NASCAR's New Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NASCAR's New Strategy - Case Study Example The lawsuit filed by a shareholder can be detrimental to NASCAR in the long run as it can lead to huge contingent liabilities. Considering the prevalence of bias in favor of the company-owned ISC, there is a small probability that NASCAR will win the case. The new rating system put forward by Brian France is met by hesitation and resistance from the current drivers. This can also probably discourage other players and hurt the company's operations. Brian France also needs to consider these issues in the face of NASCAR's move in opening a new track in New York City. All of the aforementioned considerations will have a great impact on this market development strategy. Brian France has three strategic alternatives to choose from in order for NASCAR to sustain its position in the market: 1. focus on developing strategic alliances with its sponsors and forging new ones by finding new venues where the sponsors are given more exposure; 2. voluntarily divest its shares by selling some of its stock to other shareholders; and 3. finding new markets such as Canada. NASCAR recognizes that sponsors are the lifeblood of the business organization. Without sponsorships, stock car racing events will not be held and funded. Thus, the move in developing tighter strategic alliances with current sponsors will be advantageous. ... However, this will give NASCAR the problem of identifying ways on how added and enhanced exposure could be given. The company can also voluntarily divest its shares in order to ward off threats of other lawsuits because of bias and unfairness. This can also give the business organization new blood and ideas which can be beneficial in the long run. However, divestiture can posts problems especially on the management aspect. Looking for other markets like Canada will give NASCAR and its sponsors new opportunities to promote their products. However, in pursuing this alternative, the company also needs to shell out huge amounts of investments. RECOMMENDATION: This paper recommends that NASCAR pursue the first alternative that is, pursue tighter strategic partnership with its current sponsors through the identification of venues where they get more exposure. The company can do this by setting up online gaming and putting advertisements in its gaming website. NASCAR timed advertisement during games can widen the sponsor's reach and gives them more exposure thus, maximizing their investments.

Essay on Rape, Racism, and the Law Essay Example for Free

Essay on Rape, Racism, and the Law Essay Jennifer Wriggins analyzes the significance how race, ethnicity, and class influence a womans vulnerability to rape, the meaning and impact of the rape, and the response of family, of community, and of social institutions. Her article, Rape, Racism, and the Law, specifically focuses on the history of rape in the United States between the rapes of White women by Black men. As a feminist, she specifically focuses on two very damaging consequences of this selective blindness: the denials that Black women are raped; and all women are subject to pervasive and harmful sexual coercion of all kinds. Thorough this powerful essay, she examine the legal systems treatment of rape and how racism plays a major part in denying the rights of African Americans, as well as, deny the veracity of womens sexual subordination by creating a social meaning of rape which implies that the only type of sexual abuse is illegal rape and the only form of illegal rape is Black offender/White victim. I was exasperated after reading this article. This article highly irritated and annoyed me because of the interconnectedness of rape and racism. As a woman, it is hard not to get heated about this particular subject. Presently, there are now many struggles against rape. And, in acknowledging the struggles against rape one must also acknowledge the difference among women and the different ways that groups other than women are disempowered. In one of the many examples in this essay, racism and justice collide when in 1859 the Mississippi Supreme court dismissed the indictment of a male slave for the rape of a female slave less than 10 years old. This indictment cannot be sustained, either at common law or under our statutes. It charges no offense known to either system. Slavery was unknown to the common law†¦ and hence its provisions are inapplicable†¦ There is no act which embraces either the attempted or actual commission of a rape by a slave on a female slave†¦ Master and slaves cannot be governed by the same system or laws; so different are their position, right and duties. This ruling is disheartening in a few ways: Black men are held to lesser standards of restraint with Black women that are white men with White women; second, white men are held to lesser standards of restraint with black women that are Black men with white women. However, neither white nor black men were expected to show sexual restraint with black women. This is truly upsetting,  to me, because no man no matter what color should have the right to exercise rape or sexual coercion of any kind with any woman of any color without her consent. This reading is important to social work practice because it reflects and expansive and integrated approach to understanding rape, racism, and the law. By exploring the interconnectedness of rape and racism, I learned to analyze the assumptions implanted in and surrounding rape, racism, and social institutions. Finally, it develops understanding of the narrow focus of the black offender and the white rape victim, and the denial of the rape of black women, which engages within the cultural assumption of American society that is important to understand in the field of social work. This reading also teaches up to be receptive social work professionals able to work respectfully and competently with diverse population groups, with at the same time to understand and develop a sensitivity and respect for human rights. Through this reading, it is easy to see how stereotypes of racial and ethnic differences can have impact on a persons life in regards to consequences, rewards, and punishments. It has not fit in because examining substantive justice arguably requires that human rights to life, well-being, and the commodities essential to life and well-being, be given priority whenever a societal decision is made. Societal conditions and institutional arrangements should be recognized as grounds for justification because they may impose limits and constraints on the choices available to an individual that are as unavoidable and compelling as those imposed by chance or by another human being. It is a scary thought that your skin color or sex could work against you in the legal system, but it does happen. For this reason, it is easy to understand why many women are not reporting these incidents. Reference: Rape, Racism, and the Law by Jennifer Wriggins

On the Margins of Society: The Cult of Alienation in World Literature E

Spanning nearly two centuries of literature, Gulliver’s Travels, Notes from Underground, and The Metamorphosis maintain a concurrent theme. Jonathan Swift, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Franz Kafka, respectively, portray the complex dynamic between the community and the individual. The writers’ iconic protagonists similarly become estranged from society, in spite of the markedly different historical contexts behind them. Upon reading the aforementioned works, it could be deduced that achieving a sense of connectedness within one’s community is a feat irrespective of time period and any scientific and technological advances therein; that the plight of loneliness is programmed into the individual on a visceral level. However, it could also be argued that while the three authors all capture an essential element of modern society; alienation, most of their readers do not feel it as acutely as their protagonists, if at all, and the few who do can find their solace knowing th at in being alone, they are not alone. When Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels in 1726, Europe was in the midst of the Enlightenment. Decades of scientific progress resulted in widespread adoption of rational thought, challenging previously accepted beliefs of determinism while embracing the concept of free will. In Gulliver’s Travels, Swift utilized satire to creatively translate the ideological shift toward individualism and its consequent cultural fragmentation. The preoccupation with intellectual autonomy and reason are reflected in Gulliver, a man who becomes so overwhelmed by the inadequacies of a foolish society that seclusion was the only remedy for his misanthropy. Although Gulliver’s Travels is most perceptibly a social commentary critiquing the flaws of a greedy,... ...resigned to their particular fates, the reader can find solace in maintaining hope that substantial thoughts exist, good hearts prevail, and eloquent, purposeful bonds with other people may be achieved, and be all the more appreciated for their rarity. Works Cited Dostoevsky, Fyodor. â€Å"Notes from Underground.† The Norton Anthology of World Literature: 1800 to 1900. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2002. 1307-1379. Print. Kafka, Franz. â€Å"The Metamorphosis.† The Norton Anthology of World Literature: The Twentieth Century. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2002. 1999-2030. Print. Swift, Jonathan. â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels.† The Norton Anthology of World Literature: 1650 to 1800. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2002. 433-483. Print.

Challenges faced by Indian IT

1. Uncertain global economy: The Indian IT outsourcing industry gets about 75% of its revenues from US and Europe. The renewed concern regarding the European sovereign debt has led to companies slowing down their IT spending. BFSI segment has been the biggest contributor to Indian IT revenues. As shown in the figure below, the recent turmoil in Europe & US has resulted in slowing demand in BFSI segment. Source: Business Standard 2. Protectionist measures: There have been periodic threats of the US stopping all outsourcing work. Rising US rhetoric against shipping of jobs to low cost locations ahead of US presidential elections in November might result in lower market shares for Indian IT companies. The US Senate will be looking into a bill backed by the Democratic party popularly known as the ‘Bring Jobs Home Act’. If the bill is passed, tax benefits will be extended to companies that shift their work back to the US & will end tax incentives for those who send work offshore. On the other hand, Europe has quietly enforced visa restrictions making people difficult to travel onsite for work. . Tough competition from MNCs: Increasing competition from MNCs like IBM, Accenture who have set up bases in several of the IT zones earlier dominated by Indian IT firms. Also, US wages have been decreasing and are on par with Indian wages for some of the sectors. Outsourcing will be less attractive to American employers. 4. Pressure on billing rates: Discounts from key financial sector clients is pinching IT firms. On 12th July, Infosys claimed that pricing has fallen by 3. 7% in the June quarter from the previous quarter. As the growth in demand has fallen, firms are vying for the small pie by opting for price cuts. 5. Low employee utilization: Increasing bench size has been reported across various IT firms. Employee utilization has fallen down to 67% for lot of Indian companies. Companies have to reserve certain human capital so as to accommodate them in case of future demand. 6. Volatility of Indian rupee against the dollar: Depreciating rupee helps the IT industry. Increase its revenues as most of the companies earn in US dollars. However, as the companies would have already hedged against rupee appreciation in advance, the currency volatility wouldn’t affect much. Planning for the future becomes a problem. Major players in Indian IT: 1. TCS is the largest software company in Asia and was one of the pioneers of the global delivery model. Its Q1 results have been slightly better than expected with 14. 6% increase (over previous quarter) in Q1 profit at Rs 3280 crore with revenues at Rs 14869 crores. TCS has said that it is expecting to beat the forecasts of 11-14% growth in revenues set by NASSCOM for FY13. According to the CEO, TCS has been seeing strong growth from markets like North America, UK & Europe despite the gloomy economic environment. 29 new clients were added in the June quarter. Successful execution of its restructuring much before its competitors has been one of the reasons of success for TCS. Also, it is more flexible than its peers when it comes to pricing. And is more open to the client’s suggestions The fixed component is atleast 8-10% higher than that of its peers. 2. Infosys is the 2nd largest Indian IT service provider and reputed for its work ethics & world class management practices. In the past by exceeding revenue expectations, it kept investors and analysts happy. But by failing to meet expectations in 3 of the 5 recent quarters, it has lost its status as the industry bellwether. It has cut down its revenue forecasts for FY13 to 5% down from its April estimate of 8-10% growth. The company has underlined weak macroeconomic environment, falling clients’ confidence & fall in discretionary spending (spending by corporate which can be held back at discretion and are usually for long term benefits) as the reason behind its fall in revenues. Critics have blamed the poor results on the change in leadership, its inability to motivate its employees when the morale is already down because of delayed and small pay raises, premium pricing in the face of slowing economic growth and its conservatism by not using its excessive cash pile (around $3. 7 billion as of June 2012) to make acquisitions that can make it a global company. The CEO said that Infosys is looking out for opportunities in product, consulting, platform space and system integration. The company’s strategy of positioning itself as a premier global consulting & system integration major has backfired since the economy has still not recovered from the slowdown. 3. Wipro is the third biggest Indian IT firm and its revenues for the year 2011-12 stood at $5. 7 billion. It is betting on regions like Latin America, Asia Pacific and Ghana as they have been contributing almost 16-17% of the total revenues for Wipro. Wipro is also shifting its focus from telecom equipment vendors who have reduced IT spending to telecom analytics & mobile broadband where the end users are telecom operators. . HCL Technologies is the fourth largest Indian IT company. In the last 2 quarters, it has won deals worth $2. 5 dollars and Europe has contributed almost 54% to it. It is strong in total IT outsourcing which comprises of infrastructure services, application development and maintenance. While most of the other Indian IT firms are vying for high-end consulting contracts, HCL has bee n focusing on infrastructure deals. Future prospects : Inspite of the economic upheaval, Indian IT firms still feel that BFSI will bring in the maximum revenues. The optimism is based on the fact that even clients were supposed to have cut spending during the credit crisis time, Indian IT exports have grown $33 billion between 2008-09 to 2011-12. However all the IT firms have to get used to lower margins. Gone are the days when experienced 30% growth. IT firms have so far mainly relied on cost differentiation. To cope up with the various challenges, they need to start innovating. So they have to find new markets, new customers, develop products etc. For eg: Wipro has started offering to IT solutions to the petroleum industry in Ghana. Transformations are taking place as the use of cloud computing & mobile devices is slowly increasing. Infosys has added about 20 new clients in the past quarter in cloud, big data and security. With the increase in use of apps on mobiles, programs are being written for mobile. Also companies have started positioning themselves as IT consulting firms. In the near future, government of India might provide the impetus as it plans to go big on digitization. The immediate future for IT companies may not be as bright as it was in the past. But companies should reboot its systems and log on to new sites The decade of 1990 was the golden era for information Technology in India. With liberalization, privatization & globalization, Indian IT Sector took huge leaps in Information Technology. Today, with total revenues of about $88. 1 billion, Indian IT sector being one of strongest industries worldwide has grown for more than 30% for more than 20 years. Indian IT firms have moved up the value chain from low cost programming in the early years to providing premier global IT consulting services. Before the onset of recession in 2008, the IT industry flourished thanks to the exponential increase in global IT spending. During the recession, companies decreased their IT spending thereby slowing down the growth of IT industry. But this created a pent-up demand for IT. With economic recovery, companies have started spending on IT albeit with great caution. Fig : Statistics of IT & BPO in India Intense competition has impacted growth in billing rates thereby affecting revenues. For the first time in 47 quarters, Infosys missed quarter’s expectations. The major IT firms have reduced their growth expectations for the year 2012-13. The top 4 Indian IT companies grew at 17% in the 3rd quarter and at 14% in the fourth quarter as opposed to 24% in the first quarter in the last financial year and this is a cause of worry. Industry Verticals: The various verticals in IT sector are shown in the pie chart. Achievements of Indian IT sector in 2011: Increase in global sourcing industry from 51% in 2009 to 58% in 2011. * Contribution to India’s GDP has increased from 1. 2% in 1998 to 7. 5% in 2012. Demand & Supply : Due to the expansion in IT sector in terms of form, volume etc, there is a continuous demand for engineering graduates, skilled workforce etc. Being a service oriented industry, this sector is highly dependent on manpower. While there is enough of supply of gra duates, it is very important for the labour to be technically competent and possess soft skills.

Ethical Issues in Health Care Finance Essay

The topic of ethical issues in every industry is usually interesting because it attracts a significant number of scholars and professionals to argue. This topic becomes even more interesting when it comes to health care financing. Ethical issues in health care financing begin, when defining human health. Human health is a basic need (Maharaj and Paul, 2011). It does not matter what type of health challenges a person has and whether a person is in a developed country or not. The issue with human health is that, all humans require health appropriate treatment when they need it. However, the health care system seems insatiable when it comes to financing. Health care financing source from an individual occurs at the at the point of delivery otherwise known as fees for services does not seem to have a significant impact in the required health care financing (Hurley, 2001). It is important to leave individuals as entities that pay for healthcare out of financing the health care industry an d concentrate on the government, private agencies such as insurances and donors. The ethical issues in health care financing questions whether the major health care financiers: the government and insurance companies can justify paying for treatment for all human in the country. The argument with health care financing is that governments can pay for high medical technology development in terms of complicated medical equipments and new treatment technologies. It is important to understand that although advanced medical development are in place, there is an issue as to whether individual patients will the able to afford treatment using this advanced technology (Maharaj and Paul, 2011). If individual patients will not afford to use new treatment technologies, then it will be likely that the new advancement in medical technologies are a direct preserves of those with an upper economic advantage. This is contrary to the equity required in the health care system because health is basic need and therefore should be available for all. High cost of medical technological  treatment and a few populations who cannot individually afford for this treatment are not the only issues that raise medical treatment. The insurance industry is the greatest player in the health c are industry. The insurance industry provides medical policies for every eligible citizen. While the insurance arrangement for healthcare financing is justified through the assumption that country men and women are participating in sharing cost in paying up hospital bills. However, there is a crisis with the health insurance, which has raised significant ethical issues. This issues range from existence of different types of policies for different people and the issues that, the insurance company rather than the doctor determines the type of treatment the patient will get because of different categorized policies. Another incidence of inequality sets in even in with the insurance. Just like individual patient might not afford to pay high tech medical treatment at the point of delivery, the same is happening in the insurance industry because insurances now require different policies for different individual (Maharaj and Paul, 2011). These different policies characterize people according to their risk such that, people of high risk pay more premiums that people of low risk. If this policy categorization is justified then there will be a new inequality that will set in. This inequality will arise from those who pay for high premiums and might never have to go to hospital unless an accident occurs. Health care financing will seem to be a long term debate bombarded with ethical issues that take long to solve. These ethical dilemma although exist to offer ready solutions in healthcare financing, the whole issue boils down to whether the current happening in the health care industry offers beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice. Reference Maharaj, S.R. and Paul, TJ. (2011). Ethical Issues in Healthcare Financing. West Indian Medical Journal. 60. (4): 31-44 Hurley, J. (2001). Ethics, economics, and public financing of health care. Journal of Medical Ethics. 27. (4): 234-239.

Germination and Early Growth of Three Angiosperms essays

Germination and Early Growth of Three Angiosperms essays Germination and Early Growth of Three Angiosperms In this experiment, we will observe and record the growing patterns of three different species of angiosperms (corn, bean, mustards) for 11 weeks. At the beginning of the experiment we plant numerous seeds from each species in the same pot. In hopes that at least two of each species would germinate. After germination, if more than two of each species grew we then picked the best two and pulled up the remaining ones so they wouldnt strip the nutrients from the others ones. My general knowledge of the biology of seedlings told me that they have very tiny root systems and no 2Â ° cell walls. They also are very vulnerable to drought, grazing, and to over watering, which produces at great atmosphere for fungal growth. Because this experiment was controlled the drought and grazing werent a problem. Being rasied on a farm I knew that the corn would grow the tallest compared with the beans and mustards. I was undecided as to which one, the beans or mustards would grow first. If I had to guess I would say that the beans would most likely grow first because it needs to store nutrients for the upcoming seed production. But most likely the mustards will grow first and germinate the fastest because they are the smallest seedling. No matter which one grows first or last I do know that these species will not grow as good in the pot as they would in the ground because in the pot they have limited resources. Day one of the experiment I filled a 6 Â ½ diameter pot seven-eighths full with Premix Premium peat-based potting soil. Then I compacted the soil to the bottom of the pot. Next I proceeded to plant three species of seeds, Phaselous vulgaris, or Bush beans, Zea mays, or sweet corn, and Brassica juncea, or Indian mustard, in three different places in the same pot. Afte ...

Your 2018 guide to asking for a promotionÂÂ

Your 2018 guide to asking for a promotion   New year†¦new job title? Many of us look upon a new year as a time for new opportunities, from setting and achieving new personal goals to exploring new passions and hobbies and reaching new professional milestones- including moving up the career ladder. Most of us have an ultimate professional goal that we one day wish to fully achieve, and many of us have plotted out a series of steps on our career ladder that will hopefully get us there. With the ushering in of a new year, we often hope that we’ll be able to take a bold step forward toward our goal- which means getting a promotion at work.Of course, in a perfect world, we’d never have to actually ask for a promotion- our bosses would simply recognize our undeniable talents and contributions over and over, resulting in a series of promotions. But for most of us, this is more of a pleasant dream than a tangible reality, and waiting for this to happen is like waiting for a sack of money to drop out of the sky and i nto your lap- not the most efficient use of your productive work years.The truth is, most of us who want a promotion are going to have to ask for one, which can be among the most stressful, anxiety-inducing, and nerve-wracking experiences we subject ourselves to. Asking for a promotion is no simple task, especially if you’re relatively new to your company or industry and may still be proving yourself. According to a recent article published by Forbes, â€Å"Asking for a promotion can be one of the most stressful experiences in your career- especially in today’s uncertain economy. Why?  Because you know you’re putting yourself at some level of risk†¦It should be no surprise that, in comparison to only a few decades ago, today’s average employee has larger workloads- and more (and better) competition to contend with. Add to this the highly evolved social and political networks one needs to master, and you have one tough road to travel†¦to move from employment offer to promotion without a single misstep is unlikely, and mistakes happen often enough.†Yes, the mere thought of asking for a promotion may send you into a panic and have you reconsidering the entire idea, but fear not! In the professional world fortune often favors the bold, and if you attack the â€Å"promotion situation† smartly and with a solid game plan, you can really increase your chances that things will go your way when you pop the big question!Use the following strategies to help you stack the deck in your favor, and to avoid the biggest mistakes most people make when gearing up to asking for a promotion.Read the signs.The first crucial step to determining if now is a good time to ask for a promotion or if you’re better off waiting is to â€Å"take the temperature† of the company. Was 2017 a good year, or were there lots of struggles and challenges? Did your company meet or exceed its annual goals, or did it fall short? Have th ere been a great deal of layoffs or employee turnover recently, or do things feel relatively stable. Or better yet, are signs of growth and new innovation in the air? It isn’t difficult to envision which of these scenarios are more conducive to asking for a promotion, so try to figure out if now is the right time for you to make the big ask.Also, be sure to take your own workplace temperature. Was 2017 a â€Å"hot† or â€Å"cold† year for you as an employee? Did you achieve or surpass your goals? Many of us have clearly defined performance metrics, which are often reviewed regularly with our bosses (often annually), so determining if 2017 was a good year for you shouldn’t be too difficult. If you had a banner year in 2017, then perhaps now is the perfect time to go after that promotion. If you struggled a bit over the year, perhaps it’s wiser to wait a few months and really work hard to establish yourself as a valuable employee before taking the pl unge.Build a good case.In many instances, asking for a promotion is like interviewing for a new job, and you’ll likely have to â€Å"make a case† for yourself- not just for why you deserve a promotion, but also, and perhaps more importantly, for how your company will benefit from promoting you. This is your opportunity to resell yourself to your company- this time in a new role with greater responsibility.So, approach the situation like you did when you first interviewed with the company. Convince them that you’re the perfect person for this new position and that your background, experience, and skill set are the perfect mix to handle the job effectively. You want them to think that promoting you will ultimately benefit the company’s bottom line.Choose your moment.Pop quiz: Do you think your chances for getting a promotion will be better when you ask your boss after a particularly tense and stressful morning or in the middle of a terrible workplace crisis , or when your boss is in a good mood, relaxed, and hopefully open to new ideas? Not the most difficult quiz, right? Well, you’d be surprised by how many unfortunate employees, who are so nervous and desperate to get the promotion question over with, just blindly jump in and ask their bosses for a promotion without determining if the timing is right. Not a good move. Don’t make this easily avoidable mistake.Mind the details.Perhaps just as important as the things you’ll say when asking for a promotion are the supporting details- the tone you use, the outfit you decide to wear when you ask, and your body language and facial expressions. You’ve already successfully interviewed with the company before, so you have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t. The key here is to take this opportunity seriously and to bring your â€Å"A game† when you do decide the time is right to ask for a promotion. Dress well, use a confident and positive tone, and make sure your body language reflects your best possible self.If it goes your way†¦If the stars align, things go your way, and fate looks favorably on you, then congratulations! Graciously and humbly accept your promotion and new role and be sure to use this as an opportunity to prove to your bosses that they made the right call- don’t forget, at some point in the future you might be facing the promotion question once again, and you want to make sure that you have a solid case for why it’s once again well deserved.If it doesn’t go your way†¦Putting yourself out there by asking for a promotion and meeting rejection can be incredibly difficult. If you don’t get the promotion you were looking for, you may leave the meeting with a wide range of conflicting emotions. The key here is to not do anything rash. Instead, listen carefully to the reasoning you were given for the decision. Was it based on something completely out of your control, or did it include things that you can work on? Were you given a timeline to make improvements and revisit the promotion question?Take the information you were given during the discussion, consider it carefully, and weigh your options for moving forward. The key here is to not consider this the final step on your career ladder- you’ll have many more professional opportunities in the future!Asking for a promotion can be a stressful experience- but it doesn’t have to be! Use the strategies provided here to ensure that when the time is right and you decide to ask for a promotion that you’re putting your best foot forward and setting yourself up for success.