Employment Laws and HRM Strategy Essay

Describe the scenario that you have selected and its corresponding employment laws. The human resource scenario the writer selected is the need for seasonal employees who may be from another country. Employment laws for the state of Mississippi will be a base used to solve this issue. Mississippi Wage and Hour Laws from the Employment Law Handbook insures that seasonal workers are provided with a minimum wage, meals and breaks, vacation, sick leave, severance and holidays. Mississippi currently does not have any state laws requiring or regulating these requests. Mississippi uses federal guidelines as a base for establishing employment laws. The federal law as of today requires a minimum wage of 7.25 dollars. The federal law for overtime is also followed by Mississippi. Meals and breaks according to federal law are not defined. Breaks taken by an employee that are less than twenty minutes must be paid and lunch breaks thirty minutes or more do not need to be paid as long as an employee can do whatever he or she likes during this period according to the Department of Labor. Vacation leave is determined to the employer since Mississippi legislature does not have any established guidelines on this matter. Sick leave, Severance pay and holidays are all determined by an employer in the state of Mississippi due to established laws in this state (Mississippi Wage and Hour Laws, 2012). In August of 2012 Mississippi held a committee meeting on immigration reform. Governor Phil Bryant wanted to reaffirm a law preventing undocumented immigrants from recovering public benefits. The Mississippi Senate will have to take into consideration the United States Supreme Court rulings and federal appeals when drafting Mississippi legislature for immigration laws. The Mississippi state immigration law would have to comply with E-Verify laws and constitutional laws are not violated. President Barack Obama passed a deportation deferral to immigrants earlier this year but states can pass their own immigration reform laws such as Arizona and Alabama (Cherry, 2012). The United States Department of Labor established an act called The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act or (MSPA) in order to protect these types of workers. The act protects employment related migrant and seasonal workers. The MSPA ensures that each nonexempt farm contractor and agricultural seasonal association disclose their terms and conditions of employment to each migrant worker. The terms and conditions of employment must be explained to the migrant and seasonal worker at the time of recruitment (Department of Labor, 2012). The job must description must also explain worker protection, amount of wages due to a migrant worker and provide an itemized statement of earnings and deductions (Department of Labor, 2012). The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act also guide housing and transportation. The federal guide line ensures that housing and transportation provided meets federal and state guidelines with proper licensure and insurance which is enforced by the wage and hour division. The federal guidelines require records must be kept for at least three years which includes name, permanent addresses and social security numbers (Department of Labor, 2012). The Fair Labor Standards Act or (FLSA) requires that workers on large farms are paid minimum wage but they are excluded from overtime premium pay. The FLSA prevents children under the age of sixteen from working during school hours and working certain jobs deemed too dangerous. Children that are employed on their families’ farm are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (Department of Labor, 2012). The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) require employers that want to use foreign temporary workers with H-2A visas get a labor certificate from the Employment and Training Administration. The certificate ensures that there are not enough able, willing and qualified United State workers available to do the work. The Immigration and Nationality Act standard of the H-2A program is enforced by the wage and hour division (Department of Labor, 2012). Recommend a plan to manage the HRM situation within the confines of the law. Justify your approach to your scenario to HR management. The human resource management plan the writer recommends would be based on performance. Job performance and task performance represents what an employee contributes to an organization that employs them. Migrant workers would benefit from this type of grading system if the work performance is factory based. Task performance is the product of employees performing actions leading to the production of raw materials into goods and services. Studies have been performed to show job performance management provides feedback and measurement improves employee performance leading to better organizational performance (Stewart, Brown, 2011). The writer believes migrant workers may show citizenship behavior. Employees often show citizenship behavior by going the extra mile for the company, volunteering for special projects, following organizational procedures even if they are not convenient for the employee and defending the business where the employee works (Stewart, Brown, 2012). The writer would focus on counterproductive behavior before it starts. Counterproductive behavior is behavior from an employee that is harmful to a business. An employee can exhibit two types of counterproductive behavior: 1) production deviance 2) property deviance occurs when employee sabotage equipment, destroys materials and products and misuse expense accounts. The counterproductive behavior can also be extended to gossiping about coworkers and showing favoritism. The writer would create a manual of policies and procedures explaining how this behavior is prohibited and have disciplinary consequences set in place if this behavior is exhibited. The writer would not use performance appraisals as much. The main goal would be to give feedback to an employee and listen to any problems they may be having. State how a competitive advantage may be gained by ensuring HRM practices meet the necessary employment laws. A competitive advantage can be gained by ensuring human resource strategies are followed. A company must have an employee handbook, benefits package, job descriptions and a payroll system in place to ensure human resource strategies are at an advantage to the company. The steps above can be followed also to keep in compliance with legal employment issues. Laws and regulations are important to ensure equal rights to disabled worker, employment eligibility for migrant workers with the use of an I-9 form, drug screening and work place harassment. A competitive strategy can lead to effective human resource department and a successful business (Managing Employees, 2012). Speculate what might happen if the situation was not handled in accordance with the appropriate employment laws. A business that does not follow employment laws can face state and federal criminal charges. A business can avoid costly law suits by following laws to ensure employees are treated fairly. A company’s compliance can save money that would be used to repair a damaged reputation. Specific laws protect employees from immutable characteristics such as sex, race, age and religion. Characteristics such as tattoos, nose piercings and long hair are not covered by federal and state laws. State laws can set a basis by not discriminating against marital status or sexual orientation and may not conflict with federal laws. The writer speculates that if state and federal discrimination laws are broken a company can face many damaging hardships (Stewart, Brown, 2012). References Cherry, Daniel (2012). Lawmakers Gearing Up for Immigrant Reform Battle Retrieved from http:www.mpbonline.org on November 18, 2012 Stewart, G., Brown, K. (2011). Human resource management (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons Managing Employees (2012). Retrieved from http:www.mississippi.org on November 18, 2012 Mississippi Wage and Hour Laws (2012). Employment Law Handbook, Retrieved from http:www.employmenthandbook.com on November 18, 2012 The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection, (2012) Department of Labor Retrieved from http:www.dol.gov on November 18, 2012

Primitivism Essay

â€Å"Why is the art of primitive peoples not considered art at all? †(Nolde, E. 1934). This art of primitive peoples that Emil Nolde refers to is something that is truly appealing to many artists and offers a great source of inspiration for their works. Artists such as Paul Gauguin and Emil Nolde both draw inspiration from these primitive forms of art and borrow different aspects in order to become closer to nature and return to a more pure and expressionistic form of art.Paul Gauguin is said to have always felt like an ‘other’, a primitive and therefore in his later years set out in search of a pure society that was close to nature and free from the corruption of civilisation. ‘Gauguin is traditionally cast as the founding father of modernist primitivism. ’ (Solomon-Godeau, A. 1989. pp314) His many works explore and express his desire to find authenticity and to ‘become a savage’. Similar to Gauguin, Emil Nolde seeks to return to a onen ess with nature, in an attempt to bridge German’s past with its future.Using traditional German forms of art such as folk art and craft and combining this with that of modern images, using loose brushstrokes to create an earthy and natural feel to his works. Nolde was a part of the German Expressionism movement which sought to unshackle their civilisation and return to nature and freedom. â€Å"Primitive peoples create their works with the material itself in the artist’s hand, held in his fingers. (Nolde, 1934) This statement by Nolde explores tactility and the idea of the power of expression in such simple forms, which is what Nolde explains to be a contributing factor as to why artists are so drawn to the works of the primitive peoples. These simple, natural works are intense in their expression of power and meaning thus providing artist such as Nolde and Gauguin with inspiration and direction for their works, showing them how to create simple yet expressive works o f art that are moving and captivating to the viewer.Emil Nolde, ‘In the paintings by which he is best known, ‘primitive’ figure types are used to evoke emotional and religious themes. ’ (Harrison, C & Wood, P. 1992. ) Emil Nolde’s works such as ‘Dance Around the Golden Calf’ (1910) and ‘St Mary of Egypt’ (1912) show this expressive form of painting, with loose brushstrokes and wide use of colour creating a very rhythmic and sensuous painting. These works are representative of Nolde’s move to a oneness with nature as it can be seen that the expression and movement within ‘Dance Around the Golden Calf‘ is very natural and flows. St Mary of Egypt’ uses a wide range of colour and loose brushstrokes to create an incredibly expressive and bold artwork. It is clear to see that Emil Nolde is influenced by the works of primitive peoples as his works are simple yet largely expressive and moving in their aesth etics. Emil Nolde was seen to be very political in his time and was very outspoken with his ideals of art. He ‘attacked the scientific approach to tribal art that ignores its aesthetic potential.While â€Å"Coptic, Early Christian, Greek terracottas and vases, Persian and Islamic art† have been admitted to the canons of high art, he complains, â€Å"Chinese and Japanese art are still classified under ethnography and primitive art is ignored altogether†(Lloyd, J. 1985. pp. 46) This statement shows that the art of primitive people was yet to be considered ‘art’ by the society at that time, therefore by such well known artists as Emil Nolde and Paul Gauguin using non-European cultures as inspiration for their works would have lead to the change in attitudes towards the art of the primitive peoples.Perhaps informing people of its true artistic qualities and lending society to the idea that primitive art should indeed be considered art. Nolde was very pol itical in his manners and rejected any mixing of races, in art as well as in life. ‘The Roman Empire, he tells us, never produced art of real value since it was an amalgam of nations. To this remarkable statement he adds the following observation: ‘England – in many respects to be compared with the Roman Empire – like all Germanic people once had great art, poetry, and wonderful music.But after the immigration of Spanish Jews the country became materialistic, concerned only with power and possessions. Its interests spanned the whole world and went all directions, and what remains now is a nation almost impotent in the arts. ’ (Ettlinger, L. 1968. pp. 200) Although these were his views and opinions, Nolde was still heavily influenced by non-European cultures weaving many references to these cultures throughout his works.Paul Gauguin, like Emil Nolde, used a vast range of colours and wove a flowing feel throughout his works symbolic of the freedom and natural qualities found amongst these non-European cultures they so highly treasured. ‘The Polynesian titles he gave most of his Tahitian works were intended to represent himself to his European market, as well as his friends, as one who had wholly assimilated the native culture.In fact, and despite his lengthy residence, Gauguin never learned to speak the language, and most of his titles were either colonial pidgin or grammatically incorrect. ’ (Godeau. pp. 325) This statement by Solomon-Godeau shows that although Paul Gauguin has set out to return to his primitive ways and ‘become a savage’, he was still programmed to thinking like that of someone from the bourgeois society, unable to fully comprehend the traditions and culture of these primitive people.Gauguin’s works such as ‘Two Women on a Beach’ (1891) and ‘Merahi metua no Tehamana (Tehamana Has Many Ancestors)’ (1893) both explore this natural and pure lifestyle that Gauguin sort to find amongst the Tahitians, whilst also juxtaposing the French impression of their culture and their influence with the use of the European clothes that these women wear. Within the work ‘Two Women on a Beach’ Gauguin’s use of loose, free brushstrokes emphasises the fact that the women are close to nature, they look as though they are carved out of wood.However, these women are also seen to be out of place in their environment as their stances seem somewhat awkward and uncomfortable and the image has been cropped making it feel as though they don’t fit in the image. Both are seen to be wearing missionary dresses/European clothes and are weaving, representing the French’s view of the Tahitian women, lazy, close to nature and savage. Gauguin’s work ‘Tehamana Has Many Ancestors’, similar to that of ‘Two Women on a Beach’, depicts a girl (Tehamana) seated wearing European clothes, holding a woven fan with flowers threaded throughout her hair.Tehamana, like the women in ‘Two Women on a Beach’, also seems somewhat out of place and as though she does not fit within this image. The references to her savage lineage, through the use of the paintings on the wall behind her and the petrogliphs reinforces the fact that like many other Tahitians, Tehamana ‘had no relation to her former traditions. ’ (Godeau. pp. 326) The images of Tahitian women wearing European clothing emphasises and makes reference to the Catholic, Mormon and Calvinist missionaries that had been at work inTahiti for many years before Gauguin had travelled over to Tahiti. The authenticity that Gauguin had set out to discover had diminished, therefore ‘Gauguin did not paint Tahiti, but his Tahitian dream. ’ (Staszak, J. 2004. pp. 353) These images highlighted the fact that the Tahitian’s ‘pre-European culture had been effectively destroyed. ’ (Godeau. pp. 324) Ã¢â‚¬Ë œNot only had the indigenous religion been eradicated, but the handicrafts, barkcloth production, art of tattoo and music had equally succumbed to the interdiction of the missionaries or the penetration of European Products.The bright-coloured cloth used for clothing, bedding and curtains that Gauguin depicted was of European design and manufacture. ’ (Godeau. pp. 324) Paul Gauguin, Emil Nolde and many artists alike have been vastly influenced by the works of primitive peoples, borrowing certain aspects of their culture and art in order to gain inspiration for their own works and expand their expressive capabilities within their art works.The fact that these artists are well known for their works relating to the primitive that have drawn inspiration from non-European, ‘savage’ cultures emphasises this notion that indeed art by primitive peoples should be considered a true art form. Reference List Ettlinger, L. D. â€Å"German Expressionism and Primitive Art,â₠¬  The Burlington Magazine Vol. 110 No. 781 (1968): pp. 200, accessed May 8, 2012. http://www. jstor. org. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/stable/pdfplus/875584. pdf? acceptTC=true Lloyd, J. â€Å"Emil Nolde's Still Lifes, 1911-1912: Modernism, Myth, and Gesture,† Anthropology and Aesthetics No. (1985): pp. 46, accessed May 8, 2012. http://www. jstor. org. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/stable/pdfplus/20166722. pdf Harrison, C. , Wood, P. Eds. , â€Å"Emil Nolde ‘On Primitive Art’,† Art in Theory 1900-1990, 1992. Solomon-Godeau, A. â€Å"Paul Gauguin and the Invention of Primitivist Modernism,† Art in America, July 1989. (pp. 314,325,326,342) Staszak, J. F. â€Å"Primitivism and the other. History of art and cultural geography,† GeoJournal Vol. 60 No. 4 (2004): pp. 353, accessed May 8, 2012. http://www. jstor. org. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/stable/pdfplus/41147901. pd

Lecture Ready – Chapter 4 – Lecture Outline

Bui Ng? c Minh Anh BABAUH11045 Listening AE1 Chapter 4 – Lecture Outline TOPIC: Technology is changing the music industry. I. Democritization of music industry: 1. Making of music: a. Professional tools of recording studio on personal computers. b. No longer needs a recording company to make high-quality recordings. 2. Promotion of music: a. On the internet, anyone can be a critic. b. People post preview, opion and their music work on music sites, blogs or create their own audio blogs. . Promotion tools has been popularize. 3. Distribution of music: a. MP3 files – the most popular way to get music. b. There are many sites to buy single or album of music. c. Files sharing – P2P networks – sharing all over the world. II. Copyright: (The U. S. laws and international agreements on ownership and rights to distribute property) 1. Tools make music easy to record, promote, distribute also make it easy to steal. 2.P2P networks can be used in legal way, however, 90% of music downloaded violates copyright – people trade music illegally. 3. How to stop, or reduce copyright infringement: a. Music companies and musicians believe that it’s needed to restrict file-sharing on the internet: – Companies that make it easy to share file and make money from it should not be allowed to operate. – Should nstall security devices that make it harder to copy and share files to protect the companies and musicians’ rights. . The file-sharing sites and technology companies disagree to restrict all uses to protect copyright: – The free flow of information led to some of the most technological advances of the world. – Restrict internet sharing not only limit the file sharing but also limit the innovation. c. Other group of people think that it’s needed to have new models for how to pay artists and the music companies, that restrict file-sharing just won’t work.

The Da Vinci Code EPILOGUE

Robert Langdon awoke with a start. He had been dreaming. The bathrobe beside his bed bore the monogram HOTEL RITZ PARIS.He saw a dim light filtering through the blinds. Is it dusk ordawn? he wondered. Langdon's body felt warm and deeply contented. He had slept the better part of the last two days. Sitting up slowly in bed, he now realized what had awoken him†¦ the strangest thought. For day she had been trying to sort through a barrage of information, but now Langdon found himself fixed on something he'd not considered before. Could it be? He remained motionless a long moment. Getting out of bed, he walked to the marble shower. Stepping inside, he let the powerful jets message his shoulders. Still, the thought enthralled him. Impossible. Twenty minutes later, Langdon stepped out of the Hotel Ritz into Place Vendà ´me. Night was falling. The days of sleep had left him disoriented†¦ and yet his mind felt oddly lucid. He had promised himself he would stop in the hotel lobby for a cafe au lait to clear his thoughts, but instead his legs carried him directly out the front door into the gathering Paris night. Walking east on Rue des Petits Champs, Langdon felt a growing excitement. He turned south onto Rue Richelieu, where the air grew sweet with the scent of blossoming jasmine from the stately gardens of the Palais Royal. He continued south until he saw what he was looking for – the famous royal arcade – a glistening expanse of polished black marble. Moving onto it, Langdon scanned the surface beneath his feet. Within seconds, he found what he knew was there – several bronze medallions embedded in the ground in a perfectly straight line. Each disk was five inches in diameter and embossed with the letters N and S. Nord. Sud. He turned due south, letting his eye trace the extended line formed by the medallions. He began moving again, following the trail, watching the pavement as he walked. As he cut across the corner of the Comedie-Franà §aise, another bronze medallion passed beneath his feet. Yes! The streets of Paris, Langdon had learned years ago, were adorned with 135 of these bronze markers, embedded in sidewalks, courtyards, and streets, on a north-south axis across the city. He had once followed the line from Sacre-Coeur, north across the Seine, and finally to the ancient Paris Observatory. There he discovered the significance of the sacred path it traced. The earth's original prime meridian.The first zero longitude of the world.Paris's ancient Rose Line. Now, as Langdon hurried across Rue de Rivoli, he could feel his destination within reach. Less than a block away. The Holy Grail ‘neath ancient Roslin waits. The revelations were coming now in waves. Sauniere's ancient spelling of Roslin†¦ the blade and chalice†¦ the tomb adorned with masters' art. Is that why Sauniere needed to talk with me? Had I unknowingly guessed the truth? He broke into a jog, feeling the Rose Line beneath his feet, guiding him, pulling him toward his destination. As he entered the long tunnel of Passage Richelieu, the hairs on his neck began to bristle with anticipation. He knew that at the end of this tunnel stood the most mysterious of Parisian monuments – conceived and commissioned in the 1980s by the Sphinx himself, Fran;ois Mitterrand, a man rumored to move in secret circles, a man whose final legacy to Paris was a place Langdon had visited only days before. Another lifetime. With a final surge of energy, Langdon burst from the passageway into the familiar courtyard and came to a stop. Breathless, he raised his eyes, slowly, disbelieving, to the glistening structure in front of him. The Louvre Pyramid. Gleaming in the darkness. He admired it only a moment. He was more interested in what lay to his right. Turning, he felt his feet again tracing the invisible path of the ancient Rose Line, carrying him across the courtyard to the Carrousel du Louvre – the enormous circle of grass surrounded by a perimeter of neatly trimmed hedges – once the site of Paris's primeval nature-worshipping festivals†¦ joyous rites to celebrate fertility and the Goddess. Langdon felt as if he were crossing into another world as he stepped over the bushes to the grassy area within. This hallowed ground was now marked by one of the city's most unusual monuments. There in the center, plunging into the earth like a crystal chasm, gaped the giant inverted pyramid of glass that he had seen a few nights ago when he entered the Louvre's subterranean entresol. La Pyramide Inversee. Tremulous, Langdon walked to the edge and peered down into the Louvre's sprawling underground complex, aglow with amber light. His eye was trained not just on the massive inverted pyramid, but on what lay directly beneath it. There, on the floor of the chamber below, stood the tiniest of structures†¦ a structure Langdon had mentioned in his manuscript. Langdon felt himself awaken fully now to the thrill of unthinkable possibility. Raising his eyes again to the Louvre, he sensed the huge wings of the museum enveloping him†¦ hallways that burgeoned with the world's finest art. Da Vinci†¦ Botticelli†¦ Adorned in masters' loving art, She lies. Alive with wonder, he stared once again downward through the glass at the tiny structure below. I must go down there! Stepping out of the circle, he hurried across the courtyard back toward the towering pyramid entrance of the Louvre. The day's last visitors were trickling out of the museum. Pushing through the revolving door, Langdon descended the curved staircase into the pyramid. He could feel the air grow cooler. When he reached the bottom, he entered the long tunnel that stretched beneath the Louvre's courtyard, back toward La Pyramide Inversee. At the end of the tunnel, he emerged into a large chamber. Directly before him, hanging down from above, gleamed the inverted pyramid – a breathtaking V-shaped contour of glass. The Chalice. Langdon's eyes traced its narrowing form downward to its tip, suspended only six feet above the floor. There, directly beneath it, stood the tiny structure. A miniature pyramid. Only three feet tall. The only structure in this colossal complex that had been built on a small scale. Langdon's manuscript, while discussing the Louvre's elaborate collection of goddess art, had made passing note of this modest pyramid. â€Å"The miniature structure itself protrudes up through the flooras though it were the tip of an iceberg – the apex, of an enormous, pyramidical vault, submerged below like a hidden chamber.† Illuminated in the soft lights of the deserted entresol, the two pyramids pointed at one another, their bodies perfectly aligned, their tips almost touching. The Chalice above. The Blade below. The blade and chalice guarding o'er Her gates. Langdon heard Marie Chauvel's words. One day it will dawn on you. He was standing beneath the ancient Rose Line, surrounded by the work of masters. What better place for Sauniere to keep watch? Now at last, he sensed he understood the true meaning of the Grand Master's verse. Raising his eyes to heaven, he gazed upward through the glass to a glorious, star-filled night. She rests at last beneath the starry skies. Like the murmurs of spirits in the darkness, forgotten words echoed. The quest for the Holy Grail is the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the outcast one. With a sudden upwelling of reverence, Robert Langdon fell to his knees. For a moment, he thought he heard a woman's voice†¦ the wisdom of the ages†¦ whispering up from the chasms of the earth.

Current and Future Market Trends Essay

When thinking of wireless phone or internet service, the first company that probably comes to mind is Verizon Wireless. Verizon officially became a force to be reckoned with in the wireless market in 2000 when Verizon communications and Vodafone merged. Verizon states, â€Å"Verizon Communications Inc., headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wire line communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.† Since entering the market in 2000, Verizon has made itself popular by offering service in more areas than any other wireless network. Market Structure Within economics, four types of market structures exist. The four types are: monopoly, monopolistic competition, perfect competition, and oligopoly. Colander (2008) describes market structure as, â€Å"the physical characteristics of the market within which firms interact.† Verizon Wireless’ market structure can be defined by a combination of monopolistic competition and oligopoly. Colander (2008) defines monopolistic competition and oligopoly as, â€Å"a market structure in which there are many firms selling differentiated products and few barriers to entry—and oligopoly — a market structure in which there are only a few firms and firms explicitly take other firms’ likely response into account. The wireless industry is smaller that people think and not much competiton exists. For example: Cingular and AT&T are both wireless carriers, but Cingular is a part of AT&T. Essentially, when a consumer spends money with Cingular, it still goes to AT&T. Using an oligopoly structure has worked well for Verizon in the past and currently. Current and future market trends should not have any affect on the market structure of Verizon. New Companies Competition in the wireless industry has always been tough. It seems as though every month or few weeks, a new phone or new service is being unveiled by a well-know company or a company trying to get started. Besides  Alltell, Verizon is usually the company the competition seeks to compete with. To compete with Verizon most companies offer a service similar to Verizon for a cheaper price, or they offer a similar phone for a cheaper price. Verizon would not be affected heavily by any new companies entering the market, because Verizon is already established and consumers are already familiar with the brand. Aside from that, Verizon offers a number of services and slogans to keep their consumers interested. Some of the slogans used are: America’s largest and most reliable network, #1 in customer loyalty, and the worry free guarantee. Verizon does not have to worry about the competition, the competition should worry about Verizon. Prices One of the downsides to having wireless services and phones is the price. Since the introduction of cell phones, the price of phones and the price of service have risen significantly. On average, a contract for cell phone service with two lines would cost anywhere from $160 – $250, depending on the services the customer chooses. That price does not include the price of the phone which could be anywhere from $50 – $900. The prices to maintain the convenience of a cell phone are ridiculous, but it is a necessity that most individuals find it hard to live without. The current and future trend of the wireless industry shows the price of services and phones increasing. With that being said, despite the prices of phones and service, consumers will continue to pay the prices set by Verizon and other wireless companies. Technology Cell phones and services have definitely evolved over the years. Technology is one of the leading factors when consumers consider purchasing a phone or selecting a company as their wireless provider. Most cell phone users use text messaging, check email, and log onto social networking sites like facebook and myspace from their mobile phones. Like any other invention cell phones have evolved and become an important part of our lives. Televisions went from just being in homes to our cars. Computers were usually found in places such as: homes, offices, and libraries. Now cell phones are the more modern version of computers. Verizon has always made note of the changing trends when it comes to technology and the company has always delivered excellent products the consumer wants or needs. Productivity To maintain the position as the largest and most reliable wireless carrier, Verizon Wireless must spend money. The costs range from building the network, to maintaining the network. Costs include employees, equipment and technology needed to keep the company on top. The company makes decisions based on what the benefit will be in the long run. These decisions are made by researching trends and technology in the wireless market and changing tastes of the consumer. The company knows the catalyst of success is a strong network. The law of diminishing marginal productivity states as more of a variable input is added to an existing fixed input, eventually the additional output one gets from that additional input is going to fall (Colander 2008). I was not able to get information specific from Verizon Wireless that would help me graph out this law. The company has over 86,000 employees and made 56.8 billion dollars in profit for 2008 (about us 2009). Each year bonuses are given to employees based on individual performance and company performance. Last year the bonuses were based on the fact that the company made 12% in profits. In today’s economic times, the e profit achieved was outstanding and was above any other profits made in the wireless industry for 2008. Cost Structure Wages and Benefits Employees of Verizon Wireless are compensated well. The employees salary along with the benefits provided are above others employed in the wireless industry, according to David Brown an analyst at Verizon Wireless human resources. At Verizon Wireless a broad-banded structure is used to organize jobs and manage pay. There are six bands that range from A to F. Depending on the skills of the individual, he or she is usually hired in on the F band, which is a customer service representative, or assistant. The duties are usually task oriented. The next band is E, which is a coordinator or analyst, who are proven to work independently, usually on projects and technical functions. D band consists of level one managers, supervisors etcetera. C through A bands are the higher levels of management and CEO. Jobs are assigned to bands based on similar roles and levels of responsibility. The jobs themselves can be quite different in terms of what people do. Jobs in the same band are similar in terms of their impact on our business results, the decision-making authority of the employees who hold them, and the knowledge and skills required. VZW classifies a job as either salaried exempt or salaried non-exempt. Verizon Wireless provides medical, dental and vision benefits to employees at a reduced cost, but also provides at no cost an education benefit up to 8,000 per year, 401k contribution matching up to 6% and yearly performance bonuses as well as profit sharing if enrolled in 401k and a long term incentive program that is also based on company performance. Employees are a vital asset to Verizon Wireless and the salaries along with the benefits are designed to maximize performance. Cost Structure Fixed and Variable Costs Fixed costs are defined as costs that are spent and cannot be changed in the period under consideration (2008). Fixed costs for Verizon Wireless include buildings, warehouses used, and upkeep of cellular sites. Variable costs, or costs that change, include workers employed, contracts for equipment production, new technology etcetera. Verizon Wireless is a firm that sells produced goods to individuals, businesses and government (2008). The company’s main output is technology. The fixed costs dived by the variable costs equal the average costs of the company. As was stated earlier, last year Verizon Wireless made a 12% increase in profits from the year before. Most of the revenue occurred in the 4th quarter of the year with the release of the BlackBerry Storm touch screen device. The device was the answer to the I phone distributed by AT&T. Over 100,000 devices were sold on the first day of release alone. The cost of the device was 199.99, which is around 2 million dollars made in one day. The demand for the devices increased, and the company met the demand with more phones. According to the March 2009 newsletter given to the company for 4th quarter earnings, the CEO Lowell McAdam advised that Storm sales were the factor that  significantly raised the company’s profits and set the bar for future ventures. Price Elasticity of Demand The relation between the shift in quantity and shift in price of a product is known as price elasticity. â€Å"Price elasticity of demand is the calculation of the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price† (Colander, 2008). Verizon Wireless has to make an effort to stay in synch with the pricing and offerings by their competition. Verizon Wireless must implement services and products that incorporate modern technology and are ground-breaking to compete in the wireless market and affordable in today’s economy. Impact of Government Regulations Verizon Wireless realizes the importance in ensuring that all regulations that are established by the Federal Communications Commission. Abiding by these regulations will guarantee that Verizon Wireless will keep providing long-standing benefits for the taxpayer and customers. Verizon Wireless trusts that the present structure â€Å"of auctioning spectrum licenses, with clearly defined, exclusive-use and flexible rights, is the right approach to spectrum policy† (Verizon Wireless, 2009). Although clear benefits towards allowing unlicensed use of spectrum is visible, that advance will not create the revenue for the United States Treasury or the best value for American economy. Broadband is one of the services provided by Verizon Wireless. Over the past ten years Broadband services have been used commercially. During that time the government has acknowledged the significance of implementing market-based motivations to persuade broadband usage and investment. â€Å"Rather than applying more-stringent regulations to telecommunications services and infrastructure, the FCC generally has applied an old wires, old rules; new wires, new rules philosophy towards broadband services and networks† (Verizon Wireless, 2009) By doing this, customers will reap in the benefits form the government’s decision to enhance incentives for broadband service providers to invest in better and superior broadband networks and services. â€Å"Investment and deployment in next-generation broadband networks – such as Verizon’s FiOS network – is happening at a remarkable pace, and consumers  now have more choices than ever before† (Verizon Wireless, 2009). Competitors Verizon Wireless has a substantial amount of competition in the wireless industry. Verizon competes with wireless companies such as T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T. Verizon Wireless became the largest wireless service provider by beating out AT&T. Nonetheless, Verizon’s landline industry is affected by the large opposition of modern technology and tends to confront challenges from various other competitors with high speed internet and cable companies such as Time Warner Cable. Verizon Wireless has to make an effort to stay in synch with the pricing and offerings of its competitors. The Wireless industry is so competitive, equipment can outdate within a few months. Companies must develop wireless devices that are affordable as well as reliable. Supply and Demand Analysis Even with today’s economic challenges, many opportunities to create innovative new products to meet customer demand still abound. In a bold new step the company introduced its line of netbooks, mini lightweight laptop computers that consumers can take with them anywhere. The netbooks have all the functionality of a laptop, with the convenience of a smaller wireless device. The smaller size and the low price the netbooks are offered, is what today’s consumers are demanding. Tapping into this market gives Verizon Wireless a piece of the notebook and laptop market that was only accessible in the past by offering mobile broadband cards. The added revenue from this market keeps Verizon Wireless ahead of the competition. Verizon Wireless also has the opportunity to expand its coverage globally with the 3G UMTS, Quad Band GSM networks. This means that business travelers as well as consumers will now have access to roam on more networks in over 250 countries across the globe. Verizon Wireless strives to produce the best most reliable wireless voice and data coverage in the industry. In order to obtain that goal the company will have to gain customers faster than the competition, widen the revenue lead and lead in profitability. As long as Verizon stays on the right track, the company should not have any issues presently and in the future. Reference Page Colander, D (2008).Economics, Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York, New York, 10020 Verizon Wireless. (2009). Corporate History/investor relations. Retrieved June 26th, 2009 from www.verizon.com.

Economics 5100 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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The art aspect of (Al-Rowshan) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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