...million active-duty military personnel, 430,000 members of the National Guard, and 645,000 members of the Reserves was stolen in the recent theft of computer data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the agency announced Tuesday. The agency previously said (pdf) that all 26.5 million people affected by the data theft were veterans and their spouses. The data include SSNs and disability ratings. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse offers ID theft prevention tips. (Jun. 7) ▪ Stolen Veterans Affairs Laptop and Hard Drive Are Found. The stolen laptop computer and hard drive containing sensitive data for up to 26.5 million veterans, their spouses, and active-duty military personnel have been found, according to Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson. This comes as newly discovered documents showing that Veterans Affairs had given permission in 2002 for the analyst, from whom the equipment was stolen, to work from home with data that included millions of SSNs, disability ratings, and other personal information. Agency officials previously said the analyst was fired because he violated agency procedure by taking the data home. (Jun. 29) Background An...
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...Sperry/MacLennan Architects and Planners sOURCE: This case has been prepared by Dr. Mary R. Brooks, of Dalhousie University, as a basis for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. The assistance of the Secretary of State, Canadian Studies Program, in developing the case is gratefully acknowledged. Copyright q 1990 Mary R. Brooks. Reprinted with permission. In August 1988, Mitch Brooks, a junior partner and director of Sperry/MacLennan (S/M), a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, architectural practice specializing in recreational facilities, is in the process of developing a plan to export his company’s services. He intends to present the plan to the other directors at their meeting the first week of October. The regional market for architectural services is showing some signs of slowing, and S/M realizes that it must seek new markets. As Sheila Sperry, the office manager and one of the directors, said at their last meeting: “You have to go wider than your own backyard. After all, you can only build so many pools in your own backyard.” About the Company Drew Sperry, one of the two senior partners in Sperry/ MacLennan, founded the company in 1972 as a one-man architectural practice. After graduating from Nova Scotia Technical College (now the Technical University of Nova Scotia) in 1966, Sperry worked for six years for Robert J. Flinn before deciding that it was time to start his own company. By...
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...suicide of Jacintha Saldanha surfaced three days after being the first person to receive the hoax phone call before passing it to the duchess’ private nurse. This essay aims to highlight the ethical implications involved in this case study, the PR strategies taken by the radio station and whether the actions taken are appropriate in regards to the death of the British nurse. When the Jacintha’s case of suicide arose, the ultimate question was: Why did she turn to suicide? Despite previous records of Jacintha’s suicide attempts (Taher 2012), it was reported that she had no signs of mental frailness at the time of her work shift before she received the prank call (Sykes 2012). While it remains unclear if the hoax call drove Jacintha suicidal, it may have acted as a catalyst (Baker 2012) since a note containing expression of anger addressed to the two radio hosts was found after Jacintha’s death (Johnson 2012). The ethical implications ensued involves multiple parties including King Edward VII’s Hospital itself. The hospital holds the responsibility to keep records of patients confidential. Privacy is everyone’s right and should not be deprived of having it. The breach of the Duchess’ privacy occurred as Jacintha, a staff nurse had allowed the hoax call to go through. The situation...
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...Chick-fil-A Case Study Part I: Background Information Chick-fil-A It all began in 1946, when Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant, The Dwarf Grill, in Hapeville, Georgia. The Dwarf Grill, Truett’s original and later named the Dwarf House, offers an extensive menu and provides customers a choice of table service, walk-up counter service or a drive-thru window. 11 Chick-fil-A Dwarf House restaurants are currently operated in the metro Atlanta area today. Credited with inventing Chick-fil-A’s boneless breast chicken sandwich, Cathy founded Chick-fil-A, Inc. in the early 1960s and pioneered the establishment of restaurants in shopping malls with the opening of the first Chick-fil-A Restaurant at a mall in suburban Atlanta in 1967. Their mission is to “Be America’s Best Quick-Service Restaurant,” and that they proved to be. Since Chick-fil-A’s launch, they have steadily grown to become the second largest quick service chicken restaurant in the United States, with over 1,615 locations in 39 states as well as in Washington D.C while remaining one of the nation’s largest privately held restaurant chains. Sales for the company reached an all time high in 2011 at $4.1 billion which reflects a 13.08 percent increase over the chain’s 2010 performance and a same-store sales increase of 7 percent. To achieve this success, Chick-fil-A focuses on following a few simple rules: listen to the customer, focus on getting better before trying to get bigger, put emphasis on quality. Chick-fil-A...
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...upheavals in his years at CCE and other firms in the industry. He was well aware that, following such changes, employee morale and performance often suffered initially but soon rebounded. However, a recent Human Resources (HR) survey and his own observations had led him to become particularly concerned about drastic differences among his five research and development (R&D) teams in both motivation levels and performance. Wishing to reverse what seemed to be a dangerous trend, he had engaged organizational psychologist Joanna McKinty, an external consultant, to study his department and report back on what might be accounting for the differences—and what he might do to address the problem. Burke had just received a preliminary report from McKinty consisting of graphs depicting motivation data collected during the course of her study. The purpose of today’s meeting was to discuss what McKinty called “the meat of the study”—the...
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...Dissociative Identity Disorder Porsha Castillo Belhaven University ABSTRACT This paper will focus on the mental disorder Dissociative Identity Disorder. It will follow the case study of JANE. The paper will include the hisroty of the disorder as well as treatment, and current research of the disorder. Dissociative Identity Disorder Rebecca, a 14 year old girl, presented to a hospital by her mother with a complaint of ‘behaving like a male’ for past 2 weeks. She was identifying herself as Mr. S. and dressed herself like a male. She was not recognizing her neighbors, relatives, or teachers anymore and her belongings as well. She was not able to recount her personal information either. Her mother also reported a significant and contrasting change in her behavior, like she had become stubborn, confident, outgoing and demanding during this period in contrast to her normal behavior. She developed interest in drawing and painting, would demand different types of fast food items, dresses, and certain objects in the altered state. Her mother fearing worsening of her illness readily fulfilled these demands. Rebecca stopped going to school and would stay at home all day long. Upon exploration, it was found that about 2 years back, her father and older sister had left the house to live separately from Rebecca and her mother. There was a strained relationship among the parents on the issue of not having a son. Since separation, there was no communication with them. Rebecca was...
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...Three Lions Haggard, Henry Rider Published: 1887 Type(s): Short Fiction, Adventure Source: http://www.gutenberg.org 1 About Haggard: Henry Rider Haggard was born at Bradenham, Norfolk, to Sir William Meybohm Rider Haggard, a barrister, and Ella Doveton, an author and poet. He was the eighth of ten children. He was initially sent to Garsington Rectory in Oxfordshire to study under the Reverend H.J. Graham but, unlike his older brothers who graduated from various Public Schools, he ended up attending Ipswich Grammar School. This was because his father, who regarded him as somebody who was not going to amount to much, could no longer afford to maintain his expensive private education. After failing his army entrance exam he was sent to a private ‘crammer’ in London to prepare for the entrance exam for the British Foreign Office, which in the end he never sat. Instead Haggard’s father sent him to Africa in an unpaid position as assistant to the secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor of Natal, Sir Henry Bulwer. It was in this role that Haggard was present in Pretoria for the official announcement of the British annexation of the Boer Republic of the Transvaal. In fact, Haggard raised the Union Flag and was forced to read out much of the proclamation following the loss of voice of the official originally entrusted with the duty. As a young man, Haggard fell deeply in love with Lilith Jackson, whom he intended to marry once he obtained paid employment in South Africa. In 1878...
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...lab. Angie Farrell was not, however, ready and waiting at the curb. Of course. It was a warm, bright September morning. Jim sat in the car and tried to keep his temper un- der control. It would not be Angie's fault. That idiot of a Grottwold undoubtedly had dreamed up some- thing to keep her working overtime in spite of-or perhaps because of-the fact he knew she and Jim were supposed to go home-hunting this morning. It was hard not to lose his temper with someone like Grottwold, who was not only one of the world's non- prizes but who had been very patently trying to take Angie away from Jim and get her for himself. One of the two big doors on the front of the Stoddard Hall opened and a figure came out. But it was not Angie. It was a stocky young man with bushy reddish hair and mustache, carrying an overstaffed briefcase. Seeing Jim in the car, he came down the steps over to the car and leaned on the edge of the opened win- dow on the curb side of the front seat. "Waiting for Angie?" he asked. "That's right, Danny," said Jim. "She was supposed to be out here to meet me, but evidently Grottwold's still hanging on to her." "That's his style." Danny Cerdak was a teaching assistant in the Physics Department. He was the only other Class AA volleyball player on campus. "You're going out to see Cheryl's trailer?" "If Angie ever gets loose in time," said Jim. "Oh, she'll probably be along any second now. Say, do the two of you want to drop over to my place after we play tomorrow...
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...McDonald’s and Leadership. McDonald’s is a well-known company that many people have frequented at least once in their lifetime. McDonald’s, like many other companies, started with a dream and a vision. Back in the 30’s when the McDonald brothers started selling hot dogs; little did they know that they would have a profound effect on what would become the fast food industry and American culture (How McDonald's Works, 2012). In 1948, the McDonald brothers reinvented their business, their products and their processes and it paid off. They expanded their business and became a franchise, and it was during this expansion that they would encounter the man who in 1961 bought the whole business, and who takes credit for the McDonald’s corporation, Ray Kroc (How McDonald's Works, 2012). It has been Kroc’s determination, vision and goal to advance McDonald’s into the fast food giant that it is today. As one can see, McDonald’s is an ever changing and evolving organization. This research paper highlights four areas of McDonald’s management; planning, organizing, leadership and control. Planning: McDonald’s Corporation has a “Customer-Focused Plan to Win” plan (Strategic Direction, Company Profile). The plan is more of a guide for operating that is adaptable to change. It involves Five Elements (the 5 P’s): People, Products, Place, Price, and Promotion; along with being financially responsible. They continue to train all employees at all levels to keep them updated on...
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...in the marketplace that are driving opportunities for entrepreneurs with an eye toward sustainability. 2. Explain ways that entrepreneurial companies can gain competitive advantage by orienting products and processes that take environmental issues into account. 3. Describe the role that sustainability plays in building dynamic and profitable ventures. 4. Discuss the five facets of looking through a sustainability lens, and describe their impact on opportunity assessment, resources, and the team. 5. Provide insights into and analysis of the Jim Poss case study. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Clean Commerce Is an Opportunity Sea Change As noted by perhaps the most famous modern venture capitalist in the world, John Doerr, the clean commerce and sustainable enterprise movement is 1 one of the most exciting and promising opportunity sea changes of this century. Everyone is going green. Each week brings a new announcement of a company embracing sustainability and environmental issues. Those ahead of the pack have grasped that the environment is a growing source of strategic opportunity for companies. It is now clear that there is a revolution We are extremely appreciative of...
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...Apple's iPhone Launch: A Case Study in Effective Marketing Kyle Mickalowski, Augustana College Mark Mickelson, Augustana College Jaciel Keltgen, Augustana College ABSTRACT When CEO Steve Jobs announced in January 2007 that Apple would be releasing a revolutionary iPhone five months hence, consumers waited with bated breath for a phone that would deliver all the features of their iPods as well as a smart phone. Anticipation grew, just as Jobs knew it would, as June approached. The launch would become one of the most heralded technological product splashes Apple, known for its masterful media build-up, had ever planned. How the iPhone was developed, priced, promoted, and distributed is lesson for marketers around the world. Apple investors were pretty happy with the outcome as well. INTRODUCTION One year after Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced the company’s industry-changing iPhone on January 9, 2007, at the Macworld convention in San Francisco, the share price of Apple’s stock has more than doubled to a January 9, 2008, value of $179.40 (See Chart 1). This stock price incorporates all of Apple’s business, but a large part of the rise in value can be attributed to the launch of the cutting-edge iPhone, of which four million have already been sold through mid-January 2008 (Carew, 2008). Based on this simple observation of the stock price, the iPhone can so far be declared a success, at least from a shareholder standpoint. This paper will explore both the pre-...
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...CASE SUBJECT SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY BLACKBERRY’S ACQUISITION BID BY FAIRFAX FINANCIAL HOLDINGS STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROF. V K RANJITH GROUP #10 MEMBERS: NEETU MURALI SOUNDHARYA S RAO BHARGAV SEERAM RAMESH DEBARMA 121202030 121202067 121202079 121202125 Foreword: Fairfax Financial Holdings announced on Friday (September 23, 2013) its interest in acquiring Blackberry. The focus of this case is to understand the implications of this acquisition for both the parties. What strategic alternatives are considered by the Blackberry Management team, who knew the problems of the company? Why did they focus on a platform which was already a failure (like in case of Nokia), Why didn’t they consider Android in their phones which gave Samsung a chance to capture the market? Why did they give away BBM, their core competence to android and iOS? Or is it a BBM spinoff? Why did they miserable fail from 2010 till now in launching the devices which were only attractive to few consumers. Why did they not target mass market and instead engrossed to niche market. Why did they not publicize about the QNX 10 which is used in 60% of Automobile Technology now? Why does a company who operates in insurance and investment management want to acquire a communication technology company? What benefits does it seek? Is it simply patriotism or something else which the company is bothered? The case is a more or less compilation of the news articles and only few facts have been taken out of the company’s...
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...driver (MacKenzie and Evans, 2010). This tragedy kicked off a crisis for Toyota as it had to deal with accusations that a faulty accelerator pedal is what caused the crash. The company faced negative publicity from the media, the public and the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) as a result of this accident and other accidents involving sudden unattended acceleration (SUA) from a stuck accelerator pedal. In response to these incidents and the publicity, Toyota eventually recalled 7.5 million vehicles to fix the stuck accelerator problem and shut down production of its effected vehicles until the problem could be solved. In this paper, Learning Team B has evaluated the role public relations played in this case and how the company could better prepare for a similar crisis. Problem Toyota realized it had a public opinion problem after numerous reports of “runaway” cars were claimed to have been caused by an accelerator pedal that would remain pressed down after the driver released the pedal. This resulted in the California accident and various others. In addition to recalling millions of cars, Toyota was sued and reached a billion dollar settlement for the resulting accidents and recalls. Although they did not admit fault with its accelerator pedals, the company still faced a backlash from the recalls and lawsuit. After the recalls, Toyota saw a decline in sales and trust from their customer base, partially due...
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...The literature on dividend policy has produced a large body of theoretical and empirical research, especially following the publication of the dividend irrelevance hypothesis of Miller and Modigliani (1961). No general consensus has yet emerged after several decades of investigation, and scholars can often disagree even about the same empirical evidence. This paper aims at providing the reader with a comprehensive understanding of dividends and dividend policy by reviewing the main theories and explanations of dividend policy including dividend irrelevance hypothesis of Miller and Modigliani, bird-in-the-hand, tax-preference, clientele effects, signalling, and agency costs hypotheses. The paper also attempts to present the main empirical studies on corporate dividend policy. However, due to the enduring nature and extensive range of the debate about dividend policy which has spawned a vast amount of literature that grows by the day, a full review of all debates is not feasible. The paper reaches at a conclusion that the famous statement of Fisher Black about dividend policy "the harder we look at the dividends picture, the more it seems like a puzzle, with pieces that just do not fit together" (Black, 1976, p. 5) is still valid. Keywords: Dividends, Dividend Policy, Dividend Policy Theories JEL...
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...Halmstad University School of Business and Engineering Master in Management of Innovation and Business Development Toyota Crisis: Management Ignorance? – A Swedish Case of Consumers Perceptions Master’s Dissertation in Management of Innovation and Business Development, 15 ECTS Final seminar 2010-05-27 Authors: Yuanyuan Feng Supervisor: Mike Danilovic Hamlstad University Feng(2010) TOYOTA CRISIS: MANAGEMENT IGNORANCE? – A SWEDISH CASE OF CONSUMERS PERCEPTIONS Yuanyuan Feng School of Business and Engineering, Halmstad University, Sweden Abstract Since the late 2009, the famous vehicle manufacture Toyota has suffered a severe crisis due to unintended quality problems in its cars which had triggered Toyota’s largest officially recalls of its cars around the world. This crisis threatens the company’s previous reputation of good quality cars, as well as the brand image built up over time. This study aims to elaborate on the Toyota crisis in order to understand why Toyota faces this crisis and how they deal with the crisis; and investigate consumers’ perceptions of Toyota brand as the outcome of the crisis, with a focus on Swedish market. A qualitative research along with a number of face-to-face interviews with Toyota Swedish dealer and Swedish vehicle consumers is conducted. The findings reveal that the impact of the Toyota crisis in Sweden is not as serious as that in America; there remain satisfied and loyal Toyota’s customers who are...
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