Should animals be kept in zoos free essay sample

?Zoos are sometimes seen as necessary but poor alternative to a natural environment. Is it necessary to keep animals in zoos? Zoo is the place where different kinds of animals are kept, displayed to public, and in which they may also be bred. In today’s fast paced world, people are pressurized everyday working at a stressful job from nine to five; leisure in the form of going to zoo can be truly welcoming. There are many debates on whether zoos should be prohibited since the issue of animal conservation had arisen about thirty years ago. Zoos are important and should be kept although they provide poor alternatives to a natural environment to the animals. It has often been said that animals survival abilities have been deprived because of the limited exposure to nature in the zoos. In addition, they dont have any freedom since they are kept in small cage In the modern society, zoos are almost indispensable places in large cities for people to visit. We will write a custom essay sample on Should animals be kept in zoos? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In some large zoos, there are various animals from space to sea and from primitive invertebrates to advanced and intelligent mammals. In the zoos, all animals, including those rare animals, such as panda, African elephant, and North-Eastern tiger, could enjoy good care and protection away from any danger. However, along with the stronger natural environmental protection consciousness, many people think that to put animals into small cages will change their living instincts, and therefore break the ecological balance. Viewed from the basic relations between animals and human beings, animals should have the equal freedom with human being. Animals have their own living instinct, and it is this instinct that forms the biological chain of the Earth. This relation is called â€Å"Ecological Balance† academically. This opinion sounds ideal theoretically. However in reality, human beings and other animals cannot stay together peacefully on the Earth. Because of human beings’ lust for fortune, many valuable animals are killed or sold, especially those endangered species. Therefore, zoos appear as an active way for people to protect these poor animals. First, this is an action not only for animals but also for human being itself. Next, zoos can serve a purpose of educating and entertaining people, narrowing the distance between human beings and animals. Last, zoos can be a scientific study center to rescue more endangered species and make animals better to serve people’s need. The key point of this topic is freedom or protection. It is necessary to keep animals in zoos for the purpose of its study, protection of animals, and

How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations

How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations Joanna Niles, a lifestyle and travel blogger, wrote about traveling while working full time over at the HuffingtonPost this week. I thought her tips were great- practical and strategic- and my husband and I used many of the same approaches when we plan travel a few  times a year. Look at the calendarSince I teach workshops and college-level courses, my schedule is bound by the academic calendar. This means I can travel a lot in early and late summer, I have a lot of time in January, and I always have a few 3- and 4-day weekends during the fall and spring.Chances are if you work for a corporate or government employer, you have a variety of paid and national holidays to make the most of, too. Not every trip is a week-long extravaganza- we’ve done weekend jaunts to San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, Maine, and have a trip to New Orleans coming up at the end of the month. It’s surprising how refreshing and enjoyable a brief visit can be. You can also be more efficient with your vacation days by adding on one before or after a long weekend.TelecommuteNormally, you’d be working during the day and perhaps socializing at night. Maybe you can work out an arrangement where you can take that format on vacation with you, too. Another option is to work after the family goes to bed or before they’re up in the morning.This tip has the potential to backfire since you can also be pursued by work long after you’re ready to unplug, but if you’re disciplined about allowing and restricting access (yours, and your coworkers!), a vacation where you spend an hour or two emailing and coordinating in the morning and then go about your day can be great for making your getaway productive.This summer I had to take a pile of grading to the beach, and the first two days of our trip were divided between lounging on the sand and marking up papers on the balcony. Sure, I wanted to be spending more of my time on the boardwalk, but the alternative w as postponing our much-anticipated vacation just for a deadline, so it turned out to be a worthwhile compromise.Plan AheadWhen my husband and I first got together, he hated the way I liked to plan six months or a year out, but now he appreciates that if you don’t get a head start on planning trips, you can miss out on awesome seasonal opportunities or experiences that sell out as soon as they become available to the public.Don’t forget to set aside some vacation time around the holidays! My first year of working full-time, I didn’t anticipate that my company wouldn’t just automatically close on important â€Å"eves.† If my boss hadn’t been generous about commuting my sick time, I would have had a sad solitary holiday weekend alone in my apartment instead of back in my hometown.Be FlexibleThat said, sometimes you have to just get that price alert in your inbox, click through, reserve your flight and grab a weekend bag. If budget is the most i mportant factor in your ability to travel, get yourself on the mailing list of sites like The Flight Deal and Airfare Watch Dog and stay tuned as rates rise and fall during the various tourist seasons.Where you go is more important than when you go anyway, and remember how nice a quick weekend can be- fly out Friday after work, enjoy Saturday and part of Sunday, and maybe go in a little late on Monday.How to Travel with a Full-Time JobRead More at Huffington Post

Control Structures in programming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Control Structures in programming - Essay Example s control structures for the statements have been held up for the reason that the primeval control structures of a digital computer that has a sequential uni-processor that is adequate to replicate some other control structure. The compensate of extraordinary as well as meticulous control structures are for the most part in simplicity plus briefness of appearance and in programming effortlessness, events which are tough to determine and normally in unpredictability by competence of accomplishment proceedings. It is accessed that "language programmers should by no means be pleased by languages that give permission to them to program the whole thing, on the other hand to computer program not anything excluding attention simply"(Fisher, 1990). The control arrangements of programming have not reserved rate by the augment (Fisher, 1990). The next important control structure is the selection that permits the selection in the middle of diverse ways. For instance the C++ offers dissimilar ranks of assortment: we have the one-way choice by means of an â€Å"if structure† then we have the 2-way choice by means of an â€Å"if-else structure†. The last selection can be used for the multiple choices by means of a â€Å"switch statement†. The last type of the control structure is the iteration control structure that guides to the looping of the programming statements. In the C++ we have 3 types of the iteration control structure lopping structures:2 This type of the control structure permits single set of programming language statements to be performed if an outcome is correct plus one more group of proceedings to be performed if a statement is false.   A selection structure is as well acknowledged as an "If-Then-Else" arrangement, its pictorial representation is given below in picture # 1. Here in the selection control structure the state in the â€Å"if statement† is the expression that is calculated for the decision of the â€Å"if statement†. If this statement is correct,

Leadership in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership in Organisations - Essay Example Good leaders are in a position to establish suitable decisions that direct the attainment of their objectives. This is because of the existing effectual communication skills, self-confidence, and the capability of managing others (Badaracco, 2006, p. 47-55). The author continues to argue that a society cannot be alienated from good leadership (Badaracco, 2006, p. 47-55). Leadership has been linked to the shape and outcome of a society since what the leaders do is replicated to what the members of the society will do as well. 2.0. Monologues in V Act 4, Scene 1, lines 227-281 2.1. Summary of monologue From the monologue, it is evident that Henry the king is willing to send his soldiers to the battlefield. With his ability to disguise himself as a commoner, it is difficult for the common people to see and recognize him. This he does by borrowing a dirty old cloak that he uses to move around (Shakespeare 2007, p.108). He is also seen to claim to be a kinsman of Fluellen though he despis es him as a captain. His leadership qualities allow him to consult the common soldiers about the war (Shakespeare 2007, p.108). Despite the fact that the soldiers were doubtful about the king’s ability to lead them to war, King Henry is quick to motivate his soldiers to go to the battlefield under his leadership. Some of the soldiers like Williams also questioned the justification of the war with France. Despite Henry’s leadership skills in being in constant communication with the soldiers, Williams, just like any ordinary person would, questions the king persistently and argues that if they die and leave their windows, it would be unforgivable for the king (Shakespeare 2007, p.109). However, the king responds by saying that he would be responsible for any death of his soldiers as it was their responsibility to guard the nation. Since a leader is bound to face all manners of rejection, Henry is not worried but defends himself from Williams. It is after the bitter excha nges between the king and the Williams that the soldiers leave for the battlefield (Shakespeare 2007; p.110). 2.2. Analysis of monologue Looking at Henry V act Act 4, Scene 1, lines 227-281, Henry’s hidden dialogues with his warriors reveals the close relationship between the king and ordinary man who are the soldiers. In this scene, the author presents different types of voices that talk in Henry V exposing how every soldier interacted with Henry, therefore, adding a contemporary dimension to the comprehension of the difficult emperor. Henry’s discussions with his soldiers feature the team spirit between leader and his subordinate, and this promotes a common understanding between the two groups (Shakespeare 2007, p.110). Henry knew that he was the same as the other common people. The only difference was that he was a leader, and he interacted with them in a free manner without threatening them. In the monologue, Henry described the unpleasant tasks of power, which bot h separate and exposed the king, where all the subjects give the impression of putting all their uncertainties, worries, and responsibility to the king’s shoulders.

Argumentative Paper (Logical Fallacies) on Why Smoking is good for you Essay

Argumentative Paper (Logical Fallacies) on Why Smoking is good for you - Essay Example It instills a sense of brightness in you and the aromatic flavor it exudes will truly lift your sprits and make you feel better. Many of my friends, when feeling dejected and demoralized, resort to smoking in order to rev themselves up and I’ve seen that it works. Really, a smoker never feels lonely as he or she becomes capable of maintaining an intimate relationship with this indulgence. It’s like a courtship and it revitalizes your soul. Bad habit, they say. But believe me; they’re just incapable of recognizing the best and extracting it. Every human being will feel lonely at some point of time in their lives. Your friends may abandon you, your loved ones too. But believe me, your habit never does. So, any time you are lonely, you can depend on your cigarette. Just do not forget to carry a packet and a lighter in your pocket. I guarantee your habit will never desert you. I’ve seen people with such dependence, and the habit of smoking has come to their rescue every time they feel lonely and dejected. People make a big hue and cry about the negative sides of smoking and believe that cigarette causes cancer. They do propaganda and conduct campaigns against this habit to create awareness in youngsters. Tobacco companies are forced to carry statutory warnings on their packets that ‘Smoking Kills’. To me, this is absolute nonsense. How can cigarettes cause such a dreadful disease as cancer? Also, are all cancer patients smokers? Not at all! If you take the case 10 patients and analyze it, you will see that the majority of them are nonsmokers. If a person who smokes happens to have cancer, that doesn’t mean that all smokers will have cancer. It’s really a pity that we lay the blame on this harmless habit while the actual cause may be genetical or physiological. One of my near relatives has died of cancer but she has never so much as touched a cigarette in her entire life. There are many smokers who never had cancer. I know hundreds of them. So

Research Methodology for Business Analysis

Research Methodology for Business Analysis RESEARCH METHODOLOGY METHOD Research Strategy The purpose of this study is to use the literature as a framework to answers our two research questions. Because our questions are profound, and therefore hard to measure, an analytical research approach that promotes measurement and a quantitative model is not appropriate for our study. Since the term strategy is an intangible phenomenon, information regarding the subject can only be gathered through deep interviews. For such studies the qualitative research strategy is preferred (Gilljam, Esaiasson et al 2004). Our purpose is to describe the strategy applied in our case company by using the literature we have compiled as a framework. Even though there might be some instances of normative conclusions for how a strategic management controls system should be formed, there is no direct empirical research tied to that conclusion in our thesis. Therefore our research approach neither derives from a normative research approach. Our study should rather be classified as a descriptive one. Our main purpose is to describe how a strategy can be defined and how it can be used as a management control instrument. The descriptive study is used to describe a certain phenomenon through previous theories and thereby testing the validity of these theories in practice. The descriptive study leads to a deductive research approach. The deductive approach is used when the research is based on previous theories. The theories used states what type of empirical information that should be gathered, how it should be in terpreted and how the results can be related to the theories to describe the empirical material. This research approach consist the base of our thesis. Research Philosophy Since we wanted to identify the strategy of Lema, the best way to gather this information was to interview the staff of the management team. Through our interviews we were able to gather adequate empirical information to interpret and describe Lema’s strategy based on our theoretical framework. Due to our emphasis on interviews we derive our interpretation of reality through an operator’s perspective. This perspective concludes that reality is a social construction (Gilljam, Esaiasson et al 2004) and it is interpreted differently by each individual. Therefore the truth consists of coherency among different individuals’ interpretations of reality. This perspective is consistent with our choice of conducting four interviews to validate the coherency between each individual’s interpretations and thus we attempt to build a reliable empirical data of reality. Inquiry approach By studying and summarizing the works of Michael Porter and Chan Kim Mauborgne’s Blue Ocean Strategy we have come up with a coherent theoretical work frame for examining how a strategy can be defined in an actual business. Further to this, we have investigated how the strategy can be executed by using Kaplan Norton’s theories about Strategic Mapping and The Balanced Scorecard as well using Simon’s strategy implementation theory Levels of Control. According to Robert K. Yin (2006), a case study is that which discusses a contemporary fact in its real context. A case study also supports the use of several theoretical frameworks to describe empirical information. In accordance with this guidance we realized that this was an appropriate method for achieving the purpose of our thesis. Therefore our research method is based on an in depth, single case study in which we examined both the strategy and strategy management control system. Further to this we also wanted to make clear how the different theories could be used as complements to one another and use them together to describe the strategy of a company. Selection of Case Study Objects In order to be able to apply the theories that we have chosen for strategy definition and strategy implementation, we thought that a company with a clear market position would be suitable for us. This because an evident market position often mean a distinct value proposition, which facilitates the process of defining a strategy (Porter, 1996, 1998). Since our theoretical framework revolves around many different theories, it was also important that the company was of an appropriate size so that we would to be able to assemble the empirical and theoretical material into one comprehensible context. When searching for interesting companies that could be appropriate for our thesis, we became more and more interested in Lema because they have a unique concept and position. While the vast majority of companies have suffered during the recent financial crisis, Lema has defied this general pattern of decline and prospered. In mid-2009 their growth rate was higher than it had been for almost h alf a decade, despite the prevailing crisis. The fact that Lema has defied the general condition of the market suggests that they are in some way distinguished from their competitors. This triggered our interest for a more detailed study of the strategy that has contributed to Lema’s success. After some initial contacts with Lema and receiving their support we decided to build our case study around their company. Literature search In order to find a practical and valid theoretic framework for strategy definition and strategic management control systems, we started our literature search by looking at previous studies within the field of strategic management controls. This was done by searching the Swedish database â€Å"Uppsatster.se† and through Gothenburg University’s own database GUNDA. We used key search words such as â€Å"strategy†, â€Å"strategic management controls† and â€Å"strategy implementation† to find relevant studies within the specified field. After covering a broad number of previous works we found several commonly used articles and books. We later searched for these articles by entering their specific article names within the scientific databases EBSCO, Emerald and Google scholar. The books that we used in our thesis were found in the various Gothenburg University libraries by searching on either the author’s name or the title of the book. We first briefly overviewed the articles and books that we had found in order to evaluate whether they were relevant to our research question or not. The sources that we found relevant were later used to create our theoretic framework. We were also g iven literature guidance from our supervisor Ingemar Claesson and from a business case competition’s (BI-Marathon) readings recommendations. The coherency among the sources we found through the database searches and those sources we received from our supervisor and reading recommendations from the business competition gives credibility of relevancy to our sources. Since our thesis converge two interconnected discourses; those of strategy literature and those of management control, we consider our literature overview of five models quite broad. This approach enabled us to apply a combination of appropriate theories to be able to answer our research questions in a manner that we saw fit. Through the literature search and understanding of the previous studies we created a theoretical framework. This theoretic framework guided our collection of empirical data in the case study so that the theoretic framework could later describe and interpret the empirical information. Selection of Respondents In the process of selecting respondents we assumed that we needed to interview employees at leading positions within Lema in order to gain information from those with significant insight into the strategic processes. In order to gain a broad perspective of Lema business and activities we chose to interview the CEO, CFO, Purchasing Manager and the Store Manager of the company. By interviewing these respondents we gained insight into the different areas relevant to our study. Our respondents were: Boris Lennerhov, CEO, Lema Ullared (3/5 16.00-18.00) Per Andreasson, CFO, Lema Ullared (3/5 10.00-12.00) Christian Henriksson, Store Manager, Lema Ullared (4/5 10.00-12.00) Carin Kjellgren, Purchasing Manager, Lema Ullared (5/5 10.0-12.00) Interviews We have designed our interview template based on the theories that we have compiled so that the interview would be thematic and thereby congruent with the purpose of our thesis (Gilljam, Esaiasson et al 2004). Our interview questions were designed in a semi-structured way, as an entirely structured interview often leaves too little room for respondents to answer freely (Patel Davidsson, 1994) A semi-structured interview also enabled each respondent to focus on the questions he/she found more relevant. We used the same general design for all interview templates in order to get a broad perspective of the interview subjects and to cross-reference these answers with one another to ascertain the answers coherency. Before the interview we met with the respondents to briefly explain to them on the different areas that we would be discussing so that our respondents would be acquainted with the topics of the interview. However we did not send the exact interview template, since we did not want our respondents to give us â€Å"automated† answers. None of the respondents requested to be anonymous, which contributed to the credibility of our research (Gilljam, Esaiasson et al, 2004). Data processing To facilitate the data processing and ensure the reliability of data received from our interviews we printed out our interview templates and used them during the interviews. Answers were document by both computer and by hand to ensure reliable answers. Since the interviews were held in Swedish in order to make sure that our respondents felt comfortable and to be able to gather more information, we had to first translate the raw data into English. The interviews were recorded for validity check during the data processing. After documenting all answers directly after each interview we put together all four answers and concluded the coherent answers of each performed interview into one final main answer. This process is consistent with our research philosophy of the operator’s perspective that reality is based on coherency among each individual’s interpretations. Due to our interview structure, which is based on our theoretic framework, we could quite easily relate the answers to our theories. We later analyzed the empirical data with our theoretic framework to answer our two research questions. Method Critics – Validity and reliability The validity of research studies is the most difficult and most important problem in empirical social studies. (Gilljam, Esaiasson, 2004) The term validity can be defined in three different ways: Congruency between the theoretic definition and the operational indicators Free from systematic errors The research examines what we intend to research The first two definitions can be categorized as conceptual validity while the third definition is categorized as result validity. (Gilljam, Esaiasson ,2004) These two categories are related to each other by the following formula: Conceptual validity + Reliability = Result validity (Gilljam, Esaiasson et al, 2004) The greatest validity problem is that of conceptual validity. The problem of social science empirical research is that many theoretic terms are abstract and intangible and therefore makes it difficult to use proper operational indicators that measure the theoretic term. Therefore improper results and wrong conclusions are created by using inconsistent operational indicators to measure the theoretic term. Further for the proper result to be valid, the reliability of the study must be high. Reliability implies that the thesis is free from unsystematic and random errors. These kinds of errors might occur due to stress, carelessness or sloppy notes, misunderstood interview answers, negligence of certain information during data processing etc. However it is argued that conceptual validity is more important than reliability. (Gilljam, Esaiasson et al, 2004) For example if the operational indicators used in a study does not measure the intended theoretic term the results are flawed, but if the conceptual validity is correct and the reliability is low the results are slightly skewed though the overall result is still accurately measured. Since the theoretic terms strategy and management control systems are very abstract and interpreted differently among researches and professionals. There are no unanimous operational indicators that properly define these two terms or any unanimous framework in which these two terms can be described. However in this thesis we have implied a theoretic framework that guided us how to describe strategy and through this framework we formed interview questions that could be seen as our operational indicators. Thereby we attempted to achieve as good conceptual validity as possible. To increase the reliability of our thesis, we taped all our interviews and performed the same interview with our four chosen respondents. We used structured interview templates printed on A4 paper that would provide a clear guide for notes and made it easier for us to refer answers to our literature framework. We transcribed the answers directly after the interviews to make sure that the answers were correctly documented. Still the reliability for this study might be imperfect because our behavior during the interview might have affected the respondents’ answers. However we tried to prevent this so-called interviewers effect (Denscombe, 2000) by reacting as neutral as possible to the respondent’s answers. Further, Lema has not worked with any kind of strategy controls therefore some respondents were unfamiliar with our subject. If the respondents had read through our content email and prepared a bit before our interviews, their answers might have been better. Since we only conducted four interviews with the management team of Lema our empirical finding might include a large amount of their subjective assessments. It would have been better to interview a larger number of respondents within the management team and even conduct the same interviews with external industry experts5 to further validate the answers of our respondents from Lema.

Compensation for Living Human Organ Donation is Unethical Essay

Compensation for Living Human Organ Donation is Unethical As technology continues to progress the feasibility of organ transplantation becomes a commonplace. It is very common for organs to be donated after one passes if it is the wishes of the deceased. As the supply of organs from the deceased is greatly outnumbered by the number of patients on waitlists living donors becomes an issue. Many times a relative or close friend is willing to give up an organ to help save a life. The question is: Is it ethical to accept a monetary payment in exchange for an organ to save a life? Organ donation started out as simply â€Å"donation† or the act by which a person voluntarily transfers the title to a thing of which be is the owner, from himself to another, without any consideration, as a free gift (Dictionary.com). A person is giving out of the goodness of their heart; donors did not expect anything in return for giving a part of them to help save a life. In Organ Grinders, Artie makes a living from selling she replenish able fluids such as, blood, plasma, and semen. Artie is asked in the book to give one of his testicles in exchange for money. He willingly agrees, and the operation proves to be a success in the book. This brings up the argument if it is morally ethical to sell your organs for a profit. Currently in most Western Countries including the European Union, The United States, and China, statutes have been put in place forbidding the purchase and sale of human organs (Cameron 724). Overall as a whole society looks at human organ sales as u nethical and morally wrong. There have been a few proposals to having a successful way of buying and selling organs just as we sell our bodily fluids. T... ...uld be unmoral and unethical to carry out. Even with the technology available today, the humanistic nature of people to be greedy will overcome their kindheartedness to give the gift of life to one another. The resale of human organs from living donors should continue to remain illegal around the world. Works Cited. Cameron, J. Stewart and Hoffenberg, Raymond. â€Å"The ethics of organ transplantation reconsidered: Paid organ donation and the use of executed prisoners as donors.† Kidney International. Vol 55. p724-732. 30 November 2003. Howards, Lawrence A. â€Å"Ethics of Organ Donation.† JSOnline Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 20 June 1999. p4. 30 November 2003. http://www.jsonline.com/alive/column/jun99/howard62099.asp> â€Å"New Safeguards for Living Organ Donors.† ConsumerAffairs.com. 25 April 2003. p3. 30 November 2003.

No Homework Essay

No Homework Homework, we all hate it, it went from being just 3 or 4 questions to 15 to 20 questions. Homework has historically been given to students to help them remember what they learn at school, and ultimately to help them learn the material better. However, too much homework is not good, and can be bad for the student. Too much time spent on completing homework can take away from a kid’s social life, family time, and limits participation in sports or other activities. The amount of homework a teacher can give to a student should be limited, and only assigned if absolutely needed. A famous author named Tamim Ansary said that since 1981, the homework for the average sixth grader has increased by more than 50 percent. Many teachers are for large amounts of homework, claiming that it helps prepare students for a world that is becoming increasingly competitive. However, excessive amounts of homework can be harmful to kids both physically and mentally. A lot of homework usually means a lot of books to carry. Carrying large amounts of weight daily at a young age can do a lot of damage because bones are still in development. The large amount of homework is causing kids in both high school and middle school to be up until midnight or later. When other activities such as sports and clubs are added to the picture, kids may even have to wake up early the next morning to finish their homework, leaving them with not enough sleep. When busy work assignments are given frequently, it causes students to lose interest in the subject. Negative results can also occur when a student is not able to complete his or her homework. Many times they will resort to copying homework, having others do their assignments, or cheating on tests. The use of homework is effective when used by the rule less is more. Overwhelming kids with homework can cause them stress. Homework takes away from the small amount of time kids get to spend with their parents and siblings. A limit on their physical and social activities can also take a large toll on their lives, and could hurt their health. Homework is good at times, but not all the time. Some teachers just pile on the homework and not think about what the student is going through. The time that we get to ourselves should be used to rest after a long day, bond with family, and participate in physical activities.

History of SEMCO †Business Management Essay

History of SEMCO – Business Management Essay Free Online Research Papers History of SEMCO Business Management Essay Maverick’s story refers to a series of changes occurred to SEMCO, a Brazilian manufacturing company, initiated by the founder’s entrepreneur son, Ricardo Semler, turning it into one of the worlds most unusual and admired workplaces. SEMCO, whose headquarters is located in So Paulo, started in 1952 by Ricardo’s father, Antonio Semler, with a small patent for a centrifuge that could separate lubricating oil from vegetables, later growing under the entrepreneur’s hands into one of that countries most successful companies. Ricardo Semler’s concise and efficient form of writing lay way to a textbook that reads like a novel and yet manages to render the vision under which his company should be run, a company who has proven itself a definitive success in business and economics. Certainly Maverick is a book for more opened-mined readers, an unquestioningly beneficial and stimulating novel, and a necessary narrative. Semler’s vision was one which was not laid out to him from the very beginning it was drawn from not only his own ideas but from those of his close companions as well, he credits many of the people who work for Semler: Clovis, Joo Vendramin, Harro, Ernesto, Josà © Fiasco, etc. A vision that spread from giving his workers the confidence of eliminating supervisors and the desire to make them feel more involve in the process of production to eliminating nine layers of management and letting them set their own pay. A strong principal by which Semler has been guided is the trust in his employees. His view of them is not one of mindless slaves who are paid to do as they are told, but one of understanding individuals who are responsible for the cooperative effort of making a product. In the book we can see that SEMCO does not use a formal organization chart. They believe that without them they can create great leaders. If it is absolutely necessary to sketch the structure of some part of the company, they always do it on pencil, and dispense with it as soon as possible. The way SEMCO acquires new employees differs with other companies’ standards. When some one is hired or promoted, the other employees of that unit and his subordinates have the opportunity to interview and evaluate the candidates before any decision is made. This makes SEMCO a more united company because every person knows the capacities and abilities of his or her comrade. The working environment there is very flexible, because at SEMCO they want their people to feel free to change and adapt their working area as they please. Painting walls or machines, adding plants or decoration the space around them is up to them. The company has no rules about this, and does not intend to have any. People change their area according to their tastes and preferences according with other people desires. SEMCO has a philosophy built on participation and involvement. Any worker can give his or her opinion. It is not desired to have workers who are just one more person at the company they should be participants. An opinion is always welcome, even if it just an interesting observation. Workers should get in touch with committees, and participate in elections. Another interesting point is the evaluation of your boss. This assessment is made twice a year by means of a questionnaire to be filled out enabling the employees to express what they think about their boss. Worker should be frank and honest, not just on the form but also in the discussion that follows. Employees at SEMCO are guaranteed representation through the Factory Committee of each business unit. Each SEMCO unit groups of workers elect representatives to serve on committees. These committees meet regularly with the top managers at each unit to discuss any and all workplace issues or policies. They are empowered to call strikes, audit the books, and question all aspects of management. At SEMCO workers are motivated to defend their interests even though these will not usually coincide with those of the company. These conflicts are to be seen as healthy and necessary. At SEMCO they offer job security which is than any worker that has been with them for three years, or has reached the age of fifty, has special protection and can only be dismissed after a long series of approvals. This does not mean SEMCO has no layoff policy, but it helps to increase the security of their people. Women in Brazil have fewer job opportunities, promotion, and financial opportunities than men. At SEMCO, they have various programs, run by them, that seek to reduce this discrimination. They are known as â€Å"The SEMCO Women†. They inspire women to participate. Every one at SEMCO should take thirty days of vacation every year. It is vital for their health and the company’s welfare. No excuse is good enough for accumulating vacation days for â€Å"later†. Ricardo Semler has named this hepatitis leave. In his book he states his desire to make them feel more involved in the creation process. He uses a parable comparing three stonecutters and their response when asked what was their job. â€Å"The first said he was paid to cut stones. The second replied that he used special techniques to shape stones in an exceptional way, and proceeded to demonstrate his skills. The third stonecutter just smiled and said: ‘I build cathedrals.’† He understands the benefits for a company to have its people dedicated in what they build. He gives his workers as much freedom as possible, giving them voice in short of every decision the company deals with, from how the plants should look and where each section should be positioned to where the plants themselves should be located, what uniforms they would like to wear and making a lunch committee to choose the food available at the cafeteria to letting them set their own working hours and schedules as well as their pay. Not only is freedom offered, but also power. Ricardo Semler’s company is not a dictatorship, it is a cooperative democracy where titles are forgotten and unions are welcome with mutual respect and dialog, where committees recommend changes and surveys are made regularly, a place where it is possible for the employees to dismiss their boss or force their hire. SEMCO’s managerial staff was reduced almost completely. In his view: â€Å"The pyramid, the chief organizational principle of the modern corporation, turns a business into a traffic jam.† That is why chapter 24 refers to â€Å"rounding the pyramid†, which is simply the elimination of unnecessary management positions as well as the need for sophisticated titles. He implemented a system of circles: in which the innermost circle would enclose a team of half a dozen people, who will serve as a catalyst stimulating decisions and actions by those in the second circle, to be called Counselors. The second circle would enclose the leaders of SEMCO’s business units and be called Partners. The last, immense circle would be comprised of everyone else and be called Associates. With triangles scattered about enclosing a single individual to be called Coordinators, who are the first crucial level of management. There would be six to twelve triangles floating about each business unit. As a consequence wages evened out and titles were simplified. An important thing to remember is that all these things did not occur spontaneously, but more of a continuous flow of events, which started off a first-come first-serve parking policy. Another point that is emphasized in SEMCO is maintaining its people motivated. They are pushed to exchange job descriptions and positions with job rotation, for a minimum of two years and a maximum of five. New employees are required to be â€Å"Lost in Space†, they must work for at least twelve departments in twelve months. He believes this helps maintain his people happy, allowing them to choose the right job for them, or simply let them work for the ones they like, not just a single occupation, obliging people to learn new skills, discouraging empire building, providing employees with a broader view of a company, which lets them appreciate colleagues problems, forcing management to prepare more than one person for a job and creating additional opportunities for those who might otherwise be trapped. He also created the â€Å"Nucleus of technological innovation†, which are a small group of engineers who are free of day to day production or managerial responsibilities and have all their time to invent new products, refine old ones, devise market strategies, unearth cost reductions and efficiencies, even dream up new lines of businesses. Not mentioned above are the setbacks the company has faced. It is said more is learned form mistakes then from a success. SEMCO experienced growing pains, unnecessary hype So far as to what is considered to be different from other companies it is safe to say that almost every detail in his book is quire of the normal corporation. In fact his book is dedicated specifically to point out each one of these differences, why he believes them to be proper and how he implemented them. In general his view is one of democratic society where decision taking is not the role of one, but of many. He believes the only way to achieve this is with transparency, and a sense of equality where everyone is fighting for a greater good, the good of the company. For this he believes his employees’ well being must reflect the well being of the company, if the company simply assigns wages no mater what goes wrong then people will not feel impelled to make things go right. His ideas of risk salary, where employees are proposed to take a pay cut of up to 25% of their wages for the chance to receive a 150% bonus if the company has a good year, and profit sharing, where company profits are not unilaterally distributed, but instead more is given to those who make less, provide this incentive. Several other policies are promoted to ensure democracy at SEMCO. When strikes take place it is emphasized that everyone is an adult and should be treated as such, strikers are told that no one will be punished when they return to work, the police is never called upon, benefits are maintained, worker’s access to the factory, or access of the union representatives to the workers, don’t fire anyone during or after the strike, but make everyone see that a walkout is an act of aggression. This in our opinion protects their employees (which are the company’s greatest asset), the company itself and their politics. Their treatment towards union leaders is quite different as well. They are respected, union leaders are not kept waiting in line, they are attended with courtesy and equality as promptly as possible. No aspect other than Brazil’s economic conditions make SEMCO’s situation as a corporation distinctively separates the company so as to have an unequivocal and unique situation. Nevertheless this in itself is quite a big difference from companies in other countries, especially the United States. In Brazil there is an average of a 400% yearly inflation rate, with a peak year of 1,600%, Brazils currency has had three zeroes knocked off twice. Banks have made billions with the inflations, and fired 150,000 clerical workers when things go bad. Brazil has become a warfare ground were a 10% pay increase turns out to be a fluke when inflation is calculated at 15%, and everyone is trying to arrange contracts to their own benefit. Most other companies in Brazil abide by the traditional form of organization and because of this are plagued with strikes, low profit or even debt. Brazil has grown so fond of SEMCO that 25% of all graduates say that they would love to work for SEMCO. SEMCO was conceived under the chaotic, corrupted, inflation filled, strike infested society of Brazil, where a company must be as dynamic as possible to be able to adapt to the ever-changing hostile environment. A situation where all the techniques, described in Maverick, are constantly put under the test to prove themselves useful. Ricardo Semler’s ideas, if implemented correctly, are all catalysts for solidarity, cooperation, and friendship among the ranks of his workers. These attitudes are of great help in times of need where everyone instead of fighting each other, attempting to place the blame of hardship elsewhere in order to liberate the conscience and assure the position in the company are trying to find ways to levy the companies burden by voluntarily taking pay cuts and reducing expenses so as few people as possible will be acquitted by adversity, and if dismissal is the last surrender committees are formed to take into account who are the ones who can cope best wit hout their paychecks; seniority and the costs of living all outweigh a newly employed single individual. Not withstanding, SEMCO has been through several setbacks; since the very beginning with Ricardo’s first aggressive leap into the market SEMCO was suffering from crushing losses when buyers became very hard to come by, then later on as well as the company experienced what the author called growing pains as the company grew beyond its capacity by buying too many companies which were in bleak economic conditions. The writer later goes on to explain his opinions on a very important topic, economies of scale. It is the authors opinion that economies of scale are overrated, that worrying about buying and producing in large scales eventually ends up consuming what was saved through the need for warehouses and overstocked inventories where there are hundreds of units for a specific piece but none for another which will freeze the production process entirely, apart from the fact that once this occurs, receiving a shipment of that piece takes a considerable amount of time when anyone from the factory can just run to the nearest shop and by several unit with which to work with in the mean time, it is SEMCO’s policy to encourage this behavior as SEMCO employees have been known to present such receipts and the company gladly pays for them, just as long as what was bought falls between a rational set of items. Another trail and error mistake came in the eighties, when mainframe computers at the core of businesses were a new and coming trend. SEMCO had decided it too would enter the information age. So in preparation for a new computerized system to handle all of the company’s affairs the old hand written system had been left, and yet after several months past the deadline had gone by and the problem was either bug in the software or a glitch in the hardware it became clear that the project, as ambitious as it was, was destined to fail. Again SEMCO learned to take it slow. ‘The era of using people as production tools is coming to an end. Participation is infinitely more complex to practice than conventional corporate unilateralism, just as democracy is much more cumbersome than dictatorship. But there will be few companies that can afford to ignore either of them.’ Certainly Brazil’s situation as a country was a very crucial first step, if thing were to have been going well when Ricardo first entered the corporation then he would never have been so aggressive in implementing these radical changes. Another condition must be Ricardo’s personality, his qualities as a human being, his humility, always with an open ear to a new suggestion, his openness and forwardness. Ricardo Semler is a revolutionary individual, who had the balls to dismiss 75% of a stagnant company’s managerial staff immediately after receiving possession of it, risking everything for the desperate hope of breathing new life where the industry itself is loosing ground. Fortunately through much pressure and with plenty of luck, Ricardo had the ability to find talented people, individuals who gave much of their selves in support of the company. The transparency with which as much information as possible must be made accessible to the employee’s, as well as the means which allow for their comprehension. This appears to be the single most important factor for SEMCO’s successful change, transparency and the ability to think he has given his employees help make the efforts for cooperation between management and the working class as both sides learn to understand better each others situations, allowing the company to achieve its goals by means of favors and compromise. Concluding; the history of SEMCO is closely related to that of its leader, as the author matures into a more prudent individual so does his company, the large step of removing all the heads of a corporation without any replacement nor due time is no longer a part of SEMCO’s ways. And yet it remains fluid, ever changing dynamic and as little mundane as possible, just as the author is, the author and principle proprietor of SEMCO managed to instill his own personality into his corporation, just as his father had made it the strict, neat organizational reflection of himself. What is interesting is the authors respect for the working class, his humility in front of ‘unnecessary expenses’ and his transparency, strait forwardness and trust of his fellow man. Just as he sees himself, so he wished to see his company. Of course it was not the work of this one man, but he managed to surround himself of similar individuals who shared his ideals and most importantly his visio n. Through hard work and dedication they managed to surpass the many obstacles in place before this goal, of which other peoples closed mindedness was the most important one. Every time a new idea came into play, at least someone had to be convinced for its implementation. It is very hard to make a coordinator become more flexible and understanding of not only his subordinates, but of his equals in other areas. This has been such a difficult exploit that most of the changes were made to force superior attitudes towards bending in and those who simply could not learn where expelled. At the end, Maverick and the story of SEMCO help us remember that there is more than one way to do things, and being pleasant and courteous is indeed one of them. Research Papers on History of SEMCO - Business Management EssayAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Project Managment Office SystemNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayResearch Process Part OneDefinition of Export QuotasIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

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