constitutional law Essay -- essays research papers

Constitutional Law Marbury v. Madison Marbury v. Madison, one of the first Supreme Court cases asserting the power of judicial review, is an effective argument for this power; however, it lacks direct textual basis for the decision. Marshall managed to get away with this deficiency because of the silence on many issues and the vague wording of the Constitution. During the early testing period when few precedents existed, there was much debate about fundamental issues concerning what was intended by the words of the Constitution and which part of government should have the final word in defining the meaning of these words. Marshall used the Marbury case to establish the Supreme Court's place as the final judge. Marshall identified three major questions that needed to be answered before the Court could rule on the Marbury v. Madison case. The first of these was, "Has the applicant a right to the commission he demands?" The Constitution allows that "the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, . . . " (Art. II, Â § 2). The Judiciary Act of 1793 had given the President the right to appoint federal judges and justices of the peace; there is no dispute that such an appointment was within the scope of the president's powers. Debate arises because the Constitution is silent on the exact time at which the appointment is considered complete. The Supreme Court ruled that "when a commission has been signed by the president, the appointment is made; and that the commission is complete, when the seal of the United States has been affixed to it by the [secretary of state]." This ruling does not have direct constitutional support, but it is not an unreasonable decision. The second question which Marshall addressed was, "If [Marbury] has a right, and that right has been violated, do the laws of this country afford him a remedy?" The answer is logically yes although there are no specific words in the Constitution to support such an answer. Based on the type of government intended by the Constitution, the government is expected to protect individual liberty. As Marshall says, "[The government] will certainly cea... ...urthermore, the president also was not in a position to allow the federal government more leeway in interpreting their powers. He does not make any laws of his own and has no power to settle any questions of the states. Clearly, the Supreme Court was the branch that could most easily facilitate the strengthening of the national government into an effective and unified nation rather than thirteen independent countries as the states had seemed under the Articles of Confederation. Critics will protest that the people do not elect the Supreme Court Justices and therefore the Supreme Court should not have the power of judicial review. As McCloskey points out, "No institution in a democratic society could become and remain potent unless it could count on a solid block of public opinion that would rally to it's side in a pinch." Clearly, the Supreme Court is ultimately responsible to the will of the people. By maintaining independence from politics, the Justices avoid the major problems of political parties and party platforms. Furthermore, the Supreme Court's small size allows the Constitution to speak with a unified voice throughout the country.

The Role of the Church in the Renaissance Essay example -- Art History

The Christian Church was absolutely instrumental in the art of the Renaissance. It was the driving force behind every inspiration; without the Church, there would have been no art. The Church was the only institution powerful enough to be able to support the commissions of all of the artwork, and it was the only institution, in which people had enough faith and devotion to spend so much of their time and money creating pieces that—although beautiful—were not necessities. The role of religion in art actually began during the Byzantine era. During this time, all artwork was religious in nature, and most of it was done in a consistently similar style so that figures from the Bible could be easily recognized by everyone and so that people had a consistent view of religious matters. Art during this time was largely iconic, meant to inspire the awe of God in the viewer. Along with various versions of the crucifix, one of the most popular images of the Byzantine style wa s The Pantokrator, an image of Jesus Christ as shown from above. An example of one of these pieces was done in the twelfth century in the abbey church of Monreale in the city of Palermo. Jesus is a monumental figure that takes up much of the space across the apse of the Church. One of his hands forms a mudra as the other holds the scripture. His fully frontal and direct stance along with the glimmering gold background serves to strike awe and fear into the viewer. Clearly this piece was done with the intent to impress the value and mightiness of religion first and attention to the detail and technique of the art second. This emphasis on religion continued deep into the Renaissance, as the Church was one of the few organizations that could fund such massive un... ...udgment in the afterlife. Giotto’s Arena Chapel, Duccio’s Maestà  , and Masaccio’s Trinity are only a few examples of the Church’s overarching influence on Renaissance art. Without the Church, there would have been no art. It was the increasing popularity of the Church with new orders of monks in the 1200s that created a greater need for religious images, and with more production of art, the style began to change. Religion was such an integral part of Renaissance culture that it makes sense that it would be the focus of its creativity. Works Cited Adams, Laurie Schneider. Italian Renaissance Art, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2001. Shearmann, John. Only Connect†¦ Art and the Spectator in the Italian Renaisssance, Washington, D.C.: Princeton University Press, 1992. Welch, Evelyn. Art and Society in Italy 1350-1500, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Campbell Management Consulting Case Analysis

Campbell Management Consulting Case Analysis Situation Analysis In the Campbell Management Consulting case, Lauzon Automotive hopes to become more efficient. Central Engineering Manager, Peter Cole, has hired Colin Campbell to conduct a series of studies, beginning with the role of â€Å"tug operator†. The workload carried by the tug operator position has decreased in recent years due to decreases in the amount of waste generated at the plant; however, staff level of the role has remained constant over the same period. Campbell is observing and analyzing the utilization of workers in the position to determine if cutbacks would be beneficial. Campbell is met with hostility, however, on the part of the union workers who fear losing their jobs. In addition to being openly hostile towards Campbell, the workers have opted to participate in a â€Å"work-to-rule† campaign to show their dissatisfaction with the study. The campaign is a strike technique in which workers do the minimum amount of work necessary, or follow the policies and procedures so closely, that productivity is hampered or halted altogether. Since huge losses result from the shutdown of the plant, which could be a result of their work-to-rule campaign, it is wise to avoid its enactment. The root causes of the issues include job design problems, specifically with inflexibility. This narrow description has caused workers to be able to enact the work-to-rule campaign. In addition, general management of the workforce is another concern. Cole, a young manager, needs to get a better grip on the tenured union employees and enforce company policies. Issues with the union also abound; under no circumstances should a consultant be harassed, as Campbell was, by one the Lauzon employees. PROJECT TITLE: | Campbell Management Consulting| Date:| 9/13/2011| | Owner:| Michelle Crawford| Background| | Recommendations| *In 1998, Japanese automakers have 30% share of industry vs. the decreasing 60% share held by North American manufacturers. *Production rates for American automakers had dropped 2-3% in few years leading up to 1998. | | A job analysis and reformation of the job description is required to impede any future attempts at enforcing a work-to-rule or other strike tactic. The measurable will be compliance from the workforce as well as increased efficiency in the tug operator role. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Current Situation| | | *In order to remain competitive, Lauzon Automotive is looking to become more efficient. *Colin Campbell has been hired to diagnose problems and inefficiencies, beginning with the role of â€Å"tug operator†. *The workload carried by the tug loader position had decreased steadily in the past few years due to decreases in waste production, yet staff level of this role remained constant over the same period. The tug operator position is occupied by senior union employees, who are reacting negatively to the study and staging work-to-rule protests. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Plan| | | 1 – Perform job analysis on the tug operator position. Redefine the role so that it includes measurables like timeliness of deliveries as well as safety regulations. Include any duties that may have been previo usly undefined in the description. 2 – Have Peter, and perhaps a more senior employee, meet with union leaders on the hostility issues. A â€Å"no-tolerance† rule on harassment should be implemented – and offenders immediately fired. 3 – During this meeting, Peter should assure the tug operators that their jobs are not at risk. Given that most of them are within one year of retirement, Peter should allow their retirement to naturally reduce the number of workers in the role, and only hire on/promote more tug operators as necessary based on utilization calculations, which will need to include travel time between gondolas. – Peter should explain the reformation in the job description. This will be instrumental not only in preventing work-to-rule protests from employees, but will also aide when training newly hired tug operators, when the time comes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Goal(s)| | | Effectively manage the number of workers in the tug operator position for maximum efficiencies, without causing unrest amongst the union employees and possibly causing a strike. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Analysis| | | | | | | | Utilization rate of workers per shift (assuming one refuel per shift): 180 (# of gondolas) X 5. 35 m (average service time per sample gondola) = 984. 25 m (total time to service gondolas per shift) 510 m (per shift) – 30 m (lunch) – 60 m (breaks) – 15 m (refuel) = 405 m (per worker per shift) 405 m (per worker per shift) X 5 (workers per shift) = 2025 m (total time workers available) 984. 5 / 2025 = workers operating at 48. 6% capacity. However, it should be noted that Campbell's data is incomplete because it does not include travel time between the gondolas. This would clearly effect the recommendations, so I do not think it would be acceptable for Campbell to consider cutting jobs at this time. Root causes *Job design – too narrow a definition, allowing workers to enact work-to-rule. Management of the workforce: Peter, the young manager, seems to be getting pushed around by the tenured union employees, hampering productivity *Issues with the union: ho stility and unrest that should not be tolerated | | Follow up| | | Meet with union leaders and tug operators again to discuss any issues with the new job description. Enlist their support in providing feedback to enhance the description. They should view the consulting team as their allies. Finally approve new description, and then monitor retirement dates for when to expect an increase in role productivity. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Assumptions and Missing Information The key piece of information that is missing is the travel time between one gondola and the next. Without this data, it is impossible to accurately determine the utilization of tug operators. Problem Definition The key issue in this case is the narrow job design and definition of the tug operator position, allowing for strike tactics. The secondary issue is management of the workforce and issues with the union. Development of Alternatives One alternative would be to continue the study to acquire the data necessary. Campbell could return to the floor and observe the time it takes to travel from one gondola to another, and then complete his utilization rate analysis. Evaluation of Alternatives and Recommendations If Campbell decides to complete his evaluation of the role, it might further damage the relationship between management and the union, causing more unrest and workplace disruption. I would advise against this, especially since the majority of tug operators are planning to retire within one year. In light of this, I recommend that Campbell abandon his study of utilization rate in favor of job analysis on the tug operator position. The job description should then be modified as necessary so that work-to-rule campaigns will no longer be an issue. Campbell should also advise Cole on how to handle his relationship with the union in the future. Implementation Plan The implementation timeline should look as follows: * Perform job analysis on tug operator position. * Redefine the role so that it includes measurables like timeliness of deliveries as well as safety regulations. Include any duties that may have been previously undefined in the description. * Cole should meet with union leaders on hostility issues and address strike concerns. * Assure them that their jobs are safe and that not cooperating with or expressing hostility towards Campbell will not be tolerated. Cole should also explain the changes to the job description and enlist the help of the tug operators for any future developments with it. Conclusion Narrow job descriptions can become host to numerous workplace issues, including strike protests like the one exhibited in this case. Evaluating them, and maintaining a good relationship with the workforce, is crucial to success, efficiency, and sustainability. References Cruji, Colin. Richard Ivey School of Business. (1999) Campbell M anagement Consulting.

Automobile and Scientific Inventions Essay

There are many scientific inventions in our world. Some of these inventions are even in the houses that we live in. There are inventions such as computer games, the microwave oven, and even the Moto vehicle. These inventions make our lives much easier but it destroys the world as well. Everything and everyone gets harmed some way by these inventions. Let’s start off with this. The computer is entertaining but yet dangerous to our eyes. Children of our world love being on the computer. But they shouldn’t love it too much, because if you stare and are too close to the computer for far too long, your eyes begin to hurt and you become shot sighted. This is so because your brain decides that you don’t need to be able to see things far away and only see thing that are close to you. The computer is one of the best inventions because it helps you with a lot of things. Number one is work. It allows us to save all our important document and keeps them in a private file. The microwave oven. This is a machine that heats thing. It’s great in homes for when you want to heat foods. About 1/3 of the world has one. I’ll say this; microwave oven heats your foods but also destroys your health. As the microwave heats up, it sends of radiation inside and out. Your foods become polluted with radiation and if you’re too close to it you as well. Who likes eating cold food? I mean we all like food nice and hot, so we should have a microwave oven in our houses. I personally can’t go without a microwave. It one of my favorite scientific inventions. One of the most used scientific inventions would be the motor vehicle. Now this is brilliant! The motor vehicle or should I say, cars are very common to our modern day lives. EVERYBODY has one. Well if you have a license of course. Now cars are a complex piece of machinery. It’s like you’re basically holding a fully loaded gun. Almost every day there is an accident that occurs. We may not see it, but it happens. People get greatly injured or even die from car accidents. On the positive side, cars do have its advantages. People use cars to transport themselves around. It takes you from one place to another. Instead of having to walk, you drive. Another thing about cars, it pollutes the air badly. This is so because cars give off a great deal of smoke sometimes. This affects the greenhouse gases and even worse, the ozone layer. If the air is completely contaminated people with die. People that believe these machines are not good for our lives are somewhat correct but wrong. I believe that it has made our lives really easy and less complex. I think it has done wonders to the world and we should all appreciate the advantage we get from this.

Vacant Chapter 7 Tradition

For the second time since she came into my life, Emily and I walk away from the Gale Street Shelter. After making the trip with her last year, which was her first Christmas without her mom, I know how important â€Å"giving back† really is especially where Emily is concerned. I can't help but glance over at her as we make the journey home. This girl – woman – has been part of my life for 487 days, give or take a few hours. As I look back now, I realize I'm keeping track because the day I met Emily was the day I began to live, a rebirth in the form of a brunette angel who's never asked for anything, yet I can't help giving her everything I can. The past year has been filled with much patience and restraint on my part. As I realize Emily is still a child in the eyes of the law, I struggle to keep my mind on a virtuous path. Sometimes I swear she's torturing me. This morning she decided to get a drink of orange juice after taking a shower but before getting dressed. She says she likes the taste of orange juice while the mint of the toothpaste lingers. I walked out of the bedroom, and there's Emily†¦ bending over†¦ reaching for juice†¦in a towel. And because I'm frugal, our towels are cheap and on the small side. I think she knows she's torturing me when she stands there, flexing her leg. I leave the house without my lunch or coat in haste to escape. I don't want to continue down this path with my thoughts. I've made a vow to myself that my relationship with Emily will remain chaste, but it doesn't mean I don't have to redirect my thoughts on a consistent basis. I'm only human. On my way to work I make a mental note to save some money so I can buy her a robe†¦ with full coverage. The temperature has dropped since our arrival at the shelter this morning, so we walk quickly. This is our Christmas tradition now. Emily asked that we visit last year as a way to remember her mother. Now, I see how lucky we truly are with what we have. There are so many who have nothing. Our home may lack many of the modern conveniences and technological advances of most, but we are healthy, bellies full, and we have a roof over our heads. Helping to serve dinner and visit with the shelter patrons is a way for Emily and me to pay it forward. We don't exchange expensive gifts. Instead, I always get her a new kitchen gadget from the Dollar Store, and she always bakes me butterscotch cookies. It's not much, but it's meaningful and the only thing that counts to us. As my arm swings with the rhythm of my feet, I brush Emily's fingers with my own. It's an innocent accident, though the sudden warmth in my chest is anything but. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to keep up this ruse, playing her brotherly protector. While Emily has never spoken about boys in her class or voiced interests of the romantic sort, I know it's inevitable. She has blossomed into a beautiful creature who has no idea of the devastation her beauty wreaks upon me and, surely, the boys around her. Her smile is infectious, and it's only a matter of time before a suitor comes knocking at our door. I kind of feel sorry for the poor boy, as my first time meeting him will most likely be ugly. I'm a fierce guardian where Emily is concerned, not just because it's my duty to protect her but because seeing Emily with another guy will end me. I want to reach out and take her hand in mine as we walk, but I don't. I have calculated the difference in our ages. Five years doesn't seem all that much when she is twenty and I'm twenty-five. However, she is seventeen and still a minor, which is the only important difference, no matter how hard my libido begs to differ. I have to prepare for her to have romantic feelings for someone her own age, not a twenty-two year-old guy who has to act like her older brother. Sisters rarely hold hands with their brothers. â€Å"Why don't you go out on dates?† Emily suddenly asks in the middle of New Year's Day dinner. She insists on serving black-eyed peas because they are lucky if you eat them on the first day of the year. They taste like shit, but as usual, I humor her by eating them. â€Å"Huh?† I stall. She's familiar with my deliberate stall tactic and narrows her eyes at me. â€Å"I've never seen you with a woman.† She pauses, like she's unsure how to broach the next part. â€Å"I mean, you're a good looking guy. There have to be opportunities for you to go out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stops and takes a deep breath as if preparing herself for my answer. â€Å"Uhhh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Yep. â€Å"Never mind, Ethan. I can tell it's not a topic you want to talk about.† With that, she leaves the table and her half-eaten plate and heads for the bedroom, one of her only options for privacy . The door closes and I'm left feeling more confused than ever. I'm learning that girls are confusing, especially where Emily is concerned.

Abstract and Executive Overview of Y2K

What is the Y2K issue? This paper will describe the problems associated with Y2K and how Industry, Government, and Small Businesses are handling the problem. The first chapter introduces the Y2K issues. Chapter 2 will define how this affects the different businesses and Government agencies. Chapter 3 will develop an overall plan on how to attack the problem and recommendations. The majority of this paper will develop a plan on how each of the businesses and Government agencies should attack the Y2K problems. There should be a logical approach to planning how to investigate, test, validate, and if required, develop a contingency plan for Y2K. The job is to either form a team of personnel or hire a consulting firm to assess your situation. The team should employ the following steps: assess the system, renovate the system if necessary, validate the renovation if necessary, implement the renovation if necessary, test the renovation if necessary, and finally have a contingency plan in the event that renovating the system is not feasible and/or is too late. The only necessary or required action is to assess the system. This will be discussed in detail in my paper. The real issue is that less than a year remains before the year 2000 problems are here. The recommendation is to begin working this issue now. It may be too late, but that is when the contingency plan comes in handy. 2. What impacts are they†re to Government, Industry, and Small Business? 3. What can Government, Industry, and Small Business Do to Combat the Y2K Issues? There are actually more dates than just the year 2000 date. There are dates that can impact the leap year algorithms; Julian dates, fiscal year dates, calendar dates, and ASCII code dates. The top dates that need to be checked are: 1. 9 September 1999. This date can be read in code as 9999. In computer language, specifically ASCII code, this translates into a request for the processor to stop processing. 2. 1 October 1999. This is the start of the new Fiscal year for the Government (FY00). The algorithm for this may not be able to go from FY99 to FY00. 3. 31 December 1999. At midnight, the date rolls over to 1 January 2000. This problem can exist in two areas. The first is in the BIOS†s that exist for most desktop machines. The BIOS†s normally contain the clock and date data. The operator updates this data, when the system is first turned on and is continuously updated by the computer from then on. The problem is that older versions of BIO software recorded the date in two year digits (99, instead of 1999) so that once the date rolls into the year 2000, the BIOS†s can not understand the rolling of the year and moves it back to 14 Jan 80, the default year date. The other problem is in the application software that uses the two-year date. The application software uses algorithms to roll over the dates and can not roll to the year 2000 date. It normally has to be manually input to get to the new date. 4. 28 February 2000. At midnight, the date should roll over to 29 February 2000. This is determined in the software by an algorithm that checks to see if the current year is a leap year. If it is a leap year then it should roll to 29 February 2000, if it can not determine the leap year, then it will jump to 1 March 2000. 5. 29 February 2000. This is almost the same problem as 28 February 2000. It will try to calculate the fact it is a leap year and roll the date to 1 March 2000. If it can not determine that it is the leap year, it will either go to 2 March 2000 or it will provide an incorrect date. There are several other dates that are important, based on each application software package, and needs. Examples are, a bank computer uses COBOL software that does not calculate the dates well, FORTRAN software used in scientific research does not do dates well, and older versions of Microsoft software used the two-year digit dates. The different application software packages that are available for computers are beginning to fix the year 2000 problem in the next revision and/or update. The problems that are being encountered are that the updates may not be compatible with the data that goes with the application software. An example is that Microsoft Access 2.0 is not year 2000 compliant. To upgrade to a compliant version, the original data associated with Access 2.0 will not run on the upgrade version. In addition, the upgrade Access will not operate on the old versions of Microsoft Windows. Therefore, additional problems are beginning to come into focus with the year 2000 issue. Another issue is all the databases that are used. Relational databases use date fields as part of wildcard actions, used as sorting identification, as grouping actions, and as part of daily identification. Some specific examples are: simple databases, such as the window explorer allow you to view and sort files in a date/time field. If this date field were only two digits, then it would incorrectly sort the files (year 00 would be first rather than last). Another example is a large database that is used to match names with addresses and billing statements. This database would need to flag dates with the billing statements. If the dates were incorrect or not sorted correctly, then the billing statements would be invalidated. As discussed, there are several issues when dealing with Y2K. These issues have a direct impact on both Government and Industry. What impacts are they†re to Government, Industry, and Small Business? There are several impacts to Government, Industry, and Small Business. Dates that can impact the leap year algorithms; Julian dates, fiscal year dates, calendar dates, and ASCII code dates. These dates were discussed in chapter 1. Now we will discuss the ramifications to the new dates. For the Government, the dates will have a major impact across the board. Every Government agency, from Federal to City, will be impacted. The Federal Government uses computers on a daily basis and without them, the Federal Government would not be able to operate. Some specific examples are in the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and the Department of Justice. The Department of Commerce utilizes computers to run the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (NOAA) systems that are used to chase Hurricanes. The problem is that several of the computers are used to log different data and use date/time stamping with that data. This data is later analyzed to try and map hurricanes for the future. If the Y2K issues are not resolved, important data will be lost. The Department of Defense also uses computers to a very large extent. This is especially true for the DOD large complex machinery used to defend the country. There are very few parts of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines that do not use computers. Computers are the backbone to DOD and without them, there is a real fear that our armed forces would not be able to defend this country. The Department of Justice has an even worse problem. They are charged with keeping track of criminals and federal indictments across the country. Because of the complexity of the laws, if the computers used to keep track of indictments and criminal records are not Y2K compliant, then the Justice system could have criminals cleared of any wrong doing because of a simple date issue. It is well known that if the date or address were wrong on an indictment or a search warrant, anything found because of the indictment or warrant would not be used in court. Industry has the same basic problems that the Government would have. They rely on computers in almost every aspect of the business. From robotic assembly lines to employee payroll, all of industry relies on the computer to run its day to day operation. The problem that both industry and Government have is that there was no contingency to the Y2K issue. Both industry and Government have several backup systems. An example is that major banks will have the main frame computer in one location and a hot backup in a totally different location. Take Nations Bank. Nations Bank may have its primary mainframe computer, for all its checking accounts, here in town. There is a hot backup (a hot backup is a main frame computer that records the same exact information that the mainframe computer is recording, but it does not handle any transactions, just records the information) that is located in a different part of the country, say Colorado. In this way, if a major hurricane were to devastate Tampa, the hot backup would come on line take over the responsibility of the mainframe. In this way, vital information would not be lost. This was all thought out years before, but not Y2K. Y2K would impact both mainframes (the primary and the backup) and all the data would be corrupted. The problem with small business is that it relies on the computer to do many of its tasks that employees used to do. In small business, people were employed to handle payroll, marketing, office management, files, record keeping, and profit/loss ledgers. These people were replaced with the advent of the computer. Now any small business could operate without minimal employees. The office manager could now handle payroll, marketing, files, records, and ledgers right on the computer. The computer became the key piece of equipment for the small business. Without the computer, small businesses could not stay in operation. Look at a small business that provides hearing aids to the general public. Besides the payroll, this small business will keep all its customers accounts in a simple database. This database will be used to notify the business when the hearing aid needs servicing, additional hearing tests should be done, replacement batteries, and payment schedules. This is just the tip of the database. The database would also be used to send out flyers on new technology, discounts, and will serve as the business mailing lists. Without this computer, the small business would need to hire additional personnel and return to paper and pencil to operate. What can Government, Industry, and Small Business Do to Combat the Y2K Issues? For both Government and Industry, it will not be a problem to combat Y2K. There is work already being done to correct the problems. Both agencies, through consulting agencies and internal working groups, have developed a series of plans to combat the Y2K issue. The standard procedure is to first do an inventory and assessment on the agency. After the assessment is done, a renovation plan is developed to renovate the different systems. After renovation is completed, the system is placed into the validation phase, where it is tested using the different Y2K dates to ensure that no problems are encountered. After the testing is completed and the validation is verified, then the implementation phase is started. The implementation phase is to implement the system into action, and begin watching the system during the actual crossover dates. The cost to perform all of the plans and phases are high. On most major DOD systems, the cost ranges from $100 Thousand to over $5 Million. For industry, their costs are about the same. It does not matter if the agency does it internally or hires consultants to perform the work. The costs are normally high. These costs are absorbed in industry and/or in the Government by the consumer and/or taxpayer. Industry will pass the costs to the consumer by increasing its price on the product. The Government will either increase taxes or modify the budget to get the necessary funds to ensure Y2K compliance. The real problem lies with small business. The plans and phases that were developed by industry and Government must also be accomplished by small business. The problem is that small business does not have the money to expend on the Y2K issue. Small businesses do not have the overhead or capital to afford to test its systems and ensure that Y2K problems do not exist in its machine. Since most small businesses do not rely on consultants and do not have a computer expert on the payroll, then small businesses must rely on the software companies to ensure that the computer is Y2K compliant. Since they do not have the funds to try and make their systems Y2K compliant, then the small business must rely on Macintosh, Microsoft, and other large software companies to ensure that the software is compliant. This becomes a real issue for the small business. The major software companies have problems with ensuring that the software they are selling is Y2K compliant. An example is that Microsoft Windows 98 may be compliant, as far as the Y2K issue is concerned. But any other application software that is used with Windows 98 may not be compliant, making the system non-compliant. Microsoft can not be held responsible for other software packages built by other software companies. In addition, most software companies will not support older versions of its software. An example is that Microsoft will not support Windows version 3.1. This is based on the availability of newer versions of Windows being available to the consumer. So where does this leave the small business? The small business is in a delicate situation. The recommendation for small business is to work through the chamber of commerce and pool the resources that each small business has to get the support it needs. There is Federal and Local assistance available to help small business ensure that the Y2K issue is resolved prior to the actual dates. The real problem is that if the small business does not recognize that it has a problem, then it will not work to fix the Y2K issue in time. By combining their resources and working with the local chambers, a network of consultants could work together to fix the problem before the actual Y2K dates have come. The only other option would be to spend the money to go through the same plans and phases that the Government and Industry goes through to fix the Y2K issue. This cost would be too high for small business. The final option would be for the small business to cross his fingers and hope for the best. This would be the last option for the businessperson to work with.

Blog discussions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Blog discussions - Case Study Example We condemned those factory owners who employ workers in such hazardous workplaces at a basement wages as the main culprit of these horrible business practices. Unknown to us, we are part of the problem that caused such terrible working condition. We may be tempted to pass the blame on globalization but ultimately, but it is only the stage because ultimately the problem redounds to us as consumers in the first world? How? First, we have to understand that every time we make purchases, it is a vote on what kind of manufacturing set up or company we would like to exist in the market. In the market place, we, the consumers or customers are king and the businesspeople are only there to cater to our demands. So when we prefer to buy cheap clothes without knowing how and where it was made, it is tantamount to supporting this kind of business practice. In the same vein, every time we shun goods that have ethical practice because of their premium price, it is also tantamount to saying that we do not approve of their ethical business practice. If we want to stop inhumane practice of businesses, we should stop patronizing their products and only patronize products that do ethical business. And yes, the products of ethical business do cost more because doing business ethically that includes paying their workers right costs more. Unit 2: King of the Hill Dean Simon’s story is indeed inspiring. It embodied the entrepreneur’s unfaltering and never say die spirit to pursue a dream of building his ski resort. He faced many challenges which could make a regular businessman give up because they seemed to be insurmountable. Had it been for Dean Simon’s dream, I think he could have given up also. The challenges that Dean faced in building his ski resort typified the problems that a businessman faces in putting up a business. Except that in Dean’s case, his challenges were extraordinary because he has a big dream. The most obvious and persistent problem t hat Dean Simon had is the absence of capital to build the necessary infrastructures of his resort and pay his bills, the most nagging of which is his insurance bill. Such, he needs to perpetually raise it to fund the many activities of his starting business ranging from continuing the infrastructure of his ski resort, paying his bills, acquiring equipments etch. He is so short of money that he lives on hand to mouth existence that if not for family and friends, he would have nothing to eat. At some point, even his cramped trailer was repossessed for the obvious reason that he could no longer pay them. Since all of his money went into his business and even short at that, he had no salary and no social life. This kind of hardship went on for many years and his persistence is laudable to say the least. The documentary was incomplete because it did not show any update on what happen to Dean Simon now. The nagging question whether he failed or succeeded was not answered. It would have be en wonderful to know that his business has grown and is now successful to make him a good example that with dream, persistence and hard work, anything can be achieved even if the challenges seemed to be insurmountable. Unit 3: The new underclass The article may have discussed the issue of growing unemployment in Canada with s a â€Å"growing pool of well-educated twenty somethings scrapping it out for a limited