Four Basic Ways a Divisionally Structured Firm Could

There are four basic ways a divisionally structured firm could be organized. What are these four ways? Give an example of each. The four basic ways a divisionally structured firm could be organized are 1) by geographic area. An example of this would be any organization with similar branch facilities located in widely dispersed areas; 2) by product or service. Huffy is an example of divisional structure by product; 3) by customer. Book publishing companies often organize their activities around customer groups as college, secondary schools and private commercial schools; and 4) by process.An example of this is a manufacturing business organized into six divisions: electrical work, glass cutting, welding, grinding, painting and foundry work. Each division would be responsible for generating revenues and profits. Compare and contrast restructuring and reengineering. Restructuring involves reducing the size of the firm in terms of number of employees, number of divisions or units and num ber of hierarchical levels in the firm’s organizational structure. Restructuring is concerned primarily with shareholder well-being rather than employee well-being.In contrast, reengineering is concerned more with employee and customer well-being than shareholder well-being. Reengineering involves reconfiguring or redesigning work, jobs and processes for the purpose of improving cost, quality, service and speed. Whereas restructuring is concerned with eliminating or establishing, shrinking or enlarging, and moving organizational departments and divisions, the focus of reengineering is changing the way work is actually carried out. Reengineering is characterized by many tactical decisions, whereas restructuring is characterized by strategic decisions.

Anglo Saxon Culture as Reflected in Beowulf

Every culture has its own set of beliefs values and customs. Cultural beliefs, values, and assumptions are directly and indirectly acquired throughout a lifetime. A culture is the sum of a group’s way of life and this is no different with the ancient Anglo Saxon culture. Cultures usually have distinct figures that reflect their culture as a whole. The importance of religion, values, and heroes are reflected a great deal in the epic poem of Beowulf accurately showing the Anglo Saxon culture as a whole. Men dominated the Anglo Saxon society and the people loved a great hero like that of Beowulf. They believed a hero should be a keeper of his promises, be boastful and produce great physical strength. Also Beowulf was an outstanding fighter and loyal to everyone he met. He believed no one was greater than anyone else; Beowulf showed great respect even to his enemies by fighting them one on one (â€Å"Anglo Saxons† 48). Even when Beowulf knows fate is against him and he is going to die; he continues to keep fighting; â€Å"†¦No prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise† (Beowulf 60). Beowulf’s boastful self-confidence, his overpowering strength, and his victories in battle make him a classic legendary hero and a model for the Anglo Saxon culture. A very important element in the society of the Anglo Saxons was the mead hall. The mead hall was essentially a meeting place for dinners, story telling and the party for victories (Bjork 89). The mead hall symbolizes security, fellowship, and all that is good in the world (Bjork 90). The mead hall was thought to be the safest place in the entire Kingdom. In Beowulf the mead hall was described as â€Å"the foremost of halls under heaven† (Orchard 77). This mead hall was called Herot serving as a palace for King Hrothgar. This is where Beowulf dismantled Grendel in an epic battle. Beowulf preferred to fight with his bare hands. The typical Anglo Saxon warrior was not blessed with the great talents Beowulf was blessed with so they used various weapons like: the spear, sword, shield, seaxe, and bow and sling. The spear was the most common weapon of choice and could be used as a missile or used in hand-to-hand combat. The sword was not a common weapon used at all because it was very expensive to produce. The sword was usually given to a great warrior who has demonstrated courageous acts in battle. All warriors had a shield that was made of wood and usually lined together by metal. A seaxe was a single bladed knife that was carried on the belt on the warrior and was used more as a tool than an actual weapon (Beowulf 112-113). Anglo-Saxons valued religion very highly. There is much controversy over Beowulf in dealing with pagan and Christian beliefs because historians believe both were integrated although Christianity seems to be more prevalent. Religion was the center of people’s life at this time and is demonstrated in Beowulf when Beowulf calling for God exclaims †¦ â€Å"the almighty the maker of the earth†. Up until the 6th century it is back and forth between Christianity and Paganism. The greatest sources of information on the pagan period of religion are from the 7th to 8th century testimonies, such as Beowulf (Orchard 25). Paganism dealt with the worshiping of many gods. The celebration of glory has such emphasis in Beowulf because human praise is the highest goal of the pagan characters. Anglo Saxon warriors wore helmets for battle with a pagan god on them named Freyr. Those who grew up praying to Thor to protect them with their shield and helmet before they went to battle were involved in the pagan religion (Orchard 33). Paganism seemed to be the religion of choice for many Anglo- Saxon warriors while Christianity did not evolve as quick in warriors (â€Å"Saxons Culture†). Margaret E. Goldsmith who wrote â€Å"The Christian Theme of Beowulf† exclaimed the teaching of St. Augustine and St.  Gregory are incorporated in Hrothgar’s sermon. Goldsmith said Beowulf was sort of a Christian historical novel, with selected bits of paganism purposely laid on as â€Å"local color† such as the references to fate or Wyrd (Bloom 127). All considered Beowulf shows religion, expresses values of everyday life and explains what a true hero in all about in Anglo Saxon times. The Anglo Saxons express their cultures through wonderful literature such as Beowulf, which is a record of heroic deeds. The Anglo Saxon society believes in great men such as Beowulf that have good morals and exemplify devotion to their country. Beowulf derives its main plot from folk tales; and as W. P. Ker has said, â€Å" it is difficult to give individuality or epic dignity to commonplaces of this sort (Bloom 14). The author of Beowulf recognized the obligation of giving his hero emotional and ethical value through association with events the Anglo Saxon people would recognize as hero-like. It was not enough that Beowulf should display unequaled strength and courage in his victories over gargantuan monsters but the value of these exploits must be enhanced by Beowulf’s deep and emotionally justified concern for those he fought (Bloom 14). The physical power of Beowulf does not give him the moral dimensions and the title of an epic hero. The loyalty and unselfishness Beowulf displays makes him the ultimate Anglo Saxon hero and the great epic of Beowulf will never be forgotten because there is no greater idol than Beowulf.

Renaissance and Reformation. King Henry VIII Research Paper

Renaissance and Reformation. King Henry VIII - Research Paper Example The Tudors were elements of the house of Lancaster which had clashed with the House of York, another noble group, in the epoch of the national war in England called the War of the Roses. A Lancastrian insurgence had grown against Yorkist King Richard III. Henry Tudor overcame King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field and took the throne of England. The marriage contracted by King Henry the seventh was thus very significant as it united the York and Lancaster sections and in fact caused the War of the Roses to cease . Henry VIII was the second boy born to his parents, the first being Arthur and his sisters were Margaret and Mary Tudor. He adored his mother the Queen who was a loyal and obedient woman, an exemplary female who closely portrayed the virtues that the society of that period expected its womenfolk to espouse. In childhood, Henry VIII was greatly pampered and spoiled. Kings in his time were believed to be anointed entities that rarely could make a mistake and even if they did, their mistakes would be used by the Deity to cause an advantage to the nation in some manner. His mother and grandmother apparently believed this notion to the fullest. His father was another matter. King Henry VII favored Prince Arthur, Henry’s older brother. He was the one to inherit the throne and so he was given more consideration. Prince Arthur was bestowed with royal responsibilities while Henry was left to develop his own preferences. Both brothers were strictly monitored and their friends were carefully chosen. His relationship with his father strained both Henry VIII and the King, though more so the younger man. Henry VII seemed aware of the reality of his son’s disposition and especially after the death of his first son, feared the popularity of his second son2. It even seems that he sensed in Henry VIII a drive for power and a festering ruthlessness in hiding. The Six Wives At the age of two, Arthur had been affianced to Katharine of Aragon. This was a common practice at that time and especially as concerns princes and princesses who were used repeatedly by ambitious parents to foster alliances and pacts with foreign countries that would see their powers increase. Henry’s position as the irrelevant child lasted until a few months after his tenth birthday. Arthur, his elder brother, died at his castle in Ludlow. Within a year, his mother had also passed away along with her newborn because of an infection that she had contracted as she recovered from her confinement. The loss of his mother, brother, and baby sister affected his father more than it did Henry VIII. Another tragedy that took place was Arthur’s death. The older Prince had been married to the Spanish Catalina de Aragon on 14th November, 1501. A bond of matrimony between the House of Tudor and the Spanish throne would ensure more respect for both rulers and strengthen their positions. Prince Henry had guided his sister in law and future spouse up the steps of the St. Paul’s Cathedral to say her vows and would later introduce her

Illegal Immigration in Los Angeles in the 1980's Essay

Illegal Immigration in Los Angeles in the 1980's - Essay Example These new immigrants arrived in a new country possessing little more than what they could carry on their back. They were challenged in many ways including their legal status, yet were able to make significant social, cultural, and economic contributions. This paper will discuss the lives of these undocumented workers during the 1980's and present the dynamic changes that resulted from their arrival. It will present the view that the cultural and demographic landscape of Los Angeles was shaped by these illegals, and has had a continuing effect on California as well as the United States. The life of an illegal immigrant began as soon they approached the United States and prepared to cross the border. Often they would be met by angry mobs, riots, gunfire and chaos (Custred). Once across the border they would continue to confront racism, exploitation, and a hostile political environment. Though they would be outcast socially from mainstream society, there was an emerging labor market eager for cheap and reliable workers. It was no coincidence that the rise in illegal immigration during the 1980s coincided with a rise in the demand for cheap labor during the same period (Morales and Ong). Because the undocumented workers were here primarily for employment, their lives centered around and were greatly influenced by the work they performed. These jobs were almost universally at the bottom of the pay scale in unskilled occupations such as household help or farm worker. With no legal status, limited English skills, and no formal education, these illegals were destined to t he life of poverty and hardship that they were trying to escape. The immigrants would most often settle together or would be herded into a group by social necessity. Farm workers would band together to share expertise and form groups that would follow the crop that currently needed planting or harvested. They would work the lettuce fields, the vineyards, and fruit groves as the season demanded. This constant travel was especially rough on the children. Forced to move from school to school they were able to obtain at best a sub-standard education. Often they were needed in the fields when not attending class and the simple pleasures of childhood were not available to the child of an illegal migrant worker. Sometimes the missed pleasure would be as simple as being able to sleep late on the weekends. For the immigrants that worked in the domestic business, the canneries, and the processing plants, life was more stable. Yet with this stability came a new set of problems. Unable to escape the poverty of low wages, they would endure cramped quarters, high rent, and substandard conditions. Acuna tells of the mounting stress of living as he tells of a child's experience living in these conditions. "Ten year old Yuri de Paz wakes up each morning in a cramped Pico-Union apartment she shares with eight other family members, and walks to school through a Los Angeles neighborhood that is so dangerous that police have barricaded it to keep drug dealers out..." (291). The difficulty of raising a family under impoverished conditions while struggling to earn a living was only one of the challenges that faced the undocumented workers. The inability to speak and write English presented another obstacle to

Auditing and Accouning Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Auditing and Accouning Ethics - Essay Example The audit committee, which performs the audit, plays a very important role in preventing financial reports from being fraudulent. The auditors should be independent members with suitable accounting and financial expertise, to appraise the policies underlying the financial reports and to assess their validity. Auditors should ask pertinent questions to clearly understand every transaction, allegation or investigation that has happened. An audit aims to draw out the essence and truth from every answer and helps to examine the controls and processes, employed by the company, in any complex transaction that may be out of the normal process of controls. The requirement of an annual audit prompts companies to establish an effective compliance programme, which will have anti-fraud controls, to detect fraud, and proper investigation conducted, if fraud is detected. An audit is like a tool that ensures that financial reports would be accurately created and updated, internal control system would be in place and proper reporting and investigation of improper actions would be made. Most corporate fraud cases have originated at the highest managerial level. The multi-billion dollar cases of fraud involving WorldCom, Enron and Tyco International, were all results of the fraudulent activities of the respective chief executives of the companies. Tyco International’s CEO, Dennis Kozlowski, was charged with misappropriating 400 million USD of company money on an extravagant lifestyle and personal expenditure. Similarly, the cofounder and CEO of telecom giant WorldCom, Bernie Ebbers, got convicted for a fraud of 11 billion USD, in 2005. Kenneth Lay, CEO of Enron, was charged with a corporate fraud that ultimately resulted in the collapse of the company. However, in spite of strict laws that have been instituted to prevent huge losses to shareholders, employees and investors, corporate fraud is

Health insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Health insurance - Essay Example Therefore, this paper will look into a health advertisement and discuss it in its fullness. Health and health insurance as a topic is important in most people’s lives. Decisions on what the best medical policies are suitable for an individual and their families as well as what medical services are best suited for them often take center stage in planning. Therefore, companies and medical providers have the obligation to research and find out what consumers need and how effectively they can provide these needs. They have to take into consideration; the pricing, the treatment, cause of the drug as compared to its complements, then advertise it in a manner that will captivate the consumers and make them want to try it. Advertisements assure the target market of how effective the product is and how well- tested it is should be included to erase any fear of bad and severe side effects or otherwise. There is an advertisement of the Swiss drug maker, Novartis, on multiple sclerosis disease that says â€Å"Hey MS, Take This!† (Olson). The advert is about people who refuse to let the disease control their lives. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that affects the brain and the spinal cord. These parts of the body are the central and core parts that control most, if not all the other body parts. Multiple Sclerosis can affect the body hindering an individual’s perfomance as well as personal independence; thus, making them rely on assistance for the rest of their lives. The advert shows people with the Gilenya drug on their tongues that are stuck out (Olson). This shows that they are willing to fight against any disease that may want to affect their bodies neurologically or otherwise. The text â€Å"Hey MS, Take This!† (Olson). The graphics of extremely good-looking and healthy persons brings out the defiance nature that we should adopt against any condition. It is encouraging and shows a positive fighting spirit and the strength that

Integrated Critique of Richard Dawkins Selfish Gene and Kozol's Savage Essay

Integrated Critique of Richard Dawkins Selfish Gene and Kozol's Savage Inequlites - Essay Example These perceptions are the reason why a lot of people are dying to go to America; to fulfill their American Dream, as it is commonly known. What they don't know that behind this beautiful image of freedom, peace and equality lays a system that is so cruel and selfish that one would reel at just the thought of it. There are many books that are written in the pursuit of enlightening the readers about the negative side behind America's systems. These books are written not to dampen the spirits of the Americans and the aspiring immigrants of America but to show them the picture that America is not a perfect country it may be a haven for some, but there are also some people who may find it otherwise. The book "Savage Inequalities' by Jonathan Kozol is one of the widely read book that talks about the not-so-good-system of America. This paper is aimed at analyzing the contents of the said book, and thereby evaluating the probable cause and effect of this book to its readers. Also, this paper aims to find out whether Kozol's book is able to make an objective point of view regarding America's unfair system. In Jonathan Kozol's book, "Savage Inequalities", Kozol has described the real happenings in the American Public School System. Conducting visits and research in America's public elementary and high schools, Kozol made a shocking discovery: that despite the new age and laws in America about equality in social class and race, discrimination is still happening and it is taking place in the public elementary and high schools; the place where children go to and learn about these stuff. What is more shocking is that it is done blatantly and no one is taking a stand against it. What more, people who can make changes about these things are even choosing not to address the problem and even voting against doing something about it (Kozol, 1991). It is a vicious cycle, really. Children who are educated in public schools that are inferior in quality, both in facilities and in the academic area, would grow up to occupy the lowest strata in the work force . Since they are used to poor conditions, they would be contented to live with the small wages and poor benefits they would be getting from such jobs. They would marry and their children will once again go to such public school. In turn, children of the rich and the middle class go to good public schools - schools that are complete in facilities and have a good faculty and system. These children would be given good education so that when they graduate they will get jobs that are high paying and white collar. And when it is their turn to raise a family, their children will go to the same good public school their parents went to. So you see, the school serves as a capitalist system that requires the reproduction of the division of labor (Bowles, 1972)). The rich and middle class, knowing that these work at their advantage, see no point in improving the system. In fact, they even create policies to maintain their place in the social strata. Inequality in social status is not the only thing that Kozol has discovered in his rounds in these public schools. He has also found out those public schools that house children of color are more inferior in quality. A good example of such school is the public school in East St. Louis. East St. Louis is populated