American Pie review essays

American Pie review essays American Pie, 1999, Directed by Paul and Chris Weitz, Written by Adam Herz Jason Biggs- Jim Levinstein, Chris Klein- Chris Oz Ozstreicher American Pie is a movie that centers around four normal teenagers, two of whom who are experienced with sex and two who have no idea what third base feels like, to which one of the friends exclaims, feels like warm apple pie. The movie is a funny ride through the last couple weeks of the high school career of these men. The men make a pact to all have sex by the end of prom night, giving them a few weeks to try and seal the deal. The men find that losing their virginity isnt as easy as it seems, as they each encounter their problems. Jim (Jason), seems to be a late bloomer to the world of sex and displays a video on the internet that gets him into trouble with all of the girls in the school, except for band geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) has a girlfriend but she doesnt think the time is right for sex, but after reading the sex dictionary in the school library, he convinces her that prom night is the time. Chris (Klein) joins a vocal jazz choir and meet s a girl in there who he decides to take to prom but after seeing a incident involving Chris best friend Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) degrading her in front of the whole lacrosse team she decides its a bad idea. After some begging Chris finally gets her to go with him again. Finch is the worst off of the group, as he pays a girl to spread some rumors about him but still cant find a date after Stifler puts some ex-lax in his mochachinno and embarrasses him in front of the whole student body. One of the best aspects of the movie, is its crude humor. The jokes probably wont seem funny to adults or young children who wont understand the humor, but one of its biggest draws is that its not afraid to do what other films are afraid to do. In a s...

The #1 Way to Solve Business Disputes

The #1 Way to Solve Business Disputes As a business owner, I want my relationships with both clients and vendors to run smoothly 100% of the time. In actuality, of course, business dealings sometimes involve conflict. Although I am not exactly a conflict avoider, I don’t enjoy it either (I left the legal profession almost 6 years ago for that reason and have never looked back)! Nevertheless, I strongly believe that when faced head-on and handled well, conflict can lead to greater trust and a foundation for long-term success. Whether you are a client or a business owner, you might possibly have experienced conflict in a business relationship, or if not, then you might possibly experience it in the future. Below are some situations I have faced, and which have had different outcomes based on one predominant factor. This factor makes the difference between a happy customer and a dissatisfied one. Commitment to Excellence at The Essay Expert I have a team of writers at The Essay Expert who do top-level work, and 95% of our clients are satisfied with the first draft of their resume and LinkedIn profile. I am proud of that number; and I am even prouder that for the small number of clients who have issues with their first write-ups, we are able to create happy clients 99% of the time. The writers who work with me are fully committed to satisfying our clients and they go the extra mile to accommodate each person’s preferences. In the end, I believe that the most important value we offer is our commitment to doing the work required to satisfy every client. Clients leave feeling like we truly partnered with them to meet their needs. Sometimes I face a situation where a client and writer are not a perfect match. In these cases, if the client speaks up right away (which I encourage them to do), I first determine whether we can resolve the situation with the current writer. If not, I assign the project to another, more senior writer or, in rare cases, step in myself. If any uncorrectable human errors have occurred, I will always offer a partial refund. I am always available for discussion and negotiation, and will do everything I can to reach an agreement and satisfactory resolution. Sometimes the clients who become The Essay Expert’s biggest fans are those who were not satisfied initially, and with whom we worked tirelessly to remedy the situation. In fact, just this week, one such client referred a connection who hired us for a resume and LinkedIn package. How to Handle – and Not Handle – Billing Disputes I am a client to other companies as well as a business owner, and this week I experienced both excellent and poor customer service. In one situation, I raised issues about the service I was receiving and questioned the validity of some charges on their invoice. Despite the fact that I have been a client of this business for two years and have never questioned an invoice before, the owner refused to discuss the issue, instead telling me that the firm no longer would be working with me. I stated my desire to work things out and he still refused, though he did tell me to pay whatever I wanted and they would write off the rest. I was left with a negative impression and if anyone asks me about that business I will tell them how I was treated. In contrast, with another firm, when we ran into an issue where a job they were doing for me went over budget, I agreed to their terms and requested something in return from  them that I felt would be a good trade. They thanked me for my communication and agreed to give me what I asked for. I was left with a positive impression and will continue to refer business to that firm. The #1 Factor: Customer Service (Plus†¦) In each of these cases, what made the difference? Customer service. That’s the #1 factor to watch when addressing business conflict. Good customer service can turn conflict into good will. Bad customer service can create ongoing negativity. Also note that someone has to start the conversation about the issue at hand if anything is to be done about it. When my clients do not tell me they are dissatisfied, I am at a big disadvantage. I can’t resolve an issue I don’t know about. It’s therefore essential to ask clients about their experience consistently so that they have an opportunity to voice any concerns. Showing interest in the quality of their experience is a key piece to customer service. Once an issue is aired, I have found that it’s very helpful to hold a strong vision for the relationship. Whichever party states a vision, the other party often aligns with it. This alignment sets the stage for a satisfactory resolution. In rare cases, one party might state a vision for an amicable ongoing relationship and the other does not join that vision; in this situation, the conflict will likely not be resolved. Thankfully, most of us as human beings are wired to want to work well with other human beings. And most businesses have a strong commitment to good customer service. That commitment, when put into action, creates a foundation where almost any conflict can be resolved. If you have stories of good customer service or more ideas of how to resolve business conflicts, please share below!

Free topic Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Free topic - Research Proposal Example Already established mobile network providers such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile are considered first by customers who want to use mobile phones (Scollon, 2011). This, therefore, in a way, leaves a monopolistic advantage to these network providers. They dictate prices in the mobile network industry, which is, at times, on the higher side. Since they do not face any worthy competition from other players in this field, or the competition is minimal, they can continue dictating their prices, leaning towards the higher side. However, if a player or many players managed to enter this market effectively, it would force the already established players to ease their tariffs in order to counter the competition they face (Simmons, 2010). Mobile network providers entering this market should look to market their brands effectively through various mediums such as the social media and other promotion platforms in order effectively to build their brand. This will ensure that the prices are eased by the already present players in order to beat the completion brought by the newcomers (McCarthy,

Strategy Formulation (IP Unit 3) Research Paper

Strategy Formulation (IP Unit 3) - Research Paper Example The process of strategy formulation just like that for decision-making follows a six steps procedure that must not be followed chronologically but must be integrated conclusively. It is therefore quiet useful to consider strategy formulation as part of strategic management that entails the diagnostic approach, Formulation and implementation. Diagnosis involves performing a situation analysis where the internal environment of the organization is analyzed while implementation is a stage in formulation where the strategies that are considered appropriate for the operations of the company are put to practice, monitoring, and evaluation (Day, 1986). Strategy formulation is a six steps module that is incorporated under three main aspects. The steps entail - first setting the organizational goals and objectives, which must be long-term in nature, the objectives, reiterates the state of being there while a strategy shows us how to reach there. After the objectives are well laid, environmenta l scanning is done which entails the review of both the external and internal environments which range from economic to industrial and in which the organization at stake operates (Day, 1986). The management then sets quantitative targets to be achieved through the set organizational objectives. This is to aid comparison with the long-term customers and realize their input and contribution to the overall missions and visions of the organization. The next step is to aim overall goals with divisional outputs where the contributions made by each department are quantified and consolidated. Then performance analysis if done where the gap between the planned and the desired performance is analyzed. A strategy is then chosen from the alternatives projected, considering the organizational goals, strengths, and actual potential visa vi the external environment, a choice is made. As pointed out earlier by Day (1986), strategy formulation is crafted under three major aspects, which involves; co rporate level strategy, competitive strategy and functional strategy. Corporate level strategy is concerned majorly of the vast decisions around the total organization’s scope and direction so that there are detected changes to be made to realize growth objective for a given firm. Competitive strategy is aimed at making decisions on how the company should compete to remain relevant in its line of business (LOB) or its strategic business units (SBU). Functional strategy on the other hand deals with how each of the available functional areas is likely to carry out its functional activities (Day, 1986). "FIRST-MOVER" THEORY OR "LATE-MOVER" THEORY Our case is the competitive business strategy where the management is faced with the situation of whether to dev elope a completely new brand of a product or simply produce the already existing brand that a competitor in the same industry is involved. This they expect to do through either the, â€Å"first mover theory† or â€Å" late mover theory† (Green & Ryans, 1990). Timing of the market by most firms is a very important aspect of their operation. This can either be early entry into the market or late entries hence the two theories. Furthermore, market entry timing decisions are the bridge between the functional strategy and the corporate business strategy, therefore, when timing and scope decisions are combined there is always a realization of a superior market (Green & Ryans, 1990). First movers into the market are normally likely to benefit from above normal

Environmental Groups Essay Example for Free

Environmental Groups Essay Environmental Groups Tiffany Tremaine May 2, 2011 Environmental Policies 310 Instructor: David Monda Environmental Working Group known as EWG is an Environmental interest group working to protect kids from toxic chemicals in our food, water, air, and other products we use every day. The mission of the Environmental Working Group is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles. In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c) (4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies. EWG specializes in providing useful resources (like Skin Deep and the EWGs Shoppers Guide to Pesticidesâ„ ¢) to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change. EWG two main goals are to protect the most vulnerable segments of the human population—children, babies, and infants in the womb—from health problems attributed to a wide array of toxic contaminants and to replace federal policies, including government subsidies that damage the environment and natural resources, with policies that invest in conservation and sustainable development. Their research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know. It shames and shakes up polluters and their lobbyists. It rattles politicians and shapes policy. It persuades bureaucracies to rethink science and strengthen regulation. It provides practical information you can use to protect your family and community. And because our investigations and interactive websites tend to make news, youve probably heard about them. EWG primary funding is donations, grants, corporations backing, as well as interest and support from every day people. The cost is whatever the member (supporter) would like to donate. There are many different ways to donate and the donations can either be tax right offs or not. EWG gives many ways to donate, credit card or check, and their supporters can either make a one-time contribution or pay monthly. The donation helps support EWG Action Funds Kid-Safe Chemicals Campaign fight for organic produce, get dangerous chemicals out of your food and water, and protect your favorite national parks from mining destruction. In 2009 and 2010 EWG have accomplished Toxic chemical reform, Energy policy, Banning BPA, Highlighting cell phone radiation risks, Shedding light on secret chemicals, Pushing for more effective sunscreens, Banning phthalates, Phasing out Deca, Protecting ground water from gas-drilling chemicals, Saving the Grand Canyon, and Fighting for safer tap water. EWG motives, viewpoints, and organizational features make them successful in the public policy arena. This Environmental Working Group is successful in the public policy arena. After researching just a couple of their accomplishments are in the public arena. References Z. Smith, 2009, The Environmental Policy Paradox, 5th Edition 1993, http://www. ewg. org/

Trouble Down South Essay -- US-Mexico Border

Early in our school years we are taught the importance of staying away from drugs and their harmful effects. We live in a nation surrounded by drugs and the culture that surrounds them. Drugs inhabit our everyday lives through the mediums we come in contact with on a daily basis. Most people cannot go through their day without running into a drug reference of some sort on their phones or televisions. However, with all the drugs in our nation, many Americans do not take the time to wonder where they came from or how they got here. The most common answer is the U.S.-Mexico border (Gootenberg 2). As officials worry about the number of illegal immigrants that sneak into the nation, they seem less concerned about the amount of drug content that is smuggled in as well. With high-powered groups such as Los Zetas and the Sinaloans controlling Mexico’s drug world with violence and terrorism, our southern neighbor has a problem that has remained uncontrollable for the past twenty years (Gootenberg 4). Mexico has not always been infested with drugs. The current drug problems stem back to the cocaine boom of the 1980s in Columbia and U.S. efforts to eliminate trades in the 80s and 90s (Gootenberg 1, 2). During the boom, Columbian drug systems were organized in major cities such as Miami and New York. As the mid-80s approached, there were an approximated 22 million cocaine users in the United States (Gootenberg 2). With such success came a rapid expansion of the cocaine market, and it also led to more competition. As this competition rose, the Columbians were forced to insert hit men into the U.S to fight off their Cuban rivals (2). The violence caused by the Columbian markets forced the U.S. president to get involved. Presidents such as Rea... ...iven a broader base in the U.S. President Calderon is visibly unable to control the cartels in his own country, and is in dire need of some assistance. It is a responsibility of the United States to help its’ neighbor before it is too late. Mexican drug cartels have been rising to power since the demise of the Medellin cartel in 1980. They came to power thanks to the blowback effect caused by the United States (Gootenberg 3). With recent U.S. presidential decisions, our nation is doing little to help its neighbor (Kellner and Pipitone 37). Mexico has been left to find its own solution; it will be up to the minds of president Calderon and his fellow governors to find a peaceful way to eliminate the terror that has gripped their nation by the throat. That is, if the competition and hunger for territory and power don’t cause the cartels to destroy each other first.

Employment and Absenteeism Problem Essay

Absenteeism refers to unauthorised absence of the worker from his job. According to Benefits Interface (Edited 2010: 1 of 4) absenteeism can be defined as ‘failure of employees to report for work when they are scheduled to work’. Employees who are away from work on recognized holidays, vacations, approved leaves of absence allowed for under the collective agreement provisions are not included. In South Africa, managers consider absenteeism their most serious discipline problem (Nadlangisa, 2003). Absenteeism is not unique to any particular geographical area or industry. It is a major problem for every organisation, particularly since downsizing and other lean changes have left employers with a smaller workforce (Grobler, Warnich, et al, 2006: 123) According to a recent study conducted by AIC Insurance, companies and the country’s economy are losing more than R12 billion annually due to absenteeism in South Africa. In 2000, 0. 7 million workers were absent from work, which is a fraction compared to the 397% leap it took up until 2012 (Goldberg, 2012). Employees are often considered to be a company’s most valuable asset and according to Hamilton-Atwell (2003: 56-61) one of the best ways to increase profitably is by increasing the returns on this asset. Reducing absenteeism is one of the most overlooked methods of reducing costs According to Goldberg (2012) managing absence is critical for all organisations, as the negative impact that they feel with regards to efficiency, operations and cost- effectiveness is enormous. Whatever the causes, absenteeism is costing the country and its businesses heavily and therefore needs to be addressed. Many employers, however, choose to disregard the possibility that there may be issues in the workplace causing poor performance and absenteeism. It makes sound economic sense to address any such issues and pro-actively encourage improved employee performance. This research framework focuses on a medium-sized local organisation, which has asked to not be mentioned. Therefore it shall be referred to as Organisation X. 3 2. Problem identification The failure to show up for work creates problems of varying degrees for managers and administrators. Excessive employee absenteeism can decrease productivity and profits significantly, creating numerous problems for supervisors and the employees who work regularly (Carrell & Kuzmits, 1992: 735). 2. 1. Problem Statement The motivation for this research will be discussed by highlighting problems related to employee absenteeism as experienced within Organisation X Main Problem Unauthorized employee absenteeism from Organisation X and the actions that might be implemented to reduce this due to the fact that absenteeism causes a liability to the company. Sub-Problems The unauthorised employee absenteeism is leading to an overall decrease in: i. Cost- effectiveness – Profitability ii. Operations – Production iii. Efficiency – Competitiveness 2. 2. Explanation of problems: Financial Costs Overtime and agency costs for replacing workers are incurred. Administrative Costs Staff time required to secure replacement employees and to re-assign the remaining employees. Staff time is required to maintain and control absenteeism. 4 Decrease in Productivity The employees that come to work daily carry an extra workload and support new or replacement staff. Also they are required to train and orient new or replacement workers, which cause them to neglect and disregard their own work. The work group itself has a considerable stake in absenteeism, particularly with respect to morale. People in work groups are very sensitive to equity. If one member takes excessive and perceived inappropriate absences without some equitable cost to that individual, other group members are often affected. They take revenge by going absent themselves, o lowering the productivity of the group as a whole (Furham, 2000: 377). Possible reasons for the absenteeism rate in Organisation X Lack of commitment Employees are simply not interested in their work or concerned about the success of the organization. This can stem from low wages or low employee morale, which might be caused by poor treatment by management or an unpleasant working environment. Also the length of service within the company will determine the commitment to the work and the workplace. Lack of consequence The lack of consequences, e. g. no incentives for strong attendance or no punishment for poor attendance leads to increased absenteeism of the employees. Also employee packages that allow for a lot of absence can lead to workers abusing this. Poor working conditions Employees might feel that they receive poor treatment from managers, work in an unpleasant or stressful working environment, have long working hours a lack of breaks, are given an excessive workload or there is too much strict supervision. Personal factors Although there is a fair bit of absenteeism that could have been avoided, employees are often away from work for ‘valid’ reasons. Examples may include domestic 5 problems (bad housing conditions, family issues) and consequent worries, social and religious causes, problems with transport facilities or accidents/ illnesses (Hamilton-Atwell, 2003: 82-95) 2. 3. Research questions I. What are the main factors causing employees to be absent from work? II. Is one specific group of people more absent than another (e. g. male/female, old/young)? III. What are the current disciplinary actions within Organisation X’s Human Resource Department? IV. What is the behaviour of the employees towards these disciplinary actions? V. What are the possible and most suitable solutions for Organisation X? 2. 4. Possible solutions for the absenteeism problem include, but are not limited to the following: Consequences To avoid absenteeism as much as possible the company should implement positive/ negative consequences for strong/ weak attendance. Examples may include offering rewards and incentives, e. g. monetary bonuses, simple raise or recognition (Employee of the month) for strong attendance and punish employees with poor records and unexcused absence (Gitman & McDaniel, 2008: 248). Work-Life Balance According to Chick (2004: 67) managers should allow employees to be able to have or create a work-life balance, as this can reduce the stress levels they are exposed to. Dual income households have increased over the last decades and longer working hours are expected. Managers need to help their employees to manage the numerous and sometimes competing demands in their lives. Employees need to achieve a balance between their work responsibilities and their personal life (Gitman & McDaniel, 2008: 251). Follow-ups The Supervisors need to sit down with the employees when they return from an absence to discuss the reason for absence, if the absence could have been 6 prevented and the implications of absenteeism on the company (if it is a common occurrence for this employee). 3. Hypotheses I. Females are more absent from work then men II. Individuals in any relationship are more absent than singles III. Employees with children are more absent than those without children IV. Employees below 40 are absent from work more frequently V. Current disciplinary actions are not perceived as a reason for employees to reduce the absenteeism VI. Implementing other stricter disciplinary actions will reduce the rate of employee absenteeism 4. Objectives The Objectives of the project are: To understand and analyze: I. The main causes of absenteeism in Organisation X. II. The current disciplinary actions taken by the HR department for reducing absenteeism. III. The attitude of employees towards these disciplinary actions. IV. The factors to be considered in order to reduce absenteeism. V. Suggestions that can be given to the management to improve the regular attendance of the employees in the company.