Patents Act Free Essay Example, 2250 words

The important issue that arises in this case is whether B-UK will be considered a novelty which does not form part of the state of the art, since MCJ has already published its patent? 9 It may be noted that MCJ’s cylinder coating process does not contain the spray feature, therefore the preliminary specifications as laid out in A-UK will belong to DD, since the quantitative test for novelty will be satisfied. From the criterion of â€Å"objective novelty† the Patents Office may conclude that the material has been made available to the public, especially since it was displayed at the international exhibition10 and has also been orally transmitted to the market representative/agent at the same exhibition11. Moreover the courts will not take into account factors such as duration, location, language, etc as long as the information has been publicly available12. However, in view of the fact that the information that was available was sourced in DD and not a competitor, will mean that it would be deemed to be the original owner of the spray process outlined in its earlier A-UK application, therefore it would also be entitled to ownership rights on subsequent improvements to the process that are included in B-UK13.We will write a custom essay sample on Patents Act or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now MCJ’s original application does not contain the alternative spray process but is confined to the cylinder application, therefore DD will be the patent owner. DD will have full rights to the patent, since the â€Å"essential inventive concept†14 in this case has been developed by DD and it was also included within the substance of its first patent application filed in July 2002. The exposure of the product at the International Exhibition need not be a cause for worry to DD, since its patent application A-UK contained the details of the process (to a sufficient degree where a person with the requisite degree of skill could have developed the product), therefore this early date of application will also be considered the priority date of registration of the patent. 15 In the event that the agent who represented the product at the fair or any other party makes use of the process patented in B-UK, DD will have legitimate grounds to file a suit for infringement. If Mr. Coyle faithfully pays the renewal fee that is due each year, then this will mean that the patent that MCJ has on the product will not expire, and will be valid for a period of 20 years from the date of filing, i.e, the and therefore it will continue to subsist. Therefore, as the registered owner of the patent on the cylinder coating process, DD would be obliged to obtain a license to use MCJ’s product through an appropriate licensing.

Gothic Literature The Southern Gothic Fiction - 1476 Words

Authors use morbidly dark and eccentric characters combined with southern charm and the ever-present gender divide to tell stories that represent a writing style known as southern gothic literature. â€Å"Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South. Elements of a Gothic treatment of the South were apparent in the 19th century, ante- and post-bellum, in the grotesques of Henry Clay Lewis and the de-idealized visions of Mark Twain.[3] The genre came together, however, only in the 20th century, when Dark Romanticism, Southern humour, and the new Naturalism merged into a new and powerful form of social critique.† (Wikipedia) Almost all stories told in the southern gothic genre have blemished characters that act in strange and weird manners, often told with dark, deadly humor. Set in the south, story lines are always ominous and disastrous focusing on poverty, estrangement, illegal activity and/or brutality. These writings are fraught with gender bias and typically centered on common southern themes such as the downfall of the southern upper class and the futility of the southern plantation. Southern gothic style attempts to uncover social issues specific to the south with the use of ghoulish and ironic events, disturbing and damaged characters, and grotesque themes ultimately revealing a less than desirable culture. Perverted countryside settings became the norm, with southern gothic writingsShow MoreRelatedGone Girl By Gillian Flynn Essay1491 Words   |  6 PagesSouthern Gothic literature often incorporates its elements separately without any direct relationship between two of them, namely the grotesque and violence. While many of the Southern Gothic culture and literature explores these elements separately, there are cases where they simultaneously occur. Gillian Flynn is able to effectively incorporate both aspects individually before performing a crossover of the t wo in her novel Gone Girl. With the use of other aspects (economic downfall and mental instability)Read MoreThe Secret Life of Bees and How It Is Classified Under the Southern Gothic Genre792 Words   |  4 PagesThe Secret Life of Bees within the Southern Gothic Genre Most southern gothic literature deals with the disturbed and flawed characters; one of the most famous writers of this genre is Edgar Allan Poe. The southern gothic genre is characterized by grotesque, gruesome, or unbelievable incidents. The southern gothic genre is portrayed in many ways. Lily, the main character, goes through many difficult life experiences and learns many tough lessons. This book does not have a happy ending like a fairyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Southern Gothic 1566 Words   |  7 PagesMyszkowski English 1102 17 April 2016 Southern Gothic Literature In the 19th century, the Southern Gothic genre quickly became popular after Edgar Allen Poe poems in the 18th century. Most writings were formed around the Civil War era, which plays an enormous part in the tone and setting in Southern Gothic writing styles. (O’Connell 63) Southern Gothic writing elements consist of â€Å"horror, romance and psychological and domestic dramas† (63). The setting of Southern Gothic was always dingy and dark whichRead MoreMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words   |  7 Pages Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism with a particular focus on the mysterious and supernatural aspects. Gothic fiction originated in England during the latter half of the 18th century. This distinctive genre of literature soon developed into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre byRead MoreCharacteristics Of Southern Gothic Literature1694 Words   |  7 PagesJordan Cole English 1102 Professor Myszkowski 1 December 2017 Southern Gothic Literature Throughout the course of history, literature has gone through considerable changes. Dating back to its humble beginnings in folklore, fables, and storytelling all the way up to the scientific books and dramatic novels of today. Literature is arguably the centerpiece of all mankind. It is useful for record keeping, education, and bringing cultures and societies together. It has allowed us to expand our mindsRead MoreUses of the Conventions of the Gothic Story in The Yellow Wallpaper and A Rose for Emily1467 Words   |  6 Pages In the eighteenth century, Gothic story was an extremely popular form of literature, and it has been a major genre since then. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner are both Gothic horror stories consisting madness and suspense. The Gothic horror story carries particular conventions in its setting, theme, point of view, and characterisation. Both Gilman and Faulkner follow the conventions of the Gothic horr or story to create feelings of gloomRead MoreThe Genre of Southern Gothic in A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay1347 Words   |  6 Pagestouch of Southern whimsy-you’ve cooked up a collection of American literature absolutely unique in time, place, and sentiment, Southern gothic.† Southern gothic comes from the genre of gothic fiction, and has some type of supernatural or unusual events in it. It is characterized as having a grotesque quality yet still having enough good in it to keep readers interested. The short story, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† by Mary Flannery O’Connor, is often considered a perfect example of Southern gothicRead MoreThe Fall Of The House Of Usher1133 Words   |  5 Pagesgetting him crazy. Gothic Stories are romantic tales of terror and the supernatural, which rely a great deal on scene and setting to convey a sense of horror to the reader. The American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is just one master of the literary genre known as the Gothic story, and he makes great contribution to Gothic fiction. He inherits and develops the tradition Gothic fiction, and the American literature forms the background of his horror fictions and gives his fictions unique power andRead MoreThe Fall Of The House Of Usher1243 Words   |  5 Pagesappear crazy. Gothic Stories are romantic tales of terror and the supernatural, which rely a great deal on scene and setting to convey a sense of horror to the reader. The American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is just one master of the literary genre known as the Gothic story, and he makes great contribution to Gothic fiction. He inherits and develops the tradition Gothic fiction, and the American literature forms the background of his horror fictions and gives his fictions unique power andRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s A Of The Sky And A Rose For Emily1540 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature, a Contribution to Society Reading, in general has affected all societies in all time periods, and reading is more than just an everyday task. These two authors affected society in their time, with their reappraising stories: A Horseman In The Sky and A Rose For Emily. However, William Faulkner (author of A Rose For Emily) and Ambrose Bierce (author of A Horseman In The Sky) have different views and affects on society by when the particular story was published, the use of figurative language

The Second Chance Free Essays

The Second Chance When she came to, there was only the cold. She was on her side, against something hard, and it was draining the heat out of her, from the very marrow of her bones. She tried to raise her head, but had not yet come far enough into consciousness. We will write a custom essay sample on The Second Chance or any similar topic only for you Order Now She relaxed, and only then came to understand that she was lying on concrete. Thoughts flashed randomly, scattered and incomplete. She realized she could not remember her name, and that sudden insight sent her into panic. How did I get here? She fought to gain control over her fatigue and the fog in her mind. She lifted a hand and found she could wiggle her fingers. She tried an eyelid only to let it slam shut again in response to the sharp, blinding light of an overhead fixture. She slowly turned her head on the unforgiving concrete, away from the light, and tried again. One eye opened, then the next, and as her eyes slowly focused she saw a shiny black pair of boots standing next to her. Her eyes drifted up from the boots to the man’s face and realized that it was a police officer shining a flashlight in her face. He calmly said, â€Å"Don’t worry ma’am. The ambulance is on its way. You’re gonna be just fine. † As she began to hear sirens growing closer and closer, her eyes began to close again as she slowly drifted back into unconsciousness. She awoke again to find herself in a hospital bed, still panicked and unsure of whom she was. She looked over to see a nurse staring back at her. When the nurse noticed that the patient’s eyes had opened and was conscious again, she scrambled out of the room yelling for a doctor. The frantic nurse returned seconds later with a tall, middle-aged man dressed in all white who introduced himself as Dr. Wilson. He began by asking the woman if she knew her name, to which she replied with a small shake of the head. He then asked her if she could remember anything that happened prior to the fall, to which he received the same response. â€Å"It is common for patients with head trauma like yours to have some memory loss, but your memory will usually return in time,† the doctor reassured her. â€Å"I will say though, from a fall like that, you are very lucky to be alive. † In response to hearing this remark, the woman rolled her eyes and turned over to go back to sleep. After a week in the hospital, the woman still has no knowledge of who she is and no one has filed a missing persons report looking for a woman that matches her. Since she has recovered from most of her injuries, the hospital decides to release her to a women’s shelter in hopes that they can help her further. But after a few days of being in the shelter and with no progress, the woman decides to go for a walk. She begins walking the streets with no intended direction or place in mind. But the more she walks the clearer things become. And she eventually realizes that she has walked this path before. She soon comes to an all too familiar overpass. As she stands there looking down at the highway below her, she smiles and says aloud, â€Å"This time wait on a semi-truck before you jump, Jenny. † How to cite The Second Chance, Papers

Starbucks HRM Essay Example

Starbucks HRM Paper Human resource management function is a very crucial function in any modern organization that seeks to achieve its objectives including the task of ensuring that employees are motivated by use of effective performance appraisal techniques such as reward schemes. Such HRM function is very crucial to Starbucks Corporation in order to motivate its employees. This is because people are the most important asset an organization has as compared to other assets that aid in running the organization. Therefore for accomplishment of organizational effectiveness, performance appraisal is the most important critical factor that must be paid attention to by the management of any business firm wishing to remain competitive as well as remain international in scope; Starbucks Corporation is not exceptional from such an objective. Human resource has the responsibility to coordinate all the activities within the organization and they have to ensure efficiency in productivity of the organization hence firms should maintain a motivated workforce (Bjbrkman and Fey, 2001). This paper is dealing with how Starbucks human resource department can use performance appraisal technique to improve the performance of its staff. The paper is also aimed at equipping managers particularly those from Human Resource department of the corporation to look critically on the best ways of rewarding employees in the organization. Starbucks Corporation and its Current HRM Strategy Starbucks Corporation is a coffee company in Australia which was first opened in July, 2000 in Sydney and at the Central Business District as a subsidiary of the mother company in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks HRM specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks HRM specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks HRM specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Starbuck roasts high quality whole coffee beans and they sell them with other beverages as prepared in the Italian espresso beverages. The coffee drinks are richly brewed to give the customers necessary satisfaction and pleasure. One of the best known drink brands is the bottled Frappuccino ® which is enjoyed throughout the world. In Australia alone, the organization has been able to expand and now has 89 retail outlets in major areas of the nation such as Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Tasmania, Gold Coast, South Australia, and Brisbane. The headquarters for the Starbucks coffee company Australia is at the Frenchs Forest, New South Wales and it serves as the support centre for all the other stores in Australia. The retail stores offer people the finest coffee sourced from coffee farmers across the world in addition to great entertainment, music, good people and excellent customer service. This organization is the only retail international coffee store that has a unique brand that has a global recognition. Most of the customers get access to excellent room tables, comfortable sofas, chairs, bars and other accessories which fit the needs of everyone from the CEO of a company to the secretary of a company (Starbucks Corporations, 2008). This company endeavors to produce economic, social, and environmental benefits as a social responsibility stance for the communities it serves. This organization believes that it is possible to be good and do the best at the same time. Nevertheless, there has been a considerable criticism that Starbucks management has failed to be effective and efficient in its business activities because they have practiced unacceptable managerial activities of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. The company has not ensured that the respective managers of respective departments are well equipped with human, technical, and conceptual skills that give them an opportunity to integrate the managerial activities above in order to produce results expected from their departments. The absence of such skills by managers has led to the company performance decreasing in some of its potential markets (John and Keith, 1997). Starbucks Corporation has been criticized for not building a strong human resource relationship with its entire workforce who has failed to enhance the success of corporation. In fact there is speculation that the company does not recruit its employees based on their qualifications and their competence. They have not achieved effectiveness and efficiency because they have not developed their staff through training and have not adopted proper compensation systems that have in turn demoralized the employees in their work. Such employees have not been able to cope with effects of competition and thus they have produced poor results (Starbucks Corporations, 2008). Decisions regarding to employees, operations management have not been constantly revised by the management of the corporation in order to match international standards that will foster success in business environment. For example, employees have not been properly trained to cope with new changes like introduction in technology. However, many companies who deal with sale of drinks have also diversified and fight for market share with Starbuck Corporation, a development which has given the corporation rough time in coming up with viable marketing strategies (Starbucks Corporations, 2008). Human Resource Strategy and its role in Starbucks Human resource management in business terms is the coherent and strategic approach to the management of the working force of an organization. It combines academic, social and business practices in the application of techniques to manage a particular workforce. These practices are designed to go inline with the company’s goals, objectives, vision and mission with specific emphasis on growth and development. Starbucks Corporation needs to attract, maintain and also manage its employees effectively. There is an assumption that employees are just business assets in an organization, but human resource development professionals explain that, these employees have varying goals and needs in life which can be utilized by the organization to meet its targets while assisting the individual persons succeed in their careers (John and Keith, 1997). The following are some of the core functions of human resource management in Starbucks Corporation; workforce planning, recruitment and staffing, promoting industrial relations, personnel development and performance monitoring as well as training, compensation and benefit management. It is considered that the human resource practices used in strategic human resource management in Starbucks Corporation should enhance techniques, systems and polices developed in line with the performance appraisal management of the organization’s tasks. This performance appraisal of Starbucks Corporation is designed promote strategic planning and thinking in all aspects of employee assessment, problem solving and counseling (Maund, 2001). Good knowledge of employee behaviors, performance and needs helps Starbucks Corporation to deal squarely with diversity issues e. g. ulture, religion, race etc. in fact; studies have shown that, certain human resource practices in Starbucks Corporation have contributed both positively and negatively to firm performance through workforce alignment. It is also related to employee outcomes including; trust in management co-operation, higher commitment in workplaces as well as better employee efforts and involvement among other factors (Michael, 2006). Manpower planning within Starbucks Corporation is very critical in that, cases of either overstaffing or understaffing is detrimental in one way or another. The economies of scale for the business together with specialization orders are lost if the organization is understaffed. On the other hand, if overstaffing is sustained, it becomes a waste and also expensive for the organization. These factors are therefore part of the planning process being carried out by human resource development officers in Starbucks Corporation. For instance; they should ensure that the organization’s workforce is certainly enough to meet the general duty requirement Human resource strategy is referred to in a layman’s language as the management of the people who are working in an institution or an organization. This is done because employee performance affects how far or how successful an organization can be. Human resource strategy of Starbucks Corporation also involves the managers clarifying to the employees the organization’s goals and objectives. Studies have shown that, there is a unique relationship between the human resource management practices and techniques for a company and its overall performance (Armstrong, 2006). Starbucks Performance Appraisal and its Business Goals The success of Starbucks Corporation is mainly determined by its human resources and hence there is a need for a motivated workforce. In fact human resource of any firm has to be innovative, energetic, creative and motivated in order to remain focused in scope. Indeed any company including Starbucks Corporation should have guiding principles which help the employees to attain set goals and objectives. Such principles define what each and employee is expected to do thus attain their goals. Starbucks Corporation has such principles and such principles also points out how the company promotes trust, pride, professionalism, trust, teamwork and openness in their undertakings. Such principles however, do not concentrate much more on the issue of performance appraisal such as motivation which is a key factor in organizational success. Therefore this paper will attempt to reveal the importance of a motivated workforce as well as the different methods that can be used to motivate the workforce particularly in Starbucks Corporation (Hoyer, 2001). Research indicates that skills, knowledge and experience represent capital due to the reason that they enhance productivity. Companies invest in skills training and development to be competitive, but the failure to manage the person trained could be considered a great setback. Employee retention is basically essential in grasping a complete return on investment. Based on the human capital theory, it is imperative that companies invest in skills training and development, but they should also align the performance appraisal such as compensations and benefits of the person with his or her achievements. Research reveals that in many modern business organizations there is obviously a lack in recognizing the achievements of skilled employees. Without recognition and growth, there is no reason for the employee to carry on his good performance, or worse, to continue his service to the organization (Bjbrkman and Fey, 2001). Motivation can be assumed as the reason or the force behind why a person does what he or she does. Sometimes, it is also a means to make the person perform better and more efficient. Basically there are three assumptions in human motivation as established in research. The first one assumes that motivation is inferred from a systematic analysis of how personal, task and environmental characteristics influence behavior and job performance. The next one infers that motivation is not a fixed trait; but rather it refers to a dynamic internal state resulting from the influence of personal and situational factors. This means that motivation as one technique of performance appraisal may change with changes in personal, social or other factors. Finally, it should further be noted that motivation affects behavior which in turn will lead to poor performance by the employees (Buck, Filatotchev and Wright, 2003). As social beings, basic human interaction and communication are considered as relevant needs that should be attended to in the working environment. The rational and emotional aspects of a person enable one to be participatory and reflective on certain aspects of the operations in the organization. Social interactions are necessary so as to provide for the social needs of an individual. Since people are more than a resource of an organization, their active and contemplative nature will always be open and shown. Aside from the primary needs for existence, social interaction in the form of companionship helps in shaping the character of a person as a quality individual that is capable of doing complex things and acting complicatedly Performance Appraisal Management in Starbucks Corporation Research reveals that employee motivation is the key to the profitability and competitive success of Starbuck Corporation in the current business world i. e. particularly in the hotel industry. Research has shown that Starbuck Corporation dose not pay well its employees and thus they do not carry out their jobs well and in return the company’s performance has been negatively affected. In Starbucks Corporation; for instance, the employer-employee relations are considered not very important thus that the corporation failing to realize its mission effectively. In fact, it has been researched and found out that well paid employees of Starbucks Corporation have translated to satisfied customers i. e. with motivated workforce they do their tasks well thus retaining and attracting more customers. Hence, with improper policies and administrative skills utilized by Starbucks Corporation, managers have indeed created failed to create a satisfied workforce through such an appraisal performance technique. Starbucks Corporation employee performance appraisal technique has taken different forms that include the following: The first factor is of job security which is the primary driving force an employee Centres on while working; it is the ability to retain the job for as many years as possible (Hoyer, 2001). Personal organization and family budget go in line with job security concerns. When an employee is confident of his or her job security at the workplace, his performance is far much better than a case where he or she is not sure of being retained in the next year because he is motivated to work. With job security, some Starbucks employees have failed to know whether at the end of month he/she will be paid thus becoming demoralized to work. This implies that much time is wasted because employees are not okay and thus have do not have enough time to work for the company since they work as they think of quitting the corporation at one time The other factor that is suppose to enhance success in Starbuck is that of pay satisfaction; research indicates that people don’t work unless they receive pay for work done as a motivator which is therefore the key to employee satisfaction. Although employees are paid better than other employees of other organizations, Starbucks Managers normally do not use financial rewards to improve their worker’s performance. Good salaries equally translate to better work. Every worker would want to continue working for an organization which pays him or her well which has not been the case in Starbucks Corporation (Bjbrkman and Fey, 2001). Therefore Starbucks Corporation has not saved time since the management has to spend time of hiring new employees every time because the current employees are not secure and they have reason to look for other opportunities Another source of motivation is that of using rewards and gifts in order to inspire employees in Starbucks Corporation. Research indicates that rewards used by the corporation have been only very big inducements but the small gifts given to anybody have been ignored by the management thus its employees eventually don’t feel appreciated. For example a handwritten thank you note which can be utilized in Starbucks Corporation is normally appreciated and cherished (Foster and Harris, 2005). Everybody loves chocolate, and provision of such kind of rewards especially at the weekends and special days like Christmas and Valentine days, should help to build positive relationships between the Starbucks Corporation management and the employees. Research indicates that gift certificates such as birthday wishes are a morale booster to self-confidence of the employees. Starbucks Corporation has failed to offer sufficient logo merchandizes; for instance, in form of t-shirts, caps, mugs, pens, jackets and computer mouse pads thus not boosting the morale of the employees because they are not proud to be associated with Starbucks failure. In addition, Starbucks Corporation has not been utilizing motivational posters which are supposed to be strategically drafted for individual recognition for job well done. In most cases, people would want to know if their work has made some difference and therefore provision of such rewards by Starbucks Corporation should encourage them thus motivating the employees. Another way of appraising employees that Starbucks Corporation have not utilized fully is that of praising them; for instance if they have fulfilled their undersigned tasks effectively. The firms’ management has not strategized well since they even don’t keep the records of the performance of employees. Any employee who shows commendable improvement are not praised in the organizational weekly, monthly and also the annual meetings. Through this employees have not been motivated since they believe that they are not recognized by the organization and thus not improving their performance. However, this should not just be carried out in the formal meetings only, but managers should make time to meet with individual employees who are reported to have been performing better and praise them for the good work (Harzing and Ruysseveldt, 2004). Recommendations The main aspects of human resource strategy in Starbucks Corporation should incorporate the following areas; employee motivation and retention strategies, employee selection strategies and employee management strategies which in general encompass performance appraisal measures. This strategy if implemented simultaneously in Starbucks Corporation will create a family-like community and environment in the organization. From this study we can conclude that performance appraisal is a key factor to success of any organization including Starbucks Corporation. It should be noted that as a manager, your impact on employee satisfaction is great and immeasurable; therefore the management of Starbucks Corporation should look for convenient, cost-conscious and appreciated ways of performance appraisal such as excellent motivation structures in order to build a motivated, dynamic and committed workforce that will result in better productivity and profitability of the corporation. The most critical factor that results to poor management of many organizations including Starbucks Corporation is that of the inability of senior managers to provide necessary support for the accomplishment of organizations goals through utilization of effective performance appraisal techniques. It is substantiated that the behavior of many senior managers of Starbucks Corporation has contributed immensely to poor success of the organization. This is explicitly witnessed in the performance appraisal process. Senior managers have adopted behavior of self centeredness and they always think that they are the only one who makes viable decisions in relation to goals being attained hence resulting to low morale by existing workforce (Maund, 2001). This has resulted to lower level managers and employees not to perform quality work because they are always not motivated when carrying out their respective duties. The overall management of Starbucks Corporation should not that no matter how well the organization’s values and culture is drafted it requires the will of senior managers to maintain such performance appraisal values and cultures within the organization. The senior managers can change the attitude of their employees if only they can lead by example which will lead to good motivation and thus successful attainment of set objectives. Human resource is the most vital asset in Starbucks Corporation and senior managers have to concentrate their management efforts in their staff development in order to boost their morale and thus increase in productivity. Employees’ satisfaction strategies should be formulated in Starbucks Corporation in order to ensure smooth running of the corporation. It is the key to the economic success of Starbucks Corporation. Research has shown that a satisfied employee does his job well and in return the company’s performance is greatly improved (Hoyer, 2001). The HR department of Starbucks Corporation should formulate corporate and HR strategies that incorporate performance appraisal analysis and clarification of the corporation mission statement. The department should also offer guidelines to the rest of the management when considering how business should develop and in what direction it should be directed to. In this line the HR department should clearly ensure that the strategies developed in the organization should be the ones that direct efforts towards accomplishing the Starbucks Corporation basic mission or purpose (Armstrong, 2006). In order to enhance the activities of Starbucks Corporation, the HR department should redesign the HR department in order to remain competitive in the market place and to respond to any changes in the market place; Also strategic objectives that encompass performance appraisal measures of the organization should be formulated; this implies that the HR department should turn the mission statement in to supporting objectives for each level of management in the corporation. The objectives formulated should be directed to key result areas in the corporation where performance is necessary for business survival. The corporation key result areas that should be considered include; marketing, finance, production, human resources, physical resources, social responsibility, and profit requirement (Thomson and Rampton, 2003). Conclusion From Starbucks Corporation case analysis we can therefore deduce that, ensuring employee performance requires establishing a level of competence which the employee should be aware of as a target to be achieved. This is the measure that should be used by Starbucks Corporation managers in determining compliance with the standards and in identifying problems met by the employees in meeting such standards. For instance; in developing a performance appraisal technique such as efficient motivation structure to enhance the productivity of employees the manager will look at the competency problems of the employees and fashion the program to enable the employees to reach and even exceed the competency standard established for their work. This requires a great amount of perceptiveness on the part of the manager in determining what method of appraising will be most effective in improving employee competence (Thomson and Rampton, 2003). A considerable number of companies including Starbucks Corporation have developed into an essential part of the period of global competition, increasing development, improved business paradigms, and corporate re-organization. The continuing transformation from the traditional industrial framework with its hierarchical companies to a worldwide, knowledge-founded financial system and intelligent corporations, altering ideas regarding the social contract involving employers and employees, an progressively more adaptable pool of talent and a body of workforce, necessitates human resource (HR) strategies to realign and relocate itself in the vicinity of these drivers.

The Online Music Industry

The Online Music Industry Introduction In today’s business world, technology plays a fundamental role and very few businesses can boast of success without the use of technology. The music industry is one of the businesses which has greatly benefited from the technological advances that have characterized the 20th century. In particular, the computer and the internet have had a huge impact on the music industry. As a result of the two, a new business entity; the online music industry, has emerged and continues to flourish.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Online Music Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the manual system which includes selling music over the counter still plays a role in the distribution of music, online distribution has taken ground and is fast becoming the preferred form of distribution. Considering the importance of the online music industry, this paper shall set out to examine the history of the same, its challenges and the future of the industry. The Music Industry From a commercial perspective, music has become a big business in America contributing over a billion dollars to America every year. One can therefore extrapolate that the music industry is an important facet of the American economy. Through the various components e.g. recording artist, production houses, agents and concert venues to name but a few, this industry creates employment for a big number of American citizens and also increases the government’s revenue accrued from taxation on sales made. Music production and the medium through which music is distributed to the consumers has changed through the years as technological advances are made. The cassettes and records which were the preferred mode in the 1980s are now rendered obsolete by even more efficient mediums. The invention of the MP3 audio encoding and compression format had a huge bearing on the manner in which music was distributed. Lehma nn documents that the significant reduction in size required for the storage of audio files while maintaining quality was a huge breakthrough to the music industry (6). This technology was used in CDs which quickly replaced the cassettes and records of the 1980s. In the past decade, there has been an unprecedented high adoption rate of internet usage. This is because the costs of computers and internet access have reduced drastically over the years. This has resulted in internet connectivity becoming widely available to a majority of the population. Technological advances which have resulted in higher rates of transmission over the internet have led to a situation whereby transferring of data over the internet can take place at very high speeds. This perversity of the internet has resulted in CDs becoming superfluous as digital media takes a front seat in music distribution. New technologies that have emerged as a result of the internet have changed the classic business model for mu sic in profound ways. Ground-breaking inventions such as the iPod revolutionalized the manner in which music is listened to by consumers.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The iPod has made it possible for one to listen to their favorite music literally anywhere owing to their compact nature and allows users to buy music online from internet music stores hence rendering traditional music stores redundant since users can in most cases get the same music provided by the stores at significantly reduced rates (Ivan 2). Strengths of the online Music Industry The online music industry has given music marketers a new tool with which they can better target their products. Bruno documents that by examining the online sales made through the information that is provided by the internet, listening trends can be established therefore giving record companies the opportunity to make even higher sales (25). By using the data that is collected on the consumers, music companies are now able to market to consumers more effectively since they have a profile of the tastes and preferences of the particular consumer. This may result in higher profits for the music industry as well as better customer satisfaction. The internet is a very potent promotional tool and for this reason, many record labels have benefited from its promotional abilities. Through one of the online music service providers which is the internet radio, musicians have been able to promote their music. Castro declares that â€Å"getting your music played on the internet provides a huge boost for an artist† (8). This is so because high visibility results in the artist gaining a wider audience therefore giving them a chance to more effectively market their music. As such, the internet creates more value for the copyright holders who are mostly the music label companies. This results in high er profits for the players in the industry. An increase in sales is one of the primary goals for any business and the music industry is no exception. The internet can assist in the increase in sales by a number of ways. Castro states that internet radio helps increase music sales by providing the listeners with links to online stores where they can buy their favorite music (8). Also, by playing music by a particular artist, the profile of the artist increases which is goof for marketing and branding purposes. Another means through which the sales have been increased is through the iPod which assists users legally download millions of songs from the internet.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Online Music Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Burkart and McCourt theorize that the online music industry may result in the reduction in the role played by record labels in the music industry (7). Before the advent of online music, artists greatly relied on their record labels to market their music and increase their popularity. Without the online music industry, most artists were force to transfer the complete copyright of their songs to the record label or the producers therefore reducing their profits. The internet provides a cheap way through which an artist can popularize his/her work and therefore gain popularity without the record label. Challenges Arguably the biggest threat that the online music industry faces is that of piracy. The Business Software Alliance defines software piracy as the unauthorized copying or distribution of copyrighted music. Despite pirating constituting copyright infringement and therefore being an illegal action punishable by law, it has over the last decade become so prevalent in modern society that most people engage in it without hesitation. While a country may impose strict copyright laws within its borders, there is no guarantee that the same will be obeyed in other countries which is what makes piracy so hard to curb. The BBC documented that a website which was offering illegal MP3 tracks for sale could not have any legal action taken against it since it was operating in Russian and the Russian laws did not cover digital media therefore making it ok to pirate from the country. Such discrepancies in law are detrimental to the online music industry. Piracy not only denies the players in the music industry off their rightfully earned pay but it also translates to a slowing in the growth of the music industry as the much needed revenue is siphoned off by pirates The Future of Online Music The future of music lies with the emerging technology and at the moment, the leading technology is the internet. As has been noted in this paper, while the online music industry holds a lot of promise, its challenges threaten to reduce the income of the music industry substantially. The major challenge posed is that of piracy through illegal do wnloads. If piracy is to continue unabated, it will dry up the income of artists and with this, there will no longer be an incentive for musicians to keep on coming up with new music. Solutions to this must therefore be sought if the online music industry is to remain profitable. To curb the threat that piracy brought about to the music industry, Castro reveals that major record labels are beginning to license their music to online services (8). These services such as Imeem give listeners an opportunity to listen to music online legally for a minimal fee thus discouraging them from participating in piracy.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While there has been a significant growth in digital music sales as a result of new strategies adopted by key players in the industry to tackle the copyright infringement issues, this sales still fail to compensate the losses that the industry faces. Castro suggests that the creation of a nationwide database of sound recordings would enable the copyright holders to gauge the popularity of their songs therefore enabling them to set competitive market rates resulting in higher sales (9). Conclusion Online music is potentially big business for all the players in the music industry. This paper set out to examine the growth of online music, its relative benefits and the challenges that it posses in the music industry. From this paper, it is clear that while online music can give a competitive advantage to the music industry players who take advantage of it therefore allowing them to thrive, it can also result in huge losses and even threaten to collapse the music industry. These problems must be dealt with to ensure the long-term survival of the music industry. BBC. Legal okay for Russian MP3 site. 8 Mar, 2005. Web. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4328269.stm Bruno, Antony. Companies are now fighting for data as well as dollars. Billboard, Vol. 121, No. 20. 2009. Burkart, Patrick and McCourt, Tom. Digital music wars: ownership and control of the celestial jukebox. Rowman Littlefield, 2006. Print. Castro, Daniel. â€Å"Internet Radio and Copyright Royalties: Reforming a Broken System.† The Information Technology Innovation Foundation, 2007. Ivan, Gregor, How the iPod has Changed the Way we Listen to Music. 2007. Web. Lehmann, Volker. Copyright in the Music Industry. Aug. 2005. Web. https://emle.org/

Avogadros Number (Chemistry Glossary Definition)

Avogadro's Number (Chemistry Glossary Definition) Avogadros number, or Avogadros constant, is the number of particles found in one mole of a substance. It is the number of atoms in exactly 12 grams of carbon-12. This experimentally determined value is approximately 6.0221 x 1023 particles per mole. Avogadros number may be designated using the symbol L or NA. Note that Avogadros number, on its own, is a dimensionless quantity. In chemistry and physics, Avogadros number usually refers to a quantity of atoms, molecules, or ions, but it can be applied to any particle. For example, 6.02 x 1023 elephants is the number of elephants in one mole of them! Atoms, molecules, and ions are much less massive than elephants, so there needed to be a large number to refer to a uniform quantity of them so that they could be compared relative to each other in chemical equations and reactions. History of Avogadro's Number Avogadros number is named in honor of the Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro. Although Avogadro proposed that the volume of a gas at a fixed temperature and pressure was proportional to the number of particles it contained, he did not propose the constant. In 1909, French physicist Jean Perrin proposed Avogadros number. He won the 1926 Nobel Prize in physics for using several methods to determine the value of the constant. However, Perrins value was based on the number of atoms in 1 gram-molecule of atomic hydrogen. Later, the constant was redefined based on 12 grams of carbon-12. In German literature, the number is also called the Loschmidt constant.

Cause and effect essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cause and effect - Essay Example An emotional effect of being angry is pessimism. Anger drives the positivity out of an individual and leaves them emotionally drained. As a result, the outlook of the individual on the world in general and people in particular becomes very pessimistic. While this emotional effect lasts just as long as the anger does, it can cause the individual to make negative moves that they might even regret later. For example, just because of a misunderstood comment on Facebook from an otherwise close friend, the individual might unfriend the person out of anger, only to realize later that the move was not worth making. Pessimism causes people to make uninformed decisions. In anger, people tend to overlook the positive aspects of an individual’s personality and expand on the negative aspects excessively. The ability to rationally analyze situations, people, and circumstances is sapped in anger. An emotional effect of being angry is emotional outburst. Anger saps intelligence and the abilit y of an individual to maintain emotional balance. Emotional outburst can be exhibited in different ways. While some people shout, scream, or yell, others become faint. In emotional outburst, people say things that they really do not mean to say. They exaggerate the matter at hand and other’s fault in it, thus not only sounding irrational, but also casting a negative impression upon the audience both that is related to the matter and others that are not. Emotional outburst also causes many effects to appear physically and reflect in the face of the angry person. For example, some people go very red in the face when they are angry, some people’s lips, hands, and limbs start trembling in anger, and yet there are others, who start to perspire heavily in anger. All of this is a result of the interaction between mind and body in emotional outburst. In emotional outburst, people even say things that are not directly related to the matter at hand. They may draw examples of eve nts that have passed several years ago, thus casting an impression upon the audience that they do not let go of things even if they seem to have forgiven. When people faint as a result of emotional outburst, their body temperature decreases and they turn white and pale in the face. Many people also perspire heavily when they faint. A physical effect of being angry is violence. Different people behave differently when they are angry. A reaction commonly shown by people in anger is violence. While some people simply enclose themselves in an empty room, and sleep away the anger, others start throwing things away, thus breaking them. A bad news heard over the television can seem a good reason to throw a vase at the LED screen and shatter it. Some people become so overwhelmed with anger that they ignite fire and burn away their possessions, rooms, and other kinds of property, thus putting others’ lives in danger in addition to their own. Possession of weapons can be potentially ha rmful for such an individual who cannot control themselves in anger. People who possess pistols have a tendency to shoot the person they are angry at in rare circumstances. Possession of weapons can be particularly dangerous when there is a fight between children or young adults. Out of immaturity and insanity, they are vulnerable to hurting or even