratic socialism consider that â€Å"politics and economics are separate and largely unconnected,† Friedman contests that the two are inextricably linked. To prove this assertion, he mentions that â€Å"the citizen of the United States who is compelled by law to devote †¦ ten percent of his income to the purchase of a particular kind of retirement contact †¦ is being deprived †¦ of his personal freedom,† the freedom of choice (8). He believes economic freedom involves making choices about how to acquire resources and how to live. This is why it is tied to political freedom. Because Friedman thinks that economic regulations, totalitarian or otherwise, restrict the freedom of choice for an individual, he believes a rigid economic system, like that found in totalitarian Russia, is largely incompatible with democracy (8). Thus, he advocates for a capitalistic society in the United States. Friedman provides many reasons to support his claim, but his main is that coercion is â€Å"the fundamental threat to freedom† (15). He holds that excessive government regulation infringes on the rights of individuals to enter economically-beneficial agreements with others and, thus, reduces the voluntary coordination among the population. This is of paramount importance as â€Å"coordination is needed to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by modern science andShow MoreRelatedMilton Friedmans Ideas Essay1646 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION Milton Friedman’s ideas where thought to be radical, but he was the most authoritative figure in the economics field in the 20th century, (Placeholder2) and was known most for his thoughts on free enterprise, classical liberalism and limited government. (Placeholder3) His views shaped modern capitalism. (Placeholder2) He was against government intervention and favored free markets (Placeholder6). If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years theredRead MoreMilton Friedman and His Contribution For The Economic Field Essay1218 Words   |  5 Pagesproductive uses. The minimal government advocacy of an ‘’unregulated free market’’ is founded on an ‘’assumption about individuals being rational, self-interested and methodical in the pursuit of their goals. Adam Smith was not an advocate of pure capitalism. Adam Smith allowed for many exceptions to a strictly free-market economy. The classical liberals advocated policies to increase liberty and prosperity. They sought to empower the commercial class politically. They abolish royal charters, monopoliesRead MoreFree Market Economy: Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman948 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstood from a free market. A free market is a place (physical or not) where a person(s) in a community are able to go and exchange goods based on supply and demand . A truly free market has no barriers to entrance or to exit, and many goods and services. In any case people within the market are able to distribute goods freely based on free choice in trade for whatever they have agreed upon whether that is government notary(s) or other goods or services. In this type of market there is a huge emphasis onRead More Milton Friedman Essay2505 Words   |  11 PagesMilton Friedman Milton Friedman has been credited with many different achievements, including being one of the most effective advocates of economic freedoms and free enterprise, being the greatest economist to ever walk the face of the earth, and proving every single word that Lord Maynard Keynes ever said to be wrong. Why these may or may not all be true, it is obvious that Friedman was a brilliant man of many accomplishments. Milton Friedman was born on July 15th, 1912 in New York CityRead MorePersonal Freedom And Capitalism Of The United States1417 Words   |  6 Pages160 Fall 2014 Introduction. Personal freedom and capitalism go hand-in-hand in America’s rise to economic power. As Friedman (1980) states you cannot have political freedom without economic freedom and by allowing one you provide the opportunity for the other to flourish(p. 2). Early in the history of the United States, the government allowed the market to operate freely and followed The Do Nothing Policy to produce both economic prosperity and freedom for her citizens. By allowing this systemRead MoreMilton Friedm The Limitations Of The Market2139 Words   |  9 PagesIn contrast with Galbraith, Milton Friedman never appreciated the limitations of the market, he was a forceful critic of government. He takes as a starting point Adam Smith’s skepticism, but he is much more toward the relationship between morality and capitalism. He launched a point of view which later generated controversy. He asserts that only people have responsibility. A corporation is an artificial person and in this sense ma y have artificial responsibility, but business as a whole cannot beRead MoreMilton Friedman s Advocacy Of Free Market Capitalism2263 Words   |  10 Pages Milton Friedman’s Advocacy of Free Market Capitalism Team Members: Donaldson, Michael Karambelkar, Tanvi Kote, Anand Mantrawadi, Sushant Sawant, Preeti Shinde, Nikhil â€Æ' Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Historical Information on Milton Friedman 4 Impact of Cultural Impact with US Based Companies 6 References 8 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 â€Æ' Executive Summary This article is about a teacher and writer turned economist Milton Friedman. He advocatedRead MoreAnalysis Of Friedman s Capitalism And Freedom 1915 Words   |  8 PagesEcon 160 Term Paper Part 1 As Milton Friedman once said, â€Å"Freedom is a rare and delicate plant. Our minds tell us and history confirms that the great threat to freedom is the concentration of power. Government is necessary to preserve our freedom, it is an instrument through which we can exercise our freedom; yet by concentrating power and political hands, it is also a threat to freedom.† Friedman’s â€Å"Capitalism and Freedom† takes us into the mind of an economic genius and shows us his beliefs inRead MoreDe Soto, A Revolutionary Mind Empowering A Force Of Management1450 Words   |  6 PagesAnother form factor (also a blend of communistic regime under a capitalistic law) is the ability for easement provided to majority landowners who follow a specific guideline. Milton Friedman once said, â€Å" if you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years there’d be a shortage of sand.† (Friedman 1) This in turn states that the federal government depletes its own resources in order to profit amongst itself, is that not what a communistic regime does? Strongly, I believeRead MoreKarl Marx And The Productive Power1182 Words   |  5 Pagesones, will cause an entire society to change rapidly. Struggle among the creative powers and the relations of production is the economic origin of social rebellion. In the following chapters I will explain how the mode of production for feudalists, capitalism, and socialism will possibly lead to communism. I will elaborate on the social conflict, exploitation faced by the oppressed, and why Marx believed that the mode of production from these classes, except communism will inevitably self-destruct.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Employee Skills Improved After Receiving Training At The...

In this paper, we will be discussing some recommendations that employers should provide in terms of training for anger management problems that employees may have in the workplace. The recommendations that we will be discussing are: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Cognitive Restructuring, Communication Assertiveness, and Employee Assistance Programs. We will be discussing the positives and negatives of anger management training in the workplace, and we will also discuss whether or not employee skills improved after receiving training in the workplace. In order for organization to be as successful as possible, employees and management need to know how to properly manage anger in the workplace in a healthy manner with each individual and the†¦show more content†¦Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has various techniques that are used and combined such as relaxation, problem solving, stress inoculation and several more (Beck and Fernandez, 64). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy works well because it pin points several areas that will identify whether a person will develop anger in certain scenarios in the workplace. To determine this, three main factors are identified. Firstly, perception of every person, his/her capability to recognize themselves. Secondly, expectation, which is expected to happen. Finally, every individual s appraisal which is responsible for assessing yourself in certain situations. These are some key components when approaching this method, every person working at a workplace should be aware of the components when completing the session. When working on an individual, it is important to work on their aggression, anger, and stress. The reason is that every individual should be capable of controlling their anger, by doing that, aggression will slowly but surely reduce with time. To add to that, educating the individual is a must, that is to teach every individual how to avoid conflicts. Another component is to help them stop reacting without thinking, and gain self control. These techniques can include progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises and imagery training that helps you foresee what will happen (Bhave and Saini, 162). Do these paragraphs only

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Impact of Modern Technology On Marketing-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Prepare a report to submit to the Management focusing on The impact of technology on Marketing Research in todays Business Environment. Answer: Introduction Marketing research defines as a procedure of gathering data from customers and organisations. This data allows companies to establish future strategies and determine new business opportunities. With the modernisation of technology, the method of marketing research has changed significantly. There are new sources and devices that a company can use to enhance the quality of their marketing research. This report will analyse the impact of modern technology on the procedure of marketing research. Further, this report will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of implementing modern technology for marketing research, through the perspective of ResMarket Pty. Impact on Procedure of Marketing Research Marketing research is conducted by organisations to analyse the requirements, risks, demand, cost, opportunities, and competition, in the market. The effectiveness and quality of marketing research are based on different aspects such as sources of data collection, the reliability of data, quality of evaluation and product development. According to the research of Hair and Lukas (2014), the latest technological advancements have changed different factors of market research. ResMarket can benefit by implementing modern technology in their operations. Social Networks Marilia (2012) provides that the social networks have impacted the marketing research process tremendously. The users of social media share a large amount of data which enhance the quality of research procedure. New websites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter contribute huge volume of customers data which aid companies in marketing research. Organisation analyse the demand of their customers before launching new products, directly from social sites. ResMarket Pty can collect consumer data through social media sites, which is a quicker, inexpensive and easier method. It provides company access to a large data base of clients information; the organisation can conduct surveys or get feedback of customers directly through social media. The disadvantages of using data from social media for marketing research include reliability, quality and negativity problems. Information Gathering The traditional method for information gathering includes personal interviews, questionaries and focus groups, which are expensive and slow procedures. The organisation can use the internet to collect data from millions of customers and focus their research on a particular category of customers. ResMarket can use internet services such as online reviews, posts and mobile programs, to get instant feedback from customers and collect their data (Jansen 2013). Evaluation Process Technology has increased the speed and reliability of data evaluation procedure used by organisations. With the introduction of new softwares, such as SAS, RapidMiner, and ROOT, the procedure of data analyse has become sophisticated and simpler. ResMarket can benefit from using these soft wares since they increase the efficiency and speed of data analysis process (Fridman 2016). Different Positions The improvement of in technology required new positions to manage the process. Organisations are required to hire new peoples with certain skills to manage the procedure of research. New employees, such analytical CPO, are required to adopt the technical policies in the research process. ResMarket will be required to hire new employees to adopt the technical approach, since teaching older employees regarding newer technology is frustrating and expensive task. The company will be requiring dismissing some of their old employees which will not be essential to the operations of the company (Schmidt 2016). Sources In modern times, technology has allowed companies to collect data from the different source. This creates a problem for the company since the reliability of such data is not confirmed. The company is required to prepare new strategies to ascertain the reliability and quality of data collected from different sources (Hendrickson 2016). ResMarket should use a different mechanism to evaluate the most reliable source for their data collection process. Modern technologies can assists firms in evaluating the best possible source for data collection by evaluating different aspects, such as quality, quantity, and speed of data collection. Product Improvement Babin (2015) provided that modern technologies assists corporations are collecting instant feedback from their customers. This allows companies to evaluate the demand and requirement of their audience. This information is useful in product development procedure. Technology helps companies in developing their products according to market requirements. People provide their opinion and quarries on the website of companies, which assist in the process of product development. ResMarket can use modern technology to collect such data and provide them to their clients. Benefits of Modern Technology in Research The impact of technology is huge over the marketing research process and companies can benefit from this advancement. Modern technologies allow organisations to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors and improve the procedure of marketing research. ResMarket Pty will get following benefits by using modern technology (Mcmurray 2016): The cost of updating to modern technology is high but in long-term companies can reduce their operating costs using modern technologies. Modern technologies allow companies to collect a large amount of data at a significantly lower price. The use of social media sites is free for everyone and many other online services are free as well. The reach of marking research widen considerably by the use of technology. ResMarket can collect data from numerous customers globally, and target their research on a specific category of customers based on age, race or gender. ResMarket can enhance the speed of data collection and data analysis by adopting modern technology. New software applications are easy and reliable to use. Technology enhances the quality of engagement with an audience for the research. People can directly post their opinions and problem on companys website, which allow them to evaluate their requirements Conclusion From the above report, it is concluded that ResMarket should adopt the latest marketing research technologies in their operations. The benefits of modern technology will enhance the quality of their work and gained them a competitive advantage over other organisations. There are certain drawbacks of modern technology, such as reliability and quality of data, therefore, ResMarket required to formulate a proper strategy for technological implementations. The cost of modern technology is worth it since it will benefit ResMarket in long run. References Babin, B.J. and Zikmund, W.G., 2015.Essentials of marketing research. Nelson Education. Fridman, A., 2016. How Market Research Is Changing (for the Better) in 2016. Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/adam-fridman/how-market-research-is-changing-in-2016.html Hair Jr, J.F. and Lukas, B., 2014.Marketing research(Vol. 2). McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Hendrickson, K., 2016. Six Market Research Trends For 2016. Green Book Blog. Retrieved from https://www.greenbookblog.org/2015/12/17/six-market-research-trends-for-2016/ Jansen, M., 2013. Five Ways Marketing Research Benefits Small Businesses. Groupon. Retrieved from https://www.groupon.com/merchant/blog/five-ways-marketing-research-benefits-small-businesses Marilia, H., 2012. 10 benefits of market research. Happy Creative. Retrieved from https://happy-creative.co.uk/10-benefits-of-market-research/ Mcmurray, B., 2016. How New Technology Is Changing Market Research. Bandt. Retrieved from https://www.bandt.com.au/marketing/new-technology-changing-market-research Schmidt, S., 2016. How Technology Is Changing Market Research. Market Research. Retrieved from https://blog.marketresearch.com/how-technology-is-changing-market-research

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Answers of Case Studies free essay sample

Honesty Testing at Carter Cleaning Company Jennifer Carter, president of the Carter Cleaning Centers, and her father have what the latter describes as an easy but hard job when it comes to screening job applicants. It is easy because for two important jobs – the people who actually do the pressing and those who do the cleaning-spotting – the applicants are easily screened with about 20 minutes of on-the-job testing. As with typists, as Jennifer points out, â€Å"Applicants either know how to press clothes fast enough or how to use cleaning chemicals and machines, or they don’t and we find out very quickly by just trying them out on the job. † On the other hand, applicant screening for the stores can also be frustratingly hard because of the nature of some of the other qualities that Jennifer would like to screen for. Two of the most critical problems facing her company are employee turnover and employee honesty. We will write a custom essay sample on Answers of Case Studies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Jennifer and her father sorely need to implement practices that will reduce the rate of employee turnover. If there is a way to do this through employee testing and screening techniques, Jennifer would like to know about it because of the management time and money that are now being wasted by the never-ending need to recruit and hire new employees. Of even greater concern to Jennifer and her father is the need to institute new practices to screen out those employees who may be predisposed to steal from the company. Employee theft is an enormous problem for the Carter Cleaning Centers, and one that is not just limited to employees who handle the cash. For example, the cleaner-spotter and/or the presser often open the store themselves, without a manager present, to get the day’s work started, and it is not unusual to have one or more of these people steel supplies or â€Å"run a route. † Running a route means that an employee canvasses his or her neighborhood to pick up people’s clothes for cleaning and then secretly cleans and presses them in the Carter store, using the company’s supplies, gas, and power. It would also not be unusual for an unsupervised person (or his or her supervisor for that matter) to accept a one-hour rush order for cleaning or laundering, quickly clean and press the item, and return it to the customer for payment without making out a proper ticket for the item posting the sale. The money, of course, goes into the worker’s pocket instead of into the cash register. The more serious problem concerns the store manager and the counter workers who actually have to handle the cash. According to Jack Carter, â€Å"You would not believe the creativity employees use to get around the management controls we set up to cut down on employee theft. † As one extreme example of this felonious creativity, Jack tells the following story: â€Å"To cut down on the amount of money my employees were stealing, I had a small sign painted and placed in the front of all our cash registers. It was my intention with this sign to force all our cash-handling employees to place their receipts into the cash register where they would be recorded for my accountants. After all, if the cash that comes in is recorded in the cash register, then we should have a much better handle on stealing in our stores, right? Well, one of our managers found a diabolical way around this. I came into the store one night and noticed that the cash register this particular manager was using just didn’t look right, although the sign was dutifully placed in front of it. It turned out that every afternoon at about 5:00 p. m. when the other employees left, this character would pull his own cash register out of a box that he hid underneath our supplies. Customers coming in would notice the sign and of course the fact that he was meticulous in ringing up every sale. But unknown to them and us, for about five months the sales that came in for about an hour every day went into his cash register, not mine. It took us that long to figure out where our cash for that store was going. Here is what Jennifer would like you to answer for her: 1. What would be the advantages and disadvantages to Jennifer’s company of routinely administering honesty tests to all employees? 2. Specifically, what other screening techniques could the company use to screen out theft-prone employees, and how exactly could these be used? 3. How should her company terminate employees caught stealing, and what kind of procedure should be set up for handling reference calls about these employees when they go to other companies looking for jobs?