Porter Novelli or Southern Company Case Study Term Paper

Porter Novelli or Southern Company Case Study - Term Paper Example Southern Company aptly exemplifies the manner in which organizations triumph by adopting proper performance management strategy. Proper performance management strategy in turn is successful to the extent that its exercise will be centered on the welfare of the personnel. 1. Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Roles That the Strategic Leaders Played In the Formation of the Performance Management Strategy Goldsmith and Carter (2010) point out that strategic leaders for Southern Company have played effective roles in the formation of the performance management strategy, based on several yardsticks. One of the ways in which this success is visible is the manner in which the Southern Company has hired employees at the entry level and continued to promote individual employees internally, thereby helping these employees occupy leadership positions that are available within the organization. This is directly connected to the observation of proper management strategy since the intra-organizat ional promotion of individuals to higher offices is usually a culmination of employees' culture of meeting performance target. Similarly, the same is a culmination of proper setting of feasible yet dynamic performance targets, supervision and bridging of performance gaps. The same also demands the exaction of workshop drives, training programs, and mentorship programs. The setting of performance target, supervision, the bridging of performance gaps and the extension of rewards to outstanding performers [by giving promotions] are all very important facets of performance management strategy. According to Fegley and Society for Human Resource Management (2007), another indicator of the effectiveness with which strategic leaders have contributed towards the formation of its performance management strategy is the low turnover rate that the company has had. This characteristically low turnover rate has enabled the Southern company to possess older, more seasoned and more tenured personnel . It is against this backdrop that over the years, Southern Company has been able to nurture a group of leaders that are in possession of a profound depth of business knowledge and who are strongly aligned with Southern Company's organizational culture. The maintenance of a low turnover is in turn a complex result of performance management strategy. This is because performance management strategy involves proper determination of performance goals, correctional measures to seal performance gaps and the extension of incentives. All these factors are important in extirpating high turnover. The drawing up of proper performance goals ensures employees are provided with the right of amount of work [and therefore reducing the risks of overworking or underperformance] while the sealing of performance gaps have to be humane enough to inculcate both a sense of belonging and challenge. The extension of incentives such as promotions, higher emoluments, grants and acts of acknowledgement directl y dissuade employees from seeking greener pastures, and thereby abating high turnover. Another way in which Strategic leaders for Southern Company h

Comment each essay alone by itself Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comment each alone by itself - Essay Example The section "benefits of knowing your cash position" does not clearly highlight the benefits. It only gives the three main areas of a cash flow statement. Although these areas do indirectly highlight the benefits of knowing your cash position, perhaps mentioning a few other benefits would have added further clarity. The following benefit, for instance, could have been added: Companies that know their cash position well are in a much better situation to provide their stakeholders with better information that they need to assess the financial well being of the company. This in turn maybe important when a company is trying to obtain a loan and needs to provide its cash position to the lender. Similarly, other stakeholders such as investors, stockholders, customers, etc. may also require this information. No example is mentioned when explaining the third area of the cash flow statement: Cash from financing activities. The Microsoft example should be extended to clarify this section of the cash flow statement as well. This essay does not completely explain how cash is the life blood of any business. The importance of cash and preparing cash flow statements has only been inadequately explained in the beginning. The word "life-blood" has not been emphasized. In other words, the writer has only explained how cash can aid businesses and help different forms of business better predict their cash needs and perform their tasks well. However, the writer has failed to illustrate that before helping businesses, more important is the fact that cash is a necessity- a source of survival for businesses and they not only need cash to help them do their tasks better but they need cash to survive-it's a "have cash or die" situation. I believe highlighting this point is essential considering the topic of this essay requires an explanation of how cash is the life blood of any business. The conclusion only mentions the importance of cash flow statements and not cash in general even though the tag line of the topic only mentions cash. There is no mention of cash flow statement in the tag line. Although cash flow statements ultimately boil down to the importance of cash, mentioning the importance of cash in general and not specifically cash flow statements would have been more appropriate.Essay 3 (Nadrah): Although the essay starts with a quotation, the writer directly jumps off to explaining cash flow statements. Perhaps explaining one or two lines about the importance of cash in general and cash being the life blood of any business would have been more appropriate. The essay mentions a very strong point: " all the three statements above, when integrated, are required to make and support interrelated financial decisions." This point has been explained and elaborated extremely well and could not have been done with any more perfection. There are some concepts that have not been explained too well. Consider, for instance, the concept of free cash flow hypothesis. The writer only states that "According to the free cash flow hypothesis, managers may choose to expand operations because their incentives are not aligned with firm value maximization." This explanation is not by itself

Protein Targeting and Integrations Research Paper

Protein Targeting and Integrations - Research Paper Example The mitochondrial matrix is a viscous fluid that carries hundreds of enzyme components, which are responsible for different functions. The mitochondrion is a cell component that plays the role of producing energy. For this reason, it is also called the cell powerhouse. This cell organelle is characteristic with eukaryotic organisms, ad its size varies between 0.5 to 10 micrometers. The mitochondrion is composed of different components: mitochondrion ER, the matrix, intermembrane space, inner membrane and the outer membrane. The inner and outer membrane layers are formed by phospholipids layers and protein, while the matrix is formed by varied enzymes and it plays many functions (Lodish et al., 2000; Das & Robbins, 1988). Protein import into mitochondrial matrix takes place across the outer and the inner mitochondrial membranes. Unfolded proteins components are routed into the matrix region with a chaperone type protein; the communication model required for channeling the precursor protein to the mitochondrial matrix, from the cytosol is comprised of an N-terminal matrix-targeting series. The translocation of the precursors to the matrix series takes place at sites where the inner and outer membranes are close to one another. In the area of targeting and synthesis there is the usage of the proto-motive force, and the protein F-class ATPase – towards the synthesis of the ATP. A major type of the proteins routed to the matrix area is synthesized at the cytosol, and then integrated into the mitochondrion. The largest proportion of the processed proteins is taken to the matrix, while the remaining portion is taken to the intermembrane area or stored at the inner or outer membrane areas (Lodish et al., 2000; Austen & Westwood, 1991). Protein importation into the mitochondrial matrix area: as a originator protein, whish is characteristic with an N-terminal matrix-targeting series (red), comes from the cytosolic ribosome, binding to the chaperone proteins, for

Public Relations Plan for Merger and Acquisition Essay

Public Relations Plan for Merger and Acquisition - Essay Example Furthermore, a business may acquire another so that it expands its coverage of a given market, giving it a competitive edge over its competitors. Besides enabling a business to maintain and expand its grip on its customers or markets, mergers and acquisitions assist businesses to venture into new locations, thereby increasing productivity and profitability. Although they are closely related terms, merger and acquisition are two distinct concepts that should be easily distinguished from each other. In essence, acquisition refers to a scenario in which one business buys another business entity. Although any business may opt to merge with others, those seeking to expand their markets and those facing negative publicity due to their monopolistic characters, political influences or lack of public trust are found to be more likely to merge in order to survive in the competitive markets (Oliver, 2004). For such a company or a corporate organization, it is imperative that effective public re lations strategies, plans and campaigns are established, implemented, evaluated and reformed in cases where they are not effective enough. It is therefore essential that an elaborate public relations plan

LEGAL ASPECT OF NURSING Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

LEGAL ASPECT OF NURSING - Case Study Example Therefore, the law of nursing is meant to aide nurses in making decisions in order to prevent incidences that can course legal suits. In addition, law of nursing streamlines the services provided by nurses so that nurses can take liability for malpractices. The law is postulated to protect patients and nurses in delivering nursing care services (Barbara, and Phillips, 2013). It is advisable that nurses to familiarize with the Tort Law. Tort law chiefly deals with, negligence, and malpractice cases in the healthcare world. Nurses should be concerned with profound of accepting Tort Law because it creates one of the biggest panics in the medical world. Tort Law defines liabilities and responsibilities of nurses when providing nursing care to the patient. Tort is the wrongful act that generates harm intentionally or unintentionally. Malpractices in nursing are, therefore, a Tort in which nursing principals are not accomplished (Barbara, and Phillips, 2013). Hence, Tort Law is the common and known law that all healthcare practitioners are required to adhere to in order to prevent circumstances that may be observed as medical malpractices. (Barbara, and Phillips, 2013). ... In the course of their education, nurses are made to comprehend that patient care is not only making decisions right, but also, organizing and maintaining accurate medical reports and records for the patients. A nurse who does not offer written evidence of the verdict made showing how the decision was attained at should be charged with negligence. Negligence is the failure of nurses to offer care that a sound nurse would use in a similar incidence (Barbara, and Phillips, 2013). In this case study, the hospital had enough evidence of suspending the nurse from her duties. By her diverting narcotic drugs, she posed substantial threats to her patient safety and this became a liability to the facility and the acute care department. However, the facility should consider humanistic, regulatory, legal, practical, and ethical considerations in solving the incidence. In addition, the discrepancies between the nurse’s patient electronic data on narcotics and the hand written notation on the paper record, was enough evidence for the nurse to be suspended for incompetence (Barbara, and Phillips, 2013). In the court, the plaintiff will be the nurse and the defendant will be the hospital. Before making a verdict whether the nurse’s grievances should be upheld in this case scenario, it is necessary first to look at the nursing ethics that was involved. Ethics is the principals of conduct and moral judgment. There are three key standards of healthcare ethics that was involved in this case scenario; justice, nonmaleficence, and beneficence. Beneficence is the act of promoting and doing well. For the purpose of the healthcare industry, healthcare providers work to stimulate their client’s best interest and struggle to attain best results. In the case study given, with the

The performance appraisal methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The performance appraisal methods - Essay Example Some might think that this is just a tool to reward the employees and hence they would not care much about the performance appraisal methods that are in place within an organization. Others might just not think about these performance appraisal methods which essentially kills the idea of having these performance appraisal methods in the first place. What is needed however is a collective vision to respect the performance appraisal methods so that there is immense importance tied up with them and the end results are exactly similar to what were expected out of these performance appraisal methods in the first place.  If turnovers are managed properly within the organizations, this would mean that the employees are being handled in a fair enough way. This would also implicate for their understanding that the organization is serious about keeping a balance between the two – the hiring regimes and the firing mechanisms that are in place. This is an imperative understanding becaus e how long the employees would want to stay is directly proportional to how long the organization would like to keep them within their folds. Also the fact that they have been looked after well, given the resources that are required at their ends, allocated work tasks in accordance with their skill set and the like are some of the most salient factors behind managing the turnover in an appropriate capacity (Looise, 2011). These ensure that the company is taken in a nice stead around the industry and people respect it across the board.

Cold War in the period 1945-1949 Essay Example for Free

Cold War in the period 1945-1949 Essay The Cold War is a prolonged state of tension and hostility held between the two major powers, namely the Soviets and the Americans after post-world war-two period. The term turning point implies that the Berlin blockade caused a turn of events and instigated the outbreak of the Cold War. Therefore, the statement made is only accurate to the extent that the Berlin Blockade was the direct factor regarding the outbreak of Cold War, yet it was not the only factor that sparked it off. Rather, it was the interplay of contributing factors such as mutual misunderstanding, conflicting security interests, willingness to support armed forces over and above those heeded for defence purposes, as well as the doomsday rhetoric. Therefore, it is portrayed that the Cold War was not the product of one event or incident, but rather of the fundamental clash of ideologies and interests between the two powers. The Berlin Blockade was the direct cause of the Cold War, stemming from the unhappiness of the Soviets over the issue of Germany in particular, thus proving to be a turning point in the Cold War. Stalin was unhappy over the Allied plans in Western Germany as stipulated by the Marshall Plan, such as the currency reforms as it would actually stifle the Soviets chance in increasing its sphere of influence into that area. The blockade therefore was an attempt made by the Soviets to diminish Western influence in Germany. However, the plan backfired due to the US superiority in air, using the Berlin airlift to transport the supplies into their own zone. This directly had negative repercussions in worsening the relations between the two powers, causing the definite split of Germany and leading to the outbreak of Cold War, showing how the Berlin blockade was the turning point in the outbreak of Cold War, by which it was the final straw that actually cemented the Cold War. Despite the Berlin Blockade being the direct factor that caused the outbreak of Cold War, one cannot neglect the factor that actually led to the Berlin Blockade: the disagreement over the German issue. The German issue was split into two areas: the question of reparations for Russia and the territorial and political boundaries drawn. In terms of reparations, the relations between both powers were strained due to the switch of US presidents that  resulted in the US going back on its word as agreed in the various wartime conference. At Yalta, Russian demand for $20 billion of reparations from Germany was rejected, with Roosevelt only permitting $10 billion in principle. This however was rejected yet again by his successor, Truman, who was not in favour of it. At Potsdam, the issue was further aggravated when Trumans secretary of state Byrnes asked Russia to obtain compensation from its own zone, which specialized in agriculture. The Soviet Union was only entitled to 25% of Germanys industrial equipment and Byrnes feared that Soviets demand for high reparation would delay Germany economic recovery at the US taxpayers expense. This increased resentment, as the Soviets felt compelled to increase its sphere of influence over Germany and extract more resources. This however was misinterpreted by the US as an expansionist attempt made by the Soviets, confirming their power hungry image. Based on the above mentioned factor, it is evident to see how the issue of Germany played a vital role in straining the relations between both powers, causing more misinterpretation as well as resentment felt for each other, finally culminating in the Cold War. The disagreement over the future of Germany was also one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. Stalin wanted the split of Germany to be fixed at the Ode-Nesse line, in which Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed, as it would give Poland extra land at the expense of Germany. The presence of Soviet troops at the line angered the US because it was seen as a unilateral action taken by the Soviets, and that there should be no Soviet aggrandizement at Germanys expense. This led to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance and facilitated the outbreak of the Cold War. On the other hand, the US also carried out unilateral actions in Germany causing further discontentment, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. This was seen in the case of the formation of Bizonia, by which the West wanted to bring the Western zones of Germany into one economic unit. This was to integrate Western Germany with Western Europe, in hopes of cutting Western Germany off from the Communist East. This move cemented the partition of Germany and was a move that the Soviets disapproved as it would  limit Soviet influence in West Germany. This caused further tension between the two powers, finally resulting in the Cold War. Apart from the issue of Germany, the actions taken by the Soviets as well as the US also played a vital role in aggravating the tensions held between both powers, causing the Cold War to break out. For one, Soviet activities in Poland were a contentious event, which caused suspicion and strain in the relationship between the US and the SU. This brings into question the issue of the security dilemma, by which for the Soviets, Poland and Eastern Europe were central to her security, as put through by Stalin as the question of Poland is not a matter of honour but life and death. Despite obtaining control of the Baltic States and having the 1918 border with Poland restored, Stalin felt that SU needed friendly states around her for security, which required them to be communist. At Yalta, it was promised that free elections would be held in the Eastern European states. However, the term free elections were different in principle, causing tensions. Roosevelt also refused to formally acknowledge the Percentages agreement concluded with Britain in 1944, increasing the friction between both parties. This made Stalin more determined to consolidate control over the Eastern European states, in which Stalin reduced the power of the London Poles by increasing communist members in the Lublin committee, heightening the tension and resentment. Truman and Byrnes demanded at Potsdam that Stalin have free elections in Europe based on how the US interprets the term, such as multi-party and fair election, which were rejected by the Soviets. This led to increased schism between the Soviets and the US, by which the relationship was placed under great stress, which in turn contributed to the outbreak of the Cold War. US actions in Europe also contributed to the increasing rivalry and hostility felt between the two parties, which led to the outbreak of the Cold War. The events surrounding the issue of economic reconstruction also played a role in fostering ill will, leading to the eventual outbreak of the Cold War. The US allowed the golden opportunity to work jointly with the Soviets to slip by, in which the US under Truman wanted to highlight the Soviet dependence on the US aid rather than portraying the Soviet as a worthy partner. The  lend-lease scheme, which the SU was dependent on to rebuild its economy, was cancelled in 1945. Congress also reduced the request for a 6 billion loan to q 1 billion. Furthermore, the loan was also conditional, in which the US demanded open markets to facilitate the free access of US goods and intellectual materials into Eastern Europe. This further heightened the tension, as the Soviets interpreted the US actions as dollar diplomacy in which the US was using its financial position as a way to dominate Soviet economic affairs. This caused the SU to retaliate by refusing to join World Bank and IMF, as earlier agreed at the Bretton-Wood meeting due to the reduction in loan. Therefore, the dollar diplomacy used by the US served only to further heighten the unhappiness as it aimed to make the Soviets an adversary rather than a valuable partner in the world stage, laying the frameworks for the outbreak of the Cold War. The development and testing of the atomic bomb and the use of US nuclear diplomacy also further facilitated the onset of the Cold War. This was seen in two events, namely the liberation of Japan and nuclear diplomacy. The atomic bomb allowed the US to liberate Japan without the help of the Soviets, causing the SU to lose its chance in having a foothold in East Asia. This led to worsening of relations as it went against the Yalta conference where it was agreed upon that the Soviets would have a hand in the liberation of Japan. Furthermore, the Soviets were not consulted regarding the issue. Truman also used the atomic bomb in a bid to intimidate Stalin into complying with the US demands of having free elections in Eastern Europe. Stalin however was undeterred and was determined to catch up with the US. The US refusal to share the nuclear technology with the Soviets or establish joint control of the weapons as stated in the Baruch Plan also worsened relations as the Soviets began viewing the US as a bully. Therefore, the US use of the atomic bomb in Japan, as well as the implementation of the nuclear diplomacy clearly proved how it worsened the relations between the two powers, bringing about the outbreak of Cold War. Leadership changes in the US in April 1945 from Roosevelt to Truman closed opportunities for future cooperation and negotiation between the two parties, culminating in the Cold War. Truman adopted a more hardline  approach regarding the dealings with the Soviets, in which he felt that cooperation was impossible. This translated into a non-accommodative approach towards Russia and the harsh measures taken by the US in dealing with the Soviets, causing the worsening of relations between them, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. The US containment policy also aided in worsening the relationship between the US and the SU, causing it to be a direct factor in the outbreak of the Cold War. Containment was an effort taken by the US to restrict communism from spreading further through the use of mainly monetary means. The two policies, namely the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were proof of that. The Truman Doctrine stemmed from the perception that there was a compelling need to restrict Soviet influence in Greece and Turkey. This prompted action from Congress, by which 400m was approved for both countries. Even though this policy was successful in eliminating the Soviet influence, it laid the basis for further Soviet discontent and the eventual Cold War. The Marshall Plan, which involved the German issue, was also one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. The MP extended developmental aid to all countries, in hopes of reviving the European economy. Though it was open to all, the clauses stated by the US were found to be unfavorable to the Soviets. This compelled the SU to tighten its influence on Eastern Europe, giving rise to negative perceptions on both sides. Soviets were also unhappy with the currency reforms in Western Germany, as stipulated by the MP, which led to the direct cause of the Cold War, the Berlin Blockade. Therefore, it is clear that the Marshall Plan also contributed to the outbreak of the Cold War. Finally, differing ideologies and government system also perpetuated the outbreak of the Cold War. The differing views and goals of the two different political systems led to actions that seemed to be at odds and detrimental to the Westerns or Soviet interests. This led to misconceptions between both sides especially in regards to foreign policy intentions that culminated into a reaction-counter reaction measure, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. In conclusion, based on the above-mentioned factors, it is seen that the Berlin Blockade was the direct reason for the outbreak of the Cold War. With many factors linked to the Berlin Blockade, such as the Marshall Plan as well as the German issue, the statement is therefore accurate to that extent. However, other factors must not be neglected, as it was fundamentally the combination of factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War, such as the misinterpretations, conflicting security interests, willingness to support armed forces over and above those heeded for defence purposes, as well as the doomsday rhetoric.