Vanguard Case Analysis Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Vanguard Case Analysis After reading through the Vanguard case, there were a few difficult forks in the road that Vanguard seems to be facing. The company’s future can be greatly affected by some of these difficult choices. Vanguard has to decide whether to change their investment offerings, further develop Internationally, or to simply advertise to increase their client base. Top managers at Vanguard have to step up to the plate and rollout detailed plans as to what path the company should take regarding some of these issues. Through our in-class discussions, the majority of the students argued on one major problem that Vanguard was facing. The problem entailed Vanguards ability to increase future customers without increasing costs. Markets are ever-changing, and the ability of companies to adapt to these changes is the key to survival. One company mentioned specifically in the case was Citigroup. Their ability to adapt to market changes and become a giant in the investments segment as a â€Å"one-stop financial supermarket† is a prime example. Should Vanguard take on this type of adaptation or stick to their current business objectives? One interesting quote Brennan in the case stated â€Å"In the future, nothing about Vanguard’s values will change,† but â€Å"everything about the way we do business must change.† With this in mind, the question is what must change for Vanguard to succeed and continue to earn revenue and gain customers without increasing costs? ...

Biological Theories and Criminal Behavior Essay

Biological theories address deviant behavior as a relationship between biological factors, and social norms in respect to crime. The theories address behavior of an individual based upon his or her biological impact. Schmalleger, (2008) points out a connection to social environments and the impact upon human behavior. The connection has validity because of human thoughts and activities are constantly flowing through the brain providing an impact relating to behavior. Researchers base biological theories on flaws relating to heredity, dysfunction of the brain’s neurotransmitters, injuries, trauma, or abnormalities involving the brain affecting behavior (Raine, 2002). Brain development is a biological theory providing information connecting damage of the frontal lobes located in the brain’s cerebrum to criminal behavior. The brain is similar to a computer sending messages to the body and when the messages cannot be delivered it is because of a dysfunction that has occurre d in the brain. The frontal lobes and the limbic system are two of the major areas of the brain involving behavior. The frontal lobes are responsible for reasoning, problem solving, and emotions (Allen & Harper, 2010). The limbic system contains electrical circuitry controlling emotions and motivation (Allen & Harper, 2010). The amygdala when stimulated produces behavior related to emotions, memory and fear. When the amygdala is functioning properly it produces the proper behavioral reaction or response to the event that is happening (Allen & Harper, 2010) When damage occurs to the frontal lobes the ability to reason or censor thoughts, and actions will become impaired leading to maladaptive behavior, aggression, or anti-social behavior (Allen, & Harper, 2010). A study by Antonio Damasio provided information relating to injuries of the frontal lobes may be responsible for anti- social behavior (Crime Times, 2007). The study revealed that damage to the frontal lobes was evident when monitoring the individuals who were injured when he or she exhibited social skills and behavior (Phillips, 2012). Patients who were able to handle and deal with decisions previously in his or her personal life were no longer able to do so (Phillips, 2012). Intellectually there was no change but when he or she had to make a decision involving emotions and feelings the abnormalities in behavior were exhibited (P hillips, 2012). Phineas Gage is the major example relating to the damage to the frontal lobes and change in  behavior. He worked as a foreman on the railroad engaged in construction work. There was an explosion when the tampering rod he was using ignited the blasting powder and the tampering rod entered his head just below the jaw traveling through the frontal lobe of his brain exiting the top of his head. After the initial recovery he began to exhibit violent, aggressive, and anti-social behavior (Crime Times, 2007). Phineas Gage was a mild mannered individual prior to his accident but after the injury to the frontal lobe he became just the opposite a man exhibiting aggression and anti-social behavior. The inability to make rational decisions, control aggression, and emotions has a possible connection to criminal thoughts and behavior. Ongoing research relating to the connection of crime and brain dysfunction will perhaps provide a more solid explanation in the near future. Neuropsychological factors may interfere with the ability to make important functional and executive decisions on a daily basis (Bartol & Bartol, 2011). Abnormalities in the brain may increase the aggression while preventing the ability to control aggressive behavior (Bartol & Bartol, 2011). The central nervous system provides a route for electrical impulses relating to thought, behavior, and emotions traveling to and from the brain. Synapses are the gaps between the cells of the nervous system and chemicals known as neurotransmitters provide the impulses the means of connecting to the synapses (Allen & Harper, 2010). When electrical impulses are interrupted researchers believe it is the result of low levels of neurotransmitters that interfere with emotions and produce aggressive behavior. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and when the levels drop there is a proven relationship between violence and behavior (Allen & Harper, 2010). The anti-social behavior and chemical imbalances are prevalent in alcoholics. Malnutrition in children also inhibits the growth and development of the brain. Cognitive deficiencies and underdeveloped brains place children and adolescents at risk for anti-social behavior (Bartol & Bartol, 2011). Dysfunctions in the brain relating to growth, chemical imbalance and injuries prevent the ability to address issues, exhibit proper emotions and solving problems inhibit behavior acceptable in society. The brain controls the entire body and mental capacity to make proper, logical, and informed choices when dealing with risk factors influencing criminal behavior. References Allen, C. & Harper, V. (2010). Laboratory Manual for Anatomy and Physiology, Fourth Edition / Edition 4 Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated Hoboken, NJ ISBN-13: 9781118135662 Crime Times, (2007) A lesson from history†¦ Phineas Gage and frontal lobe damage. Retrieved from http://www.crimetimes.org/98d/w98dp5.htm Phillips, J. (2012). The Brain and Crime: What is the relationship here? Retrieved from http://drjezphillips.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/the-brain-and-crime-what-is-the-relationship-here/ Raine, A. (2002). The biological basis of crime. In J.Q Wilson & J. Petrsilia (Eds.) Crime: Public policies for crime control. Oakland: ICS Press.

Southwest Airline essays

Southwest Airline essays Employees are managed in a variety of ways and these differences are largely due to the differences in the environments of the organization. For instance, some companies seem to hire just about anybody while others are highly selective. Some companies provide extensive training for their employees while others simply see if they will survive. Organizations must often change quickly due to pressures put on them by the global environment. There are some similarities in the way that the people of Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines have developed their organizations. For example, both organizations place great value on their employees. At Lincoln job security is important. There have been no layoffs since World War II. Even during the recession from 19881-1983 nobody at Lincoln lost his job. Southwest also realizes that its employees provide them with their competitive advantage and employees are rewarded for a job well done through profit sharing. Overall, both companies realize that the employees are the direct link to the customers and without happy employees there are no happy customers. Lincoln and Southwest have both developed an organization that has the reputation of a good place o work. On the other hand, there are many ways in which Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines differ in the way they have developed their organizations. First of all, Southwest seems to place a lot more emphasis on selection. As a result, Southwests selection process is much more developed than Lincolns. Lincoln uses no aptitude or psychological testing, while Southwest uses extensive personality testing. Next, Lincoln has a more developed system for performance evaluation. Subordinates are formally evaluated by their supervisors twice a year. Southwest, on the other hand does not have much of a performance appraisal system. Also, Southwest has a more developed system of training. At Southwest all employees must a...

Coboalt essays

Coboalt essays Cobalt My report is about the element Cobalt. Cobalt is the 27th element on the periodical table and has an atomic number of twenty-seven. It has a symbol of Co. Cobalt ¹s atomic weight is 58.9332. It has a melting point of 1,490Ã… ¡ C. and a boiling point of 2,900Ã… ¡ C. Cobalt looks almost exactly like iron and nickel. Cobalt is between iron and nickel on the periodical table and found in only . 001-.002 percent of the earth ¹s crust. Cobalt was first found in the Harz Mountains. People in the silver mines dug up arsenic cobalt ores. Then, because they thought the ores contained copper, heated the ores releasing arsenic trioxides. Cobalt was named after the German kobold. A kobold was said to be an underground goblin or demon. In 1735 cobalt was identified. Cobalt is a white metal with a bluish cast. It is magnetic and very hard and does not tarnish. Cobalt has many uses and I will talk about some of them. It is a very expensive metal that is used in the manufacture of very ma ny expensive alloys. Cobalt-iron alloys have very unique and special magnetic properties. For example, Hyperco is used as the nucleus in strong electromagnets. Alloys containing titanium, aluminum, cobalt and nickel can be made to become permanently magnetic. One alloy, called Stellite, is an alloy of cobalt, chromium, tungsten, and molybdenum. This alloy is extremely hard and keeps its hardness at extreme temperatures. It has many uses: cutting tools are made of it along with gas turbines. Zaire is the world ¹s largest producer of cobalt with 65% of the world ¹s reserve. Cobalt is a common trace element found in food. It is a component of vitamin B12. It is important to our health. But excessive amounts may cause nausea, damage to the heart, kidneys, and nerves, and even cause death. I think that Cobalt is a neat element. Before I did this report I knew nothing of Cobalt. Now I know how they use it as an alloy and in other ways. ...

Free Essays on Pertinent Issues Of Adolescence

Pertinent Issues of Adolescence During adolescent years, most people experience many stressful situations under the influence of peer pressure. Most of them have a negative impact on one’s life. At colleges, universities, and other places where youngsters spend their free time, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and delinquency take their place. It’s difficult to resist the pressure that is put on one’s strong will. However, an individual with a good self-esteem, many friends, and good relationship with parents, successfully gets through this period of life unharmed. On the other side, some adolescents might face number of dangerous situations, such as eating disorder, alcoholism, drugs, suicidal behavior, violence, depression, stress, etc which could temporarily or permanently damage their self-image. Due to some negative influence and an impaired value system, some teenagers get involved in delinquent behavior. Alcohol and Drugs First, and most common risk factor of adolescent development, is alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol is the most famous stimulating substance among teens. It is consumed at almost every social occasion. Many underage people consume alcohol at their friend’s house, in bars, or at home. Colleges and universities are the most popular place to create one’s drinking habits. Students get together nearly ever night and have parties where alcohol is served. Whether it’s a weekend or a weeknight, is not of their concerns. It’s like a routine to get drunk at least two times a week. Most of these students become addicted to regular drinking. Most of them are heavy drinkers, consuming five or more drinks of alcohol in one day. Due to these adventures, students miss their classes, regret their actions, forget their behavior, have unplanned sex, or experience severe hangovers. In addition, majorities of these drinkers are â€Å"binge† drinkers, consuming one glass of alcohol after another until they can’... Free Essays on Pertinent Issues Of Adolescence Free Essays on Pertinent Issues Of Adolescence Pertinent Issues of Adolescence During adolescent years, most people experience many stressful situations under the influence of peer pressure. Most of them have a negative impact on one’s life. At colleges, universities, and other places where youngsters spend their free time, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and delinquency take their place. It’s difficult to resist the pressure that is put on one’s strong will. However, an individual with a good self-esteem, many friends, and good relationship with parents, successfully gets through this period of life unharmed. On the other side, some adolescents might face number of dangerous situations, such as eating disorder, alcoholism, drugs, suicidal behavior, violence, depression, stress, etc which could temporarily or permanently damage their self-image. Due to some negative influence and an impaired value system, some teenagers get involved in delinquent behavior. Alcohol and Drugs First, and most common risk factor of adolescent development, is alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol is the most famous stimulating substance among teens. It is consumed at almost every social occasion. Many underage people consume alcohol at their friend’s house, in bars, or at home. Colleges and universities are the most popular place to create one’s drinking habits. Students get together nearly ever night and have parties where alcohol is served. Whether it’s a weekend or a weeknight, is not of their concerns. It’s like a routine to get drunk at least two times a week. Most of these students become addicted to regular drinking. Most of them are heavy drinkers, consuming five or more drinks of alcohol in one day. Due to these adventures, students miss their classes, regret their actions, forget their behavior, have unplanned sex, or experience severe hangovers. In addition, majorities of these drinkers are â€Å"binge† drinkers, consuming one glass of alcohol after another until they can’...

Tools of Managerial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tools of Managerial Economics - Essay Example Competitive markets, Market power and imperfect markets are the three main areas of interest in managerial economics. Managerial economics underlies the basic factors which monitor the process of a manager - the external and internal factors. As the implies the internal factors lie in the purview of a manager and correspondingly microeconomics define the basic tenets of managerial economics. Thus managerial economics has a more limited scope - it is more application of microeconomics to managerial issues. Thus when we try to analyze a basically macroeconomic phenomenon, the fall of the Socialistic regime in Eastern Europe, we will be basically analyzing the forces which defined the characteristics of different markets in this market under several external forces, the most important being government intervention. Individuals are found to share common motivations that lead them to behave rationally in making economic choices - this is the foundation of managerial economics. This implies that an individual who, when faced the same choices at two different times, will behave in the same way during both the times (Varian 2005). The entire conceptual base is economics is built on the theory of Demand and Supply - the main pillars on which the subject stands. Thinking of the buying process as a contest, demand and supply are the forces which monitor and shape the strategies that the two sides adopt in the market. The aspect of nations it is demand and supply again which determine the level and efficiency in the macro levels of economic activity. The political and economic systems built by the communists in eastern Europe started on its route to collapse by 1973. A prime economic problem of allocation occurred - the planners in this socialist economy stressed on the allocation of a large share of its GNP to in armaments production and heavy industries. This investment, done at the cost of living, led to the immobilization of a large number of resources. Thus the U.S.S.R. was at one time leading the world in the production of several primary goods like coal, oil, electricity, steel, and cement, which was not getting reflected in the final products or finished goods. When one tries to understand the reason for the collapse of the system in U.S.S.R, one should realize that this is a classic example of how the extreme government expenditure has caused a nation's economy to go bankrupt. This is a classic example of a situation where a perfect market has been suppressed - factors of production were being employed at abnormal prices and market demand was being met by a monopolist - the state here. Economists and managers alike, build models of economic behaviour by inductive reasoning. The model is tested with actual empirical data. If the tests support the model, it can be accepted; otherwise, it should be revised. The situation in eastern Europe has thrown across several important information – like the growth of an economy in the midst of severe administrative bottlenecks, the lack of meaningful foreign trade, and political dissonance.  Ã‚  

Individual Project Drugs and Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Project Drugs and Crime - Essay Example Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Other effects included slowed and slurred speech, slow gait, constricted pupils, droopy eyelids, impaired night vision, vomiting, and constipation. surge of pleasure that rapidly follows administration of some drugs. Long term effects: Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time. Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulites, and liver disease .Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not really dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. (www.drugsfree.com) Two cases of crimes due to consumption of LSD can be focused. First, the case of Stephen Kessler stands out because of the style and magnitude of the headlines in April 1967, which declared him a "Mad LSD Slayer" and "LSD Killer" because he reportedly said to the police as he was being arrested: "Man, I've been flying for three days on LSD." Although it was later reported that Kessler had last taken LSD more than a month before the killings and had actually been on "three quarts of lab alcohol" and "one-and-a-half grains of pentobarbital", this data was trumpeted with somewhat less fanfare. The second major LSD-related crime that splashed across televisions, newspapers, and magazines was that of the murderous cult of personality around Charles Manson. When several members of the group were... Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time. Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulites, and liver disease .Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not really dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. Two cases of crimes due to consumption of LSD can be focused. First, the case of Stephen Kessler stands out because of the style and magnitude of the headlines in April 1967, which declared him a "Mad LSD Slayer" and "LSD Killer" because he reportedly said to the police as he was being arrested: "Man, I've been flying for three days on LSD." Although it was later reported that Kessler had last taken LSD more than a month before the killings and had actually been on "three quarts of lab alcohol" and "one-and-a-half grains of pentobarbital", this data was trumpeted with somewhat less fanfare. The second major LSD-related crime that splashed across televisions, newspapers, and magazines was that of the murderous cult of personality around Charles Manson. When several members of the group were indicted for high profile murders in 1969, it was big national news. The media carried extensive mentions of the use of LSD, Datura, and other drugs by the members of the â€Å"Manson Family†. Kasabian spent eighteen days on the witness stand during which Manson’s attorney repeatedly returned to questions about her LSD use, trying to depict her as a person who could not tell fact from fantasy.