Greenwich Peninsula Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Greenwich Peninsula - Essay Example It is important to understand the aspect of cultural heritage in the landscape. At the core of this discussion is the question of how landscapes may be characterized, especially the non-visual features of the landscape. Interpretations of the landscape may be different from the perspective of different assessors, depending on their knowledge and experience. Therefore, the question of restoration becomes even more difficult to resolve especially when the authentic landscape - against which to measure success and the very legitimacy of the restoration - itself are in a hiatus. Humanities and the natural sciences appear to be in conflict in the interpretation of landscapes. Cosgrove (2003) compares landscape concepts and points to an approach that could harmonize the two perspectives, ecological and semiotic, closer. Another way is to increase interdisciplinary approaches in landscape studies. The concept of the landscape already implies an interdisciplinary appreciation; its study rarely achieves levels of theoretical integration (Tress et al. 2003). A group exercise was undertaken to examine Greenwich peninsula regeneration project with this inter-disciplinary approach and to critique the work carried out on this development. The findings of the group have been condensed into a 'group presentation' which is enclosed for reference. This essay represents an individual assessment of the Greenwich project as viewed by this writer. Choice of the Regeneration Project The group considered a number of regeneration projects currently under implementation in the UK, including the Glasshouses project, Kent coalfields, Spitalfields Market, Limestone House Education, and heritage center. Greenwich Peninsula regeneration project was selected for study, for a host of reasons, the prominent among them being: The reconstruction and regeneration of an area in the urban milieu was of special attraction to the members, especially because of the large variety and (voice) presence of the resident communities; The art and cultural background of the area; The challenge of regeneration in an area that has existed for centuries and has its own and special 'landscape'; and The proximity of the area. Description of the Development work In 1997, English Partnerships purchased a 300-acre site on the Greenwich peninsula and has invested 225 million to develop the site as a 'first-millennium' community promising homes to 28,000 people and deliver over 25,000 jobs. In all a quality of life that meets the expectations and challenges of the 21st century. The Greenwich Peninsula is being developed by Lend Lease and Quintain Estates and Development PLC in the joint venture under the name and style of Meridian Delta Limited, chosen by English Partnerships and the UK government to lead London's single largest regeneration scheme. The area has a rich history and has many listed buildings, monuments and places of historical interest.  

Theobromine Essay Example for Free

Theobromine Essay Theobromine is very similar to caffeine but has two less hydrogen atoms. Theobromine is the substance in chocolate that can be toxic to animals. It also has a bitter taste, and is found in higher quantities in dark chocolate than milk chocolate. Theobromine increases excretion of water from bodies, relaxes, and stimulates. There is no evidence of the relationship between the structure and functions. Theobromine is an alkaloid belonging to the methylxanthine group. It is made up of seven carbon atoms, eight hydrogen atoms, four nitrogen atoms, and two oxygen atoms. Theobromine is very similar to caffeine but is ten times weaker. Caffeine has two more hydrogen atoms than theobromine. The structure of theobromine also contains two amide groups and three amine groups. Theobromine naturally occurs in cacao beans and is found in all chocolate products. It is what is toxic in chocolate to animals. Cardiac and central nervous system distress in dogs can be caused by 100-200 mg of theobromine per kg of the weight of the dog. It is toxic because animals metabolize theobromine much slower than humans. Theobromine has a bitter flavor, therefore found in higher quantities in dark chocolate than milk chocolate. Theobromine also increases the excretion of water from bodies, relaxes, and stimulates. It can also be used to dilate blood vessels to lower blood pressure. There is no easily accessed evidence of the relationship between the structure and functionality of theobromine.

Price waterhouse Coopers (PwC) Assurance Operating Functions

Price waterhouse Coopers (PwC) Assurance Operating Functions The assurance line of service in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) deals fundamentally with the audit of financial statements for both statutory and regulatory purposes, as well as, accountants reports for legal purposes. It encompasses of five operating units. The Operating Unit One and Two focus on insurance, real estate, pharmaceutical and life sciences. Operating Unit Three focuses on transportation, logistics, Government, Energy, Utilities and Mining. Operating Unit Four focuses on technology, and specialised fields such as financial services Practice, whereas the fifth operating unit (OU5), in which I was attached to, deals mainly with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) (PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore, 2010). Structure and manpower of the Department The structure of the department was designed in a way that the staff from the lower ranks report to their seniors or managers of the next rank. With the increase in portfolios from the previous year, the company has been expanding their intake of high calibre candidates to join the profession. As of Dec 2010, the strength of the department was 132, being assisted by 5 administrative staff. The organisation chart of the department is laid out in Appendix A. Systems software used in carrying out the department functions The applications used in the department were both general and specialised for its functions. For example, the email application used for communication is Lotus Notes. In our department, the manager would select the team members for their engagements via an online booking system. Upon confirmation of the bookings, the administrator would proceed to update the scheduler Retain application and it will be used by the staff to keep track of their engagements. In addition, PwC uses Aura and MyClient to document the audit work done for every engagement. MyClient was the precedent of Aura which was introduced around two years ago. The implementation of Aura improves the documentation of the clients profile, work done, controls, risks assessments simultaneously as well as allowing the easy coaching and feedback from the engagement leader and manager to the team members. During the engagement, the team members carry out fieldwork at the clients place. These team members will then document the work done and their respective findings in Aura. Once they are done, they can mark the work as prepared and replicate with the server, so that the engagement manager can carry out review of the work and attach any coaching notes if needed. Lastly, the claims for expenses such as taxi fares and charging of hours worked would be done using the iPower application. iPower allows the staff to submit their claims and get approval from the manager in a standard format as the forms were generated electronically. Performance Indicator of the Department The department ended the calendar year 2010 with a blast. The performance exceeded its expectations as set previously. In 2010, the department has achieved the following performance: Diagram 1: Assurance OU5 Financial Report (Year ended June 30) Performance Indicators July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010 Monthly Actual Revenue ($000) 1,083 949 847 839 988 960 Billable hours per month 12,158 9,868 9,198 10,246 9,456 10,977 Key challenges facing the industry Ability to maintain a consistent professional image globally One key challenge facing the assurance industry would be the ability to maintain a consistent professional image globally. Because of globalisation, it enables information to be transmitted at a faster rate, and the resulting impact will be multiplied. The discoveries about fraud in Lehman Brothers, as well as in the organisations locally, namely Singapore Land Authority, Singapore Red Cross Society, and M1 Limited, have casted doubts on the auditors credibility in signing the true and fair of these accounts The rising cases of these scandals, in light of ever-changing business conditions, high turnover rate and pressures to improve profitability and operations, have caused worries in stakeholders and many expect that the accounting and assurance personnel to be the watchdog to ensure the true and fair of the accounts. Similarly, organisations look to them to establish sound internal controls with proper organisation structures, so as to boost stakeholders confidence in them and to m aximise shareholders wealth. A common misconception would be that auditors are responsible for the discovery of fraud, which is incorrect. The management, as explained in the auditors report, is the responsible party. Furthermore, auditors do not perform audit on the 100 percent of the population as it would be cost-ineffective and time-consuming, they select samples that they considered as higher risks. Therefore, the auditors would only be able to provide a reasonable assurance based on the work done that the financial statements provide a true and fair view of the affairs of the company. If the auditors do not manage the risks well, the public would scrutinise the auditors and this would result in reputation loss. To remain ethical and independence at all times Another key challenge facing the industry would be to remain ethical and independence at all times. Professional services practitioners such as lawyers, accountants, auditors and doctors, are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the code of Professional Conduct Ethics of their respective boards. Unlike doctors and lawyers, an unique principle guiding the auditors would be independence, where they are expected to act with integrity and adopt an objective approach to professional work. This is because the client would pay the firm to audit their accounts, in which, the resulting opinion would be used by the other stakeholders, such as shareholders, investors and banks for decision-making. However, in my opinion, it is challenging to maintain independence and ethical. The managers bonuses are partially tied to the recoverability of their portfolio. As a result, they would succumb to raising the audit fees and controlling the time charged to the engagements. When faced with tight deadlines, the engagement teams would decide to reduce their coverage and sample sizes, increasing risk of exposure of detecting misstatements and control deficiencies. Recent developments in the sector No internal controls system in this world is perfect. Furthermore, it would be difficult to implement a sound system as each organisation operates in an environment that taps heavily on technology, and has different reporting structure and policies. To attain efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the agencies employed the use of information technology, wide span of control and have resulted in the concentration of duties in the hands of a few highly qualified technical personnel. As a result, segregation of duties, an essential element in internal controls, might be ignored. In June 2010, a fraud involving Singapore Land Authority (SLA)s experienced staff has been uncovered. Senior staff with SLA, Mr Koh Seah Wee was faced with 249 charges for a S$12 million fraud case. It was found that Mr Koh awarded and approved the payments for the contracts through the GeBiz system to fictitious firms. Fake invoices and fictitious services were said to be provided. As reported, each of the contract amounting from $2,600 to as much as $60,000. With these gains, Mr Koh purchased luxurious cars as well as private properties and investments in unit trusts. If fraud cases could occur in government agencies which the public held in high regards, there will be higher expectation on auditors to be alert during their fieldwork. Although our department do not deal with government agencies, there are still implications and learning points for us. The agencies and the SME firms have a lean organisation structure and very often, the staff strength is just sufficient for its operations. As such, one of our key concerns would be the controls over segregation of duties. During the engagements, we paid attention to the approval of the authorised personnel especially expenses incurred by top management, and vouched to ensure that these controls were actually carried out. Secondly, for one of the engagements, I vouched to the supporting documents for proof of authorisation, and found out that that the logistics manager did not sign on the delivery documents to indicate that she has matched the details in purchase order, delivery order and invoice. The reason given was that she was on maternity leave and there was no other available staff that was trained to cover her duties during that period. She was even asked to shorten her maternity leave to resume her work earlier. Furthermore, I observed that that logistics assistant actually signed for the manager, with the signature similar to her superior. From these, I have learnt that there if the client has the intention to hide information from the auditors, it becomes harder for us to detect any misstatem ents. In such situation, we must perform alternative testing, observe and make logical deductions in order to uncover the truth. Hence, we conduct a stock-take observation, which was required by their internal auditors. True enough, there was $20,000 worth of stock discrepancies because the differences were not rectified immediately when there were errors on the delivery documents. Recommendations For the recommendations for PwC, I suggested that the vocation trainees to be involved in the training sessions. During the internship, the trainees would follow the scheduled engagements and assist their seniors at work. However, the trainees do not receive any updates or attend any lessons, which were compulsory for their seniors. Without the updates such as incentives introduced the latest budget, the knowledge that we have would be restricted to what we have learnt in school. Hence, this might result in improper application of concepts. Furthermore, regular trainings would provide more opportunities for the trainees to familiarise themselves with the various templates, audit methodology, testing methods etc. Hence, it would also reduce the time spent for the seniors to explain the procedures during engagements. The company may have thought that it might not be cost-effective to spend time coaching the trainees as the internship would only be 6 months. However, I felt that if we a ttend the same events as our seniors, such as trainings and workshops, it would allow us to have a better view of the work environment in the company and appreciate the emphasis and efforts to promote continuous learning. After all, to achieve competitive advantage, trainings would be instrumental to develop and bring out individuals abilities. To have competitive advantage in the professional services industry, the professionals, which are the most valuable assets, must be able to increase their knowledge and develop skills at a faster rate than the competitors. As discussed with my senior, she agreed with my suggestion as she experienced difficulties and delays due to time taken to explain the concepts to her juniors. Secondly, the company should consider streamlining its expense claims process. Currently, for all staff, they would submit the expense claims on the portal iexpense. The expense claims would be processed via GIRO to the claimants accounts two weeks later. However, for vacation trainees and temporary staff, their expense claims can be converted to cash and be claimed upon approval from the manager. Because of this, we were approached by managers to claim the expenses under our names, so that they could receive the cash earlier. We were caught in an ethical dilemma and the expense claims for each of us were exceptionally high. In addition, I noticed that there is lack of segregation of duties, where there are cases that the managers incur expenses because they took taxis to the clients place for field review and they are also the one who approved their own taxi claims. Since they are also the approver, they could approve the taxi claims which were not used for business purposes. To de ter this happening in the future, I am proposing that the expense claims for vacation trainees and temporary staff to be processed via GIRO too. This move will reduce the cases where the trainees be asked to claim on behalf of the permanent staff, as we would also require the two weeks processing period. Furthermore, it would be cost and time-saving as the trainees do not need to proceed to finance department personally when we are always out on engagements and the GIRO application is swift and easy. For the expense claims incurred by the managers, they must be approved by the directors and partners of the engagement. While I understand that the lack of segregation of duties could easily be override by managers, by simply passing the receipts to their support and asking them to claim under their names. Random checks could be conducted with the knowledge that the managers would proceed to the clients place for field review at least once for each engagement, hence, logically, we would expect at least one claim relating to the particular client. There could be also a whistleblower avenue for the claimant to report to the finance department where their identity would be kept confidential. As discussed with my senior, she agreed with my suggestion and encouraged me to propose this to the finance management as she was also asked to do when she was a junior. As for the school, I would suggest that we remove elluminate chat session. The purpose of the chat session, in my opinion, was to provide a platform for the students to share their experiences and reflection with their liaison officers online. However, I felt that it was not as effective as the internet connection may lag or some students were working over-time and could not rush back in time. Also, when the liaison officers post a question, we did not have much time to think through. The chat session was in a hurry and we could not catch what our friends were saying before commenting. I would suggest that we adopt the use of online collaboration tools such as Stixy. It is a personal online notice board where each of us could input reflection, add photos, links and even share with other peers (Stixy, 2010). Please refer to Appendix C for screenshots of its functions.The assessment could be set in a way where the deadline could be stretched over a period of time rather than a 30-minut es chat session. Each student will be asked to decorate and update their notice board, with certain minimum requirements such as not more than 3 pictures allowed and reflection should have a minimum word requirement. After the deadline, the notice board will be shared to the rest of the students who are on the same internship to comment on. This collaboration tool is free, hence it reduces the cost of implementation. Secondly, it gives students the flexibility to carry out this assessment over a period of time. Furthermore, it encourages students to be creative in their presentation, ability to express themselves other than in words, which we usually do in discussion board. Secondly, I would like that the internship programme be much more structured in terms of preparing students, the activities, expectations and goal setting, so as to achieve an enriching experience for the interns. During the internship, I noticed that some of the interns felt lost, or even felt unjustified because they were asked to do administrative work. It is therefore important to put in place an integrated internship programme where in the companys perspective, the conversion of these interns to permanent staff and to in the students perspective, to eliminate the mentality of just an intern. To prepare them mentally and emotionally, I believe that these have been subsequently enhanced from the previous semesters, by the Dress to Impress! Workshop organised by BA Plus (Ngee Ann Polytechnic, 2010) and the compulsory year 1 module, CQ at Work conducted by the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (Ngee Ann Polytechnic, 2010). The school could discuss with the Human Resources Departme nt to come out with a list of activities that balances the on-the-job trainings with networking opportunities and community services. I also felt that the internship would be fruitful if the learning goals set at the commencement were achieved or if not achieved, be valuable learning experiences for all. The briefing given was not sufficient because it was a one-way communication from the module leader to the students. At the beginning, the interns should be asked to fill up a form on their expectations for this internship to allow the LOs and supervisors to better understand what they were expecting to achieve during this period. During the internship, the supervisors would spend time following up with the interns with their expectations set previously and keep track of their learning process. I understood that this form of goal-setting has been implemented in PwC. A sample of expectations questionnaire is attached in Appendix D. These expectations would then be followed up with the competencies chart, as attached in Appendix E, to allow the liaison officers and students to keep track of their learning process on a regular basis. I understand these additional processes would take up time and may not be well-received by students. However, going back to the objectives of the internship, it would be to provide practical experience for students and to effectively measure their learning process, it would be useful to guide them through their goal and expectation setting, so that they enter the work force with a fresh attitude and direction, rather than just learning from what they have been tasked. For example, if they are interested in financial services audit, even though they have not been given a chance to be involved in one, they should note down what are the different resources that they have seek from. The companies have rich databases sources and definitely, seniors would be willing to share their experiences with them. Key takeaway personal achievement As I reflect, I felt that the key takeaway for me is to maintain a positive attitude and zest in the tasks I do. Positive attitude that I am referring to, are the eagerness to learn, initiative to ask, taking ownership, the courage to make mistakes, the perseverance in getting the right solutions, the flexibility to try other suggestions, along with the energy and support to complete the engagement. These may sound a mouthful, but it does stem from having a positive outlook to things in life. Attitude is especially significant to me because I have seen how I was shaped from the start to the end of this internship. At the beginning, I was disappointed with myself as I was slow in understanding the concepts and in carrying out vouching. Moreover, my team in-charge told me on a personal note that I was not suitable for auditing. From then on, I was afraid to clarify my doubts and tried to avoid all troubles if possible. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to speak to my engagements manager during a casual chat. She told me that the evaluation that I got was reasonable and encouraged me to continue with my internship. I thought to myself that maybe this could be an isolated incident. I should not allow other peoples opinions to affect my aspirations. I should have been more sensitive with my seniors workloads by researching in the databases before approaching them with questions. For the next few engagements, I proceeded with a changed attitude. With enthusiasm, I approached my team in-charges to ask if there was anything that I could help with. Normally, they would ask me to map the trial balance and read last years documentation. When there are any documentation that I am unsure of, I will read the audit programme and find out the rationale for the testing methods. Sometimes, I am unable to complete the mapping of the trial balance, I will discuss with my senior and update them on what I have done and which are the areas that they need to clarify with the previous audit teams. I took my seniors feedback seriously and in order to expedite my work, I would read up the walkthrough documentation and familiarise myself with the key management personnel and the filling system. During the weekends, I would also read up the audit guide, and would check with my seniors if they are available before I clarify my doubts. The brand new attitude was like the key that opens the doors of opportunities. If I did not walk out from the setbacks, I would have resigned myself to merely vouching and not be able to be in-charge of sections. There are bound to be challenges ahead, but I believe that the attitude will see me through. Conclusion As interns, the challenges that I have mentioned above may not be affect us directly as we do not sign the accounts. However, this does not necessary mean that we play a small part in the audit of the financial statements. From assisting with planning, fieldwork and all the way to its completion as mentioned in my interim report, these six months was never easy. As I reflect, I was once affected by the seniors feedback and was even demoralised for not being appreciated for the efforts that I have put in. I was surprised that I have the perseverance and commitment that go through thick stacks of documents, worked till midnight and on weekends too. It was then a chance to discover my interests and strengths. The internship programme has definitely given me a broad view of the rigorous corporate world which demands a lot of efforts from one self. It has allowed me to apply what I have learnt in school as I felt that we learn continuously in life and witness what I have sow, is not so much about the results, but to see that these skills have been put to proper use in the future. Speaking of which, I have utilised these skills and learnt some, especially soft skills like communication skills, the courage to speak, people-management skills that will stay with me for life. This internship was especially significant because the information that I obtained from the clients and source documents went under my hands, something lifeless and raw were eventually translated into audit documentation to test the reasonableness and to achieve the audit objectives. It was even more satisfying when the whole team saw the work that worked so hard during many late nights were eventually drafted into the financial statements. While skills are important, I felt that the people that have came into my life weighs more. The bonds that I have formed with my colleagues and clients were priceless. They were the ones that you could pull a chair and chat with them for an hour, took initiative to ask if they could help you. I felt the support and comfort from them as work was particularly enjoyable. To sum it up, this internship programme has given the exposure that I needed and created the environment that I could explore and learn. Appendices Appendix A Organisation Structure of Department OU5 (As of Dec 2010) Reporting to 132 Appendix B Newspaper Article It could have started earlier than thought ; Ex-SLA executives alleged involvement in fraud may have begun in 2005 Leong Wee Keat Leong Wee Keat 20 November 2010 TODAY (Singapore) (c) 2010. MediaCorp Press Ltd. SINGAPORE In a further twist to the largest suspected fraud in the civil service, investigators now believe that one of the accused began cheating the State years before he joined the Singapore Land Authority, where his alleged crimes were first discovered. On Friday, former SLA deputy director Koh Seah Wee (picture) was charged with cheating the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos) when he was assistant director of its Information Technology Department from July 2004 to March 2007. Koh, 40, purportedly conspired with Chartered Systems Services to enable the business to win IT contracts from Ipos. The company would submit payment invoices for fictitious goods and services, which Koh would certify even though nothing was delivered. Eight fraudulent transactions, amounting to about $286,000, are thought to have occurred between December 2005 and March 2007. Investigations against Kohs activities in Ipos are continuing, according to a joint statement from Ipos and the Law Ministry. While a previous cheating scam involving former Trade Development Board chief executive officer Yeo Seng Teck had gone on for a longer period for five years, between June 1988 and July 1993 -investigations into Koh have turned to his time at the Supreme Court, where he was deployed before July 2004. Koh now faces a total of 302 charges, while former SLA manager Christopher Lim Chai Meng, 37, faces 309. Both men bought luxury cars from the alleged $12.1 million they siphoned from SLA between November 2007 and March this year. Ipos conducted its internal investigation after the purported SLA fraud came to light in June. An independent review panel was convened and it recommended improvements to Ipos internal controls, systems and processes, which have since been implemented. These included strengthening internal audit structures and processes, centralising the procurement process and ensuring the purchasing officer and the receiving officer are different individuals, read the joint statement. Ipos said its financial statements and accounts were audited externally, not by the Auditor-Generals Office, during the time the alleged offences took place. This was done in accordance with the Auditor- Generals requirements. The audits conducted were statutory audits of financial statements and compliance audits designed to ensure compliance with finance procedures and processes. These types of audit may not always be able to pick up such fraudulent activities, Ipos said. Disciplinary investigations of officers whose lapses in supervision may have contributed to the fraud going undetected are in progress. Action will be taken, if found appropriate, said Ipos. Kohs case will be mentioned again on Dec 3. Appendix C Stixy Appendix D Setting of expectations Internship Programme Expectations Company: ______________________ Supervisors name: ______________ Liaison Officers name: ___________ Student Name: __________________ What are some of expectations that you have for this internship programme? What are some of the activities that you hope to attend during the internship programme? What are some of the learning goals that you hope to achieve by the end of the internship programme? How do you think the company can help to enrich your internship experience and your career aspirations? Appendix E Competency Chart

George Babbitt of Sinclair Lewis Babbitt Essay -- Lewis Babbitt Essay

George Babbitt: Image of a Presbyterian         Ã‚  Ã‚  In Babbitt, Sinclair Lewis portrays religion as a corrupt business.   In fact, he emphasizes this by focusing on his main character George Babbitt.   George Babbitt is characterized as a businessman in Zenith.   He is a man preoccupied about his reputation and his image before the main leaders of the town he lives in.   Lewis creates a hypocritical figure for Babbitt through his reasons for being a Presbyterian.   He says that if you were to question Babbitt about his religion he would say,   "My religion is to serve my fellow men, to honor my brother as myself, and to do my bit to make life happier for one and for all"   (199).   Of course, if you heard this from Babbitt you would have the idea that Babbitt was a true Presbyterian.   Lewis says that if you were to persist with the same question Babbitt would then reply,   "I'm a member of the Presbyterian Church, and naturally, I accept its doctrines"   (199).   This would make B abbitt look even better.   Being from the Presbyterian Church, the richest church in Zenith, he would be a man well set with good morals.   However, Lewis points at G. Babbitt's true reasons for being in the Presbyterian Church.   He was really a Presbyterian for his reputation.   By participating in the services of the Presbyterian Church, Babbitt was able to hide his human flaws and give himself an image of a respectable man (Lewis 199).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   George Babbitt was asked by Dr. Drew to help improve the Sunday School at Zenith.   Lewis shows that Babbitt's acceptance to carry out this task was done to form a business relationship with Mr. Eathorne, the president of the First State Bank of Zenith.   "Nothing gave Babbitt more purifica... ...nd money      Works Cited    Lewis, Sinclair. Babbitt. New York: Signet, 1922. Miller, Park Hays. Why I am a Presbyterian. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1956. "PCUSA clergy, laity, differ on gambling." Christian Century 13 Sept. 2000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1058/25_117/65702740/print.jhtml>. "The Presbyterian General Assembly." The Christian Century 17 June 1926: 784-789.   Scanlon, Leslie. "Council will be asked to cut $2.5 million from budget; Reducing frequency of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assemblies endorsed." Outlook 29 Jan. 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://vivisimo.com/search?query=%22Presbyterian+Church+U.S.A%22+%2B+expenditur-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   es&v%3Asources=Fast%2COD%2CMSN%2Clooksmart%2Cnetscape>. Smith, Elwyn A. The Presbyterian Ministry in American Culture. Philadelphia: Westminister     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press, 1962.    George Babbitt of Sinclair Lewis' Babbitt Essay -- Lewis Babbitt Essay George Babbitt: Image of a Presbyterian         Ã‚  Ã‚  In Babbitt, Sinclair Lewis portrays religion as a corrupt business.   In fact, he emphasizes this by focusing on his main character George Babbitt.   George Babbitt is characterized as a businessman in Zenith.   He is a man preoccupied about his reputation and his image before the main leaders of the town he lives in.   Lewis creates a hypocritical figure for Babbitt through his reasons for being a Presbyterian.   He says that if you were to question Babbitt about his religion he would say,   "My religion is to serve my fellow men, to honor my brother as myself, and to do my bit to make life happier for one and for all"   (199).   Of course, if you heard this from Babbitt you would have the idea that Babbitt was a true Presbyterian.   Lewis says that if you were to persist with the same question Babbitt would then reply,   "I'm a member of the Presbyterian Church, and naturally, I accept its doctrines"   (199).   This would make B abbitt look even better.   Being from the Presbyterian Church, the richest church in Zenith, he would be a man well set with good morals.   However, Lewis points at G. Babbitt's true reasons for being in the Presbyterian Church.   He was really a Presbyterian for his reputation.   By participating in the services of the Presbyterian Church, Babbitt was able to hide his human flaws and give himself an image of a respectable man (Lewis 199).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   George Babbitt was asked by Dr. Drew to help improve the Sunday School at Zenith.   Lewis shows that Babbitt's acceptance to carry out this task was done to form a business relationship with Mr. Eathorne, the president of the First State Bank of Zenith.   "Nothing gave Babbitt more purifica... ...nd money      Works Cited    Lewis, Sinclair. Babbitt. New York: Signet, 1922. Miller, Park Hays. Why I am a Presbyterian. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1956. "PCUSA clergy, laity, differ on gambling." Christian Century 13 Sept. 2000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1058/25_117/65702740/print.jhtml>. "The Presbyterian General Assembly." The Christian Century 17 June 1926: 784-789.   Scanlon, Leslie. "Council will be asked to cut $2.5 million from budget; Reducing frequency of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assemblies endorsed." Outlook 29 Jan. 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://vivisimo.com/search?query=%22Presbyterian+Church+U.S.A%22+%2B+expenditur-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   es&v%3Asources=Fast%2COD%2CMSN%2Clooksmart%2Cnetscape>. Smith, Elwyn A. The Presbyterian Ministry in American Culture. Philadelphia: Westminister     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press, 1962.   

moral Essays -- essays papers

moral For nearly thirty years he has amplified his Cognitive-Developmental theory of moralisation which has now become prominent in the field of moral development and its application to moral education. Kohlberg proposed that moral difficulties motivated their own development through a fixed sequence of increasingly adaptable kinds of moral reasoning. He conducted most of his work at Harvard University and developed his stage model in 1969. Working through the 1950’s and 60’s using longitudinal and cross sectional studies he proposed 6 stages of development (see Appendix 1) identified through the responses of children presented with moral dilemmas. Piaget, his former tutor, proposed only 2 stages of moral development these being the Hetronomous and Autonomous stages. He was not so much interested in the judgments made but the reasons for the judgment, differing from Piaget he saw the stages as part of cognitive development. He was interested in how people think rather than what they think. These reasons represent to Kohlberg the structure of judgment, centering around 10 universal moral issues or values. Piaget believed autonomous moral reasoning to occur between ages 10-12 whereas Kohlberg proposes adolescence or even adulthood. These values are punishment, property and law, roles and concerns of affection, roles and concerns of authority, life, liberty, justice, truth and sex. From its earliest transmission Kohlberg has not been without critics. Although his work is of unquestionable importance Peter’s (1971) warned: â€Å"There is a grave danger that they (Kohlberg’s findings) may become exhalted into a general theory of moral development† may be seen by some to have been fulfilled. Although Kohlberg’s work is vast, the following will look at universality, briefly at gender and morality and following this methodology. Kohlberg’s Universality The biggest challenge for Kohlberg’s theory is to explain how the process of self-creation and mental structures can be universal despite cultural, subcultural and environmental differences that exist in all of us. The principles of Kohlberg’s stage 6 is of universal justice and respect for individual rights Kohlberg (1969, 1971). Using his moral judgment interview he tried to address confounding factors of universality although latter admitted that the modal ages... ...ate Adolescence and Adulthood: A Critique and Reconstruction of Kohlberg’s Therapy; Human Development 23, 2 pp 77-104 Holstein, C. (1976) ‘Irreversible, Stepwise Sequence in the Development of Moral Judgment: A Longitudinal Study of Males and Females; Child Development’ 47, 1 pp 51-61 Lemming, J. (1974) ‘An Empirical examination of Key Assumptions Underlying the Kohlberg Rationale for Moral Education; ERIC Document Reproduction Service Number ED 093-749 â€Å"Willhel, F. (1977) ‘The Effects of the Extent of Training on Teacher Discussion behaviours and Children’s Moral Reasoning Development; Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Stage University of New York at Albany Modgil, S. & Modgil, C. (1985) Kohlberg, L. Consensus and Controversy, International Masterminds Challenge, Falmer Press England Pepperdine University http://moon.pepperdine.edu/asep/class/ethics/kohlberg/pro%26con_argumentsh+ml Woods, C. (1986) Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality 1996; Vol 24(4) 375-384 Wilson, R. (1995) Moral Interventions in Education Setting. http://www.interchg.vbc.ca/rw/psy413-1.htm Gross. R, (1996) Psychology The Science of Mind and Behaviour.Hodder and Stoughton.

The Meaning of Being American Essay -- American Citizenship Patriotism

The Meaning of Being American What does it mean to be an American? Can this statement ever really be defined since America is a melting pot of different races, religions, political views, social views and so on and so fourth. To be an American can mean virtually anything and whether or not somebody supports national symbols is just another part of being and American. As Americans we have the right to disagree with the government, the right to protest against something unjust, the right to burn a flag in disgrace because after all we have freedom of speech. To some these things are un-American, but to others they are the reasons America is such a wonderful place to live. There is no definite answer to this question, but many different possibilities. Like any other country America has national symbols such as the American Flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the â€Å"Start Spangled Banner.† To be an American means that you support these things to fullest extent and hold them in the highest regard. This means that When the National Anthem is played or the Pledge of Allegiance is recited, it is our duty as Americans to stand, remove our hats and cover our hearts as a sign of the utmost respect. These symbols are a sign of our heritage. They stand for what we believe in, who we are, and where we come from. We are Americans. We believe in life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. True Americans speak the national language, English, and know that America is a one of a kind country that cannot be beat. We have worked hard over the years to become the wealthiest and the most prosperous country in the entire world. As Americans we have the right to drive a Hummers, the right to live in luxurious houses, because after all we’... ...unds for music and art education, and library books for their children, by issuing the products of their kitchens: cookies, bundt cakes, lumpia, spring rolls and ribs. Watch the kindergartners dance the Hula!† America is a place where freedom of speech prospers. Some people believe that America stands for one thing while others believe it stands for completely opposite things. The first stance I wrote about it a viable stance, but it lacks one thing, freedom. To be American doesn’t mean one thing, it means that you are open to anything, no matter how outlandish it may be. America is country that was founded on freedom, happiness, and love. Over the years many of these qualities have been lost to greed, corruption, and hatred. If we ever want to return America to its former glory we must open our minds, our eyes, and our hearts to people different from us.

Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh

Size up Germany’s foundry Industry? Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future?The beginning of the new millennium has presented Walter Hundhausen (WH) with a big hurdle to jump. The German economy is experiencing economic stagnation, an aging population and a German labour market that is filled with many intrusive government regulations. The German economy has been growing at an average rate of 0.6 percent per year for the last 4 years; making it one of the slowest growing economies in the Euro Zone.However, study’s suggests in 2004, the domestic economy is expected to grow above 2 percent. Moreover, one-third of Germany’s economy is comprised of exports. In performing a Pest Analysis (see Diagram 1 below), there are many macro factors affecting the German Foundry Industry.MACRO FORCESThe acronym stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological concerns that could affect the strategic development of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By iden tifying PEST influences it helps gage the external environment in which the casting foundry industry operates. PoliticalStrict Layoff Regulations: Government regulations had strict policies in place on how organizations could layoff employees. Before employees were laid-off, management had to advise the Works Council and they had to agree to the nature and timing of the plan. In addition, the management team had to develop a social plan for each employee on how the layoff would affect them and what remedies the organization would put in place for them. If a  social plan was not presented, employees could claim for compensation through the courts. This could prove to be costly in time, money and reputation.National Bargaining on Wages: The current German industrial relations policy was based on a duel model. One part dealt with the collective bargaining, while the other dealt with codetermination. The collective bargaining agreement dealt with minimums and maximums, with respect to wages and salaries and working hours. Codetermination was an actual Act or Law that provided labourers in Germany with three levels of representation; Supervisory Board, Works Council and Labour Director. However, in the end, all collective bargaining agreements could be adjusted and then ratified through this process.Social Market Economy: The political climate in the country is based on the social market economy, where employers and unions worked as partners to better the organization as a whole. However, in reality, the balance of power lay in the hands of the union. Unions negotiated national and regional wages and hours of operations; in addition, they also negotiated paid time-off. In 2004, the average individual worked 1,542 hours. The standard legislated work week was set at 60 hours with a minimum paid leave of 24 days. That translates to 2,832 hours per year. Despite the legislation, the average individual worked 54 percent less than was legislated in 2004.Ordnung Princip al: This is Germany’s version of the Triple Bottom Line, where economy, society and the government all participate in the mechanism for workers democracy. New Environmental Legislation: The government imposed a new ecological tax in 2000 that focused on waste reduction as opposed to waste recycling. This added costs in the form of time and money to the WH casting process. From an economic perspective, the government wanted the industry to focus on the externalities and reduce them or remove them totally.EconomicalDomestic Growth: The last three years (2001 to 2004), the German economy was growing at an average rate of 0.6 percent per year. Germany had been experiencing the slowest growth in the Euro zone. This affected many organizations in Germany, particularly mid-sized companies that were not big enough to fully utilize economies of scale. Future Growth: The economy in Germany has been slated to grow around 2 percent for the year 2004.This represent an increase of 1.4 perc ent over the previous year and that may not  seem big, but relatively speaking that is a 233% increases from year over year. Increase in Value of the Euro: Another concern at the macro level is the appreciation of the Euro against other currencies, most notably the American dollar. As the Euro increased, the cost of WH’s products also increased. However, the opportunity to purchase at a lower price scrap iron and steel from non-European countries has also increased. As the Euro appreciates in value, it can now purchase raw materials at a lower cost.SocialAging Population: The current labour shortage in Germany is creating a nightmare in the casting industry. In order to attract and retain employees, organizations were paying a premium over scheduled tariffs. These costs were substantial, as many companies were running multiple shifts in order to keep up with demand. Reduction in Full-Time Employment: The current macro environment suggests a reduction in the number of full-t ime resources, because of the high labour costs. However, because of the aging population, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified workers.Sounds counter intuitive; a reduction of full-time staff to cut costs, but many companies in the industry are paying premiums over scheduled tariffs in order to keep their current workforce. Strong Social Employment Contracts: The Germany foundry industry has a strong employment contract system, where employers are responsible for the well being of their workers. The contract is enforced by the Works Council and the Labour Director who is part of the origination. Their main objective is to resolve disputes through intensive informal contacts.Strong Union Presence: The dual model in the industry consists of a collective bargaining agreement and codetermination. This dual system gives the unions a strong position within the foundry industry. Their presence has lead to numerous bouts of conflict with management when negotiating collective agreements and in some cases these disagreements lead to long and bitter strikes.TechnicalAbove Average R&D Investment: R&D is a major competent in the casting foundry industry. R&D creates better products and above all reduces costs through the automation of the casting process. Moreover, by being a Tier 1 supplier, customers are expecting better products and lower costs year over  year. Frequent Technology Changes: In the casting process, technology changes occur frequently, in order to maintain lower sand-to-metal ratios and scrap ratios. Largest European Foundry: Being the largest casting foundry in Europe, economies of scale can have significant cost savings, as the organization can purchase large amounts of scrap iron and steel.Close Proximity to Clients: By being close to customers, shipping costs and delivery times are reduced substantially; giving the local casting foundry a cost advantage over their long distance competitors. Efficient Sand Casting Process: T he casting process is highly integrated and labour intensive. By having a disjointed process, the cost of the process will be high and the products produced would be of an inferior quality. A process that is tightly controlled and automated will reduce unnecessary waste and cut costs in the form of wages and raw material.MICRO FORCESBelow are the specific micro forces that will influence how WH reacts to the environmental issues assessed above.SupplyThe cost of raw materials was increasing 23 percent year over year (see Diagram 2 below). Raw materials have been the single most expensive cost to WH. Diagram 3 below, illustrates the cost of raw materials to revenues and the cost of wages and salaries to revenues. As for wages and salaries, they have been holding steady. Moreover, the trend seems to be downward sloping (see Diagram 3, below).Total revenues have been increasing steadily since 2001; with a significant increase occurring in 2004 (see Diagram 4, below).Year over Year Incre ase in Revenues 2001 2002 2003 2004Total Revenues 97 99 103 117 2.06% 4.04% 13.59%However, in 2004, the index price of scrap iron and steel has been averaging around 191.00, that is a 43 percent increase, year over year. The trend seems to be heading higher, potentially breaking the 250.00 barrier (see Diagram 5, below).Average 81.25 99.91667 99.91667 111.5 133.75 191.25CompetitionCompetition from non-OEM organizations was growing. However, customers today are more sophisticated and understand that quality plays an important role in the decision to purchase a product versus purchasing a product on price alone. The real threat will come from organizations in the casting industry from Eastern European that will eventually become tier 1 suppliers. One of the challenges facing WH is the current workforce in Germany. WH has been experiencing a high degree of absence due to leaves and sick days.The above graph (see Diagram 6) illustrates by department where the greatest number of absences are occurring. The stars indicate the average per department and in 2004, there was an increase in the number of absences in Core Marketing, Finishing and Heat Treatment. Finishing can be explained because of the nature of the work itself. It is one of the most difficult  parts of the casting process. Some of the other notable information to mention, is when the automated casting process is operating efficiently, sick days and leaves are kept to a minimum.For example, pouring and melting in 2003 experienced numerous mechanical problems, thus the department experienced a higher level of absences as opposed to 2004, when the process was operating with little interruptions, sick days and leaves decreased substantially. Moreover, for the first 6 months of 2004, the average cost of the total days off work amounted to 3.39 million, which represents 8.7 percent of the overall company’s revenues (see Diagram 7, below).DemandThe biggest threat facing WH is their ability to reduce costs. Their customers are demanding lower prices and the organiza tion has been responding, by investing heavily in R&D to improve the casting process. However, if they do not get the costs of the casting process under control, they will not be able to meet the increasing demand from the motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicle industry in 2004 purchased a total of 68% of the total industry’s output. Diagram 8, below illustrates the percentage increase or decrease year over year by industry and the tonnage sold by industry. Clearly, the industry that has been adding value to WH has been the motor vehicle industry. On average, over the last three years, the motor vehicle industry has increased 13 percent.If the motor vehicle industry continues on their current growth path, by the end of 2005, WH will have reached plant capacity of 95,000 tonnes per year (see Diagram 9, below). The forecast includes a 13 percent increase in motor vehicle tonnage per year and holds the other two industries with no growth or decline in tonnes required.PEST Con clusionThe rising cost of scrap iron and steel, a stagnate Germany economy, the German labour market and its regulations are proving extremely difficult for WH to deal with. In addition, WH is reaching plant capacity and they have not been able to control rising costs to date. For the last three years, wages and raw material purchases have been well over budget. SWOT ANALYSISA SWOT analysis was completed for WH to evaluate their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (see Diagram 10, below). The analysis identifies the key internal and external factors that will hinder or help WH achieve their stated goals and objectives.One of the key factors to WH success was their ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create new products for them. This was one area in the casting foundry industry that separated WH from their competitors; WH was and still is â€Å"Best in Class†, when it comes to product innovation. One area of improvement would be to e liminate or reduce the number of products that have low margins.By producing these low margin products, WH is tying up valuable resources both in time, money and material. One of the greatest threats WH will encounter is the surging casting foundries from Eastern European countries, such as Spain, Turkey and Poland. Currently, many of the Eastern European organizations either small or big are not OEM rated. However, with time and additional investment dollars, these organizations will be able to compete against WH on price.PORTERS FIVE FORCESOne final assessment was completed to determine the profitability or attractiveness of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By utilizing Porters Five Force model, a more realistic assessment of the competitive rivalry that exists in the market can be determined. This will give WH insight as to the attractiveness of the industry and determine what course of action (if any) is required.The analysis clearly demonstrated that the industry is hig hly profitable (see Diagram 11, above). The Barriers to Entry are high, making it difficult for organizations to enter. Entry requires a high initial capital investment and ongoing R&D dollars. Moreover, the bargaining power of the Buyer is Low, because switching costs are high. Substitutes products are available, but in the motor vehicle industry highly unlikely to be used.The  bargaining power of Suppliers is strong, because there is strong union presence and the raw material is based on world supply and demand prices. In short, the competitive rivalry within the Casting Foundry Industry is high, suggesting that the industry is profitable. Furthermore, with high exist barriers, because of the high fixed costs, it makes it extremely difficult to exit the industry, and thus remaining organizations will continue to suffer and lose more market share.Question 1A:  Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future?Not with their current casting process. Clearly, WH’s core com petency lies in their ability to produce exactly what the customer needs and then takes that knowledge one step further by producing new products that customers ends up wanting; WH creates demand for their new more profitable products. Moreover, WH links their internal logistical and informational systems with their customers. Basically, WH becomes an extension of their customers. The future for WH would be to outsource some non core activities of their value chain to 3rd parties in the casting foundry industry; perhaps in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, where wages are less and employment is more bountiful.In conclusion, with the current trends in the casting foundry industry, where growth is expected to increase 2% per year in tonnage and 3% per year in value, WH does not have the current structure to capitalize on this growth opportunity. Pricing has also become an issue and they are trying to go head to head with their customers and asking them to pick up the additional surcharg es on the price of scrap steel and iron. Moreover, with the additional investment in R&D, costs have not decreased. Revenues have been steadily rising, but so have costs and costs have outpaced revenues. This is evident, as WH is expected to lose 6 million in 2004, making it the worst loss in the company’s 4 year history.Question 2:  Is the alternative that WH’s management called â€Å"strategic change† really strategic? Justify you answer.In order to justify the answer, one must first define what strategic change is. According to Joseph N. Fry, one of the authors of Strategic Analysis  and Action he suggests that it is a tool for building, communicating and maintain the direction of the business. As for Lawrence G. Hrebiniak, he suggests that strategic change is all about execution. In his book, Making Strategy Work, he suggested that without a careful, planned approach to execution, strategic goals cannot be attained.Albeit, in both examples above, little reference is made to the actual strategy, but in reality both authors agree that the strategy is important, but the execution of the strategy is key to success. An analogy that can be used to illustrate their point of view would be a golfer that needs to fade a shot around a tree. The strategy has been set, the trajectory of ball flight has been visualized; wind and all other factors have been taken into consideration. What’s left is the actual striking of the ball. However, if the golfers’ core competency is to hit a draw, rather than a fade, the strategy has little to do with the result of the execution.One of WH alternative is to shut down Line 2, reduce employment by 114 workers and increase sales through a radical marketing campaign that started in 2003. However, the radical marketing campaign emphasizes a differentiation strategy as opposed to a price strategy as indicated by Klaas. The key to their current success is WH’s ability to understand their custo mer’s business needs and create specific casting moulds for them. In addition, WH has been able to develop new products with higher margins for their customers and then sell those products back to their customers; push marketing.By adopting a low cost strategy, rivals in the industry will eventually out price WH and take market share away from them. One of the reasons why WH can be out priced in the market is that their main competitors from Eastern Europe, such as Poland, have a much lower wage structures. To conclude, WH’s alternative does not fit the traditional definition of a strategic change. After reviewing the data and the definition, the answer remains a resolute no. The reason for the decision is that strategic change must take into consideration other aspects of the organization.The changes suggested by Klaas will not delivery the strategy in a controlled manner that is efficient and effective to implement. Strategic management is not about delivering one si ngle project or addressing one particular issue, but a process that governs the entire organization and how the entire  organization is affected by the strategic change (see Diagram 12, above). The so called alternative â€Å"strategic change† in the end will not deliver any real value to the organization, thus further suggesting that this is not a strategic change. Strategic change at the end of the day must deliver real value, not perceived value.In Germany that value takes on the form of a stakeholder, rather than a shareholder. Thus, by simply focusing on profits and ignoring the human costs of the layoffs, WH will not execute this strategy with any conviction or success. Both Fry and Hrebiniak realize that the process is complicated and contains many moving parts. In short, there is no magic bullet. Simply cutting workers and installing automated processes does not guarantee costs reductions and increased revenues.Question 3:  How much â€Å"flexibility† did t he company have in dealing with its problem?The reality of the situation is that WH only had perceived flexibility. With economic stagnation, an aging population, tight employment regulations and a shortage of workers, WH has limited flexibility in being able to deal with the problem. Moreover, with the increase in tariffs, raw materials and energy, WH has even less flexibility in addressing their current problem. WH was able to negotiate concessions with the Works Council; however, the concessions came with a hefty price. The Works Council’s goal was to save jobs in the short term for the promise of better pay in the long term. Thus, WH was able to negotiate special agreements to break the current collective agreement.WH negotiated for more free hours, less pay and forgone holidays and vacation pay, but had no control over dismissal’s and working exemptions; the Works Council held the balance of power in these two categories. For example, if employment dropped below 5 70 permanent employees, the regional tariff rates would come into effect and they did. The Works Council’s position for long term better pay may present a problem with a few of the alternatives being suggested by WH.The Works Council may not approve any of the alternatives that involve significant layoffs and pay reductions. These alternatives are in direct conflict with their own goals and objectives. In conclusion, perceived flexibility is much different than actual flexibility. WH may think they can suggest an alternative that  makes sense for them, but the reality is that without buy in from the Works Council, the strategy will surely fail to execute.Question 4:  What could management do to address the problem?WH management must develop a Strategic Management Process. The new strategic management process is to be undertaken by the executives at WH and GMH. The executives will review and interpret the Germany foundry industry and determine the direction for WH. At this point in the process the executives will set the Corporate Strategy (strategic direction) and priorities, while understanding and taking into consideration resources and budget constraints (see diagram 13, below).The seconds step is to create the â€Å"right† Corporate Structure with the proper incentives and controls to ensure that the Corporate Strategy can be achieved. The final step is to ensure that the Business Units understand the objectives set forth and have the necessary resources in place to achieve their goals and objectives. It is the business unit who is responsible for ensuring that they have the correct skills and capabilities in place in order to achieve the Corporate Strategy. Once the strategic management process has been developed, the next critical step in the process is to formulate a well defined plan that has clear and focused goals and objectives. These goals and objectives must be measurable, attainable and realistic.Moreover, the plan must address how these achievements will affect the overall organization, but more importantly, if the goals and objectives are not meet, what are consequences to the organization. This process must be open and transparent that will ensure that buy in will occur quickly. In conclusion, the execution of these key activities is the heart of any successful strategic management process. In addition, WH must ensure that the Works Council understands that the long term success of WH is in everyone’s best interest. The Works Council’s long term goal is for better pay for its workers, without WH, their goals and objectives will never be realized.Question 5:  What had management done so far?Management has accomplished a lot to date. They sold WH to GMH who had experience in purchasing distressed companies and providing them with fresh equity and motivating their work force. In addition, in 2003, WH implemented a radical marketing plan that increased revenues by approximately 13.6 % in 200 4. WH invested heavily in operations, by trying to automate the sand casting process. WH believed that they could further reduce the operating costs by automating a lot of the high touch processes.WH has also outsourced the finishing process, as this is one of the most costly processes in the sand casting process. WH hired a consultant by the name of Knight Wendling who was hired to improve productivity and reduce costs. His first mandate was to get customer to pay a scrap surcharge and eliminate unprofitable products. By the middle of 2004, 91 percent of customers were paying the surcharge and he eliminated 5,000 tonnes of products that were generating low contributions. Finally, in 2004 WH made some major changes to their current management structure and sent out a new message to their workers, that management was looking for fresh ideas that would make a difference.Question 6:  What actions were left open to WH’s management and would they make sense?One action that was l eft open was continuing with the Radical Marketing Plan that WH started in 2003. The marketing plan would continue to increase sales by 8.2 million and contribution by 5.2 million in 2005. However, one of the major issues with this action was that costs were also increasing and the increase in revenues and contributions was being offset by the rising cost of scrap iron and steel and wages. The rising costs, coupled with WH’s increase in prices were opening the doors to some of their direct competitors in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.This plan would only make sense if they could get the Works Council to increase the number of hours that employee’s could work and reduce the minimum number of workers required, before tariffs are enforced. Moreover, this approach would make sense, if WH could convince the Works Council that their short term objective to keep as many employees as  possible is actually going to hurt their long term goal of better pay for their workers. If WH and the Works Council could overlook their short term objectives and focus on their long term objectives, everyone would be better off.Question 7:  How could it pursue the remaining actions?WH could simply divest the entire operations and payout the 15.3 million owed to the workers ( 25,000 * 612 workers). However, this may not be in the best interest of the entire organization as an environmental assessment must be completed before the land gets rezoned. Worst case scenario, if the land is contaminated the purchaser may request that the seller clean the land before title change and this could cost GMH considerable money.The opportunity cost of closing down the plant would be the 15.3 million, thus the company could take that money and reinvest it into WH. Currently, WH is losing 6.2 million per year, if they continue losing this amount of money, that would buy them 3 additional years and then WH could simply sell the business. WH would have to create a strategic plan that takes into consideration all the options associated with investing additional capital. More so, they will need buy in from the Works Council. Without their buy in strategic plans will prove useless.