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Company Analysis Sears Holding Corporation free essay sample

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Matisse - The Green Line essays

Matisse - The Green Line essays Stylistic Analysis of Madam Matisse: The Green Line Henry Matisse, one of the most influential members of the Fauve movement, was responsible for much of the attention brought to it and its respective members. One of his works, Madame Matisse: The Green Line, more or less serves as an excellent example of what he was trying to accomplish in art: the use of color to express and convey emotionsThe composition of the work consists of a portrait of Madame Matisse in the foreground and a background divided into several distinct areas of color. The division in the background is apparent in the juxtaposition of the mauve, orange and blue green, with the foreground divided primarily by the green strip itself, which runs down the middle of Madam Matisses face and separates the painting along a vertical axis. The background and foreground, however, are rendered almost completely flat, so that they seem to become part of one another, and Madame Matisse seems to become somewhat of a portrait within a portraitThe space in the portrait is more or less two dimensional, with only a slight hint of depth illustrated by a dark area of shading above Madame Matisses left shoulder. The perspective is entirely frontal with her torso angled to the left and her head slightly to the rightColor, along with the subject of Madame Matisse, is the focus and most important element of the work. Matisse has used color here to illustrate a sense of the emotions he feels for his wife. These colors are primarily bright, striking colors such as orange, red, yellow, mauve and bright green accompanied by the use of a cooler, calmer blue-green and black. The combination of these colors is non-naturalistic and provides a contrast that is readily apparent to the eye. Additionally, the colors that Matisse has chosen are enriched with a personal emotion that seems to make them even more striking in the way in which they ...

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Congressional Oversight and the U.S. Government

Congressional Oversight and the U.S. Government Congressional oversight refers to the power of the United States Congress to monitor and, if necessary, change the actions of the executive branch, including the many federal agencies. The primary goals of congressional oversight are to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, and to protect civil liberties and individual rights by ensuring that the executive branch complies with the laws and the Constitution. Derived from its â€Å"implied† powers in the U.S. Constitution, public laws, and House and Senate rules, congressional oversight is one of the key elements of the American system of checks and balances of power.   Key Takeaways: Congressional Oversight Congressional oversight refers to the power of the U.S. Congress to monitor and change, if necessary, the actions of the executive branch, including the many federal agencies.The main goals of congressional oversight are preventing waste, fraud, and abuse, and protecting rights and civil liberties.Congressional oversight is one of the â€Å"implied† powers granted to Congress by the â€Å"necessary and proper† clause of the Constitution.In empowering the legislative branch of government to oversee the executive branch, congressional oversight forms a key element of the system of checks and balances of power. The scope of Congress’ powers of oversight extends to virtually all programs, activities, regulations, and polices implemented by the presidential cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, regulatory boards and commissions, and the President of the United States. Should Congress find evidence that an agency has incorrectly applied or exceeded its powers, Congress can pass a law overruling the action or narrowing the agency’s regulatory authority. Congress can also limit an agency’s power by reducing its funding in the annual federal budget process.   Oversight Definition Dictionaries define â€Å"oversight† as â€Å"watchful and responsible care.† In the context of congressional oversight, this â€Å"watchful and responsible care† is applied through a wide variety of congressional activities, including detailed investigations of program spending appropriations and re-authorizations requests. Oversight may be conducted by standing and select congressional committees, and through reviews and studies conducted by congressional support agencies and staff.   In Congress, oversight comes in many forms including: Hearings and investigations conducted by the standing or special congressional committees;Consulting with or getting reports directly from the president;Giving its advice and consent for certain high-level presidential nominations and for treaties;Impeachment proceedings conducted in the House and tried in the Senate;House and Senate proceedings under the 25th Amendment should the president become disabled, or the office of the vice president becomes vacant;Senators and Representatives serving on presidentially-appointed commissions; andSpecial studies conducted by congressional committees and support agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office, the General Accountability Office, the Office of Technology Assessment, and the Congressional Research Service. Powers of Congress: When ‘Necessary and Proper’ While the Constitution does not formally grant Congress the authority to oversee the actions of the executive branch, oversight is clearly implied in the many enumerated powers of Congress. The power of congressional oversight is further reinforced by the â€Å"necessary and proper† clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18) of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power, â€Å"To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.† The necessary and proper clause further implies that Congress has the power to investigate the actions of the executive branch. It would be impossible for Congress to apply its oversight powers without knowing whether federal programs are being administered properly and within their budgets and whether executive branch officials are obeying the law and complying with the legislative intent of the laws.   The U.S. Supreme Court has confirmed the investigative powers of Congress, subject to constitutional safeguards for civil liberties. In the 1927 case of McGrain v. Daugherty, the Court specifically found that, in investigating actions taken by the Department of Justice, Congress had constitutionally considered a subject â€Å"on which legislation could be had or would be materially aided by the information which the investigation was calculated to elicit.† Statutory Mandated for Congressional Oversight Along with the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution, several important laws provide broad mandates for the power of congressional oversight. For example, the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 requires the executive agencies to consult Congress when developing their strategic plans and report on their plans, goals, and results at least annually to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).   Perhaps the most impactful, the Inspectors General Act of 1978 created within each executive branch agency an independent watchdog Office of Inspector General (OIG) assigned to investigate and report on problems of waste, fraud, and abuse to Congress. The Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 requires the OIGs to identify and report the most serious management and performance problems within the agencies they monitor.   Indeed, one of the first laws passed by the First Congress in 1789 established the Treasury Department and required the Secretary and the Treasurer to report directly to Congress on public expenditures and all accounts. Congressional Oversight Committees Today, as in the earliest days of the Republic, Congress exercises its power of oversight largely through its congressional committee system. The rules of both the House and Senate allow their committees and subcommittees to practice â€Å"special oversight† or â€Å"comprehensive policy oversight,† on issues relating to legislation under their jurisdiction. At the highest level, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, have oversight jurisdiction over virtually every area of the federal government.   In addition to these and other standing committees, Congress has the power to appoint temporary â€Å"select† oversight committees to investigate major problems or scandals within the executive branch. Examples of inquiries conducted by select committees include the Watergate scandal in 1973-1974; Iran-Contra affair in 1987; and the suspected acquisition of U.S. nuclear weapons by China in 1999.  Ã‚   Famous Examples of Congressional Oversight Over the years, government officials have been exposed and ousted, major policies have been changed, and the degree of statutory control over the executive branch has been increased as a result of Congress’ oversight powers. In 1949, a select Senate subcommittee discovered corruption within the administration of President Harry S. Truman. As a result, several agencies were reorganized and a special White House commission was appointed to investigate evidence of corruption in all areas of government.In the late 1960s, televised hearings of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the so-called Pentagon Papers solidified public opposition to continued U.S. participation in the Vietnam War, hastening the end of the conflict.Less than a year after details of the 1973 Watergate scandal were exposed, the House Judiciary Committees impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon resulted in his resignation from office.  More recently, during 1996 and 1997, the Senate Finance Committee investigated and confirmed whistleblower reports from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax collection agents that they had been pressured by their supervisors to harass citizens who claimed they had been wrongly accused o f owing unpaid taxes. As a result, Congress, in 1998, passed legislation to reform the IRS by creating a new independent oversight board within the agency, extending the rights and protections of taxpayers, and shifting the burden of proof in tax disputes from taxpayers to the IRS. In these and countless other cases, the power of congressional oversight has been essential in monitoring and checking the powers of the executive branch and helping improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of federal government operations in general. Sources Halchin LE (2012). â€Å"Congressional Oversight.† CRS report to Congressâ€Å"Congressional Oversight of the Executive.† Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress. US House of Representativesâ€Å"McGrain v. Daugherty.† Oyez.org

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Jinikin Jeans Human Resource Analysis and Strategies Essay

Jinikin Jeans Human Resource Analysis and Strategies - Essay Example By Jinkin Jeans beginning to alter the way in which they approach the structures within the company, there will be the ability to create a different set of return with the company while moving toward increased growth within the corporation. Analysis of People Management The main problem with Jinkin Jeans is noted first through the outcome of the performance that is a part of the company. The human resource management which occurs in a business directly reflects how the external environment responds and what is required for improvement by those which are functioning within a corporation. To alter this, there is the need to analyze the performance of the external environment first then to link this back to the way in which the human resources are functioning within the company (Paul, 2003). For Jinkin Jeans, this is noted with the external performance. There is difficulty in keeping up with the latest trends and fast pace of fashion that is required for the environment. More important, there are continuous complaints from customers and the inability to deliver the right products to those who are interested in the jeans. These are causing for lower performance and for competitors to move ahead of the jean company. The problem links to the management of those working for the company, knowledge of the vision of the corporation and the way in which the different development of jeans is being handled, both in terms of outsourcing the jeans and within the main corporation. The problem which is associated with the human management in Jinkin Jeans is furthered by not having the right individuals toward the tasks as well as carrying a loss of vision toward the requirements with the business. For Jinkin Jeans to remain as a part of the competition there needs to be an approach of having the latest fashion trends, creating accuracy with all products offered and to ensure that there is mainstream developments from all employees. More important, the leaders and those developi ng the products need to have a competent understanding of the tasks to be carried forward within the corporation to expand the market. It is noted that there is a direct relationship between total quality management and operational performance. Total quality management consists of first understanding the vision and values of the company then expanding this into an understanding of the relationships which come from the supply chain to the products and to the external environment. The operations then need to begin reflecting the external environment by the right human resources and the implementation of different tasks per person (Samson, Terziovski, 1999). The third problem which is a part of Jinkin Jeans is based on the outsourcing and lack of staff that is linked to both the outsourcing and the external environment. Currently, there is no marketing manager that is in place. It is also noted that the two owners continue to micromanage the different products without looking at specif ic needs within the corporation. The values with outsourcing and the communication processes don’t have any trained individuals which are working for the corporation and are unable to provide relevant processes that are a part of the corporation. This is combined with a lack of understanding of where the human resource management should implement leadership skills and what the main focus

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Big issue magazine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Big issue magazine - Essay Example The organization behind the â€Å"big issue† magazine is divided into two parts, where there is the part that produces and sells the magazine to the street vendor network. The other part is a nonprofit foundation that helps the street vendors regains control of their lives (Oxfam, 2004). The magazines have transformed lives of many vendors who are in a position to feed and support their families. However, the sales of the magazines have subsided currently, due to the recession, which has affected advertising and general sales. Prior to recession, national and international donor funding are drying up. This paper will outline a brand-audit that should be performed to improve the image of the magazine and improve sales. How to upgrade the image and improve sales of the â€Å"big issue† magazine Image impacts a lot in a business especially when it comes to selling printed articles. This is the case because the appearance of a magazine determines its ability to attract cust omers in a distance. The â€Å"big issue† magazine falls in this category because image rebranding is needed to improve its old common appearance to a more appealing appearance (Rowell, 2012). The marketing managers should critically look into the image issue of the magazine as well as its contents. The new look of the magazine’s cover should be redesigned attractively is that it can stand out and â€Å"beat† the rest of the magazines. The customers should be able to notice and pick up the magazine instantly rather than flick through other magazines in search of the most interesting magazines. More so, the content in the magazine should be able to be captivating enough to keep the customers coming for more copies every day. In order to achieve this, the marketing team should consider on reflecting a shift to deeper and more political content because politics because politics has interesting contents that everyone yearn to know about. Hence, with these two achiev ements of rebranding the cover and contents of the magazines, customer’s will be change their usual perception towards the magazine by being attracted to it which eventually leads to more sales (Rowell, 2012). Customer service is a crucial aspect in any business and the big issue magazine should consider it in order to improve customer’s perception and increase sales. The vendors of the â€Å"big issue† magazine are homeless people and this has lead to situations where passersby insult and under grade them simply because of their status (Oxfam, 2004). The management of the â€Å"big issue† magazine should take another step of collaborating with numerous colleges within the city in order to offer these vendors with basic customer care skills. This will help them learn people body language and the telltale signs of aggression so as to help in confronting and solving possible disputes before they happen. The vendors will also learn how to be friendly and app roachable which in turn engages customers in conversation. This effort will improve vendor’s ability to attract customers and increase sales of the â€Å"big issue† magazine. Advertising is the basic boost of sales of any business because it reminds customers of their favorite product as well as informs them if there are any changes that their favorite product has undergone. In our case, the â€Å"big issue† advertisement could fall in the two categories of informing customers of the current

Friday, January 24, 2020

Essay --

My long-term goal is to transition into academia and ultimately become a full Professor in Epidemiology at an academic institution. My goal is to develop a nationally recognized research program, engage in extramurally-funded multidisciplinary research, teach intermediate or advanced graduate level epidemiology courses, mentor graduate students, and engage in university and professional service. Several themes have emerged in my life that make me well suited for a career in Epidemiology, a passion for research and a strong desire to make an impact on the lives of others. My primary interest in public health is chronic disease epidemiology, mainly the underlying etiologies of and effective preventive measures of chronic diseases. I am particularly interested in researching cardiovascular disease and diabetes in traditionally disadvantaged or underserved populations. As an epidemiologist, I want to master the skills of effective research, work to improve the processes of epidemiologic research, and successfully educate minority populations so they are empowered to choose healthy lifestyles. As a lifelong student, learning must precede anything I do. When I first came to the United States, I fell in love with the English language and wanted to be able to speak eloquently. To pursue my goal I immersed myself in books and media, mainly Schoolhouse Rock to acquire grammatical and syntactical knowledge. Then I worked persistently to learn the proper mechanics of the language. Today, the area of my pursuit is different, but the principle is the same. Through extensive study and practice I want to discover novel, paradigm-shifting approaches to addressing health disparities in the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of common chronic dis... ...because there seems to be endless opportunities for personal and professional growth within its multiple research institutes and centers as well as hospital partners and clinics. Additionally, the health disparities concentration offered to students by the School of Public Health caters to my future career goals as well as provides me the opportunity to enhance my skills. As an English learner, I am accustomed to uncertainty but have also experienced the payoff of staying the course and not being afraid to face adversity. As a child, whenever I would become overwhelmed with phonetics or grammar, I would repeat the mantra, "Today I am a student and tomorrow I hope to be a better one." Continued learning is also essential to becoming an epidemiologist. I have no doubt I will carry on this perseverance, tenacity and work ethic in order to thrive as a PhD student.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Discussion on Quantitative Reasoning for Business Course Essay

Discussion on Quantitative Reasoning for Business Course Self Reflection Paper 10/15/08 Discussion on Quantitative Reasoning for Business Course For many years, the quantitative or mathematical approach to business problem solving was the cornerstone of MBA programs worldwide. The traditional approach has been a rational analysis: information is collected, collated, analyzed and interpreted, alternatives are formulated, and a logical choice is consciously arrived at (Bagchi, 2005). In practice this means: â€Å"the more information, the better; ‘cool and calm’ strategic thinking should not be ‘debased’ by feelings; efficient thought and behavior must be called upon to subjugate emotion† (Sadler-Smith, 2004). The Quantitative Reasoning for Business course would provide me with the prerequisites necessary to master the rational analysis. In recent years, however, the usefulness of the quantitative analysis training for future managers has been put into doubt. The requirement for fast decisions and the limits of human beings’ rational information-processing capacities may combine to impose severe demands upon executives’ cognitive capabilities to handle masses of information at the necessary speed (Sadler-Smith, 2004). That is when intuition comes into play. Intuition is difficult to describe but easy to recognize. Many of us will be intimately familiar with our own intuitions and will probably be able to identify, and may even envy or admire, those individuals who confidently display a ‘gut feel’ for complex situations and who appear to have an ‘instinct’ for grasping key issues quickly. This quality can be nurtured through life experience. The optimal solution thus, might be a combination of two approaches depending on circumstances. The relationship between intuition and rationality can work in two ways. For example, proceeding from intuition to rational analysis represents a ‘validation’ sequence in which gut feeling may be checked out by rational analysis by posing questions such as ‘Do the data support my hunch? Proceeding from rational analysis to intuition represents an ‘incubation’ sequence in which intuition provides an expertise-based or feelings-based validation for judgments arrived at through rational analysis (Sadler-Smith, 2004). In summary, quantitative training will probably benefit me by preparing me for the future courses in economics, finance, accounting, operations, and research (Quantitative Reasoning for Business Overview, nd). More importantly though, it will prepare me for the future ‘real world’ w ork, even when its direct usefulness is not as extensive as often believed its proponents.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Real History Behind Rome Julius Caesar Essay - 815 Words

Rome, the subject of this report is Rome. The (completely wacko made-up) legend says that Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of Mars, the god of war. Supposedly some king tossed them into a basket, chucked them into the Tiber River, and left them to die a good old-fashioned baby-river-drowning-death. Apparently this never happened because they were rescued by a she-wolf and raised as one of her own. Eventually Romulus and Remus decided to ice that king and overthrow the kingdom that the king kinged. Then Romulus killed Remus, named the kingdom Rome, and they lived happily ever after. As engaging as the legend is, the real history behind Rome is much more boring. Stick around, folks. Rome started off as yet another†¦show more content†¦Not only did Rome innovate the aqueduct, but also the use of concrete! Rome’s special use of concrete enabled them to build structures that still stand today. Roman concrete was mixed to withstand chemical erosion, allowing it to withstand the water used for those pansy fountains and baths. Of course the concrete was also used for large fancy buildings such as the pantheon and coliseums etcetera, etcetera. Roman architecture is another innovation that unfortunately fell into the pit of shamelessly copied/influenced modern architecture. With all the news of architecture and the inevitable amounts of war and corruption among society, it’s only natural that Rome innovates the newspaper. The newspaper became an integral part of Roman society, because they had a lot going on, apparently. They mostly just used the papers to report on invasions and politicians for the public to be reminded how boring their pathetic Roman lives are. It is unfortunate that Rome didn’t innovate cooler stuff, but I digress. Since Rome is incredibly boring to write about, what better way to continue this report than with politics? Politics aren’t a particularly sexy subject, but the Romans were into it, of course. The Roman political system may seem complex, but a closer look reveals that, yes, it is exactly as we feared. They usedShow MoreRelatedClaudius’s Decision to Invade Britain in AD43 as Motivated by a Desire to Emulate Julius Caesar1501 Words   |  7 PagesClaudius’s Decision to Invade Britain in AD43 as Motivated by a Desire to Emulate Julius Caesar There are many arguments as to why Claudius invaded Britain in AD43. One of his motives may have been to gain a quick military triumph, which is one argument that Suetonius wrote in his book ‘The Twelve Caesars’. He had said, â€Å"Britain was the country where a real triumph could most readily be earned†. A sentence later, he also raises a point about what is known as ‘The BericusRead MoreIn Act 3 Scene 2 of Shakespeares Play Julius Caesar, Why Does Antony Succeed and Brutus Fail to Persuade the Crowd.1399 Words   |  6 PagesI have studied Julius Caesar a play written by William Shakespeare. I focused the study on act 3 scene 2 the speeches by Brutus and Antony. I am looking at the persuasive techniques used by the two speakers and why Antonys speech won over the crowd. Julius Caesar has been an influential figure in history for 2000 years. Caesar was such a powerful, heroic leader with his death a devastating civil war ensued. Julius Caesar is so influential decisions made today in the present day idolise him likeRead MoreEssay on Biography of Julius Caesar2022 Words   |  9 Pages Biography of Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the course of the history of the Greco - Roman world decisively and irreversibly. 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