Mrs Fields Cookies Essay Example

Mrs Fields Cookies Essay Example Mrs Fields Cookies Paper Mrs Fields Cookies Paper When doing business in the retail industry, one thing many people take for granted is the service aspect. Not only are you selling a product or multitude of various products, but you are also selling a service, which includes helping customers, being friendly, and making sure they enjoy their day. This is exactly what Debbi Fields is an expert at. She stated, I will also tell you that, to me, Ive never felt like I was in the cookie business. Ive always been in a feel good feeling business. My job is to sell joy. My job is to sell happiness. My job is to sell an experience. Debbi took her people skills and turned them into money-making skills despite having an original agenda of baking great cookies. When she was convinced otherwise, the company exploded and her need to be able to control every store became impossible. That is where her husband came into play the most, and his integration of an information system into the strategy. More important than monitoring the stores basic business functions was the preservation of the factors that made the stores a success in the first place Debbi Fields marketing techniques. Her experience was captured in expert systems that every store could access at any time, via Retail Operations Intelligence systems. (Newquist, 1990) The implementation of the Retail Operations Intelligence (ROI) was perfectly parallel with Mrs. Fields business objectives and beliefs. As stated earlier, she believed employees should spend their time focusing on the customer and ensuring an enjoyable visit. The ROI system simplified the paperwork process and significantly cut the amount of time that managers would need to spend in the office analyzing numbers or doing interviews. The development of the Retail Operations Intelligence systems by Randi Fields was a new look to the entire way businesses in the industry, or all businesses for that matter, operate internally. Substitute products still exist just as they did before the use of Mrs. Fields Cookies and their ROI system. Consumers have the option of eating anything else as they did before: sit-down restaurants, fast food, food courts at a mall (since it is the first major location of Mrs. Fields Cookies), ice cream shops, or people could choose not to eat at the time at all. Competition between firms included many of the niche market business mentioned above as shopping malls represented the largest source of spontaneous business for specialty stores. Competition for the most favorable mall locations next to large apparel stores, as opposed to the food court was fierce. As most malls had few such locations, developers were selective about the stores they allowed outside the food courts. The ROI system did not have a great influence on bargaining power for buyers. They still have the option to pay the price that Mrs. Fields Cookies are sold for or choose not to buy. Of course, if more customers choose not to buy, the employees will seek out potential customers to give samples too, which in turn is giving the buyer some power because they can receive the product at times for no price at all. The companys use of an IS system did not have any affect on how they dealt with suppliers. The suppliers hold the power due to the loyalty to the original vendors by Mrs. Fields. This is evident by her $6.6 million purchase of chocolate from the same supplier the company had used on its first day of business. This decision truly showed Debbis way of thinking when doing business, whether it be selling cookies or buying the ingredients. She liked being treated like she was the only customer and thats the way she treated her customers. The uses of the ROI system by managers can be attributed as strengths to Mrs. Fields Cookies, because managers can work closely with their employees and meet and greet customers instead of spending ours doing monotonous office work. The strategic goal of the IS area, according to Randy Fields, was to put as much decision making and intelligence into the store level PC as is necessary to free the manager to do those thing that uniquely people do. Weaknesses can also arise from the dependent uses of the system by managers. If security or availability isnt kept up to the fullest, the system could be at risk. Would the managers be able to successfully run the store without having to depend on the ROI system? The development of Randis system can greatly increase the productivity as it relates to the value chain. One aspect that is improved is Inbound Logistics; most notably the inventory control. If Mrs. Fields Cookies has a strict policy against leaving baked cookies unsold for more than two hours, the amount of inventory has to be controlled to a reasonable level so that revenue numerous batches of cookies are not being lost due to not being sold. The Sales/Marketing aspect can also be increased by having the manager be more involved in the employee activities and face-to-face confrontations with customers. The company has since taken advantage of their system and formed Fields Software Group Inc. in 1988 to develop and market the ROI system. Since then, 8 companies, including Burger King Corp., have agreed to purchase the system. (Personnel Journal, 1991) This business action was needed due to a few failures (which have been since corrected) which include the opposition of franchising, bad financial decisions, the acquisition of LPB, and partial miss-use of the IS. The company did not do enough research when they decided to go public on the London Exchange and it showed as they were not very successful, with much of the doubt concerning the lack of will to franchise. They also did not properly integrate with the acquisition of LPB and consequently suffered at the time. And lastly, as was covered before, the use of IS deskilled the work force and they were dependant on the system alone for decision making. To extend her vision Mrs. Fields decided to start franchising the business in 1990Its now the rarest of franchise opportunities. A new dynamic opportunity thats backed by name recognition and approval from worldwide consumers. (mrsfields.com, 2004) The franchise company Mrs. Fields Famous Brands now includes many household businesses including Mrs. Fields Original Cookies, TCBY, Pretzel Time, Great American Cookies, and Pretzelmaker. Debbi Fields has taken a childhood love for cookies and developed it into an extremely successful business by focusing on a specific niche market and utilizing customers instincts for snacks. She also implemented numerous new or at least uncommon business strategies as she states herself, And so the difference was bringing, in essence, something that was considered a commodity and making it unique and different. And the best way I did that was what I call try and buy, letting people try it with the opportunity that if they like it, theyd actually make a purchase.

Top 10 Books about Ecofeminism

Top 10 Books about Ecofeminism Ecofeminism has grown since the 1970s, blending and furthering activism, feminist theory, and ecological perspectives. Many people want to connect feminism and environmental justice but arent sure where to begin. Here is a list of 10 books about ecofeminism to get you started: Ecofeminism by Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva (1993)This important text explores the links between patriarchal society and environmental destruction. Vandana Shiva, a physicist with expertise in ecology and environmental policy, and Maria Mies, a feminist social scientist, write about colonization, reproduction, biodiversity, food, soil, sustainable development, and other issues.Ecofeminism and the Sacred edited by Carol Adams (1993)An exploration of women, ecology, and ethics, this anthology includes topics such as Buddhism, Judaism, Shamanism, nuclear power plants, land in urban life and Afrowomanism. Editor Carol Adams is a feminist-vegan-activist who also wrote The Sexual Politics of Meat.Ecofeminist Philosophy: A Western Perspective on What It Is and Why It Matters by Karen J. Warren (2000)An explanation of the key issues and arguments of ecofeminism from the noted environmental feminist philosopher.Ecological Politics: Ecofeminists and the Greens by Greta Gaard (1998)An in-depth look at the parallel development of ecofeminism and the Green party in the United States. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature by Val Plumwood (1993)A philosophical - as in, Plato and Descartes philosophical - look at how feminism and radical environmentalism intertwine. Val Plumwood examines oppression of nature, gender, race, and class, looking at what she calls a further frontier for feminist theory.Fertile Ground: Women, Earth and the Limits of Control by Irene Diamond (1994)A provocative reexamination of the notion of controlling either the Earth or womens bodies.Healing the Wounds: The Promise of Ecofeminism edited by Judith Plant (1989)A collection exploring the link between women and nature with thoughts on mind, body, spirit and personal and political theory.Intimate Nature: The Bond Between Women and Animals edited by Linda Hogan, Deena Metzger and Brenda Peterson (1997)A mix of stories, essays, and poems about animals, women, wisdom and the natural world from an array of women authors, scientists, and naturalists. Contributors include Diane Ackerman, Jane Goodall , Barbara Kingsolver, and Ursula Le Guin. Longing for Running Water: Ecofeminism and Liberation by Ivone Gebara (1999)A look at how and why ecofeminism is born from the day-to-day struggle to survive, particularly when some social classes suffer more than others. Topics include patriarchal epistemology, ecofeminist epistemology and Jesus from an ecofeminist perspective.Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams (1992)A combination memoir and naturalist exploration, Refuge details the death of the authors mother from breast cancer along with the slow flooding that destroys an environmental bird sanctuary.

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management Assignment - 1

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management - Assignment Example The firm has anticipated that fund withdrawals by members who have invested for at least five years will exceed fund inflows (from new and existing contributors) by 7% per annum on average for the subsequent five years. A suggested interpretation of this 7% figure is: (Cash outflows during year – cash inflows during year) / Total assets at 1/1/2014 = 7%The trend, therefore, calls for strategic measure to be taken to ensure the continued survival of the initiative. The investment committee will have to establish strong measures to ensure that the competitors do not out do the Morris Capital.Over the last few years, the world’s financial system has gone through its greatest crisis since the Great Depression. Rigorous financial predicaments have come into sight concurrently in a number of regions, and the economic crises are being felt all through the universe as a consequence of the increased interconnectedness of the worldwide economy.To successfully achieve competitive advantage Morris capital must initiate investment strategies to meet the deficiency that will be incurred after the initial investor members’ start withdrawing their money from the initiative. The investment committee will appreciate using either the active or passive investment approaches. The investment committee is obliged with;†¢Ã‚  How to come to a new level of growth and sustainable profitability in an environment of low interest rates (Bernstein 2001)†¢Ã‚  Rebuilding asset quality and strengthening their capital adequacy

Detailed Summary of the article Relflections on the Economics by Essay

Detailed Summary of the article Relflections on the Economics by William D. Nordhaus - Essay Example He emphasis the importance of "global change" and the "threat of green house warming" which is taking place at a rapid speed all over the world. The approach is ideal because instead of jumping to conclusion, he explores the issue of green house warming and its impact on the world. The "Green house effect" part is given more space than required, which could have been avoided, as writing two paragraphs just to define the Green House effect is too much, especially if the audience are scientists, and are knowledgeable about the topic. Even the second paragraph seems a bit out of space, the better approach would have to combine two paragraphs, into one paragraph and add only the importance part relevant to the topic, such as "concentration of CO2" in the atmosphere. The figure1" projection of global temperature increase" is an excellent way to show the scale of the problem; the readers can easily see scale of the problem. The figure shows two hundred years change (1900 to 2100), which is enough time to see the visible changes in the climate. It clearly shows, how the temperature has increased over the time and how much it will f urther increase. However he counters the argument of dooms day prediction with his own model and mentions that it is not exactly possible to predict the climatic conditions as the scientists have claimed in their model. The reason he mentions is that climatic model depends on economic models, and slower economies and higher fuel prices will decrease the emission of gases in the atmosphere. And another reason against the climatic catastrophe is that "climate flips from one locally stable equilibrium to another" and it is not possible for climatologist at present to exactly predict what will happen, unless they come up with bigger and exhaustive models. The writer moves to "Impacts of the Climate Change" and mentions that two centuries ago man was highly dependent on day and light timing, but technology has changed he slavery to natural timing and now man is no longer dependent for his economic and agricultural needs upon natural environment. He provides solid arguments by mentioning the case of a business firm which wish to start business is not concerned about climate, even if the difference is as great as Moscow and Hong Kong (Moscow has an extreme cold temperature, while Hong Kong is an island and has mild temperature). The contrast is purposely mentioned to give the readers an idea of difference in temperature and making a business decision (Economic activity). The reason for such change is technology, which has enabled man to overcome the climatic difference and work in all kind of environments. He brings another arguments against the impact of climatic change, by mentioning the factors, such as precipitation, draughts, and natural disasters, which often have "socioeconomic impact" yet ignored by scientists. Normally scientists mention only temperature as a main factor to be influenced by climate for the reason that it is an easy way to refer to the climatic change. In reality this approach is flawed and more generic and is ignoring the impact of climate on the less developed countries of the world. Thus the conclusion is that the climatic prediction does not portray a full picture of the problem nor does it provide sufficient information as predicted by the scientists. The author does

Learning and perception Essay Example for Free

Learning and perception Essay Learning and perception can be related regarding the sensory abilities of the human mind to understand, calculate, and assign learning experiences to our sensory motors. For instance, a child will stay away from a stove if he/she is burned by an eye. At this typical age, a child is unaware of the concept of heat or hot but they can register thousands of experiences through their use of touch. In perceptional learning, human instincts are the accomplices in discovering new and exciting experiences through sensory (Freeman, 1991). According to Freeman (1991), learning has an impact on our ability to perceive experiences accurately. As an example, a child that views domestic violence on a daily basis may assume it is natural. This child could develop an ineffective sensory to pain by observing and experiencing it from a violent adult. In turn, the child may develop an innocent perception that pain is equal to normal. His or her learning of domestic violence is different from others so his or her perception of violence may not affect their judgment during a violent occurrence with others (Perception, 2006). Another obvious connection of learning and perception is the human’s ability to adjust oneself to the visual make up of others in a social surrounding. Debutants contribute to the development of young women and men. Their intentions are to teach social etiquette for proper associations mainly available in higher social classes. For instance, a debutant from a wealthy family may see a debutant from an underprivileged home as an equal if financial status was not a factor. The visual perception of the reality is seen only superficially. As the learning of the financial status of both debutants are known, the image might change one’s perception of the underprivileged Debutant. The relationship between perception and learning is evident in every day life in which people learn of their surroundings and act accordingly (Freeman, 1991). Works Cited Freeman, Walter J. â€Å"The Physiology of Perception† Scientific American, Vol. 264 (2) 78-85. Perception. Accessed on December 15, 2008 at http://www. a2zpsychology. com/PSYCHOLOGY_GUIDE/Perception. htm.

German Jewry on the Eve of Destruction Essay -- Jews Jewish Nazi Essay

Did the Jews of Germany do enough to prevent their wholesale massacre by the Nazis? Should they have resisted earlier and to a greater degree? Should the Jews in Western countries acted even when Jews within Germany did not? In 1933, there were several different responses to Germany's increasingly anti-Jewish tendencies. Then, on the eve of destruction, before the Nazis had fully planned for their extermination, the German Jews had a chance to affect Germany and their own lives. I have chosen a few of the German Jewish responses to examine in this essay. After the single-day boycott of April 1, 1993, where the Magen David was posted on establishments of Jewish-race ownership, a Zionist named Robert Weltsch wrote the following lines in a Zionist newspaper article titled 'Wear It With Pride, The Yellow Badge': This is a painful reminder to all those who betrayed their Judaism...The Jew who denies his Judaism is no better a citizen than his fellow who avows it openly...The Jew is marked a Jew. He gets the Yellow Badge...This regulation is intended as a brand, a sign of contempt. We will take it up and make it a badge of honor.[1] As a Zionist, Weltsch was critical of those Jews who had replaced their Jewish identities with solely German ones. He was happy to see the German government show those Jews that they were still Jewish, regardless of what they thought -- as far as he was concerned the German government was helping his cause by reawakening the assimilated Jews in Germany. The Magen David was being recreated as the symbol of the Zionist movement and so why shouldn't Jews be proud to wear it? What Weltsch unfortunately did not seem to comprehend was the significance of these initial acts of discrimination. Th... ...story of the Holocaust. New York: Franklin Watts, 1982. p. 120. [**] Centralverein deutscher Straatsbà ¼rger jà ¼dischen Glaubens [5] C.V.-Zeitung, No. 22, June 1, 1933 (cited in Documents on the Holocaust p. 50-51). [6] Holborn, Halo. A History of Modern Germany. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969. p. 277-280. [7] Bauer, p. 123. [8] Bauer, p. 117-118. [9] Yahil, p. 95. To return to the reference in the text, click on the number. Works Cited ed. Arad, Yitzhak, Yisrael Gutman and Abraham Margaliot. Documents on the Holocaust. Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, 1981. Bauer, Yehuda. A History of the Holocaust. New York: Franklin Watts, 1982. Holborn, Halo. A History of Modern Germany. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969. Yahil, Leni. The Holocaust: The Fate of European Jewry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Graded Assignment Essay

1. Three hypotheses—ecocide, rat outbreak, and climate change—are candidates as explanations of why the society of Easter Island collapsed. Explain each hypothesis, present at least one piece of evidence for each one, and state a lesson that each hypothesis contains for the world today. For each hypothesis, write one paragraph of at least four lines Answer: Ecocide Hypothesis: Humans used the resources irresponsibly and caused deforestation. Humans used the logs from the trees to transport the big statues. People also used the trees to build shelter. The resources were used irresponsibly when they should have been used graciously. Rat Outbreak: Rats were introduced to the environment and fed on the trees. The trees had bite marks on the bottom of the tree. Rats were brought over by ships. It wasn’t an intentional introduction. Climate Change: As the climate changed the Lakes were separated from the main body of water. (8 points) 2. In a paragraph, describe the seven steps of the scientific method. Answer: You must make an observation and ask a question or identify and define a problem about that observation. Then you make your hypothesis which is an if-then statement and then test the hypothesis by performing experiments or making observations. Then you have to organize and analyze your data. Finally you draw your conclusions and communicate your results. (7 points) 3. Error in data analysis often occurs because the researcher has chosen an inappropriate sample for study—a sample that does not correctly reflect the characteristics of the population or phenomenon as a whole. Name at least three different causes of sampling error and state why each of them can produce invalid data. Answer: Size: your sample must include enough size or amount of people or organisms. If you don’t have enough samples then your data will be concluded with an insufficient amount of data. Bias: If someone has a strong bias towards something then they may only use the data that supports their views. Location of Sample: If someone takes a sample in a location and then doesn’t go to another location to take a sample then the data may be insufficient.

Childhood and Young People

Explain how a solution focused approach will encourage children and young people to have a positive outlook on their lives. A solution focused approach is about looking at the present and the future, it helps children to look at what is happening in their lives now and whether they are happy that things are heading in the right direction, if this is not the case then it enables children to be able to work out what needs to be changed and start working towards the goals they want to achieve.This can help children and young people to have a positive outlook on their lives by allowing them to see that even if things aren’t that great at the moment there’s always their future (which can be whatever they want it to be) to look forward to. 4. 4 Explain the importance of informing relevant people when there are concerns about a child or young person’s health or well – being. The child protection and welfare policies in my setting states that i must report any con cerns that i may have around a child’s health and well being. If i was to not report the concerns raised then this could have a big impact on the child.The earlier concerns are spotted and raised, the easier they are to be dealt with and the smaller the impact on the child, same as the longer it takes for concerns to be spotted and raised, the harder they are to be dealt with and the bigger the impact on the child. For example if i were to notice that a child was attending nursery and feeling extra hungry than usual, this would be a welfare concern as being underfed (if this is the case) will have an effect on the child’s health, it will effect concentration which will affect the overall performance of the child.My concerns would be raised with the manager and this would be monitored and recorded before raising the issue with parents. 4. 5 Record concerns about a child or young person’s health or well being following recognised procedures. So far during my place ment i have not had to record any concerns about a child but if a situation occurred where this needed to happen i would first raise my concerns with the manager.

War World I essays

War World I essays During the summer of 1914 World War I had begun when Austria-Hungary declared on Serbia. Nobody knew that twenty-one years later another world war would spark. Both wars very different because of the age gap but very alike on the subject of war. World War I began in the Balkans, where Archduke Francis Ferdinand heir to the Austria-Hungary throne was assassinated. Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of the assassination of their Archduke which would spark the beginning of a war. Austria-Hungary gained a promise of support for any action it took against Serbia. A list of demands was then sent to Serbia from Austria-Hungary. Serbia accepted most of the demands. Serbia then offered to have the rest settled by an international conference. When Austria-Hungary did not accept the offer they declared war on Serbia and expected a quick victory. World War II began on September 1st, 1989 when Germany declared war on Poland, Poland being the largest country for the Jewish population. Adolf Hitler had turned Germany into a war machine. Germany now powerful as ever crushed Poland, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, and France. World War I and World War II both had Germany on the enemy side against the US. Both of the wars were actually because of Germany, Germany backed Austria-Hungary which declared war on Serbia in WWI. Germany invaded Poland in WWII which caused the war to begin. WWI was a bit shorter than WWII which lasted for six years, where WWI lasted only about 4 years. In WWI Germany invaded only a few countries with the battles whereas in WWII Germany took over many countries with Hitler in power. Both of the wars were hoped as to be quick victories but that never happened. Also with both of the wars the US always started out as staying neutral until they were bought into the wars. In WWII the rise of dictatorships had come into play in Italy, Japan, the Soviet Union, and Germany. With WWI there were no set dictatorships...

How to Make Distilled Water

How to Make Distilled Water Distilled water is purified water produced by condensing steam or water vapor from impure water, such as well water, seawater, tap water, snow, streams, or even plants or damp rock. You can distill water to further purify the water you have, to make drinking water for emergencies, or to obtain water while on camping trips. There are several methods for making distilled water, so you can save yourself some money and distill it yourself rather than buying it at the store. Which of several methods to use to distill water depends on the resources you have available and whether you are distilling impure water or have to get water from the air or plants. Distill Water on Your Stove, Grill or Campfire You can make distilled water over a stove, grill, or campfire quite easily. You need a large container of water, a smaller collection container that either floats in the first container or can be propped up above the water level, a rounded or pointed lid that fits the big container  (turned upside down so that when the steam condenses, the water drips into your smaller container), and some ice. Here is a recommended material list: 5-gallon stainless steel or aluminum potRounded lid for the potGlass or metal bowl that floats inside the potIce cubesHot pads Fill the large pot partly full of water.Set the collection bowl in the pot. The plan is to collect water dripping from the center of the inverted pan lid, so choose the size of the bowl to make sure the distilled water wont just drip back into the main pot.Set the pot lid upside down on the pot. When you heat the water, water vapor will rise up to the lid, condense into droplets, and fall into your bowl.Turn on the heat for the pan. The water needs to get very hot, but its OK if it doesnt boil.Put ice cubes on top of the lid of the pot. The cold will help to condense the steam in the pot into liquid water.When complete, turn off the heat and use care to remove the bowl of distilled water. Store distilled water in a clean, preferably sterile container (dishwasher clean or else immersed in boiling water). Use a container intended for long-term storage of water because other containers may have contaminants that would leach into your water over time, undoing all your work to get pure water. Collect Water in an Outside Container A similar method is to heat water in a pot but collect the distilled water in an outside container. You can be as creative as you like with your setup for this. Just be sure to collect the distilled water and not the pot water. One option is to use a funnel over the boiling water container that is connected to the collection bottle with aquarium tubing. For the funnel to drain into your collection bottle, you want to empty the tubing at a lower level than the funnel. Otherwise, the method is the same. The advantages include safety (you dont need to wait for the pot to cool to get your water) and reduced risk of contamination from the source water. Contamination is not a big concern when youre purifying rain or tap water but may be more of a consideration if youre trying to make nonpotable water safe enough to drink. Distill Water From Rain or Snow Rain and snow are two forms of naturally distilled water. Water evaporates from the ocean, lakes, rivers, and the land and condenses in the atmosphere to fall as precipitation. Unless you live in a highly polluted area, the water is pure and safe to drink. (Do not collect rainwater that comes off an asphalt shingle roof through the gutters for this procedure.) Collect rain or snow in a clean container. Allow a day or so for any sediment to fall to the bottom of the bowl. In most cases, you can pour off the clean water and drink it as-is; however, you can include additional filtration steps, such as running the water through a coffee filter or boiling it. Water keeps best if its refrigerated, but you can keep it indefinitely in a clean, sealed container at room temperature, too. Use Home Distillation Kits Unless youre collecting rain or snow, water distillation costs money because it uses fuel or electricity to heat the source water. Its cheaper to buy bottled distilled water than it is to make it on your stove. However, if you use a home distiller, you can make distilled water more cheaply than you can buy it. Home distillation kits range in price from about $100 to several hundred dollars. If youre making distilled water for drinking, the less expensive kits are fine. More expensive kits are used for lab work or for processing large volumes of water to supply water needs for an entire house. Distill Water From Plants or Mud While out camping or in serious emergency situations, you can distill water from virtually any source of water. If you understand the basic principle, you likely can imagine many potential setups. Heres an example of a method used to extract water from desert plants. Note that this is a time-consuming process. Green plantsPlastic wrapCoffee can or other clean containerSmall rocks Dig a hole in the ground in a sunny location.Place the coffee can in the center of the bottom of the hole to collect the water.Pile up damp plants in the hole around the coffee can.Cover the hole with a piece of plastic wrap. You can secure it using rocks or dirt. Ideally, you want to seal the plastic so no moisture escapes. The greenhouse effect  will trap heat inside the plastic, aiding in the evaporation of the water.Place a pebble in the center of the plastic wrap to create a small depression. As water evaporates, the vapor will condense on the plastic and fall where you created the depression, dripping into the can. You can add fresh plants to keep the process going. Avoid using poisonous plants containing volatile toxins because they will contaminate your water. Cacti and ferns are good choices, where they are available. Ferns are edible, too.

Sources of English Law and Examples of their Use Essay

Sources of English Law and Examples of their Use - Essay Example Statute law represents the primary legislation passed by parliament and consist of acts, as well as amendments to acts. Common Law: Common law is a form of law that is not based on any external set of rules or regulations. Instead, common law is derived from previous cases. . By this part of its nature, common law is unique as it self-generates. These cases are often poorly documented and summarised, making the determination of what is common law difficult It is primarily used in cases where there is no legislation that covers the case currently being considered, and is instigated by judges, often in cases of negligence. Equity: Equity is connected to common law, and was formed to assist in cases where common law was not enough. Equity occurs when common law has been applied in a situation, but the ruling doesn’t appear to make sense for the particular criteria or people involved. Equity does not happen in all cases; instead it is an option that the judge can take, rather than a right of those under the law. Initially common law and equity used separate courts, but now both occur seamlessly within the same court, and often the same judgment within the UK as well as other countries and colonies. Injunctions are one example of equity. As such equity occurs in areas of the law where common law is applied, as there is limited legislative backing for the situation, but the conclusion from common law does not fit the situation. European Law: This refers specifically to law that is connected to the European Union, which came into being towards the end of 1993. When the UK joined the European Union it was required to incorporate legislation from the European Union into the laws of the UK and to recognise the European Court’s jurisdiction in regards to European Union law. An example of a European law is the European Convention of Human Rights, which was incorporated into UK law in 1998. European Law, while applied in the UK, is developed through the European Union . Question Two There are many legislative acts created through statute law that are important in Britain. One of these that had a large impact on business was the equality act, introduced by the Labour Government in 2010. The act was designed to dramatically increase the rights of employees of all types, aiming to advance equality and protect against discrimination. This law had a major effect on businesses, increasing costs involved in dealing with disabled employees, as well as allowing avenues for issues of harassment and discrimination in the workplace to be addressed, which generally has the effect of improv ing employee morale . The case of Donoghue v. Stevenson was a case brought to the House of Lords in 1932. The case is monumental, as it was a case of common law that set the precedent for negligence in modern English law, as well as Scottish law. The case itself revolved around a snail that Donoghue claimed was poured in her ginger beer. She consequently brought action against the manufacturer of the water in the ginger beer, Stevenson. The case was important as there was no legal precedent, so the case fell into the grounds of common law . For businesses today, the case has important ramifications, as it has served as the basis of the concept that one person is able to owe another person a duty of care. The case of Seager versus Copydex was a case of damages and of breaches of confidence. The case was one of the early cases that

Improving Leadership Skills and Academic Performance Assignment

Improving Leadership Skills and Academic Performance - Assignment Example Whilst I have always been extroverted in social and professional situations, prior to this study program, my over-confidence in my capabilities and knowledge complicated being a solid team member when working in groups. For instance, I had previously desired to work independently in most situations, both academic and professional, with minor levels of resentment and animosity when forced to work in team environments. It was not an inherent part of my personality in which I believed that team members were not capable, only that trust in my own talents and ability to organize made it difficult for me to build group inter-dependency and rely on others achieving team goals. Hence, I have come to learn that an effective leader is one that gives others opportunities to excel and make positive contributions to a group. Stover (2004) discusses the concept of tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge, in which individuals that maintain a specialized set of talents (tacit knowledge) must convert this knowledge to teach others. Interaction with others, according to Stover, is absolutely necessary for effective knowledge conversion to be achieved. However, as aforementioned, my personal resistance to participative teamwork challenged gaining followership from others as an effective leader. My current study program has given me ample opportunities to work with others and I have made a very competent effort at reducing the internal conflicts that arise when forced to work in groups where all members have a distinct task. Some of these attitudes and resistance to teamwork ideology is likely a product of my cultural background in the Middle East. In my home country, it is common that professional members of an organization, in politics and even general society to maintain high power distance, defined by Hofstede (2001) as a type of inequality where hierarchies are dominant business, social and political structures.