Department of Homeland Security in the USA Essay

Department of Homeland Security in the USA - Essay Example The primary mission of the department is to protect America and its citizens from, and responding to terror attacks, natural disasters as well as manmade accidents with The USA and its territories including protectorates (Chertoff, 2009). This department is regarded as equivalent to interior ministries in other countries, and its activities are coordinated at the Whitehouse. Creation of this department followed the creation of the Office of Homeland Security (OHS) by President Bush in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. The Homeland security was created in 2002 by the Department of Homeland Security Act (2002). Creation of the department brought together other 22 government agencies that were reorganized to become one department to oversee security matters within the USA territory (Barkun, 2011). The 22 departments unified under the Department of Homeland Security were formally non military agencies of the government but had some of their functions relating to Security. Some of the division s in the Department of Homeland Security include the Border and Transportation Security division, which is the largest division, The Emergency Preparedness and Response division, the Science and Technology division and the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection division (Barkun, 2011). Other departments with similar functions with Homeland security such as the National Security Agency (NSA) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and The Central Investigation Agency (CIA) were left out of the Homeland Security Department (Barkun, 2011). The Department of Homeland Security has five main duties and responsibilities. These include protecting the American people from terrorist threats and attacks, Securing borders of the United States of America, enforcing immigration laws, improving the country’s readiness for, as well as response to, and recovery from disasters and finally unifying the department so as to function efficiently (Chertoff, 2009). The department’s responsibility of protecting the American people from terrorist threats is its primary responsibility and one that takes priority over any other role of the department. Under this role, the department channels its resources towards prevention of terrorist attacks as well as preparedness for any terror attack. The Department also has the role of advising American citizens all over the world on security matters coming as a result of terrorist threats. The department strives to encourage the citizens to be prepared as opposed to living in constant fear of terrorist threats and attacks. The other important function of the department is to secure the country’s borders. This includes ensuring security of the southern, Northern border, the air and sea ports. The department deports illegal immigrants who could be in the country with ill motives. Another responsibility of the department with regard to securing borders is strengthening the fight against smuggling of drugs, weapons and cash obtained illegally. When it comes to immigration, the department of Homeland Security is mandated with the responsibility of facilitating the process of legal immigration and also cracking down on individuals who break the country’s laws.

The Main Selling Point of Globalization and E-Commerce Research Paper

The Main Selling Point of Globalization and E-Commerce - Research Paper Example Among all the developments today in globalization, it is the explosion of retail channels that are fueling the most excitement. The idea of being able to sell to the whole world is the main selling point of globalization and e-commerce however retailers are now realizing the constraints of these expanded channels. With the deluge of buyers and the stress on the company’s selling infrastructure, there is a need to evaluate and redevelop retail management policies. Fashion retailing whether online or not and whether selling globally or not are among the industries that need to asses its position and strategies. Since the industry usually entails actual perusal of the product, sellers need to communicate on a personal level with its buyers. Since the selling strategy targets this level of appeal, companies need to realize that they need to understand better who they are selling to culturally and psychologically stay competitive (Johansson, 2001). According to Perner (2004), "A le arned, shared, compelling, interrelated set of orientations for members of society". Culture influences goals, beliefs, attitudes and values and ultimately buying behaviour. In the development of the essential strategies for competing effectively in today’s globalized retail markets, it can be concluded that several factors are essential to success. Among them are extensive and relevant market research, responsive and sensitive marketing strategies, focus and creativity to execute plans and strategies, attentiveness changes in society and the social and political environment, flexibility to cope with the critical situation effectively and efficiently.

Securities Analysis and Portfolio Management Essay

Securities Analysis and Portfolio Management - Essay Example Louis is no longer working as a stock broker and Simon is now using the services of Cheryl who has strong views about Simon’s portfolio. Cheryl, a graduate in finance from York University, believes that markets are essentially efficient and admires the work of Harry Markowitz and Fama and French. She believes that the important thing is to have a good portfolio rather than good individual investments. Cheryl tells Simon that she doesn’t feel that he even has the best companies now even if they had been when the portfolio had been set up. Cheryl goes on to say that that a good portfolio needs to include exposure to overseas companies and smaller companies thus reducing the â€Å"beta† and improving the â€Å"alpha† of the portfolio. Cheryl also argued that it is vital to watch the â€Å"momentum† and have stop-losses on all the holdings in order to protect against primary downside movements. Simon is very concerned about his share holdings after talk ing to Cheryl and has approached you for advice. You ascertain that Simon, who doesn’t work, is 65 years old and is receiving a more than adequate income from his existing portfolio. Simon rents a flat in a seaside resort and does not wish to buy property. Simon is not willing to take on any additional risk. In addition to the shares discussed above Simon has ?14,000 in a bank account and ?300,000 in medium dated conventional gilts. Simon has two children from his short lived marriage to Susan who both have well paid jobs. Simon does not wish to transfer assets to his children as he would prefer to support any future grandchildren he has through their education. Simon’s ten equity holdings are: Company PE Ratio Dividend Yield Dividend Cover Equity Market Capitalisation (?m) BAE Systems 7.9 4.96% 2.5 11,003 BP 7.2 8.84% 1.6 77,353 British American Tobacco 15.4 4.2% 1.5 47,264 BT Group 7.6 4.89% 2.7 10,956 Diageo 14.8 3.47% 1.9 66,234 GlaxoSmithKline 10.5 4.78% 2.0 66,23 4 HSBC 29.9 3.34% 1.0 116,479 Marks and Spencer 10.9 4.16% 2.2 5,705 Rolls Royce 14.7 2.56% 2.6 10,847 Unilever 16.1 2.31% 3.2 23,281 Required: (a) With relevant statistics, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Simon’s existing portfolio above (make reference to eps/dps growth; betas; price performance; and sector spread of the ten shareholdings). (35 marks) Simon’s stock portfolio has been constructed according to the established views of modern portfolio theory, which seeks â€Å"alpha† by selecting stock holdings in companies that will outperform the return of the general stock indices or interest rates over time. Modern portfolio theory is based in the tenets of risk management, which analyze security investments according to â€Å"beta† or the volatility of stock pricing due to company specific business activities, market factors, macroeconomic changes, natural disasters, wars, etc. Investors have different expectations, personal, and professional motivations in building their investments and with this also comes varying appetites or tolerances for risk. Modern portfolio theory was developed largely before ETF vehicles existed to track index performance through large, distributed

Managing in the service environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing in the service environment - Essay Example After some years as a partner, Schultz bought Starbuck from the original owners. Immediately after taking over, he continued selling coffee beans, cheap coffee beverages by cup and he employed well educated staff to run the stores and he managed to compete successfully with other coffee chains. In 1992, Shultz take the company to the public and many people laugh at him since few people in America take coffee. He went ahead and raised $25million in the offer, this enabled him to open more stores across the country. By the end o f 2002, Starbuck was the dominant coffee seller in North America. Since the company went public, the growth increased by 40%. The company was offering services to more than 21 million across the continent with over 5000 stores that are well established. 2. How the customer services are delivered at Starbucks The company has a policy called â€Å"Just Say Yes† which has empowered the company to give the best services to their clients even if it means goin g beyond the required rules and procedures. For example if the drinks spill and the client request to be refilled, it will be refilled. If the client doesn’t have cash and he wants to pay with a Check, he will be provided with a sample drink for free since the Checks are not acceptable (Moon and Quelch 2006). The company management believes that employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction. For better services, when a staff member is employed, he will have to undergo two types of training. The first training will focus on hard skills such as using cash register or mixing drinks. The company beverages are crafted by hand through a certain process to ensure that what is being produced is of high quality. The other training deal with soft skills, in this the employees are taught how to deal with the customers, for example having an eye contact with them, remembering their names, and welcoming them happily to the shops. The employees are provided with health insurance and stock options to even new employees (Moon and Quelch 2006). The company is also one of the well paying food chain in America. The company has the lowest employee turn over rates as compared to other food companies. The manager stability is also paramount since it reduces partner turnover and it enables the shops to perform better by recognizing regular consumers and giving personal services. 3. Customer’s satisfaction at Starbucks and how to improve its customer satisfaction. Starbuck customer satisfaction is commendable since it provide high satisfaction to customers. Customers get the best coffee coming from different parts of the world like Africa, Asia pacific and American regions. The employees has been trained on soft skills that will help them handle customers better, this make the customers have the best time in the shops since they are highly welcomed and employees talk to them to ensure that they are satisfied. In the shops if they encounter any problem in the mode of payment, they are given sample beverages for free. Starbucks can improve customers’ satisfaction in different ways, one is consistency. The company should guarantee consistence in product taste and quality. This consistency should be driven by very high efficient coffee processing machines which are in a position of producing blended coffee without disturbing customers with noise. Secondly,

Example of science being used in my World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Example of science being used in my World - Essay Example st who had won Tour De France seven times at a stretch was disqualified from the victories because he was accused of doping charges by the Anti-doping Agency of the United States. Thus the discoveries in the areas of science and medicine can accentuate the performance of human beings which otherwise could not have been done. However men often forget their limitations and exploit medicine and science in a negative way as in case of doping. Excessive use of these prohibitive drugs can have adverse effects on the health of the sports persons. Kids who want to be strong are also provoked by these drugs and harm themselves http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/health/teenage-boys-worried-about-body-image-take-risks.html?pagewanted=2. The government has to take care of the issue by arresting the production and sale of these drugs. License should be imposed on retailers and online retailing of these drugs should also be controlled. The society as a whole should take responsibility to control this criminal offense and live life in the most natural way

The trail of Tears Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The trail of Tears - Essay Example Over 15,000 of our members, led by Chief John Ross, have signed a petition in protest of this false treaty. Despite this, the United States Supreme Court dismissed our concerns and this year ratified the treaty. We have now been given two years to migrate voluntarily to the west, away from our own country, to unfamiliar territory beyond the Mississippi. Forcible removal has been threatened if we do not leave on our own. Citizens of the United States, we do not wish to leave our lands, nor should we be forced to do so. Such a move would not be in our best interests; indeed it would be fatal to us as a nation. Firstly, it is an area completely unknown to us, and in addition is already occupied by other Indian nations who would not take kindly to encroachers upon their territory. We would be forced into close proximity with neighbors with whom we do not share a language or customs. The territory is also inadequately supplied with wood and water, making it much harder for us to survive. We appeal to the sense of fairness in the citizens of the United States, because previous to the false treaty, all agreements upheld our sovereign rights. Those treaties explicitly acknowledged us to be a separate people, in a separate territory comprising our own country, and were supposed to be secured and protected by your government. In the 1832 Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia, the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Marshall rendered a judgment firmly upholding our rights. It stated, in part, that Indian nations should be regarded as distinct political communities, with their own territorial boundaries in which exclusive authority is exercised, as guaranteed by the United States. Although the case specifically addressed the legal question of whether the State of Georgia could forcibly seize any person residing within our nation with our permission, it forthrightly addresses our territorial and sovereign rights.

Ethical Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Decision Making - Essay Example Finding out the nature of the problem is important (Johnson 310). Identification of the affected parties is the next step. It is necessary to understand the stakeholders to get a clear picture of what lead to the problem as stated. Apart from consulting the affected, one should also try to hear from the witnesses. Clarity of the issue at this point must have come out. It helps stabilize the next step. The third step is exploring options available. It enhances brainstorming and reflects on a range of actions possible. In every potential problem, at least three options should be availed. From these options, one explores the strengths and limitations of them all. Identification of directly related problems is necessary. Before the decision comes out, it is wise to establish a mechanism for revision appeal (Johnson 139). The next step is to consider your character and integrity on the choices of options made. It is wise to try to picture out the type of decision a relevant member of the community will make out of integrity. Also, try to imagine what the larger population will think of your decision if they read in a publication. Would it be the best? You should also try to think of how your decision appears later on in life (Johnson 243). The fifth step is to think creatively about potential actions. One must have at least two alternatives to consider. Considering the two, one should come up with a third alternative that combines the idea of both the two alternatives. The third alternative should satisfy the interest of the primary parties in the situation. The sixth step is to check your confidence in the choice. It gives one the courage to give the decision openly with substantial reasons for his choice. It is more advantageous if one is experienced in the subject. If not, then it is good to consult an expert and here what he says about the solution.