SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

SWOT Analysis - Essay Example The Microsoft mission is â€Å"to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential†. The implied vision is to be the preferred provider of software , devices and services for people as Microsoft fulfills that mission (Microsoft, 2013). One goal that can be addressed with the use of a strategic plan is to continually aim for a diverse and inclusive workplace. On the other hand, the goal to provide tools and services to partners in a particular market, such as Finland, can be addressed with an operational plan (Microsoft, 2013; Brown, 2013). The company has deep financial strengths and a diversifying product and services portfolio, with its traditional cash cows Windows and Office being complemented by healthy growth in areas such as servers and tools, as well as its entertainment assets that include Xbox. It is also starting to flex its muscles in cloud computing, and mobile computing. Its large revenues and large profit margins coupled with aggressive investments in acquisitions and R&D, together with its wide presence in a large number of related technology areas, make Microsoft a bulwark of strength (Microsoft, 2013; CNN, 2012; Google, 2013; Capital Traders Group, 2013). While the company has monopoly control of large swaths of computing in enterprises and in personal computers, it is lagging severely in mobile computing and in many facets of online computing, including search and social media. These translate to poor positioning moving forward in the fastest growing areas of computing, with Google and Apple leaving Microsoft behind. These are areas of weakness that Microsoft have been slow to act on, and catch up with the big players in those spaces (Vousvounis, 2013). There are many opportunities for Microsoft moving forward, among them opportunities to get cloud computing right, as well as

Mission Statement Compare & Contrast Research Paper - 1

Mission Statement Compare & Contrast - Research Paper Example The quality of the mission statements and whether they noticeably specify the companies’ profile are included as well. In addition the paper seeks to verify whether the strategies of the companies are in line with the mission. The vision of Wal-Mart and Target has been stated and whether the two companies’ are approaching in the similar way with their vision has also been mentioned. The study also seeks to explain the ethical or legal challenges of the two companies. The companies’ responsibility towards the society has been identified. The mission of Target includes â€Å"make Target the preferred shopping destination for the guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience by consistently fulfilling our Expect More Pay Less brand promise" (Samples Help, 2006). The company has aimed at being the ideal shopping location for the customers and provides them with a choice of excellent value, constant innovation and special guest experience by constantly fulfilling expect more pay less strategy. Their mission is to provide $1 billion for education by the end of 2015 (Target.com, 2011). In this context, by comparing the two mission statements it can be observed that Target is providing priorities to the innovation, shopping destination and value along with low price but Wal-Mart is preferring on low price for making the life of customers much better. The mission of Target is related to the preference of its consumers and communities, but, Wal-Mart’s mission is essentially linked to the price constraint to attract the customers (Wal-Mart, 2011). The mission statements of both the companies have been prepared by focusing on the customers’ preference. The companies are continuously working on this mission in order to provide customers with utmost beneficial services. The companies are two of the largest retail stores, thus their main intention is to provide quality

The effective steps for risk assessment to identify the risks Essay

The effective steps for risk assessment to identify the risks regarding the misstated data in the financial records - Essay Example The analytical procedures can be described as ‘evaluating the financial records by analyzing the credible relationship between the financial records and non-financial records’. It can be also included that ‘such analysis is mandatory to identify the difference or inconsistency of relevant data or the difference between provided data and the estimated values’ (ISA/HKSA 520(4)). The basic principle to apply the analytical procedures is the expected existence of the credible relationship may occur and the analytical procedures may carry on in such circumstances in the non-appearance of the opposite factors. Defining the purposes Auditors use analytical procedures in the entire audit course to achieve the three main purposes of audit: 1) Preliminary analytical review These are the introductory analytical reviews, which assist the auditors to get an idea about the business and industry. They can start with reviewing the previous financial records, performance of industry and the competitors. This will lead them to decide the nature of audit, the time period required and the level of analytical procedures. Basically, preliminary analytical reviews help to design the strategies and plans to conduct the audit. 2) Substantive analytical procedures Auditors can use the analytical procedures substantively. If the auditors feel that their analytical procedure can bring more accurate results rather than using different tests, so they usually reduce the level of tests to identify the misstated facts of the financial records. These procedures will be known as substantive analytical procedures. 3) Final analytical reviews Financial records are analyzed thoroughly by the auditors through analytical procedures, which lead the independent individuals towards th e outcomes whether records are accurate or in compliance with auditors’ understanding. So analytical procedures are applied finally to analyze the facts but these procedures are not executed to get hold of the extra substantive analysis. In such case, if auditors find any inconsistency in the records, they must repeat the risk assessment procedure and if they feel the need of extra analytical procedures, they can go for it. Substantive analytical procedures usage Acquiring the evidence of audit that must be reliable and appropriate is one of the basic points of analytical procedures. While applying the procedures of substantive analytics, auditors need to acquire the guarantee with the assistance of other auditing tools and controls. These tools and controls help the auditors to evaluate the results of different sections after applying analytical procedures. Such analytical procedures have ability to cover a wider range of transactions that is why procedures of substantive an alytics are normally used to analyze the financial records. As it is briefly told that the auditors apply substantive analytical procedures on the expected existence of the credible relationship between financial data and they may carry on this analytical procedure in case of non-appearance of contrary factors. The existence of relationship between the data provides the base of audit evidence that leads the auditors to

Death penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Death penalty - Essay Example Death Penalty is the gravest of all punishments and the Roman Catholic Church’s take on this punishment has evolved over time.This change in view of the Church will be discussed in this paper thoroughly.The paper will start off by giving a history of the death penalty and its supporters and opponents in the past,in terms of societal and religious groups. Then the Roman Catholic Church’s notion on the death penalty and its development is studied. Death penalty is a serious punishment for those who have committed serious crimes such as murder and have caused harm to the society by terrorist acts. People’s and nations’ perceptions of the death penalty or execution changed over time. This perception changed according to the requirements of the era. In today’s era, where crime is pervasive but also unstoppable, there is little need for death sentences, according to many people out of which some are staunch Christians also. But why do we link the religion to death penalty? They are both different branches of the same subject. We link religion to this punishment because all religions teach respect for human life and the right of humans to their lives. We will see in our discussion how the Church changes course from defending the right of oneself to the right of human life in general. We will see how the teachings of the Church changed from supporting the death penalty as a punishment to opposing it.... We can easily say that there will be many groups who will support this as punishment and other sensitive and tender ones will oppose it as it is the violation of human rights. The question is why would anyone support it and/or oppose it People who support it believe that this punishment should be given to people who have committed serious crimes in the past because of which people have lost lives, directly or indirectly. It supports the idea of the old adage; "a tooth for a tooth". If these criminals took lives, their lives must be taken in return too. On the other hand, the opponents believe that death penalty is as bad as what the criminals did. If they killed people, it doesn't make it acceptable for authorities to become as dire as them and take their lives in return. Now that the debate is clear, we can get into the history of the death penalty. It was in the Eighteenth Century B.C. when death penalty laws were first established. However, by the Eleventh Century A.D., it was decided that only people who murdered will be hanged and not other. Death penalty was traditional in Europe also, for many centuries. People were being executed till mid-1700 but by late 1700, the US abolitionist movement started. As a result, by early 1800's many of the states concentrated the number of their death crimes by building more state prisons. In Britain, around a hundred of the crimes that were punishable by execution were eliminated (Death Penalty Information Center, 2008). By early 1900, people were executed using the electrocution method but nine states of the US had abolished the law. By 1920, the abolition movement of USA started to lose support and became unpopular. Soon after this, newer ways of executing people were being discovered. Around this

Labor Issues in Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Labor Issues in Human Resources - Essay Example The essay "Labor Issues in Human Resources" talks about the labor issues in human resources. HR has a lot of changes that it can undertake to avert the problem. There are some of the defined roles of the HR that it can major on heavily to ensure that it undertakes its roles effectively.After reading the article on HR, I can answer the three questions provided. We love to hate HR Since most HR managers usually focus a lot on the â€Å"administrivia† thus presenting a lack vision and strategic Insight that is desirable for their work. Such complaints have a cyclical quality, and they are normally pushed by the business context. When firms and companies strive with the labor issues, then HR becomes an indispensable leadership, partner. The office of the HR bosses the working staffs a lot and is not comparable to any other office in a firm, not even the finance office.HR has a lot of changes that it can undertake to avert the problem. There are some of the defined roles of the HR that it can major on heavily to ensure that it undertakes its roles effectively. These roles include managing layoffs process and generating flexible work arrangements. The HR is also tasked with creating a Performance management as there the typical difference from the old type of Performance Management and the current modern type management. The HR is intensely entailed in the recruiting process since they are structured or skilled to create interviews that help in singling out the identity the best candidates.

Learning Assessment Systems Assignments (LASA) Assignment

Learning Assessment Systems Assignments (LASA) - Assignment Example The class is composed of an instructor or teacher who facilitates the achievement of unit objectives and the desired learning outcomes. This is achieved through an understanding of the needs of every student within the learning process so that these needs would be met as effectively as possible. This will allow the students to acquire the learning material and use the educational resources for effectiveness in the learning process which is congruent to individual needs. The chart below demonstrates the elements of diversity and the consequent variations or differences which are represented within classrooms. As illustrated on the chart above, there are differences among students in eight grades as defined by the depicted demographics. This means that the instructor must take into consideration these differences in the teaching process. In this regard, there are specific exceptionalities which will be extended to various categories of students especially among those with physical or m ental disabilities. These exceptions include the application of a specific teaching methodology which is aimed at ensuring that the unique needs of students within each category are effectively met during the learning process. ... The various events as postulated by Gagne will represent the procedures which enable the achievement of the desired learning goals and outcomes of the learning process within the unit. Operant conditioning as an effective theoretical framework will be employed in the design of the unit plan. The unit will run for a period of two weeks which means that the goals and the objectives as designed within the unit plan have to be met within this period. Unit Goals 1. Achievement of an understanding and comprehension of the past 2. Ability to interpret and analyze past events 3. Understanding decisions of the past and achieving accuracy in judging them 4. Comprehending the diversity which exist within the society including people, cultures and geographic locations 5. Ability to discuss the ideals which represents the American democratic society Unit Objectives Operant conditioning will be used by the teacher to ensure that the students achieve the learning objectives as effectively and effic iently as possible. Through operant conditioning, students are allowed to determine the gains which they will acquire in achieving specific objectives and the related consequences in failure to achieve these objectives (Shields & Gredler, 2008). Therefore operant conditioning will be employed in this unit to motivate the achievement of the following objectives by the eighth grade students. 1. To provide ground for student participation in puzzles, games and interactive learning as the most effective stimulating activities in gaining knowledge on the civil rights movement. 2. To achieve an ability to recognize the key personalities, places, participants, players and events which were involved in

Respect Toward Your Superiors Essay Example for Free

Respect Toward Your Superiors Essay He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. Proverbs 13:12-14 NIV. There are only forty five instances of the word respect in the NIV bible. I try to live my life as though I were being watched by God Himself, because I believe that I am. I try, and hopefully achieve, to show respect to all people, NCOs and Officers, I even call civilians sir and maam. As a Christian I know that I am an example for God, and the only way some people will ever see God is through me; my actions and words. I know the power that God has in my life and how He would like for me to act by constantly talking to me. Some people call the voice of God their conscience, a feeling or a still, small voice that they should have listened to. My wife is a very spiritual person and hears the voice of God clearly, like a persons voice and not a still, small one. She often acts as my guide in matters that I am facing, and if I dont listen to her advice, it often ends badly. I say that to say that I once had a problem with respect and saw my superiors as only the people that they were and not the rank or position that they held. She warned me to start to treat my superiors with the respect that they get as a certain rank and not normal people; she would not have said if God had not had talked to her because she is a civilian and knows very little about the ways of the military. Respect by definition is the willingness to show consideration or appreciation. In terms of military respect, as in the LDRSHIP acronym, respect is to Treat people as they should be treated. And in the soldiers code, we swear an oath to treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same. With respect being defined so many ways, how is one to tell which to choose from? A seemingly obvious answer is the Armys way. But to those who serve a higher calling it would be Gods way, or even the non-believing military rationalists might word respect different. Though the grasp on the true definition for respect is put so many ways, it is a true attitude a person shows another in respect, regard, or preference to their grade, position, or stature. Though a person leads his/her life showing respect toward others, they may have a hard time getting the respect back from those that he/she has shown, and continues to show, the respect to. Respect should be a two-way street,  in my opinion, to achieve maximum affect for all parties. Show those with the same respect that they show you is a common new military idea, to curse at if you were cursed at, to push if you were pushed. I feel that a person should get what they give; such as, if a person is constantly degrading people and belittling them, then they should not be surprised if they get the same treatment in return. On the same scale, if as a superior, you get upset with a soldier and start to disrespect them out of anger, then you should not expect to get respect in return. But my belief in Christ out rules the ways of normal behavior and thinking, I try to remain respectful even if I am being respected. Many people see it as a weakness, something to be ashamed about as a leader. I feel that it shows self control, a collectiveness that most people will neither possess nor will ever understand. A level-headedness, cool under fire sort of attitude. In this given situation, however, even if a certain person, i.e., NCO, a SSG to be exact, feels that they were disrespected because they were contacted by a certain Sgts spouse, then that SSG should have brought the issue up with that particular person in which contacted him or her. There is such a thing as free speech by the civilian sectors, not necessary in the military itself, but as a civilian they are entitled to the right of free speech. And if an alert roster is given out and the spouse has access to it, anyones individual phone number could be looked up and called. If this basic freedom were denied then we wouldnt enjoy and live in the democracy that we do today. Respect is something that everyone wants, not many have, and few want to give. Most people would appreciate just a little bit, and most should give just that. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, this does not happen. Perhaps this is because the concept of respect is not understood. What exactly is respect? To respect anything is to think it through positively and hold it in some high regard, but estimation gets us into trouble because while we sometimes win, we also sometimes lose. To respect something, on the other hand, is to accept it. The dictionary defines it yet another way as an act of giving particular attention or high or special regard. This does not explain what it is; it only outlines what it may consist of in regards to  personal feelings. The word respect is very a very strong word in itself; it is a word that draws your attention from the start. But there is more to it than just being a word. There is the idea behind it, which is the beginning of many ideas and characteristics of a particular individual, group, or culture and the statement, theories, and sought understandings that forms a political, social, and economic program. By another definition, respect is to consider deserving of high or special regard. Society defines respect as the way one person or group of people treats another person or group of people and also the way they look upon those persons. We in the Army define respect as the common courtesy we give to our peers, subordinates and superiors and the way in which we carry out our orders and our duties on a daily basis within the United States Army. Respect is a common bond in todays Army because all of us are, or should be, well trained soldiers and it is a building block that our training is based upon. Respect is basically how we treat each other, the actions shown toward other people. Respect is the way in which you help others out whenever they need a hand. Respect is also the way you take the time to discipline and train your subordinates. And respect is the way you work harder than anyone and longer hours to do an excellent job for your career and your unit. These are all ways of showing respect- toward each other, our subordinates, our peers, our superiors, our unit and our country. This is the respect that we have been trained to give and which we show on a daily basis. For us serving in the military it also represents the sacrifices that we are giving for our fellow soldiers. The definition itself is all well and good, but what exactly is respect? What does it mean to me, a soldier in todays Army? Respect is something everyone is capable of achieving, but at the same time it is not just a right or privilege. It has to be earned. We as soldiers have been well trained and disciplined at respecting the ranks of superiors. But is respecting their rank or position enough? All soldiers within the Army must earn the respect of their fellow soldiers. To earn the respect of your fellow soldiers you must do many things. For your subordinates, you must be fair and just and take care of all problems that may arise. For your peers, you must be  technically and tactically proficient and set the standard for both of them to follow. And for your superiors, you must accomplish the mission quickly, efficiently and sometimes even in the absence of orders. These are just small examples of the many, many things that can help you earn the respect of your fellow soldiers. The key to remember is that you must do something other than just sit around. You must earn respect and work hard to gain it. Your rank or position deserves the military honors that are presented with it, but no more. The rest is up to us as soldiers and individuals. Through our own actions we can earn the respect of fellow soldiers, and through the actions of our fellow soldiers, they will earn our respect and all that goes with it. In the Army we adhere to a standard called military bearing. Military bearing is a code of conduct in the U.S. Army, and when you come right down to it dignity is maintained in military relationships, reflective of an individuals pride in his military service and of the organization he represents. Military personnel should be courteous and controlled to show dignity as well as respect. Part of possessing dignity is to also have the ability to respect his juniors and seniors, and acknowledge the dignity of others. This sense of pride in military service is shown during work as well as when on liberty, carrying himself at all times with reverence and a proper sense of self-worth. By admiring his seniors, the individual can be guided in presenting good conduct, and can likewise demonstrate his pride and decorum to those who in turn look to him for guidance in presenting military bearing. Dignity and respect can be taught, and examples can be shown, but the willingness to present militar y bearing also comes from within, especially when showing courtesy and respect toward others. To respect others you first have to respect yourself, if you have no self esteem then you will have a hard time respecting yourself. In an Issue of Self-Respect Being a Christian has changed my perspective on the way people perceive themselves. Since becoming a Christian I have had a hard time understanding why or how a girl or guy could belittle herself by so freely giving her body to someone else. Growing up in Indiana, I witnessed this in many different ways. Whether it is a prostitute standing on the corner in  the closest big city, or a good friend that sleeps around, the lack of respect these people have for themselves is very visible, and very sad. I am a very social person, and I would someday like to work as a minister of some sort, which is why I am taking the time now to try to understand the reasoning for their foolish and dangerous choices. Why do teenage boys and girls have such little respect for themselves? I am sure that each of these kids have her own theories and reasons for his or her actions. I believe the most obvious causes are; they were never taught that it was wrong, most guys treat girls with disrespect, and the fact that somebody wants them make them feel loved. Sadly enough, a girl having no respect for herself is not a new thing. Girls just arent taught that it is wrong to abuse their bodies or give away something that is supposed to be so sacred. It seems that some parents these days do not know how to handle their kids and are often too lenient with them. It also seems that role models in todays society advertise sex in subtle, yet noticeable ways. I think the media plays a huge role in the misleading of teenage minds. Entertainment, such as singers and actors are not even chosen based on talent anymore, they are hired based on the right look; it is all about sex appeal. Another obvious cause is, there are so many guys in todays society who were not raised to respect women. They think of women as sex objects, and unimportant people they can control. It is normal to be somewhat dependant on men, but women today seem to become totally reliant on men. In most cases that can be very unhealthy or dangerous. Men know these women need them, so they think they can get away with playing with their heads and their hearts. Women are under the false impression that if a man wants to sleep with her he must love her. When in reality, most men are really out to satisfy themselves. They will tell a girl whatever she wants to hear, until she falls into the trap and gives herself to him. Then he dumps her. You would think the girl would learn after being dumped, but she doesnt, she just looks to be loved by someone else. In most cases it becomes a habit and can be tough to break. Teenage girls in the world today have very little respect for themselves because they really dont know any better. They are just following the pattern that women have been following for generations. In societys eyes as well as their own they are not wrong. My desire for them is that they will be taught that they are very special and they deserve so much more than they think. I  pray everyday that they will realize God loves them more than anyone ever could. They have so much to offer, if they just believe in and respect themselves. There are the beginnings of respect, starting in the classrooms of America. How does respect for your superiors begin? Many people have ideas on how to reclaim the virtue and morality that made America a great nation. However, the only sure way that everyone can achieve this goal is if parents start teaching and demonstrating respect to their kids. The dictionary defines respect as- to have regard for the quality of a person or to refrain from obtruding upon or interfering with. The problem with society today is that there is a complete lack of respect. The lack of respect is evident everywhere, people have no respect for the law, they have no respect for their peers, and they definitely do not have any respect for themselves. What parents need to do is from an early age teach their kids to respect everyone, from the person sitting next to them in school to their coworkers in the future. People do not understand how much better the nation would be if the respect was there. Even if some parents do not teach their kids this valuable trait, if enough people are taught to respect others it will catch on. In most cases, if someone shows respect to someone else, that person is more likely to respect them back; causing a chain reaction. Right now, not enough parents are teaching their kids respect and this causes violence, crimes, and can even lead to drug use. It is easy to see how these problems can be easily solved or would be nonexistent if their was respect. Violence would not be a problem, because no one would fight if they had respect for the other person. The next problem is crime. Nobody is going to steal or vandalize someones property if they respect them. One other problem is drug use, this would not be a problem is people respected themselves enough to not harm their bodies with drugs. They also would not sell drugs because selling something to someone that will harm them is not showing respect to that person. It is extremely easy to sit back and say that parents should teach respect, but it is not as easy to actually teach it. For there is really no way to  teach a child to respect others. Parents can tell their children to respect others all they want, but the only way a child will actually learn respect is from observing their parents as well as others showing respect. This is why teaching respect is so difficult, even if a child sees his parents respecting others it may not be enough, the child must see other people respecting others. They must also feel that other people respect them, because if they do not get respect they will not respect anyone. This is why it is so important for everyone to show respect to everyone else, not only will kids see it, but the more respect that is shown to others the more respect that is received. For these reasons respect is the chief ingredient in reestablishing the morality and virtue that made America a great nation.