Literature Paper Essay

Sophocles two plays, namely the AD 6717-658 Oedipus the King as well as the 658-693 Antigone, are dominated by elements of conflict – both external and internal. The external conflict involves two persons with opposing viewpoints being engaged in a physical or philosophical confrontation. On the other hand, the internal cases of conflict occur when certain individuals in the 2 plays encounter dilemmas regarding doing things that their consciences counsel against. Further, the playwright describes various characters handling the conflicting situations in a variety of ways. For example, some characters just choose to give in, become complicit, and do the things that their consciences advise against. A notable example of this phenomenon in Oedipus the King is Queen Jocasta’s action of bowing to King Laius’ (her husband’s) pressure and thus giving away the young Oedipus to be disposed off. Likewise, in Antigone, Ismene depicts the same behavior of allowing outside pressure to adversely influence her conscience-led aspirations. To this end, Ismene refuses to join efforts with Antigone – her defiant sister – in burying Polyneices – the 2 sisters’ departed brother. Conversely, the 2 plays contain cases whereby physical person-to-person conflicts arise. For instance, in Antigone, Creon – Thebe’s ruler – holds viewpoints that conflict with those of Haemon – Creon’s son. To illustrate, when Creon detains and intends to murder Antigone – Haemon’s fiance – son and father are at loggerheads. The situation deteriorates to the extent of father and son insulting one another. Haemon angrily leaves, promising that he will never come back. Similarly, in Oedipus the King, King Oedipus becomes conflicted with prophet Tiresias because Tiresias is experiencing an internal sort of conflict. The prophet is aware that telling King Oedipus the truth about who killed King Laius would yield no good results. On the other hand, King Oedipus is very intent on ascertaining the true identity of Lauis’ killer, not knowing that Oedipus himself killed Laius. The conflict between the 2 personalities pushes them to exchange harsh words. This conflict is resolved when Tiresias utters the definitive paradox that Laius was indeed killed by his (Laius’) son. All in all, through the two plays – Antigone and Oedipus the King, playwright Sophocles describes both external and external cases of conflict, with the conflicts being resolved to the detriment of a certain individual. To begin with, Queen Jocasta’s conflict regarding either disposing off or saving the life of Oedipus – her son – ends with the infant son being disadvantaged when he is disposed off. The hopeless Oedipus passes from the hands of Jocasta, to a servant, to a lowly shepherd and eventually to a King’s palace. Through such transition, the baby encounters various hardships. Firstly, he risks being killed and then spends some time out in the open fields where he is exposed to the elements. Further, it is notable that the shepherd who eventually passes Oedipus on to King Polybus has no means of keeping and raising the condemned child. Jocasta’s indecisiveness when she faces the internal conflict of either saving or killing Oedipus thus causes the son immense problems. In this case, Sophocles describes a conflict being resolved to the detriment of a particular personality – Oedipus. In a similar version, in Antigone, Sophocles describes Antigone’s conflict as resulting in a string of misfortunes. After Creon the King unjustly orders that Polyneices should be ignored regarding proper burial, with Eteocles being accorded a fitting send-off, Antigone – Polyneices’ sister – becomes mentally conflicted. Antigone immediately detects Creon’s partiality in ordering for this obviously discriminative treatment. She thus cannot demonstrate complicity by adhering to Creon’s unjust edict. The determined girl therefore opts to secretly accord Polyneices a proper burial. By doing this, Antigone risks being put to death as indicated by Creon’s directive. She however gallantly carries on with her plan and even boldly defending her decisions before the King. Related to Antigone’s mental conflict is Ismene’s dilemma whereby she has to choose to either stand by Antigone or obey Creon’s controversial decree. By adhering to the directives that Creon has issued, Ismene will in effect be betraying Polyneices – her brother. Conversely, by deciding to join Antigone in properly burying Polyneices, Ismene will be showing sisterly responsibility to her departed brother as well as to Antigone. In addition, Ismene risks being put to death as per Creon’s orders should she go by Antigone’s bold decision. Eventually, Ismene shies away and avoids going by Antigone’s plans. On her part, Antigone boldly accords Polyneices a proper send-off, thus attracting Creon’s wrath. Ultimately, the 2 sisters find themselves behind bars, with Ismene being a sort of martyr since she did not participate in Antigone’s defiant actions. It is at this point that Antigone faces another conflict when Ismene offers to suffer the consequences of Antigone’s actions. Antigone is aware that it would be unjust to allow Ismene suffer the same fate as Antigone. Although outside pressure eventually forces Creon to let the 2 girls walk free, the conflict that Ismene and Antigone face is resolved with disastrous results. Further, the decision that Antigone makes because of being mentally conflicted serves to make Creon’s son – Haemon – to also become conflicted. To illustrate, after Creon puts Antigone in prison, intending to kill the girl, Haemon intervenes, trying to persuade Creon to let the girl walk away. Haemon does this because he is an intimate friend to Antigone. He thus cannot allow his father to kill Antigone owing to the love that Haemon has for Antigone. It is worth noting that Haemon is in a tight spot when he approaches Creon, persuading the King to let Antigone go away. This is because Haemon risks being branded a traitor or someone who demonstrates insubordination towards the King. On the other hand, should Haemon decide to keep quiet, allowing the King to do as he wills with Antigone, Haemon will demonstrate lack of commitment towards Antigone. Son and father thus confront each other because they hold varying viewpoints about the incarceration of Antigone. Again, Sophocles describes a person-to-person conflict being resolved in a negative way. After Haemon and Creon hurl insults at each other, Haemon walks away, promising that he will never come back. True to his words, Haemon commits suicide. Likewise, through the Oedipus the King play, Sophocles describes the shepherd who witnessed King Laius’ murder as well as Oedipus as being conflicted both externally and internally. For instance, King Oedipus desires to know every detail of his (Oedipus’) childhood. On the other hand, the shepherd is aware that should he become aware of his past, Oedipus will only experience pain. The shepherd thus only gives certain details of Oedipus childhood after which he begs to be allowed to stop the narration. By doing this, the shepherd seeks to shield Oedipus from the pain that will inevitably result when the King learns of his (the King’s) past. Such good intentions are however misunderstood by Oedipus as the shepherd’s demonstration of insubordination. Consequently, Oedipus threatens the shepherd with death should he hold back any information from the King. The shepherd is thus deeply conflicted. He is very sure that when Oedipus learns the truth about Oedipus’ lineage, the King will surely be gravely hurt. Out of fear for his life, the shepherd finally explains all the details about Oedipus life. Consequently, the King becomes distraught. Further, the Queen commits suicide, after which Oedipus gorges out both his eyes and goes into self-imposed exile. Once more, Sophocles describes the conflict between the shepherd and King Oedipus as being resolved in a bad manner as it results in the deaths of Queen Jocasta and the self-imposed exile of King Oedipus. In conclusion, though his 2 plays – Oedipus the King and Antigone – playwright Sophocles describes numerous instances whereby various characters are conflicted either externally or internally. One notable case of mental conflict in Antigone is the instance when Antigone has to choose to either remain loyal to Polyneices – her brother – or obey Creon’s dictatorial decree. Conversely, the instance when Creon and Haemon exchange bitter words denotes external conflict. On the other hand, in Oedipus the King, Jocasta’s indecision regarding whether to dispose off or save Oedipus represents internal conflict. The shepherd and Oedipus’ confrontation demonstrates external conflict. Further, all the conflicts that are presented in both Oedipus the King as well as in Antigone are resolved in ways that harm certain characters.

Cold War Essay

The existing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union proceeded to spike between 1945 and 1950. The disputes between these two countries pressured them to start a war. Of the post World War II goals that contributed to the Cold War, there were a prominent few, including the â€Å"Iron Curtain†, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. During the Cold War, competition for methods of weaponry skyrocketed. Some of said tactics were Satellite nations, the Space Race, and the buildup of arms. Originally, The United States and the Soviet Union formed a bond simply because of their mutual fear that the Nazis would gain control over Europe. After the war was over, restructuring of Europe commenced. When this began to happen, a power struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States developed. The tension continued to rise, but neither wished to go to war because of the whopping number of lives taken from World War II, therefore, the term â€Å"Cold War† makes sense. Winston Churchill gave his famous â€Å"Iron Curtain† speech on March 5th, 1946, which mainly focussed on changing the world’s view of Stalin and his dictatorship. Citizens were blind to Stalin’s cruel dictatorship, simply because they needed some kind of leader. Churchill stated in his speech that, the â€Å"Iron Curtain† separated West and Eastern Europe. The East European government adopted a communist system and fell under the control of the U.S.S.R. (Doc #1). This created tension, induced by ideology differences. President Truman made up a plan, in which he felt that there should be a policy of the United States to provide financial aid to countries who are trying to avoid domination from other countries. Truman gave $400 million in aid to Turkey and Greece (Doc. #2). This heightened pressure between the U.S. And other countries because of how strong the U.S. obviously was, compared to any other country. This was also a threat to other countries. Marshall, secretary of State, stated that the vast amount of political, economical, and social damage Europe were going through would not only effect the continent itself, but the world as a whole. He stated that this was a major concern, and the U.S. should do everything in its power to fix this torn continent. He stated that without the assistance, there would be ongoing hunger and poverty (Doc. #3). Marshall gave $13 billion to Europe to aid the damage. The Truman Doctrine, and the marshall Plan, were both attempts to maintain successful political, economical, and social stability throughout the world to prevent the post war downfall from occurring once again. Joseph Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union, captured Berlin. This upset many countries and so, NATO was born. They believed that an attack on one country was an attack on them all. The arms race occurred as a result because the countries stated that armed forces would be used if necessary to protect a country who had to undergo an armed attack.

HRM Analysis and Recommendation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HRM Analysis and Recommendation - Research Paper Example 2. Introduction the Organization Goodwill Industries International is a multinational corporation, having its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The company was established in 1902 by Edgar Helms and focuses on providing job opportunities to unemployed individuals, on and off job training programs and other charity programs for individuals with disabilities. Goodwill Industries operates in 25 countries of the world including USA and Canada and its current work force is around 105,000 employees across the globe. 3. Goodwill Industries’ Business Strategy and Market Position The vision of Goodwill Industries is: "We at Goodwill Industries will be satisfied only when every person in the global community has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential as an individual and to participate and contribute fully in all aspects of a productive life." The business level strategy of Goodwill Industries revolves around charity money and donations that it collects through its glob al network of Goodwill Associates and members. But the major chunk of donations and charity money is raised by the chain of Goodwill’s thrift stores which are operating across the markets in which the company is present as the non-profit organization. The business strategy of Goodwill also compels its management to reserve 82% of the total collected donations and charity money into fulfilling its corporate social responsibility practices, whereas the rest is spent on providing employment opportunities to those who are disabled or lack academic qualification. The customer base of Goodwill Industries comprises of 4.5 million customers and is labeled as a social enterprise whose profits are spent on making society a better place to live. At the moment, the company has designated two persons to carry out the donor relations communication processes and familiarize societies around the world about the noble cause they are serving. These persons are Lorie Marrero and Evette Rios. Th ese two associates are currently working with Donate Movement and ABC Network respectively. Other associates of the Goodwill Industries are also associated with famous organizations but reserve their time to fulfill their responsibilities at Goodwill Industries. Presently, Goodwill Industries has expended to the non-profit market in 25 countries in 5 continents of the world and reports around $ 4.8 billion in revenues each year consistently. 4. Job Pricing and Compensation Packages Job pricing and compensation package is that function of the human resource department of any organization, that determines the salaries and compensations required to be paid to each employee. This practice is done with the help of reviewing industry standards and technology like SAP software. Goodwill industries have received severe criticism for its job pricing and compensation packages that it offers to the associates and executives of the organization. Industry experts has termed the job pricing strat egies of Goodwill Industries as â€Å"unreasonable† and biased. These experts base their argument on the amount and pay Goodwill’s Oregon branch executive, Michael Miller received, i.e. around $ 850,000. On the other hand, other executive associates received lesser amount in salaries during the same year, i.e. 2004. Critics view Goodwill’

Business Simulation Game (Individual Report) Essay

Business Simulation Game (Individual Report) - Essay Example ment of a foot-wear company operating in Europe-Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and North America and the strategic decisions that the virtual company has made from its Year 10 to Year 15 of operation. The company operates in four different geographical areas; Europe-Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and North America. This means the company operates in different political atmospheres. It thus has to deal with the problems and challenges of political ambiguities and turbulence. In order to create a political environment that is amenable to our business, we have pursued political risk management strategies. We have taken advantage of the growing global awareness and entered into the global market. As globalization leads to more business opportunities for our company, we have to change the roles of the business game and strategize accordingly with the changing dynamics. We appreciate that different organizational players and settings shape our business opportunities through different public policy processes in the locales that host our operations. Before settling on any particular strategy to take control of the political uncertainty, our company further considered the High Involvement Strategy. This involved contemplating the possibility of expending great resources and developing a more elaborate strategy. The strategy would be geared towards effecting the political environment in ways that would yield maximum returns to our efforts. Using this strategy, the company did not abandon the idea of networking with other similar-minded firms. Instead of coalition with like-minded firms to gain scale, the strategy would be for diverse parties to gain scope. All companies, organizations and agencies are potential members of the High Involvement Strategy. The strategy would include networking of regional, local, national, political, economic and social actors. Through frequent communication and contact, the network behaves like an information-gathering device that

Latin America and the Catholic Church Case Study

Latin America and the Catholic Church - Case Study Example A total of 17 members of the Sandinista youth organization had been killed during the ambush, and the Christians hoped that the pope would console them due to their loss. However, the pope avoided making any remarks that related to the killings, and rather, concentrated on the church unity, something that was unexpected to the crowd. The crowd was disappointed, hence making it hard for the mass to proceed as planned; they made a lot of noise that demanded for a consolation from the pope. However, the pope basically never commented on any political stand as the reformists hoped. His message was basically on the unity in the church. What position did the pope eventually make clear to the Nicaraguan priests? The pope’s words towards the Nicaraguan priest were very clear; since he recognized the fact that they had been treated recklessly and inhumanely, but he specified that it was not wise for them to avenge against their rivals. As such, an action would be disrespectful to the m emories of martyrs such as Bishop Romero, and it would lead to political ideologies and their faith would be compromised. The pope mostly insisted on the church unity to the priests as a way to promote peace in the area, and avoid divisions (Hoyt, 1993).

Review the pages provided then answer the 5-Questions. (Read Essay

Review the pages provided then answer the 5-Questions. (Read fulldirections) - Essay Example B. On the other hand, when it comes to the trip to Cancun, again those with more disposable income may have the motivation to purchase the trip. Older people with disposable incomes, middle-aged empty nesters both married and single, and young people with no kids all may have the motivation and may probably purchase the trip. In terms of the Household Life cycle therefore, both the young and those who are older, who have empty nests, those who are married, and those who are single all have the motivation, and are the likely customers for the trip to Cancun (â€Å"The American Society: Families and Households† 190). C. Breakfast bars are the probable purchase of young people across all groupings in the household life cycle, from singles to single parents, to married people with and without kids, because of the way the breakfast bars signify movement and convenience, as well as price consciousness and easy availability, whereas older people and middle-aged people may have different food preferences for breakfast. The latter groups in the household life cycle may prefer cooked breakfast food, either cooked at home or in restaurants and even fast food outlets, having more money for breakfast and in the case of older people more time and a greater concern for health and nutrition in food (â€Å"The American Society: Families and Households† 190). A. The most relevant reference groups for the brand of toothpaste is arguably parents across the different HLC groups, from young single parents, to full nest parents, to delayed full nest parents, because of the way these groups make the purchase decisions for household items for the rest of the family. This reference group is also the appropriate target for marketing and advertising campaigns for toothpastes, even when the toothpaste caters to younger people in terms of its product attributes and in terms of the other elements of the marketing

Effective Bookkeeping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Bookkeeping - Essay Example A failure to keep books properly can have very real ramifications for a school, a district, and the workers in it: it could cause intense scandal and cost people jobs and the district money. Furthermore, regular audits are done to ensure that all moneys are accounted for in reasonable ways, meaning that mistakes will get found and will have real consequences for everyone in the chain of bookkeeping, which could possibly include dismissal. It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of proper bookkeeping. This will simply serve as a refresher, please remember that the full description of appropriate policies and legislation relating to school accounting can be found in the Tennessee Internal School Uniform Accounting Policy Manual. There are several things that can lead to effective bookkeeping, and it is firstly important to emphasize basic and fundamental general rules before moving on to the specifics. Firstly, a record keeping must be orderly and complete. Any transaction incl uding school funds should be kept in a safe location, organized by date and able to be recalled at will. Secondly, transparency is of fundamental importance. If anything does seem to be amiss, it is my responsibility as principle to immediately notify a superior, and thus it is your responsibility to immediately notify me. ... These include funds of a variety of sources, including rental fees for non-district use of school property, student activity fees, donations, and even including cafeteria money. One of the most important and sometimes irking aspects of accounting is that specific fees sometimes need to be assigned to specific tasks, and cannot be used for other tasks. A school’s general fund, which constitutes money gained for the operation of a school, for instance, are only allowed to be use to supplement and not to replace the obligations of the school board, for instance. This means that while the general fund should not be used for school repairs, for instance, which are the responsibility of the district. Thus it is important to keep auditors happy and the whole process smooth that we be very conservative when administering funds, keeping careful track of the money flow and be able to demonstrate that moneys collected under one fund, the general fund, for instance, are not used in inappr opriate, or even seemingly inappropriate ways. Thus, it is incredibly important to keep strong firewalls between different kinds of funds used by the school, and flag any funds that might transfer between the two. Finally, it is of the greatest importance that enough internal controls are in place to ensure that the school is not damaged or defrauded, and that moneys are not misused. There can be very serious consequences from lack internal controls, including bank deposits being stolen, money being diverted for internal use, and so forth. This means things discussed above such as physical control of records, but also daily tallying of cash flows in and out (in cafeterias, and with cash registers, for instance) as well as ensuring proper security

Oscar Wilde was the fashion critic and editor of the magazine the Essay - 1

Oscar Wilde was the fashion critic and editor of the magazine the woman's world(1887-1889). Analize this contribution to fashion criticism - Essay Example Grundy’s play is one among many artistic works that depicted the woman’s position in the society. Another evidence of womens inferiority in the 18th century portrayed through the manner in which the â€Å"lady’s world† magazine was edited before Oscar Wilde came took over the editorship (Tusan 2005, P.68). Oscar Wilde claims that the magazine had no motivational content that concerned women because content mostly contained gossips, music, art, fashion, and other common issues. Nevertheless, things changed when Oscar Wilde joined the publishing company as the editor of the magazine. The content and the appearance of the magazine never made much sense to him and that is why he transformed every bit of the magazine including its name (Schaffer 2000, p. 9). The name changed from â€Å"the lady’s world† to the â€Å"woman’s world†. Additionally, the magazine acquired a better appealing look that contained fancy pictures of modernized fashionable women. The magazine also changed its contents by including empowerment issues that aimed at uplifting women, which included women’s need for progressive education, women’s indulgence in politics, women’s involvement in the businesses of society and above all women’s equal share in dominating the world (Fortunato 2012, p. 30). This meant that the magazine transformed from its usual boring article into an empowering and informative article shunning the usual fashion content (Böker 2002, p. 44). Though critics base their critics on the fact that Wilde transformed the magazine by erasing the fashion issue, which is not the case because Oscar Wilde did not completely erase the fashion issue but rather refined it by adding more content, because evidently, he only reduced the fashion section from four to two. Prior to Wilde reducing past issues in the magazine and adding up empowering content, Wilde also incorporated women authors who greatly contributed in writing the magazine (Tusan 2005, P.68). Generally,

Assessment Methods Essay Example for Free

Assessment Methods Essay Question: Explain the main types of assessments and explain how you conduct or could conduct an initial assessment of learners Assessment is one of the main resources of learning. It is key to understanding and developing for both teacher and learners. Here are the different methods of assessments and how I would use them in my organisation. Initial Assessment: this method comes into play the minute the group of learners are introduced to a new teacher. It is a crucial part of their learning journey as it provides information needed to decide a learners starting point. It is the benchmark from which learners can progress and achievement can be measured. For example, teaching a new child on his or her first football session with my organisation, the teacher would need to assess age, physical attributes and most importantly if the child has every played or been taught before and if yes, to what standard. After this initial assessment it can then help the teacher plan a better programme for this individual and development can begin. Observation: Observing learners in action, whether it is certain drill or game situation is pretty much the main key to overseeing their developing firsthand. Also gauging their understanding, by them mirroring what they are being taught or shown. This can help the teacher grasp whether the teaching session has been successful and pitched at the right level. By viewing individual performances the teacher can assess this thoroughly and record notes of the session in the ‘evaluation section’ on the session plan. Formative Assessments: This is the ongoing assessment which takes place over the duration of the course to ensure each learner is or can demonstrate a progressive understanding of the learning objectives from each session. This can be done on an observational basis as well as QA (question and answer). For example, the teacher seeing a learner performing a skill that was taught as part of a drill in training and then progressing this into a game/match situation without being prompted. Witnessing this, noting it and then asking questions to that individual, such as – Why did you do that skill? Did it work? – allows that learner to gain some form of feedback on their actions in that situation. Question and Answer: QA is the obvious point of gauging what information has been taken on board by your learners. As well as learning the physical attributes of football, it is important learners know exactly why they are being taught a certain skill or drill and when and where they can use it in a game situation. So creating scenarios where learners can be shown something then questioned – why did we do this and can you think of a better way – will give the teacher a better understanding through the relevant responses from individuals or the group. This can be done on the pitch or broken down into a classroom situation. Getting answers from learners in a verbal or written way can help assess and test their awareness and knowledge in certain areas. Summative Assessment: This is the all important assessment that allows learners to gain that precious feedback in their development and standard of achievement in every object they undertake. Whether it is their performance in a football match or a task set within a training drill, the feedback given lays the path to progression for that learner within the task or match and allows the learner the chance to listen and acknowledge the teachers comments and take on board and develop for future situations. This can be delivered to them verbally or as a written player development report done on a weekly or monthly basis. Assessment Records: The records we keep on individuals are called Player Development Reports (PDR’s). The reason we keep those is to assess players’ progress throughout the course, from initial to final assessment. These are kept by the teacher and updated every session. They consist of the initial assessment, in which the teacher gathers all relevant information from them such as medical information, ability and special needs. This information is taken into consideration when setting aims and objectives. Learners will then be assessed to find their level, taking on numerous tasks and graded accordingly. This outcome again is recorded in their PDR to identify their needs and progression route. Following each session the teacher will add a comment in the PDR on what was achieved during the session and evaluating how well that individual participated, also commenting a note for development and new objectives. Along with learners PDR’s, the teacher will also assess the effectiveness of their teaching as each lesson goes by. This can be done through all forms of assessment, with the teacher evaluating their session judging on the understanding from each learner from that particular lesson. This will allow room for improvement or change of teaching style for further development within the group. This will all be noted in the ‘Actions for Development’ section of the evaluation page of the session plan. Record Keeping: Keeping records is one of the best methods to track progress, development and capability of all learners in your group. They also help keep the running of your organisation to a high standard, therefore making a good environment for learners to evolve. Throughout the course learners will be observed, assessed and tested through different methods in each objective they attempt or complete. These outcomes can be recorded through PDP’s (Personal Development Plans), test papers and documented one-to-one tutorials. These can be set aside and revisited at any point by learner or teacher. Keeping records, with regard to session plans and test results, etc, is also an important tool that allows teachers to evaluate and refine their sessions and any aspect of the rapport between teacher and learner that may need changing or improving, to ensure effectiveness when delivering a session. Also gauging who may need more help or who is ready for more extensive work. In my organisation the types of records we keep are slightly different but still as effective. As a football coach the records I keep consist of medical and incident forms, contact details of learner and venue, (including addresses), CRB numbers and coaches’ ID badges, also a copy of insurance. For obvious reasons these are kept safe and secure between sessions, but during sessions these would be on-hand with the coach in case of any accidents, incidents or emergencies.

Improving Organizational Retention Essay Example for Free

Improving Organizational Retention Essay As an independent consultant hired to improve retention issues at JC’s Casino concerning dealers and housekeeping I will look at this as two separate entities. The casino owner needs the quickest fix possible and I must look at the area first causing the most issues with the customers. Though there is a fast turnover of dealers there are enough employees to cover this area for the time being. The first issue is the housekeeping staff because it is causing customers to have to wait on their rooms until six in the evening. This can cause loss of revenue by customers moving to other casino hotels where they can check in at a reasonable time and this in turn could cause loss of revenue at the gambling tables. The first person I will meet with is the HR director, Tom Sneed, to see how the company process of hiring is done and if there is a job analysis directive with requirements and training procedures in place. Tom Sneed said applicants are sent through the local unemployment office, and apply through newspaper ads. The job application is a standard application with previous jobs, history, and education. The applications are passed to Andrew Keen for approval or disapproval. There is a job analysis in place for requirements from bending and lifting, to chemicals used in the cleaning process, and training videos. Each floor has carts set up to cover all the required products for each room; this is checked by the director of housekeeping each day and refilled as needed. All products are on carts, including boxes of gloves for protection for the housekeepers. As the director of housekeeping, Andrew Keen is responsible for staffing, scheduling the employees, keeping the housekeeping budget in check, keeping up with new policies, and initiating the new policies (Education Portal, 2012). As there has been a tremendous staffing issue with absenteeism and high turnovers, we need to see where the shortcomings are in this department. Keen does not think there are any issues within the company for the position, but that it is just hard to find good help. The hotel consists of 15 floors with 20 rooms on each floor except the top floor, which has eight suites. Each floor has two housekeepers per floor with each employee required to clean up to 10 rooms a day on his or her shifts if the hotel is full. The top floor employees are required to clean up to four suites a day on their shift. I introduce myself to the employees who are working and ask for a list of those who are not in for the day. I call all the employees off for the day to come in and request the employees who are at work to stay after for a meeting when they are done with their shift. I am setting up food trays and drinks from the kitchen plus paying them for the time at the meeting. I start out the meeting by explaining who I am, letting them know that any comments made to me about their dissatisfaction in the job is confidential. They will fill out a questionnaire on why they think there is such a huge turnover of employees in housekeeping, what they see as a way to fix it, and any dissatisfaction with the job. I let them know that the questionnaires are for my eyes only and I will assemble a list of issues myself, which I will take to the director of housekeeping and possibly on up the ladder to the owner. Occupational Stressors and Job Satisfaction The immediate items I notice from the questionnaires are extreme dissatisfaction with their supervisor Keehn. The list includes everything from watering down the cleaning supplies so much it does not clean or sanitize properly, to shortages on sheets and towels to scheduling issues. The employees believe that Keehn is trying to keep under budget to make him-self look good. Scheduling issues are not enough hours and refusing to work with anyone on scheduling needs. The 22 employees who were at the meeting said they get into trouble by Keehn if he sees them talking to each other or trying to help someone else get his or her rooms done. Job control stressors can be lack of control over your work, lack of recognition for work done, harassment, lack of respect from supervisors, and isolation from fellow employees to name a few (CWA, 2009). Each of these factors is all stressors with the housekeeping staff. Over all there is very little job satisfaction with the company because of all the negative issues. Those who are here would leave if they found another job with better scheduling and a better supervisor. Several of the employees suggested Rhonda Jordan should be the director of housekeeping. She has been here longer than anyone, knows the ins and outs of the company, always has a kind word, and has good communication skills. Many of the employees go to her for help instead of Keehn. I go back to HR with Tom Sneed and discuss with him the issue of the dealers quitting and look over the exit interviews on those who bothered to do one before they left. Mr. Sneed said that some of the dealers in the step-sons Joe’s pit have walked out during their breaks because of his attitude. He has a tendency to belittle the dealers and make the customers angrier instead of defusing a bad situation. His paperwork is haphazard and the accounting office is always calling him in to explain his paperwork to them. Two Work Motivation Theories The issues with the housekeepers and the dealers both stem from issues with their immediate supervisors. Using the goal-setting theory and reinforcement theory I am in hopes that the casino president will put into effect immediately the outline I have to present to him. The foremost and most important fix needs to be the housekeeping staff so that customers can check in at the normal industry standard time of three in the afternoon instead of six. After talking to Keehn and his denials of the accusations by his underlings and not taking any responsibility for any part of the housekeeping staff leaving, I will suggest that Andrew Keehn be fired and the position offered to Rhonda Jordan, who is an intelligent, warm, and job-oriented person. The employees all look up to her and respect her. Rhonda and I discussed in detail ways to keep the employees they do have and ways to hire and keep new employees. Goal setting will be to replace Keehn with Ms. Jordan, to make sure all cleaning products are up to standard market mixes, to have each cart filled for what each person needs and ready each morning, and to even out scheduling with fairness to each employee. New procedures need to be set in place, employee teamwork will be applauded, and all employees will help each other every day until all can go home at the same time, basically no employee left behind. To further enhance the housekeeping staff to come to work on their scheduled times we will offer a reinforcement of a free meal for a family of four in the hotel restaurant for every 30 days of scheduling each person does not call in and arrives at work on time. Until enough staff is hired all staff employees on the payroll will get an incentive of paid hours off for each room past 10 they clean during a workday. We want the employees here to feel as if they are important to the company by reinforcing the hard work they do. After talking to Joe, the pit boss, he knows that he is not cut out for the job he is in. He has admitted the stress of all the paperwork and the constant spotlight put on him by the customers and dealers is just not for him. He has agreed to go to his stepfather and tell him that he is not satisfied with the position and wants to move to head of security because the head of security is retiring in 30 days. For the employees under Joe who have stayed through his supervising an incentive check of 100 hundred dollars for each month they have been here will be given to them as a thank you and reinforcement to them as employees that they are valued. A new supervisor will be found and put into the position with the abilities to get the job done with good and appropriate communication skills. As a further reinforcement to let employees know they are valued, an employee suggestion box will be hung by the time clock. Counterproductive Employee Behavior The employee behavior is walking out on-the-job, calling in to work, and general turnover of employees which cost time and money to retrain new employees. The outline above will help with employee behavior by putting new supervisors in the positions needed that can act professional, fairly, and treat the employees with respect. Giving the employees incentives will also help with keeping the employees here until all positions and staff are put into place. Conclusion Common job facets include pay, supervision, job conditions, and communication to name a few (Spector, 2012). With this as a prelim, JC’s Casino hopes to fix the issues that are making the employees leave the job by getting better supervisors who are open to ideas from the employees, who show respect to the employees and are not short on praise when employees do a good job. Taking away some of the stressors of the job should help with job retention.

Managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control

Managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control 25. Discuss managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control. Before we start answer this question, let us understand what the definition of internal control is. Internal control is designed and implemented by an entitys management, those charge with governance of the entity, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives. In addition, internal control is also can be refer to a process wherein the structure of the organization, the information system and authority are designed in such a way that it can helps the organization achieve its objectives and goals. (Bhattacharyya, August 2010) Internal control plays an important role in how management meets its stewardship or agency responsibilities. For example, internal control for a bank is the systems, policies, procedures, and processes effected by the board of directors, management, and other personnel to safeguard bank assets, limit or control risks, and achieve a banks objectives (Internal Control Comptrollers Handbook January 2001). A system of str ong internal control is the backbone of an associations management program. Strong internal control may helps a company to meet their objectives and goals, and to maintain a healthy, successful operations.For a bank, Good internal control can help a bank to avoid surprises and achieve its objectives. After we understand the internal control, let us see the managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control. There are few management incentives such as provide safeguard of assets and company records, effectiveness and efficiency of operations, prevention and detection of fraud and error, compliance with applicable law and regulation, avoid wastage of resources, risk management systems are effective and decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. First, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to ensure company records and assets can be properly safeguard. A strong internal control can ensure that asset was not been stolen and certificates or company records are proper keeping. Then, a proper safeguard of company records and assets can generate reliable information for the company because the records will not easily be manipulated. Besides, Management also needs reliable information to ensure the fairness of financial report. It can reduce the problem between the principal and agent. So, what is mean by principal and agent? Actually, principal is referring to absentee owner such as shareholder and agent refers to manger who is working in company. The problem is information asymmetry and conflicts of interest are occurring between themselves. This is because manager has more information about true financial position than shareholder. Moreover, they are different objectives in someti mes, so it will lead to conflict of interest. For example, the goal of shareholder is to obtain higher dividend from the company which they invest. However, the goal of manager is to maximum the profit of the company. Therefore, they will be a conflict such as whether using the excess earning to maximum the dividend for each of the shareholder or increase their market share by increases the advertising. It will lead to the problem between shareholder and manager, because the shareholder did not know whether the manager has done a correct or win-win decision. Then, they did not know the financial statement have incurred error or fraud or not. However, a strong internal control may ensure a safeguard of companys records and assets and it will increase the trustiness to the company. Then, decrease the problem between agent and principals. Besides this, reliable information is important to make a good decision to a company. If the information system does not provide reliable information , management may be unable to make quick and informed decisions such as product pricing, profit information and cost of production. It is important that the top management is generated with accuracy information, as they rely on these data to make important and critical decisions. Therefore, a strong internal control is necessary in order to make financial information transparent and accessible to the managers or decision makers. Second, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to have an effectiveness and efficiency of operations in a company. Effective of internal controls can be sure that all duties are being completed according to standards, rules and all quotas are being met. However, efficiency of internal control is very important to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage and the maximization of profitability. Operational procedures, best-practice and performance reviews are effective internal controls of efficiency. (Ingram, eHow Contributing Writer) A strong internal control increases the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, reduces the risk of asset loss, and helps to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Third, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to prevent and detect of fraud and error in company. Error is unintentional misstatements make by staff or manager such as making mistakes in gathering or processing financial data used to prepare financial statements. Then, fraud is intentional misstatements make by staff or manager such as manipulation, falsification, or alteration of accounting records or supporting documents used to prepare financial statements. Therefore, a strong internal control can prevent and detect the error and fraud. For example, segregation duty between record shipping inventory and calculate inventory physically can prevent theft or stolen of inventory occur. Besides, a proper accounting information system can prevent the error or fraud, such as sales clerk only can access and key in the information about the sales and account receivables only. Therefore, the sales clerk cant access to cash account in order to c reate a fictitious customer. Moreover, monthly bank reconciliation can check the mathematical accuracy of the bank reconciliation working paper and agree the balance per the books to general ledger to detect the error or fraud in account bank. Next, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to compliance with applicable law and regulation. Following law and regulation set by government require huge investments, especially that of time. Therefore, a strong internal control is necessary in order to avoiding legal consequences by follow the rule and regulation. That mean, it can reduces or avoid the costs which may have to occur if the company dont follow rules. Then, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to avoid wastage of resources. A strong internal control can helps company avoiding wastage of precious resources, besides increasing efficiency. It is because maximize the profits or income by utilization the resources is one of the method of efficiency. Strong internal controls can avoiding wastage of resources like an effective accounting information system can ensure the reliability and appropriate of the information for avoid to making an inefficiency and inaccurate decision and wasted asset of the company in investment in that decision such as wasted cash or establish a useless debt for an ineffective investment. The managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to making risk management systems effective. An entitys risk assessment process is its process of identifying, evaluating, and responding to the identified business risk. For example, mobile phone company such as Nokia always facing business risk not because of its competitive environment only but rapid changing technology is also a main reason. To suit for the customer trend and favourite, Nokia facing business risks that are always need to make investment in Research and Development Department to design a new model and rapid upgrade their product. However, not all the mobile phone produce by Nokia will be the favourite of the customer and making a profit, so a strong internal control is important to assess the business risk and reduce the business risk to an acceptable level. The last managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. It is because a strong internal control can produce a reliable financial statement, making operating procedures more effective and efficiency, prevent and detect the error or fraud and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Therefore, the financial report will be more credibility and decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. Last but not least, after we review the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control, we can conclude that a strong internal control is very important to every company to achieve their businesss goal, such as provide a safeguard of records and assets or making an effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Therefore, a strong internal control is one of the factors that ensure the company may successful also.

The Color Purple :: essays research papers

The Struggle to Express Themselves A Struggle to Express Themselves There is one primordial reason why we do not doubt Europeans have taken the lead in history, in all epochs before and after 1492, and it has little to do with evidence. It is a basic belief which we inherit from prior ages of thought and scarcely realize that we hold: it is an implicit belief, not an explicit one, and it is so large a theory that it is woven into all of our ideas about history, both within Europe and without. . . (Blaut pg. 6-7). African-American people have had to climb over many obstacles to get to their position today. First, was the selling of their people into slavery. Then, they endured slavery itself, being treated like an animal. After slavery was abolished, Colored people still had to deal with racial discrimination and hatred. If this sounds rough, black women had it worse. African-American women had to deal with all the previously mentioned things, but they were women too! Females were oppressed almost as bad as the blacks. White women were not able to vote until the 1920. Therefore colored women had a double edged sword, they had to fight for freedom, but not be to dominate as to effect the men. Alice Walker's The Color Purple is a good example of colored women's plight. Three obstacles black women had to overcome to be able to express themselves were Racism, the lack of education, and the stereo-type that women are inferior. African-Americans have always experienced racism throughout their habitation in America. Slavery, is what caused most of the hatred towards blacks. African Americans were sold by their people and sent off to a foreign land. Colored people were used as work horses when they entered America. "It was acceptable for a white person to be lazy (in the South), and therefore, a white person takes advantage of this" (Theriault). White people wanted to keep their laziness. If the slaves were set free, then the whites would have to do more work. The slaves still fought for what they wanted, and finally won their "independence." Another dilemma was "if the south could abolish slavery, what would happen to the slaves? These slaves have been slaves for all their lives and would require education. These slaves would also require homes, some type of compensation, and more" (Theriault). Blacks were put in prison for rebelling against the white establishment. Most times these crimes were minuscule in comparison to the crimes committed against blacks or by whites. A colored person could be put in jail for looking at someone inappropriately, but if a black man was

Literature Reflects Life in The Gilded Age :: Literature Essays Literary Criticism

Literature Reflects Life in The Gilded Age As immigrants began to flood into America in the late 1800's and early 1900's, they had hopes of a miraculous new life in the Land of the Free. They may have thought that they would not have to live in cramped and unsanitary conditions as they had in their old homes. They may have had hopes of finding a great new career that would skyrocket them to fame and fortune and allow them to live like the Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Morgans did. It could be possible that all their hopes were assured once they caught sight of the New York City skyline, expanding as far as the eye could see and stretching like arms spread welcoming home a loved one. The sun may have been shining bright and golden, bathing the not-so-distant city in a fantastic light. At a distance it was quite possibly one of the most exquisite sights that their eyes had ever come upon. However, the land that looked so beautiful and grand from the distance was actually filled with greed, corruption, and opportunists. That is h ow America can be described during the Gilded Age. The wrapping was pretty, but the present was awful. Such wealthy entrepreneurs as the Rockefellers and Carnegies helped to make America the beauty that she was on the outside, but to an extent they also contributed to the rotten inside. America's new European residents lived in cramped apartments and worked in unsafe factories. The factories housed the latest technology of the Gilded Age, the assembly line. The mass production that the assembly line brought about made the rich richer, but did nothing to help the poor. They were working long hours in sometimes extremely dangerous conditions. Injuries and even deaths would occur due to faulty machinery or exhausted employees, but these occurrences were often ignored or covered up to avoid any bad publicity. As the immigrants flooded the big cities seeking jobs, other Americans headed west with the expansion of the railroad. However, nobody seemed to take into consideration that they would be intruding on the American Indian's territory. It also seemed that no one cared. America was gree dy for land that lay to the west and would be quite deceitful in getting the land that they wanted. The American Indians were pushed further and further west, and their tribes began to dwindle.

Strategic Plan-Hertz

Strategic Plan for the Hertz Corporation February 18, 2011 Table of Contents Introduction of Team and Assignment4 Company Profile6 Mission Statement6 Vision and Values7 Economic conditions7 Strategic Analysis9 SWOC Analysis: Strengths10 SWOC Analysis: Weaknesses13 SWOC Analysis: Opportunities17 Internal Actions17 Opportunities18 SWOC Analysis: Challenges20 Dependence on the United States Automobile Industry20 Technological Changes and Advances20 Competitive Pressures21 Maintaining customer satisfaction and employee morale22 Merger Transitions22 Pressures to Go â€Å"Green†22 Expanding the â€Å"Global Footprint†23 STRATEGIC ISSUES25 Market Share Vehicle Rental25 Car Manufacturers25 Debt and Interest payments26 Technology26 Focus on Green27 Off Airport Rental27 People27 Equipment Business28 Summary29 Foundations of goals and strategic plan30 Increased Market Share30 Movement toward sustainable inventory30 Improve customer satisfaction by training and technology31 Dedication to Employees31 Drastically decrease debt owed32 Hertz Strategic Plan Implementation33 Mission33 Vision33 Strategies33 REFERENCES36 Introduction of Team and Assignment In recent years, leaders of American organizations have faced a multitude of challenges. The numerous trends and events that have occurred in the past two decades have affected both American society and business practices. Think of the influences the following events and trends have had on our government, communities, and public agencies: an aging and diversifying population; changes in the nature of families; dramatic shifts in federal and state responsibilities and funding priorities; the emergence of the poor as the largest group of poor Americans; fears about terrorism; the emergence of obesity as an important health concern; and a recent crippling recession (Bryson, 2004). Now think how American society would suffer if our government did not institute policies, programs, and plans in response to these conditions and crises. The same holds true for business organizations around the world. Organizations that want to survive, prosper, do good and important work must respond to the challenges the world presents (Bryson, 2004). In this environment, strategic plans are required to combat current challenges and provide future direction for business practices. Organizations that embark on strategic planning drastically increase their chances to endure current and future crises and are inherently closer to creating a sustainable organization that has public value. Students enrolled in the HR504 Strategic Planning class offered at the University of Scranton, were given the daunting assignment of creating a strategic plan for an organization of their choice. The strategic plan outlined in this paper was developed by the following students; Elisa Cosner, Patricia Dungan, Jacqueline Lombardo, and Mark Trautman (Team 3). These four students represent current and aspiring human resource professionals in pursuit of their Master’s degree in the field of Human Resources. The unique challenge of this assignment was to find a medium that could bring this geographically dispersed group of students together on a regular basis so they could collaborate and execute assignment responsibilities. The chosen medium was a chat forum called Meebo. Students met on Meebo for a minimum of thirty minutes every week, for a period of six weeks, to formulate, direct, and assign task responsibilities for their strategic planning efforts. When it came time to choose an organization for this assignment, Team 3 opted to conduct studies on struggling America business organizations that were experiencing financial difficulties and extreme pressures from both internal and external threats, ultimately choosing an organization that would unequivocally benefit from these strategic planning efforts. After much deliberation, Team 3 decided to formulate a strategic plan for the Hertz Corporation. The Hertz Corporation is the largest car rental brand in the world, with approximately 3,500 locations in the United States and 7,500 worldwide. Recent economic threats have caused double digit declines in car and rental equipment volumes, forced Hertz to drastically downsize its workforce and have seen the corporation experience hundreds of millions of dollars in net losses over the past three years. The strategic plan outlined hereafter, is an attempt by Team 3 to secure a strategic advantage for Hertz in the car rental marketplace, by mitigating the effects of environmental threats and severe economic influences, while at the same time utilizing the existing strengths of the organization and manipulating growth opportunities. Before we embark on this endeavor, we find it beneficial to provide a brief history of the Hertz Corporation. Company Profile Hertz Global Holdings (Hertz) operates vehicle and equipment rental businesses in the United States and Europe as well as global services for industries like construction, automobile manufacturing, railroad, power generation, and shipbuilding. The company employs 24,900 people and has company headquarters in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Hertz’s businesses are separated into two divisions. The Car Rental division, Hertz, which operates ental facilities near airports, central business districts, and suburban areas of cities, and also retails and leases, used cars in the United States and France where associates accept reservations for car rentals at approximately 8,000 locations in approximately 145 countries. The Equipment Rental division, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation (HERC), rents earthmoving equipment, material handling equipment, aerial equipment, el ectric equipment, compressors and generators, and construction-related vehicles and tools. The Equipment Rental division also offers claim management services for both divisions investigating and negotiating various claims including bodily injury, property damage, and general and product liability for its customers. Mission Statement The mission at Hertz is to be the most customer focused, cost efficient vehicle and equipment rental/leasing company in every market we serve. We will strengthen our leading worldwide positions through a shared-value culture of employee and partner involvement by making strategic investments in our brand, people and products. The focus of everything we do will be on continuously improving shareholder value. Vision and Values Hertz has a vision to be the first choice brand for vehicle and equipment rental/leasing and total mobility solutions. In order to achieve this vision, Hertz, its employees and subsidiaries will adhere to the values of Integrity, Transparency, Continuous Improvement, Diversity, Passion, Commitment, Teamwork and Accountability. Economic conditions The current recession in the United States has adversely affected almost all domestic organizations, with Hertz being no exception. The uncertainty of current economic conditions has lead to serious revenue instability for Hertz. In 2009, Hertz experienced the most difficult macro-economic conditions in its 91 year history. Revenues were down 1. 4 billion from the previous year, and overall Hertz experienced a net loss of $126 million. A great portion of these conditions can be attributable to Americans traveling less. In should be of no surprise that car and equipment rental companies are significantly influenced by general economic conditions. One of the many economic challenges facing Hertz is the organizations dependence on drastically reducing operating costs. Hertz has been successful at doing this, but this success could have potential consequences. By drastically reducing its workforce, Hertz jeopardizes customer satisfaction levels and employee morale. In addition, Hertz’s current indebtedness has presented the following challenges to its operations: the organization is now increasingly vulnerable to adverse economic and industry conditions, they are at a competitive disadvantage to any competitors with significantly less debt, inflexibility in planning for and reacting to changing conditions in their business and industry, limited ability to react to competitive pressures, and it is increasing difficult to carry out capital spending that is necessary and important to Hertz’ growth strategy to improve operating margins. According to the Hertz 2009 Annual Report, the company recorded revenues of $8,525. 1 million during FY2008 which was 1. 8% decrease from 2007. The operating profit in FY2008 was $631. 2 million, a decrease of 50% compared to 2007. The net loss was $1,206. 7 million in FY2008, compared to the net profit of $265 million in 2007. Despite this, Hertz emerged from the 2009 recession a more efficient, customer focused company that is poised for strong revenue growth. Costs were reduced by over $1. billion since 2007, strategic plans to further improve service have been implemented, and in 2009, new business opportunities were developed. As a result, over $170 million of incremental revenues have been generated, the consolidated operating margin for 2009 was equal to 2008, and the margin for worldwide car rental increased to 7. 8%. Going forward Hertz will focus on costs, service and revenues combined with improving conditions in our car and equipment rental businesses. Hertz is expecting significant margin expansion and increased shareholder value. Strategic Analysis Subjects Employees Equipment dealers (Ford, John Deere) Players Board of Directors Senior Management Shareholders Customers Lenders Crowd Government Authorities (Airports to environmental matters) Franchises Context Setters Subordinated debt holders Subjects Employees Equipment dealers (Ford, John Deere) Players Board of Directors Senior Management Shareholders Customers Lenders Crowd Government Authorities (Airports to environmental matters) Franchises Context Setters Subordinated debt holders Subjects: have interest but little power Context setters: have power but little direct interest Crowd: Stakeholders with little interest or power Players: have interest and power Power versus Interest Grid, used to array stakeholders in the organization and the stakeholder’s power to affect the organizations future. In Hertz case, as a largely leveraged organization this analysis can prove telling as those with power may be more self-interested than in the game for the long term health of the organization. SWOC Analysis: Strengths * Strong Market Presence Strong Name Recognition * Strong Global Presence * Strong Diversification * Effective Cost Containment * Good Business Partnerships * Entrepreneurial culture * Recent Acquisitions * Agile * Our Employees * Novel Services * Variety Offered Hertz Global strengths include the company’s strong presence in the rental car and equipment market and strong name recognition as they remain the number one airport car rental provider in the United States. The company also has a strong global presence with outlets in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Hertz’s strong diversification of businesses, products, and market protects the company offering a long-term competitive advantage through difficult times. Hertz is poised to serve every type of customer in the market including business accounts, hourly renters, budget travelers, and multi-month rental customers. Hertz continues to lead the industry in cost management and containment through lean strategic plans like fleet management, back-office reengineering, and organizational redesign. A good example of the company’s ongoing success recovering its financial performance is the refinancing $3. 2 billion of the U. S. fleet debt one year ahead of schedule with pricing comparable to 2005 rates. In addition, $990 million of capital was raised through a successful convertible debt and equity transaction. Efforts helped the company emerge from a difficult year in 2009 as leaner and more focused and Hertz is expecting higher returns throughout 2010. Good business partnerships and the company’s entrepreneurial culture helped Hertz to better effectively manage changing market conditions and take advantage of growth opportunities. For example, Hertz made the following important recent acquisitions: * The Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, which not only strengthened Hertz financially it also expanded Hertz's share in the business travel off-airport market, * The purchase of Eileo SA, a car-sharing service and provider of technology for Connect by Hertz. This investment in technology will help advance Hertz’s leadership by taking the customer experience to the next level, * The addition of the Advantage value brand giving them an even greater share of the growing Leisure segment, the acquisition already has resulted in gaining a full point of U. S. airport market share, * Several smaller acquisitions further expanding their Equipment Rental market. The company’s agility is demonstrated by its ability to quickly adjust labor and fleets to match sudden changes in demand. For example, company transaction days in 2009 were down 8% while worldwide was down 9. 7%. The company can and has, through strategic fleet management, successfully held its fleet and aged it a little further, while adjusting the fleet rotation planning to ensure the fleet remains aligned with demand. Our employees are highly skilled and able to handle difficult situations. During the economic downturn, they were quick, analytical, strategic, and acted with an absolute sense of urgency. All departments work together toward the same goal. Everyone took action by developing a plan and maintaining strong communication. Company strength’s also include Hertz’s novel and innovative services like Hertz #1 Club Gold, NeverLost navigation systems, rental coupons, and Sirius Satellite Radio. To set itself apart from its competitors, Hertz also offers members guaranteed satisfaction, increased discounts, free use of one child, infant or booster seat, free unlimited mileage on most rentals, no Saturday night keep required, and no airline ticket required to qualify for low weekly rates. Finally, Hertz’s strength includes the variety of rentals offered to customers like SUVs, vans and specialty rentals. In an effort to further increase its variety, Hertz introduced the Corvette ZHZ to their rental line-up. The new addition is part of their â€Å"Fun Collection† the purpose of which is to serve those clients wishing to rent a sporty car or a specialty vehicle as the Corvette ZHZ comes with a powerful V-8 engine or 436 horsepower. The company expects this limited edition car will be an asset during the summer vacation rental season and ordered 500 of them in 2008. SWOC Analysis: Weaknesses Over the past 18 months, the United States and international markets have experienced a significant decline in economic activity that has affected the car rental market, including a tightening of the credit markets, reduced business and leisure travel, reduced consumer spending and volatile fuel prices. In the equipment rental business, the decline in economic activity has resulted in a decline in activity in construction and other businesses in which our equipment rental customers operate. Accordingly, the car and equipment rental industries have both experienced unprecedented declines in volume and demand. Hertz is not unlike any other organization in this economic climate in that they have aspirations of seeing the upside of this downward spiral. Unfortunately, most of what Hertz is dependent upon to make it through is outside of their realm of control. The car and equipment rental industry is significantly affected by general economic conditions, and any further decreases in general economic activity could materially and adversely affect their financial condition and results of operations. The results of operations are affected by many economic factors, including the level of economic activity in the markets in which they operate. The car rental business, which provides the majority of the revenues, is particularly sensitive to reductions in the levels of airline passenger travel, and any further reduction in air travel could materially adversely impact their financial condition and results of operations. The car rental industry is particularly affected by reductions in business and leisure travel, especially with respect to levels of airline passenger traffic. Approximately 84% of our worldwide revenues during 2009 were provided by the car rental segment, and they estimate that approximately 67% of the car rental revenues were generated at their airport rental locations. Further reductions in levels of air travel, whether caused by general economic conditions, airfare increases (e. g. , due to capacity reductions or increases in fuel costs borne by commercial airlines) or other events such as work stoppages, military conflicts, terrorist incidents, natural disasters, epidemic diseases, or the response of governments to any of these events, could materially and adversely affect Hertz. Other factors that could adversely affect Hertz include: * Intense competition that may lead to downward pricing, or an inability to increase prices. If Hertz tries to increase their pricing, their competitors, some of who may have greater resources and better access to capital than them, may seek to compete aggressively on the basis of pricing. In addition, their competitors may reduce prices in order to attempt to gain a competitive advantage or to compensate for declines in rental activity associated with reductions in economic activity. Slow economic periods could constrain their liquidity and adversely affect our results of operations. Certain significant components of their expenses are fixed in the short-run, including minimum concession fees, real estate taxes, rent, insurance, utilities, maintenance and other facility-related expenses, the costs of operating their information technology systems and minimum staffing costs. * They may not be successful in the business strategy to expand into the off-airport rental market. They have been increasing their presence in the off-airport car rental market in the United States and intend to continue to pursue profitable growth opportunities through a combination of selected new location openings, a disciplined evaluation of and strategic changes with respect to existing locations, and the pursuit of same-store sales growth. * A downsizing of their rental car fleet could require them to make additional cash payments for tax liabilities, which could be material. An inability to purchase adequate supplies of competitively priced cars or equipment and the cost of the cars or equipment purchased increases, their financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. * Declines in the value of the non-program cars in their fleet due to decreases in residual values could adversely impact the financial condition and results of operations. For the year ended December 31, 2009, approximately 53% of the cars purchased in the combined U. S. n d international car rental fleet were subject to repurchase by car manufacturers under contractual repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs. * The failure of a manufacturer of cars that Hertz owns to fulfill their obligations under a repurchase or guaranteed depreciation program could expose them to loss on those cars and adversely impact the outstanding asset-backed financing facilities, which could in turn adversely affect the liquidity and results of operations. For the year ended December 31, 2009, the highest outstanding month-end receivable balance for cars sold to a single manufacturer was $95. million owed by Hyundai Motor Company in January 2009, which was subsequently paid. Although there is no guarantee that Hertz will be paid these amounts by any car manufacturer that files for bankruptcy protection in the future and/or otherwise ceases operations, any failure by a manufacturer to pay such amounts due could, among other things, cause a credit enhancement deficiency with respect to the asset-backed financing, in which case the collateral requirements for such facilities could be increased. * Significant increases in fuel costs or reduced supplies of fuel could harm our business. Fuel prices have been volatile recently, and could fluctuate severely and/or increase overall in 2010. According to the U. S. Energy Information Administration, from 2008 to 2009, the average retail cost of a gallon of gasoline in the United States decreased 27. 9%; however it was projected that over the course of 2010 fuel prices would increase 20. 8%. * Heavy reliance upon communications networks and centralized information technology systems to accept reservations, process rental and sales transactions, manage our fleets of cars and equipment, account for activities and otherwise conduct business. This reliance exposes them to various risks that could cause a loss of reservations, interfere with their ability to manage the fleet, slow rental and sales processes. * Risks related to liabilities and insurance since their businesses exposes them to claims for personal injury, death and property damage resulting from the use of the cars and equipment rented or sold by Hertz, and for workers’ compensation claims and other employment-related claims by our employees. SWOC Analysis: Opportunities Hertz has weathered the economic storm of 2008, the worst economic conditions in their 91 year history by looking ahead for growth opportunities and ways to improve service levels. A review of external and internal actions that have prepared Hertz to capitalize on opportunities: External Actions * Improved conditions in car and equipment rental business * Successfully developing business in key emerging markets: Brazil, China and India; * Experiencing improvement in the US Car rental, the largest share of the Hertz business Internal Actions * Reduced costs by 1. billion dollars; headcount reduction (4,000 employees) taken in non strategic locations (with a bit of help from the economy Hertz should be poised for solid growth). * Refinanced 3. 3 billion dollar debt one year ahead of schedule on favorable terms. * Hertz has stayed the course intentionally focusing on three key business emphasis areas: asset management, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. * Lighthouse projec t that utilizes employee input in the development of customer features has improved employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Opportunities Hertz is â€Å"leading the way with High-Tech, High-Touch innovations†; Hertz. om, self service kiosks at 36 major airports, including 11 in Europe (which have successfully completed 500,000 transactions), portable rental devices, enabling roving customer service agents to address customer needs; integrated car sharing technology including online booking, applications for iPhone and Blackberry smartphones; GPS navigation upgrades with touch point screens. Hertz has more than 700 locations in Europe, along with franchise partners which rivals its airport locations – European local rentals continues to grow for business people as it is the most efficient means of travel in Europe. They possess the most diverse car fleet in the rental industry, enabling service to all customer segments; vacationers, business people and local residents. This is a key area of expansion as Hertz looks to 2010 to open 150 new locations. Looking to expand their leisure â€Å"driving for fun† market, Hertz introduced a pre-paid program that is used primarily by the 21-25 year old market, a market segment that was and in many cases is not allowed to even rent before this program. In addition they introduced three new programs for vacation travelers; i. Prestige collection – high end SUVs’ and luxury car models (Volvo, Lincoln, Cadillac, BMS, Audi and Land Rover. ) ii. Green collection – Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion, Toyota Corolla, Camry hybrids. iii. Fun collection – Ford Mustang, Chevy Corvette, Jeep Wrangler. To further diversify, Hertz purchased Advantage Rent –A-Car a very reasonably priced car rental popular with those who do the Priceline on line booking. Hertz has combined their fleet with Advantage in order to offer a variety of peak and off peak vehicles to meet a variety of renter needs. They’ve begun looking at renting electric cars, a zero carbon, and rechargeable vehicle, introduced in late 2010 in North American and European markets. The target market for the electric cars is a university setting where the charging stations make sense for car sharing experiences. In addition, car sharing, Connect by Hertz, a total mobility solution offering high tech, high touch rental option for urban, university and corporate travelers. To further expand their offerings, Hertz purchased Paris based Eileo in 2009, the pioneer of integrated car sharing technology, a concept that has been launched in London, Paris and NYC. This offering reduces the number of cars on the road which also reduces pollution, creating an economic benefit for crowded urban areas. In their global markets, Hertz has expanded their equipment rental revenue into China and the Middle East with entertainment services, power generation and industrial equipment. This expansion of global footprint gives Hertz the ability to offer first class rental experiences through corporate owned or franchised partners. Special attention was given to China (Beijing and Shanghai) and China’s new 48 airports, Saudi Arabia/Middle east with equipment where construction is booming currently. SWOC Analysis: Challenges Dependence on the United States Automobile Industry The financial instability of U. S. car manufactures has presented significant challenges to the Hertz Corporation. Hertz depends on its business partnerships with these organizations. The bankruptcy of many American auto manufacturers has led to double digit declines in car and equipment rental volumes. The majority of Hertz’s rental cars are purchased from Ford and General motors. In the event that these companies would cease manufacturing and selling vehicles, Hertz would have to increase purchasing vehicles from other manufactures. However, there is no guarantee that Hertz will be able to purchase vehicles at their current purchasing price. Technological Changes and Advances Many futurist and economists see technological innovation as one of the major forces driving industrial change (Schwartz, 2003 as cited in Bryson, 2004). As technology becomes increasing dominant in American organizations, Hertz employees will need to develop new skills to use and the organization will need to adopt these processes, structures, and resource allocations. Hertz will need to continually improve the way in which technology â€Å"drives† its business. These could represent challenges for them to improve the operation and effectiveness of their website, self-serving kiosks at airports, the GPS systems in their vehicles, and also includes the advancing their smart phone applications. Information technology is currently driving major changes likely to have dramatic impacts on organizational performance, accountability, and issues related to data and privacy (Bryson, 2004). Hertz reliance on technology exposes risk that could cause loss of a reservation; interfere with their ability to manage fleets, privacy issues, and the slow operation of the car rental and sales process. Hertz needs to protect against these risks because they could adversely affect customer relations, operating results, and financial conditions. Competitive Pressures Hertz operates in a highly competitive market. They currently posses a 25. 7% share of the rental car market (AVIS/Budget- 28. 9%, Enterprise- 31. 4%, Dollar/Thrifty- 12. 0%) Enterprise brands currently dominate off-airport rentals and the insurance replacement markets respectively. One of Hertz’s priorities is to present a bigger challenge to Enterprise in these particular arenas. In order to do so, Hertz needs to remain cognizant of the business strategies of their biggest competitors. Significant changes in the competitive market will affect Hertz’s business strategies and policies, not excluding pricing practices and incentive programs. For example, most consumers have become more cost conscientious since the recent recession. If Hertz were to increase costs, their competition, some of which has greater resources and better access to capital, may seek to compete aggressively on the basis of pricing. In essence, Hertz competition could gain strategic advantages by reducing their prices. Hertz may also be presented with additional challenges from future competition. Worldwide equipment rentals, an area in which Hertz does especially well in, is currently highly fragmented with few national competitors. It is reasonably foreseeable for new competition to develop and penetrate that particular market. Maintaining customer satisfaction and employee morale The present economy has made maintaining customer satisfaction and employee morale particularly challenging. The recession has caused Hertz to focus intensely on reducing operating costs. This means they had to drastically reduce staff and close many under-performing locations. In order for Hertz to maintain customer satisfaction with fewer employees and locations, they must develop more efficient practices and policies. This would also require Hertz to- consistently monitor the need for additional staffing at improving locations, constantly assess environmental trends, and introduce customer-centered technologies. Hertz must also be prepared to combat a potential decline in employee morale. With lay-offs perpetually looming, it is reasonable to expect employee morale to waver. If this happens, it could present deficiencies in operations which would directly affect customer satisfaction levels. Merger Transitions Hertz recently acquired Eileo, a France based company that specializes in car-sharing programs. They also acquired the Advantage Rent-A-Car company in April of 2009. One of the challenges of these major acquisitions for Hertz is for them to be able to effectively integrate these associated offices, without diluting the Hertz brand. In essence, they must realize operational synergies. Doing this does involve numerous risks including: potential disruptions of ongoing business, distractions of management, difficulties integrating different business practices, and exposure of unknown liabilities. Pressures to Go â€Å"Green† â€Å"Green† policies and practices are becoming preferred by the majority of the American population. Consumers are increasingly concerned with the longevity of the planet. Hertz business policies need to accept America’s vision of â€Å"greener† practices. In order to do this, Hertz most take on a moral responsibility to utilize vehicles with higher MPG and better fuel emission standards that are safer for the environment. This could also include the challenges of effectively developing electric car initiates and car sharing programs. Expanding the â€Å"Global Footprint† Approximately one-third of Hertz’s revenue is generated outside the U. S. market. They currently have franchise partners in over 136 countries. One of the biggest challenges Hertz faces is to minimize the economic effects in their international market, particularly in Europe. This is especially challenging, considering the fact that global recession has caused most companies to eliminate market expansion plans. And yet, Hertz still has ambitions to add locations worldwide, including establishing a higher concentration in the Chinese market. China happens to be the world’s fastest growing car and equipment rental market. ) Other Challenges Facing the Hertz Corporation include; * Fossils fuels- rising fuel costs and/or shortages in fuel directly impact rental acquisition, leaving consumers to find it too expensive to travel. * External threats affecting travel- war, terrorist attacks, epidemic disease, natural disasters, etc * Risk management- the liability of Hertz being responsible for equipment damage, property damage, personal injury, death, and the litigation expenses that could result from these occurrences. * Seasonality- a decrease in travel uring the winter and increase during the spring and summer month’s present challenges to efficiently manage fleet operations. * Government laws, mandates, and controls- Hertz is subjected to many governmental regulations in relation to pricing/advertising, privacy and data collection, currency controls, labor relations, charge card operations, insurance policies, environmental protection, and used car sales and licensing procedures. Changes in any governmental policy, or the adoption of new laws, could result in significant changes in Hertz procedures, which may increase cost of operations and applicable tax rates. Marketing- Hertz will be continually challenged to conduct active sales and marketing programs that attract and retain customers. STRATEGIC ISSUES Hertz is a front runner in the rental vehicle business, number two only to AVIS in the current markets Hertz serves. In order to maintain and grow a competitive edge there are some strategic issues that Hertz must address directly. Market Share Vehicle Rental Hertz is at the top with Avis edging them out for the top spot, however staying at top means keeping the â€Å"Brand† in front of the audience. In the SG ; A discussion of the 2009 Annual Report Hertz trimmed their advertising expense by almost 30%. They did not mention a new structure for media buying to be facilitated by a new agency to save costs. I am left to think they simply decreased advertising. In recent travels and paying closer attention to media in travel magazines: Delta Airlines and US Airway’s flight magazine AVIS – big red versus big yellow was the dominant vehicle rental advertiser. Should you look at any other established, well known brand, Coke and Pepsi as an obvious example; they spend millions keeping that logo â€Å"front of mind†. Advertising is seen anywhere you could potentially think about drinking a soft drink. In order to continue to branch out with new technology in an effort to capitalize on the brand, Hertz must continue a very aggressive media campaign to be present anywhere people may think of rental car need. Car Manufacturers Hertz suffered greatly when the US car manufacturer’s financial challenges. Hertz has depended on the partnerships with manufacturers who were not able to meet the obligations of their agreements with Hertz which left Hertz scrambling to develop new avenues for fleet vehicle programs. Ford who Hertz relies on in the US must stay solvent in order to Hertz to enjoy the ability to purchase fleet and program vehicles and the tax incentives they enjoy because of their inventory management of fleet. Debt and Interest payments For the next two to five years in order to survive Hertz must meet obligations for all interest payments and as a sign of financial stability should look to significant debt reduction. The 2009 annual report indicates 126 million in losses, interest expense of 680 million which are material amounts. The debt is held by two primary lenders: Deuschte Bank and Bank of Scotland. If either organization called their notes requiring payment in full, Hertz would not succeed. Hertz is not the low cost leader and needs to maintain that position in a positive way to ensure financial trends are positive. Technology Hertz must focus on the ability execute operationally any technology introduced. It is one thing to advertise iPhone applications, internet and wifi connections; the ability to produce what the customer has reserved using the wireless technologies has to be present in order to build customer confidence. If one reserves, arrives and has no vehicle – does the technology really matter if you did not save time or feel that you had received value or convenience. To that traveler at that moment Hertz must be able to execute. The ability to distribute their assets to the right place, at the right time to support demand from these new technologies is critical. Focus on Green Hertz is committed to what they refer to as the â€Å"electric car revolution†. This is a vehicle with a zero carbon footprint. At the present time, lack of recharging stations will temper the demand for the electric cars. The hope is that in the next few years university settings and very urban markets will take the lead for the establishment of charging stations will then provide a structure for this next generation of green transportation. In the short term availability of hybrid models such as the Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry are Hertz’ response to those who require a greener model. Off Airport Rental Hertz is beginning to enter new location space with their fleet:  off airport rental. Hertz is going face to face with the established leader, Enterprise system. Is this an appropriate move for the next 2 – 5 years in the US market? Europe where Hertz has a presence and daily/weekly rentals are a â€Å"way of life† is one thing (add to that most of those markets are franchised so you can terminate an arrangement). Hertz will be risking additional asset costs in fleet, leased property, staffing in hope to gain ground in an area held firmly by Enterprise. People Hertz North America has reduced headcount to a bare minimum deploying human assets on an admitted â€Å"as needed† basis to strategic hubs. This is a very short term view of growth. The ability to grow infrastructure must include a committed front line, operational management team. The Annual Report stated an increase in employee satisfaction. The hope is then that Hertz continues to communicate and reach out to those dedicated to customer service second to none in spite of financial challenges. That part of the human touch with customers leasing employees where customer contact is needed; airport leasing, returns with checkout is necessary in order to build repeat business. Equipment Business Hertz’ equipment business does not report a leadership presence in any one market, in any one geographic area. By Hertz’ own admission the competitive landscape in this business segment is â€Å"intense. Can Hertz realistically, financially maintain a healthy presence in both industries? EBITDA results were maintained for the equipment portion of the business through cost cutting measures as revenues dropped dramatically. US new construction continues to struggle and from the readings the European market is no better. China is bustling, but are we confident based on current locations that we can enter then stay competitive those new and emerging markets? The equipment is expensive in multiple ways: assets are expensive to purchase, maintain, and insure. Is the return versus other similarly situated usinesses sound? Hertz is in a business where receivables can become problematic. Credit is extended, and during financially challenging times generally extended past healthy limits. There was a surprisingly low 1. 1% bad debt due to non-payment, and the receivable turnaround time was not addressed. The fact is you generally do not immediately receive your payment as you would in a fleet rental transaction. The current uncertainty of the future global construction market begs  Hertz to question whether they can appropriately focus on two different business rental segments given their current financial condition. Summary Hertz has significant brand recognition, good ideas to generate revenue for the future. However they are in a precarious situation; two distinctly different business segments that have experienced huge revenue declines, specifically, construction and the vacation and leisure vehicle rental declines of 2008 and 2009 that have left Hertz with extraordinary debt to consider in order to remain a going concern. Foundations of goals and strategic plan We have successfully completed both external and internal analyses of the rental car and equipment markets as it pertains to the Hertz Corporation. The goals and future direction of the corporation must unequivocally elicit actions, that when taken, establish and maintain strategic advantages for Hertz in this extremely competitive market. We believe the goals established herein educe such responses. The subsequent section of this strategic plan will outline the strategies and approaches to be taken by Hertz to facilitate obtainment of their principal goals. The following goals have been established for the Hertz Corporation: Increased Market Share In the last 5 years, Hertz has consistently relinquished percentages of their car-rental market share to their principal competitors. Currently, it is estimated that Hertz’s market share is at 25. 7%. The goal over the next 3 years is for Hertz to secure one-third of the share in this market. In doing so, Hertz will also maintain its dominance in the equipment rental market and begin to compete with Enterprise in the off-airport rental market. Hertz will also aggressively pursue its international markets, including significantly extending operations in China, the worlds’ fastest growing car and equipment rental market. Movement toward sustainable inventory Hertz will significantly extend its social responsibility programs. The goal is for Hertz to drastically increase eco-friendly vehicles to its operating fleet (a 30% increase by 2014). Hertz believes it has a moral obligation to do so and will diligently pursue business directives that are safer for the environment. This includes introducing â€Å"smart car† initiatives, increasing electric car fleet additions, and contracting more fuel efficient vehicles that emit lower carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere. Improve customer satisfaction by training and technology Hertz has always recognized its required allegiance to the customers of their brand. Hertz will continue to pursue business objectives that improve customer’s experience with the product. This will include increasing customer relationship trainings for all our employees. The company will also set aggressive goals over the next 3 years to be the most technologically advanced rental car and equipment company in the world. Essentially, the technology goals were established to make the customer’s experience more rewarding. At Hertz, we believe that the consequences of improving our technology will result in a better brand image and improved customer satisfaction. The satisfaction/technology goals rely on the principle of the â€Å"four mores†: 1) more safe and responsible 2) more simplistic 3) more reliable 4) more comfortable Dedication to Employees Over the next 3 years, it will be increasingly evident that Hertz feels morally responsible to the environment, their customers, and shareholders. However, our company would like to further acknowledge its commitment to the employees of Hertz. We understand that the current economic crisis has forced the company into making tough decisions, decisions that ultimately left thousands of Hertz employees jobless. Hertz also understands that no goal outlined in this strategic plan will be attainable without the commitment and dedication of all its employees. Therefore, Hertz is introducing its M. O. R. A. L. E program (Movement of Recognizing All Leadership Employees). This movement will provide the following benefits for Hertz employees: incentives for excellent job performance, lucrative rewards for obtaining organizational goals, commission plans added to employee’s base salary- purposefully designed to improve performance, monthly employee recognition meetings, and an aggressive career advancement campaign. The goal here is for Hertz to improve the morale of all its employees and be recognized as the number one employer in the car and equipment rental industry. Drastically decrease debt owed Hertz currently owes a substantial monetary amount to two primary lenders: Deuschte Bank and Bank of Scotland. Operating under such debt has caused strategic limitations and will undoubtedly effect the attainment of the goals laid herein. Hertz is also subjected to the arbitrary decisions of the aforementioned lenders. The corporation may struggle to sustain itself if either lender requires payment in full or radically increases payment contingencies. Therefore, over the next 3 years, Hertz will industriously contribute to paying off debt owed. It is believed that Hertz’s ability to do so will be promoted by obtaining all of the other goals outlined in this strategic plan. Hertz Strategic Plan Implementation Hertz Global Holdings (Hertz) operates vehicle and equipment rental businesses in the United States and Europe as well as global services for industries like construction, automobile manufacturing, railroad, power generation, and shipbuilding. Hertz vehicle rental business is the largest worldwide. Headquartered in Park Ridge, New Jersey, the company employs 24,900 people in approximately 8,200 locations in 146 countries worldwide. Mission It is the mission of Hertz to be the most customer focused, cost efficient vehicle and equipment rental/leasing company in every market we serve. We will strengthen our leading worldwide positions through a shared value culture of employee and partner involvement by making strategic investments in our brand, people, and products. The focus of everything we do will be on improved shareholder value. Vision Hertz will be the first choice brand for vehicle and equipment rental/leasing and total mobility solutions. Strategies * Ensure that the Hertz Brand is in front of the target audience through aggressive and consistent media campaigns to further increase vehicle rental market share. * Hertz will increase marketing expenditures by 15% over the next three years. The company will frontline its new marketing campaign epitomized by its new slogan. â€Å"Hertz, driving you towards the future. The focus of this campaign will be to characterize Hertz’s image as an enviro-friendly car rental company that has embraced technological advancements. * Expand partnerships to avoid conflicts and retain an ability to purchase fleet and program vehicles. * Meet and exceed obligations for all interest payments to secure financial stability in an additional effort to significantly reduce debt. * Focus on, plan for, and in vest in new and useful technologies and facilities to meet and match customer expectations in order to build customer confidence and to distribute Hertz products to the right place at the right time to support demand. Continue to embrace the principles of environmental sustainability that serve the evolving needs of our employees and customers. Remain committed to vehicles with the lowest carbon footprint. Waiting for and accessing infrastructure as the demand for electric cars increases. In the short term, hybrid models such as the Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry will be used in response to customer demand. * Continue to find and use new location space off the airport rental market challenging the competition. Challenge, empower and engage employees seeking to increase satisfaction through affirming communication to improve morale and decrease turnover. Hertz will strive to increase the diversity of the workforce as a contribution to the overall success, and to recruit and retain talented employees. * Increased use of ‘the human touch’ instead of technology where needed, and will respect and care for each customer through each transaction in order to build repeat business. * Consider the equipment rental/leasing portion of the business for cost utting measures as revenues dropped dramatically, U. S. new construction continues to struggle and China is competitive. REFERENCES Hertz Annual Report: http://phx. corporate-ir. net/External. File? item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Mzc2NTI0fENoaWxkSUQ9Mzc1MTMxfFR5cGU9MQ==;t=1 Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Q4 2009 Earnings Call Transcript http://seekingalpha. com/article/190491-hertz-global-holdings-inc-q4-2009-earnings-call-transcript Hertz Mission Statement, Vision and Values: https://images. hertz. com/pdfs/VMVWeb. pdf