Nonviolent Offenders Essay -- essays research papers

Nonviolent Offenders – Is Incarceration the Answer?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"It’s really clear that the most effective way to turn a nonviolent person into a violent one is to send them to prison,† says Harvard University criminologist James Gilligan. The American prison system takes nonviolent offenders and makes them live side-by-side with hardened killers. The very nature of prison, no matter people view it, produces an environment that is inevitably harmful to its residents. America locks up five times more of its' population than any other nation in the world. Due to prison overcrowding, prisoners are currently sleeping on floors, in tents, in converted broom closets and gymnasiums, or even in double or triple bunks in cells, which were designed for one inmate. Why is this happening? The U.S. Judicial System has become so succumbed to the ideal that Imprisonment is the most visibly form of punishment. The current structure of this system is failing terribly. To take people, strip them of their possessions and privacy, expose them to violence on a daily basis, restrict their quality of life to a 5x7ft cell, and deprive them of any meaning to live. This scenario is a standard form of punishment for violent offenders, although not suitable for nonviolent offenders. Today, almost 70% of all prisoners are serving time for nonviolent offenses. U.S. States are spending an average of $100 million per year on new prisons and all U.S. taxpayers front the bill for a system that is not working (Carson). Why should we force taxpayers to pay to keep nonviolent criminals sitting in prison cells where they become bitter, aggressive, and more likely to repeat their offenses when released? The answer is we shouldn’t, there are more reliable forms of punishment available, and rehabilitation and restitution are two alternatives I firmly believe are most effective than incarceration. Nonviolent criminals should be punished differently. This is because nonviolent criminals do not learn from the misery of being in cells with violent inmates. Drug offenders for example are a public health problem, not public safety problem, and nonviolent offenders can be properly educated. We offer convicts no opportunities to learn compassion or take responsibility for what they have done, nor make restitution or offer atonement to their victims in any practical ways. ... ...he certainty of restitution, by requiring monetary payment, takes the profit out of crime (Carson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most people have the common view that the criminal justice system’s increasing arrests and imprisonment is an effective strategy for reducing crime. If the judicial system makes greater distinction among violent and nonviolent crimes, the prisons will have the vacancies to incarcerate the Jeffery Dahmers of the world in prison for life. By providing alternatives to imprisonment for nonviolent offenders will reduce the burden of taxpayer’s dollars for added funding for construction of new prisons. I know as a College Student I would like to see increased State funding for education system rather than the millions allocated to the prison system of Pennsylvania. Prisons are not places where nonviolent offenders can serve time and then be released a better person, more fit for society. The prison environment is wrong, and as a result a nonviolent offender will leave unimproved. It is my belief that the alternatives of community control programs, rehabilitation programs, and restitution programs are the answers to the sentencing of nonviolent offenders.

Coca Cola Essay

Historically, many companies and corporations have received recognition for their growth and success over time. However, although praised, discoveries of controversial issues lead consumers to question various companies’ ethics and operations. Coca-Cola, or simple coke, has existed for over a century, originating in Atlanta, Georgia in 1892, and eventually expanding and providing drinks internationally. Today, the company produces concentrate, which then sells to Coke licensed bottlers internationally; and ultimately ending up sold to retail stores and vending machines for consumers to purchase. Along with the regular â€Å"coke†, the company has also been able to produce other cola branded drinks including water, energy drinks and coffee. The most common of all, Diet Coke; others include Caffeine-Free Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coke Cherry, Coke Zero and Coke Vanilla. All of which could be found in over 200 countries within the year 2013, with consumers drinking at the least 1.8 million servings each day, according to the book, Citizen Coke: An Environmental and Political History of the Coke Company (Elmore p. 717). However, while extremely popular and high in demand, the Coke Company has faced much controversial issues from the public in India throughout its years of growth. Out of every country that Coke operates in, India has the fastest growing market (KillerCoke). From the start of production in 1999 to present day, Coke has spent $2 billion and will continue to spend an addition $5 billion in India. According to the article Coke rejigs bottling arm management, Coke has a plan to pursue expansion for the following few years (until 2020) in India with the plan to double their revenues to $200 billion (TOI). India is among the top seven markets globally for Coke, the CEO of Hindustan Coke stated â€Å"we have made significant investments in the marketplace and as we get ready to further accelerate growth, it is very important to develop a high quality talent pipelines. This team will work closely with Coke India to achieve our 2020 vision.† Part of their expansion was focused on a plan t in Mehdiganj, India. The emerging markets with Coke like India and China will result in about 60% of the incremental sales volume growth (TOI). According to the book Business and its Environment, 80 percent of the world’s population lives in emerging markets countries, and 90 percent of the world’s population growth will be in these countries over the next 30 years (Baron p.477) The start of production for a few of their bottlers in India has raised issues because of  Coke’s use of the water supply of nearby villages. Amit Srivastaba, of the India Resource Center, a center that works to support movements against corporate globalization in India said, â€Å"Three communities in India — Plachimada in Kerala, Wada in Maharashtra and Mehdiganj in Uttar Pradesh — are experiencing severe water shortages as a result of Coke’s mining of the majority of the common groundwater resources around its facilities (KillerCoke).† One of their issues comes from its production in Mehdiganj, near Varanasi, India, that has been in operation since 1999, and has been the center of attention in many surrounding villages since 2003 and especially after Coke announced that they are planning to expand by $25 million. In August of 2012, according to the article Coke Abandons Expansion Plans in India Because of Water, the company halted their plans to expand in Mehdiganj because of a delay in a no-objection certificate and locals becoming concerned about environmental dangers (The Wire). Organizations such as the India Resource Center and others who organize protests increase the awareness of issues, and therefore private regulation have been made an alternative to government regulations. As a result, the strategy Coke had all along failed to see through when the locals did not approve of their actions. If Coke does not have an affective nonmarket strategy in place for their activities in other countries, major opportunities can close when issues of any kind arise. A nonmarket strategy is important to avoid government regulations and to keeping the company’s opportunities open. Aside from the government, the company’s opportunities can also be controlled by private politics such as protests, public criticism, interest groups as well as public sentiment towards the company. (Baron p.31). The other factor that can affect opportunities is moral concerns, which Coke seems to be going through this issue right now. Coke should formulate a policy that oversees the use of water in India, which is the major concern of groups in private politics. Interest groups that are in play from the surrounding villages in India include: anti-coke nongovernmental activist groups, Varanasi-based activist, environmentalist, politicians, farmers and the villagers that have created lives in sur rounding areas. Leading from within these interest groups is The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board; a statutory organization entrusted to implement Environmental Laws and rules within the jurisdiction of the state  of Uttar Pradesh, India (UPPCB). The Control Board had found that Coke violated a number of conditions of its license that had to do with the use of water. The company had not yet obtained clearance for the extraction of groundwater from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), a government agency that monitors and regulates the process in water-stressed areas (The economic Times). But Coke had some objections to these accusations. According to Coke, a Central Ground Water Authority report from 2012 stated that the reduction of groundwater in the area was not due to their company. According to the article UP pollution board shuts down Coke’s Varanasi unit, the maker of sprite said in a statement that the plant in Mehdiganj has complied with regulatory approvals and applicable laws in India (The Economic Times). Despite these statements, according to the Central Ground Water Authority, the groundwater in Mehdiganj has gone from â€Å"safe† back in 1999 when Coke got back into operating in India to â€Å"critical† in 2009. The closure order by the Central Ground Water Authority stated that Coke increased its production capacity from 20,000 cases to 36,000 cases a day without the board’s permission. Similar to this problem was one in 2004, when one of the 68 Coke plant in Plachimada, Kerala was shut down over accusations that the operation led to the reduction of groundwater (see Exhibit #1). The company faces legislation holding it liable for $47 million in damages (The Economic Times). Initially, Coke had looked beneficial for the local economy, but then the regulations and protesters hit the company as a result from the critically low levels of water. Although this may have halted the company’s expansion plan of $25 million into Varanasi, Coke is seeking permission from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to expand into Mehdiganj. With authorization, they will increase productivity by opening a second bottling line. However, the struggle continues as the recent closure has already inspired other protest to start, starting problems down the company’s future operations in their bottling factories. Over 10 years ago, a protest by farmers and anti-globalization activist successfully launched a â€Å"Quit India† campaign in order to stop Coke’s expansion into Varanasi. Many villages are saying big companies like Coke are coming into India and using their drinking water, even when levels are critically low for basic living consumption (see Exhibit #2). According to  the article Coke has a bottler of a headache in India; the level of water for the villagers became even lower as Coke proceeds to operate in India. Amar Signh Rathor, a farmer in the village Mehdiganj, has noticed the continuous decline of water levels by simply observing his own well. Within three years, the water level below his water table has fallen by over 18 meters. Most of the population of Mehdiganj (approximately 10,000 people) blamed Coke for the shocking decrease in their water supply (Sydney Morning Herald P.13). The plant that is to blame is at the edge of the village. A villager named Shakuntala Devi said, â€Å"If the Coke plant isn’t closed it will be impossible to live here (Sydney Morning Herald P.13).† Coke violates human rights for the people of India by taking their water and in the process they damage the environment. According to the article Coke’s Crimes in India, they are draining a vast majority of groundwater from farms and turning farming communities into virtual desserts. These farmers livelihood that have been destroyed have resulted in a increase of suicide, and everyday for many years now, there are protests of some sort, big or small, against Coke’s abuse in India (KillerCoke). On November 24, 2004, a protest outside of the Mehdiganj plant broke out and quickly turned violent. Multiple villagers had attempted to break the barrier of the police in order to reach Coke property, resulting in a defensive attack in return from the police. Organizers stated that there were approximately 2,000 people – mainly woman and youth – who took part in the protest, although Coke reported a much smaller number. This was the first of many protests to start, even though they were at a smaller scale. In this protest alone, two hundred villagers were reportedly arrested during the brawl (Sydney Morning Herald P.13). According to the article Indian villagers want Coke plant shut amid water fears, later in June of 2007, four hundred people marched and rallied at the Varanasi district magistrate’s (DM) office, demanding that the Coke bottling plant in Mehdiganj be shut down effective immediately. Within the four hundred, included people from twenty different villages, all of who submitted a letter to the district magistrate, Vina Kumari Meena, drawing attention to the water shortage and pollution of groundwater and land caused  by Coke’s operation. The letter demanded that the operation be shut down (Monitoring South Asia). Due to the severity of the situation, the director of The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) declared the water issues in India as â€Å"dark zoned†. A â€Å"dark zone† category infers that ground water resources are over-exploited, and more than 85 percent of the total recharging of ground water resources is being extracted, which resulted in all new underground installations being approved by the government (BBC Monitoring South Asia). Accusations of unethical acts against the environment can lead to nongovernmental organizations forming, which affect the organization in question by mobilizing people to work for causes. â€Å"These groups have been instrumental in advancing the causes of environmental protection, health and safety protection for consumers, and civil and human rights (Baron p.75).† The lead of the campaign Lok Semiti (People’s Committee), a nongovernmental organization that is against Coke, Nandlal Master, said â€Å"When people themselves do not have enough water to meet their basic water needs, why should Coke be allowed to siphon hundreds of thousands of liters of water every day (BBC Monitoring South Asia)?† But the issues with Coke go beyond the use of water and its reduction impacting a majority of the villages. Coke provides waste product from their operation to farmers as fertilizers for their crops. A BBC study found that the fertilizer contains toxic chemicals, stating, â€Å"Dangerous levels of the known carcinogen cadmium have been found in the sludge produced from the plant in the southern state of Kerala (BBC news).† Face the Facts, an investigative journalism for BBC, sent presenter, John Waite, to further investigate the allegations. Part of the investigation consisted of sending a sludge sample to the University of Exeter in the UK, and the results were very alarming. The test revealed that the sludge was a useless fertilizer that contained the toxic metals cadmium and lead. David Santillo, a senior scientist at the university’s lab, affirmed that the levels of cadmium and lead have not only contaminated that sludge provided to the farmers, but the entire water supply as well. The levels are  way above those approved by the World Health Organization. Britain’s leading poison expert, professor John Henry, said, â€Å"The results have devastating consequences for those living near the areas where this waste has been dumped and for the thousands who depend on crops produced in these fields (BBC News).† The professor is correct to assume these consequences because cadmium is a poison that can accumulate in the kidneys and with repeat exposure it can cause kidney failure. Lead is also dangerous, and more to children than to anyone else. Even at low levels, lead can cause mental retardation and even anemia, a blood deficiency (BBC News). The professor also explains that with the levels of chemicals in the water, pregnant women in the villages in India consuming from the farm’s goods can fall vulnerable to miscarriages, stillbirths and premature births. After these alarming results, more test where conducted on the soft drinks. In the year 2003, the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE), a non-for-profit and nongovernmental organization based in New Delhi, India, tested 12 cold soft drinks (Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Mirinda Orang, Mirinda Lemon, Blue Pepsi, 7-Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Thumbs Up and of course Coke). The article, Pepsi, Coke contain pesticides: CSE, based in India was the one to write about the cold drinks, which included 2 big companies, Pepsi and Coke. Both companies failed health standards when both drinks tested positive for pesticides. The tests from three samples of each of these Pepsi and Coke brand drinks that was conducted by the Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML) of the Centre of Science and Environment showed that the samples contained residues of four very toxic pesticides and insecticides: lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos. These four pesticides are known to cause cancer, damage the nervous and reproductive system, and severely damage the immune system (Rediff) . These tests were conducted in the year 2003 from April to August with samples from across the city. The samples from Coke were found to contain pesticides that exceeded global standards by 30 times the limit at 0.0150 mg/l, with the EEC limit of total pesticides being at 0.0005 mg/l. Coke defended its position by saying their plants use a multiple barrier system to remove potential contaminants and unwanted natural substances including  iron, sulfur, heavy metals as well as pesticides, â€Å"Our products in India are safe and are tested regularly to ensure that they meet the same rigorous standards we maintain across the world (Rediff).† But despite these statements the citizens of India seem to believe the Centre of Science and Environment, as sales have been impacted in the so-called safe and high-quality drink and investors from the company in India have lost confidence (Coke India). Looking at the nonmarket issue cycle, Coke is way past the issue identification, interest group formation, legislation, and has now reached the Administration phase in India (see Exhibit #3). The issues were identified soon after they got back into India in 1999. Villagers, farmers and environmentalist noticed the problem, starting many groups interested in the closure of these factories, sparking the many protests stated above. Legislations already started within the Indian Parliament banning Coke drinks from its cafeterias. Amit Srivastaba, of the India Resource Center, stated that the ban came as a result of tests by the Indian government and private laboratories, which found high concentrations of pesticides and insecticides in the cola drinks (Indian Resource Center). If Coke wants to prevent their company from becoming the next Enron in the ethical sense, they need to take the right action now before they sink too low in unethical actions and laws of the government that are way out of their control start to enforce legislations. Enron was a energy company that was found out to be engaging in unethical marketing malpractices including; misrepresentation of reports regarding the financial position of the organization in order to continue from benefiting from the investments provided by the stakeholders, a false energy crisis to gain more money from investors and finally, executives of the company embezzled money from unsuspecting investors which led to the bankruptcy of the company. Coke’s name is a global brand that can definitely work its way out of the unethical characteristics in the communities of the countries it operates in by simply providing the same quality of goods around the world. So far, Coke’s way of handling the issues in India has been very questionable. Their strategy thus far is to globalize their company no  matter the cost, ethically and environmentally. Protesters from many interest groups have eliminated many opportunities for Coke and have been attacking the company for over exploitation and pollution of water that is already dangerously low. Interestingly, Coke responds with public relations scams, deceptive statements and points out awards of how they are corporate socially responsible (KillerCoke). The article Coke’s crimes in India further expands by saying that Coke stated, â€Å"For four consecutive years, Coke plants in India have won the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for environmental practices from the Institute of Directors, which grants the award in association with the World Environment Foundation.† Similar remarks were made in late 2005 when the company claimed to be recognized for being a ‘Water Efficient Unit’ by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) (KillerCoke). Coke continued on with their misleading information in 2007 at two Canadian college campuses about their activities in India and Colombia. Coke bragged that The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), described as â€Å"an Indian-based nonprofit research organization,† had â€Å"begun an assessment of our company’s water resource management practices in India (KillerCoke).† TERI is a respected Dehli-based nongovernmental organization with deep experience in sustainability issues, and Coke falsely stated they were working closely with them on their water management. However, Coke already began to make social responsibility a top priority by investing in new innovations and plant processes to help make more improvement moving forward. The Coke webpage of the UK indicates that outside of their plants they attempt to replenish more than 100 percent of the water that they use by creating rainwater harvesting structures, restoring ponds, and leading interventions that fo cus on improving water efficiency, among other things. And by 2012 they met their goal and exceeded it to 110 percent of water replenished throughout India (Coke UK). From the article Villagers to Coke: ‘Go away’; In India, foes claim company is depleting water supply, a Coke spokesman stated the shortage of monsoons in India from June to October is to blame for water depletion affecting India’s agriculture. Harry Ott, the director of Coke’s Global Center for Water Excellence said, â€Å"If the monsoons are good, these problems don’t come up.† Today in mehdiganj â€Å"the land around  Coke’s plant looks lush. Fields brim with mustard plants, potatoes, peppers, wheat and rice (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).† But the struggle continues as people focus more on the bad rather than the good. Coke like many other businesses focuses on the profitable side of their operation, without realizing the environmental damages it can cause to surrounding communities. When Coke is looking into the future of the company, it is looking to double their revenues more than working on a nonmarket strategy that will prevent interest groups from the communities they operate in to question the company’s morals. Doubling their revenues further proves that Coke, being the number one beverage company in the world, has some money to play with. In Kala Dera, protests are starting because of the lack in Coke’s corporate social responsibility, leading back to the use of water and the damage being done to the communities around it. In 2010, shareholders at a meeting taking place in Duluth, Georgia, were told by Amit Srivastaba of the India Resource center, â€Å"It is only a matter of time before the Coke company will be held financially and criminally liable for their operations in water-stressed areas in India.† He continued by stating â€Å"The company management is being seriously derelict in its duties by not acknowledging the real exten t of the liabilities Coke has incurred and continues to incur in India (KillerCoke).† By investing a few million dollars a year of the billions of earnings they have reached ever since the late nineteenth century when the company first got started, they will be showing the shareholders that Coke is doing something to get on the right track. Coke could start with compensation of the crops that farmers lost when they initially started to operate in India, and also assure the farmers that Coke is investing in new innovations to solve the water issue so it will not be a problem in the long-run. Also, Coke could invest into the education in India by opening new schools; increase awareness of diseases through nongovernmental programs, as well as investing in the communities in which their bottling factories reside. With the issues out for the public to read about, it should be an incentive for the company to not continue down this horrific path in developing countries. Other things Coke should considering doing for the sake of their image is stepping up in community service, donations focused to help clean up the streets that their distributors travel in, donations to nongovernment organization, show the public that  they are actually working to stop the shortage and contamination of water without spreading lies of what they are actually doing. One way to do is by continuing their activities so far to stop the shortage of water and further help the environment by planting trees. The article Trees Reduce Air Pollution mentions that trees can help with the gas pollutants from the factories by absorbing them through the pours in the leaf surface (DNR). Furthermore, the company can look to work with the nongovernmental organization TERI in efforts to better sustainability of water resources, instead of just talking about doing it because in the end actions speak louder than words. Bibliography â€Å"Coke rejigs bottling arm management.† The Times of India (TOI). (September 24, 2013 Tuesday ): 425 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15.Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board. June 5, 2014 â€Å"UP pollution board shuts down Coke’s Varanasi unit.† The Economic Times. (June 19, 2014 Thursday ): 430 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. â€Å"Coke has a bottler of a headache in India.† Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). (February 17, 2005 Thursday ): 1181 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. â€Å"Indian villagers want Coke plant shut amid water fears.† BBC Monitoring South Asia – Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring. (June 7, 2007 Thursday ): 622 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. June 7, 2007 Thursday â€Å"Villagers to Coke: ‘Go away’; In India, foes claim company is depleting water supply .† The Atlanta Journal-Cons titution. (May 29, 2005 Sunday ): 1908 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. UP Pollution Control Board, Lucknow (UP Pollution Control Board, Lucknow). Was Accessed http://www.uppcb.com/ â€Å"Indian Resource Center. PRESS: Groundwater Levels Continue Downward Spiral Around Coke Plant.† March 11, 2010. Was Accessed http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2010/1001.html India Resource Center. Coke – Mehdiganj – The Issues. March 7, 2013. http://www.indiaresource.org/campaigns/coke/2013/mehdiganjfact.html Ray Rogers. â€Å"Coke’s Crimes in India.† Campaign to Stop Killer Coke | Coke’s Crimes in India. Killer Coke. Was Accessed http://killercoke.org/crimes_india.php Was Accessed http://www.cseindia.org/ â€Å"Pepsi, Coke contain pesticides: CSE.† Was Accessed. http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/aug/05pepsicoke.htm Coke India. Was Accessed http://www.Cokeindia.com/facts&myths/varanasi.html Coke India. Was Accessed http://www.Cokeindia.com â€Å"Easy Guide to Understanding ENRON Scandal Summary.† (Enron Scandal Summary). 2013 Was Accessed http://finance.laws.com/enron-scandal-summary â€Å"Coca‑Cola’s water is used responsibly in its operations in India : FAQ (Coke GB).† 2010. Was Accessed http://www.Coke.co.uk/faq/community/responsible-Coke-water-use-in-operations-in-india.html â€Å"Trees Reduce Air Pollution.† Was Accessed http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/publications/urban2.html Mosendz, Polly. â€Å"Coke Abandons Expansion Plans in India Because of Water.† August 26, 2014. Was Accessed http://www.thewire.com/business/2014/08/Coke-abandons-india-production-expansion/379128/ Elmore, J Bartow. 2013, Citizen Coke: An Environmental and Political History of the Coke Company. P. 717 Baron, David P. Business and Its Environment. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education, 2012. 784. Print.

Battles that Divided the United States in the Civil War

Oftentimes, when thinking of important battles of the infamous civil war your mind will automatically go to the well-known Battle Of Gettysburg. While that was an extremely important battle that played a significant part in the Civil war, there are lesser know battle that are equally, if not more, important to the war that divided the United States of America. One of these battles was the first Battle at Bull Run. In this paper I will explain when and why it happened. And also, how this battle influenced and shaped the outcome of the Civil War. Three months into the Civil War things were starting off pretty slow. There had only been small battle and not much effort put in from either side. Neither the Confederate Army nor the Union Army had put much training into their troops. And with significant pressure from the North about lack of effort, Abraham Lincoln decided that he had to do something to stay in the favor of the North, and to quickly bring this war to a stop. The pressure was on for him, it was not in the plan for this war to last long and many of the Union soldiers had 90-day contracts that were set to expire soon. It very well may have been is last chance to strike before he lost his great Army force. Lincoln’s strategy was to stop Confederate forces near Manassas, Virginia, deal a devastating blow, and quickly march on Richmond, the Confederate capital and take over from there. With this plan came great risk, General Irvin McDowell was worried that the unionShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The Civil War1706 Wo rds   |  7 PagesAbraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand.† In the 1800s, the American nation was slowly becoming a house divided against itself. The United States were no longer united, mainly over the issue of slavery. In fact, many historians believe that, â€Å"From the nation’s founding, the issue of slavery threatened to tear the United States apart.† (â€Å"The Civil War† 1). The issue of slavery was always kept at bay through the utilization of various compromises; however a permanentRead MoreThe Civil War Was A Devastating Time For The United States Of America883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Civil War was a devastating time for the United States of America. During this time the United States was divided. The Civil War was a four year long battle. It is known as one of the bloodiest battles ever fought. Consequently it was fought between people of the same country. We were divided between the North and the South . The cause of the Civil War was slavery. The North was against it and wanted slavery abolished. On the other hand the South did not want to part with slavery. Both the NorthRead MoreThe War Between The North And The South993 Words   |  4 Pagesinto why the United States had a war between the North and the South. The United States was divided depending on location and personal sentiments. People in the United States sometimes think that this war was only fought over slavery, but there was many reason in why the Union and the Confederate States of America fought. The war was fought on many reason such as the idea of slavery, states’ rights, trade, and tariffs. The Civil War lasted for about five years, from 1861-1865. The war was betweenRead MoreGettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay examples889 Words   |  4 PagesConfederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. He gave the Union soldiers a new pers pective on the war and a reason to fight in the Civil War. Before the address, the Civil War was based on states’ rights. Lincoln’s speech has the essence of America and the ideals that were instilled in the Declaration of Independence by the Founders. The sixteenth president of the United States was capable of using his speech to turn a war on states’ rights toRead MoreAnalysis of The Gettysburg Address Essay1435 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of The Gettysburg Address In the early days of the United States, loyalty to one’s state often took precedence over loyalty to one’s country. The Union was considered a â€Å"voluntary compact entered into by independent, sovereign states† for as long as it served their purpose to be so joined (Encarta). Neither the North nor South had any strong sense permanence of the Union. As patterns of living diverged between North and South, their political ideas also developed marked differencesRead MoreThe Confederate Flag : Controversy Or Logical Solution?1717 Words   |  7 PagesConfederate Flag: Controversy or Logical Solution? The Confederate flag has been a topic of controversy in the United States for many years. It and other symbols of the Confederacy are parts of many state flags in the South and it is even flown at several state buildings throughout the South. To some the Confederate flag is a historical symbol and is believed to be a way of remembering the Civil War that almost tore the nation in two, but to others it represents fear and hatred due to its use by racialRead MoreThe Debate Of The Missouri Compromise1613 Words   |  7 Pagesmarked the beginning of the long battle against slavery. In the years leading up to the Missouri compromise tensions were rising between the North and the South. The states were all being divided into slave states and free states. Free states were states that were anti-slavery and were made up of mainly Northern states while slave states were states that supported slavery and were all mostly Southern states. Before the Missouri compromise the amounts of slave and f ree states were kept balanced. When MissouriRead MoreThe Missouri Compromise And Events Leading Up Of The Civil War Essay1646 Words   |  7 Pagesleading up to the Civil War were based mainly on slavery and the two conflicting viewpoints of the American people. The compromises involving slavery were only short-term solutions for a very long-term problem. The Civil War changed the foundation of America forever. The war was inevitable, and thus, the contrasting views between the North and the South were bound to break out into warfare at some point. In February of 1819, Missouri applied for statehood in the United States. Because of the North’sRead MoreSouthern Slavery and the American Civil War Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesCourt decision, and expansion, severed the country in two when each side could no longer compromise, causing the Civil War. In the pre-Civil War era, political parties became identifying characteristics of Americans, and each party’s opposing viewpoint on slavery and a state’s rights to it divided the country into two perpetually arguing sections and laid groundwork for the Civil War. Before slavery had even emerged as a political issue, a Massachusetts Whig commented that if slavery was introducedRead MoreThe Causes And Effects Of The Civil War1564 Words   |  7 PagesThe causes and effects of the Civil War will be defined through the institution of slavery, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the military leadership of President Lincoln to resolve the uncompromising political position of the South/Confederacy. Lincoln’s â€Å"House Divided† speech will be an important primary source that defines the underlying resistance to the expansion of the slave states into new territories taken by the U.S. government in the 1850s. More so, the uncompromising and an increasingly militaristic

10 Argon Facts - Ar or Atomic Number 18

Argon is atomic number 18 on the periodic table, with the element symbol Ar. Here is a collection of useful and interesting argon element facts. 10 Argon Facts Argon is a colorless, flavorless, odorless noble gas. Unlike some other gases, it remains colorless even in liquid and solid form. It is nonflammable and nontoxic. However, since argon is 38% more dense than air, it present an asphyxiation risk because it can displace oxygenated air in enclosed spaces.The element symbol for argon used to be A. In 1957, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) changed argons symbol to Ar and mendeleviums symbol from Mv to Md.Argon was the first discovered noble gas. Henry Cavendish had suspected the elements existence in 1785 from his examination of samples of air.  Independent research by H.F. Newall and W.N. Hartley in 1882 revealed a spectral line that could not be assigned to any known element.  The element was isolated and officially discovered in air by Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay in 1894. Rayleigh and Ramsay removed the nitrogen, oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide and examined the remaining gas. Although other eleme nts were present in the residue of air, they accounted for very little of the total mass of the sample.The element name argon comes from the Greek word argos, which means inactive. This refers to the elements resistance to forming chemical bonds.Argon is considered to be chemically inert at room temperature and pressure.Most of the argon on Earth comes from the radioactive decay of potassium-40 into argon-40. Over 99% of the argon on earth consists of the isotope Ar-40.The most abundant isotope of argon in the universe is argon-36, which is made when stars with a mass about 11 times greater than the Sun are in their silicon-burning phase. In this phase, an alpha particle (helium nucleus) is added to a silicon-32 nucleus to make sulfur-34, which adds an alpha particle to become argon-36. Some of the argon-36 adds an alpha particle to become calcium-40. In the universe, argon is quite rare.Argon is the most abundant noble gas. It accounts for about 0.94% of the Earths atmosphere and a bout 1.6% of the Martian atmosphere. The thin atmosphere of the planet Mercury is about 70% argon.  Not counting water vapor, argon is the third most abundant gas in the Earths atmosphere, after nitrogen and oxygen. It is produced from fractional distillation of liquid air. In all cases, the most abundant isotope of argon on the planets is Ar-40.Argon has many uses. Its found in laser, plasma balls, light bulbs, rocket propellant, and glow tubes. Its used as a protective gas for welding, storing sensitive chemicals, and protecting materials. Sometimes pressurized argon is used as a propellant in aerosol cans. Argon-39 radioisotope dating is used to date the age of ground water and ice core samples. Liquid argon is used in cryosurgery, to destroy cancerous tissue. Argon plasma beams and laser beams are also used in medicine. Argon may be used to make a breathing mix called Argox to help remove dissolved nitrogen from the blood during decompression, as from deep-sea diving. Liquid a rgon is used in scientific experiments, including neutrino experiments and dark matter searches. Although argon is an abundant element, it has no known biological functions.Argon emits a blue-violet glow when it is excited. Argon lasers exhibit a characteristic blue-green glow.Because noble gas atoms have a complete valence electron shell, they are not very reactive. Argon does not readily form compounds. No stable compounds are known at room temperature and pressure, although argon fluorohydride (HArF) has been observed at temperatures below 17K. Argon forms clathrates with water. Ions, such as ArH, and complexes in the excited state, such as ArF, have been seen. Scientists predict stable argon compounds should exist, although they have not yet been synthesized. Argon Atomic Data Name Argon Symbol Ar Atomic Number 18 Atomic Mass 39.948 Melting Point 83.81 K (189.34 C, 308.81 F) Boiling Point 87.302 K (185.848 C, 302.526 F) Density 1.784 grams per cubic centimeter Phase gas Element Group noble gas, group 18 Element Period 3 Oxidation Number 0 Approximate Cost 50 cents for 100 grams Electron Configuration 1s22s22p63s23p6 Crystal Structure face-entered cubic (fcc) Phase at STP gas Oxidation State 0 Electronegativity no value on the Pauling scale Bonus Argon Joke Why dont I tell chemistry jokes? All the good ones argon!

Internship Report on Citi Bank - 11361 Words

INTERNSHIP REPORT CITI BANK LIMITED [pic] SUBMITTED TO: Head of internship committee. Department Of Business Administration Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Sub Campus Sahiwal SUBMITTED BY: Muhammad Umair Waqas BBA(Hons.) 6th semester Roll no: BBS-06 Department Of Business Administration Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Sub Campus Sahiwal PREFACE Banking sector owes a pivotal importance in the economy of any country through its vibrant functions. That is why being a banking and finance student it was necessary†¦show more content†¦And in order to fulfill our global corporate responsibilities, we are committed to providing programs and solutions that meet the needs of communities across Pakistan. We take our responsibility towards our community very seriously. Therefore, we remain committed to fulfilling our corporate responsibilities through initiating programs that meet the needs of communities across the country. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to city bank Early history Citi bank Pakistan Citi bank’s world Global consumer bank Global corporate and investment bank Milestones Commercial banking Corporate banking Work done by me Financial analysis Latest news about Citi bank Bibliography INTRODUCTION TO CITI BANK Citibank is a major international bank, founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York. Citibank is now the consumer and corporate banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup, one of the largest companies in the world. As of March 2007, it is the largest bank in the United States by holdings. Citibank has operations in more than 100 countries and territories around the world. More than half of its 1,400 offices are in the United States, mostly in the New York City, Chicago, Miami, and Washington DC metropolitan areas, as well as in California. In addition to the standard banking transactions, Citibank offers insurance, credit card and investmentShow MoreRelatedIntroduction to Debt Capital Markets1576 Words   |  7 PagesWill from the Inbetweeners RBS00000 3 Xin Miao – 2nd Year Analyst, DCM Appears geared towards Investment banking†¦ didn’t know what they were! Education Work Experience †¢ †¢ †¢ LSE BSc in Accounting Finance RBS Easter internship (DCM) RBS Summer internship (FI DCM) Current Role †¢ RBS Graduate programme – First rotation: Investment grade corporate bond origination – Second rotation (outside DCM): Energy Resources sector RBS00000 4 RBS Investment Banking Model GBM Read MoreProject Management Intern At Symphony Infotek Inc. Essay1502 Words   |  7 PagesPROJECT REPORT ON INTERNSHIP AT SYMPHONY INFOTEK INC SUPERVISOR NAME: Dr FARZIN HEIDARI STUDENT NAME : RAJA GUDIPUDI (K00366122) COURSE TITLE: GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT TERM : FALL 2016 JOB TITLE: PROJECT MANAGEMENT INTERN AT SYMPHONY INFOTEK CONTENTS 1. Abstract 2. About the Company 3. Time management in the Project 4. Agile Project Management 5.Projects undertaken by Symphony Infotek 6. ProjectRead MoreReport on Overall Financial Performance Analysis and Strategic Position of Scb11875 Words   |  48 PagesREPORT ON OVERALL FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS STRATEGIC POSITION OF STANDARD CHARTERED BANK (SCB) By M.M Ishtiaq ID# 0630018 An Internship Report Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Business Administration INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY, BANGLADESH 16th September, 2010 REPORT ON OVERALL FINANCIAL PERFORMANCEANALYSIS STRATEGIC POSITION OF STANDARD CHARTERED BANK (SCB) REPORT ON OVERALL FINANCIAL PERFORMANCEANALYSIS STRATEGIC POSITION OF STANDARDRead MoreFinancial Analysis of Prime Bank Limited16543 Words   |  67 PagesIntroduction of the report 1.1 Origin of the report A three months internship program with a particular organization and a report assigned by the academic supervisor is mandatory for every student of Bachelor of Business Administration of BRAC UNiveristy. I got the opportunity to do my internship in â€Å"The Prime Bank Limited†-Mohakhali Branch. I started my internship in Prime Bank Limited-Mohakhali Branch on 12th February and ended on 10th May 2012. Throughout my internship period Samina HaqueRead MoreInternship Report on Mcb20087 Words   |  81 Pagesin the organizational environment which is dramatically different from the educational environment. That two months period called â€Å"Internship Period†, if spent properly and sincerely, enables the students to be more confident, more knowledgeable, more responsible and, above all, more committed to its work in the  practical field. I have also been assigned to do internship of six weeks period in MCB Allama Iqbal Town Branch Lahore. It has enabled me to understan d the practical scenario and sharpen ourRead MoreDemat Sale Shares5961 Words   |  24 Pages[pic] FINAL REPORT ON EXECUTIVE TRAINING [pic] TITLE: To sell 24 Demat accounts worth Rs.2,00,000/- for 3 months for Sharekhan Limited in Nagpur city. GUIDED BY- Mrs. Parijad Dongure MR. CHIRAG JOSHI (Faculty Guide) (Company Guide) SUBMITTED BY: AJEET KUMAR Enroll. No.: 8NBNG010 Summer Internship Program 2009 Read MoreConsumer Lifestyle in Singapore35714 Words   |  143 Pagesimpact of the eurozone crisis. These factors have also affected growth in 2012. Economists   at   the   Trade   Ministry   have   said   that   they   expect   Singapore’s   GDP   to   grow   by    about 1.5% in 2012, down from a previous estimate of 2.5%. A recent report from the BBC quoted Michael   Wan,   Singapore   economist   at   Credit   Suisse,   who   said   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Singapore   is   an   open    economy, which means its open to the vagaries of the trade cycle. Anything that happens in developed   economies   outside   SingaporeRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesAdministration 265 Fair Labor Standards Act 265 The Civil Rights and Equal Pay Acts 265 Linking Concepts to Practice: Discussion Questions 283 Developing Diagnostic and Analytical Skills 283 Case Application 11: Re-Thinking Compensation at First Merit Bank 283 Working with a Team: Understanding Incentive Plans 283 Learning an HRM Skill: Pay-for-Performance Goal Setting 284 Enhancing Your Communication Skills 284 DID YOU KNOW?: The Minimum Wage Debate 267 Job Evaluation and the Pay Structure 267 JobRead MoreMedicare Policy Analysis447966 Words   |  1792 Pagesregarding abortion. Nondiscrimination on abortion and respect for rights of conscience. Authority of Federal Trade Commission. Construction regarding standard of care. Restoring application of antitrust laws to health sector insurers. Study and report on methods to increase EHR use by small health care providers. TITLE III—HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE AND RELATED PROVISIONS rmajette on DSK29S0YB1PROD with BILLS Subtitle A—Health Insurance Exchange Sec. 301. Establishment of Health InsuranceRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pageslower-level to mid-level management.6 Managers are also responsible for designing an organization’s structure. We call this function organizing. It includes determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made. Every organization contains people, and it is management’s job to direct and coordinate those people. This is the leading function. When managers motivate employees, direct their activities, select the

Critical Analysis of Recruitment and Selection Process of HRM

Questions: SG Cowen: New Recruits Chip Rae, director of recruiting at SG Cowen, looked out the conference room window at the falling flakes and wondered how fast the snow was accumulating. Most of the firms bankers had come in from Connecticut or Westchester to participate in the Super Saturday recruiting event, and he knew they were anxious to get home before the weather deteriorated and made travel dangerous. The interviews had finished at noon, and the candidates from various graduate schools had left for their flights right away. Now, the bankers were eating lunch, discussing interview results and making decisions. They were sitting in Giants Stadium, the banks largest conference room, and Rae had set the tables up in a U-shape so that he could stand in the front and still communicate with all 30 bankers. He posted placards with all the candidate names on the bulletin board and moved them around as they came up for discussion. The hiring meeting had moved rapidly through a number of candidates. The decision makers had agreed on candidates who were firm yeses and some other clear nos. Now was the tricky part: there were four candidates still left. Each person had some strong support among their interviewers but had also raised some questions. To reach the ideal class size after factoring in expected yield, Rae wanted to give out only two more offers. Investment Banking Industry in 2001 Consolidation in the investment banking industry was widespread, as major firms bought small banks, bought retail brokers, and considered partnering with commercial banks. Mergers and acquisitions (MA) and equities remained the highest-margin businesses but also very volatile, as deal volume and initial public offering (IPO) issuances could dry up very quickly in a downturn. In a down market, fixed incomes more stable revenue stream was especially welcome. Integrated banking groups such as Citigroup or JP Morgan Chase were sometimes able to win investment banking business away from the traditional bulge-bracket firms because of their ability to offer loans and other commercial banking capabilities. Some strategists believed the lending business was the wave of the future, while others targeted the custody business. The custody business, which involved holding and processing the buying and selling of securities for investors, was a low-risk fee-based business that was considered munda ne but offered regular opportunities for interaction and service to potential clients. Several investment banks reported declining profits, and some laid off staff to cut costs. The biggest expense on Wall Street was compensation costs, averaging 50% of revenue.1 In the prosperous years on Wall Street in the late 1990s, some firms had salary and bonus costs upwards of 60%, since firms signed multiyear contracts promising fixed bonus payouts to keep talent and also signed separate profit-sharing agreements with individual business groups to prevent them from spinning out on their own. Investment banks were also under increased scrutiny from regulators and the public, who were concerned about conflict of interest. Many new equity issues, especially in technology, had been supported by research analysts, particularly at the firms that had executed the IPOs. This loyalty to the banking clients came at the expense of the investors who followed analyst recommendations and bought stock in companies that often continued to decline. Firms were now developing better guidelines for keeping research teams independent from bankers and their clients. Investment banks fought for talent with firms in venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, consulting, and, for the last few years, tech companies. Banks were reassured to see students return to the fold, as they exhibited much more interest in established brand-name companies for secure jobs. However, the interest level had gone from one extreme to the other. Where banks had once feared they were only seeing second-tier candidates, now they had recruiting yields much higher than expected and struggled with how to handle all the new recruits as business slowed down. SG Cowen SG Cowen was born when Socit Gnrale purchased Cowen and Company in July 1998. Socit Gnrale was an international bank based in France, founded in 1864, nationalized in 1945, and privatized in 1987. By 2000, it was one of the worlds largest banks, with assets of over $430 billion as of December 2000. Like many European banks, it wanted a foothold in investment banking in the United States. Many of these banks had tried to create a beachhead in the U.S. but had not succeeded. Socit Gnrale had flirted with buying one of the CHARM banks for the past five years and decided Cowen was the best match culturally.2 By 2000, Socit Gnrales $600 million purchase of Cowen had started to pay off: SG Cowen went from an operating loss of $75 million in 1999 to an operating profit of $34 million the following year. Cowen began business as a bond brokerage house in 1918 and grew into a firm known for top-tier research and strong equity sales and trading capabilities. It was now also focused on building up its investment banking and MA advisory services. The new entity SG Cowen, numbering 1,500 professionals, planned to remain a boutique-sized firm but had access to the parent firms balance sheet. SG Cowens investment bankers focused on emerging growth companies in two volatile but highly profitable areas, health care and technology. This focused approach to banking depended on deep knowledge collected through its equity research team, highly regarded for its coverage of both health care and technology. Kim Fennebresque, president and CEO of SG Cowen, often described research as the edge of a wedge that created inroads with new clients. The firm had strong roots in Boston but had now opened several other offices, as far apart as San Francisco, Dallas, and London. This raised concerns about making sure employees in smaller offices were not isolated and also that they had full knowledge of and access to the resources of the global firm. As the firm grew, there were concerns that groups should make sure there were frequent interactions and that people should know about one anothers deals and proposals and make sure they coordinated their client activity. Fennebresque believed that SG Cowen should continue to grow geographically but stay industry focused: We will, under all circumstances, remain an emerging growth investment bank. Our geographical reach will extend to Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, but we will not stray from that focused sectoral agenda. We have in our midst, and will continue to attract, the highest-quality professionals who believe in that business model. The Hiring Process Like most firms on Wall Street, SG Cowen made hiring decisions in the early winter and spring of each year to fill a new class of associates who would begin that summer. Some associates had previously been employed by SG Cowen as analysts and were promoted to first-year associate at the end of their third year with the firm without going to business school.3 Other associates started out as interns in the summer between their first and second year of business school and subsequently were offered full-time employment at the end of their internship commencing the following summer. The hiring process for new outside associate hires began in the fall, when SG Cowen would make company presentations at its core business schools, where it participated in the on-campus recruiting programs. These schools were NYU, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Emory, USC, Washington University, Notre Dame, and Berkeley. SG Cowen would also accept resumes from students at noncore schools, where it was not partici pating in the on-campus program. Often SG Cowen professionals would conduct informational interviews with students in the office in advance of official first-round interviews. These interviews, which were not part of the formal process, were a chance for SG Cowen to gauge how serious and enthusiastic the candidates were and a chance for candidates to learn more about the firm and the industry before the interview in which they would be actually evaluated. Rae assigned team captains to every school at which SG Cowen recruited on campus so that students had a constant and familiar point of contact. Ideally, these team captains were banking professionals and not human resource professionals, and as often as possible, Rae would try to match up alumni with their own school. Gregg Schoenberg was team captain at the Johnson School of Business at Cornell, the school that currently provided SG Cowens highest recruiting yield. Schoenberg had joined the firm in August 1998 and now worked in the Equity Capital Markets Group. He became actively involved in recruiting at Cornell upon joining for two reasons. First was that he believed SG Cowen would benefit from the high quality of candidates at Cornell. Second was that he wanted to make it easier for Cornell grads to obtain investment banking positions on Wall Street. Schoenberg averred: In the bull market years, the Goldmans of the world would back up the recruiting truck to places like Harvard and invite slews of students to climb aboard. It was tougher for us because we didnt have the alumni base in New York. We came down here on our own nickel and really pounded the pavement. But you can turn a negative into a positive. Because Cornell students who do want to do banking have to show more initiative and be more focused, generally this makes them great hires. When Schoenberg had been hired, Cornell was not a core school, and Schoenberg described SG Cowen at the time as so-so receptive to people from noncore schools, mostly because the lack of an on-campus round made for disproportionate hassles to pin bankers down to do interviews and set up individual interview times in the middle of a regular workday. Coming from a nontraditional background in politics, Schoenberg felt SG Cowens interest in him really gained momentum once they knew he had been called back for second rounds at Lazard Freres. When Schoenberg recruited for SG Cowen, he said he always told candidates, It doesnt matter what you did before, what matters is that you have demonstrated a pattern of success. But he also said candidates had to be realistic about their fit, as he himself was. I couldnt outmodel a former Morgan Stanley analyst, he said. He moved to Equity Capital Markets from MA within his first few months because it played to my interests in the markets and my pers onality. People need to be fast learners, he said, because Wall Street doesnt have the patience to allow someone to develop slowly. Raes Strategy Schoenbergs advocacy for making Cornell a core school converged perfectly with Raes new strategy for choosing core business schools. We used to go to the top 10, Rae said, but at some of the top schools we were getting people in the middle of the class. Paying more attention to the next 15 schools in the top 25 was Raes new strategy. Rae, who graduated from Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, had originally been a banker himself at JP Morgan before moving into recruiting positions there and at Merrill, Smith Barney, and then SG Cowen. His previous employers were giants on the top 10 campuses, with huge recruiting budgets, recognized brand names, and, most importantly, much larger hiring needs, which meant that they received immediate student interest. At schools such as Emory and USC, SG Cowen could be a relatively bigger player and attract more attention from the best students. There was resistance initially from senior management, as this was viewed as going downstream. But Rae said, Senior managers eventually saw the wisdom. We were hiring at the top of the class, and these students also tended to be more loyal. We were not missing much by not going to the top schools. At each of the core schools, Rae scheduled a company presentation in advance of the interview dates. At the presentation, Rae guided the team captains to make sure they answered four questions quickly: who are we, what do we do, what distinguishes us from competitors, and what are the next steps. SG Cowen promoted the advantages of a boutique firm, arguing that there was less bureaucracy than at larger banks, that people could move much faster in their careers than at other banks, where they would be hired and promoted lockstep as part of a large class. Team captains talked about the advantages of small deal teams, which allowed for more exposure to clients, more responsibilities, and more entrepreneurship. Rae encouraged team captains to make a very short formal presentation and then allow a substantial amount of time to informally talk and answer questions. At schools like NYU, SG Cowen would be represented by an MD, who made the presentation, and then perhaps 20 alumni who could then have fairly substantial interaction with the expected 100 students who would show up. Some team captains like Schoenberg would tell students they could call him or come and see him (at their own expense) for informational interviews. This would help self-select students who really wanted to be prepared for first-round interviews by knowing more about the firm and also establishing a relationship with him. However, he admitted there was a fine line between helping students who were self-starters and giving them unfair advantage in the process. Some team captains put in a lot of time and effort, while some put in less. SG Cowen did not directly compensate or reward bankers for being involved in recruiting activities, but recruiting was included on the performance reviews leading to year-end bonuses. On-Campus Round At every core school, SG Cowen had two or three schedules comprising at least one open one, whereby students signed up based on interest, and the rest closed, whereby SG Cowen selected among previously submitted resumes. Rae said, In the past, Ive found as many good people on the open as the closed list. In the first rounds, interviewers tried to focus on which of these candidates could make it through Super Saturday. Schoenberg said, When I go up to interview, Im tough on candidates because I dont want to embarrass myself later on by endorsing weak candidates. Interviewers knew they would be held liable for the quality of candidates they brought back for Super Saturday, and their own reputation was diminished if they wasted the time of senior bankers at the firm interviewing candidates at Super Saturday who were clearly not appropriate. At the same time, Schoenberg said, When I see people who are prepared and have the eagerness, I fight very hard for them. While some bankers were especially tough, others were especially easy and wanted to be generous in their assessments of all the candidates. Rae said, This is where you see the beauty of writing comments down. At the end of a day of first-round interviews, the two or three people who had been interviewing would discuss whom they had seen. Rae tried to make detailed notes on resumes or on the evaluation sheets he had created, and he encouraged the bankers to do the same so they could recollect specific details about each candidate (see Exhibit 1 for a sample of Raes notes from past interviews). Most often there were two schedules, which would amount to 24 candidates. They would then try to narrow the list to six candidates and quickly have a second round, even that same night, on campus in order to cut half and invite the other half to Super Saturday. Rae said the firm usually wanted associates or senior associates to conduct first-round interviews: Were not aggressive about sending our most senior people out; we want to downstream the identification of talent and upstream the responsibility of closing on offers to senior people. Rae felt that often the senior-most people were removed from day-to-day concerns and tended not to be as demanding about the basic skills an associate needed, whereas those just a few years ahead of a first- year associate would be much more rigorous about assessing skills. He made sure senior bankers would be at Super Saturday, however, to judge whether potential associates also had the makings of a good long-term banker. In Raes view, long-term success did not come from building models, it came from loving the work, loving to teach and sell, and loving the hunt. The successful bankers had to feel the excitement of serving clients and the excitement of competing at the highest level. In this first round, he also instructed interviewers to test for culture fit. This could be as simple as asking someone whose work and education experience was entirely in the Midwest, Are you comfortable living and working in New York? Rae said, Sometimes they might be a diamond in the rough and they can make the transition, but cultural fit is important. Other bankers at SG Cowen agreed. One banker, Ryan Daws, pointed out, Its important having Chip in the process because there are only so many personality types in the world, and hes seen a lot more than we have. Daws said, HR at every bank has to earn credibility with bankers, but when you have someone like Chip who used to be a banker, it makes it easier. He also said, Certain types fail to succeed once they get here, which colors the interviewing process. For Daws, alarm signals went off when people did not dress appropriately, or when they asked questions like, Are the hours really as bad as they say? He acknowledged there was some ego involved on the interviewing side. No ones ever as good as I thought I was, he joked. Super Saturday Super Saturday in fact began on Friday afternoon, when candidates arrived from their various schools and convened with many of the interviewers for dinner and cocktails in the wine cellar of an elegant midtown restaurant. Fennebresque spoke at dinner, and, because he was a great speaker and because it was rare to get the attention of a CEO during recruiting, candidates were usually visibly impressed. On Saturday morning, interviews began at nine, and each interviewer and each candidate had five half-hour sessions with short breaks. Rae tried to keep these interviews moving and spent a lot of time gently tapping and then firmly knocking on bankers doors when they lost track of time. Super Saturday was exhausting for the interviewers as well as the interviewees, and Rae wanted to make sure the bankers saved some energy for the collective decision making. Thirty candidates had attended, which meant Rae had commandeered 30 bankers to come to Super Saturday. Rae said, Theyre giving up a S aturday, and they want to get out of here as fast as they can. But they get to make the decisions, and that brings them in here every year. Rae estimated from previous years that he should make 20 offers if his target was 15 acceptances. There were already eight hires from the summer associate program, and seven third-year analysts were being promoted, so this would achieve his objective of a full associate class of 30. Successful candidates received offers to join investment banking. Those who accepted returned for an orientation in April to meet with the banking groups that interested them most. By the time the training program started, each new associate was assigned to a group. The hiring meeting started as the bankers ate their lunch. The bankers usually felt very confident that they could whip through the list of candidates quickly, as they often assumed that others would have shared their view on the interviews they conducted. Bankers were always surprised at these meetings to find out how strong the disagreement could be. One managing director might be turned off by a candidate for being too salesy, I thought he was trying to snow me, and that same candidate could have appealed to another director for having great attitude, eager to contribute. Rae had to figure out how to let everyone weigh in and then build consensus around a decision. Building a Culture through Hiring Rae said, I try to get people to act and behave like a firm. He wanted to make sure bankers were not overly partial to candidates from their own alma maters and also that bankers did not hire people who would only succeed in their own group. At the same time he wanted to make sure that bankers did not relax standards and hire a candidate whom they thought of as good enough for the firm but not good enough for my group. Sometimes he would try to push a banker to a conclusion by saying, If you could only take one new associate to the CEOs office with you, which one would it be? Or at the other extreme, If I cant place her, shes going to be yours, how do you feel about that? One HR manager at SG Cowen commented: People on Wall Street are too hard on people who took some time to figure out what they want to do. But look at Kim Fennebresque, our CEO. He started out as a lawyer, and hes been incredibly successful in banking. But when people are hiring, they dont think of that. Personally, I think anyone who tells you in an interview that they wanted to be an investment banker since age 12 has led an incredibly dull life. Fennebresque said, We want to make sure people who are attracted to a place like this understand what this is. We want to ferret out people who love technology, who love emerging growth. Making the firm more visible to both potential clients and potential employees was one reason Fennebresque agreed to frequent appearances on CNBC and business segments on other news shows. So many people come to Wall Street for the wrong reasons, he said. Theyre dazzled by dough and dazzled by stature. People should figure out what they like to do, it matters even more than what theyre good at. I was perfectly good at law, but I sat in that law library at night and I thought the librarian was the Marquis de Sade torturing me. If you dont like what youre doing, even if youre good at it, eventually you and God are going to figure it out. Fennebresque spoke fondly of having started out in banking at First Boston in the 1980s during the firms heyday and in close view of the rise of Joe Perella and Bruce Wasserstein. Fennebresque said, I used to believe culture was an overrated Harvard buzzword, but First Boston made him realize how much culture mattered. We were young punks trying to elbow in on the big boys, and it worked, he said proudly. He was trying to bring some of that dynamism to SG Cowen. Because the investment bankers had all been hired from different firms to build SG Cowens banking platform, Fennebresque often used the metaphor of Ellis Island to exhort his bankers to come together and create a unified new culture. He also wanted to make sure they felt they had the support they needed to get their work done, and Fennebresque tried to give bankers as much autonomy and decision- making power as possible. Fennebresques involvement in recruiting events and his visibility with new and young employees stemmed from this desire to provide support. The most important clients are inside, not outside. I really believe that, he said. Hiring Criteria Rae tried to formalize the criteria by using grid sheets for the bankers to fill out and having them vote and make a case on behalf of their candidate. There were definitely bankers who resisted any kind of science in this process. Bill Buchanan, HBS 86, was head of Equity Capital Markets and had also come to SG Cowen from First Boston, like Fennebresque. The type of person who does well here doesnt want to be told what to do. He or she is far less regimented. This is not the Navy. We want the self-starter. Buchanan said he did put a lot of stock in resumes: It makes a big difference if they have been an entrepreneur. Most important, though, he hired for fit. He was even known to change the structure for fit, in that he had created jobs for people he thought SG Cowen should hire. As Buchanan put it, We can stretch for personality, and we can stretch for sparkle. Especially in ECM, Buchanan said, The human element, especially our creativity and energy, is why a company chooses us as f inancial advisor in the first place, especially on commoditized products. Were very hands on and high touch. Were not the volume leader, but we are a service leader. Candidates for Hiring The bankers assembled had assigned almost all the magnetic placards representing the applicants into decision groups. They had two spots remaining and four people in the maybe category from whom to choose.4 Natalya Godlewska Natalya Godlewska was an MBA student at Cornell and had earned an undergraduate degree in finance at an eastern European university. As an undergraduate, she had been the student with the highest grade point average (GPA) in the finance department, and she went on to serve as a graduate teaching assistant in the finance program at Cornells business school. She was originally from Poland and had moved to the U.S. at the age of 22. She spoke fluent Russian, Polish, and German and some French. Prior to business school, she had worked for four years for CommScan, a company that developed MA modeling software used by many major Wall Street firms. She had gone to the SG Cowen presentation at Cornell, called the bankers she had met to have informational interviews, and then had been one of the top candidates from Cornell sent on to Super Saturday. At Super Saturday, her interviews had mostly gone well, although there was some hesitation from two interviewers. Everyone was uniformly impressed with her finance background, her analytical knowledge, and her understanding of the financial markets. When one of the bankers had telephoned her references, her previous supervisor had responded positively about Godlewskas skills and also commented, This is the person I would want to bring to a tough negotiation. She seemed very determined, ambitious, and ready to work hard. But one associate and one managing director each expressed strong reservations for different reasons. The associate felt that Godlewska might not be a good culture fit with the other associates and that she had seemed stiff and uncomfortable during small talk at the opening of the interview and also at dinner the night before. The managing director felt that some bankers might lose patience with Godlewskas less-than- perfect English and that this would affect her ability to work smoothly with her managers. Other people on her interview schedule spoke up in her defense. Associates should be made to deal with people with different backgrounds, and it was all too easy to use culture as an excuse. One banker said he thought Godlewska would be a hit with clients because she was a go-getter and radiated positive energy and a can-do attitude. He said that though it might be an issue with impatient bankers on her team, her language skill would definitely not be an issue with clients because most of our clients think Wall Street types speak too fast anyway. Martin Street Martin Street was a second-year Wharton MBA who had previously served four years in the military. He had no business experience, but he had substantial leadership experience, most notably having led a rescue operation in war-torn Bosnia. He was president of his section at Wharton and also of the Running Club, having completed two marathons and one triathlon in the past year. All of his interviewers agreed that he came across as a dynamic personality and that he was confident and articulate. SG Cowen came to Wharton toward the middle of the recruiting period, so as one banker said, People either really want SG Cowen, or they didnt get offers from other firms. Street had told them he was taking several finance courses, but SG Cowen was not allowed to ask him about his grades because that was forbidden under Wharton recruiting rules. Cowen had difficulty scheduling Street for Super Saturday because he was always involved in recruiting events at other firms. He had said that he liked smaller firms and liked SG Cowens areas of specialization, but they still were unsure what the likelihood was that Street would accept the offer if it was extended. They were also wary of whether he would play firms against one another in terms of wanting additional time to interview and consider offers, which might prevent SG Cowen from being able to fill that slot with another top-choice candidate. One professional in recruiting said, If a person doesnt sign and accept the offer letter right away, weve made a mistake. Ken Goldstein Ken Goldstein was a second-year MBA at Berkeley who had previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers for five years. He had quickly risen to be a manager at PWC, managing multiple audit teams simultaneously, drawing up budgets and pricing for projects, making presentations to win business, and resolving technical accounting issues for clients. When SG Cowen called his reference at PWC, he confirmed, Kens performance appraisals put him in the top 5% of the firm. Everyone who had interviewed Goldstein liked him and thought he would represent SG Cowen well. In fact, when Rae looked over the written comments on all the evaluation forms, they were uniformly positive. Why hadnt Goldstein been an immediate yes, why was he one of the maybes that warranted this discussion? One banker said, I can tell you what everyones afraid to say. Ken is married and has two sons, a newborn and a two-year-old. Whatever he did at PWC, we cant tell at this stage of his life whether he really will be willing to work 24/7 like the rest of the associates. One of the senior associates said, Its hard on the other first years if we make allowances for Ken to pick up his kids at daycare or not work on a weekend when his wifes away. None of the first years expect to have a life, so what happens when they see Ken having a life? Some interviewers said Goldstein had openly talked about his intention to be able to balance a family with being a banker. One of his interviewers sa id, I commend him for trying, but I break promises to my kids all the time, to take them to the first day of school, to get home for a game. Another banker said, Its weird to say this, because we always say were looking for maturity, but I almost think Kens too mature. If he were on my team, I wonder if he would do what I tell him to do, or if hell dislike taking orders. Hes used to having a lot of responsibility and being in charge. Andy Sanchez Andy Sanchez was a second-year MBA at the University of Southern California and had completed his undergraduate degree in economics at UCLA. Sanchez had found early success as an entrepreneur, having started his own business during his first year of college, a Kaplan- style tutoring business to prepare students in Los Angeles for high school achievement tests and the SATs in both English and Spanish. After college, he ran the business full time for three years and then continued to run it while he enrolled in business school. Last year, his business had served 4,000 students at an average price of $500 per course, resulting in $2 million in revenue and clearing $400,000 in profits divided between himself and an equity provider. Sanchezs interviewers all found him enthusiastic and personable. He had talked to a lot of people at SG Cowen and had stopped into the New York office to have informational interviews or talk to other associates on several occasions when he was in the city for other meetings. He always sent follow-up e-mails and notes to everyone he spoke to, was friendly to the other candidates at Super Saturday, and was great at making people relax. He was well informed about the firm, telephoned other alumni from USC to talk to them about their banking experiences, and seemed as though he had been reading up on investment banking, speaking very cogently about recent landmark deals in some of his interviews. When asked whether he was sure he wanted to leave his business, he said he was ready for new challenges and that his younger brother was going to run it in his absence. The biggest concern interviewers had with Sanchez was from his resume, which listed a 2.8 for his undergraduate GPA. When asked about his business school GPA, Sanchez had said it was a 3.1. At a time when most schools including USC had a fair amount of grade inflation, SG Cowen bankers were concerned that he had had so many Cs on his record over the years. Were not looking for rocket scientists, but a 2.8 really sticks out, one banker said. Sanchez had pointed out to one of his interviewers that his SATs and GMATs were quite high and that his low grades only reflected the amount of work he was putting into running his business. Rae looked over the other resumes of the Super Saturday candidates, and Sanchez had a very competitive SAT score and one of the highest GMAT scores. Sanchez had told one of his interviewers, There was a lot of demand for our services, so we got excited and grew the business pretty fast, and I also needed to make enough money to put myself through school and th en put my two brothers through school. Unfortunately, that left me little time for studying. Decision Time The bankers were having a hard time deciding among the four candidates, and they were running out of energy. The snow was coming down faster, and most of the food was gone, the bankers now going back to the buffet for a second sandwich or some lukewarm pasta. They had made good progress, but choosing these last two candidates was not turning out to be an easy task. Rae remembered Fennebresques admonition to make the hiring process our most important priority. One banker spoke up, Chip, lets keep this meeting moving. The roads look bad, and its my anniversary tonight. If I dont get home soon, Im in deep trouble. Answer the following two questions. 1. Which two candidates would you select if you were a member of the recruiting committee?2. Evaluate SG Cowens recruitment and selection processes. Offer your recommendations to improve the processes. Answers: 1. The process of recruitment and selection can be considered as a very significant part of the human resource management. Principally the purpose of recruitment is prior to the process of selection. The process of recruitment comprises of the entire process of looking for possible candidates in order to fill up the actual or the probable or upcoming vacancies and hence it can be considered as a connecting link which brings together the people who are seeking jobs and who are ready to render jobs and opportunities to people (Zand et al., 2004). The primary objective is to recognize the suitable individual who would meet the requirements of the jobs and the specifications of the job. Keeping in mind these criteria of recruitment and selection procedure, the selection of the candidates needs to be done. Before choosing any particular candidate it is necessary to analyse the pros and cons of all the candidates. With regard to the first candidate, the things that should be noted were firstly the fact that she had received the highest grade point. Further she had good analytical knowledge, was determined, ambitious and hard working. However, she was stiff and reserved. The second candidate was confident, articulate with a dynamic personality and good leadership skills. But he did not have any business skills. The third candidate had good experience of working in a PricewaterhouseCoopers for five years. Nonetheless, the problem with him was that he was a family man and hence it can be construed that his productivity in work would be comparatively less and would also tend to have an adverse effect on the other young employers. The fourth candidate was an entrepreneur a nd also very friendly and well-informed. The problem with this candidate was that he had a very low GPA. Considering all the good qualities of the candidates present for the interview, an analysis needs to be made as to the two candidates who would finally be the most beneficial for the company. Firstly, it must be remembered that when recruiting the people as appropriate candidates there should always be a balance with regard to experienced candidates and young candidates. Hence if one candidate chosen is experienced the other candidate chosen should be more energetic and young and talented. Keeping in mind, these criteria, the first candidate that I would prefer to chose would be Ken Goldstein. This is because this candidate is more experienced than others and has also worked in a very reputed organization. Even though he is a family man, having worked in a reputed organization, he would be accustomed to deal with work pressures and also balance family and work at the same time. The other candidate that I would have chosen for the job would be Andy Sanchez. This candidate is chosen since he is a very good blend of experience, energy and enthusiasm. Even though his grades are less, it must be noted that he has a very good practical experience since he has previously been an entrepreneur. His practical experience along with his energetic attitude would be a good blend with Ken Goldstein and together according to me they would make a good input to the company. 2. Scholar Flippo had stated about the recruitment process that this process is primarily for searching for probable employees and ones who stimulate them to apply for the jobs in those organizations. Further according to another scholar Yoder, the process of recruitment mainly discovers the various sources of man power for meeting the requirements of the schedule of staffs and to input appropriate measures in order to attract manpower in proper manner and make smooth selection of an exact workforce (ijimt, 2010). Hence recruitment is one extremely important function that is mainly carried out by the administration department. On the other side selection is another important criteria that secures the right information given regarding the applicant (Zand et al., 2004). The purpose of the selection process is to identify whether the potential candidate has enough qualification that is required for the specific job and in most cases it is observed that this is a very lengthy process. This entire process starts with the interview and concludes with the contract of employment. The company of SG Cowen is an extremely well known organization that has found a very good base in its area of expertise. With regard to the hiring decisions of the company, it has been observed that the company has a firm procedure for recruitment. The hiring decisions of the company are generally made during the early winter and also during spring every year. During this time mainly the new class of associates are filled who would begin work during summer. Some of the associates who had previously been employed by the company presently work as analysts and after the end of the third year they are promoted to the level of first year associates. The hiring process of the firm for the entirely new and fresh associates generally commence with the fall season. An examination of the hiring procedures of the company depicts that the company is not very strict with the removal of the senior employees. The idea is primarily to decrease the recognition of talent and increase the responsibilities relating to closing of the offers for the senior people. In the case of senior employees, the general method that is followed is that these employees are shifted from the day to day concerns of the company and are placed in the not so demanding works and skills. In those places of the senior associates the first year associates would be placed who would be more precise with regard to the assessment of skills. The principle that the company follows consid ering the hiring process is that it is the long term success that the company aims at and such a good association would be possible only when all the associates love the entire process of work that they do that includes the teaching, selling etc. As we have understood with regard to this process of recruitment and selection, that is process is extremely essential for the smooth running of any organization. For any recruitment procedure, the human resource management of the organization has to stress on the selection of the right person and in order to maintain that they should be hired from campus placements, job portals and data banks (Taylor, 2008). With regard to the given company, the organization has referred to the campus placements and data banks. However, not much has been stated about the job portals. This particular sphere has been probably missed by the recruitment team. One recommendation to the organization would be to include the job portals for the process of hiring. In most cases the selection is done by evaluating the skills of the candidates along with the knowledge and abilities that is an essential requirement in most organizations (Taylor, 2007). One more criteria that are extremely significant is the motivation of the employees. It needs to be mentioned that in this regard the company has maintained a good reputation. This organization takes good care of the seniors as well as the new employees who are generally trying to give their best possible efforts in the company. In order to improve this enthusiasm it is necessary provide them with good offers and incentives in both ways monetary and non-monetary. These existing recruitment and selection procedures are required to be followed so that the company is able to give good returns (Government of UK, 2011). Further another suggestion would be that the company should give more significance to the existing external sources such as the agencies or the references or the data banks so that they get the desired and appropriate candidates. Additionally while recruiting it must be kept in mind that there should be a good balance of experienced as well as fresh and young candidates for the company to have a smooth run. References Government of UK, (2011).A qualitative study exploring employers recruitment behaviour and decisions: small and medium enterprises. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214529/rrep754.pdf [Accessed 25 Feb. 2015]. ijimt, (2010).Recruitment and Selection Process. [online] Available at: https://www.ijimt.org/papers/77-M469.pdf [Accessed 25 Feb. 2015]. Taylor, I. (2007).A practical guide to assessment centres and selection methods. London: Kogan Page Ltd. Taylor, I. (2008).The assessment and selection handbook. London: Kogan Page. Zand, D., Thomson, N., Dugan, M., Braun, J., Holterman-Hommes, P. and Hunter, P. (2004). The Recruitment Process.Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 3(2), pp.43-54.

Understanding While the Auto Waits free essay sample

Parkenstacker, has been coming to this very park for quite some time following this same maiden. The mystery woman goes into great detail about her life, her millions†¦as if she is so discontent and drawn overly bored with the statures and stipulations of the upper class. She almost makes it seem as if she is in a class above that of which is consider â€Å"upper†, as if almost a royal figure by the mentioning of â€Å"the Drake and the Prince†. She makes mention of this figures of royalty when the young man questions if she will truly be able to fall in love with just a common man. By never offering her name to Mr. Parkenstacker she has left so much to be desired for in this short play, so much more you want to initially know about her. I start imagining if she is the heir to a textile fortune, possibly from a wealthy family with a rich history in banking on the most supreme of levels. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding While the Auto Waits or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Early on you do not even realize that Parkenstacker is doing just the same as the young lady is. They are both putting on airs as they say, each wanting to unknowingly trade shoes for a day or for an eternity even. Mr. Parkenstacker is portraying to a commoner who has not true idea of having financial authority but claiming to consider he somewhat a connoisseur of the rich and well-to-do class. He begins by attempting to summarize up what her life is like which leads to her expounding more on her alleged lifestyle. The young lady almost seems as if she wants out of this dreaded long life of balls, dinners, plays, operas, and being around other people only drawn to her by her financial status or monetary circles. She is living in a world where your name is so powerful she feels as if she cannot dare give him that small piece of information for he will surely know just who he is talking with on this park bench. Then we have a break in the play when the waitress from the restaurant across the street enters the park, evidently looking for this young lady whom we now address as Mary-Jane Parker. Claiming that she is tired of her pulling off these shenanigans and being late for work a third time and the owner being furious. The waitress is the vital part of this play for if not for her we would have left off thinking Mr. Parkenstacker was a poor common man and the aforementioned unknown lady was of the wealthy class. As the chauffer finally approaches Mr. Parkenstacker and the end and asks him shall he cancel the dinner reservations, then and only then do we see what has transpired. Mr. Parkenstacker is actually the wealthy one and he has been attempting to ask this lady, Mary-Jane Parker out on a date for quite some time but the one time he has had the courage to approach her she has been called out in scandal. The 10-minute play â€Å"While the Auto Waits† by O. Henry sticks the guildine of such a work defined by the Kennedy Center based on the fact it uses two main characters, it exposes a plot almost immediately, and it brings a story full circle in such a short period of time without a change of scenes.