Richards MacDonald – författare

Project Report from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: A, The University of Chicago, language: English, abstract: This paper recommends an established method comprising of time dependence into Earned Value (EV) management. The criterion needs three parameters, which outline directly to the basic triad control of scope, cost and schedule - the decline rate of activities, the cost prevails over parameter, and the time to fix the declined activities. Time related aspects for the planned value, received value, and genuine cost are acknowledged, along with the cost performance index (CPI) and schedule performance index (SPI). Earned Value Management (EVM) method is usually represented as a management tactic that influences resource planning and practice to programs and to technical presentation demand. More particularly, EVM can be believed to bring cost and schedule deviation analysis in order to provide managers with a more precise standing of a project. Increasing global rivalry and speedy industrial developments are exerting many firms to give more concentration to develop the control of both their in-house projects and those being done for customers. The major purpose of this paper is to map the research intended at establishing an EVM implementation model (framework) to assist in applying EVM more competently to projects in a variety of industries and government organizations. An extra focus is to conclude what distinctness, if any, are present between applying EVM in various types of projects and organizations in the United States (Warburton, 2011).

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Banking, Stock Exchanges, Insurance, Accounting, grade: A, The University of Chicago, language: English, abstract: In 2008, the world witnessed economic turndown of the most dangerous nature since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It all began in 2007 when high home prices in the United States turned downward that spread quickly to the entire US financial sector and then to financial markets globally. The overall casualty in the United States included the biggest insurance company, the entire investment banking industry, the largest mortgage lender, two of the largest commercial banks and the largest savings and loan. The impact of downfall in the United States had a huge impact globally and specifically the European countries. The worst hit country by financial turn down was Greece (Salas et al, 2010). Greece even before joining the Euro was living beyond its means. After adopting single currency, public spending soared. Between 1999 and 2007, public wages increased by 50%, faster than most of the countries in Eurozone. The government also hosted 2004 Athens Olympics and piled up debt. The debt in Greece kept soaring till the point where the country was no longer able to repay its debts. Greece was forced to ask for help from the IMF and European parts in the form of massive loans (Shiller, 2008). This research analyzes the global financial crisis and its impacts on Greece. It analyzes the austerity measures taken up by Greece and its impacts on the country. The research analyzes the bail outs that were granted to Greece to save the country from defaulting. IMF, World Bank and European Central Bank helped Greece by providing loans along with strict austerity measures by the economy of Greece had continuously shrank and the situation is not getting any better. The aims and objectives of the research include: Analyzing the current financial crisis in Greece Analyzing if there is any opportunity present in Greece for economic revival Proposing a plan for revival of Greece s economyFor analyzing the financial situation of Greece, secondary data was used for extensive and in-depth analysis. The secondary research data sources included books, case studies, articles and literature review. With this methodology, the research investigated and analyzed the weaknesses and strengths of steps that were taken in Greece in order to counter the financial crisis. The analysis revealed that it was the poor taxation policies and economic structure that contributed to the worsening financial situation of Greece.

Essay from the year 2011 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: A, The University of Chicago, language: English, abstract: Steven Spielberg was born in 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was an armature film maker as he grew up moving several times and spending most of his youth in Arizona. He attended California State University Long Beach before dropping out to pursue his career in entertainment. In 1957, he gained experience as an unaccredited assistant editor in Wagon train the western classic. In 1961, he made an effort directing Battle squad which made a combination of footage of a plane on the ground, and that of World War II. In the late 1960s, he became a director for Universal and with the help of a television film, called duel in 1972; he got the opportunity to become a director. This paper will seek to analyze his life and the impact he had on culture. Discussion Steven Spielberg began his career as an amateur recording films as a child using the family camera. He started by recording family events, and then proceeded to film narratives with the camera set at different angles. He then filmed a movie at around twelve years of age using a script and cast of actors. At sixteen, he managed to film a science fiction movie titled firelight which was more than two hours long. In one night of showing the film, it earned $100 more than it had cost to produce (Film makers para 3). Later on, Spielberg produced a twenty four minute movie entitled Amblin which led to Universal signing him up as the youngest director on a long term deal. The movie won many festival awards leading to the signing of a contract of seven years under the television division. It is then that he directed "e;duel"e; which was well received and released to the theatres (Film makers para 5).

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Health - Miscellaneous, grade: A, University of California, Berkeley , language: English, abstract: Public health systems have an aim of aiding in the prevention of diseases in a country. Many diseases affect the society some of which are non-infectious chronic diseases, while others are infectious. Some of the diseases affect majority of the population in certain countries.Mental health is usually described as the way in which individuals feel, think or act as they cope with life situations. It is very important to stay mentally healthy through every stage of life. Mental illness may be as a result of disorders which are common. This paper will discuss the health care system in Australia in regard to mental health as a major concern. Statistics on the effect of mental health illness in Australia More than 20% of Australians suffer from mental illness at least ones in their lives. Some suffer from more than one form of the same. Around 20000 Australians are diagnosed of mental illness annually which raises concern within the health system. At least three million out of these get depressive illness while five percent suffer from anxiety. Others suffer from schizophrenia while others go through serious psychotic illnesses (1). There have been surveys done showing that one in every five Australians is affected by mental illness. In this category, women report more on cases of anxiety and affective disorders than men. Men however, are more likely to have disorders that are as a result of substance abuse such as alcohol. They are also more prone to schizophrenia .It has also been noted that compulsive disorders are very common in both sexes with at least 90% of eating disorders occurring among women (2). Populations most affected by mental illness are around the ages of 18 to 24 with at least 14% of children below 17years being affected by problems of mental health (2). Conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders however occur after teenage hood with adolescents exhibiting use of drugs or high rate of suicidal thoughts. It has been noted that culture affects the access to medication since those individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds can t access health services as often as those in the mainstream population (2).Mental health illnesses have been shown to be the main cause of absenteeism in the work place in Australia.

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: B, The University of Chicago, language: English, abstract: The social media marketing has affected the landscape of the conventional marketing substantially and the frameworks and the methodologies of conventional marketing has also been affected significantly with the increase in popularity and influence of the social media marketing. The paper provides background information on the subject under research, including appropriate concepts, theories, ongoing debates and issues and the statement of the problem, the research questions and the appropriate hypothesis. The objectives of this dissertation are to illustrate the changes made by the social media marketing on conventional marketing landscape and its frameworks and methodologies. It also compares and contrasts the social media marketing and conventional marketing. The changes made by social media marketing on the current marketing landscape are demonstrated by analyzing current case studies. The dissertation also includes the analysis and recommendations of the ways which might lead to replacement of the conventional marketing methodologies by social media marketing methodologies in future. A detailed description of social media marketing and conventional marketing is provided in the first section of this dissertation which includes the characteristics, key features, nature, scope, etc. of both social media marketing and conventional marketing. This section also provides the description of the areas to be covered in this paper such as the explanation of the relevant concepts, theories, etc. The next section of the paper provides the methods and techniques used in this dissertation and it also justifies the selection of the investigative method(s) and data-gathering technique(s) used for the investigation of the topic. It also makes appropriate referring to research methods textbooks and literature. The literary review section of the dissertation provides the critical analysis of the relevance and utility of materials relevant to the chosen topic. It includes a wide range of books, articles, journals, literature available on the topic written by different established author in the field. Though social media marketing is a new concept there is no dearth of good literature and research works in the field. This section of the dissertation provides a critical analysis of the literature on the topic under consideration identifying key issues and they are organised into themes on the topic of the research.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Communications - Multimedia, Internet, New Technologies, grade: A, The University of Chicago, language: English, abstract: The emergence of the Internet has provided a powerful marketing medium for all businesses, whether big or small, new or old. It has enabled all types of businesses to promote their brands easily. The Internet explosion in the past few years has changed the entire business processes and outlined the future business operations. The changes are visible in almost all business operations, and they have initiated rethinking of supply chain networks, reconfiguration of products and services or revamping of business models. The most significant change has been noticed in the promotional activities and in the use of the Internet as a brand building tool. The Internet has offered new opportunities, making traditional business practices outdated. It provided the opportunity to reach a wide range of audience and create never-before possible propositions. It also provided a new tool for promoting business, interacting with people and building relationships. It has also empowered customers with information and many options, and has changed the fundamental concepts of interaction between companies and customers. These tremendous changes in customer relationships, customer service and branding require new strategies and tools for brand building. The Internet has enabled new entrepreneurs to create new and strong brands, thus leaving established brands behind. Internet companies like Amazon.com, Yahoo!, eBay, and America Online (AOL) have established strong brands in a short span of time, whereas the traditional companies have taken decades for the same. Figure 1 below exhibits the time taken in years by the Internet companies in reaching $100 million mark.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: A, The University of Chicago, language: English, abstract: The companies are the integral part of the society and they have both, the potential and obligations to the society and their obligations to the society is called corporate social responsibility. CSR is practiced by all the companies including SMEs. The CSR practices of the food retail sector of the UK have been a matter of prime concern as they are the major contributors to the UK economy. Tesco PLC is the largest food retailer in the UK and its CSR practices need to be examined with respect to its operations, activities and products. Generally, large companies claim their concern and commitment to CSR and announce it elaborately in their reports. The claims made by Tesco are different from the ground realities. The company claimed to reduce energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases but could not achieve it for some or other reasons. Similarly, Tesco claimed to adapt to a compatible process of sourcing of its food products to be sold in its stores. The process claimed to investigate and monitor different stages of sourcing sincerely, but the recent horse-meat scandal revealed that there is a wide gap between the claims and the ground realities. The CSR is practiced by most of the companies for building reputation and the objective of the CSR to create value for the society is left behind.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: A, University of Cambridge, course: Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, language: English, abstract: The study is being conducted on the issues and problems that were faced by the Five Star Industries Private Limited, a famous mattress brand which had been suffering from heavy losses owing to the company's sales falling and competition penetrating the market, with continuously increasing day by day. The company came into being in 1966 when a carpenter and his wife took the initiative and formed this company to produce spring mattresses. In order to produce the mattresses, Gim Sin the carpenter purchased sophisticated machinery owing to the machines high productivity and quality. However, with time, the intensity of the competition I the mattress producing industry increased and the company had to suffer from the problems of local mattress producers dominating the mattress market and thus forced the company t take corrective action. The company was highly affected since it was heavily dependent on the local dealers who now penetrated the market with their own production of mattresses. However, the company attempted to do this by increasing its product range and service level. Although the action was to improve the company s condition, yet it further deteriorated the company s position since the variety of product ranges which now resided in their portfolio became difficult for them to manage since the increased variety slowed the mattress production. The act of thus matching the demand with the supply of these variety of mattresses became a problem for the company and thus led to the company facing order fulfillment problems since the wide variety of products produced and the orders of these various mattresses put a heavy pressure on the company s manufacturing operations and created difficulties in production scheduling in turn. This pressure o the manufacturing sector of the business and the problems faced by the company instigated a fear in Gim Sin of employees leaving the organization since their job has been toughening day by day due to the introduction of this wide variety of products.

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: A, University of Cambridge, language: English, abstract: The investment philosophy of Seven Investment Management Company is to provide the clients and other financial intermediaries with an investment advise which is more innovative and practical along with the management and platform facilities. Since the company in itself is solely an investment company, the objects of the organization thus solely depicts the investment philosophy which the firm follows. These goals ad aims mainly pertain to the company's willingness to promote integrity and honesty within the company with the eventual result of having promoted a culture which helps the organization maintain this honesty and integrity with customers. The company seeks to be innovative in the funds it offers and promotes sensible and common sense when making investment decisions to the clients. The company also promotes the philosophy of providing an exceptional service and personalized attention to its clients. The fee charged by the organization helps the company achieve transparency. The company demonstrates independence in their services and products and lastly the company wants to be seen in the investment with the clients as a valuable partner (7IM, 2013). The company also impresses upon the use of the same approach to investment by the private investors as that used by the institutional investors for the sole benefit of the clients themselves. Lastly the company s investment philosophy also includes the sustainable growth of the company s profits or a steady financial performance of the organization. This it aims to achieve by giving their own investment money to an investment manager who would produce a steady performance of the company without any extra effort required to be put (7IM, 2013).

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Leadership and Human Resources - Miscellaneous, grade: A, University of Cambridge, language: English, abstract: The application of traditional recruitment techniques do not suffice anymore and are also not well-timed in order to bring in satisfactory pool of competent candidates. Through early-1990s, with the progression associated with online technologies, many have experienced the particular shift for the traditional recruitment techniques to e-recruitment. The web-based recruitment blends software programs as well as infrastructure, in addition to resume repositories which assist the particular clients in their recruitment operations. Internet lookups are actually very popular among the people looking for work. Resumes delivered via the web as well as through e-mail could be scanned to get key phrases, determining essential information, abilities, proficiency, as well as working experience, hence lowering hands-on procession and probable mistakes. This elevates the effectiveness around choosing competent as well as a trustworthy workforce, lowers long term turnover, and recruits completing online documents presumptively use much less resources compared to that that post papers application packages. Companies can access job hunters spanning the planet and usually get far more applications. The process is cheaper for companies and also more expedited. Even though career boards have the ability to deal with extremely high quantities of both people looking for work as well as employers, they tend to not achieve high quality. The systems are not simple and also harmless enough to be made use of by comparatively unskilled end users; they lack a personal feel , raise confidentiality, security, authentication, and cheating issues. The systems additionally discriminate against some applicants due to badly developed hiring platforms. Integration of e-recruiting with convectional recruiting may also be challenging and globalization further complicates assessment for applicants across borders.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, grade: A, University of Cambridge, language: English, abstract: Free trade in a liberalized market is basically about achieving easier trade since it allows the market to balance the needs, demand and supply. On this note, globalization integrated with free trade has been an economic debate during and after recovery from World War I and II. On the global scale, the idea of globalized market has been facilitating international trade activities. However, based on its various policies and principles, the free trade has negatively been perceived due to its various economic, environmental, social and political impacts that portray very different implications of free trade. Consequently, various protests, like Seattle in 1999, have been witnessed against the way its principle and policies are formulated and implemented. As much as globalization and liberation of international trade may be seen as presenting various benefits to the world economy, this idea is greatly opposed based on the way it has contributed towards inflicting poverty upon people, poor principles and inequality. Therefore this essay will evaluate and discuss various pros and cons of this ideology, while supporting the opposition statement; it has brought more harm than good. In this regard, the essay will cover employment opportunities, Infrastructural development, Mercantilism, Interdependence, Workforce, Culture and environment. Employment opportunities- Globalization and liberalization of international trade has made it possible for international companies, organizations and investors to initiate business activities in other countries. On this note, citizens of receiving countries have been able to secure jobs (Amiti and Wakelin, 2009). As a result, the economy of such countries is increased thus contributing to overall increase in the world economy. However, it has been established that majority of international investors, especially western companies investing in African or Asian countries; prefer to work with cheap labor to working with costly workforce in the west (Markusen & Venables, 2008). So if this is the case, then it implies that liberalization of international trade can be held accountable for poor economic growth or economic levels of developing countries. In connection with this, whenever these developing countries experience slower economic growths, even the global economy must experience the same effects as continuously been reported in world economic survey reports.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: A, Oxford Brookes University, language: English, abstract: Culture can be defined as a way of living of people which is affected by their values, beliefs, attitude, art and science, modes of perception, thoughts and activities. In this way, culture explains how an individual live and behave in an environment and how his/her thoughts and perception are molded which affect the mutual relationship between individual and environment in which he/she lives. Things were easily manageable with less diversified workforce, but globalization has changed the scenario altogether, and this phenomenon has accentuated the cultural differences within the organization affecting the performance of it. Human resource practices like training, staffing have a significant impact due to cultural differences. Now days, human resource is considered the most significant and difference making aspect of organizations and number of activities are undertaken, and lots of programs are implemented to increase the productivity of employees by supporting and accommodating employees ever changing needs. In this regard, the importance of organizational culture has increased manifold. Number of studies has been taken to assess the impact of culture on human resource management. Corporate culture and national culture both have impact on organization and so on the employee s performance. Multinational companies are busy promoting corporate culture improving control, integrating and coordinating their subsidiaries spread over the entire globe. Yet these subsidiaries operate in different national culture, creating problems in implementing and accepting unified human resource practices and policies like compensation system, selection and socialization and planning appraisal. In past three decades, corporate culture has earned much attention, and many books such as In Search Of Excellence (Peter & Waterman, 1982) and Corporate Culture (Deal & Kennedy, 1982) have hit the market, and many eager and energetic executives benefitted from such literature. While there are strong evidences to suggest the direct link between companies performance and corporate culture, but such link is still debatable and may be challenged. Every environment demands different strategies, and the true test of organizational culture is to streamline with these strategies. MNC is, therefore, mindful to pay attention to the fitness of corporate culture within their subsidiaries operating in different national cultures to smooth implementation, especially HRM strategy.

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: B, University of Cambridge, language: English, abstract: Constant organizational changes inevitably lead to interpersonal and group conflicts within organizations. In order to mitigate the negative consequences of unresolved conflict, the conflict management process must be carefully managed. The intervention strategy employed to resolve the conflict depends upon the particular circumstances surrounding the particular case. The conflict management process should begin with a careful diagnosis of the problem and measurement of the severity, extent and causes of the conflict. This should be followed by the implementation of the appropriate strategy which should involve some level of learning evidenced by new behaviours, and finally the process should be evaluated and the feedback examined to determine its effectiveness. Communication, management involvement, style and control, as well as the use of effective change management strategies, are essential elements of a successful conflict management process. Effective conflict management processes will shape and positively impact the culture of the organization. If time pressure affects the conflict management process, it must be firmly controlled by the manager. Any previous failed attempts at conflict resolution by the manager should be corrected by engaging an external third party specialist to add objectivity and novelty to the situation. Change management strategies are necessary for lasting conflict management change and a transformational management style should be applied. In cases where there is interpersonal and group conflict, the following recommendations should be considered: The Manager should take control of the process and carry out a comprehensive diagnosis of the conflict Use intervention by engaging a qualified Conflict Specialist for an initial 7 day period to facilitate communication, implement training and guide in behavioural change techniques The Manager should consider adopting a transformational leadership style and be prepared to lead the conflict management process as well as any change managementprocess

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: A, University of Cambridge, language: English, abstract: Globalization, increasing technology, changing consumer tastes and changing values have all served to undermine what used to be known as "e;business as usual"e;. In today's business environment of constant change, there is no such concept. Processes, structures, the playing field, the demographics of the target market, everything is in a constant state of change. In the past century, the business environment was fairly stable. Jobs were safe to a great extent and careers were guaranteed. Business plans only required annual adjustments and forecasting was a simple operation. Reeves & Deimier (2011) site the fact that changes in top company industry rankings increased by 12 % up from 2% between 1960 and 2008, as evidence of just how much change is happening in the business environment. Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Research In Motion, Blockbuster, and MySpace are some of the well-known organizations that have felt the impact of change (Safian, 2012). Position and scale are losing significance as companies seek to become experts at "e;learning how to do new things"e; (Reeves & Deimier, 2011, p.134). In order to survive in the current business environment, business operators must accept and embrace change and develop a positive attitude towards it. Safian (2012) quotes Aaron Levie and puts it like this In this world of constant change, following a single system or model is foolhardy the companies that succeed will be nimble and ever-changing. However, change must be managed and it must be managed consistently and strategically. Change Management, by definition, is the process of managing change. HR Magazine (December 2007, p. 1) defines change management as the systematic approach and application of knowledge, tools andresources to leverage the benefits of change. Although this technique is applicable to all spheres of life, change management is particularly relevant and necessary in the corporate environment especially during times of drastic changes such as in mergers and acquisitions. Rather than