Thursday, December 26, 2019

John G. Roberts, Supreme Court Chief Justice

John Glover Roberts, Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is the 17th chief justice of the United States, serving on and presiding over the United States Supreme Court. Roberts began his tenure on the court on September 29, 2005, after having been nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate following the death of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Based on his voting record and written decisions, Roberts is believed to have a conservative judicial philosophy. Fast Facts: John G. Roberts Known For: 17th chief justice of the United States Supreme CourtBorn: January 27, 1955 in Buffalo, New YorkParents: John Glover Roberts and Rosemary PodraskEducation: Harvard University (B.A., J.D.)Wife: Jane Sullivan (m. 1996)Children: Josephine Roberts, Jack RobertsNotable Quotation: â€Å"You cant fight for your rights if you dont know what they are.† Early Life John Glover Roberts, Jr., was born on January 27, 1955, in Buffalo, New York, to John Glover Roberts and Rosemary Podrasky. In 1973, Roberts graduated at the top of his high school class from La Lumiere School, a Catholic boarding school in LaPorte, Indiana. While a student, Roberts wrestled, served as captain of the football team, and was a member of the student council. After graduating from high school, Roberts attended Harvard University, earning his tuition by working in a steel mill during the summer. After receiving his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in 1976, Roberts entered Harvard Law School and graduated magna cum laude in 1979. Legal Experience From 1980 to 1981, Roberts served as a law clerk to then-Associate Justice William H. Rehnquist on the United States Supreme Court. From 1981 to 1982, he served in the Reagan administration as a special assistant to U.S. Attorney General William French Smith. From 1982 to 1986, Roberts served as associate counsel to President Ronald Reagan. After a brief stint in private practice, Roberts returned to government to serve in the George H. W. Bush administration as deputy solicitor general from 1989 to 1992. He returned to private practice in 1992. D.C. Circuit Roberts was nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit—also known as the D.C. Circuit—in 2001. Tensions between the Bush administration and the Democrat-controlled Senate, however, prevented Roberts from being confirmed until 2003. As a Circuit Court judge, Roberts ruled on a number of major cases, including Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, which concerned the legality of military tribunals. The court decided that such tribunals are legal because they are sanctioned by the United States Congress and because the Third Geneva Convention—which outlines protections for prisoners of war—does not apply to U.S. courts. Appointment to U.S. Supreme Court On July 19, 2005, President George W.  Bush nominated Roberts to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by the retirement of Associate Justice Sandra Day OConnor.  Roberts was the first Supreme Court nominee since Stephen Breyer in 1994. Bush announced Roberts nomination in a live, nationwide television broadcast from the East Room of the White House. Following the September 3, 2005, death of William H. Rehnquist, Bush withdrew Roberts nomination as OConnors successor, and on September 6, sent the United States Senate notice of Roberts new nomination to the position of chief justice. Roberts was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 78-22 on September 29, 2005, and was sworn in hours later by Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. During his confirmation hearings, Roberts told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his philosophy of jurisprudence was not â€Å"comprehensive† and that he did â€Å"not think beginning with an all-encompassing approach to constitutional interpretation is the best way to faithfully construe the document.† Roberts compared the job of a judge to that of a baseball umpire. â€Å"Its my job to call balls and strikes, and not to pitch or bat,† he said. Roberts is the youngest chief justice of the Supreme Court since John Marshall served more than 200 years ago. He received more Senate votes supporting his nomination (78) than any other nominee for chief justice in American history. Major Decisions During his tenure on the Supreme Court, Roberts has handed down rulings on a number of major issues, from campaign finance to healthcare to free speech. Roberts concurred with the majority in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, one of the courts most controversial rulings. The decision asserted that the First Amendment protects the rights of businesses, non-profit organizations, and other groups to make unlimited expenditures, including those intended to influence political campaigns and elections. Critics of the ruling believed it has allowed for an influx of corporate money into elections, weakening the democratic process. Proponents, on the other hand, believe that such money is a form of protected speech. In the 2007 case Morse v. Frederick, Roberts authored the majority opinion, which held that educators have a right to regulate student speech expressed at or near school-sponsored events. The litigation concerned a student who held a banner reading BONG HiTS 4 JESUS across the street from a school event. Roberts, invoking the school speech doctrine, wrote that the school principal had reason to restrict this speech because it was promoting illegal behavior. In a dissenting opinion, Justices Steven, Souter, and Ginsberg wrote that the Court does serious violence to the First Amendment in upholding...a schools decision to punish Frederick for expressing a view with which it disagreed. Personal Life Roberts is married to Jane Marie Sullivan, also an attorney. They have two adopted children, Josephine (Josie) and Jack Roberts. The Robertses are Roman Catholic and currently live in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Legacy Roberts has played a significant role in Supreme Court history, often serving as a key swing vote on divided rulings. In 2012, he sided with the liberal side of the court in voting to uphold key provisions in the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) as part of the decision National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius. He sided with the conservative minority, however, in the case Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States. Sources Biskupic, Joan. The Chief: the Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts. Basic Books, 2019.Liptak, Adam. â€Å"Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law, 5-4, in Victory for Obama.† The New York Times, 28 June 2012.Toobin, Jeffrey. â€Å"Money Unlimited: How Chief Justice John Roberts Orchestrated the Citizens United Decision.† The New Yorker, 14 May 2012.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A Swot Analysis Of Red Bull - 1466 Words

In order to formulate four scenarios that can help improve the strategy of Red Bull in the United Kingdom over the next 20 years, it will be reasonable to consider a SWOT analysis of the company within its industry, then funnel it to a PEST analysis within the given nation, UK. This way, using Porter’s 5 Forces to back up its influence within the given market can better support it. Therefore, constructing four scenarios based on 2 independent factors will be feasible. SWOT Analysis Strengths: †¢ Market Leader – Red Bull maintains its lead as the industry leaders in energy drinks across the world with the annual sale of a billion cans. Statistically, in 2003, Red Bull achieved an 80% brand share in the UK market for energy drinks (Mintel, 2009). In Europe alone, Red Bull produces 2/3 of the overall volume in that region and holds the lead in 12 of the 13 West European country it is present in. With such potency, close competitors are failing to make major progression against Red Bull. †¢ Effort Applied toward marketing its product – Knowing its target market (18-25 age group), Red Bull creates campaigns such as Formula 1, BMX biking, Skiing events to promote its product (Red Bull Media House, 2014) by using the slogan ‘Red Bull gives you wings’. This concept significantly increased consumer brand awareness of the product it offered and differentiated it from its competitors. †¢ Alliance (Distribution Channel) – By forming an alliance with Cadbury Schweppes in Australia,Show MoreRelatedSWOT Analysis Red Bull1034 Words   |  5 PagesEmotional context Red Bull’s essence is based on its authenticity and free soul. As such a modern and young brand, they demonstrate it through extreme sports and challenging events, where they provide customers with a product that gives them the strength and energy they are looking for. 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There is also a low threat of new entrants in this field. It would be hard for an outside company to infiltrateRead MoreMarketing Excellence - Red Bull1846 Words   |  8 PagesExcellence – Red Bull November 5, 2013 1. What are Red Bull’s greatest strengths and risks as more companies (like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Monster) enter the energy drink category and gain market share? Although Red Bull is a fairly young brand, it is currently the worldwide market leader in energy drinks. Originally conceived in 1982, the drink was founded in Austria in 1987 and then went international in 1992 with its introduction into Hungary (â€Å"Red Bull SWOT Analysis†). Today, Red Bull sellsRead MoreSwot Analysis : The Energy Drink Industry1135 Words   |  5 PagesSWOT Analysis: The energy drink industry is a fairly new market, with the top products being little under 30 years old. There are several strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the sector that are unique to this particular industry. Through a SWOT analysis, I will analyze this markets’ main components. The strengths of energy drinks are the specific branding, low rivalry, mainstream products, low pricing points, and powerful sponsorships. Each energy drink producer has a specific brandRead MoreEssay on Red Bull Situation Analysis2088 Words   |  9 PagesUniversity of Newcastle. It is the first part of the marketing plan for Red Bull, the leader of energy drinks market. The business overview, current situation analysis and marketing objectives are reviewed in this document as the following briefly details. The current objectives of the Red Bull are to stay in the same position as the leader, to be the brand icon of the extreme sports and to expand the existing markets. Red Bull has used some strategies to reach these goals, such as extending the product

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ethical And Unethical Decision In Leaders †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Ethical And Unethical Decision In Leaders. Answer: Introduction Ethical leadership defines the leadership style, which is guided by respect for ethical values and beliefs towards maintaining the dignity and rights of others (Zhang et al., 2014). They can lead the employees towards organizational success through ethical and standard set of organizational values and principles. This study will describe a situation, which is linked to my learning experience upon leadership concept. I will describe my internship program in an organization of Singapore, where worked as a leader of a small leader. The study will link the situation with my learning experience about leadership. This study will describe some of my attitudes, which might predispose with certain types of leadership behavior. The study will also describe my personal values and sense of ethical and unethical decision in leaders. The study will also explain some of my work related preferences. Discussion Leadership defines the practical skills within an individual, which make him/her capable of leading individual, groups and even entire organization. According to Palanski, et al., (2014), effective leaders are always capable to inspire others in their organization. Moreover, leaders are positive and optimistic about the future of organization. In such situation, such positive attitude of the leaders becomes inspiring factor for their followers. Just like the leaders, I always remain positive about my positive. The optimistic thinking inside me leads to towards handling complex situation positively. Therefore, such positive attitude inside me can facilitate me in being an effective leader through inspiring others. On the other hand, Brown and Trevio, (2014) opined that effective leaders have high level of emotional intelligence, which makes them capable of understanding others emotion. Moreover, they can understand the inner feelings of their followers towards assessing their hidden c apabilities. In this context, I have strong emotional quotient, which makes me capable of understanding others feelings and perspectives. Such high level of emotional intelligence would lead me towards being an effective leader in an organization. Moreover, I will be able to understand the internal motivational factor of the employees towards successfully leading them for better production. Zhang et al., (2013) pointed out that effective leaders are always inclined towards maintaining integrity in their work. Moreover, they always take leading decision based on moral and ethical consequences of the decision. In such context, I always maintain ethics and adhere to moral perspectives in all my works. Such ethical adherence will build my potentiality towards being an effective leader through maintaining ethical ground in leading the followers. On the other hand, Demirtas and Akdogan, (2015) opined that effective leaders always respect their followers and appreciate them for their efficiencies. It helps the leaders in building collaborative and trustable relationship with followers. Likewise, I always respect the people around me, which make me capable of building trustable relationship with them. Such unique personality within me can predispose towards with trustable behavior of the leaders. Furthermore, Yukl et al., (2013) opined that effective leaders have high level of self-regulation power for managing themselves even in stressful situation. I have also felt strong self-regulation power in some extent of my life, where I effectively managed myself to deal with difficult situation. In this way, I can better exploit my strength over my weakness towards managing any stressful situation in organization. It will help me in better leading the people in stressful situation towards achieving organizational success. Sharif and Scandura, (2014) opined that values are the principles, qualities and standards within an individual, which leads them towards right direction. While considering my values, I always remain authentic in all my work, which directs me towards my success in almost every aspect of my life. I am also adventurous and highly inclined towards performing challenging task. I always take interest in learning new things through handling difficult situation with adventurous mind. The learning interest within me encourage me towards trying innovative work, which needs creativity power. It has always facilitated me in exploring new edge of life towards getting success. On the other hand, Jordan et al., (2013) opined that ethics defines the moral principles, which govern and direct people towards differentiating between right and wrong decision. From my perspective, ethical decision and action always spread greatest amount of good among the people. I think that ethical decision leads peopl e towards right direction in getting success in their life. It is more like being in accordance with the standards and rules for rights conduct. However, I faced tough challenges in maintaining the ethics in the organization during my internship. Moreover, apart from personal life, ethical conduct also facilitates in maintaining standard practice in professional life. In case of leadership, ethical practice helps the leaders towards maintaining fairness with their followers for leading their properly. I have understood that unethical decisions and actions lead people towards wrong decisions. Moreover, unethical leadership actually leads the leaders towards taking dishonest decision, which creates a distrusting relationship of the leaders with their followers (Newman et al., 2014). I think unethical decision in the leadership enhances the sufferings of the followers, which demoralize them in their workplace. Furthermore, as per my view, ethical leaders foster an ethical commitment both in themselves as well as their followers. It encourages the followers in sticking to core organizational principles. Moral reasoning defines the manner through which leaders make decision about ethical and unethical actions for solving moral decision. Therefore, I think moral reasoning surely facilitates the leaders in maintaining code of conduct within their organization though controlling the behavior of followers. I do not have any long-term professional working experience. However, I did my internship in one of the reputed organizations prior to the course. I was given the opportunity to work as the team leader of a small group. It was a people based company in the service sector. While working in the organization, I came to understand that execution of moral and ethical values was extremely difficult. Pierro et al., (2017) pointed out that a leader needs to ensure overall team performance optimization over individual perspective so that cumulative outcome remains unbiased. On the other hand, Hassan et al., (2013) highlighted that focusing on individual performance helps in creating directive approach to guide and nurture employee performance. I found myself to be a team player over individual achievement as I dealt with overall performance outcome over a single candidate. However, in doing this in was not able to gain knowledge of individual team mate issues and reasons for lagging. While considering the viewpoint of Van Gils et al., (2015), motivation leads to achievement and a leader is the best person so ensure the factor. Considering Theory X, a leader creates motivation through rewards and recognition system and this is truer while approach is according to individual goal oriented. On the other hand, Shin et al., (2015) pointed out that task-oriented leaders create more pressure on team mates and therefore highlighting inefficiencies create de-motivation among mates. In found myself to be both task-oriented and people-oriented however, since I followed team player approach, this contradicted with individualistic approach. Therefore, I failed to execute my leadership style as there was contradiction between approaches. From here, I can understand that I lack leadership qualities such as creating motivation among the team mates. According to Harvey et al., (2014), leaders who are process driven often find challenges while executing their leadership style because employees are asked to work under a set of policies and procedures, violation of which would lead to serious consequences. On the other hand, Chughtai et al., (2015) pointed out that goal driven leaders are more comfortable in leadership execution than process driven as employees are given flexibility and relaxation to achieve set goals. Considering two-factor theory, it can be said that existence of hygiene factors will surely help in creating motivation among employees. Being a leader, one needs to highlight the issues and discrepancies faced by employees. The same needs to be escalated to management. However, I being the leader failed to justify the hygiene factors such as positive work culture as I mostly followed process-oriented approach. Therefore, it can be said that I lack communication efficiency and creation of motivation along with positi ve work culture. Yidong and Xinxin, (2013) pointed out that most of the service based organizations ensure psychological and safety needs of the employees. However, failure in execution must be highlighted by a team leader. On the other hand, Demirtas and Akdogan, (2015) argued that it must be the managers who should be held responsible for poor execution of hygiene factors. Finally, Sharif and Scandura, (2014) highlighted that a team leader is the next best supervisor who needs to create the third stage, belongings and relationship needs by following the Maslow Hierarchy Needs theory. For such relationship, a leader must be open to all team mates through clear communication and by creating a positive work culture. On the contrary, I being the leader always focused on process driven objectives and overall team player approach by ignoring employee commitment and motivation initiatives. Considering the leadership approaches, I understood some of the strengths and weakness that I pose. I believe in creating competition and discipline by adhering to policies and procedures but at the same time I fail to coordinate with team members. I believe in serving themanagement and therefore find myself to be a servant leader. Some of my characteristics are awareness, healing, empathy and listening through conceptualization and persuasion. I do not have the ability to remain self-aware and self-conscious against my inner values and actions and therefore, I lack implementation ability. However, some of my strengths are maintaining discipline, ability to work under process and maintain outcome in tight schedules. Finally, it must be highlighted that I have the ability to work under critical scenarios as being calm and cool has helped me to justify and settle situations. In this way, managing employee grievances and meetingmanagement expectations. According to Shin et al., (2015), collaboration refers to the degree of co-operation among the employees in an organization. The purpose of collaboration is to achieve share and overlapping objectives of an organization. Therefore, being a leader, I highly value collaboration with the employees of an organization. It would enhance the support of the people for one another for which the employees can easily complete complex jobs. On the other hand, Yidong and Xinxin, (2013) opined that competition among individual employees is also important for enhancing their productivity. It is true that competition among the employees drive them towards enhancing their effort level. However, from my perspective, competition leads to a competitive environment within an organization, where everyone is competing with other. It can even foster beating mentality of the employees for each other, which can even cause clashes among them. Therefore, I do not value competition among the employees. Moreover, I never created any competitive mentality among the team members of the organization, where I worked as a leader during my internship program. Pierro et al., (2017) pointed out that social harmony meets the social needs of the employees, which rely upon effective, trustable relationship and highly level of communication among them. I think highly level of social harmony among the employees encourage them towards discussing over the topic, which are even beyond their professional boundaries. In this way, the employees can feel a familiar feeling even within their workplace, which reduce their work stress and enhance their job efficiency level. Therefore, I highly value social harmony in leading the employees in an organization. Moreover, I already took initiatives towards fostering social harmony among the team members of the organization, where I worked as a leader of a small team during my internship. The knowledge from my learning experience would better lead me towards building collaborative team in future. Chughtai et al., (2015) opined that time urgency is extremely important for completing the organizational task within stipulate deadline. It enhances the value of the customers through getting time delivery of the products and services. Moreover, from my perspective, strong time urgency within the employees drives them towards completing their task within strict deadline. In this way, it helps in enhancing the value of organizational project. Therefore, I have strong value of time urgency towards leading the employees of an organization. It also did the same for leading my team members in the organization during my internship programs. Conclusion While concluding the study, it can be said that my work experience during my internship program is quite related to my learning experience. Moreover, I gained enough practical experience about leadership during that working situation, where I used to lead a small team in a reputed organization in Singapore. I have some unique personalities, which might be predisposed towards certain leadership behavior. Moreover, strong emotional intelligence and integrity power will lead me towards being an effective leader in future. Apart from that, I think ethical leaders always take ethical decisions, which spread greatest amount of good among their followers. From my perspective, team player initiatives are always better than individual achievement. I always value for both task-oriented person as well as people-oriented person. Moreover, I used to play the role of a manager in the organization having concern for both task as well as people towards leading better productivity. References Brown, M. E., Trevio, L. K. (2014). Do role models matter? An investigation of role modeling as an antecedent of perceived ethical leadership.Journal of Business Ethics,122(4), 587-598. Chughtai, A., Byrne, M., Flood, B. (2015). Linking ethical leadership to employee well-being: The role of trust in supervisor.Journal of Business Ethics,128(3), 653-663. Demirtas, O., Akdogan, A. A. (2015). The effect of ethical leadership behavior on ethical climate, turnover intention, and affective commitment.Journal of Business Ethics,130(1), 59-67. Harvey, P., Harris, K. J., Kacmar, K. M., Buckless, A., Pescosolido, A. T. (2014). The impact of political skill on employees perceptions of ethical leadership.Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies,21(1), 5-16. Hassan, S., Mahsud, R., Yukl, G., Prussia, G. E. (2013). Ethical and empowering leadership and leader effectiveness.Journal of Managerial Psychology,28(2), 133-146. Hassan, S., Wright, B. E., Yukl, G. (2014). Does ethical leadership matter in government? Effects on organizational commitment, absenteeism, and willingness to report ethical problems.Public Administration Review,74(3), 333-343. Jordan, J., Brown, M. E., Trevio, L. K., Finkelstein, S. (2013). Someone to look up to: Executivefollower ethical reasoning and perceptions of ethical leadership.Journal of Management,39(3), 660-683. Newman, A., Kiazad, K., Miao, Q., Cooper, B. (2014). Examining the cognitive and affective trust-based mechanisms underlying the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational citizenship: A case of the head leading the heart?.Journal of Business Ethics,123(1), 113-123. Palanski, M., Avey, J. B., Jiraporn, N. (2014). The effects of ethical leadership and abusive supervision on job search behaviors in the turnover process.Journal of Business Ethics,121(1), 135-146. Pierro, A., Nevigato, G., Amato, C., van Knippenberg, D. (2017). Ethical Leaders and Leadership Effectiveness: The Moderating role of Individual Differences in Need for Cognitive Closure.Rassegna di Psicologia,33(1), 5-15. Sharif, M. M., Scandura, T. A. (2014). Do perceptions of ethical conduct matter during organizational change? Ethical leadership and employee involvement.Journal of Business Ethics,124(2), 185-196. Shin, Y., Sung, S. Y., Choi, J. N., Kim, M. S. (2015). Top management ethical leadership and firm performance: Mediating role of ethical and procedural justice climate.Journal of Business Ethics,129(1), 43-57. van Gils, S., Van Quaquebeke, N., van Knippenberg, D., van Dijke, M., De Cremer, D. (2015). Ethical leadership and follower organizational deviance: The moderating role of follower moral attentiveness.The Leadership Quarterly,26(2), 190-203. Yidong, T., Xinxin, L. (2013). How ethical leadership influence employees innovative work behavior: A perspective of intrinsic motivation.Journal of Business Ethics,116(2), 441-455. Yukl, G., Mahsud, R., Hassan, S., Prussia, G. E. (2013). An improved measure of ethical leadership.Journal of leadership organizational studies,20(1), 38-48. Zhang, X., Walumbwa, F. O., Aryee, S., Chen, Z. X. G. (2013). RETRACTED: Ethical leadership, employee citizenship and work withdrawal behaviors: Examining mediating and moderating processes.The Leadership Quarterly,24(1), 284-297.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Siddhartha Quotes From His Spiritual Journey

'Siddhartha' Quotes From His Spiritual Journey Siddhartha is a novel by Hermann Hesse, an award-winning Swiss-German poet and novelist. A Western novel that takes place in India, the storyline follows Siddharthas spiritual journey during the time of Buddha. Exploring themes of enlightenment, the balance between opposites, love, and indirection, the episodic book reflects Hesses own pacifist outlook and Eastern influence.   Here are a few quotes from the work on the quest for self-discovery and nirvana.   Chapter 1 Was Atman then not within him? Was not then the source within his own heart? One must find the source within ones own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking- a detour, error.When all the  Self was  conquered and  dead  when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of Being that is no longer Self- the great secret! Chapter 2 Siddhartha was silent. He dwelt long on the words which Govinda had uttered. Yes, he thought, standing with a bowed head, what remains from all that is holy to us? What remains? What is preserved? And he shook his head. Chapter 3 You have renounced home and parents, you have renounced your own will, you have renounced friendship. That is what the teachings preach, that is the will of the Illustrious One.The teaching which you have heard...is not my opinion, and its goal is not to explain the world to those who are thirsty for knowledge. Its goal is quite different; its goal is salvation from the suffering. That is what Gotama teaches, nothing else.I, also, would like to look and smile, sit and walk like that, so free, so worthy, so restrained, so candid, so childlike and mysterious. A man only looks and walks like that when he has conquered his Self. Chapter 4 I, who wished to read the book of the world and the book of my own nature, did presume to despise the letters and signs. I called the world of appearances, illusion. I called my eyes and tongue, chance. Now it is over; I have awakened. I have indeed awakened and have only been born today.That was the last shudder of his awakening, the last pains of birth. Immediately he moved on again and began to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer homewards, no longer to his father, no longer looking  backward. Chapter 6 She taught him that lovers should not separate from each other after making love without admiring each other, without being conquered as well as conquering, so that no feeling of satiation or desolation arises nor the horrid feeling of misusing or having been misused.Siddharthas sympathy and curiosity lay only with the people, whose work, troubles, pleasures, and follies were  more unknown  and remote from him than the moon. Although he found it so easy to speak to everyone, to live with everyone, to learn from everyone. Chapter 7 He rose, said farewell to the mango tree and the pleasure garden. As he had not had any food that day he felt extremely hungry, and thought of his house in town, of his room and bed, of the table with food. He smiled wearily, shook his head and said good-bye to these things. Chapter 8 The wheel of appearances revolves quickly, Govinda. Where is Siddhartha the Brahmin, where is Siddhartha the Samana, where is Siddhartha the rich man? The transitory soon changes, Govinda, you know that.Now, he thought, that all transitory things have slipped away from me again, I stand once more beneath the sun, as I once stood as a small child. Nothing is mine, I know nothing, I possess nothing, I have learned nothing.As a  child,  I learned that pleasures of the world and riches were not good. I have known it for a long time, but I have only just experienced it. Now I know it not only with my  intellect  but with my ears, with my heart, with my stomach. It is a good thing that I know this. Chapter 9 Nothing was, nothing will be, everything has reality and presence. Chapter 10 It was true that he had never fully lost himself in another person to such an extent as to forget himself; he had never undergone the follies of love for another person.Siddhartha realized that the desire that had driven him to this place was foolish, that he could not help his son, that he should not force himself on him. He felt a deep love for the runaway boy, like a wound, and yet felt at the same time that this wound was not intended to fester in him, but that it should heal. Chapter 11 Had not his father suffered the same pain that he was now suffering for his son? Had not his father died long ago, alone, without having seen his son again? Did not he expect the same fate? Was it not a comedy, a strange and stupid thing, this repetition, this course of events in a fateful circle?All of them together was the stream of events, the music of life.From that hour Siddhartha ceased to fight against his destiny. There shone in his face the serenity of knowledge, of one who is no longer confronted with conflict of desires, who has found salvation, who is in harmony with the stream of events, with the stream of life, full of sympathy and compassion, surrendering himself to the stream, belonging to the unity of things. Chapter 12 Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal.Therefore, it seems to me that everything that exists is good- death as well as life, sin as well as holiness, wisdom as well as folly. Everything is necessary, everything needs only my agreement, my assent, my loving understanding; then all is well with me and nothing can harm me.He saw all these forms and faces in a thousand relationships to each other, all helping each other, loving, hating, destroying each other and become newly born. Each one of them was mortal, a passionate, painful example of all that was transitory. Yet none of them died, they only changed, were always reborn, continually had a new face: only time stood between one face and another.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Bach1 essays

Bach1 essays Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was born in 1714 in Weimar. He was a German composer, one of the most influential and celebrated composers of his era. He was the third son of Johann Sebastian Bach and he trained under his father. He studied philosophy and law at the universities in Leipzig and Frankfurt. He then decided that he would rather pursue a musical career instead of a career in philosophy or law. From 1740 to 1768 he was harpsichordist for Frederick II, King of Prussia, after which he became music director of the five principal churches in Hamburg. Bach was one of the chief representatives of the empfindsamer Stil (German, "expressive style"), which emphasized frequent contrasts in emotion and contributed many technical features to the classical style. His Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments, which there were two volumes, one in 1753, and one in 1762, of is important for describing how music was performed during his lifetime (the printed notes themselves do no t always indicate what composers intended). Bach wrote a large number of works, including 210 harpsichord pieces, 52 concertos, oratorios, passions, and church cantatas. Bach was sometimes known as the "Hamburg Bach" or "Berlin Bach"). Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach achieved renown as a leading composer and keyboard player of the mid-18th century. His many compositions bridge the transition from the baroque to the later rococo style. Carl Philipp Emanuel led the new movement but never forgot his father's instruction. "For composition and keyboard playing, I have never had any teacher other than my father," he once wrote. Carl Philipp Emanuel moved to Hamburg in 1768 to serve as director of music for the city. His book 'Versuch uber die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen' (Essay on the True Art of Piano Playing), published in 1753, became an important influence on later generations. He died in Hamburg on Dec. 14, 1788. ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Realigning Elections in American History

Realigning Elections in American History Since the stunning victory by Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States Presidential election, the discourse around words and phrases such as â€Å"political realignment† and â€Å"critical elections† have  become more commonplace not only among  political analysts but also in mainstream media. Political Realignments A political realignment occurs when a particular group or class of voters changes or in other words realigns with a political party or candidate who they vote for in a particular election – known as a critical election or this realignment may be spread out over a number of elections. On the other hand, â€Å"dealignment† occurs when a voter becomes disenfranchised with his or her current political party and either chooses not to vote or becomes an independent. These political realignments take place in elections involving the U.S. Presidency and the U.S. Congress and are signified by power changes of the Republican and Democratic parties that constitute ideological changes both issues and party leaders.  Other important factors are legislative changes which affect campaign financing rules and voter eligibility. Central to realignment is that there is a change in voter’s behavior. 2016 Election Results In the 2016 election, although Trump is winning at the time of this writing the Electoral College by a margin of 290 to 228 votes; Clinton is winning the overall popular vote by more than 600,000 votes. In addition, in this election, American voters gave the Republican Party a clean power sweep – the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. One key to the Trump victory was that he won the  popular vote in three of the so-called â€Å"Blue Wall† States: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.  Blue Wall States are those who have solidly supported the Democratic Party over past ten or so presidential elections. With respect to the electoral votes:  Pennsylvania has 20, Wisconsin has 10, and Michigan has 16.  Although these states were essential in propelling Trump to victory, it is important to note that his margin of victory from these three states totaled approximated 112,000 votes. If Clinton had won these three States, she would be the President-elect instead of Trump.   In the ten Presidential elections prior to 2016, Wisconsin had only voted Republican on two occasions – 1980 and 1984; Michigan voters had voted Democrat in six straight Presidential elections prior to 2016; and as well, in the ten Presidential elections prior to 2016, Pennsylvania had only voted Republican on three occasions – 1980, 1984 and 1988. V. O. Key, Jr. and Realigning Elections American political scientist  V.O. Key, Jr. is most well-known for his contributions to behavioral  political science, with his major impact being on election studies.  In his 1955 article A Theory of Critical Elections, Key explained how the Republican Party became dominant between 1860 and 1932; and then how this dominance shifted to the Democratic Party  after 1932 by using empirical evidence to identify a number of election which Key termed as â€Å"critical,† or â€Å"realigning† which resulted in American voters changing their political party affiliations. While Key specifically starts with 1860 which was the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected, other scholars and political scientists have identified and/or recognized that there have been systematic patterns or cycles which have regularly taken place in the U.S. national elections.  Ã‚  While these scholars are not in agreement as to the duration of these patterns: periods that range from every 30 to 36 years as opposed to 50 to 60 years; it does appear that the patterns have some relationship with generational change. Election of 1800 The earliest election which scholars have identified as realigning was in 1800 when Thomas Jefferson defeated the incumbent John Adams. This election transferred power from George Washington and Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Party to the Democratic-Republican Party which was led by Jefferson. Although some argue that this was the birth of the Democratic Party, in reality, the party was established in 1828 with the election of Andrew Jackson. Jackson defeated the incumbent, John Quincy Adams and resulted in the Southern States taking power from the original New England colonies. Election of 1860 As stated above, Key explained how the Republican Party became dominant starting in 1860 with the election of Lincoln. Although Lincoln was a member of the Whig Party during his early political career, as President he led the U.S. to abolish slavery as a member of the Republic Party. In addition, Lincoln and the Republic Party brought nationalism to the United States on the eve of what would become the American Civil War. Election of 1896 The overbuilding of railroads caused several of them, including the Reading Railroad, to go into receivership which caused hundreds of banks to fail; resulting in what was the first U.S. economic depression and is known as the Panic of 1893. This depression caused soup lines and public ire towards the present administration and made the Populist Party the favorite to take power in the 1896 Presidential election. In the 1896 Presidential election, William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan and while this election was not a true realignment or did it even meet the definition of a critical election; it did set the stage for how candidates would campaign for office in subsequent years. Bryan had been nominated by both the Populist and Democratic parties. He was opposed by the Republican McKinley who was backed by a very wealthy individual who used that wealth to conduct a campaign that was intended to make the populace fearful of what would happen if Bryan won. On the other hand, Bryan used the railroad to make a whistle-stop  tour giving twenty to thirty speeches daily.  These campaign methods have evolved into the modern day. Election of 1932 The 1932 election is widely considered as the most well-known realignment election in U.S. history. The country was in the middle of the Great Depression as a result of the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Democratic candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal policies overwhelmingly defeated incumbent Herbert Hoover by a margin of 472 to 59 Electoral Vote. This critical election was the underpinnings of a massive overhaul of American politics.  In addition, it changed the face of the Democratic Party.   Election of 1980 The next critical election occurred in 1980 when Republican challenger Ronald Reagan defeated the Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter by the tremendous margin of 489 to 49 Electoral Votes. At the time, approximately 60 American’s had been held hostage since November 4, 1979, after the U.S. Embassy in Tehran had been overrun by Iranian students. The Reagan election also marked a realignment of the Republican Party to being more conservative than ever before and also brought about Reaganomics which was designed to fix severe economic issues that confronted the country.  In 1980, the Republicans also took control of the Senate, which marked the first time since 1954 that they had control of either house of Congress. (It would not be until 1994 before the Republican Party would have control of both the Senate and the House simultaneously.) Election of 2016 – Realigning Election? The real question with respect as to whether the 2016 election victory by Trump is a â€Å"political realignment† and/or a â€Å"critical election† is not easy to answer a week after the election.  The United States is not experiencing internal financial distress or facing negative economic indicators such as high unemployment, inflation, or increasing interest rates. The country is not at war, although there are threats of foreign terrorism and social unrest due to racial issues.  However, it does not appear that these were major issues or concerns during this election process.   Instead, one could argue that neither Clinton or Trump were viewed by voters as being â€Å"Presidential† due to their own ethical and moral issues.  In addition, since lack of honesty was a major hurdle which Clinton attempted to overcome throughout the campaign, it is quite plausible that out of fear of what Clinton would do if elected, voters chose to give the Republicans control of both houses of Congress.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Read Robert C. Solomon's article It's Good Business on pg. 36 of the Essay

Read Robert C. Solomon's article It's Good Business on pg. 36 of the 11th edtion. Summarize, do you agree or disagree with Solomon's position Why or why not Give examples to support your claim - Essay Example s can work in favor of a business while providing examples of how businesses fail when they don’t work within ethics are all seen as practical, real life situations that determine the success or failure of a business. The first main point that Solomon points out is to define what ethics means within a corporation or small business. He shows that ethics is one that is needed on all levels of management and ownership and which creates a framework of success for individuals. More importantly, there is an establishment of ethics is not based on what it means to keep a job or to be a successful business person, but to instead develop a mindset that is based on how one works within a community. Solomon states that â€Å"Executives are most effective and successful when they retain their ‘real life’ view of themselves, their position, and the human world outside as well as inside the corporation. Business ethics, ultimately, is just business in its large human context† (34). This particular statement is essential as it defines what ethics means in business. Rather than thinking of it as following business policies and doing what one is told in terms of management, is the need to unde rstand the humanistic element as well as how actions will affect others. This particular point is one that is the foundation of ethics and which shows that the definition of ethics needs to be considered outside of the assumptions made by those who analyze different perspectives. An example of this definition can be seen in almost any business. A personal example is seen from a friend who works within a computer organization. The mindset in which this individual has is to please the boss and to make sure that the work is efficient and effective. The managerial staff as well as the main CEO is interested in how this will create profit for the business. Similar to Solomon’s point, this doesn’t show a term of ethical behaviors. This individual may find a problem with the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Diversification of the American Families Essay - 1

The Diversification of the American Families - Essay Example The research team is composed of Alvin and Heidi Toffler and they end at a conclusion that neither of these changes is bad and such conclusions they arrive at through the historical view of some vital changes in family (Alvin and Heidi 2000 pg 594). How is America Diversifying? The article starts by mentioning that the American population is not dying given that it is diversifying. The diversification is though not quite evident to the American citizens hence some unwarranted uncertainty. The diversification of the American population is taking place right from the population itself, the children and the society. The diversification is taking place due to the changing trends in the society such as divorce, remarriage and new family lifestyles, which creates a new family from the other each time such facts are adhered to appropriately. Through fracturing, the existing families are actually taking a completely new form, which is more diversified due to the revolutionary changes from a shift in energy, technology, work, economics and communications. Technology has created some way in which some aspects in the society are viewed, the majority of the Americans have high value for work due to changes in lifestyles minimizing the room for the traditional aspects of the family as it existed before. It is quite easy to detect that the world is changing rapidly depending on the nature of the aspect discussed above. The American family has diversified from the traditional family to the nuclear family through evolution from the first wave family to the third wave family and today we have the wave family, which is a kind of family, which is quite hard to define as it happens in the single life situation (Alvin and Heidi 2000 pg 594-95). The Americans through their government have diversified the general industry to incorporate all the citizens in terms of all the aspects.  

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Of The Monetary Model Essay Example for Free

Of The Monetary Model Essay The exchange rate determination in UK is not an exception to the contemporaneous developments in econometric theory in economics field. This is because the economic world today is competitive and dynamic. This competition and dynamism that engulfs the economic arena of exchange rate require keen studies to establish the reliability and validity of monetary models used in determining the exchange rate. United Kingdom enjoys a relatively good and positive economy than other European counterparts. Evidently, sterling pound is strong against the euro and even the US dollar. This is because of the nature of economic structure and policies. In addition to that, UK attracts large quantity of foreign investors due to its open economy. Thus, in policies regarding to monetary policies especially exchange rate determination should be good enough to sustain and attract other foreign investors. It is in this line of thought that this dissertation chapter shall empirically examine exchange rate determination in UK. In order to do that effectively, the paper look forward to validate the monetary model in the determination of the sterling pound exchange rate by applying cointegration methodology. Introduction Exchange rate determination has a long history in the UK, this date back from Bretton wood era when exchange rate was fixed by agreement in relation to United States dollar from 1944 to 1971. However, after the United States government cancelled its undertaking to buy gold at a fixed rate the peg was abandoned. The new approach to exchange rate determination from 1971 was inevitable. United Kingdom and other countries were adopted a float to the currency, such that the price of sterling pound currency in terms of another currency was determined by foreign currency money market. But today, the exchange rate determination regime is based on the exchange rates being adjusted at a regulated rate (Davidson, 1998; Dawson Baillie 2007; Fredrick 1968). Thus, the concern of this dissertation chapter on methodology is concerned about the validity of this regulation of exchange rate. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to empirically assess the relationship between sterling exchange rate with other major currencies and a vector of explanatory variables in the monetary model of exchange rates in order to establish whether the behavior of this exchange rate lends support to the monetary model. This is an interesting area of study in relation to its importance to businessmen, academicians, investors and policy makers. In relation to the importance of the exchange rate determination, Rogoff and Maurice (1996), states that; issues relating to monetary approach to exchange rate is a core area and remains vital to bilateral trade involvement especial to Britain and other nations. In regard to exchange rate determination aspect, the oversight of exchange rate history since 1970s (Richardson1979: 215), there has been a decline in the nominal value and fluctuations of the UK sterling pound in the world market against other currencies like US dollar and Japanese yen. This was as a result of the abandonment of the fixed exchange rates which were applicable across all transaction counters. But during the late 1990s the pound gained strengths due the available trade deficits with its trading partners. In this connection, Laurence, (2005) states that monetary models of exchange rates are to help the economical conscious mind to establish whether there is a way by which exchange rates in the money market enhances support for the monetary models. Literature Review on methodology The monetary approach to exchange rates remains and continues to be a key area for spartial and temporary research in relation to field of international monetary and financial management. Due to this importance, the substantial contribution by xxxxemphasisis that exchange rate is a core area and remains key to bilateral trade involvement. Thus, econometrics scholars emphasize on the proposition of monetary exchange unit as a prerequisite to bilateral trade rather than the transaction between the two trading partners (Davidson, 1998; Fredrick 1968). Exchange rate determination as a monetary exchange unit policy has bearing on the impact of trade and business transaction that may likely to occur between the UK and other trading partners. Therefore as a consequence, various studies have been done that constructs a rich body of knowledge that about the empirical examination of the monetary model in relation to the exchange rate determination in UK. The monetary theory in regard to exchange rates suggests that the nominal exchange rate is determined by contemporaneous excess supplies of money between United Kingdom and the other trading nation. Nations that adopts and adhere to a relatively restrictive monetary policy usually experience an appreciation of their currencies against that of their trading partners, while the nations that adopt and adhere to a relatively expansionary monetary policy experience a depreciation of their currencies against that of their trading partners. Therefore, theory application in practical aspect of econometrics in relation to exchange rate determination helps to project the proportional relationship between the relative money supply and the exchange rates between the bilateral trading nations for a specific period of time. The aspect of the theory that enables it to project the proportional relationship between the relative money supply and the exchange rates between trading partners of Britain, is important and has tangible and intangible implications at levels of policy, empirical and theoretical. For instance, at theoretical level the monetary approach is the basis foundation for United Kingdom open economy. The theory of open economy was adopted from work of Lucas (1982) of open economy quantity theory. While at policy level, the theory has impact on the structural adjustment programs. These structural adjustment programmes are sponsored by IMF, World Bank and exchange rate misalignment in monetary unions that UK is a partner like EMU (European Monetary Union). Due to this domestic and global implication of the monetary model, it has not only been widely accepted, but also widely tested model for exchange rates in econometrics. Rich body knowledge has been contributed by empirical Research conducted by other researchers like Wilford (1980); Haynes and Stone (1981); and Rogoff (1983), in their studies during the period of floating exchange rates to establish support for the model was not in favor of the model, since their evidence did not support the monetary model. While other category of researchers by Frankel, (1976); Billson, (1978); and Downburst, (1979). In their studies during the period of interwar and the periods of flexible exchange rates, the outcome of their results was largely supportive of the monetary mode. In an attempt to explain the reason for poor performance of the model, Rogoff and Meese, (1983); hypothesized that the reasons for poor performance of the model was due to the constraints imposed on relative monies, assumptions of purchasing power parity, incomes, exogeneity of money supply, uncovered interest rate parity, interest rates, and the statistical problems were some of the hindrance that were pointed out. However the new approach to the model that incorporated the use and the development of the cointegration and error-correction statistical technique awakened the research into empirical examination of the monetary model. Despite the renewed anxiety and drive for research to determine the validity of the model, there was mixed results coming from different researchers. For instance, research by Engle and Granger (1987); through employing a two-step cointegration methodology came up with negative response in support for a long-run relationship between exchange rates and the set of monetary variables as projected by standard monetary model. These results by Engle and Granger resulted to a low morale and discouragement for further research. Hoper was found by the research that was conducted by Taylor and MacDonald in 1994, which they used multivariate method of Johansen and Juselius. The results of studies of Taylor and MacDonald supported that the model determine with precision the stylized facts of recent float because the residuals were I (0) (Gardner 2007; Huston 1969; Jonson 1999; James, 2008) and the point estimates are close to their a priori values. In regard to recent work on the model was that which was conducted in the year 1998 by Diamandis. Diamandis employed relatively a more sophisticated approach to the study by using multivariate unit root test, cointegration test and panel unit root test that found a tangible support for the monetary model of exchange rates. Furthermore, Diamandis suggested that unrestricted monetary model is and should be a valid framework for explaining the long-run movements of exchange rates. To elaborate on the literature review, a lot has been covered by various scholars on the monetary model of the exchange rate in the UK and Europe at large. Ranging from empirical studies during the flexible exchange rate periods, during the inter war periods (1970s) in Europe was done by Fredrick (1968) and Huston (1969). While the study and research on floating exchange rates during the post war period was done by Davidson, (1998) and Granger, (2002). Who found that there were constraints imposed (Taylor, Lucio 2003) on relative interest rates, monies and incomes, in addition to assumptions of interest rate and purchasing power parity and exogeneity of money supply within Europe and UK included that lead to the unworthy performance of monetary models in relation to exchange rates determination. Up to the recent work by Diamandis that gave life to the monetary model through his supportive research outcome. The main reason for the high and intensity engagement in the research on the empirical test is all because the empirical monetary model of exchange rate is the most tested propositions in the country’s economic undertakings. Evidently, many scholars have had their take on the empirical determination of the exchange rate determination of which they have coming up with different and mixed empirical results. This paper shall seek to empirically investigate the efficiency, effectiveness, validity and reliability of the monetary model for the bilateral exchange rate between the UK sterling pound and other currencies like US dollar. In order to do this examination effectively, the methodological approach is the use of the Gregory and Hansen (1996); cointegration test.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Global Reputation of American People Essay -- essays research papers

The American If asked to describe Americans in a few words, some foreigner's may use such adjectives as 'powerful, influential, smart, wealthy or patriotic.' Undoubtedly others will venture on to say that Americans are 'lazy, spoiled, reckless, arrogant, or foolish.' There is no doubt that a foreigner who has never stepped foot on American soil will probably have distorted but firm views of America, its people and its government. This is because America is very influential, both positively and negatively, around the world. For any born and raised American it may still be hard to give a clear, unbiased perception of America, simply because America is so diverse and few have seen all that the United States has to offer. As a born and raised American, who has seen but a glimpse compared to what is offered within the boundaries of our country, not to mention, I have yet to have the opportunity to see and live in any other country, by which I could compare America. I can only give an overview of what I have observed, both first-hand and second. Americans are for the most part ignorant, selfish, egotistical, and irrational, however, we are also diverse, enterprising, competitive, and?best of all?liberated. I could not imagine myself living in Iraq right now?nor any other far away country for that matter. What?s worst than the fact that I can?t is that many don?t try. Not only is the most impoverished American citizen entitled to some means of government nourishment but many complain about it. We also love to accept welfare checks, complain that immigrants are taking our jobs, and at the same time refuse the jobs that are ?below? us as Americans. It isn?t just the lower class either, the upper and middle class is guilty of ignorance an... ...hat are protecting us. One recent case was with the Patriot Act. After the occurrence of 9/11 everyone, for the most part, was in favor of the Patriot Act because they believed it would protect them. However, after the nation?s nerves began to settle and people weren?t as anxious, many Americans decided the Patriot Act was actually inconvenient for them and changed their minds. It would seem that no matter how much freedom is awarded to us we will never be satisfied. Furthermore, Americans happen to be indecisive and irrational when it comes to their own government. In all, Americans can be ignorant, selfish, egotistical, irrational and indecisive, while also remaining diverse, enterprising and competitive. Best of all, we are liberated. Of course my views are only generalizations. As I said, we are a diverse people and do not share any characteristics as a nation.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Oriet Gadish – Ceo of Bain & Co

I ended up working for the number two person in he military after the chief of staff. It was a pretty exciting place to be because all of the Information-?everything actually-?was coordinated through there. I learned to deal with an awful lot of Information, to be very responsible, and to work long hours. But also, when there were events going on, I was in the war room, which is a pretty confined space, and I learned to have respect for other people but also not to be intimidated by them, because they're people. I think that really helped me later on throughout my career.I also saw people making really important decisions, life and death decisions, and I realized that you can always afford to have perfect Information, 100 percent of what you need, In order to make a decision. Later on, when I think about the way we do business at Pain, where we emphasize providing clients with solutions that are practical rather than perfect and where we often have to make decisions based on imperfec t information, I think back to those days. And it just reinforces the idea that you can always have perfect information in order to make a decision.I think I was tongue to understand that fully at the time but it has certainly Influenced me. The army also exposed me to all different kinds of people. The Israeli army brings together people from many different cultures because Israel Is very much an Immigrant country; it still Is. The Israeli is a little bit European, a little bit Middle Eastern, a little bit American, and within those broad groups there are so many different cultures as well. From Europe, for example, the Israeli is a little bit German, a little bit Polish, a little bit French, a little bit-?you name it.And so I learned to be aware of different cultures and to tolerate deferent opinions. And somehow I hind all of that influenced me as well, although again I was probably too young to register It at the time. After the army, I got my undergraduate degree In psychology at the Hebrew University. I then started my doctorate, decided that's not what I wanted to do and, long story, I ended up in the United States at Harvard Business School. The HUBS Experience My MBA has played an incredibly important role in my career.I wouldn't be where I am today without it. Saddles -1- Initially, I set out to earn a Doctorate in Business Administration (DAB) and planned to get an MBA along the way. I had imagined I was going to teach. So I started with the combined program that four or five of us got into, which meant you could do the MBA and the DAB in four years. Just to be on the safe side, I decided to finish the MBA first. After that, when I started my DAB, I decided that business was not something I wanted to teach. It was something I wanted to practice. O walkout an MBA, I probably wouldn't be doing what I'm doing at all and I might not even be in this country. HUBS was, in effect, the only school I applied to, mostly because it didn't require a background in economics or other subjects as most business schools did. I also had a friend who had studied at HUBS, and when he talked about the experience it seemed very interesting. So I decided to submit an application. I actually wrote it in Hebrew and had somebody translate it for me. Then, Just to be on the safe side, I also took that application to Wharton and they accepted me, literally, on the spot.They were also going to give me a scholarship, but I would have had to study statistics during the summer and I decided I didn't want to do that. So I came to Harvard, which didn't give scholarships for the MBA program. Also, inflation was really high at the time so it was expensive to take out a loan. But because I was also in the DAB program, I got a scholarship for my doctoral work, which, when I didn't finish the DAB, became a standing loan. That was the only way I could afford HUBS and get through the program. HUBS was my introduction to the United States.I would read cases with my di ctionary. I still remember the first case. It was eleven pages including the exhibits and it took me six hours to read. I was pretty desperate because literally every second word I had to look up in the dictionary. And the dictionary didn't give any business meaning to most of the words. For example, the dictionary described he word â€Å"contribution† as being something about giving to nonprofit organizations. So reading the cases was extremely time consuming and hard. And then I would take my dictionary to the classes or to exams. Exams were the worst.It would take me three times as long to read an exam. I'd always sit in the first row and if it was a really long exam, I'd write at the end, â€Å"This took me three hours and twenty-five minutes to write, but here's what I would have done had I had time to actually run the calculator. † In class, I forced myself to speak even though that was difficult too because of the language. If I couldn't find a word, I'd use six words to express the idea. I Just had to force myself to do things like that and that's how I learned English. I also had never seen television, but I'd heard about advertisements.We didn't have TV advertisements in Israel; there were none. So I went to a classmate's dorm room and I would turn on the TV to see what the ads looked like. I also had never been to a large supermarket. So I went to a supermarket to see what it looked like and how products were set up and so on and so forth. One time, we had a final exam on cereal, something that I had never tasted. I still don't like it, but at the time, I didn't know what it was and I couldn't imagine there were sixteen varieties and why would you want more? I also had no idea who Johnny Carson was.So I was learning quickly about the United States and its culture, and I was learning the language. I had no problem when there was a case in Turkey or almost anywhere international. But I had a problem when Johnny Carson or cereal was part of the case. Gaudies -2- In school, I paid almost no attention to the fact that I was a woman. I had enough challenges: learning English, figuring out business issues, figuring out how to study even though I couldn't read English as quickly as my peers. In fact, I had one course where the cases were forty or fifty pages long.I went to the professor and I said, â€Å"Are there any particular cases that I should read? Because I can read each one of those every day Witt my Angels n. † Ana en salad , â€Å"Well, winy don't you Just all T ten class I thought to myself, â€Å"Well, I don't intend to. † And I did, actually, get an excellent grade in that class. I studied all different areas of business as well. I think it was important for me to not get too focused on any one area at that early stage. Had I completed my doctoral program, I would have focused on marketing because I was interested in that.But instead I took a broad mix of courses in my second year. I benefited from that and, actually, that absolutely has helped me throughout my career. I learned that you should be able to focus on one or two things and be extremely good at them but if you lose your curiosity about other things you're not going to be good even in the few things you focus on. You'll be much too narrow minded or much too narrowly focused. The other interesting thing about HUBS was the case method. The first class I as in, I thought, â€Å"This is nuts. † Then I realized that it was a great teaching method because it forces you to be involved.It forces you to be a part of the discussion. It forces you to listen to the way other people think about a problem. You're active as opposed to Just passively listening to a lecture. And it allows you to draw on things that are not in the case but that maybe you learned that morning in marketing. I am on the HUBS Visiting Committee and every now and then they teach a case. I Just love it. I really enjoy it. And again, almost alw ays in real life you make decisions based on imperfect information† to some degree, and the case method is a good exercise to prepare you for that.Early Career It's very hard when you are Just coming out of an MBA program to figure out what life is really going to be like and bid for a Job. But I was drawn to consulting because of the problem-solving part of it, which has always been my interest. And what I loved about Pain and Company was how practical it was. It was not about reports; it was about results. It's still not about reports. It's still about results. I have still never looked at a report. I don't think there is any other consultant who can say that.And it was very clear, when Bill Pain talked about the company, that he and the other people at Pain were passionate about results. Focusing on results calls for a different way of doing consulting. Now, mind you, I could barely write good English so the idea of not writing reports was a big plus for me. But I liked the idea that you really were thinking about results and implementation and not Just a report. That causes you to think about how you're going to communicate with clients, what you're going to communicate, and how perfect the information has to be to find a workable solution.That's different from happily consulting, where the focus is to convince clients that the solution is theirs and that it's the right solution for them so they Gaudies -3- will implement it. At Pain, it was all about solutions and implementation, and that appealed to me. Bill Pain had been the number two guy at Boston Consulting Group (BCC) and, by all accounts, was going to be running BCC eventually. But his idea of focusing on results was at the time a fundamentally different way of approaching consulting.BCC focuses on ideas and on developing tools that we all still use today and I give them credit because they're fantastic tools. But Bill wanted to take it a step further and not Just leave clients with ideas. He wanted to focus on results, not reports. That was revolutionary at the time. Changing course for a boat that was working very well-?and BCC was doing extremely well and was very highly regarded -?would not nave Eden easy. So 3111 tarter Nils own consulting Tall. I Nat was ten Pain I Joined and that's how we differentiate ourselves from our competitors.Being anchored in this idea of results not reports keeps us focused. So we're constantly asking ourselves, when I call Monday morning at 8:00, what is the client actually owing to have to do in order to make our recommendations happen? The case is not finished unless we know what steps he's going to take to implement the solution. And there's something I call the 80-100 rule, which means you don't want a 100 percent perfect solution if an organization at this time in its history cannot implement it. It's better to have an 80 percent solution if the organization can implement it.Eighty times one is eighty; 100 times zero is zero. This practical approach, focusing on strategy and results, is what we call our â€Å"True North. † And with that you have meeting you can evolve around and build on. Everybody in the organization knows that that is the core of what we do. You can build new practices, you can experiment with new ideas, you can also move very quickly and change, as long as you know that this is the focus that you're all working toward. And I think it has served us very well. First Client My first major client was a company in the steel industry, which was, at the time, an uncommon place for a woman.I worked in the steel industry for about five years. We worked on all different aspects of the industry, but at the end of the ay one of the things we figured out was how they could save an awful lot of money by continuously casting almost 100 percent of the steel. At that time, there was some continuous casting going on, mainly in Japan, but it was more common to reset the production processes for every different type of steel needed. We discovered, however, that if the company could move to continuous casting, they would be able to save between $80 and $100 per ton.The issue was that in order to continuously cast steel, you could use only one mix. But there are many different varieties of steel, requiring different mixes, that different customers need. There are different alloys you add to steel to make it higher quality, lower quality, stronger, softer-?whatever. But we thought if we could reduce the number of steel varieties and the number of mixes used, we could introduce continuous casting and save a lot in the production process. That was unheard of in the United States. Gaudies -4- Everybody said, â€Å"No, customers won't want it. So I went and talked to customers and found that they actually would be happy to do that. We found that there were a lot of customers who were perfectly happy to take a higher-quality steel as long as they didn't have to pay much more for it. The n I was stuck with a metallurgist who said that it could not be done. He explained to me why there are 300 different kinds of steel. I didn't know anything about metallurgy but I went through all of the varieties of steel and had him explain to me what each one of those steels was meant for and then I asked questions and triggered him to think. If we added aluminum to this, would this still satisfy this kind of customer? † He said, â€Å"Oh, yes, that would be much higher quality than they need. † We were able to bring the number of varieties down room 300-and-some to thirty. By the end of the discussion, the guy absolutely believed I knew metallurgy, which I did not. It was Just this practical way of working. The company did indeed build a continuous caster, and they did indeed save a lot of money, and they did indeed turn around from being number I don't know what to Deluge under one In proactively In ten country.I gnat's an example AT ten work we 00 at Pain. It's inv igorating to have real impact like that. Being a Woman in Business The first time we met with both the CEO and the SCOFF of the steel company, I had two presentations to give. I was with one of the founders of Pain. My manager was there too. In fact, I was the most Junior person there. At one point, the SCOFF was talking about how he was going to arrange a tour for us of the other steel companies. In the steel industry, companies shared a lot of information with each other. They still do in order to prevent accidents and so on, for safety reasons.Anyway;ay, the SCOFF was talking quite enthusiastically about arranging a tour for us and then he stopped and froze. He was looking at me and then he said, â€Å"Well, I don't know about Root. † Nobody had any clue what he was talking about. Then he said, â€Å"Well, you see, women are considered bad luck in our industry,† and everybody froze, the CEO and all the people in our group from Pain and Company. I Just turned around and said, â€Å"Well, in that case, I think that you should make sure that I go to every single one of your competitors. † That broke the ice and that was it.I went on to work in the steel industry for five years. I loved it. They even made a special hat for me. It said, Root Gaudies and then it said, â€Å"The Little Light Will Lead Us,† because my name Root comes from the Hebrew word for light. I was definitely one of the guys and I enjoyed it. Actually, there was one other funny story. In the steel industry, people used to use a lot of four-letter words. At the beginning, people would realize I was there and it would make them uncomfortable. They say, â€Å"Oops! I'm sorry. There's a lady in the room. † I remember once sitting in a room with the guy who later became the CEO.And he said something that had a four-letter word in it, and suddenly he said, â€Å"Oh, there's a lady in Gaudies -5- the room. † And he turned to me and he said, miss, and as I wa s saying to you yesterday, Root,† and he repeated it again so he actually made a point, which is kind f fun. Another time, there was a big meeting and this was clearly holding everybody up. So I looked for the right time and I used one of those four-letter words in a sentence the way they did, and that was it. They were comfortable talking again. And then we were Just working and moving forward together.I thought, if that's the language here, then that's fine. The lesson I learned was never to take it personally when somebody thought that a woman couldn't do something, whether it was a client or even a colleague at Pain. For example, once at Pain, very early on, one of the menders, one of the managers, and I were visiting a client. At one point, the founder said, â€Å"Dan, why don't you go and talk to X? Root, why don't you go and talk to-?oh! Actually, I'm not sure how he'd react to a woman. † I didn't say anything then but the next day, I knocked on his door and said , â€Å"Did you realize what you did yesterday? And he said, â€Å"No. What did I do? † I told him and then I said, â€Å"l completely understand. But if I don't get a chance, then none of us, not Pain, not you, and not l, will ever know if I can actually talk to people like that and if we can have a productive conversation. He was very thoughtful. And the next time we went together to a meeting, he gave me a chance to have an important conversation. The conversation went well and that was that. I had taken some responsibility for managing the situation. I hadn't gotten upset. And I knew that this was not personal. It was the same with clients.I'd walk in Ana teen would always assume Tanat I was ten most Junior person. I learned to use either a sense of humor or other little tricks to force them to forget that I was a woman and to Just focus on what we were doing. One time, for example, I was with he CEO of a company in the Midwest. I'd actually been on the case for a while . I was a manager. I had a brand new consultant with me, a young guy named Paul. We were sitting talking with the CEO. I would ask a question and the CEO would listen to me and then he would direct his response to Paul. It made it difficult for us to really engage in a discussion.So when the CEO went out to say something to his secretary, I told Paul, â€Å"Every time I ask a question, when I'm done, Just look at me, so the guy will get tired of looking at your ear. He'll have to look at me as well. † And, honest to God, Alfa an hour later, the guy was Just looking at me and we had a good discussion, and we continued to have good discussions after that. I never had to say a word. You can have a sense of humor. You can know that it's not personal. And you can Just find creative ways to solve the problem. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you deliver. That's not unlike what guys have to do.And frankly, in most cases, once people get over the fact that you're a woman and start focusing on what you're saying and what you're doing and the results that you provide, the fact that o'er a woman is completely forgotten. It's like in the steel business. After a certain point, I don't think they could even remember that at one point in time that they even thought about me being a woman versus a man. The Automotive Industry Later, I worked in the automotive industry with a major car company. We started with two little projects but quickly discovered something not related to either one of those Gaudies -6- projects.We realized there was too much complexity in the number of options for cars being offered. Basically, you could have any combination of options you wanted. So the car manufacturers were producing cars with all kinds of options, and not necessarily based on market studies of the combinations customers preferred. So there were either too many cars that people were not particularly interested in or it would take a year to get your ca r with the options you wanted. We calculated that there were about ten billion combinations of Just about every car line they had and that was, of course, absurd.That didn't make sense for suppliers, for dealers, or for manufacturers. So we came up with a program to reduce the number of combinations of cars made in the plant from ten billion to Just fourteen. If somebody wanted a special car, they could still order it but it would take longer. To reduce the number of combinations so dramatically, we went back and looked at all the cars that were purchased. From all of that data, we figured out which combinations people preferred. Our findings were pretty intuitive actually. The salespeople said the dealers would hate it.In fact, the dealers were ecstatic because too often they had cars sitting on the lot that nobody wanted. The customers liked it because we had figured out the options they tended to prefer so they weren't walking away with options they didn't really want. And of cou rse the manufacturing team loved it because you could save a hell of a lot of money by streamlining production and limiting the number of combinations you had to manufacture. Initially, neither the salespeople nor the marketing people liked it, because they really believed that customers wanted all Kolas AT pitons.From ten time AT Hoar, when you could n â€Å"any color you wanted as long as it was black,† to Sloane, where you could have absolutely anything you wanted, the industry had gone from one extreme to the other. To make a long story short, we were able to convince the marketing and sales people that this would work. And eventually we were able to come up with this program, which reduced the time to delivery from months and months to days. And throughout the entire system, from the suppliers to the manufacturers to the dealers, we ended up saving this company on the order of $9. Billion a year. This was in the late sass. I'd say the company was proud of our work and we were proud of our work. We learned some of this from Toyota and Ionians. But you learn from wherever you can. If you're really good at what you do, you learn in one industry from what somebody doing in another industry. That's one of the benefits of working on a broad set of issues in diverse industries and always bringing them into whatever you're doing. Hard Times at Pain After all of these years, I think dwelling on precisely what happened is kind of irrelevant.The fact is that the founders of Pain started to take some money out. They had some bad advice from an investment banker and they took too much money out of the company. That meant the company was burdened with a lot of debt relative to its size, with a very high interest payment going forward. The model they had used was based on the company growing at a refit of 50 percent a year. Although the company had grown at Gaudies -7- that rate in the past, it was, of course, not practical. To make a long story short, that was a n unsustainable model.The first inkling the rest of us had of the situation was when the founder fired people, which was a complete break in the unwritten social agreement that existed at Pain and Company. Because we're a consulting firm and this was an SOP, the labor department eventually made the whole transaction public. That's how the rest of us learned what, exactly, was happening. After that, we had to turn around the company without the founder. But I'll give Bill Pain credit; he was the first one to realize that he had made a mistake. He asked Mitt Rooney to come and help and then Bill Pain worked hard to try and help turn the situation around.The founders had to give back some money. We had to negotiate with banks, and so on and so forth. But it's a situation that very few service firms have ever survived. In fact, we were told by an investment bank that we were not going to survive. But we asked Mitt Rooney, who was then head of Pain Capital and had been Vice president of Pain and Company, to come back. He really helped us negotiate tit the banks and handled other issues related to the situation so that the rest of us could focus on our clients and on our people, since those were the only assets we had left.Reputation is the third asset a company like ours has, and that was shaky given the fact that the story was in the news. So the rest of us focused on clients and on our people. We worked hard too to make sure that our most important people didn't defect. Headhunters were calling every single person in the company. We also focused on our clients. Our existing clients knew what we were doing to resolve the rises so we were okay there. It was more difficult when we went to beauty contests Tort prospective new clients Ana our competitors would leave ten latest Fortune or Forbes or whatever saying what was going on at Pain.It was getting those new clients that mattered most to us. And that's what we focused on. Internally, we had a few defections. But when I think back, there was only one major defection, in terms of the key people, that I really felt bad about. So we managed to avoid mass defections. I remember one day somebody came into my office and said, â€Å"l want to talk to you about a Job offer. I was vice president, and I was a real open door, so these people felt comfortable talking to me. And I thought, in this particular case, this guy is so much better at consulting than he would be at what he was going to do, and I said that to him.He said, â€Å"Well, but I don't want to be the last one here. Everybody's talking to headhunters. Isn't that right? † I realized he was right. So I called every headhunter I was talking to and said, â€Å"Don't call me,† which was actually taking a risk. I decided to stay with Pain and Company unless things fell apart. So the next time somebody name into my office and said, â€Å"Everybody's talking to headhunters,† I was able to say in all honesty, â€Å"Well, I' m not. I'm absolutely committed to staying here. † Soon after, the first guy came back to me to tell me that he too had decided to stay at Pain after I told him I wasn't going anywhere.And I asked him to do something that was very counterintuitive. I asked him to go out and tell people that he had received a Job offer, that he had seriously considered taking it, that he had in fact said yes to the offer Gaudies -8- and that he had decided instead to stay with Pain. He said, â€Å"I can do that. You don't do those things. You don't want people to know. † I said, â€Å"What? You told me that everybody's talking about leaving, or at least talking to headhunters, but nobody talking about the fact that they have decided to stay.I think it's a pretty powerful story. † So he hesitated, and then he agreed to spread the word about his decision. That was the beginning of a reversal of what could have been a mass defection. I then became chairman, but I perceive the leaders hip of this firm as a partnership. The partnership really is what comes first when we think about our governance. I was chosen through a selection process by all of the partners. The key criteria centered on people who are very good at what we do in our business.Throughout the history of Pain and Company, our selection of leaders centers on the people here who have the most impact with clients. We wanted a chairman who would serve as a role model in that. So in our company, people in senior positions continue to work with clients and not Just to sell but also to do the real consulting work. I still have clients I work with, and it's the only way to (a) keep me interested, (b) keep me up to date on what's really going on with clients, with our company, with our team, etc. And (c) keep the consulting we do strong.If you take senior people away from the consulting, which they are good at, and shift them to doing only administrative work or selling or public speaking-?all of which we do too of course-?then their experience is not available to the clients and it's not available as mentoring to your own team. So I agreed to become chairman on the condition that I would be able to continue to work with clients. I think that sets us apart from other professional service firms. Today, all of our senior people, the ones who are the most highly regarded, continue to work tit clients and, most importantly, they want to continue to work with clients.The clients are always canalling. I en problems are always canalling. So Its Important to keep learning. This is a pretty exciting business because of that. And, in my case, I play an international role as well. I work with international Coos. And I mean I really work with them, I do not Just interact with them. It's very exciting to see how Coos think, how government and business interact in different countries, how culture affects business, etc. It's fascinating. I love the international aspect of my work. I Just sis I didn't have to travel so much for it. I don't like to travel, but I love what I do when I get there.In terms of time management, I used to say that I spend 70 percent of my time with clients. That's probably true but I probably work more than 100 percent of my time. But really you don't break it up that way. When I'm abroad, for example, I might do client work in the morning. Then I might talk to U. S. Clients in the evening or talk with my secretary about administrative issues. I meet with our people in our various offices to talk about their clients or internal issues. I might be giving a beech in Germany, for example, and then work with people from the office on the way over there.If you have a lot of energy, you can put a lot of things together. It's not a precise science. It is not even a precise art, but it is an art. You Just have to have a lot of energy and to really love what you're doing. Gaudies -9- Critical Success Factors I don't tend to think about myself much. I'm very goal oriented when I go forward. But I think a big part of what consulting does has to do with psychology and learning to really listen to what people are saying both verbally and nonverbally. Having a â€Å"True North† has also been key. It has kept us focused on strategy and results as inseparable.Strategy combined with results is very powerful. Strategy without results is meaningless, and results without strategic thinking may not be very productive or useful. So combining almost everything we do with strategic thinking and results is critical. There were times when we actually had to fight to keep that. We had a lot of discussions about it. We ended up calling it our â€Å"True North,† and today it is Just part of the language here and part of how we think about critical decisions. We'll say, â€Å"This is a real true-north question,† when we have a really difficult decision to make.We have even â€Å"resigned† from some pretty lucrative projects when we didn't believe that results were going to happen. We do it with dignity, after a lot of discussion, but those are hard things to do. For example, a large Fortune 50 company got into trouble. We were asked to come in and help them. We helped them turn around financially but we also saw they had to turn around strategically. This was one of our major clients. We were involved in almost every aspect of their business. Anyway;ay, the papers were writing about what a great turnaround they were doing, and so on and so forth.The CEO was on the cover of all kinds of magazines. But strategically, we believed that they could not be involved in the four businesses they were in-?that, eventually, they would not be able to sustain that business model. There was one business they clearly should have gotten out of, but it was part of the legacy of the CEO, and he didn't want to get out of it. We did all of the analysis and all of the people in the organization agreed with us. But we couldn't convi nce the CEO. For six months, I had discussions with him. We had data. We Ana eve n Eng. Ana teen we Salad, â€Å"Well, In Tanat case, we Delve Tanat you can't thrive.You may not even survive long-term. † We suggested that they might want to sell themselves to somebody at that point, and we identified who might be the best buyer for them. Instead of going that route, they continued on with the four businesses. We decided to tell the CEO what we thought, that not moving in a more forceful strategic way could cost him the company. Since he didn't budge, we said we would resign, although I asked him for permission to go to the board, which, to his reedit, he let us do. One of my colleagues and I went and presented our views to the board.The board was split but eventually decided to side with him, and that was that. We resigned. Less than a year later, they came back to us and said, Mimi were right, and could you please help us now. † At that point, they had no option but to sell. They would not have been prepared to sell had we not pushed for that earlier. And we might not have suggested that had we not been following our true north. We really told them what we believed and even though there were lots of other things we old have continued to work with them on-?for tens of millions of dollars-?we really decided that was not the right thing to do.When they came back to us, we helped them sell. The social issues had Gaudies -II- been resolved by then. There was less money than they could have gotten the year before, but the shareholders still did pretty well. As the CEO and SCOFF said later on, â€Å"If it weren't for your guys and your willingness to stick to what you believed, we probably would be bankrupt. † If you have a true north and a set of core values that you stick to, you will end up making decisions that have short-term costs. But I believe, at the end of the day, they will have a long-term value.It's not something you do easily. And i t feels horrendous-?first because you feel like you failed to convince a client to do something, which is what consulting is all about, and second because of the short-term costs. It's a hit to the collective pocketbook and to your own. But when you have a true north like we do, it's really what allows you to deal with internal divisions and external adversity at the end of the day, and I think we're very lucky that we have that. I think it can create a distinctiveness from your peers or your mediators, and I think that's invaluable.Changes in the Industry I think the world has come back to where it was before the e-craze. There used to be consultants who were mostly focused on IT. There are companies that are focused mostly on informational stuff. And there are companies that are focused, as a headline, on strategy. That's where we are except that we have always focused on the operations side as well as the strategy side of a business. We believe you can't do one without the other. And then there was a period during the e-craze when everybody tried to do everything. We didn't and I think it has served us well.